Whether or not the Cleveland Cavaliers make it to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, coach J.B. Bickerstaff's job is in jeopardy.
Earlier this season, Bickerstaff was coaching to keep his job. He took the leading job in the 2019-2020 season after then-head coach John Beilein resigned from a quick tenure with the team. While the team's historic run through December to February seemed to secure Bickerstaff's job for a while, his tumultuous end of the season and horrendous coaching on the road in the playoffs has led to more spectulation regarding his future with the team.
Regardless of Bickerstaff's future, the Cavaliers' problems go beyond the coaching staff. Superstar Donovan Mitchell's future is also in question with a looming contract extension and possible trade request haunt the team. Still, Bickerstaff's annual downfall when games matter the most might finally lead to an end of his time with the Cavs.
A female head coach in the NBA is only a matter of time
With the rise of women's basketball thanks to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the rest of a star-studded 2024 WNBA Draft Class, the conversation for a woman NBA head coach has come back around. For years, Becky Hammon seemed like a definite eventually to be the first woman to accept a head coaching position. Once she became the first WNBA head coach to exceed $1 million in salary with the Las Vegas Aces, though, her name has not resurfaced for the NBA.
Should the Cavaliers part ways with Bickerstaff, numerous proven NBA coaches and former players could become frontrunners, but Cleveland might be smarter to look in a new direction. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expects a female head coach in the Association by 2027, and the Cavaliers could deliver. None of the existing male candidates are magical solutions to any of the Cavs' problems, but the possible impact of a female coach has yet to be explored by any team.
If the Cavs are making major changes this summer, there is no reason they should shy away from female candidates. With the rise of greatness in women's basketball, the NBA needs to adopt a greater appreciation for female coaches and players. If Cleveland is ready for a switch up, then these three female head coaching candidates should be at the top of their list.
No. 1 - Lindsey Harding, Stockton Kings
At only 39 years old, Lindsey Harding's coaching resume is outstanding. After years as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, she took leadership of the G-League affiliate Stockton Kings and has thrived ever since. Most recently, she earned the honors of Coach of the Year and should be drawing eyes to her as a potential head coach at the highest level.
With five years of professional coaching experience and a collegiate and WNBA playing career beforehand, her career resume is nearly identical to that of many male candidates who would be highly lauded for the position. As a WNBA player, Harding was drafted first overall in 2007 by the Phoenix Mercury and eventually earned All-Defense Second Team honors. She played for nine season before entering the coaching world.
While there are plenty other worthy candidates, Harding likely deserves to be the top candidate on this list for the Cavlaiers. She can bring a new mentality to the team and knows what it takes to win. With the Sacramento Kings and Stockton Kings, she has worked with a variety of immense talent. While with Stockton, she has still worked with the Sacramento team, too, working alongside the likes of Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox. The Cavaliers' future is based in the star production of guards and big men. Her experience could instantly fit what Cleveland needs.
No. 2 - Kristi Toliver, Phoenix Mercury
After 14 seasons and three All-Star appearances in the WNBA, Kristi Toliver joined the coaching world and is now the associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury since 2023. She has only worked as a coach for one season, but her playing career alone should entice any organization in need of a new leader. Players respect somebody who has hit the hardwood and competed for gold.
Toliver's long career and numerous accolades would earn her authority in the locker room for day one. She not only has multiple All-Star games under her belt, but she also won Most Improved Player after averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals in the 2012 season. She might have an adjustment period going from only women's hoops into the NBA, but basketball knowledge and understanding of the game follows coaches wherever they go. The difference is must less drastic than going from collegiate coaching to the pros, as the flow of the game is more similar between the NBA and WNBA.
Last season, the Phoenix Mercury bottomed out with a 9-31 record on the year. Toliver's lack of success as a coach might push her down from the top spot for the Cavs, but her illustrious playing career and motivation to be a coach should still warrant her a spot as a candidate.
No. 3 - Natalie Nakase, Las Vegas Aces
If there is one female coach who has a mix of every type of experience the Cavaliers could hope to see, it is Natalie Nakase of the Las Vegas Aces. Since 2022, she has worked under the famous Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, but before that she played professionally for four seasons. She joined the coaching world, eventually working under former Cavs coach Ty Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant coach.
Nakase only stayed in the NBA for two seasons, but her coaching career also expanded beyond the US borders, working with numerous international organizations. She could bring a vast array of knowledge, experience and gameplans to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Under any new coaching regime, it would do the Cavs good to experiment and find a new playstyle to move away from their stagnant iso-heavy ball they often revert back to playing.
While the world has not seen a Nakase-made offensive scheme yet, she is a worthy candidate to become the first NBA head coach with nearly two decades of experience in professional basketball. She served as a temporary head coach for the Aces when Hammon served a two-game suspension, and she won. It is an undeniably small sample size, but the Cavaliers should take her into serious consideration to build her resume and test her potential as an NBA head coach.
It seems like only a matter of time before the Cleveland Cavaliers are interviewing for a new head coach, and it is only a matter of time before the winning candidate for one of the 30 head coaching spots is a woman. While the Cavaliers will meet with countless candidates, these three female professional coaches only scratch the surface to the possible options in women's basketball with the college coaching scene unexplored in this article.