<figure class="wp-image size-full">
					<img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2019/12/2011_850.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image- size-full" /><br />
				</figure>
<p><strong>League Champion:</strong> Minnesota Lynx (first title in franchise history)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wnba.com/draft2011/"><strong>Top Draft Pick:</strong> Maya Moore (MIN; University of Connecticut)</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.wnba.com/awards2011/"><strong><u>Awards</u></strong></a></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Most Valuable Player</strong>: <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/tamika-catchings-named-2011-wnba-most-valuable-player/">Tamika Catchings (IND), 1st MVP</a></li>
<li><strong>Rookie of the Year</strong>: Maya Moore (MIN)</li>
<li><strong>Defensive Player of the Year</strong>: Sylvia Fowles (CHI), 1st DPOY</li>
<li><strong>Sixth Woman of the Year</strong>: DeWanna Bonner (PHX), 3<sup>rd</sup> Sixth</li>
<li><strong>Most Improved Player</strong>: Kia Vaughn (NYL)</li>
<li><strong>Coach of the Year:</strong> Cheryl Reeve (MIN), 1<sup>st</sup> COY</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><u>Top Players</u></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>All-WNBA First Team: </strong>Tamika Catchings (IND), Tina Charles (CON), Angel McCoughtry (ATL), Diana Taurasi (PHX), Lindsay Whalen (MIN)</li>
<li><strong>All-WNBA Second Team: </strong>Seimone Augustus (MIN), Sue Bird (SEA), Sylvia Fowles (CHI), Cappie Pondexter (NYL), Penny Taylor (PHX)</li>
<li><strong>All-Rookie Team: </strong>Danielle Adams (SAS), Liz Cambage (TUL), Maya Moore (MIN), Danielle Robinson (SAS), Courtney Vandersloot (CHI)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>All-Defense First Team: </strong>Rebekkah Brunson (MIN), Tamika Catchings (IND), Sylvia Fowles (CHI), Angel McCoughtry (ATL), Tanisha Wright (SEA)</li>
<li><strong>All-Defense Second Team: </strong>Swin Cash (SEA), Tina Charles (CON), Katie Douglas (IND), Armintie Price Herrington (ATL), Sancho Lyttle (ATL)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><u>Stats Leaders</u></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Points Per Game</strong>: Diana Taurasi (PHX): 21.6</li>
<li><strong>Rebounds Per Game</strong>: Tina Charles (CON): 11.0</li>
<li><strong>Assists Per Game</strong>: Lindsay Whalen (MIN): 5.9</li>
<li><strong>Steals Per Game</strong>: Sancho Lyttle (ATL): 2.4</li>
<li><strong>Blocks Per Game</strong>: Sylvia Fowles (CHI): 2.0</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><u>Regular Season</u></strong></p>
<p>The 2011 season marked the 15<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the WNBA, and the history of the league was celebrated throughout the season. But in addition to looking back, 2011 also offered a glimpse of the future as it marked the beginning of a new dynasty in the WNBA – the Minnesota Lynx.</p>
<p>Heading into the 2010 season, the Lynx hired Cheryl Reeve as head coach and <a href="https://lynx.wnba.com/news/lynx-bring-lindsay-whalen-back-home/">traded for hometown hero Lindsay Whalen</a> as the team’s point guard. However, injuries robbed the Lynx of reaching their potential in 2010 as they finished 13-21 and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season.</p>
<p>But there was a silver lining – the draft lottery – which the Lynx won to give them the top pick in the 2011 Draft. And sitting atop every draft board was an absolute game-changer in <a href="https://www.wnba.com/draft2011/">Maya Moore from the University of Connecticut</a>.</p>
<p>Adding a player of Moore’s caliber to a team that already had Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson and now a healthy Seimone Augustus was like adding gasoline to a small fire. The Lynx burned the rest of the league down in 2011 as they finished with a franchise-best 27-7 record. It was the first 20-win season in team history and started a streak of seven straight in Minnesota.</p>
<p>Moore would win Rookie of the Year honors, but it was a veteran in the Eastern Conference that took home Most Valuable Player. In her 10th season, Tamika Catchings captured her first MVP after finishing among the top three five times and among the top five in eight different seasons. She was the runner-up in 2003, 2009 and 2010.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Tamika Catchings: 2011 MVP" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bO4xMxsGMso?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Catchings led the Indiana Fever to the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 21-13 record by excelling on both ends of the floor. She already had four Defensive Player of the Year awards to her credit (she would win a fifth in 2012 to extend her own record) and now added the top individual honor the league awards.</p>
