On December 9th Tyler Marsh’s his 37th birthday and Sydney Colson didn’t miss the opportunity to stir the pot. Taking a passive tone, she wrote, “Heard it’s ur bday @hoop4thought,” tagging Marsh in the post. Her playful jab hints at lingering feelings about Marsh’s decision to leave the Las Vegas Aces for his head coaching debut in Chicago.

Marsh’s contributions to the Aces over the last two years were undeniable. Alongside head coach Becky Hammon and the team’s star-studded roster, Marsh, the head of player development, played a crucial role in helping the Aces secure back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. Jackie Young also credits his success story to the 37-year-old.

Joining the Aces in 2022 after departing the Indiana Pacers, Marsh was deeply invested in the team’s success, guiding, cheering, and celebrating their achievements every step of the way.

Now with another Aces assistant coach, Natalie Nakase, also off to the Golden State Valkyries, it’s no surprise that Colson, a standout player for the Aces, might feel a bit salty about Marsh’s departure. But this isn’t the first time she’s raised an eyebrow at his decisions.

In fact, Colson had sensed the winds shifting as early as June.

Back then, Marsh dropped a telling tweet about the Sky’s young roster, writing, “Future of the Sky is in good hands. Young, tough & don’t give af about anybody’s opinions other than their own. Gotta respect it.” While the tweet seemed harmless to some, it raised alarms for Colson, who immediately caught the hint.

Retweeting his post, Colson cheekily responded, “This you quitting?” Her comment, though playful, now feels prophetic. Fast forward to today, and Marsh is indeed leading the Chicago Sky as their head coach.

At just 37 years old, Marsh boasts an impressive resume, with experience as assistant video coordinator and player development coach with the championship winning 2018-19 Raptors. And surely he would lead the franchise that saw its first playoff miss since 2018. “I think this was a very young team this past season… It’s been a priority to figure out which veteran leadership to continue to bring in and put in place around what we already have,” shared Marsh while unveiling his take on Sky’s future.

But as he embarks on this new chapter, one question remains: In winning new hearts, has he left some old ones broken?