Teresa Weatherspoon

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American basketball player and coach

Teresa Gaye Weatherspoon (born December 8, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as *istant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball *ociation (NBA). She played for the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball *ociation (WNBA) and served as the head basketball coach of the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters. Weatherspoon was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. In 2016, Weatherspoon was chosen to the WNBA Top [email protected], a list of the league's best 20 players ever in celebration of the WNBA's twentieth anniversary.

1 Playing and coaching career
2 National team career
3 Head coaching record
4 Personal life
5 Career highlights
6 Career statistics
- 6.1 WNBA
  - 6.1.1 Regular season
  - 6.1.2 Playoffs
- 6.2 College
7 Awards and honors
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

Playing and coaching career

Born in Pineland, Texas, Weatherspoon was a health and physical education major and star basketball player at Louisiana Tech. In 1988, her senior season, she led the Lady Techsters to the NCAA national *le. After college, Weatherspoon played overseas in Italy, France and Russia for 8 years.

Weatherspoon is one of the original players of the WNBA in 1997 when she joined the New York Liberty in the WNBA's inaugural season. A talented ball-handler and charismatic leader, her energetic play quickly endeared her to the fans and media in New York. In 1997 she was the first winner of the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award. She won the *le again in 1998. During the 1999 WNBA Finals, Weatherspoon had one of the most memorable feats in WNBA history; in Game 2, the Liberty were down 67–65 against the Houston Comets with no timeouts left and 2.4 seconds left on the game clock after a shot made by Tina Thompson. After receiving the inbound p*, Weatherspoon dribbled the ball up to half court and made a game-winning shot 50 feet away from the basket to force a Game 3. That moment would later be referred to as "The Shot". Up until the 2003 season, she held the distinction of being the only WNBA player to start every one of her games. After the 2003 season, she was not re-signed by the Liberty and signed with the Los Angeles Sparks. After her 2004 season with the Sparks, Weatherspoon retired.

In 2007 Weatherspoon was the head coach of the Westchester Phantoms of the American Basketball *ociation. In April 2008 she joined the coaching staff of the Lady Techsters of Louisiana Tech. On February 9, 2009, she was promoted to interim head coach to replace former head coach Chris Long. April 2, 2009 saw Louisiana Tech shed the interim label and name Teresa head women's basketball coach. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in the fifteen-year history of the WNBA. In 2016, Weatherspoon was named in the WNBA Top [email protected] On September 26, 2019, Weatherspoon was named two-way player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. Weatherspoon was later promoted to a full-time *istant coach for the Pelicans on November 16, 2020.

National team career

Weatherspoon was selected to represent the US at the inaugural Goodwill games, held in Moscow in July 1986. North Carolina State's Kay Yow served as head coach. The team opened up with a 72–53 of Yugoslavia, and followed that with a 21-point win over Brazil 91–70. The third game was against Czechoslovakia and would be much closer, ending in a 78–70 victory. The USA faced Bulgaria in the semi-final match up, and again won, this time 67–58. This set up the final against the Soviet Union, led by 7-foot-2 Ivilana *ova, considered the most dominant player in the world. The Soviet team, had a 152–2 record in major international compe*ion over the prior three decades, including an 84–82 win over the US in the 1983 World Championships. The Soviets held the early edge, leading 21–19 at one time, before the USA went on a scoring run to take a large lead they would never relinquish. The final score was 83–60 in favor of the US, earning the gold medal for the USA squad. For the entire event, Teresa Gaye Weatherspoon averaged 1.6 points per game.

Weatherspoon continued with the National team at the 1986 World Championship, held in Moscow, a month after the Goodwill games in Moscow, although she was injured and unable to play. The USA team was even more dominant this time. The early games were won easily, and the semifinal against Canada, while the closest game for the USA so far, ended up an 82–59 victory. At the same time, the Soviet team was winning easily as well, and the final game pitted two teams each with 6–0 records. The Soviet team, having lost only once at home, wanted to show that the Goodwill games setback was a fluke. The USA team started by scoring the first eight points, and raced to a 45–23 lead, although the Soviets fought back and reduced the halftime margin to 13. The USA went on a 15–1 run in the second half to out the game away, and ended up winning the gold medal with a score of 108–88.

