In a surprising move, the Chicago Sky have fired head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after just one season, according to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times.
One critic of the decision: Sky star Angel Reese, who released a lengthy statement on X supporting Weatherspoon as a coach and saying she “didn’t deserve this.”
I’m heartbroken. I am literally at a loss for words knowing what this woman meant to me at such a pivotal time in my life. She was the only person who believed in me. The one who trusted me. Many don’t even know what it’s like to be a black woman in sports when no one believes in it…
– Reese Angel (@Reese10Angel) September 27, 2024
Weatherspoon, a Hall of Famer as a player, was hired less than a year ago, October 10, 2023. She joined Heaven after a stint as an assistant coach with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.
According to the Sun-Times, Sky players were outwardly supportive of Weatherspoon during the season, but a disconnect emerged during their exit interviews. Several players reportedly noticed the team’s style of play evolving over the year and mentioned the learning curve of a first-year head coach.
The Sky undertook a rebuild last offseason
The Sky just finished the regular season with a 13-27 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and posting their worst winning percentage since their inaugural season in 2006. However, few people expected this that they did much better, as the team was going through a rebuilding year.
After a first-round exit and the firing of head coach James Wade last season, Sky hoped Weatherspoon could lead a team led by franchise star Kahleah Copper to the WNBA Finals, which the team won in 2021. Copper, however, requested a trade after the team failed to sign its top free agent targets, which included Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike, according to the Sun-Times.
The Sky opted to trade copper for the Phoenix Mercury and do a complete rebuild. Former All-Star Courtney Williams was allowed to enter free agency and Marina Mabrey was subsequently traded during the season.
With those veterans gone, Sky focused on younger talent, particularly Reese and No. 3 overall pick Kamilla Cardoso, as well as draft pick Chennedy Carter. The team didn’t win enough to qualify for the eight-team playoffs in a league of 12, but Reese established herself as one of the faces of the league, setting a WNBA record with 13, 1 rebound per game.
That apparently hasn’t been enough for the Sky, who are now looking for their fourth head coach in the space of three seasons.
