Nola Henry & Teresa Weatherspoon: A New Era for Black Women Coaches
America may be in a position to suppress diversity, but one constant in this era of diversity, equity, and inclusion is that representation matters.
For the first time in American history, in front of countless viewers, both online and in person, stood two African-American women coaches on opposing sidelines in a professional sports league.
Nola Henry and Teresa Weatherspoon.
Together, Weatherspoon and Henry make up 33% of all coaches, but 100% of the participants in the championship game. However, their journeys to this point have each been filled with obstacles.
On one end of the spectrum, Weatherspoon is a WNBA Hall of Famer seeking redemption. On the other, Henry is a rising coaching star who continues to prove her doubters wrong.
The Unrivaled championship game proved that, when given a fair chance, women—especially Black women—can perform just as well as anyone. Each of the two now stands at the pinnacle of the sport.
Teresa Weatherspoon’s Redemption Arc
For Teresa Weatherspoon, this moment is deeply personal.
As a player, Weatherspoon is unmatched. Her résumé speaks for itself—the accomplishments are boundless. She finished her WNBA career as a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time All-Star, and a member of the WNBA Top 20 list. When she left the game, she was regarded as one of the most respected figures in women’s basketball.
However, this offseason has been tumultuous—a whirlwind of unexpected events. Coach Weatherspoon was abruptly fired by the Chicago Sky after just one season—an unusual fate for a first-year head coach.
Her firing came amid reports of locker room tension, physical play, and on-court struggles, but many believed she wasn’t given a fair chance to turn things around.
“Are you just doing it for the wins? The wins come in many, many ways. Of course, you want to win. You work your butt off… when it comes to this group, there’s something very special about this group… I always tell them, ‘I owe you.’” — Teresa Weatherspoon
Jordin Canada, who played under Weatherspoon, spoke about her impact:
“Spoon has been life-changing… she has really spoken life into me. She’s given me the confidence to be who I am. She’s like a breath of fresh air coming into this game… she’s consistent in her work, consistent in her energy. Day in and day out, she comes in with a smile on her face… you can truly, truly tell she loves us… I really appreciate this time with Spoon. I know she will always be there for me when I need her… you don’t get that every day in a coach or in a person… she’s one hell of a human being.”
@moreausports Jordin Canada speaks about the impact that Teresa Weatherspoon made on her life coaching her during Unrivaled. Canada on the verge of tears credits Weatherspoon for giving her confidence and changing her life.
Weatherspoon herself reflected on what coaching means to her:
“I’m known as Spoon, but when you break it down and call me Teresa Weatherspoon, it’s a totally different feel. A different outlook. I opened up a lot with them… when you talk about each one of them, I can tell you something great about each one of them.”
This season, during Unrivaled, coaching Vinyl, Weatherspoon has completely changed the narrative.
Her squad pulled off the biggest upset of the league. As the fourth seed in the Unrivaled semifinals, they eliminated the Lunar Owls—a team that had lost just one game all season (13-1). In a dramatic finish, Dearica Hamby sealed the victory with a game-winning left-handed layup.
Reflecting on her team’s success, Weatherspoon said:
“When you’re well-balanced… in this league, this is what helps you. Every ounce of talent we have is being utilized… when you go 21-8… you know you did something very well.”
Although Weatherspoon didn’t end up winning the championship, her players spoke glowingly of her, and she elevated several key players on her team.
•Rae Burrell is having a breakout year under Weatherspoon’s guidance.
• Rhyne Howard earned All-Unrivaled Second Team honors.
•Dearica Hamby, arguably snubbed from an All-Unrivaled team, is playing like a superstar.
•Jordin Canada and Aliyah Boston have made critical two-way contributions.
And she did all of this without her full roster. All-WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale didn’t play in the final remaining games, yet Weatherspoon adjusted, strategized, and maximized the talent she had.
