<ul class="summary-list"><li>Stanford's <keyword id="13418664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fran-belibi" source="Orion">Fran Belibi</keyword> rose up for a one-handed jam in the Cardinal's first <keyword id="12832958" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="march-madness" source="Orion">March Madness</keyword> matchup.</li><li>It was the first women's <keyword id="11932023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ncaa" source="Orion">NCAA</keyword> tournament dunk since 2013, when Brittney Griner threw one down for Baylor.</li></ul><p>For the first time in nine years, a <keyword id="11964518" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="womens-basketball" source="Orion">women's basketball</keyword> player dunked during March Madness.</p><p>Stanford star Fran Belibi rose up for the slam early in the reigning NCAA champion Cardinal's first-round rout of 16-seeded Montana State. After swatting down a three-point attempt on the defensive end, Belibi scooped up the loose ball, dribbled the length of the floor, then threw down the one-handed jam to cap off the brilliant play.</p><p>Check out the highlight below:</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V5zQircXEno" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>The slam was just the third dunk in women's NCAA tournament history.</p><p>WNBA superstar Candace Parker — who won two national championships with Pat Summitt's Tennessee Volunteers — threw down the first-ever women's March Madness dunk in 2006. Seven years later, Brittney Griner — the seven-time <a href="https://www.insider.com/brittney-griner-russia-return-strategy-wnba-commissioner-cathy-engelbert-2022-3">WNBA All-Star currently being held in Russian detention</a> — dunked in the tournament while <a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-mulkey-tried-fire-reporter-brittney-griner-hide-sexuality-baylor-2021-4">competing for Kim Mulkey's Baylor Bears</a>.</p><p>Belibi's teammates went wild on the bench after their 6-foot-1 center added her name to the very exclusive list of women's tourney dunkers. And, as it turns out, they were part of Belibi's inspiration to go for the slam rather than a run-of-the-mill layup.</p><p>"My teammates have been getting on me because I haven't dunked yet this year," Belibi told ESPN after the game. "And so I saw the opportunity and decided I might as well try."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1505033237013282825">March 19, 2022</a></blockquote><p>The 20-year-old also noted that the team enjoyed having a "full house" at their home arena of Maples Pavilion, so she wanted to give them something special in return.</p><p>"To be able to do it in a game and to have all those fans with us and to hear the crowd [cheer] for, it was a really long time," Belibi said during the post-game press conference. "It was like 30 seconds. That's a long time to be cheering. And just to hear how loud it was in there, that was definitely a highlight."</p><p>One of Belibi's teammates, senior guard Lexie Hull, was amped to watch the moment unfold from the court. She said she was thinking "Do it, do it, do it!" as Belibi was dribbling up court, "and then when she did it, I was so excited."</p><div type="image" title="Stanford players celebrate with Fran Belibi after she dunked in an NCAA tournament game." height="1927" width="2500" msid="90326763" hostid="261"></div><p>"Thinking back on plays, people don't remember, 'Oh, it was a really cool three-point shot or it was a great shot,'" Hull added. "People remember the dunks. I remember every single one of Fran's. To be right there was super cool and definitely a memory I'll have forever."</p><p>But Tara VanDerveer — Stanford's Hall of Fame head coach — was more inclined to downplay the historic moment.</p><p>"I mean, it's two points," VanDerveer said. "And I know it was fun for the crowd because the game maybe was a little bit out of hand at that point, maybe not too much. But it's exciting. I'm glad that she can do that."</p><div type="image" title="Belibi (left) hugs Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer after the Cardinal's 2022 Pac-12 tournament victory." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90326764" hostid="261"></div><p>"But I did remind her that it's two points and the next play down, there was a girl that got a lay-up, and it was her girl, so I was like, 'Come on, Fran,'" she added. "But really, it adds some excitement, and she had a great game rebounding... I'm really happy for her, and the team was crazy in the locker room for her."</p><p>Belibi and her Cardinal teammates walked away from Friday night's game with a 41-point win. They'll move on to face the eighth-seeded Kansas Jayhawks Sunday at 9 p.m. ET with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line</p>

Stanford star throws down the first women's NCAA tournament dunk in nearly a decade

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="4015273" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</keyword> sophomore <keyword id="10190888" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fran-belibi">Fran Belibi</keyword> is one of the few players in women's <keyword id="1737297" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="College-Basketball">college basketball</keyword> <a href="https://www.insider.com/womens-college-basketball-star-fran-belibi-dunks-stanford-practice-2020-10">who can dunk</a>.</li><li>Against the Cal Golden Bears, Belibi picked off a pass, dribbled the length of the court, and threw down an impressive slam.</li><li>Stanford's star finished the day with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals.</li><li>Check out the clip of her SportsCenter top-10 <keyword id="1262976" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="dunk">dunk</keyword> below:</li></ul><ul class="read-more-links"><li><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Stanford Women’s <keyword id="36237" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="basketball">Basketball</keyword> (@StanfordWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1338329822972366853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote></li><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/womens-college-basketball-star-fran-belibi-dunks-stanford-practice-2020-10">One of the few women's college basketball stars who can dunk threw down a casual slam during a scrimmage</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/wnba-players-dunk-video-highlights-2020-9">7 WNBA players have thrown down dunks since the league began - here are highlights of each one</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/college-basketball-star-charli-collier-stuffing-stat-sheet-texas-2020-11">College basketball's biggest star since Sabrina Ionescu said the paint is 'where I live' after an impressive 44-point, 16-rebound performance</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/candace-parker-interview-wubble-wnba-dpoy-nwsl-investment-giving-back-2020-12">Basketball legend Candace Parker balances life as an athlete, analyst, and mom, and still finds time to give back</a></li></ul>

