The moment Teresa Weatherspoon realized the news was out, everything sped up. Not just the fallout of a firing, but the strange, public reality that comes with it.

That realization came in the final week of September 2024, when the Chicago Sky informed Weatherspoon she would not return after her lone season as head coach. Within minutes, a text from Angel Reese made it clear the decision was no longer private, and what followed turned into one of the most awkward moments of Weatherspoon’s career.

The former Sky coach detailed the story on the Unapologetically Angel, explaining how Reese’s message prompted her to pull over and read the text once the news broke.

“A range of funny things happened that day, too. You were the first to text me. I was at the store, and it came out. So I was trying to hurry up and get back… I pull over and read the message, I said, ‘Oh, it’s out.’”

The situation became even stranger moments later. As Weatherspoon pulled back onto the road, she was stopped by police, only to realize the officer already knew why her day had unraveled.

“As I’m leaving, here come the cops, pulled me over… And the craziest thing is when he pulled me over, he rolled the window down. He saw me and said, ‘Go ahead,’ ’cause he had heard it too.”

The exchange underscored just how quickly the news had spread. Reese’s text was meant as support, but it unintentionally became the signal that the firing was already public.

The moment resonated because of how closely their paths were tied. Reese’s rookie season with the Sky unfolded under Weatherspoon’s guidance, a year that saw the forward transition from collegiate dominance into immediate professional responsibility.

Under Weatherspoon, Reese became Chicago’s focal point on offense, a vocal presence on the floor, and one of the league’s most dominant rebounders. That relationship extended well beyond the court, something Reese made clear publicly after the dismissal.

“You didn’t deserve this, but I can’t thank you enough. I love you, Tspoon,” Reese wrote on X following Weatherspoon’s departure.

Reese later described the decision as “unfortunate,” a sentiment that lingered as the Sky struggled even more after the coaching change. Chicago went from 13–27 under Weatherspoon to 10–34 under Tyler Marsh, reinforcing questions about whether the former coach was given enough time to establish stability.

Still, Reese continued to thrive individually. Across her first two seasons, she emerged as the league’s rebounding leader both years and earned two WNBA All-Star selections, maintaining her upward trajectory despite the team’s regression.

How Did Teresa Weatherspoon Help Angel Reese in Her Rookie Year?

For Reese, the challenge was never talent. Her LSU resume already included a national title and an MOP award. The adjustment came mentally, especially learning how to handle losses after years of winning. That was where Weatherspoon’s influence mattered most.

“Especially as rookies coming from such success, you don’t understand how it feels to lose, and we didn’t expect it,” Reese said on the podcast. “But with everything going on, I think you did a good job holding us together.” The message that stayed with Reese was simple and lasting.

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“When you have a coach that really believes in you and trusts your work, and tells you nobody can take your joy away from the game, I think it was really important and beneficial to me.”

Their chapter in Chicago ended quickly, but neither career stalled. Weatherspoon has since moved on to coach Vinyl BC in Unrivaled, while Reese continues building her case as a foundational piece of the Sky’s future.

And for one brief, surreal moment, a supportive text, a traffic stop, and a firing all collided, leaving behind a story that perfectly captured how personal and public the WNBA world can be.