New Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh expressed gratitude toward Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon through a heartfelt Instagram story. The 37-year-old coach, who spent three seasons learning under Hammon, acknowledged the invaluable lessons he gained before transitioning to lead a young Chicago Sky team.
On Wednesday, Marsh shared a picture of himself with Hammon, captioning it with a simple yet profound four-word message:
“Could never repay you. 🤍”
Marsh served as an assistant coach for the Aces during their back-to-back WNBA championship wins in 2022 and 2023. His promotion to head coach makes him the second from Hammon’s coaching tree, following Natalie Nakase, now with the Golden State Valkyries, to secure a head-coaching role ahead of the 2025 season.
Beyond Hammon’s mentorship, Marsh also gained coaching insights from NBA veterans like Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse and Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. He worked alongside Nurse with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the 2012-13 season and the Toronto Raptors from 2018 to 2020.
Marsh later joined Carlisle’s coaching staff with the Indiana Pacers, even after the team’s leadership change. Carlisle retained Marsh until their professional paths diverged in 2022.
Marsh Shares Vision for Success with the Sky
As Marsh prepares to replace WNBA legend Teresa Weatherspoon, who coached the Sky for just one season, he faces high expectations. Despite the pressure, Marsh remains focused on fostering trust and development within the team.
“A big part of my philosophy is that trust factor. Once you can get a player to buy into you, and you buy into the individual, the basketball stuff comes easy,” Marsh told CBS News Chicago. “We want to invest in people first.”
He also discussed his plans for unlocking the potential of players like Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
“They want to do things the right way,” Marsh explained. “Hopefully, my leadership can help extend that to them. We want them to improve and get better while also highlighting their strengths and what they do well.”
Though he faces a challenging situation in Chicago, Marsh is ready to embrace the opportunity and guide the team toward success.