Weatherspoon was selected to be a member of the team representing the US at the 1987 World University Games held in Zagreb, Yugoslavia. The USA team won four of the five contests. After winning their first two games against Poland and Finland, the USA faced the host team Yugoslavia. The game went to overtime, but Yugoslavia prevailed, 93–89. The USA faced China in the next game. They won 84–83, but they needed to win by at least five points to remain in medal contention. They won the final game against Canada to secure fifth place. Weatherspoon averaged 8.6 points per games. She recorded 21 steals over the course of the event, tied for first place on the team.

Head coaching record

Personal life

Weatherspoon was born to Charles and Rowena Weatherspoon in Pineland, Texas. Her father, Charles Sr., played minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, and holds the record for the most grand slams (3) in a minor league game. Weatherspoon has two brothers and three sisters. She credits her family, especially her mother Rowena Weatherspoon, as the biggest influence on her basketball career. Her fans call her by her nicknames "T-Spoon" or "Spoon". She and former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon are second cousins.

In 1999, she published a book *led Teresa Weatherspoon's Basketball for Girls, filled with anecdotes and advice on improving basketball skills for young girls.

Career highlights

WNBA no. 2 all-time in career *ists
Led the New York Liberty to the first ever WNBA Finals in 1997 and again in 1999
Started in the first five WNBA All-Star games (1999–2003 )
All-WNBA Second Team (1997–2000)
WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1997, 1998)
Hit a memorable court to court shot to tie the WNBA Finals series with the Houston Comets in 1999
Started all her WNBA games up until the 2003 season
Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Cl* of 2019

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Source

Awards and honors

As a basketball player:

1986 World Championships Gold Medalist (with Team USA)
1986 Goodwill Games Gold Medalist (with Team USA)
1987 World University Games Gold Medalist (with Team USA)
1988 Olympic Games Gold Medalist (with Team USA)
1988 Wade Trophy
1988 Honda Sports Award for basketball
1988 Honda-Broderick Cup winner for all sports
1992 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist (with Team USA)
2010 Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the cl* of 2010
2010 Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
2011 Inducted into the New York Liberty Ring of Honor
2011 Named one of top 15 WNBA Players of All-Time
2019 Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
2020 Inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame

As head coach of Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters:

2009 WAC Regular Season Champions
2009 WNIT Second Round
2010 WAC Tournament Champions
2010 NCAA Tournament
2010 Maggie Dixon Division I Rookie Coach of the Year
2011 WAC Regular Season Champions
2011 NCAA Tournament
2011 WBCA Region 7 Coach of the Year

References

External links

New York Post- Liberty Team Page
Teresa Weatherspoon Profile at Louisiana Tech

Coaches

Adelman
Alexeeva
P. Allen
Anderson
Auerbach
Auriemma
Barmore
Barry
Blood
Boeheim
L. Brown
Calhoun
Calipari
Cann
Carlson
Carnesecca
Carnevale
Carril
Case
Chancellor
Chaney
Conradt
Crum
Daly
Dean
Díaz-Miguel
Diddle
Drake
Driesell
Ferrándiz
Fitch
Fitzsimmons
Gaines
Gamba
Gardner
Gaze
Gill
Gomelsky
Gunter
Hannum
Harshman
Haskins
Hatchell
Heinsohn
Hickey
Hobson
Holzman
Hughes
Hurley
Iba
Izzo
P. Jackson
Julian
Keaney
Keogan
Knight
Krzyzewski
Kundla
Lambert
Leonard
Lewis
Litwack
Loeffler
Lonborg
Magee
McCutchan
McGraw
A. McGuire
F. McGuire
McLendon
Meanwell
Meyer
Miller
Moore
Mulkey
Nelson
Nikolić
Novosel
Olson
Pitino
Ramsay
Richardson
Riley
Rubini
Rupp
Rush
B. Russell
Sachs
Self
Sharman
Shelton
Sloan
D. Smith
Stevens
Stringer
Summitt
Sutton
Tarkanian
Taylor
Teague
J. Thompson
Tomjanovich
VanDerveer
Wade
Watts
Wilkens
G. Williams
R. Williams
Wooden
Woolpert
Wootten
Wright
Yow

