Sky Fires Liberty Legend, Angel Reese Responds

The Chicago Sky shockingly fired former New York Liberty star Teresa Weatherspoon after a single season at the helm.

May 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon speaks with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) during the second half against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Chicago Sky apparently found their limit with head coach and former New York Liberty star Teresa Weatherspoon.

Per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Sky has fired Weatherspoon after one year at the helm. Weatherspoon has just wrapped her first season as a head coach, the latest endeavor of a Hall-of-Fame career spent mostly with the Liberty. Prior to her Chicago entry, Weatherspoon held a variety of assistant coaching spots, including with the Liberty and another with the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans.

Ensnared in a full-on rebuild after their 2021 championship run (starring current Liberty star Courtney Vandersloot), Chicago brought in Weatherspoon to oversee a young, potential-packed lineup headlined by spring draft picks Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. Weatherspoon took over for the departed James Wade, who led in the middle of last season to take an NBA job with the Toronto Raptors.

Jul 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon reacts during the second half of a WNBA game against the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Chicago began the year with a 3-3 mark, which included a win over the Liberty at Barclays Center. However, beleaguered by injuries to the aforementioned rookie stars and more (not to mention the in-season departure of Marina Mabrey via trade), the Sky went 3-13 after the WNBA's All-Star/Olympic hiatus, losing a strong grip on the eighth and final playoff spot to the Atlanta Dream, who fell in two games to the Liberty this week.

Reese has since commented on the reported firing, calling herself "heartbroken" amidst the developments. That's hardly surprising considering she labeled Weatherspoon a "mother figure earlier this summer."

"I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life," Reese said in an X post. "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 woman in sports when nobody believes in you."

"You had a tough job. All the crazy circumstances that we went through this year & when your back was against the wall, you always believed. I came to Chicago because of YOU. You were an unsung hero in my life. We built a relationship in a short amount of time that will last forever."

"I’ll never question God why He brings people in my life and takes them away from me in the capacity that I need them but I’ve always believed everyone is in your life for a reason and a season. You were the best reason & season. You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you Tspoon."

Chicago is the second WNBA team to fire its coach this week, as the Los Angeles Sparks previously ditched Curt Miller after two seasons.

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