Chicago Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon as their Head Coach just after a season. This decision has ticked off the Sky fanbase and has irked many WNBA athletes as well. Many in the league feel TSpoon wasn’t given the required roster to make the playoffs. Therefore, her firing was unfair.
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Sky forward Angel Reese was also disappointed by the decision and rolled out a long tweet lamenting Weatherspoon’s departure. However, an X commenter pointed out a major contradiction in her tweet.
Reese was gutted after learning the news of Weatherspoon’s firing. She revealed that she chose Chicago as her WNBA abode because of TSpoon. The 22-year-old credited the WNBA legend for being by her side amidst a tumultuous season with many challenging off-the-court moments.
“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…You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you Tspoon,” Reese wrote on Twitter.
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
However, someone in the replies pointed out that on the latest episode of her Unapologetically Angel pod, Reese asked Sheryl Swoopes to become Sky’s next Head Coach. The commenter discredited the Sky rookie’s heartfelt tweet about her former coach, writing, “Didn’t you just ask Sheryl Swoopes to coach the Sky?“
Didn't you just ask Sheryl Swoopes to coach the Sky?
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) September 27, 2024
Turns out that the commenter was spot-on. On her pod, during a fan Q/A session, Reese had asked Swoopes, ‘Would you coach me one day?… Would you be our coach?”
Swoopes responded positively and relished the idea of coaching the Sky’s leading scorer Chennedy Carter. She replied, “I would love to work with you and I’d love to work with Chennedy Carter.” Reese then responded, “So Chicago Sky.”
Therefore, Reese is indeed fascinated by the idea of having Swoopes as the Sky HC. This episode came out just five hours before Weatherspoon’s firing. However, it probably was recorded earlier so the release of the episode somehow coincided with the big news.
Swoopes has publicly defended Reese on many occasions and their exchange was a reflection of their interpersonal bond rather than a desire to replace Weatherspoon. Earlier in the pod, Angel Reese recognized Teresa Weatherspoon’s contributions too.
Reese had high praise for Teresa Weatherspoon
The Sky forward credited Weatherspoon for paving the way for her record-breaking rookie season where she tallied a WNBA all-time high of 13.1 rebounds per game.
For Reese, TSpoon’s support extended beyond basketball. She referred to the former Sky HC as a mother since she was shielding her from many troubling circumstances throughout the season. The rookie star stated,
“I don’t think I would have been this successful without T-Spoon… All my hard days, I can call her as just not even a coach, like as a mom. She’s been there for everything and just being able to have that I feel I got like lucky.”
These words exude how much Weatherspoon means to Reese. Her firing must have had a deep impact on her.
