There has been a lot of good coaches in WNBA history, but only five will make my Top Five coaches in WNBA history list. The coaches i have chosen are all battle-tested coaches and won WNBA titles.
Van Chancellor Houston Comets
Van Chancellor is by far the best coach in WNBA history; he coached the Houston Comets for 10 years from 1997-2006. During that time, Chancellor won four straight WNBA titles, which were the first four WNBA titles in league history. Also, Chancellor won the coach of the year three times and all in a row. Coach Chancellor’s record in his 10 years as head coach was 211-111. It did not hurt that Chancellor had star players Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson on the team. Chancellor was known for his fantastic accent, but he could coach his tail off.
Cheryl Reeve Minnesota Lynx
What more can you say about Cheryl Reeve, a four-time WNBA champion coach and two-time WNBA Coach Of The Year. Reeve has only one losing season under her belt back in 2010 her first year as a coach; the Lynx went 13-21. Coach Reeve’s overall record is 231-109 in 10 seasons in Minnesota. In her 10 seasons, the Lynx have won 25 plus games six times. Reeve’s playoff record is 40-17 before it is all said and done Reeve will take over as the best WNBA coach of all-time.
Michael Cooper Los Angeles Sparks/Atlanta Dream
Coach Michael Cooper won two WNBA championships with the Los Angeles Sparks and appeared in three straight WNBA Finals, Cooper won the Coach of the Year in 2000, with the Sparks. He had a coaching record of 230-150 in 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks and Atlanta Dream. In the playoffs, Cooper was 26-16, with a 61% winning percentage. In Cooper’s first two seasons, he won 56 total games and lost only eight. A lot of people forget about Cooper as a top head coach, but he was one of the best to ever do it.
Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun/Washington Mystics
Mike Thibault is the WNBA all-time winningest coach with 336 wins; he finally got his first WNBA championship this past season with the Washington Mystics. What’s keeping Thibault from the top spot is his playoff record of 34-35 in 69 games. But none the less Thibault is still a great coach, he has coached in the WNBA for 17 seasons and looks to plenty more seasons under his belt. Thibault is also a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year.
Bill Laimbeer Detroit Shock/New York Liberty/Las Vegas Aces
Bill Laimbeer has coached in the WNBA for 15 seasons, with three different teams, the Detroit Shock, New York Liberty, and now the Las Vegas Aces. While with the Shock Laimbeer won three WNBA championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008. Coach Laimbeer is also a two-time Coach of the Year award winner, one with the Shock and one with the Liberty. Laimbeer’s record is 264-203 and 32-23 in playoffs. The former New York Liberty coach is primed for another championship run with the Las Vegas Aces, who’s trying to build like his Bad Boy Pistons with defense and physical style of play.
Don’t forget to read all of my articles and follow me on Twitter @raiderway83.
