Storm assistant Pokey Chatman walked onto the court for warmups Tuesday at Wintrust Arena a little more than an hour before tipoff between her former team and her current one, hugging familiar faces as she made her way to the visitors’ bench.
It’s a standard occurrence for Chatman when she’s back in Chicago to stop and talk with the Sky’s staff, from CEO Adam Fox to vice president of basketball operations and strength-and-conditioning coach Ann Crosby. The WNBA world is small, and Chatman spent six years of her coaching career with the Sky.
The circumstances surrounding the Sky and how they relate to Chatman, the longest-tenured coach in franchise history, are worth noting.
The Sky are wrapping up a season that might conclude without a playoff appearance, after which the organization has said it will address interim coach/general manager Emre Vatansever’s future in the role. When that happens, Chatman’s name belongs in the discussion.
The question is, would she entertain the idea of returning to her former team?
‘‘You always take the call,’’ Chatman told the Sun-Times. ‘‘But I’m also not chasing a chair.’’
When former Sky coach/GM James Wade resigned, Chatman and Storm coach Noelle Quinn had a conversation about the possibility of her being approached to fill that role again.
Chatman said the conversation was out of respect for her and the history she has with the Sky. During her tenure, she led the Sky to a 106-98 record and four consecutive playoff appearances in 2013-16, including a run to the Finals in 2014.
‘‘[Quinn] knows if I had interest, I would have gone to her the second something changed,’’ Chatman said.
On Tuesday, Chatman was adamant that she thoroughly enjoys working on Quinn’s staff with the Storm. When she speaks about Quinn, she has no shortage of adulation for the coach she is and the culture she has created in Seattle in such a short time.
Quinn took over for Dan Hughes six games into the 2021 season, becoming the 19th Black woman to coach in the WNBA. When she was introduced, she acknowledged the women who came before her and started with Chatman.
Before the 2022 season, Quinn asked Chatman to join her staff. Chatman reportedly was being considered for the head-coaching job with the Mercury before they hired Vanessa Nygaard.
The Storm are navigating a rebuild after the retirement of Sue Bird and the departure of Breanna Stewart in free agency. Despite their below-.500 record and the likelihood they won’t make the playoffs, Chatman says Quinn is building something players want to be part of.
‘‘I thoroughly enjoy working for the Storm,’’ Chatman said. ‘‘[Quinn] has this beautiful mind, and I love what the organization is doing.’’
Still, as she always has advised her peers to ‘‘take the call,’’ Chatman said she would do the same. Chatman said she hasn’t received that call from the Sky yet. As far as whether she has any reservations about the idea of rejoining her former team, she said she doesn’t think about it in those terms.
‘‘It’s always time,’’ Chatman said. ‘‘So many things change in time. Our league is so unique because it’s so small. I hadn’t really thought about it [until now]. It’s flattering if there would be interest there, [but] I just haven’t had it on my mind.’’
Vatansever’s future
Vatansever told the Sun-Times that he hasn’t had discussions with the Sky’s front office about remaining in the interim coach/GM role past this season. Since taking over for Wade on July 2, Vatansever has led the Sky to a 5-11 record.
‘‘We need to win some games,’’ Vatansever said. ‘‘That’s where my focus is. I never thought — even when I took the job starting with the Indiana game — about if I’m going to stay or not going to stay. I can’t coach like that.’’
