<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="12215142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="chicago-sky" source="Orion">Chicago Sky</keyword> are headed to the 2021 <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> Finals after besting the top-seeded Connecticut Sun three games to one in the semifinals.</li><li><keyword id="12266440" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="candace-parker" source="Orion">Candace Parker</keyword> - Chicago's hometown hero and a two-time WNBA MVP - recorded an impressive 17 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in Wednesday night's series-clinching victory.</li><li>After the win, the 6-foot-4 forward choked up as she dedicated her performance and the victory to her late college <keyword id="11926319" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coach" source="Orion">coach</keyword> - the legendary <keyword id="12266453" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pat-summitt" source="Orion">Pat Summitt</keyword> of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.</li><li>"I want to always bring honor to [Pat Summitt]," Parker told ESPN's Holly Rowe through tears. "In these moments, I always remember her."</li></ul><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1445935216061714437">October 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

Candace Parker teared up while dedicating her dominant WNBA playoffs performance to late college coach Pat Summitt

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Stanford's Tara VanDerveer became the winningest head coach in women's <keyword id="1737297" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="College-Basketball">college basketball</keyword> history with her 1,099th victory Tuesday night.</li><li>In doing so, the longtime Cardinal head coach surpassed the record of late Tennessee Volunteers coaching legend Pat Summitt.</li><li>Before securing a 104-61 victory over the Pacific Tigers and reaching the pinnacle of the women's game, VanDerveer made a heartfelt speech to her team toasting Summitt's incredible legacy.</li></ul><p>Tara VanDerveer is officially the winningest coach in NCAA women's basketball history.</p><p>But before she earned her record-breaking 1,099th career victory Tuesday night, the longtime Stanford Cardinal head coach made sure to honor the icon she was set to surpass: Pat Summitt.</p><div type="image" title="pat summitt tara vanderveer" height="1841" width="2456" msid="79768014" hostid="261"></div><p>In a conversation with her team on Monday, VanDerveer paid tribute to the late Tennessee Lady Vols head coach, whose influence transcended the world of college basketball and whose voice helped set a tone of respect and admiration for women across the world of <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> and beyond. Upon receiving a framed photo of herself alongside Summitt in one of their final on-court interactions, the 24-year Stanford playcaller recounted the moment to her players.</p><p>VanDerveer recalled telling her opponent "Pat, look what you built here" in awe, to which Summitt responded "Tara, I love you." The Stanford coach remembered that simple comment catching her off guard.</p><div type="image" title="Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer directs her team during the first half of a regional semifinal game against the Missouri State in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)" height="2220" width="2960" msid="79768016" hostid="261"></div><p>"I wanted to get fired up to beat them, and it kinda just took the whole wind out of my sails," VanDerveer told her players. "But this is what basketball is all about, really. It's loving your teammates, even the coaches you play against, and just going hard."</p><p>She followed that anecdote by rallying her team to "set the record" in their next game, and she earned the Lady Vols' blessing before pulling off the massive feat.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Lady Vol Basketball  (@LadyVol_Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1338914445897003011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Before her untimely death due to early-onset Alzheimer's in 2016, Summitt built a dynasty on the court in Knoxville. She led the Lady Vols to a whopping eight championships in her 38 years at the helm and helped 45 former players and assistants become coaches. Among those protégés is UC San Diego head coach Heidi VanDerveer, Tara VanDerveer's younger sister.</p><p>After the elder VanDerveer coached the Cardinal to a 104-61 victory over the Pacific Tigers on Tuesday, she celebrated by putting on a custom "T-Dawg" fleece hoodie before her players brought the party into the locker room with confetti and balloons.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—espnW  (@espnW) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1339064197611712513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Debbie Antonelli  (@debbieantonelli) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1339066158712901633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote><p>As of Tuesday night, VanDerveer trails just one individual - Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski - on the of all-time list of winningest Division I coaches. And she's sure to add many more tallies to the win column, as Stanford is currently the top-ranked team in the nation.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-stanford-womens-basketball-fran-belibi-dunks-in-game-2020-12">One of women's college basketball's brightest stars threw down a mid-game dunk against her team's top rivals</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/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/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>

Stanford's Tara VanDerveer toasted late legend Pat Summitt as she overtook her record as the winningest coach in women's college basketball history

