Kahleah Copper is ready for the Chicago Sky’s next chapter led by new head coach Teresa Weatherspoon.

Speaking at Weatherspoon’s introductory press conference Tuesday, Copper said the five-time WNBA All-Star and former NBA assistant coach will bring an “electric” energy to the team.

“Super excited to be a part of this era,” said Copper, at times speaking directly to Weatherspoon, who sat beside her. “I think that we’re going to do something really special. Beyond the accolades, you’re an amazing person, and someone that I can really relate to and someone that I want to really give all that you deserve. So I’m proud to be here and a part of this organization and I’m ready to gear up.”

For her part, Weatherspoon, 57, is excited for what this chapter holds for herself and for the Sky. As someone who has been told “no” many times and had doors closed to her, she likened this new opportunity in Chicago to climbing through a window. And she is ready to go all in, she said.

“They don’t call me ‘Spoon’ for nothing,” she said. “I’m coming here to stir things up.”

As for Copper, Weatherspoon views her as a leader for the team. The 2021 WNBA Finals MVP, Copper signed a multi-year contract extension with the Sky in September.

“It’s her time to lead this organization in the right way,” she said. “And it’s my duty to pour into her, to pour into every player to support this organization.”

And Weatherspoon is confident about the roster beyond just Copper. That’s part of the reason she bought into being head coach of the team.

“That’s why I sit here,” she said. “Absolutely great question. And it is no answer but absolutely.”

Before the 2023 season ended, Copper had decided to re-sign with the Sky. And the 29-year-old guard had conversations with Weatherspoon that helped solidify her decision as the right one. From their very first conversation, the energy between the two sparked in a way that Copper hasn’t experienced before with coaches.

“It was like our energy just, we connected over energy,” she said. “And I said I’ve never had a coach that could really match my energy and that was just something that really hit me.”

Weatherspoon says that the team’s new identity will be forged in “fire,” and Copper already embodies that.

“You have it right here,” Weatherspoon said. “It becomes contagious. Fire becomes contagious, energy becomes contagious. Just being energetic becomes truly contagious, and it’ll jump from one person to the next. I promise you if you stand close to it’s gonna jump in you. I promise you.”

The Chicago Sky will have a separate head coach and general manager moving forward, according to Kahleah Copper.

Copper revealed that the team will “for sure” separate the roles moving forward during her exit interview on Monday. Previously, the Sky had been the only WNBA franchise left with a dual head coach and general manager role with James Wade.

“I know for sure the positions are going to be separate,” Copper said. “Which is great.”

Wade left for the Toronto Raptors midway through the season, and Emre Vatansever took over both head coaching and general manager positions in the interim. He led the team to an 11-13 record to close the regular season. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Las Vegas Aces.

Following that loss, Vatansever said he would “absolutely” like to return as the team’s coach.

“I would love to be here,” Vatansever said. “But everything has to fall into place, like getting players and being on the same page. I fell into this situation during the middle of the season. What I was trying to do was get this ship going and do the right things to make the playoffs.”

Sky CEO Adam Fox told the Chicago Sun-Times that there isn’t a timeline for filling either position. Instead, he said that the team is looking to “make the most informed decision possible” in order to have the right people in place.

When asked about hiring Vatansever on a full-time basis, Fox noted that the team is “considering every option.”

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we’re putting our organization in the best position to be successful,” he said.

Kahleah Copper doesn’t know what her WNBA future will look like.

With Chicago Sky head coach and general manager James Wade departing for the NBA last weekend, Copper is focused on finishing out this season strong before turning her attention to what’s next. The 3-time WNBA All-Star will be a free agent this offseason after seven years with the Sky.

“There’s nothing you can do about it,” Copper told the Chicago Sun-Times after Wade’s decision to leave midseason for an assistant coaching job with the Toronto Raptors. “You can’t stress the [crap] that you can’t really control.”

