December 3, 2020
Las Vegas assistant Vickie Johnson agrees in principle to be the next head coach of the Dallas Wings
By Drew Ivery
Head coaching role filled in Dallas
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The Dallas Wings are expected to announce Vickie Johnson as the new head coach, as reported by Chantel Jennings, confirmed to The Next by a league source and later reported by the Associated Press that a deal was agreed in principle by Johnson.
There’s been no official announcement made by the franchise, but it is expected that Johnson will see her first head coaching role since her previous time with the San Antonio Stars in 2017. Johnson has been in the assistant coach role for the Las Vegas Aces since February 22, 2018.
Johnson’s lone season as head coach in San Antonio ended with an 8-26 record and no playoff appearance. Shortly after this season, the franchise decided to relocate to Las Vegas where she later assumed the assistant coach role under Bill Laimbeer.
Originally drafted 12th overall in 1997 by the New York Liberty out of Louisiana Tech, Johnson spent 13 years in the WNBA and was a two-time All-Star. She played nine years with the New York Liberty, and her final four seasons with the San Antonio Stars.
In mid-October, the Wings mutually parted ways with former head coach Brian Agler after the team went 8-14 in the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida, and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. Under Agler, the team had a 13-38 record over the past two seasons.
Upon the announcement, Johnson would be the first Black woman to be the head coach of the Wings since Taj McWilliams-Franklin took over for three games replacing Fred Williams to end the 2018 season, and she would be the league’s only current Black female head coach.
