Honestly, it feels like we’ve been having the same conversation for a decade. Back in 2014, when the San Antonio Spurs hired Becky Hammon, the vibe was electric. It felt like a "when," not an "if." People were placing bets on which team would be the first to name a woman as head coach.
Fast forward to January 2026. The landscape looks... complicated.
While the WNBA is exploding in popularity and women are running front offices, the path for women coaches in nba circles has hit a weird, frustrating plateau. We went from a record high of nine female assistants in 2019 to barely a handful today. Why? Because the "pipeline" is actually working—it’s just leading women back to the women’s game where they can actually get the top job.
The Becky Hammon Effect and the Great Exit
Becky Hammon didn’t just sit on the bench; she won the Summer League title in 2015. She was the first woman to act as a head coach in a regular-season game when Gregg Popovich got tossed against the Lakers in 2020. She was the gold standard.
But Hammon is gone. She’s now a multi-time champion with the Las Vegas Aces.
She’s not the only one who left. Look at the names:
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- Kara Lawson left the Boston Celtics to lead Duke.
- Niele Ivey walked away from the Memphis Grizzlies for Notre Dame.
- Lindsay Gottlieb traded the Cleveland Cavaliers for USC.
- Teresa Weatherspoon went from the New Orleans Pelicans to the WNBA (and later the Unrivaled league).
It’s a bit of a "Catch-22." These women proved they could coach at the highest level in the NBA. Because they proved it, they became the most sought-after candidates for massive head coaching roles in the NCAA and WNBA. When you’re offered a million-dollar salary and the chance to be the boss, why would you stay as the third assistant on an NBA bench waiting for a phone call that might never come?
Who is Still on the NBA Bench in 2026?
If you're looking for women coaches in nba roles right now, the list is shorter than most fans realize. It’s a specialized group of tactical experts who are still grinding in the film rooms and on the practice courts.
Jenny Boucek is the veteran of the group. Currently with the Indiana Pacers, she’s been in the league since 2017. Rick Carlisle has called her a "basketball savant." She doesn’t care about the optics; she cares about the pick-and-roll coverage. Then there is Lindsey Harding. She’s perhaps the most interesting name to watch right now. After winning G-League Coach of the Year with the Stockton Kings, she moved up to the Los Angeles Lakers' staff.
Harding is basically the closest thing the league has to a "next" head coaching candidate. She’s played, she’s scouted, and she’s led a men's professional team to a winning record. If a team is going to break the glass ceiling in 2026 or 2027, her name is usually the first one mentioned in front-office circles.
The Missing "Middle Class" of Coaches
The problem isn't a lack of talent. It's the structure.
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In the NBA, the coaching cycle is notoriously "incestuous." Owners and GMs tend to hire people they’ve worked with before or former players who were stars in the 90s. For a woman to break into that "good old boys" network, she has to be twice as good just to get an entry-level player development role.
Sonia Raman spent years at MIT before the Memphis Grizzlies scooped her up for her analytics and tactical mind. She’s still there, quietly being one of the smartest people in the building. But the "middle class" of female assistants—those ready for lead assistant roles—is thinning out.
Why the First Head Coach is Still Miles Away
Adam Silver once said he wanted a female head coach "sooner rather than later." He even floated a five-year timeline back in 2022. Well, the clock is ticking, and we aren't there.
There's a quiet reality no one likes to talk about: the pressure.
Whoever becomes the first woman head coach in NBA history will be under a microscope that no man has ever experienced. If a male coach goes 20-62, people say the roster is bad. If the first woman coach goes 20-62, the "experiment" gets blamed.
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That’s a heavy burden to carry. It’s why many of the best candidates are choosing the WNBA, where they can build dynasties and be judged solely on their wins, not their gender. The WNBA is now paying seven-figure salaries to top coaches. The NBA assistant lifestyle—constant travel, being the fourth voice in the huddle, and lower pay—just isn't as attractive as it used to be.
What Needs to Change
If the NBA actually wants to see women in the top seat, they can't just wait for it to happen "organically." Organic change in a league this old takes forever.
- Intentional Recruitment: Teams need to look at the NCAA and WNBA for talent, not just the other way around.
- G-League Opportunities: More women need to be given the keys to G-League teams. It’s the ultimate proving ground. If you can win in Stockton or Westchester, you can win in the NBA.
- Front Office Support: We are seeing more women in GM and Assistant GM roles (like the Suns' Morgan Cato or the Pacers' Kelly Krauskopf). Usually, diverse front offices lead to diverse coaching staffs.
It’s not about charity. It’s about the fact that 50% of the world's basketball brains are being underutilized.
Actionable Insights for Following the Journey:
- Watch the Los Angeles Lakers bench: Track Lindsey Harding’s involvement in late-game huddles; her rise is the most significant indicator of progress.
- Monitor G-League Hires: The next wave of women coaches in nba roles will likely come from the coaching staffs of the South Bay Lakers or the Santa Cruz Warriors.
- Look at the Pacers’ Offense: Jenny Boucek’s influence on floor spacing is a masterclass for anyone interested in the tactical side of the modern game.
The talent is there. The results are there. Now, someone just has to have the guts to make the hire.