The Pelicans elevated development coach Teresa Weatherspoon to a full-time coaching position on Monday, the team announced.
Weatherspoon, 54, is the eighth full-time female assistant coach in the NBA, according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. The Naismith Hall-of-Famer previously split her time between the Pelicans and the team’s G League affiliate in Erie, PA.
“I am excited about our coaching staff,” Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy said in a statement. “We have a great mix of background, experience, perspective and expertise. Four of our assistants have been head coaches at the professional or NCAA Division I levels. Five of our coaches played in the NBA or WNBA.”
“I am looking forward to working with this staff to maximize the potential of our talented players.”
Weatherspoon was a five-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year before retiring in 2004. She also served as the women’s head coach at Louisiana Tech from 2009-14.
New Orleans is also adding a pair of former NBA players to its staff in 2020-21. Corey Brewer and Beno Udrih will join the Pelicans as player development coaches, per the team statement.
The Pelicans finished No. 13 in the Western Conference in 2019-20 at 30–42. Rookie Zion Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game in
