Weatherspoon withdraws name for Mercury HC job

New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Teresa Weatherspoon Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Pelicans asst. Teresa Weatherspoon withdraws name from consideration for Mercury HC job

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jan 19, 2022 11:35 AM ET

Basketball Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon made her mark in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a legend with the WNBA's New York Liberty. The 56-year-old has spent the last three years as an assistant with the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans, though, and despite a potential opportunity to take on a lead role back in the womens' game, it appears that Weatherspoon will be staying put.

Weatherspoon was impressed by the Mercury and team GM Jim Pitman, but believes there is more to be accomplished in her role with the Pelicans. Team officials feel she is a serious candidate for an NBA head coaching position in the future.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 19, 2022

Consistently churning out one of the most inexperienced rosters in the NBA, the Pelicans haven't made the playoffs since the 2017-2018 season but boast young talent such as Zion Williamson and Kira Lewis Jr. (both currently injured), as well as Brandon Ingram and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Weatherspoon has worked with three different head coaches in New Orleans since she arrived, though, as Alvin Gentry was fired in August 2020 and the club parted ways with Stan Van Gundy in June 2021.

Now working with first-year head coach Willie Green, the Pelicans are currently 13th in the Western Conference at 16-28.

As a player, Weatherspoon was selected by the Liberty in the 1997 Allocation Draft. The guard played the first seven years of her career with New York before signing with the Los Angeles Sparks for her final season in 2004.

Weatherspoon was named an All-Star in five consecutive campaigns from 1999 to 2003, was named second-team All-WNBA from 1997 to 2000 and was the league's Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998. Weatherspoon led the WNBA in assists per game and steals per game in 1997 at 6.2 and 3.0, respectively, and led the league in steals per game in 1998 at 3.3.

For her career, the Louisiana Tech product averaged 5.0 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 28.1 minutes per game over 254 contests.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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