Teresa Weatherspoon
(Born 1965)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2019
Card Shown:
1999 Skybox Autographics
Position: G
Height: 5’8″
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Teresa Weatherspoon played college basketball at Louisiana Tech. In 1988, she helped lead the Lady Techsters to the NCAA championship with a 32-2 record. She finished college before the WNBA began in 1997 and so began her professional career overseas. Weatherspoon was a six-time Italian League All-Star from 1989-1994 and a two-time Russian League champion in 1995 and 1996.
Teresa helped lead the New York Liberty to the WNBA Finals in 1997, 1999, and 2000, three of the WNBA’s first four seasons. Each time they lost to the Houston Comets, who were led by Cynthia Cooper, Tina Thompson, and Sheryl Swoopes. The Liberty also reached the Finals in 2002, where they lost to Lisa Leslie and the Los Angeles Sparks.
Awards and Honors
- Teresa was a member of Team USA in the 1988 Olympics. She won a gold medal on a team headlined by Katrina McClain, Teresa Edwards, and Cooper.
- Weatherspoon was selected as a WNBA All-Star in five consecutive seasons from 1999-2003.
- Teresa was a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year recipient. She won the award in 1997 and 1998.
- Weatherspoon was chosen to the All-WNBA Second Team each year from 1997 through 2000.
- Teresa was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
- In 2016, as part of the WNBA’s 20th anniversary celebration, Weatherspoon was selected as one of the Top 20 Greatest and Most Influential Players in league history.
Points of Interest
- At Louisiana Tech, Teresa was chosen as a Kodak All-American in 1997 and 1998.
- In 1988, Weatherspoon won the Wade Trophy which recognized her as the women’s basketball national player of the year.
- Teresa was the first WNBA player to tally 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during her career.
- In Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals, with the Houston Comets only seconds away from capturing their third straight title, Weatherspoon took her iconic shot from about half court. That shot banked in, stunning the crowd. The Comets would win Game 3 to claim the WNBA championship.
- After her playing career ended, Teresa served as head coach for Louisiana Tech and later worked for the New York Liberty as the Director of Player and Franchise Development.
Statistics
Teresa Weatherspoon Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com