More Than a Game: The Urgent Call for Black Female Coaches in the WNBA

Story by Kalleigh Bagwell. Photos courtesy of X and Sportsnet.

Representation matters. Imagine you're a young black girl who loves playing basketball. It's always nice to see players on the WNBA team who have a resemblance to you and understand the challenges faced as a Black kid in America. Imagine having a coach with the same qualifications?

Although there are some black female assistant coaches, there are few to no black female head coaches in the WNBA. This is not fair because most of the players in the WNBA are black. According to WNBA All-Star Weekend 2025: How Black Culture And Fan Power Shape The Game, “the WNBA has more than 60% Black players.” This quote highlights that the ratio of black coaches to black players is inadequate. There should be more Black women in head coaching positions. 

Players should be able to learn from coaches who understand their experiences. The players work super hard, and they should get the best coaching from people who get them.

Kalleigh Bagwell is a 7th grader at Friendship Southeast Academy.