The Chicago Sky are full-fledged into a new era.
They’ve brought in Teresa Weatherspoon, a head coach who has been part of the WNBA since its inception but is new to the league in a coaching role.
General Manager Jeff Pagliocca is also new to his role, although very familiar with the league, the Chicago Sky, and its players through his player development background.
The team even has three players presently on the roster that are brand new to the league, by way of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Newness often breeds a level of ambiguity, but said ambiguity does not have to be seen as something adverse to a group.
Rather, a breath of fresh air can be all that’s needed to establish alignment
Weatherspoon, in many respects, is the conductor of the Chicago Sky’s recourse and new alignment.
There’s a new swagger, a new aura, a new energy around the franchise — and she’s the bearer of its foundation.
“As soon as I got here, there was an instant connection,” said guard Chennedy Carter, speaking to what makes Coach Weatherspoon unique.
“She’s a players coach. She’s played before. She’s been in my shoes, and I think that’s why I can connect with her.”
Carter’s sentiments are ones that not just seemingly, but literally, can be felt and understood to resonate with every player on the roster, emanating abundantly from their words when they’re speaking about her.
She has a reverence. One that breeds accountability, but also liberates.
“I would say it’s really refreshing to have a coach that doesn’t feel like she has to come in and fix us,” said forward Isabelle Harrison on the uniqueness of having Weatherspoon, one of just three black women in WNBA head coaching positions, as her coach.
“She just allows us to be our own players, and she just enhances that by her energy and obviously guidance and IQ, but she just allows us to be who we are. For me, I’ve been in the league for a while now and to have a coach like that that just lets you take a breath and be who you are as a player, it’s refreshing because it brings the best out of everybody.”
Harrison – the six year veteran – also made note that we saw these qualities and dynamics playing out in real-time with the Sky in their 101-53 victory over the New York Liberty on Tuesday.
She mentioned that they simply had fun, with no overthinking, just working with one another, and that all stems from Weatherspoon simply letting them play.
