On Friday’s episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Jackie Powell is joined by Meghan Hall of For the Win to dish out grades for each new WNBA head coach now that all seven positions have been filled. First they explain their grades for Karl Smesko of the Atlanta Dream, Tyler Marsh of the Chicago Sky and Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever. Then they reveal what they made of the Los Angeles Sparks’ new hire, former Utah head coach Lynne Roberts, followed by the mad dash of hires that were rolled out in December from the Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings and the Washington Mystics.
Jackie and Meghan began their analysis by praising the Atlanta Dream’s hiring of Karl Smesko, noting his potential to develop players like guard Rhyne Howard, but questioned his defensive strategies and the team’s overall consistency. Meghan gave the hire a B+, saying, “Karl had to buy into what Atlanta is building,” while also expressing concern about how his offensive identity would mesh with the team’s needs.
The Washington Mystics received the lowest grade (C-) for the hiring of Sydney Johnson. Jackie and Meghan questioned his lack of recent head coaching experience and how he would manage a roster in transition. As Meghan put it, “I need to see the vision from the Mystics because right now, it’s really cloudy.”
In their final segment, the pair zeroes in on why more men are getting WNBA head coaching roles heading into the 2025 season and how far the league has come in five years since only four women were head coaches.
