June 12, 2010
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RUSTON - Teresa Weatherspoon was an all-state player coming out of West Sabine High School in rural Pineland, Texas in the mid-1980s when she signed with Louisiana Tech to play college basketball.
However, no one knew that the offensive-minded prepster would not only turn into arguably the greatest defensive floor general to ever play the women's game, but also earn Hall of Fame status with her ability to lead her team and stop the opponent.
Weatherspoon did exactly that over the course of a four-year college career, an eight-year international career and an eight-year stint in the WNBA where she became one of the most recognizable players in the game of basketball.
Tonight in Knoxville, Tennessee, Weatherspoon will be honored for her amazing career as she joins Leta Andrews, Teresa Edwards, Rebecca Lobo, Gloria Ray and Chris Weller as the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2010.
"I want people to understand that I played this game because I love it," Weatherspoon said. "It was my passion. It also gave me a platform to have impact on people's lives. I wanted to be more than just a player; I wanted to be an entertainer.
"This is a tremendous honor that I never saw coming. I didn't want to do anything but play the game. The individual honors are just icing on the cake. None of it is possible in a team sport without great teammates. All players I played with over the years helped me."
Weatherspoon's road to the Hall of Fame wasn't always easy, at least according to her own words.
As a true freshman at Louisiana Tech in 1984, Weatherspoon had some big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of four-year starter Kim Mulkey, who led the Lady Techsters to four straight Final Fours and a pair of national titles during the previous four seasons.
"I came in as a freshman and it was difficult," Weatherspoon said. "I came from a high school where my coach was quiet, and Coach (Leon) Barmore, well, I don't have to say anymore. He was not what you would call quiet. I was following Kim Mulkey and everyone said that I had big shoes to fill. Kim said to me, `Listen, those are my shoes. You have shoes of your own to fill and you will do great things.' That eased my fears."
Prior to ever playing her first college game for the Lady Techsters, Weatherspoon was finding out that life under Barmore was going to be a little different than the life of a high school superstar.
"I remember coming in as a freshman like it was yesterday," Weatherspoon said. "I remember sitting in this locker room and (Coach Barmore) being highly upset with way we had practiced. I hadn't even had a chance to step on floor yet (in a real game); this was practice.
"He was upset and we thought we had given full effort. He was trying to teach us. Racks were flying and balls were flying and according to him, every mistake was because of me. I didn't understand it at the time, but as I matured I realized as a playmaker I'm in charge of a lot. He was simply teaching me that lesson."
It was a lesson that Weatherspoon learned well.
Weatherspoon came equipped with many of the God-given talents and inbred qualities that it takes to be a superstar. That along with the teachings of one of the greatest coaches of all-time helped her separate herself from most players.
"I think it was her determination; her will to be the best," said former Tech teammate Tori Harrison. "She had that mentality when she arrived on campus but it was also something that was engraved into our brains. Coach Barmore did not accept anything but the best whether in practice or in games or even off the court. It was inbred into us."
Barmore, who served as the legendary head coach of the Lady Techsters for 20 years, is a man of few words. However, when he is asked about his former floor general, he can't say enough about what she accomplished during her career.
"She was special; one of my all-time favorites," Barmore said. "I believe she was one of the top five point guards to ever play the game. What stood out about her was the energy, excitement and charisma that she played with ... the competitive spirit that ran deep inside of her. She had great leadership qualities as well."
And although Weatherspoon had plenty of offensive talent, it was her defense that Barmore harped on time and time again, and her defense that ultimately separated her from other great players.
"Coming from high school, I scored 25 to 30 points easily each night," Weatherspoon said. "In high school I had the opportunity to play every position, and it got me ready for college. Then I came here and was around a lot of girls who could do a lot of things. My position was a playmaker.
"Coach Barmore said, `You are a distributor. If you want to play on this team, you will defend first.' I was like, `Defend? I can put the ball in the basket.' But I said I'll do it. I was a freshman. I wanted to show him I would do whatever he asked. I started to like defense; I liked feeling in control. I became a defender. I realized I could control what the other person did. Once I understood how important it was for the team, I said I'll do it."
And defend she did.
"I think what separated her from so many great players was that she had the ability to take teams out of their offense with her defense," Barmore said. "She is the only point guard I ever had that was able to do that. It's rare to be able to disrupt the other team like she could."
During her four-year career at LA Tech, Weatherspoon led the Lady Techsters to a record of 118-14, four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Four appearances.
