Teresa Weatherspoon

Teresa Weatherspoon, aka “Spoon” or “T-Spoon,” played college basketball at Louisiana Tech, graduating in 1988. Spoon was a point guard who may have won at more levels of basketball than any other player, missing only a WNBA title. She led Louisiana Tech to the 1988 NCAA title, winning the Broderick Trophy and Wade Trophy that year as the nation’s top female player. Spoon played for the US at the 1988 Olympics, winning gold, and the 1992 Olympics, taking a bronze medal. She also won international gold medals at the 1986 World Championships, the 1986 Goodwill Games, and the 1987 Universiade. Later in her career, she played in Russia, and was twice a Russian League Champion, in 1995-96.

After college Spoon played in Italy, with Busto Arsizio from 1988-92, then with Magenta in 1992/93, and finally with Como in 1993/94, and was named an Italian League All-Star all six years she played there. She then moved to Russia, playing with CSKA Moskva from 1994-96. When the WNBA started in 1997, Spoon joined the New York Liberty, playing with them until 2003, when she finished out her playing career with one season with the Los Angeles Sparks. She was a WNBA All-Star four times, consecutively from 1999-2002, and was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998. She was named second team All-WNBA from 1997-2000.

After her playing career ended, Weatherspoon then went into coaching. She became head coach of Westchester Phantoms from 2007-08, before being named associate head coach at her alma mater in 2008. In 2009 Spoon became head coach at Louisiana Tech, coaching there through 2014. Spoon is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, inducted in 2010, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, also inducted in 2010.