Fans think Chicago Sky could hire WNBA legend as Angel Reese’s next coach
By Max Weisman
The Chicago Sky announced the shocking firing of first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon Thursday night, prompting fans to speculate on the team's future head coach.
A candidate has already emerged for the role in former WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes, though it's unclear whether the Sky have considered her. During an appearance on Angel Reese's podcast "Unapologetically Angel", Swoopes said she'd love to have a chance to coach the Sky.
"Would I coach you one day? I would love to," Swoopes said when Reese asked whether she'd ever want to coach her. "I wouldn't be your coach," she added. The episode was recorded when Weatherspoon was still the head woman in Chicago.
Reese pressed Swoopes, asking her if she'd coach in the WNBA to which Swoopes said, "I would love to. I would so love to work with you. And I'd love to work with Chennedy Carter."
"So Chicago Sky", Reese responded.
Fans noticed Swoopes' desire to coach in the WNBA, and some want her to land in Chicago.
"Could Sheryl Swoopes be the next Chicago Sky head coach? cause I would actually love that," one user wrote on X.
"Sheryl Swoopes would be the perfect choice to replace Teresa Weatherspoon as Head Coach of the Chicago Sky!," another wrote. "A trailblazer. A legend. A leader."
"Sheryl Swoopes coaching the Sky will put a HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE please come and coach this organization," a third said.
RELATED: Angel Reese’s ‘heartbroken’ response to Chicago Sky firing Teresa Weatherspoon
During her time in the league, Swoopes was a four-time WNBA Champion, winning all four in a row from 1997-2000 with the Houston Comets. She was a three-time WNBA MVP in 2000, 2002 and 2005 and was named WNBA All-Star six times in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Her player resumé is very strong, but she doesn't have a lot of coaching expereince. She was an assistant coach for Mercer Island High School from 2009-2010. She was the head coach at Loyola-Chicago from 2013-2016 and she was an assistant at Texas Tech in the 2017-2018 season. Despite no WNBA coaching experience, Reese may have enough sway in the Sky's front office to make this possible.
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