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It was another excellent week of WNBA basketball as the elite teams of the league continued to set themselves apart from the rest of their competition. Amid all the excellent performances displayed by the stars are coaches showing out in the hopes of maintaining their teams' statures. Similar to the standings, the COTY race is also looking to be a close one.
Winning the COTY award is an incredible achievement for any coach to add to their resume. It also creates another standard for the rest of the league to follow suit as winning in the WNBA isn't easy. In this year's race, it could land as another award for Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve or even make the Storm's Noelle Quinn a first-time winner.
With lots of basketball remaining this season, the COTY candidates still have a lot of time left to establish a solid position for their case.
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5) Becky Hammon
The Aces continue to head back to their original footing at the start of the season despite the disappointing losses and the untimely injuries. Aside from being led by two-time MVP A'ja Wilson, Becky Hammon has made the necessary adjustments to help the team maneuver another challenging season.
It is a testament to Hammon's ability to lead effectively while making sure her team is equipped every night.
4) Noelle Quinn
The Storm have been one of the most exciting teams this WNBA season and their coach has a lot to do with it. While the stars do their thing on the court, there remains a level of intricacy that coaches have to manage to get the best out of their squads.
Noelle Quinn has done just that, as she has her team playing the third-best defense in the league. The offense could still use some work but stars Jewell Loyd and Nneka Ogwumike have done more than enough to keep the team's scoring afloat.
3) Cheryl Reeve
There isn't much left to be said about Cheryl Reeve at this point in her career. She has the Lynx playing some of the best basketball in recent years as they are ranked first defensively and third offensively.
A Reeve-led team will always have high expectations of garnering success and the best results possible. So far this WNBA season, she has lived up to those expectations.
2) Stephanie White
The Connecticut Sun opened their 2024 WNBA season by winning their first nine games with little setbacks along the way. Now they are in the middle of a two-game losing streak after securing three straight games prior. Be that as it may, Stephanie White's process has proven to be effective in one of the most competitive seasons in the league yet.
She won last year's COTY and is in great shape to bag her second one with the excellent job she has done this season. Additionally, her team ranks second defensively and fourth offensively.
1) Sandy Brondello
The Liberty have been an incredible powerhouse this season, courtesy of Sandy Brondello's brilliance. It has been a while since her 2014 COTY win when she also led the Phoenix Mercury to an impressive championship victory.
So far this season, she has mimicked that level of success well as she looks to bounce back from last year's finals loss to the Aces. As of now, Brondello has the Liberty as the number-one-ranked offense and the fourth-best defense.
