Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese was praiseworthy of her head coach during her rookie year, the same person who New York Liberty fans once called their hero decades ago

New York Liberty fans were out in droves supporting Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and other stars of the current championship team at Thursday’s ticker tape parade in lower Manhattan.

The Mirror U.S. Sports spoke to fans directly at the parade and quizzed the New York faithful on their favorite Liberty player of all time. While some younger fans opted for current stars, most were in agreement over a legend from years past – someone Angel Reese knows very well.

“Wooo, T-Spoon,” one answered. “Teresa Witherspoon, no doubt,” said a fan who happens to work at the Barclays Center. “Sabrina is cool but T-Spoon was something else,” answered another.

Weatherspoon, known by her nickname “T-Spoon,” starred for New York during its inaugural season in 1997 until 2003. The dynamic point guard attended the Barclays Center for Game 5 as the Liberty clinched their first WNBA title in franchise history.

Weatherspoon knows heartbreak – the five-time All-Star led the Liberty to four WNBA finals in her seven-year stint with the team. She wouldn’t win any of them.

The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in league history. She still ranks second all-time in WNBA assists and was named to both the league’s 15th and 20th anniversary teams.

Weatherspoon was a first-year head coach for Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in 2024. She was fired after the team finished 13-27 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

T-Spoon was in full-force cheering on the Liberty in the WNBA Finals ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Reese lauded “T-Spoon” in a social media post shortly after the news of her firing was released. “I’m heartbroken. I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life,” Reese wrote.

“She was the only person that believed in me. The one that trusted me. Many don’t even know what it’s like to be a Black woman in sports when nobody believes in you.

“You had a tough job. All the crazy circumstances that we went through this year & when your back was against the wall, you always believed. I came to Chicago because of YOU… You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you Tspoon.”

Reese and Weatherspoon snapped a photo courtside during Game 5 of the WNBA Finals as the pair were reunited publically for the first time since the firing.

As the Liberty received their key to the city on Wednesday chants of “T-Spoon, T-Spoon” reigned from the New York crowd.

The Mirror U.S. Sports asked one fan if any Liberty player from years past could have received a ring along with the 2024 team, who would it be? Of course, the answer was “T-Spoon.”