Second Aces assistant leaves to become WNBA head coach

Aces assistant coach Tyler Marsh is leaving to become head coach of the Chicago Sky, the team announced Saturday night.

“The Chicago Sky organization is proud to welcome our next head coach Tyler Marsh to Skytown,” a team spokesperson said in a statement. “Coach Marsh is widely respected for the development of elite players and shares our goal of being a playoff and championship contender every year.”

He will be the Sky’s fourth coach in three years. Teresa Weatherspoon was fired in September after one season in the role.

Marsh’s exit marks the second loss for Aces coach Becky Hammon’s staff this offseason, as lead assistant Natalie Nakase also exited to lead the expansion Golden State Valkyries last month.

Former LSU assistant Charlene Thomas-Swinson is the only remaining assistant for the Aces, who also parted ways with general manager Natalie Williams on Oct. 26.

Marsh joined the Aces in March 2022 after working as a player development coach and assistant for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers from 2020-22. He also worked for the Toronto Raptors as video coordinator and player development coach, winning an NBA championship with the team in 2019. He previously served as an assistant coach for three seasons in the G League.

As part of the Aces’ back-to-back WNBA championship teams, Marsh built a reputation for developing player’s skills. He worked extensively with three-time league MVP A’ja Wilson and was credited for improving Jackie Young as a 3-point shooter.

Developing Jackie Young

Young only made 22 3-pointers over her first three seasons. That was before Hammon arrived and encouraged Marsh to work with her. In the three campaigns since then, she’s averaged almost 70 3-pointers per season, shooting with a 40 percent accuracy.

“Having you here has changed my game and my career,” Young said in a sit-down conversation with Marsh that the Aces published in August.

This summer saw Young step up to lead the Aces’ offense while point guard Chelsea Gray worked toward returning from injury. Young went on to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris, working her way up the bench to start in the final games.

Marsh noted that Hammon counted on him to get through to Young on her off nights.

Young had her struggles in the second half of the WNBA campaign, as she sustained an injury in Paris that hampered her in the postseason.

The Aces’ run at a three-peat ended in the semifinals against the New York Liberty, who went on to win the WNBA championship.

In that series, Gray went from scoring only four points in Game 1 to putting up 10 points in a quarter in Game 2. She gave Marsh a shoutout midgame during the national TV broadcast, explaining that he helped her watch film and tweak her follow-through.

Those were just the public testimonies for Marsh, but he was often seen at the Aces’ training facility reviewing plays with newcomers, usually one of the last to leave the practice court.

More changes ahead?

Now, the Aces are deep into what they described as “front office restructuring.” It’s unclear how the massive overhaul will impact their ability to attract and retain talent.

Marsh’s employment was one of many questions facing the Aces this offseason. He previously said he planned to stick with the Aces despite his goals to become a head coach, and Williams emphasized her hopes to keep him in Las Vegas. Three weeks later, both are no longer part of the organization.

Three of the Aces’ “Core Four” are extended through the 2025 season: Wilson, Young and Gray.

Kelsey Plum is an unrestricted free agent, and she hasn’t spoken about her status. Tiffany Hayes, Sydney Colson and Alysha Clark are unrestricted free agents who have expressed interest in remaining with the team.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.