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57729538dd08954c3c8b46a5-2400/ap_640698447042.jpg" alt="Pat-summitt-1" data-mce-source="AP/Wade Payne" data-mce-caption="College basketball coach Pat Summitt in 2013." /><p class="source"><span>AP/Wade Payne</span></p><p class="caption">College basketball coach Pat Summitt in 2013.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pat-summitt-has-died-2016-6">died today following a battle with early onset dementia</a>. She was 64. <br /><br />Sports fans everywhere are mourning the loss of the animated, energetic coach, who led Tennessee's Lady Vols to eight national championships before her retirement in 2012. In fact, with 1,089 victories to her name, she has won more games than any NCAA Division I basketball coach, male or female. </p><p>Here's a look at her career on the court.</p>

The incredible career of Pat Summitt, college basketball's most legendary coach

<div style="float: right; margin: 15px 0 20px 20px;"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/category/chart-of-the-day"> <img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/2237544b39b8324a71969a00/button-more-charts.gif" border="0" alt="button more charts" /></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/chart-of-the-day"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/2237544b42b8324a7a969a00/button-chart-prev.gif" border="0" alt="button chart prev" /></a></td><td><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/world-series-favorites-cubs-2016-6"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/2237544b4db8324a85969a00/button-chart-next.gif" border="0" alt="button chart next" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt died on Tuesday at the age of 64.</p><p>Summitt is best remembered for her fiery style, her ice-cold stare, and helping to elevate the sport of women's college basketball from obscurity to national prominence. Along the way she won eight national championships and 1,098 games, the most for any coach in division-I college basketball history.</p><p>Here are the winningest coaches in division-I history, along with either their current school or the school they won the most games with.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57726e6988e4a7fd018b4621-800/02.png" alt="02" data-mce-source="Cork Gaines/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Cork Gaines/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-spends-millions-cleveland-cavs-nba-finals-champions-2016-6">How LeBron James makes and spends his millions</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="UzYm5iNDE6S0Dn3Ai-3-_z6LU_OUxRDk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'UzYm5iNDE6S0Dn3Ai-3-_z6LU_OUxRDk',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Nobody won more college basketball games than Pat Summitt

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5707c8d752bcd01b008bb9e4-1280-1017/ap_931294277259.jpg" alt="Tyler Summitt" data-mce-source="Rogelio V. Solis/AP" /><p class="source"><span>Rogelio V. Solis/AP</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Tyler Summitt, the 25-year-old son of legendary Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, resigned on Thursday from his post as head coach of the Louisiana Tech women's basketball team after admitting to "<span>engaging in a relationship that has negatively affected the people" he loves</span>.</p><p>In a statement, <a href="http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/sports/college/la-tech/2016/04/07/techsters-coach-resigns/82763380/">Summitt said:</a></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">It is with great regret that I resign from my position as head coach of the women's basketball program at Louisiana Tech University. I am profoundly disappointed in myself for engaging in a relationship that has negatively affected the people I love, respect and care about the most. My hope, plans and prayers are to repair those relationships.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">I am appreciative of the opportunity I was given to coach at Louisiana Tech. I am heartbroken that my time has ended in Ruston, but because of my respect for the institution, it is best that I resign. I am hopeful the media and the public will respect the privacy of my family and me as we deal with this difficult situation I have caused.</p><p>Summitt's statement, including his admission of the relationship, is cryptic. Plenty of speculation and rumors have swirled across the internet since the news of his resignation broke, but as of Friday nothing has been confirmed or credibly backed up. </p><p>LA Tech also released the <a href="http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/sports/college/la-tech/2016/04/07/techsters-coach-resigns/82763380/">following statement:</a></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Effective immediately and for personal reasons, Tyler Summitt has stepped down as head coach of Louisiana Tech University's women's basketball program. The university has accepted his resignation and appreciates the contributions he has made to the growth and success of the Lady Techsters program during his tenure. Louisiana Tech will immediately begin the process of selecting a new head coach to lead the women's basketball program and student-athletes forward. Louisiana Tech wishes Tyler and his family the best of luck in the future.</span></p><p><span>In his two years at the helm of the Louisiana Tech program, he amassed a record of 30-31. He was hired at the age of 23, after spending two years as an assistant coach at Marquette. Before that he was a student assistant for his mother's Tennessee team. </span></p><p><span>Summitt married his high school <a href="http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/sports/college/la-tech/2016/04/07/techsters-coach-resigns/82763380/">sweetheart in 2013.</a></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kareem-abdul-jabbar-ncaa-should-pay-their-athletes-2016-3">KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR: College athletes are 'being exploited'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZnaTUzeDrpc-3w0V-V3xRmV0rgXfQYQk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'ZnaTUzeDrpc-3w0V-V3xRmV0rgXfQYQk',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

