James Wade, the Chicago Sky's coach and general manager, was chosen the 2022 WNBA Executive of the Year, the league announced Monday.
The voting panel is made up of one basketball executive from each WNBA team, with each representative submitting first, second- and third-place votes. Wade won by being named on the most ballots (11). Atlanta Dream GM and executive vice president Dan Padover (seven ballots) and Washington Mystics coach and GM Mike Thibault (six ballots) finished second and third. Padover won the honor the previous two years while with Las Vegas.
The defending WNBA champion Sky tied with Las Vegas for the best record in the WNBA (26-10) this year and are the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They face New York on Tuesday in the deciding Game 3 of their first-round series.
Wade entered last offseason with just one returning starter, Candace Parker, under contract for the 2022 season. The Sky re-signed 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, six-time league assists leader Courtney Vandersloot and two-time Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Allie Quigley.
Plus, they added forward Emma Meesseman, the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP with Washington, and guard Rebekah Gardner as free-agent signings. Gardner made her WNBA debut at age 31 after playing for many years overseas, where Wade scouted her. The Sky also traded to add guard Julie Allemand, a teammate of Meesseman's on the Belgian national team. All three have been strong additions for the Sky, who led the WNBA in field goal percentage (48.1%) and assists (24.3 APG) this season.
Wade was hired as Chicago's coach and GM in November 2018. He was 2019 WNBA Coach of the Year, the first from the Sky to receive that honor. Executive of the Year has been awarded since 2017 in the WNBA, and Wade is the first Black winner and the third coach/GM to receive the honor.