Sky Introduce Weatherspoon as New Coach in Chicago

Just days after the WNBA crowned the Las Vegas Aces as the champs, the Chicago Sky introduced one of the all-time greats as their new head coach. Teresa Weatherspoon, a basketball Hall-of-Famer in her own right, will now become the eighth coach in franchise history. She will step into a position that was vacated mid-season by James Wade, who took a position with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors after leading the Sky to their only championship in 2021. During her introductory press conference at Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, Weatherspoon said she took the position because she likes the direction the franchise is going in and it fits perfectly with where she is in her life.

I don’t play catch-up to anyone,” a confident Weatherspoon said. “That won’t be our approach. Teams are who they are. We want to be who we are. We have to establish our identity early and then what happens? They chase us.”

Weatherspoon said the one thing she will take her time with however is filling out her staff. She said the process has already begun and there are a lot of people she is considering.

“I’m going to take my time and be thorough in my search because it is an important piece in what we are going to be doing here,” Weatherspoon said. “I need to do the right thing for the players and find the right people who can help us.”

Nadia Rawlinson was named as the Sky’s new Operating Chairperson back in January. Her main focus is on establishing stronger business ties and securing a new practice facility for the organization. She was asked about the decision to hire a coach before a general manager, something the Sky announced earlier this year would be the first time in franchise history the two roles will be performed by two different people.

“We do things different here,” Rawlinson said. “We wanted to get the coach anchored in first.”

Weatherspoon said she too will be involved in that process of finding a general manager. Rawlinson said for now, many of the decisions in that role are being made as a committee.

Weatherspoon said if the Sky want to be the talk of the town, then they have to be in the town. She said it is important for Sky players to be in the community, something that the franchise has a strong history of doing. She said if the league wants to continue to grow, the players must continue to connect with the fans.

“We have to get out there,” Weatherspoon said. “The fans can expect fire from us on the court. Fire becomes contagious. It will jump from one person to another. Energy is contagious.”

Kahleah Copper signed a two-year extension with the Sky that will keep her in town through 2025. The three-time All-Star is happy with the hire and the addition of Dwayne Wade as part of the ownership group.

“Coach says gear up. We talk about not just the players but those in the front office too,” Copper said. “Everybody has to be on board and hold each other accountable in order to get to the vision. Having a former player who has done it at the highest level really helps. I’m excited.