The 25-year-old son of legendary coach Pat Summitt has resigned from his coaching position over a relationship

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> superstar <keyword id="12266440" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="candace-parker" source="Orion">Candace Parker</keyword> welcomed a <keyword id="11908491" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="baby" source="Orion">baby</keyword> boy with her wife, Anna Petrakova, in February.</li><li>The two-time WNBA champion and MVP told Insider that there are "several meanings" behind his name.</li></ul><p>WNBA superstar Candace Parker and her wife, former Russian national teamer Anna Petrakova, welcomed their first child together earlier this year.</p><p>Airr Larry Petrakov Parker was born on February 11, 2022, the two-time WNBA champion and league MVP announced by posting a family portrait to Instagram featuring herself; Petrakova; Parker's daughter from a previous marriage, Lailaa Williams; and her newborn son.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaIH9U2pNxR" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>Parker told Insider that while she and Petrakova "just like the name" Airr, there are "several meanings" behind their choice.</p><p>"It's not just jumping," Parker insisted. "It's the element of not being able to breathe without him. And then also the element [that] he's inheriting whatever we give him — knowledge, everything — so that's the H-E-I-R."</p><p>"The double letter at the end — R R — is [because] my daughter's name is A A at the end," she added. "So that's how that came about."</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker celebrates winning gold at the 2012 Olympics with her daughter, Laila." height="1572" width="2500" msid="91774778" hostid="261"></div><p>Airr's middle name, Larry, has a much more straightforward source. It comes by way of Parker's father, who was a Division I college <keyword id="11896035" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="basketball" source="Orion">basketball</keyword> player himself and helped coach his daughter until she left to play for Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee.</p><p>But for all of the effort Parker and Petrakova put into their son's unique name, no one actually calls the now-3-month-old Airr. Instead, "everybody calls him Goose."</p><p>"He barely gets called Airr at our house," Parker said with a chuckle. "Everybody calls him Goose — my family, my friends, everybody."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcQwuZRvR_m" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>Fittingly, the infant's nickname traces its origins to the basketball court. It's short for "gooseneck," or the shape one's arm should make when practicing proper shooting form. </p><p>"His mom — my wife — played in the 2012 Olympics," Parker further explained. "[She's a] shooter. So when we first found out we were pregnant with him, we didn't know if it was a girl or a boy, so I just started calling him Goose. So that's his nickname because she's a shooter. It's like gooseneck."</p><div type="image" title="Anna Petrakova takes a shot while competing for Team Russia at the 2012 Olympics." height="1506" width="2008" msid="91774780" hostid="261"></div><p>Parker seems to be enjoying having an infant around again — though she says there's "not a lot of sleep" to be had in her house at present. She joked that the age gap between Airr and Lailaa — 12 years — "was just long enough for me to forget" how babies can be.</p><p>Plus, she adds, "boys are fussier."</p><p>Parker's back on the court for what could be her final WNBA season. She hinted that she nearly retired ahead of the 2022 campaign but decided to return for another go with her hometown squad — the reigning champion Chicago Sky.</p>

Candace Parker spelled out the 'several meanings' behind her newborn son's striking first name