One of women's college basketball's brightest stars threw down a mid-game dunk against her team's top rivals

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="33081" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stanford">Stanford</keyword> women's basketball star <keyword id="10190888" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fran-belibi">Fran Belibi</keyword> threw down a dunk during a practice scrimmage this week.</li><li>The 6-foot-1 sophomore pump faked from the top of the key before driving through the lane and rising up for the one-handed slam.</li><li>Belibi is one of the few players on the women's side who can dunk during gameplay, and she <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-fran-belibi-alley-oop-dunk-stanford-commit-2019-1">famously threw one down</a> during a high school game in 2019.</li></ul><p>Check out a clip of Belibi's dunk below:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Stanford Women’s Basketball  (@StanfordWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1321539098490724355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2020</a></blockquote><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-fran-belibi-alley-oop-dunk-stanford-commit-2019-1">A top women's high school basketball player threw down a monster alley-oop dunk</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/sue-bird-paige-bueckers-advice-uconn-wbb-coach-geno-auriemma-2020-9">WNBA superstar Sue Bird gives college basketball's newest sensation some advice on playing at UConn under Geno Auriemma</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/sue-bird-wnba-legacy-already-written-borrowed-time-2020-10">Sue Bird said her legacy is 'already written' and described her last 2 WNBA championships as bonuses because she's playing 'on borrowed time'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/breanna-stewart-wnba-finals-mvp-after-achilles-tear-boozy-celebration-2020-10">18 months after an Achilles tear, Breanna Stewart dominated the Aces, won Finals MVP, then drank celebratory champagne during her media call</a></li></ul>

One of the few women's college basketball stars who can dunk threw down a casual slam during a scrimmage

Fran Belibi only needed 2 steps from the free-throw line for her dunk on UCLA and help keep No. 1 Stanford undefeated

<ul class="summary-list"><li>South Carolina freshman Ashlyn Watkins threw down a transition dunk against Clemson Thursday.</li><li>The contested slam showcases how quickly women's college basketball is evolving.</li></ul><p>Women's college basketball is reaching new heights.</p><p>More and more players are rising up and throwing it down, and Ashlyn Watkins is the most recent to join the ever growing club of high-flying stars. </p><p>In just her third-ever NCAA game, the South Carolina freshman slammed down a thrilling transition dunk to add an emphatic two points to the Gamecocks' already-massive lead.</p><div type="image" title="Ashlyn Watkins." height="1878" width="2500" msid="95612758" hostid="261" sizebytes="128296"></div><p>With less than five minutes remaining in South Carolina's matchup against the Clemson Tigers and her team up by 43 points on the road, Watkins picked off a pass on the Gamecocks' defensive end, dashed down the court with Tigers players on her heels, and floated above her Clemson defender in the paint to send home a casual one-handed flush.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1593404728800673801">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Check out some other angles of the dunk, which was the first in South Carolina program history, courtesy of SportsCenter:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1593406827861090304">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote><p>"That surprised me, because she wasn't really dribbling the ball up the floor smoothly," Gamecocks head coach <a href="https://twitter.com/MattDowellTV/status/1593422470777806848">Dawn Staley said after the game</a>. "I thought she was just gonna lay it up over the rim, and she turned it over. That's pretty impressive — that's super impressive.</p><p>"I've seen her do it a million times, but never on this level," the former Team USA coach added.</p><p>As Staley implied, this was far from the first time the 6-foot-3 Columbia, South Carolina, native has put the basketball world on notice regarding her dunking abilities. During the 2022 McDonald's All-American Games dunk contest back in March, Watkins became just the third woman in the history of the contest to take home the top prize.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wgU5XWF5JXg" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>"It's just something that I usually do," Watkins said after South Carolina's 85-31 victory Thursday night. "And I had an opportunity to do it in a college game — it's just amazing to me."</p><p>With the vast majority of her freshman season — and as many as three more — remaining as a Gamecock, Watkins likely has plenty more dunks coming in her college basketball career. But she's probably not the only player who'll be making headlines for throwing them down.</p><div type="image" title="Fran Belibi dunks." height="2151" width="2862" msid="95612759" hostid="261" sizebytes="318426"></div><p>Unlike the days when WNBA legends Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles, and Brittney Griner shocked the world as the lone dunkers of their respective NCAA tenures, today's women's college basketball landscape features several players who can hang above the rim.</p><p>At 6-foot-1, Stanford senior Fran Belibi has thrown down <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-womens-ncaa-tournament-dunk-stanford-fran-belibi-2022-3">several in-game slams</a> <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-stanford-womens-basketball-fran-belibi-dunks-in-game-2020-12">throughout her Cardinal career</a>. And though she has yet to record one at the college level, UConn Huskies freshman Ayanna Patterson has been dunking since she was 15 years old. Now, she can do it with ease.</p><iframe width="372" height="661" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/30_X60Sgmgc" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>In no time, Watkins, Belibi, and Patterson's signature trick will likely be prevalent on top teams across America.</p>