<p>The 2011 season also saw the return of three-time MVP and three-time DPOY Sheryl Swoopes. After a two-year absence, Swoopes returned to the league at the age of 40 as a member of the Tulsa Shock. The 2016 Naismith Hall of Famer finished her final WNBA season averaging 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.7 steals in 33 games.</p>
<p>As part of the celebration of the WNBA’s 15<sup>th</sup> season, on June 21, the Los Angeles Sparks hosted the New York Liberty at Staples Center in the WNBA’s 15<sup>th</sup> Anniversary Game, played 15 years to the day of the league inaugural matchup between the same two teams in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>This was the first season under new WNBA President Laurel Richie, who joined the league on April 21, 2011 and served as President for four-and-a-half years before departing on Nov. 4, 2015.</p>
<p><strong><u>All-Star</u></strong></p>
<p>The San Antonio Silver Stars hosted their first WNBA All-Star Game in 2011. It marked only the second time the contest was played in a Western Conference venue and the first since the 2000 game was held in Phoenix.</p>
<p>In a tightly contested game, that saw 28 ties, 25 lead changes and neither team leading by more than five points, the East All-Stars prevailed 118-113 for their third All-Star win in 10 games. Seattle’s Swin Cash was named All-Star MVP after finishing with game-highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort. Cash became the first player to win All-Star MVP from the losing team and joined Lisa Leslie as the only multi-time winners as Cash also won in 2009.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Into the Action: 2011 WNBA All Star Game" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KdwvV1n5gHE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>During the All-Star Game halftime ceremony, the WNBA unveiled <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/wnba-honors-top-15-players-league-history-halftime-ceremony-2011-wnba-star-game-presented-adidas/">the Top 15 Players of All-Time.</a> With consideration given to on-court performance and ability, leadership, sportsmanship, and community service, as well as to contributions to team success and women’s basketball, voting was conducted by fans, select national and WNBA-market media, and by current players and coaches.</p>
<p>The players named were: Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, Cynthia Cooper, Yolanda Griffith, Becky Hammon, Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Ticha Penicheiro, Cappie Pondexter, Katie Smith, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Diana Taurasi, Tina Thompson, and Teresa Weatherspoon.</p>
<p><strong><u>Playoffs</u></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>West Semifinals:</strong> Minnesota Lynx def. San Antonio Silver Stars, 2-1</li>
<li><strong>West Semifinals:</strong> Phoenix Mercury def. Seattle Storm, 2-1</li>
<li><strong>East Semifinals:</strong> Atlanta Dream def. Connecticut Sun, 2-0</li>
<li><strong>East Semifinals:</strong> Indiana Fever def. New York Liberty, 2-1</li>
<li><strong>West Finals:</strong> Minnesota Lynx def. Phoenix Mercury, 2-0</li>
<li><strong>East Finals:</strong> Atlanta Dream def. Indiana Fever, 2-1</li>
<li><strong>Finals:</strong> Minnesota Lynx def. Atlanta Dream, 3-0</li>
</ul>
<p>After finishing with six more wins than any other team during the regular season, the Minnesota Lynx carried their dominance over to the postseason. After dropping Game 2 of their West Semifinal series with San Antonio, the Lynx would not lose again. They won the decisive Gamtichae 3 over the Silver Stars by 18 points, then swept the Phoenix Mercury in the West Finals in two games and swept the Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals to claim their first championship in franchise history.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="2011 WNBA Finals Look-back" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ud7VpAVXL40?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>A year after her famous playoff duel with Cappie Pondexter, Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry faced off in a Finals scoring duel with Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus in Game 2 of the 2011 Finals. McCoughtry topped her own Finals scoring record (35 points back in 2010) with a 38-point performance, but it came in a losing effort as Augustus scored 36 points to lead the Lynx to a 101-95 win and a commanding 2-0 series lead.</p>
<p>Augustus would win Finals MVP honors after the Lynx completed the sweep on Oct. 7. That same day, the WNBA unveiled the Top 15 Moments in league history as voted by fans. The top moment was Teresa Weatherspoon’s half-court shot at the buzzer to win Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals for the New York Liberty and send that series to a decisive third game. Ranking second was the WNBA’s first-ever game (NY Liberty at LA Sparks, June 21, 1997). Third was Sparks’ center Lisa Leslie throwing down the first dunk in WNBA history in the first half of a game vs. the Miami Sol.</p>