Contributors

Abbott
Ackerman
Attles
Barksdale
Baumann
Bee
Biasone
H. Brown
W. Brown
Bunn
Buss
Clifton
Colangelo
T. Cooper
Davidson
Douglas
Duer
Embry
*an
Fisher
Fleisher
Garfinkel
Gavitt
Gottlieb
Granik
Gulick
Harrison
Hearn
Henderson
Hepp
Hickox
Hinkle
Irish
M. Jackson
Jernstedt
R. Jones
Kennedy
Knight
J. Krause
Lemon
Liston
Lloyd
Lobo
McLendon
Mokray
Morgan
Morgenweck
Naismith
Newell
Newton
J. O'Brien
L. O'Brien
Olsen
Podoloff
Porter
Raveling
Reid
Reinsdorf
Ripley
Sanders
Saperstein
Schabinger
St. John
Stagg
Stanković
Steitz
Stern
Taylor
Thorn
Tower
Trester
Vitale
Wells
Welts
Wilke
Winter
Zollner

Referees

Bavetta
Enright
Garretson
Hepbron
Hoyt
Kennedy
Leith
Mihalik
Nichols
Nucatola
Quigley
Rudolph
Shirley
Strom
Tobey
Walsh

Teams

1956–57 Tennessee A&I State Team
1957–58 Tennessee A&I State Team
1958–59 Tennessee A&I State Team
1960 United States Olympic Team
1992 United States Olympic Team
All-American Red Heads
Buffalo Germans
The First Team
Harlem Globetrotters
Immaculata College
New York Renaissance
Original Celtics
Texas Western
Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (1948–1982)

Honda Cup

1976: Harris
1978: Meyers
1979: Lieberman
1980: Shea
1981: Sterkel
1982: Caulkins
1983: De. Collins
1984: Caulkins & C. Miller
1985: Joyner
1986: Ethridge
1987: Meagher
1988: Weatherspoon
1989: Huber
1990: Favor
1991: Staley
1992: Marlowe
1993: L. Fernandez
1994: Hamm
1995: Lobo
1996: Rizzotti
1997: Daws
1998: Holdsclaw
1999: May
2000: Teuscher
2001: Stiles
2002: A. Williams
2003: Watley
2004: Kirk
2005: Nnamani
2006: Sinclair
2007: Pavan
2008: Parker
2009: Kupets
2010: Hodge & Moore
2011: Moore
2012: Griner
2013: Ricketts
2014: Jacob
2015: Franklin
2016: B. Stewart
2017: Ledecky
2018: Manuel
2019: Garcia
2020: No award
2021: Garcia

Inspiration

1988: Roethlisberger
1989: Jacobs
1990: Robertson
1991: T. Nichols
1992: Stepp
1993: Mead
1994: H. Scott
1995: A. Johnson
1996: Carson
1998: H. Anderson
1999: J. Jones
2000: Olson
2001: Berner
2002: Koetsier
2003: McPherson
2004: Gunn
2005: Kroon
2006: Payne
2007: Kohut
2008: Knight
2009: Hester
2010: Cobb
2011: Breland
2012: Delle Donne
2013: Mingo
2014: Gilliland
2015: McGee-Stafford
2016: Fogle
2017: N. Stafford
2018: Cunningham
2019: Fessler
2020: No award
2021: O'Neal

Div II

1988: Brinton
1989: Cobbs
1990: Hardy
1991: Saunders
1992: Hand
1993: C. Allen
1994: Metro
1995: Coetzee
1996: Clarkson
1997: Morlock
1998: Penner
1999: Almazan
2000: Even
2001: Martin
2002: N. Duncan
2003: Gregg
2004: Gomez
2005: Lewallen
2006: Erb
2007: Hanavan
2008: Braegelmann
2009: Erb
2010: McNamara
2011: Macy
2012: Daugherty
2013: Daugherty
2014: Battista
2015: Dickinson
2016: Oren
2017: Muscaro
2018: Kurgat
2019: Reiss
2020: No award

Div III

1988: Beachy
1989: Prineas
1990: Grierson
1991: Gilbert
1992: K. Oden
1993: Carter
1994: Ainsworth
1995: Albers
1996: Swan
1997: Ta. Johnson
1998: Speckman
1999: Schade
2000: Fischer
2001: Rogers
2002: Bergofsky
2003: Hysell
2004: M. Gordon
2005: Buttry
2006: Silva
2007: Bondi
2008: Zerzan
2009: Huston
2010: Borner
2011: Stern
2012: Hagensen
2013: Fournier
2014: Cazzolla
2015: Fournier
2016: Moss
2017: Crist
2018: Chong
2019: Temple
2020: No award