A South Carolina freshman threw down a dunk in transition that showcased women's college basketball's evolution

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1493124" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Robin-Lopez">Robin Lopez</keyword> made the most bizarre, H-O-R-S-E-esque shot on Sunday.</li><li>During the <keyword id="270716" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Washington-Wizards">Washington Wizards</keyword> loss to the Orlando Magic, the 7-footer flung the ball over his shoulder as he fell out of bounds, and somehow the "shot" fell in the basket.</li><li>The Wizards lost 120-113 to fall to 0-4 on the year, but Lopez made SportsCenter's top-10 with the miraculous play.</li><li>Check out the replay below:</li></ul><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Washington Wizards  (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1343354299166781440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Here's another angle:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NBA  (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1343355433642291200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2020</a></blockquote><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/iman-shumpert-paul-pierce-beef-started-with-pre-nba-snub-2020-12">Iman Shumpert had a vendetta against Paul Pierce after the Celtics star refused to give him a high five as a kid</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-fran-belibi-dunk-vs-ucla-for-undefeated-stanford-2020-12">Fran Belibi only needed 2 steps from the free-throw line for her dunk on UCLA and help keep No. 1 Stanford undefeated</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/florida-gators-keyontae-johnson-covid-19-heart-condition-myocarditis-2020-12">College basketball star who collapsed during a game and was put into a coma has heart condition associated with COVID-19</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nba-city-edition-jerseys-all-30-teams-2020-2021-season-2020-11">The new NBA 'City Edition' jerseys for all 30 teams</a></li></ul>

Robin Lopez sank the most bizarre over-shoulder shot as he fell out of bounds and it looked like a trick straight out of H-O-R-S-E

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3aa69abd7730370a288b02-1015/screenshot2019-01-12at93531pm.png" border="0" alt="Fran Belibi" data-mce-source="@espnW / Twitter" data-link="https://twitter.com/espnW/status/1084227626519146497"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/espnW/status/1084227626519146497">@espnW / Twitter</a></span></p><p class="caption">Fran Belibi's huge alley-oop dunk should give Stanford fans plenty to be excited about.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Fran Belibi, one of the top high school players, slammed home a wild alley-oop dunk on Saturday.</strong></li><li><strong>Belibi's dunk is believed to be the first ever alley-oop in a girls' high school basketball game.</strong></li><li><strong>Belibi finished the game with 23 point and 23 rebounds.</strong></li></ul><p>Fran Belibi has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/francesca-belibi-high-school-girl-dunked-2017-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">going viral with her impressive dunks</a> for some time now, and on Saturday, she added yet another impressive feat to her already stacked highlight reel.</p><p>The <span>Regis Jesuit (KS) senior slammed home what is <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/sports/high-school/fran-throws-down-countrys-first-ever-high-school-girls-basketball-alley-oop/73-7d3265f5-c29f-450f-94d0-3e58c25bb549" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believed to be</a> the first ever alley-oop in a girls' high school basketball game.</span></p><p>While Belibi is clearly the star of the show, point guard <span>Avery Vansickle served a vital role in the play, deciding to forgo an easy bucket in favor of putting up the lob that led to the phenomenal dunk.</span></p><p><span>Regis Jesuit coach Carl Mattei was as impressed as the rest of us with Belibi's play.</span></p><p><span>"It was absolutely insane," Mattei <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/25745375/stanford-recruit-fran-belibi-dunks-alley-oop-regis-jesuit-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "I had goose bumps."</span><span></span></p><p><span>Belibi finished the game with 23 points and 23 rebounds, with Regis Jesuit winning 90-14.</span></p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/StanfordWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StanfordWBB</a> commit Fran Belibi slamming down alley-oops now. 😳 <a href="https://t.co/xg7TFKS40e">pic.twitter.com/xg7TFKS40e</a></p>- espnW  (@espnW) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1084227626519146497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-sea-cucumbers-so-expensive-seafood-2019-1">Sea cucumbers are so valuable that people are risking their lives diving for them</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/T30BqHBi-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