wnba-decade-in-review-2011

WNBA Decade In Review: 2011

<figure class="wp-image size-full">
					<img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2019/10/Becky-Hammon-Cover-.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image- size-full"/><br />
				</figure>
<p>Ahead of the 2021 NBA season, check out some of the WNBA legends who are serving in NBA coaching and front office roles this season.</p>
<h2>Becky Hammon</h2>
<h3>San Antonio Spurs: Assistant Coach</h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-120740 size-large" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2019/10/GettyImages-1134781707-1024x682.jpg" alt="Becky Hammon San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach" width="1024" height="682" /></p>
<p>Becky Hammon enters her sixth season as the San Antonio Spurs&#8217; Assistant Coach. Hammon joined the Spurs in 2014, becoming the first full-time female assistant in the NBA. The WNBA legend served as the head coach of the Spurs&#8217; Las Vegas Summer League in 2015 and guided the team to the Summer League Championship. In addition, Hammon also served as the summer league head coach in 2016 and 2019.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3r8PLMnQJC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" 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:500px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3r8PLMnQJC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> </p>
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
<p></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 href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3r8PLMnQJC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Becky Hammon (@officialbeckyhammon)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></p>
<h2>Swin Cash</h2>
<h3>New Orleans Pelicans: Vice President of Basketball Operations &amp; Team Development</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m excited to join the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> family and the community of New Orleans! 🙏🏾🏁 <a href="https://t.co/GhyFgzb9Y3">https://t.co/GhyFgzb9Y3</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Swin Cash (@SwinCash) <a href="https://twitter.com/SwinCash/status/1138201768754593794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Last summer Swin Cash joined the New Orleans Pelicans as the Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Development. Cash retired from the WNBA in 2016 and assumed the first-ever Director of Franchise Development for the New York Liberty in early 2017.</p>
<h2>Teresa Weatherspoon</h2>
<h3>New Orleans Pelicans: Assistant Coach</h3>
<p>Teresa Weatherspoon joined Cash last year as a member of the Pelicans staff. In November, Weatherspoon was promoted from Two-Way Player Development Coach to Assistant Coach.</p>
<p>Weatherspoon previously served in the Liberty&#8217;s front office as Director of Player and Franchise Development. Most recently, Weatherspoon was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2019.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shoutout to one of the best to ever do it, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LibertyLegend?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LibertyLegend</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Finisher_11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Finisher_11</a>, for her recent promotion to <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> Assistant Coach! 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/BT4Yp6AbAz">pic.twitter.com/BT4Yp6AbAz</a></p>
<p>&mdash; New York Liberty (@nyliberty) <a href="https://twitter.com/nyliberty/status/1328711679023132674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Jenny Boucek</h2>
<h3>Dallas Mavericks: Assistant Coach</h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-120739 size-large" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2019/10/GettyImages-1063501696.jpg" alt="Kristi Toliver Washingotn Wizards Assistant Coach" width="1024" height="683" /></p>
<p>A two-time WNBA Champion as a head coach, Jenny Boucek became the first female assistant coach in Dallas Mavericks&#8217; history when she joined the coaching staff in 2018. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Boucek played in the WNBA during its inaugural season in 1997 and coached in the league from 1999-2017.</p>
<h2>Lindsey Harding</h2>
<h3>Sacramento Kings: Player Development Assistant Coach</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Enjoyed my interview with Stephanie Ready on <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBATV</a>! Everyday that I step on the court I teach, learn, compete and connect with my guys. <br />Nothing better than seeing our work pay off on the court. Ready to keep pushing for the playoffs! <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SacramentoKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/C0krmwy53p">https://t.co/C0krmwy53p</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Lindsey Harding (@Lindsey_Harding) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lindsey_Harding/status/1237193211887505408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Forever thankful to the <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a> for breaking barriers and giving me the opportunity to become the first female scout &amp; coach in franchise history. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Philly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Philly</a> for taking me in as one of your own! <a href="https://t.co/5VvjN0VTDC">pic.twitter.com/5VvjN0VTDC</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Lindsey Harding (@Lindsey_Harding) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lindsey_Harding/status/1152996806348984321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>After her nine-year WNBA career, Harding joined the Sixers in 2018, becoming the first-ever female pro personnel scout and coach in history. In July 2019, Lindsey Harding became an Assistant and Player Development Coach for the Sacramento Kings.</p>
<h2>Allison Feaster</h2>
<h3>Boston Celtics: Vice President, Player Development and Organizational Growth</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">💯 <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> crew is in Connecticut for some <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBA</a> Playoff action ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/karalawson20?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@karalawson20</a>, Allison Feaster, guard <a href="https://twitter.com/WatersTremont?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WatersTremont</a>, and center <a href="https://twitter.com/tackofall99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tackofall99</a> <a href="https://t.co/t2i10OxuzK">pic.twitter.com/t2i10OxuzK</a></p>
<p>&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1174098997046386689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Allison Feaster joined the Boston Celtics as the Director of Player Development in 2019 and was recently promoted to Vice President of Player Development and Organizational Growth. Feaster is no stranger to the Boston area as she graduated from Harvard as a three-time Ivy-Leauge Player of the Year.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


