Las Vegas Aces become first repeat WNBA champs in 21 years, beating New York Liberty 70-69 in Game 4
The Las Vegas Aces became the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back WNBA championships, getting 24 points and 16 rebounds from Aโja Wilson and a defensive stop in the closing seconds to beat the New York Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 of the Finals.
Young beats buzzer, Aces top Storm 110-98 in OT in Game 3
Jackie Young sent the game in overtime with a buzzer-beating basket and then Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum hit big shots in the extra session to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the Seattle Storm 110-98 to move within a victory of advancing to the WNBA Finals.
Spurs in mix to sign John Collins; Dejounte Murrayโs cryptic tweet about trade rumors; Pop sounds off on reporter amid Team USA struggles
Whew, what a week this was for everything Spurs. From Coach Pop sounding off on a reporter after Team USAโs struggles to Dejounte Murrayโs apparent displeasure with his name in trade rumors, thereโs been no shortage of news when it comes to the Silver and Black. Welcome to this weekโs KSAT.com Spurs newsletter.
Latest Ben Simmons trade rumors; Portland owner wants Hammon; Austin billionaire joins Spurs investor group
Itโs been a busy week for the Spurs. They have surfaced as possible trade partners for Ben Simmons, Becky Hammon may be headed to the Pacific Northwest and there was a shakeup in the structure of the franchiseโs investor group. Welcome to this weekโs KSAT.com Spurs newsletter.
Becky Hammon interviewing with NBA teams; Spurs free agency rumors; Barkleyโs shaming of San Antonio women might stop
The Spurs may not be in the playoffs, but there is still a ton of Silver and Black-related news and notes. Yes, some of it includes Charles Barkley and Kawhi Leonard. Welcome to this weekโs KSAT.com Spurs newsletter.
Becky Hammonโs trailblazing journey from South Dakota to San Antonio Spurs
SAN ANTONIO โ The moment was years in the making and all Becky Hammon wanted to talk about was the final result of a regular-season NBA game in late December. โThe moment for me was just trying to come up with stuff to help us win the game,โ Hammon said. They see her as a leader and simply as Coach Hammon. โOne of the reasons why I decided to take the job was because I was going to inherit Becky Hammon,โ said Collen. Iโve been in San Antonio, part of the Spurs organization with the Stars and everything for 13 years,โ said Hammon.
Spurs players honor womenโs greats, NCAA tournament in San Antonio with iconic jerseys
SAN ANTONIO โ San Antonio Spurs players honored some of the greatest womenโs college basketball players on Monday evening before their game against the Charlotte Hornets. Patty Mills honored his wife, Alyssa Levesque Mills, who played at St. Maryโs College. March Madness is in San Antonio so you know our guys had to rep ๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/napskp5OgD โ San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 22, 2021โIt was a good little touch obviously with the womenโs NCAA March Madness here in San Antonio. AdMills said he had to get his wifeโs jersey flown into San Antonio. The 2021 NCAA Womenโs Tournament in San Antonio runs through early April.
Hornets top Spurs 100-97 in first game since Ballโs injury
San Antonio Spurs' Keldon Johnson (3) attempts to steal the ball from Charlotte Hornets' Malik Monk during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Monday, March 22, 2021, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)SAN ANTONIO โ Gordon Hayward scored 27 points, Terry Rozier added 24 and the Charlotte Hornets held on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 100-97 on Monday night in their first game since losing LaMelo Ball to injury. The Spurs tied the game at 93 with 1:45 remaining following a 3-pointer by White and a three-point play by DeRozan. The Hornets were fifth in the league in fast-break points at 15.1 per game but were held to five against the Spurs. Spurs: San Antonio point guard Dejounte Murray arrived wearing Becky Hammonโs Colorado State jersey complete with her surname and No.
Spurs assistant Becky Hammon speaks out on โgrossโ inequalities between NCAA men and women
SAN ANTONIO โ Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon does not post on social media very often but shared her thoughts on some of the NCAA men and women inequalities that were exposed late last week. ESPN shared photos over the weekend of the new weight room for the womenโs teams in San Antonio. A look at the new weight room in San Antonio. #ncaaW pic.twitter.com/n85mu4DN8e โ espnW (@espnW) March 20, 2021The NCAA also added that San Antonio was not to blame for the oversight. Hammon, who played collegiately at Colorado State, commended the womenโs players and coaches who spoke out on the disparities.
Liz Mills takes big step for female basketball coaches
Kenya national men's basketball team head coach Liz Mills, center-right, poses with assistant coach Sadat Gaya, center-left, for a photograph with the team at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (Courtesy of Liz Mills)CAPE TOWN โ Liz Millsโ decision to look more professional when coaching basketball games by wearing high-heeled leather boots instead of sneakers was somehow seen as provocation. She'll make history as the first female head coach at the tournament in August. โIโm the head coach,โ Mills responded. "It's easy, it's coach or coach Liz.
