The Chicago Sky players were “heartbroken” to find out that Teresa Weatherspoon had been fired as head coach after a single season. Having built a positive relationship with her, seventh overall pick Angel Reese wrote a lengthy post about what working with Weatherspoon in her first year as a pro had meant to her. Now, the Chicago team is finally breaking their silence on this surprise firing.

In a recent press conference before the groundbreaking ceremony at the Sky’s new training facility in Bedford Park, general manager Jeff Pagliocca told reporters, “As an organization, we felt it was time to make a change.” He and Weatherspoon had been hired around the same time last October to replace James Wade in both roles.

Meanwhile, Co-owner & Operating Chairman of the franchise Nadia Rawlinson also revealed that the search for a new coach is ongoing. While there is no clear timeline, “the front office feels a sense of urgency,” Julia Poe reported.

Sky player Elizabeth Williams also had a few words to share, “I honestly think that the organization did what was best for the team.” She did not explicitly state whether she agreed with the decision or not, “but feels the team needs to ‘move forward,'” per Poe.

Reese’s heartfelt statement after Weatherspoon’s firing had conveyed the opposite sentiments. “I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life,” she had written on social media. “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 you. You had a tough job. All the crazy circumstances that we went through this year & when your back was against the wall, you always believed.”

The Sky No. 5’s season might have been historic but it was also a hard one. Shining under the spotlight for the last few years, it understandably got tough when the attention in the pro leagues increased manifold. Reese finished her statement with, “I came to Chicago because of YOU. You were an unsung hero in my life. We built a relationship in a short amount of time that will last forever.”

Chennedy Carter had also paid tribute to Weatherspoon in her own way, as she made her way to the starting lineup after a long few years. But Carter might soon leave Chicago for good. On that note, is Angel Reese sure of staying with the Sky?

Sky GM clears the air about Angel Reese’s relationship after Teresa Weatherspoon’s exit

Chicago needs a revival. After almost making it to the playoffs with a new head coach this season, Reese’s season-ending injury might have done them in. Although they lost the last 13 of their 16 games, some analysts believe that Teresa Weatherspoon should have been given more time to whip the team into shape.

One year to make a playoff-worthy team that was not ready for them yet being young and inexperienced. A 7-day training period right after the draft, and then the season begins. Despite the whiplash this might have caused, Weatherspoon did a good enough job for many. But Sky executives clearly felt differently and might have left Angel Reese in a lurch.

But at the same event, Jeff Pagliocca told the media that “the franchise’s relationship with Angel (Reese) is in a good spot,” per CBS Chicago reporter Matt Zahn. It will be a much-needed factor if the Sky team is to continue what Weatherspoon began this season. As they continue their search for someone to replace her, Sky rookie Angel Reese will be an important part of the puzzle in 2025.