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12882154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="becky-hammon" source="Orion">Becky Hammon</keyword> has been an assistant <keyword id="11926319" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coach" source="Orion">coach</keyword> for the NBA's <keyword id="12419521" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="san-antonio-spurs" source="Orion">San Antonio Spurs</keyword> for eight years.</li><li>The six-time <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> All-Star is now returning to the women's game as head coach of the <keyword id="11931768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="las-vegas-aces" source="Orion">Las Vegas Aces</keyword>.</li></ul><p>Becky Hammon is headed back to the WNBA.</p><p>And her new employers are extremely confident that they've hired one of the best in the business to lead their franchise.</p><p>After eight years as an assistant under legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, Hammon is leaving men's basketball to become the head coach and general manager of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. On New Year's Eve, the franchise announced that the six-time WNBA All-Star agreed to terms on a historic five-year contract that will make her the highest-paid coach in the league.</p><div type="image" title="Becky Hammon." height="1667" width="2500" msid="88720205" hostid="261"></div><p>That level of investment displays remarkable faith in Hammon within the Aces organization — particularly from owner <keyword id="11931770" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mark-davis" source="Orion">Mark Davis</keyword> and team president Nikki Fargas. And Hammon confirmed as much during her introductory press conference on Monday.</p><p>"You know, I sat in a lot of [NBA] head <keyword id="12230609" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coaching" source="Orion">coaching</keyword> interviews, and [there are] two things that people always said: you've only been in San Antonio, and you've never been a head coach," Hammon said. "Well, I can tell you right now, Mark Davis met me, Nikki [Fargas] met me and said, 'That's a head coach right now. That's a head coach right now. We're going after her. She's the person."</p><p>"And so that's why they got me," she added.</p><div type="image" title="Becky Hammon." height="1667" width="2500" msid="88720209" hostid="261"></div><p>Fargas — a college player and NCAA champion with the Tennessee Volunteers who later became a coach at the collegiate level — took the compliments for her recent hire a step further during Monday's press conference. The former UCLA and LSU head coach compared Hammon to late coaching legend Pat Summitt, the eight-time national champion and Hall of Famer whom Fargas played for and eventually coached under at the University of Tennessee.</p><p>"Becky has this intensity about her that absolutely gives me chills because to a certain degree, Becky, you remind me a little bit of Coach Summitt," Fargas said. "There's a little bit of that in you where you can just fire somebody up, but also they know that you're gonna put your arm around them, that you're gonna be there for them, [and] that you're there for them as the person and not just a uniform."</p><p>It's undoubtedly high praise for someone who has yet to take the helm of her own team, but Fargas isn't the only one who's bullish about Hammon. Davis said in Las Vegas' New Year's Eve press release that he "was hopeful that one day [Hammon] would rejoin the family" ever since the two met in September, when the Aces retired her jersey.</p><p>"I just never imagined it would happen this soon," the Las Vegas Raiders and Aces owner added.</p><div type="image" title="Becky Hammon celebrates with her sons as the Las Vegas Aces retire her jersey." height="1878" width="2500" msid="88720211" hostid="261"></div><p>And though he's sure to miss her on his own sideline, Popovich also believes Hammon is ready to take over her own team.</p><p>"I've come to depend on her a great deal, but for her, it's a great opportunity to have a head coaching job at that level, to prove herself," " the Spurs head coach said. "She's already proven herself to me, but that doesn't matter in the long run."</p><p>"She's interviewed for a few jobs in the NBA and she would've been more than qualified and done a great job in several of those situations, but it didn't work out," he added. "... But she's certainly capable and I think she'll prove that in Vegas."</p><p>"They've got a hell of a coach coming their way."</p>

Mark Davis and the Las Vegas Aces are confident they have a coaching legend on their hands in Becky Hammon

