Hammon first woman to coach NBA team; Lakers beat Spurs
RAUL DOMINGUEZ
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San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon breaks from a huddle during a timeout in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in San Antonio, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. Hammon became the first woman to direct an NBA team, taking over the Spurs after coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in a 121-107 loss to the Lakers.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Becky Hammon would have preferred a victory over history after becoming the first woman to coach an NBA team.
The assistant coach took over the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter after coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in a 121-107 loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
“I try not to think of the huge picture and huge aspect of it because it can be overwhelming,” Hammon said. “I really have had no time to reflect. I have not had time to look at my phone. So, I don’t know what’s going on outside the AT&T Center.”
Hammon and the Spurs already had a lot to contend with against the defending league champion Lakers.
James celebrated his 36th birthday with 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the Lakers’ third double-digit victory. The teams will complete the two-game set Friday night.
“(I was) trying to get the guys in the right spots,” Hammon said. “Trying to get them motivated. Obviously, it’s a learning situation for all of us, but I would have loved to have walked out there with a win with the guys.”
Popovich was ejected by official Tony Brown with 3:56 remaining in the second quarter. Popovich screamed at Brown and entered the court following a non-call on DeMar DeRozan’s attempted layup and a subsequent attempted rebound by Drew Eubanks.
As he exited the court to applause from several of the team’s family members in attendance, Popovich pointed a finger at Hammon and had a succinct message.
“You got ’em,” Hammon said. “See? He doesn’t treat us any differently than he does you guys.”
Said LeBron James: “Obviously she’s been paying her dues over the last few years and Coach Pop has given her the opportunity. ... It’s a beautiful thing just to hear her barking out calls, barking out sets. She’s very passionate about the game. Congrats to her and congrats for our league.”
Hammon took over the team’s huddles during timeouts and walked the sideline following Popovich’s ejection. Hammon was the first full-time female assistant coach in league history.
“Well deserved,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “I’ve talked to her before and she really knows her stuff and obviously she’s here for a reason. She’s equipped, intelligent (and the) guys have great respect for her. She’s going to be a great coach one day.”
A three-time All-American at Colorado State, Hammon played for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars in the WNBA as well as overseas before retiring to join Popovich’s staff in 2014.
“Even in timeouts with Pop as head coach, she is quick on her feet,” DeRozan said. “She tells us about defensive assignments, offensive sets we should run. Seeing her in the forefront, it would have definitely been cool to have won for her.”
The Lakers contributed to Popovich’s frustration and the Spurs’ fortunes didn’t get much better after the veteran coach exited.
Dennis Schroder had 21 points, Anthony Davis had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers. Wesley Matthews was 6 for 6 on 3-pointers in scoring 18 points off the bench.
The Spurs opened with a 9-2 run, including an uncontested drive through the lane by Keldon Johnson for a two-handed slam. The Lakers responded with an 11-0 run that promoted a timeout by Popovich.
The Lakers took their first double-digit lead at 35-25 on Kyle Kuzma’s 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining in the first quarter.
Dejounte Murray had a career-high 29 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
“At the end of the day, it don’t mean nothing, we lost,” Murray said.
DeRozan added 23 for the Spurs, who lost their second straight after opening the season with two consecutive wins.
TIP-INS
Lakers: PG Alex Caruso missed the game for “health and safety protocols” as mandated by the league. Lakers coach Frank Vogel did not elaborate on Caruso’s status. … James was listed as questionable after spraining his left ankle sprain in the Lakers’ 115-107 loss to Portland on Monday. James played 35 minutes against the Spurs after scoring 29 points in 36 minutes against the Trail Blazers.
Spurs: Popovich said the Spurs will monitor Aldridge’s knee soreness on a day-to-day basis. … Tim Duncan took over last season when Popovich was ejected against Portland on Nov. 16, 2019. The Hall of Famer opted not to return as assistant this season.
The assistant coach took over the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter after coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in a 121-107 loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
“I try not to think of the huge picture and huge aspect of it because it can be overwhelming,” Hammon said. “I really have had no time to reflect. I have not had time to look at my phone. So, I don’t know what’s going on outside the AT&T Center.”
Hammon and the Spurs already had a lot to contend with against the defending league champion Lakers.
James celebrated his 36th birthday with 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the Lakers’ third double-digit victory. The teams will complete the two-game set Friday night.
“(I was) trying to get the guys in the right spots,” Hammon said. “Trying to get them motivated. Obviously, it’s a learning situation for all of us, but I would have loved to have walked out there with a win with the guys.”
Popovich was ejected by official Tony Brown with 3:56 remaining in the second quarter. Popovich screamed at Brown and entered the court following a non-call on DeMar DeRozan’s attempted layup and a subsequent attempted rebound by Drew Eubanks.
As he exited the court to applause from several of the team’s family members in attendance, Popovich pointed a finger at Hammon and had a succinct message.
“You got ’em,” Hammon said. “See? He doesn’t treat us any differently than he does you guys.”
