The Seattle Storm is going through a rough phase at the moment. While they managed to keep their calm and qualify for the playoffs, things did not go well since then. Facing off against the Las Vegas Aces, the team faltered significantly and bowed out of the competition. Soon after, the backlashes began to follow. The likes of Lexie Brown let her frustrations known over her limited game time. And then came the big news. Head coach Noelle Quinn was sacked.
With the front office trying to revamp the roster for a possible championship run next season, the termination of Quinn’s contract has come with a surprising twist. This move means that there are no black women head coaches in the WNBA anymore.
Noelle Quinn Leaves A Gaping Hole In The WNBA
Soon after the loss to Aces, the Seattle Storm announced about parting ways with Quinn. And while this decision did not come as a surprise, it bore some bad news for the league. As it turns out, as of now, Quinn was the last of the black female head coaches in the league. And this has happened for the very first time since the 2020 season. However, all of that could change as at the moment, as many as three teams are in hunt for new coaches.
Barring the Storm, the two expansion teams, Toronto and Portland, will be in search of new head coaches. And as far as black male coaches are concerned, Chicago Sky’s Tyler Marsh and Washington Mystics’ Sydney Johnson will probably be getting another year to prove themselves worthy.
The WNBA has no Black women in HC positions for the first time since 2020 after the Storm's decision not to renew Noelle Quinn's contract.
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) September 22, 2025
She was the first fired this offseason, but where do other franchises stand on coaching changes?
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Meanwhile, the termination of Quinn’s contract was not the only news coming from the Seattle Storm. The team followed it by firing the entire coaching staff and hinting at a complete shake-up.
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Seattle Storm Parts Ways With Entire Coaching Staff
Noelle Quinn had a lot of issues brewing with the Storm. In her last five years as the head coach, she was unable to make it big in the WNBA despite having star players like of Breanna Stewart, Skylar Diggins, and more. However, following Quinn’s exit, the management also decided to fire the entire coaching staff. In a recent report, Forbes’ Roberta F. Rodrigues, confirmed the news regarding the decision to sack the coaching staff.
“Per sources, the whole Seattle Storm coaching staff has been dismissed. The franchise is seeking a complete renewal of the sideline,” read the report.
Now, then, initially the decision might feel like it has come out of the blue. But in reality, there were issues and growing discontent between the coaching staff and the players. Several players had labelled the environment as ‘toxic,’ and a neutral investigation had to be launched earlier to tackle the issue.