Two more WNBA teams just hired head coaches, and they have a lot in common

The Los Angeles Sparks hired Lynne Roberts, a former college coach of 27 years. The Dream snagged FGCU’s Karl Smesko.

The Los Angeles Sparks have found their new head coach: Lynne Roberts, a seasoned Division I coach with 27 seasons of collegiate women’s basketball experience. That hiring was announced just a week after a different WNBA head coaching vacancy was filled, with Florida Gulf Coast’s Karl Smesko being named head coach of the Atlanta Dream.

Roberts was the head coach of the University of Utah for the past 9 seasons, where she led the team to three consecutive NCAA tournament berths, and oversaw the development of Alissa Pilli. Prior to that, she coached at Chico State and Pacific.

Smesko, meanwhile, has served as the founding head coach of FGCU’S women’s basketball team since 2002. In that time, he established the team as one of the most consistent mid-major programs in the country.

In an unusual move, both Smesko and Robert will will leave their collegiate programs in the early days of the season.

Both coaches have two things in common: they are decorated collegiate coaches, and they love the three-ball. Smesko and Roberts have both successfully utilized a modern, three-point heavy offense in their college programs.

Roberts will replace Curt Miller, who was fired from the Sparks after two rebuilding seasons with the organization. Smesko will replace Tanisha Wright, who was similarly fired from the Dream last month, after leading her team to the No. 8 seed last season.

Karl Smesko is one of the winningest collegiate coaches

Smesko was officially introduced on Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta, and Dream general manager Dan Padover gushed about him in his opening remarks.

“We wanted a proven winner,” Padover said. “We wanted someone with an innovative basketball mind. And we wanted a team and culture builder.”

At the college level, Smesko has been all of those things. He has the third-highest winning percentage (.845) among active head coaches in NCAA Division I women’s basketball (trailing only UConn’s Geno Auriemma and LSU’s Kim Mulkey). And, he has the stamp of approval from his colleagues; in The Athletic’s anonymous coaches poll, he was named the best X’s and O’s practitioners for two consecutive seasons.

Since 2009, FGCU has finished in the top four in three-point attempt rate every season. In nearly half of those seasons, they’ve led Division I in percentage of shots coming from beyond the three-point line.

“I want this to be a fun, exciting style to watch, and I want it to be fun and enjoyable for our players,” said Smesko in his opening press conference. “I believe in pushing the ball, getting up and down the court, obviously known for utilizing the three-point shot, creating a lot of space, attacking the rim, and playing together and sharing the ball.”

The Dream—led by Tina Charles, Allisha Gray, and Rhyne Howard—finished the season with a 15-25 record. Gray could be particularly effective in a three-point-heavy offense; while she shot just 34.2% from beyond the arc last season, she was a 40+ % three-point shooter as recently as 2022.

“I think we have a roster makeup right now, where this would really fit the skills of a lot of our players,” Smesko said. “I think they’re really going to enjoy it. I look forward to working with them and really, I wish we could get started right now.”

Smesko wasn’t shy about stating his end objective, though it might take some time to get there.

“I want to be an advocate for women’s sports and for the city of Atlanta,” he said. “And one of the simple ways to do that is to develop a team that everybody is proud of — a championship-level team, that’s the ultimate goal.”

The Sparks believe Lynne Roberts will turn things around

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Lynne Roberts hasn’t yet been formally introduced yet — that will happen Thursday — but the Sparks’ leadership expressed confidence in the hire.

“Lynne is an outstanding coach and leader,” Sparks governor and managing partner Eric Holoman said in an official statement announcing the hire. “We are thrilled to bring her decades of winning coaching experience to our organization.

“Through our comprehensive international search, Lynne’s modern view of basketball, her communication skills, and ability to build relationships made her the right choice for the role,” Holomon said.

Like Smeskin, Roberts is known for utilizing three-pointers and prioritizing efficiency. The Sparks made the case for it in their official press release:

The past three seasons, Roberts’ teams have displayed historic efficiency, ranking No. 1 in the nation in field goal attempts from beyond the three-point line and at the rim, second in overall offensive rating, and third in effective field goal percentage. Collectively, these squads rank fifth among all DI schools in three-pointers made across the last three campaigns. In 2023-24, Roberts’ Utes shot 95% of their shots from beyond the arc, at the rim or in the paint. Her team attempted just 5% of their opportunities from the less efficient mid-range area, much more efficient than the 17% frequency that WNBA teams average.

Last season, the Sparks finished with the league’s worst record at 8-32. No. 2 pick Cameron Brink missed most of the season with an ACL tear, punctuating an injury-riddled season in Los Angeles.

Next season, they’ll once again own the No. 2 pick, which will be used to select a college standout like USC forward Kiki Iriafen or Notre Dame point guard Olivia Miles. Regardless of which way they go, Roberts’ being at the helm should be fitting given her well-known emphasis on player development.

“The Sparks have a talented roster with tremendous upside, and we will compete tirelessly for WNBA championships,” Roberts said. “I believe Los Angeles should be the premier market in the WNBA, and I’m eager to partner with our players and front office to make this happen.”

Neither Smeskin nor Roberts has coached at the professional level before, and both will undeniably go through an adjustment period. Smeskin was open about wanting to hire staff with WNBA experience to aid that transition period.

But, their willingness to step away from college programs where they’ve been long-tenured and revered highlights the enormity of this moment in the WNBA. With eight head coach vacancies opening up this year, the hiring floodgates opened in all directions. Coaches that a few years back may have foregone the opportunity to transition to the W have opted to do so.

Curt Miller, who is now the general manager of the Dallas Wings, said he’s seen unprecedented interest during his process of searching for a new head coach for the Wings.

“I can’t begin to tell you the interest coming from, not only WNBA, but outside of WNBA, like you’ve never seen before,” Miller said.

Several WNBA head coaching positions remain open — alongside the Wings, the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics are still on the hunt. Meanwhile, the Chicago Sky (Tyler Marsh), Indiana Fever (Stephanie White), and Golden State Valkyries (Natalie Nakase) have all filled their vacancies.

Where the remaining crop of head coaches comes from remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: with interest in the WNBA proliferating, there’s been no shortage of interest.