When Angel Reese entered the WNBA as the No. 7 pick for the Chicago Sky, she got a call from Teresa Weatherspoon that made her feel “at home”. Their bond only grew stronger through the season. When fans criticized Weatherspoon’s coaching, Reese didn’t hesitate to defend her, saying, “One thing I don’t play about is T-Spoon, so let’s not even try it.” It was clear then, and still is now, that no matter which way things go, Reese will always have her coach’s back.

Reflecting on her early WNBA journey, the Bayou Barbie credited her beloved coach on her podcast, Unapologetically Angel. “I think it made my rookie year pretty easy because I had a coach that already played the game, already knew what it was, and could keep it real because you’re a player’s coach,” she said.

Reese was speaking with her current assistant coach, Ty Young. She further explained that coaches who’ve lived the game understand the rhythm of a season, and T-Spoon perfectly fit that. “You know what we like, what we don’t like, what we want to do, what we don’t do, and how we can approach the game rather than somebody that hasn’t played before.”

Weatherspoon had a decorated playing career in the WNBA. She was a five-time All-Star and the Defensive Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998, a two-time steals champion, and was even inducted into the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame.  “That’s why I kind of respected Rob and Spoon so much, because you guys have played the game, Spoon won the championship. Just being able to see that part of it was really important,” Reese noted.

Teresa Weatherspoon, however, was abruptly fired from the Chicago Sky after Angel Reese’s rookie season in 2024. Reese publicly poured out her feelings on social media, writing, “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.” She went on to highlight how much Weatherspoon’s faith had meant, adding, “Many don’t even know what it’s like to be a Black woman in sports when nobody believes in you… I came to Chicago because of YOU. You were an unsung hero in my life.”

“You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you, Tspoon,” she concluded.

Weatherspoon had addressed the support she got from Reese, saying, “I haven’t spoken about any of this at all…But when you speak about the support that I’ve been given, the love that has been shown, the mad love that has been shown, and you talk about Angel hitting the platform and speaking up about how it was for me and what our relationship was like, it meant everything.”

Their bond, actually, was pretty evident this year as well. In late August, even though the Chicago Sky were already out of the playoff race with several games still left, they pulled off a surprise win on the road against the defending champions, the New York Liberty, beating them 91–85. Reese added 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. And when the game wrapped up, Reese went straight to the sidelines to hug her former coach, Teresa Weatherspoon.

Now, T-Spoon will be leading Vinyl BC again in her second year with the Unrivaled. As for Reese?

More behind Angel Reese’s decision

Angel Reese won’t be suiting up for Unrivaled’s second season, and while fans are understandably bummed, the decision might actually be what’s best for her in the long run. Sitting this one out could give the Chicago Sky forward some much-needed time to reset mentally and emotionally. A lot of people have linked her absence to the wrist injury she’s been dealing with, but Reese recently suggested there’s more behind her choice.

When a fan pointed out that she’s been “MIA” on social media, the 23-year-old jumped in to respond. “That was the goal for this offseason,” she wrote on X on November 3. “Quietly minding my business so everybody won’t mind MINE.”

In simpler terms, Reese just wants some peace and privacy. After an exhausting rookie year filled with constant media attention and online chatter, it makes perfect sense that she’d want to take a step back and focus on herself for a while.

This break comes after a dominant run with Rose BC in Unrivaled’s inaugural season. She helped lead the team to the league’s first-ever championship. Moreover, she made history by recording Unrivaled’s first 20-20 game. She led the league in rebounds and thus became the Defensive Player of the Year.

Reflecting on that experience, Reese shared, “It is hard. To live my life isn’t easy… there are little girls that look up to me… being able to be an inspiration every day.” She later added, “I told them to coach me hard and get on me what they need to get on me… I really enjoy this. When I leave this, I know I’m going to take a lot.”

Despite the success, she is choosing to sit it out this time. But her offseason is far from idle. After she became the first professional athlete to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, she also continues to expand her Reebok line, with the “King Tiago Reese” colorway set to drop on November 14. That is an early release since the initial plan by Reebok was to launch it in 2026. But after she graced the cover of NBA 2K26 WNBA Edition, Reebok decided to capitalize on it, and why not?