"Lack of grace" - WNBA legend Lisa Leslie does not hold back criticizing Teresa Weatherspoon's firing from Angel Reese-led Sky

Former WNBA champion Lisa Leslie has lambasted the Chicago Sky over the firing of Teresa Weatherspoon last year. The basketball Hall of Famer is the latest high-profile name to criticize the Sky organization for letting the 59-year-old coach go.

She spoke on Thursday's "Good Fellow" podcast with Ros Gold-Onwude and Logan Hackett. According to Leslie, the Sky did not give Weatherspoon any "grace."

"For the black women in coaching, the lack of grace that we get in this space is just sad," Leslie said (Timestamp: 30:56).

Leslie also claimed that Weatherspoon didn't get the chance to implement the needed changes in the team.

"And I feel like I'm not even sure that we're even gonna know what happened with Teresa Weatherspoon in Chicago Sky," Leslie added. "But the fact that she was never given any grace. ... Let's try to change some of these things. Give her the opportunity to make adjustments as a coach, but she didn't get that."

In September 2024, Chicago fired Weatherspoon in a surprising move after one season. Although the Sky finished with a dismal 13-27 record last season and failed to make the playoffs, the news sent shockwaves across the WNBA.

Even Chicago star Angel Reese publicly expressed her dissatisfaction with the decision on social media, saying she was "lost for words." The franchise hired former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Tyler Marsh to replace Weatherspoon.

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Lisa Leslie gives Angel Reese advice for sophomore season

Ahead of the 2025 WNBA season, Lisa Leslie appeared on "Unapologetically Angel" on Feb. 14 to chat with Angel Reese. The Chicago Sky star asked the women's basketball legend to drop a piece of advice for her going into the next season.

"The biggest advice I have for you is gonna be how you shoot your layups. Period," Leslie said. "Like, we're gonna fix that. That's fixable for you, and I think that's probably the biggest."

Leslie also praised the 22-year-old for her ball-handling on offense and her defensive skills, while noting that she has improved massively in those areas. Last season, she was the runner-up behind Caitlin Clark for the Rookie of the Year award. Reese averaged 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 2024.