WNBA’s 2025 coaching list is one mix of diverse experiences. 7 of the eight new faces hired this season do not come from the league’s head coaching position. College (3), assistant role (3), and an international. That’s how the previous resumes read for them. If things had sat right for Lisa Leslie, we might have seen ‘Big 3 League’ on the list too. But there were missed opportunities and the former champion holds her grudge.

On the recent episode of Unapologetically Angel, Leslie shared that she had put her name in the hat for head coach positions with two teams during the offseason but did not get the job. “When I tell you who these people hired is not better than me, and what I could do for this team and players, But that’s okay,” she stated confidently.

A 2x champion, 3x MVP, and a four-time Olympic gold medalist, Leslie knows she could have done a good job with her experience. Add to that her time as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts, you know she has got a solid case. But what really boosts her confidence further is that Leslie is no stranger to coaching.

Currently the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3, the former LA Sparks star has led the team to a championship in 2019. If that wasn’t enough, she’d go on to win the Coach of the Year honors too. With so much in store, looks like the rejection really touched a nerve for Leslie. So much so that she doesn’t believe the role is ever gonna find a spot on her resume.

“I will never attempt to coach in the WNBA again. Period,” she made clear on the podcast. 

Indiana Fever was the only team that acquired a head coach from the franchise. Dallas Wings, Washington Mystics, Golden State Valkyries, Connecticut Sun, and her former W team, LA Sparks, Atlanta Dream, and Chicago Sky, all brought in new names. It was certainly a sting, but Leslie has made her peace with it. “I again am a very much, ‘what’s for you is for you’ and that’s not for me, and I am okay with that,” she asserted.

Another coaching position, she may not be looking at the W for, but the analyst in her isn’t going anywhere.

Lisa Leslie weighs in on the WNBA draft

Leslie isn’t just hyping up this class for the sake of it—she genuinely believes they have what it takes to elevate the league. “This new class, I feel like, will have an impact,” she said. With top talents like Paige Bueckers heading to the Dallas Wings, there’s a sense that the future of the 2025 WNBA is about to shift.

Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles, Aneesah Morrow, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron. The lottery pick lineup prediction is star-studded. 

The UConn stand out is averaging 18.7 points and shooting 41.6% from behind the arc. Morrow on the other hand, has grown befitting of the ‘double-doubel machine’ tag. 23 in 26 games she has played so far! Miles, with her 16.5 points and 6.4 assists averages while shooting 42.3% from behind the arc, is rising up the ranking. Predicted no.4 in November, the Fighting Irish now remains on the radar of two teams– Seattle Storm (no.2) and Chicago Sky (no.3). “We are trying to get her,” Reese confirmed.

UCLA’s Lauren Betts is making a strong case for College Player of the Year race, surpassing Bueckers. But alongside Azzi Fudd, she is omitted out of the mock draft due to the possibility of returning for another season of college basketball. The draft has been scheduled for April 14, 2025 and in the months following, we await the weight of Leslie’s words.