A top women's high school basketball player threw down a monster alley-oop dunk

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="10485194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nevada-wolf-pack">Nevada Wolf Pack</keyword> won the 2020 Famous <keyword id="10485195" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="idaho-potato-bowl">Idaho Potato Bowl</keyword> with a 38-27 victory over the <keyword id="10485193" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tulane-green-wave">Tulane Green Wave</keyword> on Tuesday night.</li><li>Wolf Pack players celebrated by giving head coach Jay Norvell a customary "french fry bath" in the game's final seconde.</li><li>Fries spilled out onto the field, and since there was still time on the clock, referees delivered a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Nevada.</li></ul><p>The Nevada Wolf Pack may have just received the single most unconventional penalty in <keyword id="1553461" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="college-football">college football</keyword> history.</p><p>Head coach Jay Norvell's squad was moments away from an 18-point victory over the Tulane Green Wave at Tuesday night's 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. In conventional Potato Bowl fashion, Nevada players celebrated by showering their fourth-year head coach with a "French Fry Bath" - a fitting twist on the more traditional "<keyword id="10485196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gatorade-bath">Gatorade Bath</keyword>." </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—ESPN College <keyword id="64" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Football">Football</keyword> (@ESPNCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1341534558446075905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2020</a></blockquote><p>But the Wolf Pack made the mistake of dousing Norvell in fried, salty, greasy goodness before the game clock expired, and fries spilled out onto the blue turf at Albertsons Stadium. So with 17 seconds left to play, referees hit Nevada with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the premature <keyword id="61" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Celebration">celebration</keyword>.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—RedditCFB  (@RedditCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1341531608050851842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Though the game was clearly out of reach, the Green Wave used the penalty to their advantage. Tulane running back Cameron Caroll caught the Wolf Pack off guard and scored on a 65-yard run with seven seconds left in the contest.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Bet The Pigskin  (@betthepigskin) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1341532922382323717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Still, Nevada walked away with the commanding 38-27 victory and the not-so-flashy Idaho Potato Bowl trophy: a literal bowl of Idaho potatoes.</p><div type="image" title="idaho potato bowl.JPG" height="870" width="1160" msid="79927432" hostid="261"></div><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/juju-smith-schuster-vonn-bell-hit-bengals-logo-tiktok-dance-2020-12">JuJu Smith-Schuster got beat up and bullied by the Bengals to 'let him know where he stands' after he danced on their logo for TikTok</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/dan-snyder-settled-sexual-misconduct-claim-2020-12">The newest allegations of sexual misconduct against the Washington Football Team directly implicate owner Daniel Snyder</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-fran-belibi-dunk-vs-ucla-for-undefeated-stanford-2020-12">Fran Belibi only needed 2 steps from the free-throw line for her dunk on UCLA and help keep No. 1 Stanford undefeated</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-charlie-woods-tiger-woods-play-golf-together-pnc-championship-2020-12">21 photos of Charlie Woods looking like Tiger Woods' mini-me on the golf course</a></li></ul>

Nevada's head coach got a 'french fry bath' at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and the celebration resulted in a 15-yard penalty

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1361055" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Iman-Shumpert">Iman Shumpert</keyword> held a grudge against <keyword id="218058" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Paul-Pierce">Paul Pierce</keyword> before he even joined the <keyword id="6361805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBA">NBA</keyword>.</li><li>Shumpert's aunt once brought him to sit courtside at a Celtics-Bulls game, and Pierce refused to give him a halftime high-five.</li><li>"When I get [to the NBA], I got something for you," Shumpert recalled thinking in an <a href="https://twitter.com/uninterrupted/status/1342993419266793472">interview with Uninterrupted</a>.</li></ul><p>Iman Shumpert wasn't even in the league yet when his first NBA <keyword id="6378891" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rivalry">rivalry</keyword> began to take form.</p><p>The 6-foot-5 guard - who played for five different teams over his 10-year NBA career - joined the <keyword id="111553" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-York-Knicks">New York Knicks</keyword> as their first-round draft pick in 2011. However, long before then, he had developed a distaste for <keyword id="166490" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boston-Celtics">Boston Celtics</keyword> legend Paul Pierce.</p><div type="image" title="iman shumpert paul pierce.JPG" height="1711" width="2282" msid="79997706" hostid="261"></div><p>In an interview with Uninterrupted, Shumpert recalled sitting courtside at a Bulls-Celtics game with his aunt when he was just a kid. He remembered "having tears in my eyes" because he was so excited to be seated so close to the action at an NBA game. When halftime came, Shumpert was eager to high-five some of the stars as they headed back to the locker room, but Pierce was having none of it.</p><p>"Paul Pierce comes by. He ain't dap me," Shumpert said, shaking his head. "And he sort of like, looked at me wrong. Like he just looked at me mean."</p><p>"And my first impression of Paul Pierce was all like 'When I get here, I got something for you,'" he added. "'Like, for you, specifically.'"</p><div type="image" title="iman shumpert paul pierce.JPG" height="875" width="1166" msid="79997712" hostid="261"></div><p>Shumpert made good on his promise. He spent years battling "The Truth" in the Eastern Conference, most famously when Shumpert played for the Knicks and Pierce played in Boston. But once, after Pierce took his talents to the Brooklyn Nets in the twilight of his career, Shumpert broke the 2021 Hall of Fame nominee's ankles with a vicious crossover that sent him to the floor.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fcUpK_Fmkmg" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>To nobody's surprise, Shumpert clearly hasn't forgotten that moment of revenge some seven years later.</p><p>"If you fast forward, I did make him fall before," Shumpert told Uninterrupted, smiling. "Auntie, I lived up to that."</p><p>Check out the full Uninterrupted clip below:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—UNINTERRUPTED  (@uninterrupted) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1342993419266793472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2020</a></blockquote><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-kyrie-irving-burns-sage-at-td-garden-nets-celtics-2020-12">Kyrie Irving tried to rid his former team's arena of negative energy by burning sage before game against Celtics</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/florida-gators-keyontae-johnson-covid-19-heart-condition-myocarditis-2020-12">College basketball star who collapsed during a game and was put into a coma has heart condition associated with COVID-19</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-fran-belibi-dunk-vs-ucla-for-undefeated-stanford-2020-12">Fran Belibi only needed 2 steps from the free-throw line for her dunk on UCLA and help keep No. 1 Stanford undefeated</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nba-city-edition-jerseys-all-30-teams-2020-2021-season-2020-11">The new NBA 'City Edition' jerseys for all 30 teams</a></li></ul>

