Teresa Weatherspoon Calls Out WNBA Over Lack of Black Women Head Coaches

Teresa Weatherspoon highlighted the lack of representation of black women head coaches in the WNBA.

Teresa Weatherspoon Calls Out WNBA Over Lack of Black Women Head Coaches

Teresa Weatherspoon (Image credits - The Seattle Times)

The WNBA was founded 30 years ago. It started with eight teams in its first season. The league has come a long way since its 1996 inception.

The WNBA now has 15 teams, including one in Canada. The league is also scheduled to expand to 18 teams by 2030. The NBA also fully backs it.

The league has given several women, especially Black women, the opportunity to take up the sport and showcase their talent. But while black women dominate the player pool, they have struggled to make a name for themselves in the coaching department.

Currently, the WNBA has zero black women as head coaches. Former Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon criticized the WNBA for the lack of representation of black female head coaches in the WNBA in her recent appearances on the Flagrant and Funny w/ Cari Champion & Jemele Hill podcast.

It’s about 70-75% of us who play in this league, they need to see someone like us, especially us who have played this game. When we started this league, you were building a foundation for our younger women to come in and start to build this thing again. It’s the same thing that we have to do right now as black women. Coaching to step in, lay the foundation for others to come in. We have to fill those voids that’s not there right now. It’s a must.

Teresea Weatherspoon on Flagrant and Funny w/ Cari Champion & Jemele Hill podcast

The 2026 WNBA campaign marks the third season in league history to feature zero Black women at the helm of a franchise. Hence, it is not surprising to see Weatherspoon call out the WNBA and highlight the stark contrast in the 3-on-3 league Unrivaled, which employs five black female head coaches.

There is no doubt the WNBA has done a good job in developing players since 1996. Since the inception of the league, Team USA has won seven of the last eight FIBA World Cups. They made it five in a row this year after another dominant display. The WNBA players are paid a lot better as well after a new salary structure was developed earlier this year.

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Paige Bueckers calls out lack of Black women coaches in the WNBA

The last time there was a season with zero black female head coaches was in the 2020 campaign. After the sacking of Noelle Quinn from the Seattle Storm last year, no black woman remained in the WNBA’s head coaching ranks.

During the current season, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers used her postgame press conference to highlight a stark reality in her league.

I grew up with a lot of prominent Black women in my life that were very important to me and how I was raised. So I understand how amazing they are and how they should get the same equal opportunity as a white woman, as a white man. And it was built on a lot of Black women, this league was. So it’s definitely right for them to get the same equal opportunity as everybody else.

Paige Bueckers in her press conference

The WNBA has grown significantly in viewership and revenue over the years. However, representation in leadership has moved in the opposite direction. There are two black head coaches in the WNBA this year, but neither is a woman.

Jemele Hill urges Los Angeles Sparks to replace Lynne Roberts with Teresa Weatherspoon

The Los Angeles Sparks are coming off another disappointing campaign. They missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year as they finished at 10th place in the standings with a 16-28 record. Following their poor season, the Sparks fired head coach Lynne Roberts.

Teresa Weatherspoon
Teresa Weatherspoon (Image credits – ESPN)

Contributing writer for The Atlantic Jemele Hill urged the front office to hire Teresa Weatherspoon.

The Sparks need to hire Teresa Weatherspoon. Great player. Strong coach. Incredible leader. They need someone who players will trust and respect and will build a winning culture.

Jemele Hill on X

Teresa Weatherspoon does have some experience as a head coach in the WNBA. She was the head coach of the Chicago Sky for one season in 2024. To add to it, she also has history with the Sparks, as she played the final season of her career with them. She is currently the head coach of Vinyl BC in the Unrivaled league.

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