Copper is leading a revamped Chicago roster in 2023 after all other starters from the Sky’s 2021 WNBA championship team — Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, Candace Parker and Azurá Stevens — moved away in the offseason. Before leaving, Wade had spearheaded a rebuild, signing 2021 All-Star Courtney Williams and trading away multiple first-round draft picks for guard Marina Mabrey.

“There are no optics to it,” Wade, the 2019 WNBA Coach of the Year, told the Sun-Times. “It is what it is. Yeah, I left and it was the hardest decision I ever had to make in my life, but I felt like it was a good decision for me and my family.”

“It’s definitely tough,” Copper said. “I lose all my teammates and now I lose the head coach. That’s like the last of the band.”

But Copper isn’t dwelling on any negative feelings.

“What does it do for me if I’m pouting about it?” Copper mused. “I have a whole season to finish going into free agency next year. I have to show up and be the best version of myself.”

With the Sky organization valued at $85 million and in the process of looking for a new practice facility, Copper said she will take off-court strides into consideration when deciding whether to re-sign with the team in the offseason.

“I want to see the organization keep up with the Joneses,” Copper said. “We talk about facilities. We talk about moving to the city, maybe. But I want to see it happen, that shift really happen, and really have something in the works.”

Alyssa Thomas, Elena Delle Donne and Napheesa Collier headline the 12 reserves who will compete at the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game. The reserves were announced on Saturday following a vote by WNBA head coaches. They will join the 10 All-Star starters — voted on by fans, media, and players — who were revealed last week.

2023 WNBA All-Star Game Reserves

  • DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun)
  • Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)
  • Kahleah Copper (Chicago Sky)
  • Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics)
  • Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream)
  • Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty)
  • Ezi Magbegor (Seattle Storm)
  • Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever)
  • Cheyenne Parker (Atlanta Dream)
  • Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces)
  • Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun)
  • Courtney Vandersloot (New York Liberty)

Five players will make their All-Star debut in 2023: Gray, Magbegor, Mitchell and Parker, plus starter Aliyah Boston.

Sabrina Ionescu will make her second All-Star appearance thanks to the coach vote after she was ranked 19th amongst guards by her fellow players.

Of the reserves, Elena Delle Donne boasts the most All-Star Selections (nine), while Brittney Griner leads all All-Stars with nine.

While much fan and media attention is spent on comparing starters vs. reserves, that division becomes much less important once the All-Star game tips off. Both starters and reserves earn the “All-Star” label, playing time is typically divided more evenly than regular games, and there’s nothing to keep a reserve from being named All-Star MVP. Erica Wheeler (2019) was the most recent reserve to accomplish the feat.

All-Star captains A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart will draft their teams during a special WNBA All-Star selection show on Saturday, July 8 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN). The WNBA All-Star Game will be played at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 15, with the game airing on ABC (5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET).

Also on Saturday, the WNBA confirmed that Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon (14-1) and Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White (12-4) will serve as All-Star head coaches thanks to their records through June 30. Hammon will coach Team Wilson, while White will coach Team Stewart.

It’s officially the Kahleah Copper era in Chicago.

With the departures of Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot in free agency, and Allie Quigley’s decision to sit out the season, Copper is the only remaining cornerstone from the 2021 title-winning team.

The 2021 Finals MVP is under contract through the 2023 season, after which she will become an unrestricted free agent.

Copper, who averaged 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for Chicago last season, serves as the building block for coach James Wade’s 2023 squad. Azurá Stevens signed with the Sparks, and Emma Meesseman reportedly is unlikely to play in the WNBA due to international commitments, leaving the Sky’s roster thin.

So the 28-year-old is in a new chapter of her career. One where she has to process the departures of her teammates while also becoming the face of the franchise.

“It’s definitely tough,” Copper told reporters Monday. “Lots of emotions. It was kind of a whirlwind, but I’m recovering.”

