The Chicago Sky announced they have fired first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after finishing the season with a 13-27 record. Witherspoon had the Sky in the playoff race before the Olympic break, but trades and Angel Reese‘s season-ending injury dashed their playoff hopes in the latter part of the year.
Reese took to Twitter to express her appreciation and admiration for a coach who believed in her from day one.
“I’m heartbroken,” Reese began in her tweet. “I’m literally at a loss for words knowing what this woman meant to me at such a pivotal point in my life. She was the only person who believed in me. The one who trusted me. Many don’t know what it’s like to be a Black woman in sports when nobody believes in you. You had a tough job. All the crazy circumstances we went through this year & when your back was against the wall, you always believed.”
I’m heartbroken. I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life. She was the only person that believed in me. The one that trusted me. Many don’t even know what it’s like to be a black women in sports when nobody believes in…
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 27, 2024
Reese reposted a video of Reese and Witherspoon when they asked the All-Star what her former head coach meant to her.
This moment between Angel Reese and Teresa Weatherspoon 🫶 pic.twitter.com/5qGTtftXO3
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 27, 2024
According to Bleacher Report, the players were “outwardly supportive” of Witherspoon during her first year of coaching. However, exit interviews revealed a “disconnect” between the team and the coaching staff, with recurring changes in the playing scheme contributing to the issue.
Witherspoon ensured her team was prepared and fought hard throughout the season, narrowly missing the last playoff spot to the Atlanta Dream. When asked about her biggest takeaway from the season, she said:
“No matter what we went through—the injuries, the sicknesses—everybody stepped between those four lines and played hard.”
The Chicago Sky must ensure that their front office decisions align with the basketball decisions on the court. This year, Witherspoon may have been the scapegoat, but if the situation remains the same next year, who will be fired next?
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