Hamby, the team’s leader, credited Weatherspoon’s unwavering belief in the squad:
“We talked about this in the locker room. We gave the mic to Spoon today because all season, she believed in us so much… she didn’t think we were going to lose the game, and even down 10, she told us we were going to win this game.”
For Weatherspoon, this championship run was about more than winning—it was about proving she belongs on the sideline at the highest level.
Nola Henry: Intern to Champion in Four Years
On the other sideline, first-year head coach Nola Henry is leaving Unrivaled while carving out a legacy of her own.
Henry started with humble beginnings in her basketball career. Just four years ago, she was an intern with now, at 29 years old, she is one of the youngest head coaches in professional basketball. The beauty of it all, though, is that Henry just led Rose Basketball Club to the inaugural championship in Unrivaled, defying expectations all season.
Before the season began, major media outlets ranked Rose last.
“No bullshit, no bullshit. When we saw the little shit on Twitter, we saw it… I said, ‘Let me send it to Nola. Nola, hang it in the locker room, so we see it every single day.’ You know what I put under it? Everybody in our locker room, we knew what we were capable of, and what do we do? No. 1 UNRIVALED!!!! What Spongebob say? ‘We are No. 1.” – Kahleah Copper
@moreausports Kahleah Copper talking that ish!!!!!! TALK YO ISH CHAMP! Copper address everyone who doubted the Rose BC and the ESPN Rankings that were floating on Twitter. Copper talks about posting it in the locker room and lets them know, Rose is No. 1
But under Henry’s leadership, they finished with the No. 2 seed and went on to claim the championship title.
Henry had a tough road ahead as her team battled through early-season struggles (1-4) and a litany of injuries to key players:
•Angel Reese (WNBA All-Star) missed time.
•Azurá Stevens was sidelined.
•Kahleah Copper (All-WNBA, Olympian) suffered setbacks.
Instead of faltering, the Rose flipped the script, going undefeated in February and surging into championship contention.
Henry has embraced the adversity, saying:
“Full strength, they counted us out. Without Kah, they counted us out. Down Angel, they counted us out… We’ve taken that challenge personally… we embody what a resilient team is—that fights through adversity.”
A former college hooper, Henry’s coaching career has been built on determination, preparation, and adaptability.
After working under Curt Miller with both the Sun and Sparks, she quickly rose through the ranks, proving herself as an elite player development and strategic mind. Now, she works with Miller again as he is the general manager of the Dallas Wings. Henry was just named an assistant with the franchise. Additionally, she is reunited with another member from her Connecticut Sun days in newly appointed head coach Chris Koclanes.
Henry’s approach to coaching is simple but effective:
“Everything that they are, I am as well… I embrace challenges head-on. I don’t make excuses… It starts with a mentality—if they’re out there competing on the court, I am as well. I take pride in how I prepare against opponents… the best way to learn is from experience. You take your L’s on the chin and step up to the plate no matter what.”
That relentless mindset has fueled The Rose’s underdog story all season. Chelsea Gray, returning from injury last year, has come back to All-World form, stabilizing the team in crucial moments. Henry’s ability to keep the team focused despite adversity has been remarkable, and now they have a chance to complete their improbable run by securing the championship.
Henry further praised her team’s resilience:
“It’s the next person up mentality… it’s been that way since Kah went down, Z, and then Angel… everybody has to do a little bit more, and tonight was no different. It was a huge steal by Slim, and then we’re down by 3 points from winning the game.”
A LAndmark moment in time
Although the Unrivaled championship game announces winners in the form of a trophy. The biggest accomplishment is the landmark moment for Black women in coaching.
Teresa Weatherspoon and Nola Henry represent different generations, but both have fought through adversity to reach this point.
Weatherspoon, a WNBA legend, is proving her coaching acumen after Chicago gave up on her too soon. Henry, a rising star, is showing that young Black women belong in leadership roles in professional basketball.
Both have defied expectations.
Both have elevated their teams beyond what anyone believed was possible.
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