After falling 67-44 to Tennessee in the 1987 National Championship game, Weatherspoon had one year remaining to accomplish about the only thing she had yet to achieve during her college career -- win that coveted national title.
As a senior in 1988, Weatherspoon earned the Wade Trophy as the nation's top collegiate player. It was an award she would learn about immediately after playing Auburn in the national title game ... in Tacoma, Washington.
In her final game in a LA Tech uniform, Weatherspoon found her and her teammates trailing Auburn by 14 points at intermission. As the team entered the halftime lockerroom, Barmore turned all of his attention to her.
"It killed me," Weatherspoon said. "He drilled me. Ruthie (Bolton-Holyfield) was having the game of her life. She had scored 16 points in the first half. She was killing me. I couldn't find a way to stop her.
"We were down 14 points and at halftime he didn't' talk to anyone else but me. He brought out the media guide and stuck it in my face. He said, `Read out loud how you say you play defense.' I said, `Aggressively.' He said, `Do you think you are playing aggressively?'
"That was the conversation at halftime. It was on me. I said that's it, she will not score in the second half. That was my challenge. That's what I did. He felt like the only way we would win is if I stopped her. I went out in the second half and got after it, and she didn't score and we won the game."
Weatherspoon's defense was not the only reason that Louisiana Tech claimed its third national title, but it was arguably the biggest.
"I remember Teresa as a fierce competitor that brought a lot of energy and defensive intensity to the court," said former teammate Angela Lawson. "She played the game with a lot of passion, and she coaches the game that way today. In my opinion, she took her game to another level when we played against nationally-ranked teams or in the NCAA Tournament. Great players rise to the occasion."
Weatherspoon's stellar career was just getting started as she helped lead the US Olympic team to a gold medal just months later. Sixteen years of professional basketball followed, including eight seasons in the WNBA where she led the New York Liberty to three appearances in the title series.
And tonight as she takes her rightful spot among the greatest players and coaches to ever play the game, Teresa Weatherspoon will always be remembered for the way she played the game.
"She is very deserving of this honor," Barmore said. "She is one of the best to ever play the game."
Additional Quotes on Teresa Weatherspoon
"Teresa's contributions, both as a player and a coach, have played a major part in securing the Lady Techster legacy in the world of women's basketball. Her passion and work ethic should serve as an example and an inspiration for every young woman who steps onto the court. Teresa embodies the spirit of Louisiana Tech University, and I cannot think of anyone I would rather have as an ambassador for Lady Techster basketball." - LA Tech President Dan Reneau
"No basketball Hall of Fame would be complete without having Teresa Weatherspoon enshrined in it. Teresa's accomplishments on the court are enormous but her contributions to the game and to Louisianan Tech University go way beyond her career in basketball. This is a great honor and everyone associated with the Lady Techster basketball program is happy for her and celebrates this great achievement." - LA Tech AD Bruce Van De Velde
"If you think about the four years she played at LA Tech following the graduation of (Kim) Mulkey, (Pam) Kelly, (Janice) Lawrence, (Angela) Turner; all of those greats. She had some good players around her but she kept this program on top. - Former Louisiana Tech head coach Leon Barmore
"Teresa deserves everything that she has received because of the hard work she put into all that she has achieved. The training that went into the success is what separates her from the good players. The world is full of good athletes who are missing either the work ethic or the intelligence. Her God-given gifts combined with her extraordinary heart propelled her past the good players. Being a piece of the Teresa Weatherspoon adventure has been quite memorable for me. Her story has great joy as well as deep sorrow. My life has been better having known her and her awesome family. She is one in a million." - Retha Swindell, former head coach at West Sabine High School
"Her will to win is what made her such an incredible player. It was contagious to everyone else ... even the fans in the Garden. As a rookie she was one of the most valuable assets that the WNBA had ... they don't make them like here anymore. I learned some much from being around her and mentoring me through my entire career. Even when she left New York and we ended up in Los Angeles together, I looked at her like a big sister. She has always been there for me on and off the court.
"To me Spoon was like a fire. A fire starts smoking at first and then all of a sudden it engulfs everything in its path; that is the way she was with the game. She mentally and physically attacked every game and every opponent she ever played. I never saw her play in college, but I know she played that way in the WNBA. I think that is the way Spoon attacks life." - Tamika Whitmore, teammate with New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks
