After a one-year stint because the coach of the Chicago Sky, Teresa Weatherspoon has discovered one other teaching alternative.
Weatherspoon will likely be one of many six coaches for Unequalled, the brand new 3×3 winter basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Weatherspoon will likely be joined by 5 different coaches with embellished careers throughout varied ranges of basketball: Phil Useful, Adam Harrington, Andrew Wade, Nola Henry and DJ Sackmann, the league introduced Friday.
In mid-October, the league unveiled the names and branding of its six golf equipment — the Laces, Mist, Rose, Lunar Owls, Phantom and Vinyl. On Nov. 20, participant choice will happen and coach assignments will likely be introduced.
The coaches mirror the league’s sturdy emphasis on participant growth as a number of coaches have served that position on both NBA or WNBA staffs. Earlier than the Sky, Weatherspoon, a Naismith Corridor of Famer, was a participant growth coach and assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Useful, a three-time NBA champion, has been an NBA assistant coach for over a decade, working intently with stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. He has additionally educated Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, who’s collaborating in Unequalled.
Harrington is a former NBA participant with a decade of expertise as a taking pictures coach with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder in addition to an assistant coach and director of participant growth with the Brooklyn Nets. Like Useful, he based a personal coaching firm that has labored with NBA and NCAA gamers.
Wade most just lately served because the Washington Mystics’ head video coordinator and participant growth assistant, and he was a part of the employees that led Washington to the 2019 WNBA championship. He has additionally labored as a training affiliate and participant growth staffer with the Washington Wizards’ G League Staff, the Capital Metropolis Go-Go.
Henry has collegiate teaching expertise and just lately wrapped up her fourth season within the WNBA, as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Sparks. Sackmann is an acclaimed NBA and WNBA abilities coach with greater than 15 years of expertise.
GO DEEPER
What’s Unequalled? A brand new league with Angel Reese and different WNBA stars
Unequalled president Alex Bazzell, who himself has a participant growth background, wrote on X that he’ll work with the coaches to develop apply and exercise plans assuring every participant is targeted on bettering their video games whereas taking part in within the league. Becoming a member of Unequalled doesn’t preclude the coaches from taking over different head teaching alternatives.
As an indication of its important curiosity amongst present WNBA gamers and its monetary standing, the league just lately introduced it expanded its participant participant pool to 36 gamers, up from 30, its earlier cap. There’ll nonetheless be six groups, with six gamers collaborating in every.
Video games will air on TNT on Monday and Friday nights, in addition to Saturday night time on TruTV. And in partnership with Mediapro North America, the league introduced Wednesday it can host competitors at a brand new, almost 130,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The ability will function varied areas, together with assembly rooms, coaching amenities, a cafeteria with nutritionists and a childcare room.
Unequalled is slated to start on Jan. 17 and run for eight weeks.
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(Photograph: Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Pictures)
