After just one season, the Chicago Sky have let coach Teresa Weatherspoon go, according to various media outlets.
In her first (and only) year, Weatherspoon—a Hall of Fame player and two-time defensive player of the year—led the Sky to a 13-27 record, resulting in the team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018, per The Chicago Sun-Times. The Sky won its first WNBA title less than three years ago, but key players such as Candace Parker and Kahleah Copper have departed since then.
“No matter what we went through—the injuries, the sicknesses—everybody stepped between those four lines and they played hard,” Weatherspoon said recently during exit interviews. “They gave everything they had. You can’t help but be proud of your team leaving it all out there.”
Two reasons for the Sky’s descent this season involved Weatherspoon’s coaching inexperience and the constant toll of injuries that Sky players suffered. For instance, record-setting rookie rebounder Angel Reese had a wrist injury that resulted in her missing the last few games of the season; however, Reese took to social media on Sept. 26 to express her support of Weatherspoon.
A formal announcement regarding Weatherspoon is expected on Sept. 27.