A potential power shift has taken place in the W.
The Los Angeles Sparks, owners of the WNBA’s second-worst record last season, are hiring away head coach Curt Miller from the Connecticut Sun, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes and Cassandra Negley are reporting.
Miller is a two-time WNBA Coach of the Year and led the Sun to the postseason six of his seven years with the team, including two trips to the WNBA Finals. They were unable to get over the hump for their first title, however, including this past season when Connecticut lost in four games to the Las Vegas Aces.
Reporting with @CasNegley: The Los Angeles Sparks are finalizing a deal to hire away two-time WNBA Coach of the Year Curt Miller from the Connecticut Sun, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 21, 2022
Miller joins a proud Sparks franchise that has missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since its inaugural years in 1997 and 1998. The Sparks job opened up after Derek Fisher was fired in the middle of his fourth season and veteran coach Fred Williams finished the year as interim.
LA’s +4000 odds at Tipico to win next year’s title are the second-longest of any team, but the apparent hope is that Miller’s coaching and management expertise can speed up the timeline. The Sun have the second-shortest odds to win the 2023 title at +350, but they have to first find a coach to guide a veteran group.
