Exit interviews with players may have spelled doom for Teresa Weatherspoon with Sky.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that players cited a change in playing style during the 2013-27 season as a “disconnect” with their coach, as the season started with hope and ended with them missing the playoffs. .
The players considered this a learning curve for the first-year WNBA head coach.
And the decision to fire the former Liberty star after less than a year on the job sent shockwaves around the league, especially star forward Angel Reese.
When Weatherspoon was asked last week about his biggest takeaway of the season, he said, “No matter what we went through, whether it was injuries or illness, everyone stepped between those four lines and played hard.”
“They gave it everything they had. I can't help but be proud of our team for giving it their all.”
The Sky took a step back from last season, losing an additional five games, but also dealt with multiple injury issues.
Reese's season ended early with a wrist injury, and fellow rookie No. 3 overall pick and South Carolina star Camila Cardoso also missed the first few weeks of the season with a shoulder injury.
“I am heartbroken. I am literally speechless knowing what this woman meant to me at such a pivotal time in my life.” Rees wrote about Weatherspoon to X. “She was the only person who believed in me. The only person who believed in me. Many people knew what it was like to be a black woman in sports when no one believed in her. People don't know. It's been a lot of work. Through all the crazy situations we've been through this year and when we had our backs against the wall, you always believed.”
Lease too Reposted A heartfelt moment between her and Weatherspoon.
The Sun-Times noted that the Sky has struggled to retain players and build on the success of winning the 2021 WNBA Championship.
Sharpshooter Marina Mabry went to the Connecticut Sun to seek a contract for this season.
Mabry then played a big role in the Sun eliminating the Fever in a first round playoff matchup.
They struck out every major free agent this offseason, with Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith joining the Seattle Storm.
The Sky also traded 2021 Finals MVP Carlea Copper to the Phoenix Mercury in February, helping the 2024 Olympic gold medalist reach the playoffs.
Notably, only Dana Evans and Diamond DeShields remain from the '21 championship team, although DeShields left the team before this season and returned to the organization.
The Sun will now be looking for a new head coach, and for now will be watching the WNBA playoffs from home while waiting to see what happens in the draft lottery. It will be held on December 10th.
