Expectations for the Indiana Fever are high entering the 2025 WNBA season, which is why Stephanie White begins as the clear betting favorite to win Coach of the Year.
White took over as Indiana’s head coach in the offseason, returning to where she spent six seasons (as Fever’s head coach in 2015-16 and as an assistant from 2011-14) on the sidelines. White has been tasked with leading the Fever into contention in Caitlin Clark’s second season.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest WNBA betting lines and best predictions for the 2025 Coach of the Year race:
Odds to Win 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year
| Coach | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Stephanie White | Fever | +100 |
| Nate Tibbetts | Mercury | +650 |
| Sandy Brondello | Liberty | +900 |
| Cheryl Reeve | Lynx | +1100 |
| Karl Smesko | Dream | +1200 |
| Becky Hammon | Aces | +1400 |
| Lynne Roberts | Sparks | +1400 |
| Tyler Marsh | Sky | +2000 |
| Chris Koclanes | Wings | +2000 |
| Noelle Quinn | Storm | +2000 |
| Natalie Nakase | Valkyries | +2800 |
| Rachid Meziane | Sun | +4000 |
| Sydney Johnson | Mystics | +5000 |
Who Will Win WNBA Coach of the Year?
Based on the current WNBA odds, White is +100 for an implied probability of 50% of winning Coach of the Year in 2025. No other coach is better than +850 in this market entering the upcoming season.
Recent history indicates that White is well-positioned to win Coach of the Year. This award usually goes to the coach who guides a team to one of the top records in the league after not being seen as a contender in the prior season.
In 2024, Cheryl Reeve led the Minnesota Lynx to the second-best record in the league. White, who coached the Connecticut Sun the last two years, was honored in 2023 after leading her team to the third-best record in the WNBA.
Becky Hammon won Coach of the Year in 2022, guiding the Las Vegas Aces to the best record. The last time a COY winner didn’t lead a top three team was in 2020, when Reeve’s Lynx finished fourth.
Looking ahead to 2025, the New York Liberty, Aces, Lynx, and Fever all enter at +400 or better to win it all. Of that group, only the Fever weren’t viewed as a contender last year, finishing sixth with a 20-20 record.
If White can optimize this Indiana team with Clark, she will clearly be the Coach of the Year for 2025.
However, I don’t like paying such a short price in the preseason. That’s why I took a stab at the +2000 value on first-year head coach Karl Smesko instead.
As highlighted in my WNBA win totals breakdown, I expect the Atlanta Dream to exceed expectations in 2025. Smesko will bring a modern style of basketball to the Dream after he posted an impressive .845 winning percentage in 23 years at Florida Gulf Coast University.
The Dream will have to make massive strides after last year’s 15-25 campaign, but their additions in the offseason (Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones) suggest they believe they are a contender. If they can join the elite group (or someone falls out), I could see Smesko getting credit with some Coach of the Year votes.
I’m betting this value on Smesko now and hoping to add a better (or at least similar) price tag on White later in the year.
Prediction: Karl Smesko
2024 WNBA Coach of the Year Voting
| Coach | Team | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Cheryl Reeve | Lynx | 62 |
| Sandy Brondello | Liberty | 4 |
| Christie Sides | Fever | 1 |
List of WNBA Coach of the Year Winners
| Year | Coach | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Cheryl Reeve | Minnesota |
| 2023 | Stephanie White | Connecticut |
| 2022 | Becky Hammon | Las Vegas |
| 2021 | Curt Miller | Connecticut |
| 2020 | Cheryl Reeve | Minnesota |
| 2019 | James Wade | Chicago |
| 2018 | Nicki Collen | Atlanta |
| 2017 | Curt Miller | Connecticut |
| 2016 | Cheryl Reeve | Minnesota |
| 2015 | Bill Laimbeer | New York |
| 2014 | Sandy Brondello | Phoenix |
| 2013 | Mike Thibault | Washington |
| 2012 | Carol Ross | Los Angeles |
| 2011 | Cheryl Reeve | Minnesota |
| 2010 | Brian Agler | Seattle |
| 2009 | Marynell Meadors | Atlanta |
| 2008 | Mike Thibault | Connecticut |
| 2007 | Dan Hughes | San Antonio |
| 2006 | Mike Thibault | Connecticut |
| 2005 | John Whisenant | Sacramento |
| 2004 | Suzie McConnel-Serio | Minnesota |
| 2003 | Bill Laimbeer | Detroit |
| 2002 | Marianne Stanley | Washington |
| 2001 | Dan Hughes | Cleveland |
| 2000 | Michael Cooper | Los Angeles |
| 1999 | Van Chancellor | Houston |
| 1998 | Van Chancellor | Houston |
| 1997 | Van Chancellor | Houston |
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