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12266440" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="candace-parker" source="Orion">Candace Parker</keyword> told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks about her <a href="http://insider.com/candace-parker-blames-geno-auriemma-olympics-snub-team-usa-fallout-2021-12">bad blood with UConn's Geno Auriemma</a>.</li><li>Though the conflict came via USA Basketball, she trolled him for his record against her in college.</li></ul><p>Candace Parker spoke at length about her relationship with USA Basketball and former national team head coach <keyword id="12096002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="geno-auriemma" source="Orion">Geno Auriemma</keyword> in a bombshell interview with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks.</p><p>And while lambasting Auriemma for <a href="https://www.insider.com/candace-parker-blames-geno-auriemma-olympics-snub-team-usa-fallout-2021-12">his role in her 2016 Olympics snub</a>, she couldn't resist the urge to mention her college record against his <keyword id="12096003" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uconn-huskies" source="Orion">UConn Huskies</keyword>.</p><p>"They ain't ever beat us," Parker told Rooks. "But I don't know. That may be a soft spot! I don't know."</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker looks at USA Basketball head coach Geno Auriemma." height="1584" width="2500" msid="88058132" hostid="261"></div><p>Parker played for late <keyword id="12055085" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="college-basketball" source="Orion">college basketball</keyword> legend Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee. During her three years with the Volunteers in the mid-2000s, her Tennessee teams faced Auriemma's Huskies on two different occasions. </p><p>Their first meeting, in January 2006, took place on Parker's home court in Knoxville. The Volunteers won 89-80, with the soon-to-be No. 1 WNBA Draft pick contributing 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor.</p><p>When they tipped off exactly a year later, an entirely different Parker came to play. The 6-foot-4 sophomore took over the Hartford Civic Center, dropping 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to beat the Huskies by six and ruin their hopes at an undefeated season.</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker competes for the Tennessee Volunteers." height="1648" width="2198" msid="88058135" hostid="261"></div><p>What's more, Parker did what few others ever have; she dunked on UConn.</p><p>"I wanted to have a chance to dunk on Connecticut's court," Parker had said after her second game in the historic rivalry. "And I did."</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2LmuQ3VDYM" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Still, in her conversation with Rooks, Parker took a moment to acknowledge the Huskies' prolonged greatness under Auriemma. She noted that the program consistently attracts top high school talent and turns those players into dominant collegiate and, later, WNBA stars.</p><p>But she still fit in one more jab after that concession.</p><p>"Listen, respect to Connecticut," Parker said. "Connecticut continues to crank out player of the year after player of the year. At the same time, though, when I was there — my four years at Tennessee — they didn't win no national championships."</p><p>Parker won a pair in back-to-back seasons. Mic drop.</p>

Candace Parker trolled Geno Auriemma over her dominance over his UConn Huskies during her college days at Tennessee

<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="12266440" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="candace-parker" source="Orion">Candace Parker</keyword> spoke with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks about her fallout with <keyword id="12651097" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="usa-basketball" source="Orion">USA Basketball</keyword>.</li><li>The WNBA star blamed UConn coach <keyword id="12096002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="geno-auriemma" source="Orion">Geno Auriemma</keyword> for her <keyword id="11896183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics" source="Orion">Olympics</keyword> snub and criticized USA Basketball.</li></ul><p>Candace Parker is airing out her dirty laundry with Geno Auriemma and USA Basketball.</p><p>The Chicago Sky superstar and two-time WNBA MVP spent many years competing internationally with Team USA. However, in 2016, she was shockingly left off the roster for that year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. At the time, Auriemma — the longtime head coach of the <keyword id="12096003" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uconn-huskies" source="Orion">UConn Huskies</keyword> — was at the front of the bench for the national team.</p><p>The Tennessee Volunteers alum — who led Pat Summitt's squads past UConn every time they met during her collegiate career — blames her former rival's outspoken coach for the Olympic snub and her subsequent fallout with USA Basketball.</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker looks at USA Basketball head coach Geno Auriemma." height="1584" width="2500" msid="88038173" hostid="261"></div><p>"As soon as he was named the coach again, I was like 'Ah, well, this is gonna be interesting,'" Parker told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks during a sit-down interview. "He doesn't like me. I don't like him. We don't like each other."</p><p>"I don't think I personally fit," she added. "I don't think Geno wanted me on the team."</p><p>Parker described playing some of her best basketball in the lead-up to her devastating omission from the 2016 gold-medal winning squad. She said she went to a USA Basketball camp ahead of the games and "got a triple-double," likely referring to Team USA's four-game European tour in October 2015, where she led the squad in minutes played, rebounds, assists, and blocked shots while ranking third in total points.</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker celebrates winning gold at the 2012 Olympics with her daughter, Laila." height="1572" width="2500" msid="88038176" hostid="261"></div><p>Parker also excelled in the WNBA that year, averaging 19.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Sparks. Combine that with her extensive USA Basketball experience — she had previously won two Olympic gold medals with the team — and it's tough to argue that she didn't have the credentials necessary for a trip to Rio.</p><p>"It wasn't on the court," Parker told Rooks. "So if it's me as an individual, as a person, I'm spending time away from my daughter to come and do these camps [where] I'm not even being judged off of how I'm playing."</p><p>"Just tell me, and then don't beat around the bush," she added.</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker goes up for a layup against Australia's Lauren Jackson." height="1808" width="2412" msid="88038179" hostid="261"></div><p>Eventually, after Auriemma's tenure as the national team's head coach came to an end, USA Basketball approached Parker about rejoining Team USA ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She declined because "I can't teach my daughter lessons and tell her about respect and treatment and communication and all that stuff and then go back to that."</p><p>"I'm done," Parker said. "I'm happy I got two gold medals. I appreciate the experience, and I wish them well, honestly ... It's important for USA to stay on top."</p><p>But she seemed to imply that Team USA's dominance has come<em> in spite</em> of USA Basketball, not because of its efforts. Parker said that the American governing body for the sport hasn't "continually evolved with time," which has left players to shoulder a heavy burden while representing their country.</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker (right) and USA Basketball teammates react to a play." height="1688" width="2250" msid="88038182" hostid="261"></div><p>"There's so many times where now looking back, especially after being cut, that they have this expectation that you just drop everything and just come and play in your one break," Parker said. "... For a long time, women dreamed of playing in the Olympics, and they would do anything at any cost [to get there]."</p><p>"And I think the evolution over time needs to be more about the player and the health," she continued, adding later that "I hope... it's gonna become more of a players' thing where it's gonna be more player empowerment."</p><p>Check out Parker's full comments about Auriemma and USA Basketball below:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1465842616487063561">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

