The Chicago Sky fired coach Teresa Weatherspoon after only one season, based on a number of stories. The Chicago Solar-Instances was the primary to report the information.
The Sky employed Weatherspoon because the franchise’s subsequent head coach on Oct. 12, 2023, after spending 4 seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans as an assistant.
The Sky completed 13-27 in Weatherspoon’s first season as coach, failing to make the playoffs. Weatherspoon coached a younger Sky staff that consisted of two top-10 picks within the 2024 WNBA Draft: Kamilla Cardoso (No. 3) and Angel Reese (No. 7). Reese, a 2024 WNBA All-Star, set a number of rookie and WNBA information throughout her first season within the league. Reese’s 446 single-season whole rebounds surpassed the earlier WNBA document that belonged to Sylvia Fowles (404). She additionally set a WNBA document in consecutive double-doubles with 15.
Reese stated that she was “heartbroken” about Weatherspoon’s firing, in a submit shared to X on Thursday evening.
“She was the one individual that believed in me,” Reese stated. “You didn’t deserve this however I can’t thanks sufficient. I like you Tspoon.”
Earlier than serving because the Pelicans assistant coach, Weatherspoon coached Louisiana Tech from 2009 to 2014. As a participant, Weatherspoon was named to the WNBA Prime 20@20 checklist, awarded to the most effective gamers in WNBA historical past as a part of the league’s 20-year anniversary celebration. Weatherspoon performed for the New York Liberty as one of many league’s authentic gamers (1997 to 2003) earlier than becoming a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2004. Weatherspoon was a five-time All-Star and two-time WNBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months in her eight-year profession.
For the second consecutive offseason, the Sky will probably be looking for a head coach. James Wade stepped down because the Sky coach and normal supervisor on July 1, 2023 to develop into an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors. Wade coached the Sky to the franchise’s maiden WNBA championship in 2021. Emre Vatansever served because the interim coach and GM till the tip of the 2023 season, earlier than the Sky introduced that he wasn’t returning.
Regardless of lacking playoffs, Weatherspoon helped develop younger core
Via the primary half of the season, the Sky had been one of many league’s largest optimistic surprises. Although they had been eighth within the standings, they had been sixth in internet score, exhibiting enchancment on offense. Rookie ahead Reese appeared to blossom beneath Weatherspoon, who additionally performed beneath Kim Mulkey when she was an athlete at Louisiana Tech.
“I like Coach [Weatherspoon], she’s sort of like Coach Mulkey,” Reese stated in the course of the first half of the season. “Having the ability to be a tricky coach that it’s important to have thick pores and skin [around]. You additionally need to be keen to be coached by her.”
Reese wasn’t the one rookie to thrive beneath Weatherspoon. After lacking the beginning of the season with an harm, middle Cardoso got here on of late, scoring in double digits in all however two video games within the second half of the season. Chennedy Carter additionally appeared to discover a coach and system that believed in her and introduced out her finest.
“One factor that I’m tremendous pleased with with this staff is how aggressive they’re and the way laborious they continued to play each evening,” Weatherspoon stated Friday. — Ben Pickman, ladies’s basketball employees author
Who may exchange Weatherspoon?
Weatherspoon was employed earlier than first-year normal supervisor Jeff Pagliocca. And although the staff harassed their relationship as a partnership, the upcoming head teaching rent will probably be Pagliocca’s first since assuming the place.
Chicago turns into the second franchise to vary head coaches this week, after the Los Angeles Sparks parted methods with Curt Miller. The Golden State Valkyries have additionally not but introduced their inaugural head coach.
Chicago, presumably, will once more depart the GM and coach jobs separate (one thing the franchise did for the primary time final yr). Because the teaching market heats up, take a look at Connecticut Solar assistant Briann January, Phoenix Mercury assistant Kristi Toliver and Las Vegas Aces assistant Natalie Nakase as potential names to look at within the cycle.
Like Pagliocca, Aces assistant Tyler Marsh has a participant improvement background and may very well be an choice for a younger staff. Throughout final yr’s teaching search, the Sky spoke with former Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach Sonia Raman. Her background earlier than the NBA was in ladies’s basketball — as an assistant at Wellesley from 2002-08 and the top coach at MIT from 2008 to 2020 — and he or she may very well be an choice as properly.
One different title to look at is Storm assistant Pokey Chatman, who was Chicago’s head coach from 2011-2016 and later additionally the top coach of the Indiana Fever — Pickman
Required studying
(Photograph: Mike Lawrie / Getty Photos)