Said LeBron James: “Obviously she’s been paying her dues over the last few years and Coach Pop has given her the opportunity. ... It’s a beautiful thing just to hear her barking out calls, barking out sets. She’s very passionate about the game. Congrats to her and congrats for our league.”
Hammon took over the team’s huddles during timeouts and walked the sideline following Popovich’s ejection. Hammon was the first full-time female assistant coach in league history.
“Well deserved,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “I’ve talked to her before and she really knows her stuff and obviously she’s here for a reason. She’s equipped, intelligent (and the) guys have great respect for her. She’s going to be a great coach one day.”
A three-time All-American at Colorado State, Hammon played for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars in the WNBA as well as overseas before retiring to join Popovich’s staff in 2014.
“Even in timeouts with Pop as head coach, she is quick on her feet,” DeRozan said. “She tells us about defensive assignments, offensive sets we should run. Seeing her in the forefront, it would have definitely been cool to have won for her.”
The Lakers contributed to Popovich’s frustration and the Spurs’ fortunes didn’t get much better after the veteran coach exited.
Dennis Schroder had 21 points, Anthony Davis had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers. Wesley Matthews was 6 for 6 on 3-pointers in scoring 18 points off the bench.
The Spurs opened with a 9-2 run, including an uncontested drive through the lane by Keldon Johnson for a two-handed slam. The Lakers responded with an 11-0 run that promoted a timeout by Popovich.
The Lakers took their first double-digit lead at 35-25 on Kyle Kuzma’s 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining in the first quarter.
Dejounte Murray had a career-high 29 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
“At the end of the day, it don’t mean nothing, we lost,” Murray said.
DeRozan added 23 for the Spurs, who lost their second straight after opening the season with two consecutive wins.
TIP-INS
Lakers: PG Alex Caruso missed the game for “health and safety protocols” as mandated by the league. Lakers coach Frank Vogel did not elaborate on Caruso’s status. … James was listed as questionable after spraining his left ankle sprain in the Lakers’ 115-107 loss to Portland on Monday. James played 35 minutes against the Spurs after scoring 29 points in 36 minutes against the Trail Blazers.
Spurs: Popovich said the Spurs will monitor Aldridge’s knee soreness on a day-to-day basis. … Tim Duncan took over last season when Popovich was ejected against Portland on Nov. 16, 2019. The Hall of Famer opted not to return as assistant this season.
Breakthroughs come on, off field in 2020 for women’s sports
By ERIC OLSON
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By ERIC OLSON
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San Francisco 49ers assistant Katie Sowers talks with free safety D.J. Reed (32) and wide receiver Richie James (13) before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Santa Clara, Calif., in this Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, file photo. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)
It was a milestone year for women in sports, starting with Katie Sowers becoming the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl and ending with Becky Hammon serving as an NBA head coach.
In between was a series of breakthroughs for women who just wanted a chance — and got it.
Sarah Fuller became the first woman to score in a major college football game and Kim Ng became the first to be hired as a general manager for a major league team.
WNBA players achieved a higher level of financial security and professional women’s hockey got a boost in exposure. International soccer saw an unprecedented transfer fee paid for a woman to move from one team to another, and the U.S. women’s national soccer team took a step toward its goal of equitable treatment.
“2020 was certainly a tumultuous and challenging year,” the Women’s Sports Foundation said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday. “It was also transformational, with many exciting, history-making firsts for women’s sports, athletes, coaches and leaders. Sports is a connector, a unifier and a microcosm of society. As we reflect on the power of women athletes and teams who spoke up, challenged the norms, shattered glass ceilings and showed girls, boys and everyone the limitless potential one can achieve, it gives us all hope for 2021 and beyond.”
Sowers had been working as a San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant since 2017 but wasn’t widely known until she was featured in a Microsoft television commercial that began running in January.
When the 49ers played the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, she became the first female assistant and first openly gay coach to take the sideline in pro football’s biggest game.
Hammon became the first female coach to take charge of a team during an NBA game, taking over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers following Gregg Popovich’s ejection in the second quarter.
“I look forward to the day where none of this is news, just people accomplishing things and everybody having a chance and everybody having a shot at the same thing,” said the Spurs’ Rudy Gay, who is close with Hammon.
Hammon, a star player in the college and pro ranks, already was the first full-time female assistant coach in league history. Hammon acknowledged it was “a substantial moment” but said she was more interested in winning the game.
“Becky Hammon is an enormously talented coach and it was outstanding to see her reach such a truly significant milestone,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “She continues to be an inspiration to so many people, especially countless young women and girls.”
Fuller was the goalkeeper on Vanderbilt’s Southeastern Conference championship soccer team before she rose to national prominence in November when she became the first woman to play in a Power Five conference game. She was on the field once that day, driving a low kickoff to open the second half as the Commodores got shut out at Missouri.
Two weeks later, Fuller kicked two extra points in a loss to Tennessee, with the second ball she put through the uprights sent to the College Football Hall of Fame.
In November, the Miami Marlins made Ng the first female GM in baseball, a feat accomplished after she was turned down for a similar job by at least five other teams over the past 15 years.