Candace Parker blamed UConn coach Geno Auriemma for the Olympics snub that ruined her USA Basketball career

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Late <keyword id="6361805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBA">NBA</keyword> legend <keyword id="101182" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kobe-Bryant">Kobe Bryant</keyword> and <keyword id="152792" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="WNBA">WNBA</keyword> icon <keyword id="690637" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tamika-Catchings">Tamika Catchings</keyword> have been inducted into the <keyword id="65096" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hall-of-Fame">Hall of Fame</keyword>.</li><li>A photo of the two basketball superstars together as children went viral after Saturday's ceremony.</li><li>Bryant and Catchings became childhood friends while their dads played pro basketball in Italy.</li></ul><p>Basketball icons Kobe Bryant and Tamika Catchings are officially Hall of Famers.</p><p>The late <keyword id="100883" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Los-Angeles-Lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</keyword> legend and retired <keyword id="690639" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indiana-Fever">Indiana Fever</keyword> superstar were both inducted on Saturday in recognition of their extraordinary professional basketball careers.</p><div type="image" title="tamika catchings" height="1498" width="1997" msid="82721352" hostid="261"></div><p>As fate would have it, the two stars' paths first intersected some 35 years earlier, before they became two of the most successful players in the history of their leagues. Bryant and Catchings were childhood friends when they lived in Italy as young kids. Their fathers both played professional basketball overseas in the mid-1980s after stints in the NBA, so the American expats and their families naturally gravitated towards each other.</p><p>A surreal photo from those days in Italy went viral this weekend as their story came full circle. The pictures shows a 7-year-old Catchings and 8-year-old Bryant posing outside of the Colosseum in Rome:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-ESPN  (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1393691691455066115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2021</a></blockquote><p>"A lot of people will ask, 'What was it like when you were growing up?'" Catchings said before the induction ceremony, <a href="https://www.masslive.com/sports/2021/05/entering-hall-of-fame-with-kobe-bryant-a-blessing-for-tamika-catchings-childhood-friend-of-bryant-in-italy.html">per Mass Live</a>. "And I'm like, 'We were just kids.' I don't think either one of us, at that point in time would have ever dreamed about the role that we were in and just the opportunity that we had, both of our father's playing, being in a foreign country."</p><p>Catchings even noted that it was soccer, not basketball, that captured the pair's attention most often during those days in Italy.</p><p>"Soccer was our sport," Catchings <a href="https://basketball.dailyherald.com/sports/20200410/catchings-will-miss-lifelong-friend-kobe-at-hall-of-fame-induction">told the Chicago Daily Herald</a>."We weren't even thinking much about basketball back then."</p><div type="image" title="kobe bryant draft" height="2609" width="2000" msid="82721353" hostid="261"></div><p>Catchings left Italy one year after she arrived, parting ways with Bryant in the process. But as she told Mass Live, their "lives intertwined" were just beginning. When Bryant was drafted to the NBA with the 13th overall pick a decade later, Catchings recounted "calling my parents like, 'This is the Kobe that we were just in Italy with, right?'"</p><p>By then, Catchings was a standout baller in her own right. She was recruited to the University of Tennessee, where she spent four years thriving for Pat Summitt's Lady Volunteers. The team won a national championship and went undefeated in Catchings' freshman season.</p><p>While Bryant made a name for himself in the NBA, Catchings joined the still-new WNBA. As the league found its footing, she developed into one of its foremost superstars. An MVP award, a league championship, and 10 All-Star selections later, the Indiana Fever forward was a WNBA icon.</p><div type="image" title="tamika catchings natalia bryant" height="1666" width="2222" msid="82721354" hostid="261"></div><p>Her childhood friend, of course, became one of the best ever on the men's side of the game. So it seemed fitting that the two would enter the Naismith Hall of Fame in the same class.</p><p>"This was going to be the storybook ending," Catchings said.</p><p>Bryant died in a helicopter accident in January 2020, just months before he was eligible to join the Hall of Fame. His 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, and seven others were also killed in the crash. On Saturday, Bryant's eldest daughter, Natalia, accepted the iconic orange Hall of Fame jacket on her father's behalf.</p><div type="image" title="kobe bryant hall of fame" height="1667" width="2500" msid="82721355" hostid="261"></div><p>Catchins <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/kobe-bryant-tamika-catchings-hall-of-fame-special-bond">told Fox Sports</a> it felt like "the main character [was] missing" from this weekend's Hall of Fame proceedings.</p><p>She added, though, that she sees it as "a blessing" that she and Bryant were enshrined in Naismith's hallowed halls at the same time.</p>

