Believe it or not, half of the WNBA season is over. That makes this a perfect time to look at the major league awards and see where the race stands.
Today, we begin with the Coach of the Year (COTY) award.
Here’s who we see as the top three contenders. In the comments, let us know if you agree, while also highlighting the cases of any other candidates.
Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx)
Typically, the WNBA Coach of the Year award goes to the head coach who has overachieved by leaps and bounds. They’ve taken their team to heights they
weren’t expected to reach based on their talent level.
Reeve, as the coach of a No. 1 Minnesota Lynx team, shouldn’t be a COTY candidate, but she is. She, once again, has made Minnesota the best team in the WNBA, doing so without Napheesa Collier, who remains out, and with rookie guard Olivia Miles, who is shaking up the league with her stellar play.
This was supposed to be a season when the Lynx would take a step backward, but Reeve hasn’t let that happen. Instead, the Lynx are the team to beat, plus she is now the head coach with the most wins in the history of the WNBA.
Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries)
Last year, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase took over an expansion team and led them to a playoff berth. This year, she has them in position to be considered the best team in the WNBA.
The Valkyries are just a half-game back of the Lynx for the top seed in the league. They’ve accomplished this level of play without players ranked highly in any of the major statistical categories. Gabby Williams is Golden State’s leading scorer, but she’s 27th overall in points per game in the WNBA. Veronica Burton is the assist leader on the Valkyries, but 12th in the league. And Kayla Thornton is their top rebounder, but ranks 30th in the WNBA.
The fact that the Valkyries are not necessarily elite individually but a force to be reckoned with when united is a testament to what their coach has done to bring them all together.
The Valkyries remain great, and Nakase is a big reason why. If Golden State keeps it up, Nakase will have a great chance at going back-to-back as COTY.
Alex Sarama (Portland Fire)
Alex Sarama has done a great job coaching the expansion Portland Fire. They’ve remained competitive and are just two games back of a playoff spot. He’s been able to keep them in the mix using players other teams saw as replaceable, as they weren’t protected from the expansion draft.
Carla Leite has doubled her point total with the Fire from her rookie season with the Valkyries. Sarah Ashlee Barker is averaging 10.7 points and shooting 48.9 percent from the field, a stark improvement from her time with the Los Angeles Sparks. After seven years with the Lynx, Bridget Carleton is having a breakout year. She’s averaging 13.5 points per game and playing her best basketball.
All of these success stories are part of the Fire’s success story, and Sarama is the head of it all.
If they can make the postseason, that might be enough for him to be the second-straight expansion coach to win this award.
