Another WNBA in-game interview, another awkward moment.
ESPN play-by-play man Ryan Ruocco was setting up his in-game check-in with first-year Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon during the second quarter of the team’s much-anticipated clash with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon
There was a prolonged moment of silence from Weatherspoon as Ruocco checked to see if she could hear them, with the play-by-play man eventually responding to himself, “Not really.”
Then instead of the mic’d-up Weatherspoon acknowledging the start of the interview, viewers got the pleasure of hearing her — you know, actually coach — as she began yelling instructions to her player as Indiana brought the ball up the court and the Sky ultimately forced a turnover.
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“C’mon, c’mon!” Weatherspoon yelled with a hand on her earpiece. “Help right there. Help right there. Good, good. Stay right there! Stay right there! Big big. Be big! That a baby! That’s it! That’s it!”
Weatherspoon then conspicuously told the ESPN booth she was sorry and couldn’t hear them — making it at least possible she was just ignoring them for a few seconds to coach the game with her team on defense.
Another mess of a WNBA in-game coach interview on ESPN, while Teresa Weatherspoon is trying to, you know, coach. 🏀📺🎙️ https://t.co/MtcAgBQdcJ pic.twitter.com/tvkKnoWrYX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 1, 2024
Ruocco made light of the situation and felt happy with getting to hear the audio they got from Weatherspoon.
“We loved hearing you on that possession,” Ruocco said. “We see that defensive fire you brought on the floor [as a player].”
The former Liberty great proceeded to again coach her team after the first question, yelling at them to “keep moving,” followed by a “there we go!” and a first pump.
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After talking about her team’s offense, Ruocco joked that ESPN might just keep her mic’d up for each possession, which brought a chuckle from Weatherspoon, whose team lost the game 71-70.
This isn’t the first time this season ESPN’s in-game interview with a WNBA coach didn’t go off without a hitch.
Last month, Fever coach Christie Sides did an in-game interview in the fourth quarter of a then-three-point game against the Phoenix Mercury.
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She was seen awkwardly holding her hands over both ears trying to hear the question while keeping an eye on the game.
“Hate it! @WNBA @espn stop doing this! The fans don’t want it and I know the coaches don’t want to do it!” one X user posted.
Aces’ coach Becky Hammon also had an odd end to her in-game interview in Las Vegas’ home opener against the Mercury last month.
Becky Hammon’s interview I assume was supposed to happen between quarters and started late, her face when she couldn’t hear the second question 😂 pic.twitter.com/w3oNKl5hJn
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) May 15, 2024
The WNBA championship-winning coach answered the first question fine but responded to the second about her team’s offensive rhythm with a puzzled look and five seconds of silence as a foul sent Diana Taurasi to the free throw line,
ESPN’s Tiffany Green then abruptly ended the chat giving Hammon the out that it’s “very loud in here.”
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