Iman Shumpert had a vendetta against Paul Pierce after the Celtics star refused to give him a high five as a kid

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Florida basketball star <keyword id="10433323" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="keyontae-johnson">Keyontae Johnson</keyword> collapsed on the hardwood unprovoked during the Gators' matchup against the Florida State Seminoles earlier this month.</li><li>The 21-year-old was <a href="https://www.insider.com/florida-gators-keyontae-johnson-collapse-video-in-medically-induced-coma-2020-12">placed in a medically induced coma</a> following the scary incident, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/sec/2020/12/14/florida-keyontae-johnson-medically-induced-coma-collapse/6545308002/">his grandfather told USA Today</a>, but has since left the hospital.</li><li>Johnson has been diagnosed with <keyword id="387296" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Myocarditis">myocarditis</keyword>, a condition causing inflammation of the heart muscle that could have fatal consequences such as heart damage or cardiac arrest if left untreated.</li><li>His future in <keyword id="1737297" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="College-Basketball">college basketball</keyword> and the NBA is in question. </li></ul><p>Keyontae Johnson - the <keyword id="1756203" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Florida-Gators">Florida Gators</keyword> star who collapsed during a game and was placed in a medically-induced coma - has been diagnosed with a heart condition related to <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>.</p><p>The 21-year-old reportedly has acute myocarditis, a disorder that causes inflammation of the heart muscle. If left untreated, the condition could result in fatal consequences such as heart damage or cardiac arrest. Vigorous exercise can put individuals with myocarditis in danger of sudden death, leaving Johnson's future basketball career in jeopardy.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.gatorsports.com/story/basketball/2020/12/22/florida-gators-keyontae-johnson-has-season-ending-heart-issue/4006117001/">Zach Abolverdi of The Gainesville Sun</a>, Johnson's acute myocarditis "can't be definitively linked to his COVID diagnosis." Should medical experts determine causation between his confirmed case of the coronavirus this summer and his newfound heart condition, the repercussions could have a resounding impact across the entire <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> world.</p><div type="image" title="keyontae johnson" height="1406" width="1875" msid="79929468" hostid="261"></div><p>The Gators' leading scorer during the 2019-2020 season and the <keyword id="6362470" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="sec">SEC</keyword> Preseason Player of the Year, Johnson was expected to be one of the brightest stars in college basketball this year. With a solid stroke, advanced instincts, and excellent ball-handling, the 6-foot-5 forward was projected to be a <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/2021-nba-mock-draft-way-too-early-look-top-30-prospects">first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft</a>.</p><p>But that all changed on December 12.</p><p>During the first half of an in-state rivalry game against the Florida State Seminoles, Johnson collapsed seemingly unprovoked after coming out of a timeout. Florida's leading scorer fell face down onto the hardwood with a loud thud, prompting his teammates to call for help frantically.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O4_yzFTK3ME" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Johnson spent three days in a medically induced coma as doctors attempted to determine the cause of his sudden loss of consciousness. Eventually, <a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsMBK/status/1338949071416012804">the Florida program</a> announced that Johnson was "breathing on his own and speaking," noting that he even FaceTimed with his Gators teammates.</p><p>However, there are serious questions about his future in competitive athletics. Exercise exacerbates the risks of dire consequences from myocarditis, and the pace of <keyword id="125824" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="NCAA">NCAA</keyword> and NBA play certainly doesn't lend itself well to an individual struggling with a heart issue.</p><div type="image" title="keyontae johnson.JPG" height="1559" width="2079" msid="79929469" hostid="261"></div><p>Generally, experts recommend a three- to six-month recovery period before those diagnosed with myocarditis return to physical activity, according to <a href="https://www.myocarditisfoundation.org/exercise-during-myocarditis-recovery/">the Myocarditis Foundation</a>. And, even then, safely restarting exercise first requires testing that shows no evidence of residual heart damage.</p><p>Should Johnson check all of those boxes and officially receive the OK to return to the court, there's still a decent chance NBA teams will be unwilling to risk one of their precious picks on a player who may never return to peak form. He's already been ruled out for the remainder of his junior season at Florida, and his athletic career beyond this year is now hanging in the balance.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/florida-gators-keyontae-johnson-collapse-video-in-medically-induced-coma-2020-12">A Florida Gators basketball star is stable and FaceTiming his teammates after his scary on-court collapse led him to be placed in a medically induced coma</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/syracuses-tiana-mangakahia-returns-post-breast-cancer-chemo-surgery-2020-12">A Syracuse basketball star is back on the court after breast cancer, chemo, and a double mastectomy derailed her senior season</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-fran-belibi-dunk-vs-ucla-for-undefeated-stanford-2020-12">Fran Belibi only needed 2 steps from the free-throw line for her dunk on UCLA and help keep No. 1 Stanford undefeated</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/sarah-fuller-vanderbilt-kicking-wasnt-because-i-was-a-girl-2020-12">Sarah Fuller said the decision to have her kick for Vanderbilt's football team 'wasn't because I was a girl'</a></li></ul>