Since free agency began, the Sky have signed Courtney Williams, Isabelle Harrison and Elizabeth Williams, while also retaining Ruthy Hebard, Dana Evans and Julie Allemand. But Copper is certainly the team’s best and perhaps most experienced player.

Copper is embracing her new role.

“People are saying that it’s a new era, whatever you want to call it,” Copper told reporters Monday. “I’m ready to compete and really take this leadership to another level. Over my career and over the last couple of years, I think that my leadership has been great and I’ve had great leaders. … I’m ready to step into those shoes. It’s time and I’m prepared.”

The new era for Copper also marks a new era for the WNBA, as Parker joined the Aces and Vandersloot signed with the Liberty, two franchises that are being called superteams.

Las Vegas boasts an elite lineup with Parker, MVP A’ja Wilson, Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and All-Stars Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. The Liberty also are set to be a major title contender with former MVPs in Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, an established guard in Vandersloot and rising stars in Betnijah Laney and Sabrina Ionescu.

The Sky are in a pivotal season that could be considered a rebuild. A path to the title is hard to envision with the Aces and Liberty standing in the way, but Copper is confident in the team being built around her.

“We’re just going to wait for the season, right?” she said. “Every year, the media and everybody on Twitter who don’t play basketball, everybody’s got something to say. They never believe in you until you win.”

When it comes to the New York Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu is the head of the snake.

At least, that’s how Kahleah Copper describes her.

And how do you kill a snake?

You cut off its head.

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Candace Parker, left, celebrates with Courtney Vandersloot during the Sky's 100-62 win. (Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

In Game 1 of the Liberty’s first-round series against the defending champion Chicago Sky, Ionescu scored 22 points and recorded six assists to lead No. 7 seed New York to an upset win.

In Game 2, the Oregon grad was held to just seven points and three assists, and No. 2 seed Chicago secured a lopsided 100-62 victory — the largest margin in WNBA playoff history — to force a deciding Game 3.

The difference largely came down to the defensive assignment. This time around, Copper matched up with Ionescu, as opposed to the first game, when Vandersloot drew Ionescu and Copper matched up with Betnijah Laney.

Copper bothered New York’s star guard from the jump.

“It was important for me to defend her,” Copper said after Saturday’s game. “I gotta be able to make it as hard as possible for her, so that’s what I wanted to do.”

Copper accomplished her mission. The game marked just the fourth time this season that Ionescu posted fewer than 10 points and fewer than five assists in the same contest.

“She’s special because she plays both ends of the floor, and I think that gets undervalued a lot,” Sky coach James Wade said of Copper, who not only played suffocating defense but also scored 20 points. “Her ability to be disruptive and then on the other hand get us buckets and actually draw defenses — it sets a tone, and the tone is really what we need.”

Chicago’s defensive intensity, sparked by Copper, represented a complete shift from Game 1. The Sky put a major emphasis on defending the 3-point line, closing out hard, putting hands up and making sure the Liberty didn’t get uncontested looks.

The Liberty score 36.5 percent of their points from the 3-point line and have made 394 on the season, ranking first in the WNBA in both categories.

In their opening game victory Wednesday, the Liberty shot 44 percent from beyond the arc, making 11 of 25 attempts. The long-range offense came from everywhere, as seven players made at least one 3-pointer. Ionescu and Stefanie Dolson led the team with three makes apiece.

In Game 2, New York went cold from long range, making just three attempts — Ionescu, Han Xu and Rebecca Allen each had one — and shooting 15 percent from beyond the arc. The Liberty’s shooting from 2-point range wasn’t much better, as they shot 33 percent, finishing with 23 total field goals.

“It was important because we know they like to shoot 3s and they are a successful team when they make them,” Wade said. “So we wanted to make sure that if they get 3s off that they are contested, and they weren’t as open as they were in the first game.”

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Emma Meesseman, Candace Parker and the Chicago Sky forced a deciding Game 3 in New York on Tuesday. (Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

Natasha Howard — who scored 22 points in the first game — led the Liberty starters with eight points Saturday, while Dolson and Laney each had just one field goal for two points apiece. Crystal Dangerfield rounded out the unit’s scoring with four points.

