This year's WNBA Finals is already a historic one. The Golden State Valkyries have made it to the final round of the playoffs in only their second season, and the Atlanta Dream have finally triumphantly returned to the league's largest stage. Both teams are led by second-year coaches: Natalie Nakase (Valkyries) and Karl Smesko (Dream).
Both came into the WNBA with a few question marks hanging over their heads. Nakase was better known to many fans and players; she previously worked as an assistant coach under Becky Hammon in Las Vegas. Smesko came into the WNBA with plenty of collegiate experience, but hadn't been tested at the professional level.
Their individual paths through the league have been different. Nakase has largely been the toast of the town; she experienced some criticism when fan favorites like Julie Vanloo and Kate Martin were cut from the Valkyries in 2025 and 2026, respectively, but by and large, fans at Ballhalla have embraced her. Smesko has also enjoyed a lot of support from fans who show up at games, and it's clear his team loves and believes in him, but he's been the topic of some grousing on social media.
But all of that is in the past. Both Nakase and Smesko are headed to the WNBA Finals after a series of games that dethroned Cheryl Reeve's Minnesota Lynx, Stephanie White's Indiana Fever, and Hammon's Las Vegas Aces. Those are three coaches who have a lot of experience in the league, and three coaches who many expected to see in the final round. White has never won a championship; Hammon has three, and Reeve has four.
No matter what happens next week — and, obviously, something has to happen, because now there are only two teams left — this year's final match will be historic.
Nakase and Smesko are among a group of coaches who may represent something of a changing of the guard in the coming years. That's not to say that there needs to be any kind of change, but as the league continues to expand and add more teams, it will continue to need new coaches. Like Smesko, the Dallas Wings' Jose Hernandez was plucked from NCAA basketball when he joined the WNBA this season (and the Wings made it to the playoffs, a huge feat after the 2025 season). The Portland Fire selected Alex Sarama, a first-year coach who led the team to a ninth overall ranking in their first season.
It's clear that there's been something of a player shift the last couple of years; new players are coming into the league with more talent than ever before. The same may well be true of coaches, and Nakase and Smesko could represent the beginning of something new — eventually.
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