A photo shows Kobe Bryant and Tamika Catchings together as kids 35 years before they made it into the Hall of Fame at the same time

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5809f9bac5240225008b6091-791/2016-10-21_6-17-33.jpg" alt="2016 10 21_6 17 33" data-mce-source="ESPN"><p class="source"><span>ESPN</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Good morning! Here are the plays everybody will be talking about on Friday:</p><p><strong>BYU ran possibly the worst fake punt in the history of fake punts.</strong>&#xa0;BYU trailed Boise State 14-10 early in the second quarter when they faced a fourth-and-19 from their own five-yard line. The Cougars inexplicably tried a fake punt. On top of that, their fake was just to have the punter try to run through the defensive line. Yes, fake punts are most effective when they are a surprise, but you also have to have some expectation for success. The BYU punter didn't even make it back to the line of scrimmage, losing three yards on the play and giving the ball to Boise State at the two-yard line. Boise State went on to win 28-27.</p><p><div><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/nduh?muted=1&amp;autoplay=1&amp;hd=1" width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p><strong>"This is for Pat."</strong>&#xa0;The Los Angeles Sparks won their first WNBA title in 14 years when the Minnesota Lynx failed to block out Nneka Ogwumike in the final seconds and she snuck in to grab a missed shot and put back the game winner. The Sparks won the series three games to two. It was also the first WNBA title of Candace Parker's storied career. After the game, an emotional Parker, who played for the legendary Pat Summitt at Tennessee, could only say "This is for Pat. This is for Pat."</p><p><div><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/zfzy?muted=1&amp;autoplay=1&amp;hd=1" width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p><p><strong>The Dodgers should have pitched around Addison Russell.</strong>&#xa0;In the sixth inning of Game 5, the Dodgers and Cubs were tied 1-1. Addison Russell, who had homered in Game 4, was up with a runner on base and first base open. The Dodgers could have pitched around Russell. Instead, Joe Blanton hung an 0-1 slider up in the zone and Russell took it deep to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. They would go on to win 8-4 and take a 3-2 lead in the NLCS.</p><p><div><iframe src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=1208351183&amp;topic_id=6479266&amp;width=600&amp;height=336&amp;property=mlb" width="600" height="336" frameborder="0">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></div></p><p>&#xa0;</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/48-year-old-karl-meltzer-just-broke-speed-record-appalachian-trail-beer-energy-drinks-2016-10">A 48-year-old just broke the speed record for the Appalachian Trail</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VoaHNtNjE6YYcvdD0LtluuwCa238Xvfd" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VoaHNtNjE6YYcvdD0LtluuwCa238Xvfd',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

