A familiar face in the stands at the Unrivaled game between Mist and Vinyl immediately sparked memories of a pivotal Chicago Sky era.

Chennedy Carter, the former Chicago Sky star, looked on as her former coach was coaching from the sidelines, a sight that brought their shared WNBA history into sharp focus.

The relationship between the two developed when the controversial but talented star met during their Chicago days, with Weatherspoon helping Carter to rehabilitate her career. The two developed a strong dynamic, as Weatherspoon made Carter feel like she truly belonged on the team, as Carter felt undervalued and excluded in previous stops (Atlanta and Los Angeles).

It was 2021 when an elbow injury and a suspension for conduct “deemed detrimental to the team” effectively ended her time in Atlanta with the Dream. Chicago and coach Weatherspoon helped her find herself a new home in Chicago.

It helped Chennedy Carter develop into a better player, and her stats clearly show the impact that Weatherspoon had on her life. She had her best career points in a season at Chicago, surpassing her average at Atlanta and LA with an average of 17.5 ppg, 3.5 rebounds, and 48.7 FG%.

The foundation of their successful partnership was a mutual respect that Weatherspoon extended from day one.

Carter and Weatherspoon Share Mutual Respect

While many found Chennedy Carter problematic, which made Carter move in and out of teams, coach Weatherspoon had no issue in embracing her with open arms. Teresa didn’t allow any incidents from Carter’s past to create prejudices in her mind.

“Chennedy is grasping this thing. She’s running with it. She has a great group of young women she’s surrounded with [who love] her,” the then-Chicago coach had said.

And the result was for everyone to see. Chennedy Carter played the most games that season (33) than she had ever done before, and was scoring with a fluidity that made her a dangerous prospect on the court.

“Honestly, it’s crazy to be out of the league and then be somewhere you’re wanted, loved, and appreciated,” Carter had said after she felt rejuvenated in Chicago.

However, it was not for long as Chicago chose not to extend her a qualifying offer in January 2025, making her fly overseas where she would join up to play in Turkey and China.

Weatherspoon, too, got fired after the Sky failed to make the playoffs in 2024, and that meant these two went their separate ways.

But now seeing them back together like that raises questions about whether there is any possibility of these two reuniting at Vinyl. Unrivaled had already ruled her untouchable because of her volatile reputation, but has there been a change in perception now?

Well, the reunion certainly hints in that direction. Vinyl is clearly struggling, having lost 9 out of their 15 games, and is presently in 6th position. Progressing into the semifinals looks like an impossible prospect right now. In that case, it wouldn’t hurt to hire a new player for the next season, and the services of a super-talented free agent like Chennedy Carter are up for grabs, so will Vinyl make a gamble of signing Chennedy Carter?