College basketball star who collapsed during a game and was put into a coma has heart condition associated with COVID-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1182973" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Becky-Hammon">Becky Hammon</keyword> became the first woman head coach in <keyword id="6361805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBA">NBA</keyword> history Wednesday night.</li><li>Spurs coach <keyword id="527126" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gregg-Popovich">Gregg Popovich</keyword> was ejected in the second quarter of San Antonio's game against the Lakers, and he pointed at Hammon to hand her the reins.</li><li>LeBron James said it was "beautiful to watch" Hammon make history and added that "she's been great ever since she got in" the league.</li></ul><p>Becky Hammon is used to making history, but even she acknowledged that the milestone she hit Wednesday night qualified as "a substantial moment."</p><p>After Gregg Popovich was ejected during the second quarter of the Spurs' game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the legendary San Antonio head coach handed over the reins to Hammon, rendering her the first woman head coach in NBA history.</p><div type="image" title="becky hammon.JPG" height="1602" width="2136" msid="80051491" hostid="261"></div><p>"Obviously, it's a big deal," Hammon said after the game, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30627408/spurs-becky-hammon-becomes-first-woman-nba-regular-season-history-act-head-coach">per ESPN</a>. "I've been a part of this organization, I got traded here in 2007, so I've been in San Antonio and part of the Spurs and <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> organization with the Stars and everything for 13 years. So I have a lot of time invested, and they have a lot of time invested in me, in building me and getting me better."</p><p>LeBron James, who was playing against Hammon's Spurs Wednesday night, said it was "a beautiful thing just to hear her barking out calls, barking out sets" at the AT&amp;T Center.</p><p>"She's been putting in the work, and any time you put in the work, you get rewarded with opportunities," James said. "Tonight was a case where she got to step in and show her work, show her talents and her love for the game, and obviously, what she did as a player, first of all, we all know that. So her mind was able to transfer to our league, and she's been great ever since she got in."</p><p>"She's very passionate about the game, so congrats to her and congrats to the league," James added.</p><div type="image" title="becky hammon.JPG" height="1666" width="2222" msid="80051493" hostid="261"></div><p>Hammon overtook head coaching responsibilities upon Popovich's ejection, which came after the 71-year-old snapped at a referee over a no-call with just under four minutes remaining in the second quarter. So with San Antonio trailing by 11, Pop pointed at Hammon to signal the historic passing of the torch and "said, 'You got 'em,' and that was it."</p><p>"Very Pop-like," Hammon added.</p><p>Though the Spurs went on to lose 121-107 to the reigning champions, Hammon rallied her team to cut the Lakers' lead to five later in the second quarter and to less than 10 multiple times throughout the second half. Though the former <keyword id="152792" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="WNBA">WNBA</keyword> star acknowledged that "the guys responded great" to her assuming head coaching responsibilities, she admitted that she "would have loved to have walked out of there with the win."</p><div type="image" title="becky hammon gregg popovich.JPG" height="1875" width="2500" msid="80051497" hostid="261"></div><p>But the 43-year-old should have plenty more opportunities to lead NBA teams to victory, at least according to one of the winningest coaches in NBA history.</p><p>"Obviously, I think very much of her abilities having hired her," Popovich said before Wednesday night's game. "That all began when I saw her play. She was a leader, everybody on the team reacted to her, she was very confident, very competitive, and she led the whole show. And when I got to know her, and she was in our coaches meetings before she was hired... we found out about her knack for the game, her innate understanding of what wins, what loses, what has to be there to make a program."</p><p>"She's got all of the tools necessary to be a heck of a coach in our league," he added.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-becky-hammon-san-antonio-mural-open-doors-for-women-2020-11">Spurs coach Becky Hammon visits her giant San Antonio mural, vows to open doors for more women and girls to follow her</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/2020-top-womens-sports-moments-timeline-wnba-nwsl-wta-lpga-2020-12">From breaking glass ceilings to breaking viewership records, here's a timeline of the top women's sports moments of 2020</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-wants-female-head-coaches-2018-11">Commissioner Adam Silver is 'very confident' the NBA will hire the first female head coach in major men's professional sports</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-fran-belibi-dunk-vs-ucla-for-undefeated-stanford-2020-12">Fran Belibi only needed 2 steps from the free-throw line for her dunk on UCLA and help keep No. 1 Stanford undefeated</a></li></ul>