The 3 plays in sports everybody will be talking about today

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5338f857eab8ea860b0d5df8-1200-924/pat-summitt-1.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="Pat Summitt" width="480" /><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p></div><p></p></div>Today is opening day in Major League Baseball but it will take a backseat to women's college basketball on ESPN and that may have never happened if not for a letter that was sent in 1974 to Pat Head.</p>
<p>In 1974, Head, who would later marry and change her name to Pat Summitt, was 21 years old and had just graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She <a href="http://www.utsports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/summitt_pat00.html">accepted a position in graduate school</a> at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.</p>
<p>At Tennessee she would be a graduate assistant for the women's basketball team and still considered herself a player as she prepared to play in the 1976 Olympics.</p>
<p>But things changed two weeks later when Tennessee's coach at the time asked to take a sabbatical. At that point, Helen Watson, the head of the Physical Education department, mailed a letter asking Summitt if she would accept the position as head coach.</p>
<p>Forty years later, Summitt is retired after winning more than 1,000 games and eight national championships, and ESPN is showing women's basketball while an opening day game in baseball is pushed over to ESPN2.</p>
<p>This was the letter that started it all (via ESPN's documentary "Pat XO").</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="ESPN" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53396d8f6bb3f73a47849e37-960/01-213.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53396d8f6bb3f73a47849e37-1200-706/01-213.png" border="0" alt="Pat Summitt Letter" width="800" /></a><p class="source"><span>ESPN</span></p></div><p></p></div></p>

This Incredible Letter From 1974 Changed College Basketball Forever

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58b88795ca2b0122008b4cd8-1179/undefined" alt="mike francesa" data-mce-source="Katie Nolan/YouTube" data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tpuPZCii44"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tpuPZCii44">Katie Nolan/YouTube</a></span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Sports radio host Mike Francesa on Wednesday argued with a caller that women aren't qualified to coach men's sports.<p>When a caller asked if Francesa believes he'll see a woman coach a men's sports team during his lifetime, Francesa answered bluntly, "No."</p><p>"It's a gender situation," Francesa said. "They're not players, they don't have any way in the league."</p><p>The caller countered that Geno Auriemma has coached the UConn women's basketball team successfully, to which Francesa replied, "He's coaching women."</p><p><span>When the caller asked why people aren't more outraged by that, Francesa seemed to argue women aren't qualified to coach men's sports because they haven't played in men's leagues and thus, don't have experience.</span></p><p>"What would qualify her to be a coach on the professional level of a men's team? ... If you owned the team, would you take someone that has&#xa0;no experience and then make&#xa0;them the head coach of your&#xa0;team?"</p><p>He continued,&#xa0;"Do you know how difficult it would be on a female to have to manage 25 men? Or 50 men? Do you know how impossible that would be? It wouldn't be tough, it would be impossible! You're gonna tell me that you would think a woman would walk into an NFL team and coach as a head coach 15 assistants and 50-60 men?</p><p>The caller asked if Francesa believes former Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt would have been a good NBA coach.</p><p>"NBA? No," Francesa said. "She would have said, 'I don't belong there.' But she could not coach an NBA team, nor would she&#xa0;even wanna try."</p><p>"You wanna see it because you think you're closing off an avenue to your daughter, but that's not closing off an avenue," Francesa said. "That's not something that's realistic."</p><p>Listen to the exchange below:</p><p>CBS NY did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Francesa's remarks.&#xa0;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Francesa with an unfathomable display of sexism. Women shouldn't be anywhere near men's sports!<br><br>(Except for cheerleaders, presumably.) <a href="https://t.co/2n2plZMLIF">pic.twitter.com/2n2plZMLIF</a></br></br></p>- Funhouse (@SportsFunhouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsFunhouse/status/837125927913959424">March 2, 2017</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fighting-nhl-hockey-violence-sports-code-referee-2017-2">This is why fighting is allowed in pro hockey - and why the NHL has no plans to ban it</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="hoaWxyOTE6rTXG5N5k1Yd8FuOfo0sgVf" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'hoaWxyOTE6rTXG5N5k1Yd8FuOfo0sgVf',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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