According to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Sky have surprisingly fired head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after just one season.

One critic of the move: Sky star Angel Reese, who posted a lengthy statement on X endorsing Weatherspoon as coach and saying she “didn’t deserve this”.

Weatherspoon, a Hall of Famer as a player, was hired less than a year ago, on October 10, 2023. She came to the Sky after serving as an assistant coach with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.

According to the Sun-Times, Sky players were outwardly supportive of Weatherspoon during the season, but a discrepancy was evident in their exit interviews. Several players reportedly noted the team’s changing style of play throughout the year and mentioned the learning curve of a first-year head coach.

The Sky embarked on a rebuild last offseason

The Sky just finished the regular season with a 13-27 record, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and posted their worst winning percentage since their inaugural season in 2006. However, not many expected them to do much better than the team experienced a year of reconstruction.

After a first-round exit and the firing of head coach James Wade last season, Sky hoped Weatherspoon could lead a squad led by franchise star Kahleah Copper back to the WNBA Finals, which the team won in 2021. However, Copper requested a contract. According to the Sun-Times, the team was unable to sign its top free agent targets, including Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike.

The Sky decided to swap copper for the Phoenix Mercury and undertake a complete conversion. Former All-Star Courtney Williams was allowed to leave as a free agent and Marina Mabrey was traded later in the season.

With those veterans gone, Sky focused on young talent, particularly Reese and No. 3 overall pick Kamilla Cardoso, as well as reclamation project Chennedy Carter. The team didn’t win enough to make the eight-team playoffs in a twelve-player league, but Reese established himself as one of the faces of the league, setting a WNBA record with 13.1 rebounds per game.

Clearly it wasn’t enough for Sky, who are now looking for their fourth head coach in three seasons.