LeBron James said it was 'a beautiful thing' to watch Becky Hammon take over the Spurs as the first woman head coach in NBA history

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Shaq reignited the debate on lowering the rims in <keyword id="5919286" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="womens-basketball">women's basketball</keyword> during an "<keyword id="9054564" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nba-on-tnt">NBA on TNT</keyword>" segment.</li><li>Bringing down the hoops in pursuit of more <keyword id="152792" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="WNBA">WNBA</keyword> and NCAA women's basksetball dunks is a dumb idea.</li><li>It would be "offensive" to force stars to relearn the game and discredit those who can already dunk.</li></ul><p>For as long as the WNBA has been around, laymen and experts alike have offered up ideas for altering the game in a misguided attempt to make the women's side of basketball more appealing to a broader audience.</p><div type="image" title="Shaq" height="1331" width="1780" msid="81784426" hostid="261"></div><p>Shaquille O'Neal was the latest contestant to partake in this all-too-common game of fixing something that isn't broken. He offered unsolicited advice to two-time WNBA MVP <keyword id="25669" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Candace-Parker">Candace Parker</keyword> during a recent segment of "NBA on TNT." The NBA Hall of Famer suggested that the perfect way to make the NBA and the WNBA "equal" would be to "lower the rim so y'all can dunk like we dunk."</p><p>"That'll give y'all more 'oomph' than you already have," Shaq added.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-gifdsports  (@gifdsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1372066565085073408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2021</a></blockquote><p>Parker didn't give his suggestion much consideration, rolling her eyes and responding with a simple "no." Though curt, the six-time first-team All-WNBA selection and reigning Defensive Player of the Year's reaction spoke volumes. Women in basketball - even those of Parker's caliber - are constantly subjected to the unfortunate and, frankly, annoying take that their play is essentially worthless without dunks.</p><p>Shaq's ill-advised suggestion opened the floodgates, empowering men across the internet to second his sentiment that yes, they'd give <keyword id="1739459" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Womens-Sports">women's sports</keyword> a chance if only they adapted to be more like men's <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword>. And even though many have explained the reasons for keeping the rims where they are, here is why lowering the hoops in pursuit of women's basketball dunks is a dumb idea.</p><div type="image" title="elena delle donne block" height="1666" width="2222" msid="81784427" hostid="261"></div><h2>Let's start with the obvious - many women can already dunk</h2><p>Shaq seems to have missed that <a href="https://www.insider.com/wnba-players-dunk-video-highlights-2020-9">WNBA stars have dunked</a> throughout the league's 25-year history. In 2002, Los Angeles Sparks legend Lisa Leslie became the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. Since then, six other players have joined her in the WNBA dunking club - and Parker is one of them.</p><p>The now-Chicago Sky star first dunked in a Sparks game in 2008, slamming a cherry on top of her historic rookie campaign as the only player to win Rookie of the Year and league MVP in the same season. Here's the highlight:</p><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/ofh1ru" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe><p>At least two current NCAA <keyword id="6312906" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Womens-college-basketball">women's college basketball</keyword> stars showed off their hops this season. <a href="https://www.insider.com/womens-college-basketball-star-fran-belibi-dunks-stanford-practice-2020-10">Stanford forward Fran Belibi</a> threw down a <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-stanford-womens-basketball-fran-belibi-dunks-in-game-2020-12">handful of dunks</a> during the Cardinal's 2020-2021 campaign. And the Oregon Ducks' in-house TikTok star, 6-foot-7 sophomore Sedona Prince, silenced naysayers by sharing a <a href="https://twitter.com/GoDucks/status/1375598852124762112">one-handed slam in warm-ups</a> during the NCAA tournament.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shaqs-13-year-old-daughter-mearah-oneal-dunk-highlights-2020-2">Even Shaq's own daughter can dunk</a> on a regulation rim! When she was 13, Me'arah O'Neal rose for a dunk on a 10-foot hoop in a video shared by her brother, LSU Tigers star Shareef O'Neal.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Shareef O’Neal  (@SSJreef) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1232458101753700352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote><h2>Players would have to completely relearn the game</h2><p>In 2018, <keyword id="3696962" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nneka-Ogwumike">Nneka Ogwumike</keyword> - a superstar in her own right and the president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association - brilliantly explained why questioning the height of the baskets is "probably one of the most offensive questions you can ask a WNBA player."</p><p>"It's not logical to ask us to do that," she said. "We're constantly being compared to men. We have people excelling at a 10-foot rim. And now, you want us to lower the rim so we can continuously be compared, only to still be criticized. Because now, you have someone like me who has done what she's done - now I have to relearn the game to appease people who don't want to watch it for what it is."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-The Undefeated  (@TheUndefeated) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1063078668887441408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2018</a></blockquote><p>The six-time All-Star and 2016 WNBA MVP has a point; lowering the rim would force players like herself and Parker to adapt their shooting strokes, approaches to rebounding, floor positioning, and so much more. And even then, there's a decent chance that the switch would not compel critics to tune in.</p><div type="image" title="nneka ogwumike" height="844" width="1125" msid="81784429" hostid="261"></div><p>Ogwumike echoed similar sentiments while speaking in a Clubhouse room hosted by Insider in early March. The <a href="https://twitter.com/LASparks/status/1375139287079944192">LA Sportsperson of the Year</a> said the dunking narrative is "played out." Anyone suggesting women's basketball needs more dunks to be interesting, Ogwumike added, would almost certainly find some other excuse not to watch if the league granted their wish.</p><p>She and others who partook in the conversation also noted that basketball isn't all about dunking. </p><h2>Some of the NBA's best and brightest aren't known for their dunking ability</h2><p>No one tunes into a Golden State Warriors game expecting Steph Curry to put his opponents on a poster. The two-time NBA MVP has only thrown down some 30 dunks in his 12 seasons in the league.</p><div type="image" title="steph curry 2021" height="1125" width="1500" msid="81784431" hostid="261"></div><p>Still, Curry has long been one of the most exciting and engaging players in the pros. His jerseys are regularly among the top-10 highest-selling threads in the NBA. And even though he commands one of the league's top salaries, the seven-time All-Star makes even more money each year from endorsements.</p><p>Curry isn't the only NBA superstar with megawatt brand value who isn't much of a dunker. James Harden, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Trae Young, and plenty of other All-Stars rarely rise above the rim, if at all.</p><p>It stands to reason that fans of those players are not watching basketball solely for the dunks. And maybe they could strike up an interest in stars on the women's side whose games resemble Curry's and other backcourt players in the NBA, including Sabrina Ionescu, Diana Taurasi, Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers, and Caitlin Clark.</p><h2>The WNBA and NCAA women's basketball have already achieved record-breaking successes</h2><div type="image" title="breanna stewart.JPG" height="1333" width="1778" msid="81784432" hostid="261"></div><p>2020 was a standout year for the WNBA on the engagement front. Thanks to a massive broadcast deal with ESPN, the league had more televised games than ever before. <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/21507979/wnba-finals-2020-viewership-ratings-up-cathy-engelbert-espn">Unprecedented viewership</a> followed as the WNBA saw a 68% increase in its regular-season audience, a 15% viewership jump for the finals, and 30% more engagement across social media.</p><p>The 2021 <keyword id="10940397" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ncaa-womens-tournament">NCAA women's tournament</keyword> has significant momentum as well, and it's little surprise given that this year marks the first in which all women's March Madness games were <a href="https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2021/03/womens-ncaa-tournament-ratings-abc-pga-tour-wrestling-ufc/#:~:text=Women's%20NCAA%20Tournament%20sees%20high,opening%20round%20audience%20since%202010.010.">carried on national television</a>. <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/march-madness-mens-womens-regional-semifinals-deliver-high-viewership/ErKLCFHclmKH">According to The Athletic</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/march-madness-most-anticipated-matchup-paige-bueckers-vs-caitlin-clark-2021-3">UConn and Iowa's Sweet Sixteen matchup</a> garnered 1.6 million viewers, while 1.7 million people watched as <a href="https://www.insider.com/lebron-james-complains-baylor-uconn-foul-no-call-elite-eight-2021-3">UConn downed Baylor in the Elite Eight</a>.</p><div type="image" title="paige bueckers.JPG" height="1549" width="2065" msid="81784433" hostid="261"></div><p>Perhaps the WNBA and NCAA women's basketball can win over fans without lowering the rims after all; it certainly looks like they already have.</p><p>And I'd implore Shaq and others engaging in the "women need to dunk" narrative to consider this; perhaps it's not the product on the court that needs fixing so much as the system that has routinely denied women's basketball its proper share of the spotlight.</p>

