I\u2019ve never envied the job of a head coach. From high school to college to the pros, it\u2019s a public position that invites scrutiny from all corners. At the end of last week, the Dallas Wings lost a close game to the Minnesota Lynx after having the lead for most of the contest. Wings first-year head coach Jose Fernandez was very blunt in his postgame presser on Thursday night:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s real talk, and it\u2019s accountability,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I told them. I go, \u2018There\u2019s selfishness in this locker room.\u2019 There is. You gotta look in the mirror and be accountable on how you played, and don\u2019t get upset if you think that you should\u2019ve played more, or you didn\u2019t play enough, or you didn\u2019t get the shots you think you should\u2019ve gotten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dallas fans were quick to point out that it was only the third game of the season, and Fernandez\u2019s critique seemed arrogant. Players like Maddy Siegrist and Aziaha James have voiced support<\/a> for their coach, and the team responded with a commanding 23-point win over the Washington Mystics on Monday night (and a season-high 30 assists).<\/p>\n Sometimes a coach publicly criticizes their team, and it comes back to haunt them. Just as often, it lights the fire the team needs.<\/p>\n A recent example is University of Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell saying<\/a>, \u201cI have a team that\u2019ll just quit on you,\u201d after a brutal 43-point loss to South Carolina in February. Tennessee lost eight of their last nine games and had zero players <\/a>on their roster at the end of the season. That same week, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said<\/a> his team had \u201cno heart\u201d after a 16-point loss to Vanderbilt. He added, \u201cI wear it. I\u2019m accountable. That\u2019s my team, but it\u2019s so disappointing. It\u2019s probably the softest team I\u2019ve had in years.\u201d The Texas players responded<\/a> by rattling off 12 wins in a row en route to a Final Four berth.<\/p>\n See? It cuts both ways. So, I\u2019m here to help. If you\u2019re a coach of a WNBA<\/a> team, answer these questions before speaking negatively about your team to the media. Results may vary.<\/p>\n Will my team take this personally?<\/p>\n There is a common basketball acronym: KYP, which stands for \u201cknow your personnel\u201d. It\u2019s usually used in a scouting report scenario, but it\u2019s key here, too. Coaches must know the temperament of their roster. If you\u2019re certain that calling them out after a loss will motivate them, lead to tough practices and refocus the season\u2019s goals, then maybe it\u2019s a valuable tactic to use with discretion. But if there is any uncertainty that those things would happen, then don\u2019t. Some things should stay in the privacy of the locker room or a one-on-one conversation.<\/p>\n Will this put a bad spotlight on my team?<\/p>\n As the leader of the team, your comments to the press are going to drive the social media quote graphics and clickbait clips.<\/p>\n Take Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts. After the first game of the season, she was asked postgame why a scoreless Cameron Brink \u2013 the No 2 pick in the 2024 draft \u2013 was limited to just eight minutes. She said, \u201cWe need Cam to produce \u2026 We have so much confidence and belief in her. She\u2019s gotta get out on the floor with some confidence and do what she\u2019s capable of doing.\u201d The next few media scrums centered on that comment, Brink had to answer questions about it, and her box score was under a microscope. Merely three days later, Roberts seemed peeved to answer another question about Brink\u2019s \u201cslow start\u201d: \u201cShe didn\u2019t have a slow start. We\u2019ve played two games \u2026 So the narrative of like, \u2018What\u2019s going on with Cam,\u2019 it\u2019s nothing. She\u2019s doing great. So we got to stop the narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n Coach, with all due respect, you created that narrative.<\/p>\n Do I want my team to like me? Do I want my star player to trust me?<\/p>\n If it\u2019s your first year, this may be question No 1. Building trust is vital. Especially for the Wings, who are only one year removed from a last-place, fired-head-coach, 10-win season.<\/p>\n Do I like my job?<\/p>\n If yes, shut your trap. If not, then air it all out! You\u2019ll have fans calling for your firing, and you won\u2019t have to answer any more of my questions.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf8 Tunnel picks: denim-on-denimNneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams and Angel Reese Composite: Getty Images<\/p>\n Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks: Madam President doesn\u2019t play when it comes to a matching set. And this baggy, pinstriped denim one is perfect for strutting in a Hollywood tunnel.<\/p>\n Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream: These jorts paired with a Gucci belt, Gucci sandals and Herm\u00e8s purse scream \u201cRich Auntie Running Errands\u201d, and that\u2019s what I always aspire to dress like.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcac Pull Quote<\/p>\n \u201cTruthfully, I think it\u2019s bullshit. Obviously, I needed to get a tech. A lot of people think I\u2019m a crashout, but it was very intentional because I will be damned if a player gets hurt on our team [from] something that was controllable by the referees. That is a part of their job.\u201d \u2013 Natasha Cloud<\/a> on the refereeing during the Chicago Sky\u2019s 86-79 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday<\/p>\n Cloud is never one to mince words. Her teammate, Rickea Jackson, suffered an ACL injury during the game and will miss the rest of the season. Cloud blamed the officials for failing to control the game\u2019s physicality. The referees said they\u2019re focusing on freedom of movement at the start of this season, hoping to minimize rough play.<\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f This week\u2019s can\u2019t-miss matchups<\/p>\n Thursday 21 May, 8pm Eastern Time, Amazon Prime<\/p>\n The Liberty had the Valkyries\u2019 number last season. Both teams have retooled. It should be an epic duel in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n Friday 22 May, 7.30 pm Eastern Time, ION<\/p>\n This will be the Dream\u2019s first game since a nail-biting 85-84 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in their home opener on Sunday. Both teams are hungry for wins. Can Paige Bueckers will her team past the deadly ATL Allisha Gray-Angel Reese duo?<\/p>\n This is an extract from WNBA 30, where Jordan Robinson covers the biggest stories in the league on and off the court each week. Subscribe for free here<\/a>. Who do you think will have a breakout season and why? Email wnba30@theguardian.com<\/a>, and we may feature it in the next edition.<\/p>\n