Last Thursday, September 26th, the Chicago Sky made a surprising move. After finishing with a 13-27 record, the Sky parted ways with Teresa Weatherspoon after less than a year of hiring her. A “heartbroken” Angel Reese had an emotional message for her former coach as the franchise missed out on the postseason for the first time since 2018 and is on the lookout for a fourth coach since 2021. But things are looking up on the other side as Sky fans received some positive news.

Weatherspoon joined Sky last year in October after they had gone 18-22 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Former coach James Wade left in the middle of the season to take an assistant coaching job with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and was replaced by Emre Vatanseyer on an interim basis. After the Naismith Hall of Famer arrived, Sky had two fantastic rookie picks in Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.

But with Weatherspoon’s unexpected departure, the future is looking bleak on the court for Sky, but an update on their brand-new practice center will provide some relief. Back in July, the franchise announced the plans for a $38 million practice facility ahead of the 2026 season. Now journalist Annie Costabile, who writes for the Chicago Sun-Times and covers the WNBA tweeted that the Sky fans will have a special ceremony to look forward to for their new facility next week.

She tweeted on Wednesday, “Chicago Sky will host a groundbreaking ceremony next Wednesday for their official practice facility. Select executives, staff and players will be in attendance.” The plans for the facility, listed as over 40,000 square feet, came through a public-private partnership with the Village of Bedford Park.

For long Chicago Sky’s potential had been marred by their inadequate practice facility set up at Sachs Recreation Center, a public facility in Deerfield. But now things could change for the Sky. Speaking to Marquee Sports Network when the announcement was made in July, Sky co-owner Nadia Rawlinson mentioned that they had been planning the project for 18 months.

She added, “This has been a promise we made to our players, to our fans, to the city, to really deliver on this for our players.” The facility, located on the Southwest Side of the city, 20 minutes away from Wintrust Arena, is expected to be completed by December 2025 and ready for use before the 2026 season. Rawlinson also explained why the location was chosen.

“We wanted to be close to where we play at Wintrust Arena in the South Loop and also near some of the neighborhoods where our fanbase comes from: the South and West Sides. That’s really important to us,” added Rawlinson.

Kahleah Copper, the former Sky star, had previously expressed her wish for the franchise’s enthusiasm in the same regard. It just wasn’t a satisfactory sight for her to see other teams invest in facilities while none really came from the Sky. The investment in the infrastructure was a big reason for her move to Phoenix Mercury. “I think it’s important to invest in women. Invest in women and you see the results that come out of it… So, seeing those plans and seeing what’s in the works, I’m excited to be able to be there,” she had said via ESPN over Phoenix Mercury’s plans to build a practice facility and headquarters in downtown Phoenix.

Though she isn’t there to witness the progress with the Sky team anymore, it is sure a win on a wider view. Sky has now joined a growing list of teams that are committed to a dedicated practice facility for its players.  The Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, and Phoenix Mercury have all unveiled private facilities since April 2023.

The Bedford Park village, which will partner with Sky already invests heavily in sports marketing with the Chicago Bulls, the White Sox, the Cubs, and the University of Illinois. A new practice has long been the desire of Sky fans and the update about a ceremony will have them feel one step closer to the realization of this project.

The lack of such resources was cited as the reason why the franchise was not able to sign big-name free agents and keep hold of their star players. But that all could change now.

The new practice facility will allow the Sky to house players in the city, closer to downtown. This will ease travel for players, team personnel, and coaches. The Obama Foundation and the YMCA of Chicago have partnered on the project, which will be located near the Wintrust Sports Complex, and will feature state-of-the-art amenities.

According to Rawlinson, the facility will “rival any team that’s out there,” with beauty stations, training and recovery rooms, and two regulation-sized courts. It will also host private facilities for players such as lounges, a chef’s kitchen, and a content creation studio. The studio will be of particular interest to stars like Angel Reese, who has 3.8 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok. Other players will be encouraged to use the space as well given Sky’s 50,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 100,000 on TikTok.

The players will have 24-hour, year-round access to the new facility, unlike the situation in Deerfield. This will be appealing to potential new recruits and free agents who often cite a dedicated facility and other resources as reasons to sign for a particular team.

Another interesting part of this initiative is the clinic that will be open to the public as well as the players at the practice facility. For the Sky, the clinic is a way to give back to the city of Chicago.

How will it be used? The Sky have it all planned out. While the facility will be used by the team during the WNBA’s five-month regular season, the rest of the time it will host youth camps, community programming, and other events for season ticket holders. While everything seems promising, it remains to see if Teresa Weatherspoon’s firing prove to be the right move to go with the changes.

Who can replace Weatherspoon at Chicago Sky?

Following the news of Teresa Weatherspoon’s exit from Chicago Sky, rookie star Angel Reese took to social media to post a lengthy farewell message. She wrote, “I’m heartbroken. I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life. She was the only person that believed in me. The one that trusted me….. You were the best reason & season. You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you Tspoon.”

The failure to reach the playoffs cost Weatherspoon, though letting go of her after only a season seems harsh. Weatherspoon was introduced as part of a “new era” for the franchise by Rawlinson but less than a year later, they are looking for a new HC. Despite their struggles, the HC would feel hard done by, especially given the fact that her star performer Reese was injured and missed the last half of the season, with Sky only winning two games in her absence.

But the truth remains that Weatherspoon is out, begging the question, who replaces her? When the decision was announced, Rawlinson said that the franchise would be “thorough” in their search for the franchise’s new head coach. Their options could be limited given how the franchise has operated over the years, with the next HC appointment being their fourth in three years.

Pokey Chatman is one name that springs to mind, having served as Sky’s HC from 2011-16 and gained more experienced with Indiana Fever from 2016-2019. Currently, she is the assistant coach and associate general manager with Seattle Storm.

Nikki Blue could warrant a look from Sky, having a wealth of experience as an assistant coach and impressed as the interim head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in 2023. Mercury chose to overlook her when they appointed their new coach, but Sky could stand to gain from her positive approach.

Lastly, Natalie Nakase has often been linked with vacancies for WNBA’s top coaching position and is currently serving as assistant coach at Las Vegas Aces. She will bring championship-winning experience to Sky, if given the role and that is something that will excite the fans. For now, the Sky fans are dealing with disappointment of a poor season and the departure of their HC, but still have something to look forward to with the plans of the new facility in full swing.