Curt Miller fired as Sparks head coach. Who should replace him?

After two below par seasons, Los Angeles parted ways with Curt Miller. What is the short list for his role? We make some guesses…

Magic Johnson wasn’t lying, it seems. Following a scathing Los Angeles Times column in which Bill Plaschke admonished Johnson and other Sparks owners for not paying close enough attention to their franchise, the former Laker legend turned billionaire vowed to be more involved in day to day operations.

On Tuesday night, Curt Miller was fired as Sparks head coach. He was 25-55 in two seasons in L.A.

Message sent and received.

With a potentially huge windfall on the horizon courtesy of a prospective top draft pick that could turn into another needle mover in Paige Bueckers, Los Angeles owners made it clear: they aren’t going to fumble a bag. So who are some prospective choices to fill the role? Here is the early short list.

A note: these are selections based on feel and not on any current insight into the decisions of the Sparks or the coaches. That said, we’ll get digging for you!

Lindsey Harding

Could the Sparks pull a Vegas and steal away an NBA assistant coach? There is precedent! Becky Hammon famously walked away from a seat next to Gregg Popovich to take over the Aces, where she won two straight titles and is looking for a third. Harding, a former star at Duke and 2007 No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, was just poached this offseason to join JJ Redick’s staff in L.A.. Prior to that, she was one of the G-League’s top coaches working within the Kings system and running their affiliate in Stockton. This past year she was the first woman to ever win G-League Coach of the Year. While she doesn’t have experience outside the NBA, spending the last six years with the Kings and 76ers organizations, she played for multiple WNBA teams across her career including the Sparks, whom she was with in 2013-2014. If L.A.’s ownership wants to make a statement, they could work out an arrangement where they pull from their brother ball club. But would the Lakers, in need of an injection of energy and already in flux, be willing to endure more upheaval with the season so close? Moreover, does Harding feel the pull of the W? If Paige is a guarantee, she sure wouldn’t be walking into a bad situation with a possible young core of Bueckers, Rickea Jackson, Cam Brink and a veteran star in Dearica Hamby.

Probability: 5/10

Austin Kelly

This one might be a bit early but Kelly has shown the signs of being capable of becoming a WNBA coach at some point. While he’s relatively new to the W, coaching the Sun under Stephanie White since 2023, he’s been successful at other stops. As a primary recruiter and assistant at UT Arlington he was a vital piece of getting Starr Jacobs on campus. With UTA, Jacobs was arguably the best mid-major player in America and one of the top players in general in NCAA women’s basketball. Kelly has been praised by Stephanie White as having a brilliant tactical mind and has been a fixture on a staff that’s navigated the Caitlin Clark phenomenon but from the opposite, sometimes uglier side. While some of the other choices are interesting because of their proximity to managing stars, Kelly has seen the firsthand effect of the flip side of that coin and may possess some knowledge in how to protect players mentality when they become the subject of unnecessary harassment. Plus, his wife, Karima Christmas-Kelly, is a WNBA assistant for the Fever. Might make for an interesting tandem at the front of the bench and not necessarily unheard of in this sport. He may be a bit early in his career for a job of this magnitude but definitely one worth watching.

Probability: 6/10

Lindsay Gottlieb

I would hate it for NCAA women’s basketball on the west coast but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Sparks at least pick up the phone and probe USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s interest in the pros. In a short few years the Scarsdale, New York native has managed to completely resuscitate the Women of Troy, securing the commitment of JuJu Watkins and nearly making it to the Final Four in her freshman year. Through a combination of prep recruitment and portal signings, Gottlieb has built a juggernaut in Los Angeles that have made the annual Battle of L.A. with UCLA must-see-TV. Would she leave early before finishing the job? Gottlieb has mentioned before that she does enjoy the GM aspect of the portal and has had experience coaching in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Players have great things to say about her but the question is if she’d be willing to move before Watkins concludes her time at USC. I’m going to wager no, but with the influx of money coming into the WNBA and a new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon it may be financially prudent to make the jump in a way that it hasn’t been before for college coaches.

Probability: 3/10

Katie Smith

The top assistant on the Lynx bench should be a popular name as the carousel turns as well. A former WNBA legend, seven time All-Star and two time champion, Smith’s resume is pretty impeccable. She has coached in the league for some time, first with the Liberty and then with the Lynx. She’s been credited this year with the development of Bridget Carleton into a Most Improved Player candidate and helped Kayla McBride put together one of the most prolific three point shooting seasons in league history. Some may be worried about her unsuccessful two year stint as New York’s head coach but context is important. The team, at that point, was in the midst of being sold by James Dolan to Joe Tsai and played in a convention center in White Plains (which, while great for the Section I Finals, isn’t a WNBA venue). In the time since, she’s been a revelation under the tutelage of Reeve, her old head coach and one of the best in the game. Like our next pick, she feels like the most logical selection.

Probability: 8/10

Natalie Nakase

The battle between Los Angeles and Golden State for Nakase’s services could be interesting. The top Vegas assistant has been a popular pick to take the reins in the Bay Area but the call of home could prove strong for Nakase, a UCLA graduate and Anaheim native who coached in the Clippers organization for five years. She was a finalist for the Mercury’s head coaching job in the past and has some degree of head coaching experience: she was the Aces interim on the floor while Becky Hammon was suspended. If the Sparks want to pull from a successful organization with a deep knowledge of what is required to be a winner in this league, Nakase is as logical a choice as can be. I’d be stunned if they didn’t make a hard play for her especially if Vegas bows out of the playoffs earlier than expected.

Probability: 9/10