Ng started her baseball career as a Chicago White Sox intern in 1990 and for the past nine years was a senior vice president for MLB. Her hiring came 10 months after Alyssa Nakken became the first female coach on a major league staff when she was named an assistant for the San Francisco Giants.
On the business side, there were several notable strides made in 2020.
The WNBA and its union announced a eight-year labor deal allowing top players to earn more than $500,000 and raising the average annual salary to $130,000 a year. The agreement also guarantees full salaries for players who are on maternity leave and provides enhanced family benefits.
National Women’s Hockey League games will be televised live in the United States for the first time when NBC Sports Network airs playoff games in early February.
In international soccer, Chelsea signed Denmark captain Pernille Harder from Wolfsburg after paying what the German club said was “a record transfer fee for the women’s game.” The clubs did not disclose the fee — the amount paid when a team sells a player to another team, with a portion typically going to the player — but media reports said it was about 300,000 euros ($355,000).
In the United States, the women’s national team players and the U.S. Soccer Federation settled their long-running lawsuit over inequitable working conditions compared with the men’s team. The deal with the world champion American women calls for charter flights, hotel accommodations, venue selection and professional staff support equitable to that of the men’s team.
The women’s dispute over pay remains unsettled.
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds, AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta, Steven Wine, Teresa M. Walker, Doug Feinberg, Stephen Whyno, Anne M. Peterson and Ronald Blum and AP freelance writer Raul Dominguez contributed.
In between was a series of breakthroughs for women who just wanted a chance — and got it.
Sarah Fuller became the first woman to score in a major college football game and Kim Ng became the first to be hired as a general manager for a major league team.
WNBA players achieved a higher level of financial security and professional women’s hockey got a boost in exposure. International soccer saw an unprecedented transfer fee paid for a woman to move from one team to another, and the U.S. women’s national soccer team took a step toward its goal of equitable treatment.
“2020 was certainly a tumultuous and challenging year,” the Women’s Sports Foundation said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday. “It was also transformational, with many exciting, history-making firsts for women’s sports, athletes, coaches and leaders. Sports is a connector, a unifier and a microcosm of society. As we reflect on the power of women athletes and teams who spoke up, challenged the norms, shattered glass ceilings and showed girls, boys and everyone the limitless potential one can achieve, it gives us all hope for 2021 and beyond.”
Sowers had been working as a San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant since 2017 but wasn’t widely known until she was featured in a Microsoft television commercial that began running in January.
When the 49ers played the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, she became the first female assistant and first openly gay coach to take the sideline in pro football’s biggest game.
Hammon became the first female coach to take charge of a team during an NBA game, taking over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers following Gregg Popovich’s ejection in the second quarter.
“I look forward to the day where none of this is news, just people accomplishing things and everybody having a chance and everybody having a shot at the same thing,” said the Spurs’ Rudy Gay, who is close with Hammon.
Hammon, a star player in the college and pro ranks, already was the first full-time female assistant coach in league history. Hammon acknowledged it was “a substantial moment” but said she was more interested in winning the game.
“Becky Hammon is an enormously talented coach and it was outstanding to see her reach such a truly significant milestone,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “She continues to be an inspiration to so many people, especially countless young women and girls.”
Fuller was the goalkeeper on Vanderbilt’s Southeastern Conference championship soccer team before she rose to national prominence in November when she became the first woman to play in a Power Five conference game. She was on the field once that day, driving a low kickoff to open the second half as the Commodores got shut out at Missouri.
Two weeks later, Fuller kicked two extra points in a loss to Tennessee, with the second ball she put through the uprights sent to the College Football Hall of Fame.
In November, the Miami Marlins made Ng the first female GM in baseball, a feat accomplished after she was turned down for a similar job by at least five other teams over the past 15 years.
Ng started her baseball career as a Chicago White Sox intern in 1990 and for the past nine years was a senior vice president for MLB. Her hiring came 10 months after Alyssa Nakken became the first female coach on a major league staff when she was named an assistant for the San Francisco Giants.
On the business side, there were several notable strides made in 2020.
The WNBA and its union announced a eight-year labor deal allowing top players to earn more than $500,000 and raising the average annual salary to $130,000 a year. The agreement also guarantees full salaries for players who are on maternity leave and provides enhanced family benefits.
National Women’s Hockey League games will be televised live in the United States for the first time when NBC Sports Network airs playoff games in early February.
In international soccer, Chelsea signed Denmark captain Pernille Harder from Wolfsburg after paying what the German club said was “a record transfer fee for the women’s game.” The clubs did not disclose the fee — the amount paid when a team sells a player to another team, with a portion typically going to the player — but media reports said it was about 300,000 euros ($355,000).
In the United States, the women’s national team players and the U.S. Soccer Federation settled their long-running lawsuit over inequitable working conditions compared with the men’s team. The deal with the world champion American women calls for charter flights, hotel accommodations, venue selection and professional staff support equitable to that of the men’s team.
The women’s dispute over pay remains unsettled.
___
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds, AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta, Steven Wine, Teresa M. Walker, Doug Feinberg, Stephen Whyno, Anne M. Peterson and Ronald Blum and AP freelance writer Raul Dominguez contributed.
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