the-bosswomen-in-coaching-front-office-roles-this-nba-season

The #BossWomen in Coaching and Front Office Roles This NBA Season

<figure class="wp-image size-full">
					<img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2017/09/1440Rematch1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image- size-full"/><br />
				</figure>
<p>When the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks tip off on Sunday at 3:30 P.M. ET on ABC, it will be just the second time in WNBA history that two teams will meet in consecutive WNBA Finals.</p>
<p>The last, and only other time it happened was in 1999 and 2000 when the Houston Comets and the New York Liberty faced off in a matchup that the Comets had won two seasons prior, during the inaugural WNBA Finals. Let’s press the rewind button and look back to those memorable meetings.</p>
<p><strong>1999 Season</strong></p>
<p>After winning the first two WNBA Finals in league history, the Houston Comets, led by two-time defending league and WNBA Finals MVP, Cynthia Cooper, were poised for a run at a three-peat. But months before the WNBA season tipped off, Houston received devastating news. Point guard Kim Perrot, who played a key role in the Comets&#8217; two championships, was diagnosed with lung cancer in February of 1999. The cancer spread quickly and on August 19, just a few weeks before the WNBA Playoffs were set to begin, Perrot passed away at the age of 32. Perrot&#8217;s fight through her final days was considered to be a source of inspiration for the team during the season, as they finished 26-6. Cooper and teammate Sheryl Swoopes would be named to the All-WNBA First Team, while Tina Thompson earned All-WNBA Second Team honors. Coach Van Chancellor also won his third WNBA Coach of the Year Award, but the goal for the season was simple: win title #3 for #10.</p>
<p>The Comets would go on to face the Los Angeles Sparks in the Western Conference Finals after earning a bye in the single-elimination first round. In Game 1, the Comets lost to Los Angeles on the road 75-60, but once the series shifted back to Houston, the Comets regained control, winning the next two games for their third WNBA Finals berth in a row.</p>
<p>In New York, the Liberty looked to bounce back from a heartbreaking 1998 season where they missed the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to the Charlotte Sting. Led by Vickie Johnson&#8217;s team-leading 13.7 PPG and Teresa Weatherspoon&#8217;s (1999 All-WNBA Second Team) 6.4 APG, the Liberty found themselves back in the postseason and ready to exact revenge on Charlotte for the way 1998 ended.</p>
<p>Having also earned a bye in the first round, the Liberty dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Charlotte, but took the next two games in New York to set up the rematch of the 1997 Finals.</p>
<p>Cynthia Cooper showed that the WNBA Finals was still her stage as she opened Game 1 with 29 points, six assists and four steals, to go along with a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw stripe in a 73-60 victory over New York. The Liberty had strong bench play from Sophia Witherspoon, who scored a team-high 18 points off the bench, but it wasn&#8217;t enough to give New York the edge at Madison Square Garden.</p>
<p>The only goal on New York&#8217;s mind heading into Game 2 was to force a Game 3 in this best-of-three series. After finding themselves down 37-23 at halftime, the Liberty stormed back after the break. Led by Crystal Robinson, who finished the game with a game high 21 points, coupled along with a 10-point off-the-bench performance by a rookie named Becky Hammon, New York found themselves down 67-65 with 2.4 seconds remaining. The Comets had strong team play, with five players scoring 10 or more points, and Houston was ready to celebrate its third straight title.</p>
