Women's Fastbreak On SI

Angel Reese Leads Collective Sky Sorrow After Teresa Weatherspoon's Public Appearance

Ex-Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon's emotional Jumbotron moment on Tuesday caused Angel Reese and Sky fans to lament her firing all over again.

Grant Young

Aug 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) waits to enter the game against the Las Vegas Aces during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Aug 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) waits to enter the game against the Las Vegas Aces during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The women's basketball community was thrown out of whack last week when the Chicago Sky announced that they had fired first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon.

While the Sky did regress in terms of their record from 2023 to 2024, anybody who spent time watching the Sky both on and off the court could tell that Chicago's roster adored their head coach, and certainly would have preferred that she stayed for at least one more season to prove herself.

This was made most clear by Sky rookie sensation Angel Reese making a long X post that expressed, among many other things, how, "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."

Weatherspoon hasn't addressed the firing directly since it happened. However, she was present at the Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty WNBA Semfinals game in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

When Weatherspoon — who's a Liberty legend after spending nearly her entire WNBA playing career there — was shown on the Jumbotron at one point, she received a massive ovation from the crowd.

This video prompted many Chicago Sky fans (and players) to reiterate their sadness about Weatherspoon's unexpected firing.

Angel Reese reposted the video and added, "🥺❤️".

Another fan added, "she looks sad :( i hate this for her and for our team".

"She looks like she’s been crying for many days straight. Such a horrible firing and no warning either. Sick work," wrote a third.

While the Liberty and its loud home crowd showed Weatherspoon a ton of well-deserved respect, there's no denying that she seemed emotional while the ovation was underway.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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