Meanwhile, Han and Michaela Onyenwere led New York with 10 points each, and the bench unit outscored the starters, 39-23.

“We were struggling everywhere,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “We need our starters to set us off a little bit and hopefully we can build up from there.”

The sentiment that New York struggled everywhere was far from an exaggeration. The offense looked disjointed and lacked the crips passes and ball movement that led to the team’s success Wednesday.

In addition to the poor shooting, the Liberty committed 19 turnovers and only grabbed three offensive rebounds. Turnovers outnumbered 15 total assists for New York.

“A lot of it was our turnovers for easy baskets,” Brondello said. “They’re one of the best teams in the league in the open court, and Copper certainly got them going … We have to be a little more resilient, taking care of the ball. We really made a lot of bad decisions, like the quick shots. I was not happy with that.”

After the bounce-back victory, the No. 2 Sky will have to win on the road to advance to the semifinals, as Game 3 will take place Tuesday in New York.

Heading into the postseason, Wade expressed frustration with the format, saying, “You always want the deciding game, if there’s a Game 3, to be at the higher seed’s home. I’m not a fan of it at all; I don’t think any coaches are.”

But he changed his opinion Saturday.

“I’m OK with (going on the road),” he said. “Because the thing is, if we wouldn’t have lost game 1, this game wouldn’t have been on the road. You know if we play like that, it doesn’t matter where we play. We could play on the moon. But we have to be who we gonna be, and that will dictate everything.”

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Chicago Sky coach James Wade is playing coy after star Kahleah Copper went down during practice Friday ahead of the team’s win-or-go home Game 2 against the New York Liberty on Saturday.

The reigning WNBA Finals MVP went down toward the end of practice on a non-contact play, grabbing her ankle. She had to be helped off the court and went to the trainer’s room. Upon her return, Copper was limping but told teammates she was “OK.”

When asked about the incident after practice, Wade asserted that “nothing is wrong.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “We’re fine.”

When further pressed about Copper’s fall, Wade reiterated that she was “fine” and that nothing happened. He would not disclose whether or not he expects Copper to play in tomorrow’s Game 2 against New York, just repeating that the Sky are “fine.”

The Sky are in a must-win situation for Game 2 against the Liberty. New York closed Wednesday’s game on a 13-0 run to take the first game of the three-game series.

In order to continue their run at defending the title, Chicago must win the next two games — including a Game 3 on the road if it comes to that.

The WNBA playoffs are tantalizingly close. The Sky, Aces, Sun, Storm and Mystics have already secured their spots in the postseason, leaving six teams (all but the Fever) to compete for three bids over the final week and a half of the regular season.

In their pursuit of the playoffs, several players stood out above the rest in the month of July. Just Women’s Sports honors the top individual performances by naming the Team of the Month, including starters and reserves.

A’ja Wilson, F, Las Vegas Aces

Wilson is having an MVP-type season, averaging 19.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, two blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. She’s making a positive impact in every part of the game, with her 17-point, 17-rebound, six-block performance in the Aces’ Commissioner’s Cup win serving as an indicator of how the forward steps up against top competition. In July, Wilson had eight 20-plus point games and four double-doubles to lead Las Vegas to a 9-3 record.

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Cunningham has picked up where she left off in a breakout 2021 playoffs performance. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Sophie Cunningham, G, Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury are in the midst of a playoff push, and that means they need to get more out of players not named Skylar Diggins-Smith or Diana Taurasi. Cunningham is certainly doing her part. In July, the guard averaged 17 points — up from her season average of 12.2 — and had a career-high 36 points in a loss against the Lynx on July 12.