<p>Weatherspoon had other ideas.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="“The Shot”: Teresa Weatherspoon in Game 2 of 1999 WNBA Finals" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kapFRzy1xHE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>In what would be known today as &#8220;The Shot&#8221;, Weatherspoon converted a half-court shot to force Game 3 for the 1999 WNBA Finals. To this day, &#8220;The Shot&#8221; is considered one of the greatest plays in WNBA history.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="September 4, 1999: Teresa Weatherspoon Drains &quot;The Shot&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7RbYxYw3hw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>However, despite Weatherspoon&#8217;s heroics, the magic would run out on the Liberty&#8217;s season as Houston took the title and won Game 3 by a score of 59-47. Cynthia Cooper earned herself a hat trick, winning series MVP honors with a 24 point, six rebound, three steal performance in the clincher. With the win, Houston officially cemented its WNBA dominance by earning a hat trick of its own, the first three Finals in WNBA history.</p>
<p><strong>2000 Season</strong></p>
<p>The Comets would be led by an MVP performance yet again in 2000, as they sought the Finals four-peat. However, this time the MVP wasn&#8217;t Cynthia Cooper. The outstanding player for the Comets in the 2000 season was Sheryl Swoopes, who led the way with a league high 20.7 PPG, 50.6% FG, 37.4% 3P and 2.8 SPG, on the way both the MVP, as well as Defensive Player of the Year honors. Cooper&#8217;s reign as MVP wasn&#8217;t the only thing to come to an end as Houston&#8217;s run of three straight best conference regular season records was halted as they finished a game behind the Los Angeles Sparks.</p>
<p>The second place finish didn&#8217;t stop the Comets from coming alive in the playoffs, sweeping the first two rounds with 2-0 series victories over both the Sacramento Monarchs in the Conference Semifinals, as well as the Sparks in the Conference Finals to seal their return.</p>
<p>Meanwhile in the East, the Liberty improved on their 1999 season and finished the season at 20-12 for another first seed finish in the Eastern Conference. Tari Phillips led the way for the Liberty on the season, as she put up a team-high 13.8 PPG and 8.0 RPG on 46.7% FG.</p>
<p>New York had a similarly strong playoff run, sweeping Washington Mystics in the Conference Semifinals and defeating the Cleveland Rockers two games to one in the Conference Finals.</p>
<p>Despite New York&#8217;s strong season, it would be more of the same Houston dominance that shaped the league&#8217;s early history.</p>
<p>In Game 1, Phillips finished with a game-high 24 points, but Houston&#8217;s &#8220;big three&#8221; of Swoopes (12 PTS, 8 REB), Cooper (20 PTS, 5 AST), and Thompson (15 PTS, 8 REB) led the way for Houston in a win at Madison Square Garden.</p>
<p>Looking to finish off a perfect 6-0 playoff run, the Comets wrapped up the 2000 WNBA Finals in Game 2, winning 79-73 in overtime. Cooper had another strong series-clinching performance, putting up 25 points, seven rebounds, and three steals en route to being named WNBA Finals MVP for the fourth year in a row. Swoopes also came up big, scoring a game-high 31 points.</p>
<p>The Comets&#8217; four straight championships set an watermark for the league, one that has not yet been matched. Looking ahead to the second ever consecutive Finals rematch, this may be just the beginning of a new age of dominance. The Sparks and Lynx sure hope so.</p>


