Ahead of the second season of Unrivaled, set to start in January 2026, the league has announced its eight head coaches. Four of the six original coaches will be returning: Andrew Wade (Shoelace BC), DJ Sackman (Lunar Owls BC), Nora Henry (Rose BC, the defending champions), and Teresa Weatherspoon (Vinyl BC). However, Phil Handy and Adam Harrington will not continue as head coaches, leaving open positions for Mist BC and Phantom BC.
Unrivaled’s general manager, Claire Duwellius, expressed excitement about the new coaching talent joining the league, emphasizing the importance of building on the solid foundation laid by the inaugural coaching staff. Zach O’Brien will take over at Mist BC, and Ronika Hodges will lead Phantom BC. New additions Noel Quinn and Lena Wakama will coach the two new franchises added in 2026, Breeze BC and Hive BC, respectively.
The full head coach lineup is as follows:
– Breeze BC: Noel Quinn
– Hive BC: Lena Wakama
– Shoelace BC: Andrew Wade
– Lunar Owls BC: DJ Sackman
– Mist BC: Zach O’Brien
– Phantom BC: Ronika Hodges
– Rose BC: Nora Henry
– Vinyl BC: Teresa Weatherspoon
Hodges, who was the associate head coach for the Connecticut Sun in 2025, and Quinn, who served as associate head coach of the Seattle Storm in 2020 before becoming head coach from 2021 to 2025, bring WNBA head coaching experience to Unrivaled, joining Weatherspoon from the Chicago Sky in 2024.
The New York Liberty alumni are well-represented among the coaches, with Wade and O’Brien on the sidelines last year and Hodges part of the staff that won the Sandy Brondello title in 2024. Henry and Wakama work as assistants for the Dallas Wings and Chicago Sky, respectively, while Sackman brings 15 years’ experience as a skills coach in both the WNBA and NBA.
Alongside the coaching updates, Unrivaled revealed the last three players added to this year’s main player pool: Aari McDonald (Indiana Fever), Rebecca Allen (Chicago Sky), and Dominic Malonga (Seattle Storm). This brings the total number of newcomers in the 48-player group to 19. Unfortunately, DeJonai Carrington, who played in the league’s inaugural season, will miss the 2026 season due to an injury sustained with the Minnesota Lynx this summer.
About Unrivaled: Unrivaled is a revolutionary women’s professional basketball league that launched in January 2025, co-founded by Brianna Stewart and Nafeesa Collier. The league is player-owned, giving athletes a stake in its success, and features top women’s basketball stars competing in a fast-paced 3-on-3 full-court format across eight teams.
Fan Take: This coaching news is a big deal for WNBA fans as it highlights the growing synergy between the WNBA and Unrivaled, with experienced coaches and players crossing over. It could elevate the quality and competitiveness of women’s basketball, pushing the sport further into the mainstream spotlight.
