The Sky gave general manager and coach James Wade the ultimate vote of confidence Thursday, rewarding him with a four-year contract extension through 2025.
After his first two seasons, Wade has the highest winning percentage (.571) of any Sky coach with a 32-24 record.
“He is an excellent teacher and coach, both on and off the court,’’ Sky owner Michael Alter said in a statement. ‘‘This well-deserved extension represents continuity for our team, and we are proud to have James lead us forward.”
Beyond the winning percentage, Wade has established an environment and culture that young stars such as Diamond DeShields have thrived in.
After leading the Sky to the playoffs in 2019, Wade was named WNBA coach of the year.
He followed that up by leading the team to its first back-to-back winning seasons since 2015 and 2016.
“I feel like I found a home,” Wade said in a statement. “I truly appreciate the organization for trusting in me and seeing me as a part of their future. I feel extremely fortunate and am excited to lead this franchise to what we hope will be many successful seasons to come.”
Wade enters his third season with the Sky after a record-breaking 2020 in which the team set the WNBA mark for highest field-goal percentage (49.1%).
He is the sixth general manager/coach in franchise history.