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Despite missing the occasional game to rest her back, Delle Donne has been a force. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

Elena Delle Donne, F, Washington Mystics

While Delle Donne was sidelined last season with a back injury, the Mystics missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Thanks to her return, that won’t happen again this season. Delle Donne is peaking at the right time, with some of her best performances coming in July. She averaged 22.3 points per game and recorded two double-doubles while leading the Mystics to a 6-3 record during the month.

Alyssa Thomas, F, Connecticut Sun

Thomas made an appearance as a reserve last month thanks to her contributions in virtually every statistical category. After recording the first triple-double in Sun history on July 22 with 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds (and even before she picked up her second of the season on Tuesday night), Thomas is making the jump to July’s starting five. She also had three steals and a block in that July 22 game, a 94-84 win over the Lynx, proving just how versatile she is.

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Stewart helped Seattle clinch a playoff spot with a win Sunday. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Breanna Stewart, F, Seattle Storm

Seattle played 10 games in July, and Stewart was the leading scorer in eight of them. Nearly every game Stewart played for the playoff-bound Storm could be considered a highlight for the month, but her best performance came in an 82-72 win over Atlanta on the July 24. Stewart recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while also adding four assists, two steals and three blocks. She continues to do it all for Seattle.

Reserves

Kahleah Copper, G, Chicago Sky

Copper capped a July that included two double-doubles and four 20-plus point games with a 27-point performance in a 95-92 overtime win over the Sun on the last day of the month. She shot 63 percent from the field in that contest and added five rebounds and two assists.

Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces

Plum continued her dominance in July, leading the Aces in scoring five times, while also shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line. Her All-Star MVP performance on July 10 accurately sums up Plum’s scoring acumen, as she finished with 30 points on 66.7 percent shooting.

Sylvia Fowles, C, Minnesota Lynx

It’s hard to imagine the WNBA without Fowles, especially when she’s playing at such a high level. In July, the center bound for retirement after this season had five 10-plus rebound games and four double-doubles.

Tiffany Hayes, G, Atlanta Dream

Hayes made her debut for the Dream this month after overseas commitments and a knee injury kept her sidelined. She’s averaging 16.2 points for the playoff-hopeful Dream. Her best game was a 31-point performance in a 92-76 win over the Aces on July 19.

Diana Taurasi, G, Phoenix Mercury

Taurasi has scored over 28 points five times this season, with three of those performances coming in July. She had 28 in a 94-78 win over the Storm, 29 in an 80-75 win over the Mystics, and 30 in a 90-80 win over the Sparks.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Kahleah Copper added even more hardware to her trophy case after taking home the Spanish league championship and MVP award Thursday with Perfumerías Avenida.

The Chicago Sky star’s latest accolades join her WNBA championship, WNBA Finals MVP award, EuroLeague MVP award and Spanish Cup title to cap off a banner year on the court for Copper.

Copper averaged 21.4 points on 50 percent shooting across 14 EuroLeague contests and 13.8 points through 21 games with Avenida.

The 27-year-old guard will join the Sky soon now that her overseas duties are complete. Chicago has kicked off the WNBA regular season with a 1-1 record, and Copper will aim to power them to even more success.

Kahleah Copper continues to have a banner year as she was named the MVP of the 2021-22 EuroLeague season Friday.

Copper spent the overseas season with CB Perfumerias Avenida. She helped the team to an 11-3 record in the regular season. The team has made a run to next week’s EuroLeague semifinals after getting past Spanish rivals Spar Girona in the quarterfinals.

Throughout the season, Copper averaged 22.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

The 2021 WNBA Finals MVP finished first in voting among coaches and media votes. WNBA regular season MVP Jonquel Jones finished fourth in the league’s voting. Gabby Williams finished fifth.

Additionally, Copper was named to the All-EuroLeague Women First Team alongside Alina Iaguopva, Maria Conde, Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. The Second Team featured Kayla McBride, Elizabeth Williams, Gabby Williams, Brionna Jones and Sandrine Gruda.

In January, Copper re-signed with the Chicago Sky on a multi-year deal following the Sky placing the core designation on her.