first-finals-rematch

The First Finals Rematch

<figure class="wp-image size-full">
					<img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2017/04/weatherspoon1580.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image- size-full"/><br />
				</figure>
<p><strong>NEW YORK, NY – April 21, 2017 –</strong>New York Liberty Team President Isiah Thomas announced today, that former WNBA legend Teresa Weatherspoon has been named Director of Franchise Development. In addition to this new appointment, she will continue to serve as the team’s Director of Player Development, a role she has held since 2015.</p>
<p>Weatherspoon joins former Liberty player Swin Cash as a Director of Franchise Development, providing New York with two of the WNBA’s Top-20 Greatest and Most Influential Players of all-time weighing in on business and basketball operations.</p>
<p>As Director of Player Development, Weatherspoon has been critical to one-on-one instructional work with all Liberty players, in addition to scouting, and player personnel moves. In her new position, she will add an increased presence in the franchise’s off court and team business initiatives.</p>
<p>“I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my role with the New York Liberty as a Director of Franchise Development, and I want to thank Team President Isiah Thomas for putting me in this position,” said Weatherspoon.” “I love working closely with our players, helping them enhance their game on the court, and am excited to be given the opportunity to work with our front office and team business staff at Madison Square Garden.”</p>
<p>“Teresa Weatherspoon is synonymous with the New York Liberty, she is one of the brightest stars to ever play in the WNBA, and it’s invaluable to be able to have her impact our franchise in a significant way on and off the court,” said Thomas. “Spoon’s efforts as Director of Player Development have transformed our play on the court, and bringing her unprecedented experience and expertise to our front office decision making will only serve to help our team grow and reach new heights.”</p>
<p>Weatherspoon was an inaugural member of the New York Liberty, and starred for the franchise from 1997-2003, leading New York to the 1<sup>st</sup>-ever WNBA Championship game and three Eastern Conference Championships (1999, 2000, 2002).</p>
<p>She is the Liberty’s all-time leader in assists (1,306) and steals (453), and was the 1<sup>st</sup>-ever WNBA player to eclipse 1,000-career points and 1,000-career assists. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, the New York Liberty Ring of Honor in 2011, and the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame in 2006.</p>
<p>Weatherspoon has served as the Liberty’s Director of Player Development since 2015, following a stint as a team consultant in 2014.</p>
<p>Training camp for the 2017 season opens on Sunday, April 23, at MSG Training Center. The 2017 Season Opener presented by Kia Motors will be on Saturday, May 13, when the Liberty hosts the San Antonio Stars at Madison Square Garden at 3 PM. The 1<sup>st</sup> 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a rally towel courtesy of Kia.</p>


