On the eve of Juneteenth, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeves gave a critical take on the current representation of women of color as head coaches/ managers in the WNBA.
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“It wasn’t that long ago we were on calls and creating positions that were the equivalent of a development player that were to go to former players…,” Reeve said to the media. “Obviously, we would know that that would lead to black females because without those opportunities, you know, they just weren’t happening,” she added.
“They say what should be the best person for the job and we know that’s code for, you know, for too long, it’s been code for, it’s not women, nor black women. And so we have to find. I think, a solution to that. I think we should put a task force together on that,” she added.
“Doesn’t mean that we don’t want men or white men. It doesn’t mean that at all we can’t have zero black women coaching in a whatever 90 plus percent representation from the players and so from the players. I very much want to address that,” Reeve remarked.
Reeve’s statement seems to have struck a nerve in the WNBA fraternity. Analysts Alicia Jay and Erica L. revisited Reeve’s statements on the ‘We Need to Talk‘ podcast and agreed with that something needs to be done to address this systemic issue.
“When you look at 63.8% of all players identifying as Black or African-American, and you don’t have that reflected in the coaching staff, there’s an issue. There’s a problem,” Alicia Jay said.
Pokey Chatman was the last African-American woman to head a WNBA team, the Indiana Fever. She was fired following the 2019 season. Now in 2026, there is not a single woman representative from the African-American community for the position of head coach. This is only the third time in WNBA history that such an instance has happened.
Only 22 African-American women have been hired as head coaches in the 30 years of the WNBA’s existence. This number peaked in 2022 at 6. But since then, it has only gone downwards. Noelle Quinn holds the record as the longest-serving African-American woman head coach. Seattle hired her in 2021.
“I think it was a great honor to lead this team and represent Black women,” Quinn said as per MSR. “I think representation matters,” she added.
Though teams are now taking bold steps to address these gaps, does that still mean it’s enough? Perhaps a lot many issues are need to be fixed.
Teams Have Started Initiatives, but a Lot Is Still Left to Be Desired
The WNBA franchises have time and again come up with initiatives to address this lack of diversity in coaching staff. The Seattle Storm have previously championed all-Black female coaching staffs (featuring assistants like Ebony Hoffman and Pokey Chatman) to give former players the technical “reps” and play-calling experience required for promotion.
The ‘Unrivaled’ league has given special attention to diversity right at the outset. Five of the eight teams are headed by women coaches of the African-American community. This includes Noelle Quinn, Teresa Weatherspoon, Rena Wakama, Roneeka Hodges, and Nola Henry.
As the WNBA gains popularity, it is becoming attractive to coaches and assistants across the spectrum. A trend is emerging of hiring ex-NBA coaches and assistants. There are six head coaches in the WNBA right now who have jumped ship from the NBA. Notable examples include Chris DeMarco, Nate Tibbets, etc.
The irony isn’t lost. As the WNBA grows into a league worth coaching, the pipeline it spent years building for Black women risks being crowded out by the very men’s game it was never meant to replicate. The WNBA has always been a proving ground for Black women. But whether it stays that way or not, it will depend on who gets hired next.
