Teresa Weatherspoon hired for new Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league

Associated PressNovember 15, 2024 - 1:31pm

Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon reacts to a basket by the Sky during the first half of an WNBA basketball game against the Las Vegas Aces, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

Teresa Weatherspoon is one of the six coaches hired for the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league.

The other coaches announced for the new league on Thursday are former Lakers assistant Phil Handy, Adam Harrington, Nola Henry, DJ Sackmann and Andrew Wade. The league is co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart and offers an option for players to stay in the U.S. during the offseason.

The games will begin on Jan. 17 and be played in Miami. The league has announced nearly all the players in the league and is still trying to get WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark to join.

The Naismith Hall of Famer Weatherspoon, who was fired after one season with the Chicago Sky, previously worked with the New Orleans Pelicans as a player development coach and assistant coach. The new league is emphasizing the hiring of coaches with a player development background.

The league recently announced a multiyear partnership with American network TNT and its sports platforms to show more than 45 games. Matchups will be shown three nights a week, with twice-weekly games on TNT on Mondays and Fridays. The games on Saturday will be shown on truTV.

The coaches will draft their teams with the 36 players in the league being put into six pods. The pods will be either wings, forwards and guards. The twist is the coaches won't know which team they will be in charge of until after the draft is completed.

The six teams are Laces Basketball Club, Mist Basketball Club, Phantom Basketball Club, Lunar Owls Basketball Club, Rose Basketball Club and Vinyl Basketball Club.

Team assignments for each coach, rosters and schedules will be announced on Wednesday.

The total salary pool for the 36 players is more than $8 million, with players receiving equity in the league.

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