liberty-name-weatherspoon-director-franchise-development

Liberty Name Weatherspoon Director Of Franchise Development

<figure class="wp-image size-full">
					<img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2016/09/160902_weatherspoon_1440.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image- size-full"/><br />
				</figure>
<p><em>Every kid that plays basketball has done it. Grab the ball, line up a few feet behind half court and start the countdown: 3…2…1&#8230;</p>
<p>You take a dribble or two toward the half-court line and as soon as you reach “1” in the countdown, you launch the shot and make the buzzer sound.</p>
<p>In most cases, you miss the shot, run toward the basket to retrieve the rebound – wherever it may have landed depending on how badly you missed – and run back to try it again. Eventually you’ll hit it, right?</p>
<p>When you do finally hit the shot, you imagine how you would celebrate making it in a real game. Now, what if you had a chance to do it on the biggest stage of them all – The Finals?</em></p>
<div align="center">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="September 4, 1999: Teresa Weatherspoon Drains &quot;The Shot&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7RbYxYw3hw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<p><em>Seventeen years ago – on Sept. 4, 1999 – New York Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon had the opportunity to take that shot, and it became the most famous shot in the history of the WNBA and one of the most memorable in the history of the game.</p>
<p>What follows is an oral history of the play known in WNBA circles simply as The Shot. Included are accounts from the players, coaches, analysts and witnesses that were there at the Compaq Center in Houston, as well as thoughts from players both past and present on the play’s impact as the WNBA celebrates its 20th season.</em></p>
<h2><strong>Part I: The Prelude</strong></h2>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39345" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2016/09/160902_weatherspoon-swoopes_900.jpg" alt="160902_weatherspoon-swoopes_900" width="900" height="450" /></p>
<p><em>In 1999, the WNBA’s third season, the championship was decided with a best-of-three series with an unusual format. Rather than traveling back and forth between the two cities between each game, the series opened with the lower seed hosting the first game and then ended with the higher seed hosting the second and, if necessary, third game.</p>
<p>The Houston Comets were the two-time defending champions and finished the regular season with the league’s top record at 26-6, giving them home-court advantage over the 18-14 New York Liberty.</p>
<p>The Comets took Game 1 in New York, 73-60, and headed back to Houston needing just one more win to maintain their hold as the only team to ever win the WNBA championship. Early on in Game 2, all signs pointed toward a Houston three-peat as they led 17-2 in the game’s first 10 minutes. The Comets would lead by as many as 18 points and held a 37-23 advantage at the half.</em></p>
<p><strong>Mike Breen (NBC play-by-play announcer):</strong> I remember the fact that they were even in that position [to hit a game-winning shot] was shocking because they were down huge in that game. It looked like it was going to be a two-game sweep. They were down by as many as 18 points and you just didn’t come back against the Comets when you trailed by that many. The Comets were such a dominant team, so the fact that they got back into it [was shocking]. I also remember, too, that defensively they were phenomenal. Houston was so good and they had the Big Three of [Cynthia] Cooper and [Sheryl] Swoopes and [Tina] Thompson and it was almost impossible to stop them, but the Liberty defense shut them down to get them back into it to put them in position.</p>
<p><em>With their season on the line, the Liberty responded in the second half, using a 19-3 run to get back in the game as Crystal Robinson scored 18 of her game-high 21 points after halftime.</em></p>
<p><em>After shooting just 30 percent in the first half, the Liberty would make 45 percent of their shots in the second half while holding the Comets to just 23-percent shooting to climb back into the game.</em></p>
<p><strong>Breen:</strong> You still didn’t think they were going to win the game. Quite honestly, we were talking during the timeout  &#8212; Annie Meyers Drysdale was my color analyst and Eddie Feibischoff was the producer &#8212; and we were saying how, “Boy, it’s great that they came back.” The last thing you want to do is broadcast a blowout.</p>
<p><em>In the final three minutes, the teams traded baskets as the lead swung back and forth with neither team leading by more than four points.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><strong>BOX SCORE:</strong> <a href="http://www.wnba.com/game/19990904/NYLHOU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Liberty 68, Houston Comets 67</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.wnba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/09/play-by-play-noted-1028x570.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2016/09/play-by-play-noted-1028x570.jpg" alt="play-by-play-noted-1028x570" width="1028" height="570" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39790" /></a></p>