You Searched For "fran belibi" and got 12 results

Stanford star throws down the first women's NCAA tournament dunk in nearly a decade

Meredith Cash

One of women's college basketball's brightest stars threw down a mid-game dunk against her team's top rivals

Meredith Cash

One of the few women's college basketball stars who can dunk threw down a casual slam during a scrimmage

Meredith Cash

Fran Belibi only needed 2 steps from the free-throw line for her dunk on UCLA and help keep No. 1 Stanford undefeated

Meredith Cash

A South Carolina freshman threw down a dunk in transition that showcased women's college basketball's evolution

Meredith Cash

Robin Lopez sank the most bizarre over-shoulder shot as he fell out of bounds and it looked like a trick straight out of H-O-R-S-E

Meredith Cash

A top women's high school basketball player threw down a monster alley-oop dunk

Tyler Lauletta

Nevada's head coach got a 'french fry bath' at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and the celebration resulted in a 15-yard penalty

Meredith Cash

Iman Shumpert had a vendetta against Paul Pierce after the Celtics star refused to give him a high five as a kid

Meredith Cash

College basketball star who collapsed during a game and was put into a coma has heart condition associated with COVID-19

Meredith Cash

LeBron James said it was 'a beautiful thing' to watch Becky Hammon take over the Spurs as the first woman head coach in NBA history

Meredith Cash

No, we shouldn't lower the rim for more dunks in women's basketball

Meredith Cash