Adelaide Lightning and coach Nat Hurst have agreed to part ways, less than 24 hours after Sunday's loss to Geelong United.
Hurst, who won seven WNBL championships as a player with Canberra, met with club officials on Monday and agreed to sever ties just eight games into her third season at the helm.
The 41-year-old former Australian Opal was an assistant coach to Chris Lucas in Adelaide before taking the reins in 2022-23.
The Lightning won five games in her first campaign and eight in season 2023-24.
Adelaide has endured a horror few weeks giving up handsome leads against Townsville in Round 4 -- up 20 at half time, to lose by six -- and then an 11-point three-quarter-time advantage in Round 5 to lose on the buzzer by one point.
The Lightning got their second win of the season last Friday night against reigning champions Southside Flyers in Melbourne then fell to the league's newest team Geelong United, despite establishing an early lead, on Sunday afternoon.
The roster boasts 2024 Paris Olympic bronze medallists Steph Talbot and Isobel Borlase, WNBA player and star WNBL import Brianna Turner, former WNBA draftee Japreece Dean and Australian rising star Isabelle Bourne.
Hurst told ESPN the decision to sever ties was mutual.
"I feel a lot of emotions. I feel sad, angry, frustrated -- there's a lot of emotions going on right now," she said.
"It's been super challenging and not being able to put my finger on exactly what's up, a bunch of things, it hasn't just been hard for me but for the whole group."
In order to pursue her head coaching dream, Hurst and son Nash have lived in Adelaide during the WNBL season while wife Tara and daughter Billie have remained at home in Canberra, with Tara making strides in her policing career.
Despite the way her tenure has come to an end in South Australia, Hurst is determined, and excited, to coach on.
During 2024, she stepped in as interim coach of the NZ Tall Ferns for 2026 FIBA World Cup pre-qualifying games in Japan and Mexico.
"It's been a massive learning curve and I knew I jumped in the deep end three years ago. I feel like I have grown a lot, I know I have a lot to go but I know I have grown and I feel confident in my ability," she said.
"I'll walk away from this and have a little bit of down time and then get back to work because this is what I want to do, I'm going to keep working my butt off to get myself back to where I think I should be."
Adelaide assistant coach Matthew Clarke is set to take the reins on Sunday when the Lightning host the UC Capitals.