<div align="center">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5Wg3M4oa8
</div>
<p><strong>Tina Thompson (Comets forward):</strong> We ran one of our most popular plays [a high pick and pop with Thompson gathering the ball on the right wing, taking a dribble toward the key, faking toward the middle and spinning the other way for the shot off the glass] and I scored the basket and we go up. So of course there’s a level of excitement that we have by actually going up and in a couple seconds possibly winning another WNBA championship. In that last timeout [with 28.4 to play] along with the offensive strategy, we had discussed what we were going to play defensively. We were actually going to go into our man-to-man press that wastes time, not to steal the ball or whatever.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39676" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2016/09/liberty-huddle.gif" alt="liberty-huddle" width="468" height="264" /></p>
<p><strong>Kym Hampton (Liberty forward):</strong> I think we had just called a timeout and I remember looking at everyone saying, “Don’t let it be your girl, don’t let it be your girl, get a stop, play defense, c’mon everyone!” Then Tina Thompson got the ball, made a move and hit a bank shot. I remember we just looked at each other like, “No, not again, please not again.”</p>
<p><strong>Weatherspoon:</strong> Beautiful shot. There was nothing we could do about it. … There were no timeouts &#8212; we had to go.</p>
<p><strong>Richie Adubato (Liberty head coach):</strong> Basically there was no choice. If we had a timeout and could have advanced the ball and set up a play, we probably would have looked to get [Becky] Hammon or Crystal a shot again or [Vickie] Johnson. You’ve got to give Spoon credit because she had the recognition – although we told them we had no timeouts, obviously she had time to do what she did.</p>
<p><strong>Weatherspoon:</strong> 2.4 [seconds] left, and we didn’t call timeout. Kym just slowly takes it out like, “Oh, man, we’re down again. We’re going to lose this thing again.” I just noticed nobody was around me, so I was just screaming, “Kym, throw it! Kym, throw it!” And when she turned around, she threw it to me and Tina came, on my left hand side.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2016/09/inbounds-1.gif" alt="inbounds" width="468" height="264" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39804" /></p>
<p><strong>Hampton:</strong> I have to admit I was already sulking even before I took the ball out. My heart had just been broken.</p>
<p>What I wanted to do was roll it to her just to keep some time on the clock and at least get it over half court. But Tina Thompson saw that and she kind of came back and was playing Teresa so I had to pass it in to her. I passed it in, she took two or three dribbles and just launched it.</p>
<p><strong>Thompson:</strong> Of course in the excitement of it all, my teammates did not actually do the defense that we talked about, so everybody just ran and got back to cover the basket. I think you kind of see it where I’m actually running back and I notice that nobody is up, so I go back to try to kind of get in the way of Teresa and then she launches it. But I wasn’t actually supposed to be there. I was supposed to be in the second line, but I just didn’t want to give her a clear look at the basket.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39678" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2016/09/defense.gif" alt="defense" width="468" height="264" /></p>
<p><strong>Adubato:</strong> The fact that she recognized it, she had to let that thing go. Weatherspoon is a great defender, playmaker and competitor. And what you have to see in this situation is the way that she recognized the fact that she had to take it. It had to be her shot.</p>
<div align="center"><a class="button large" href="http://www.wnba.com/news/teresa-weatherspoon-shot-wnba-finals-oral-history-2/">GO TO PARTS II &amp; III</a></div>


teresa-weatherspoon-shot-wnba-finals-oral-history-1

The Shot: Teresa Weatherspoon's Magical Moment -- Part I

<p>Take a look back at Teresa Weatherspoon&#8217;s iconic shot in Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals.</p>


teresa-weatherspoon-drains-shot

September 4, 1999: Teresa Weatherspoon Drains "The Shot"

<p>Teresa Weatherspoon&#8217;s on-court interview following her iconic buzzer beater against the Houston Comets in the 1999 WNBA Finals.</p>


teresa-weatherspoons-court-interview-shot

Teresa Weatherspoon's On-Court Interview After "The Shot"

teresa-weatherspoon-shot-wnba-finals

"The Shot": Teresa Weatherspoon in Game 2 of 1999 WNBA Finals

Latest

Teresa Weatherspoon

<p>Teresa Weatherspoon (born December 08, 1965) is a guard for the New York Liberty. She played college basketball at Louisiana Tech &#8217;88.</p>