Spurs end 4-game home skid, top short-handed Rockets 103-91
Kenyon Martin Jr. #6 of the Houston Rockets drives for two over Jakob Poeltl #25 of the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on January 14, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)SAN ANTONIO โ San Antonio couldn't match the intensity of the short-handed Houston Rockets for three quarters, yet a strong finish by the Spurs was enough to snap a four-game home losing streak. โWe played our best defense in the fourth quarter,โ Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. He had 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes during Houstonโs 109-103 victory on Thursday. Spurs: Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon remains out, along with reserve center Drew Eubanks, due to the leagueโs health and safety protocols.
Spursโ Becky Hammon one of two staffers not with team due to NBA health protocols
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon leads the team in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA basketball game after coach Gregg Popovich was ejected, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)SAN ANTONIO โ Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich confirmed on Saturday evening that assistant coach Becky Hammon was not currently with the team due to the NBAโs health and safety protocols. Hammon, another team staff member and backup forward Drew Eubanks are all under the leagueโs safety protocols, Popovich said. The Spurs head coach could not say directly if the three have tested positive for COVID-19, but he believed they would be quarantined for 14 days as per league regulations. READ MORE: Hammon become first woman to coach NBA team
Hammon first woman to direct NBA team; Lakers beat Spurs
Hammon became the first woman to direct an NBA team, taking over the Spurs after coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in a 121-107 loss to the Lakers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)SAN ANTONIO โ Becky Hammon would have preferred a victory over history after becoming the first woman to direct an NBA team. The Lakers took their first double-digit lead at 35-25 on Kyle Kuzmaโs 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining in the first quarter. Lakers coach Frank Vogel did not elaborate on Carusoโs status. Spurs: Popovich said the Spurs will monitor Aldridgeโs knee soreness on a day-to-day basis.
Spurs' Becky Hammon first woman to direct NBA team
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, right, talks to assistant coaches Becky Hammon, center, and Will Hardy during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 119-114. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)SAN ANTONIO โ Becky Hammon became the first woman to direct a team in NBA history, taking over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers following Gregg Popovichโs ejection in the first half. Hammon took over the team's huddles during timeouts and walked the sideline following Popovichโs ejection. A three-time All-American at Colorado State, Hammon played for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars in the WNBA as well as overseas before retiring to join Popovichโs staff in 2014.
The Latest: Pittsburgh-Duke men's basketball postponed
(AP Photo/Darren Abate)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced that the Pittsburgh-Duke menโs basketball game scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed because of COVID-19 issues. ___Syracuse's womenโs basketball game against North Carolina scheduled for Thursday has been postponed. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution after confirmation of a positive COVID-19 test within the Syracuse program announced on Sunday. ___Vanderbilt womenโs basketball has postponed the first three Southeastern Conference games of the league schedule as it deals with positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing and quarantines. The Spurs announced Monday that their home games will remain without fans for now.
Spursโ Becky Hammon honored with mural north of downtown
SAN ANTONIO โ Becky Hammon is a San Antonio icon and pioneer. Her image, like many other Spurs icons of the present and past, is now on a mural in the city. She is the second female assistant coach in NBA history and the first full-time female assistant in the league. Hammon was also the first full-time female assistant coach in any of the four major professional sports in North America. From Tim Duncan to Gregg Popovich, there are several murals honoring Spurs icons across the city.
Spurs players kneel, Coach Popovich stands for National Anthem
ORLANDO, Fla. Spurs players and part of the coaching staff took a knee on Friday night during the National Anthem to protest racial and social injustices across the country. Head coach Gregg Popovich and assistant coach Becky Hammon stood for the anthem. The Spurs made the demonstration with members of the Sacramento Kings ahead of the NBA restart for both teams in Orlando. Spurs players reveal social justice messages on jerseysBefore the game, Popovich said the players did not have a directive from the team and they were allowed to do what they felt was appropriate. #Spurs players kneel for National Anthem along with #Kings players ahead of #NBA restart game.
Hammon assumes head coaching role, Spurs drop first scrimmage to Bucks
ORLANDO โ When the Spurs took the court in Orlando for their first NBA scrimmage Thursday afternoon, head coach Gregg Popovich was not the one calling the shots. Instead, as the NBAโs oldest active head coach donned a mask and rode the bench, as assistant coach Becky Hammon assumed head coaching duties against the Milwaukee Bucks. Becky Hammon coaching the Spurs today with Pop on the bench ๐ pic.twitter.com/ksSADvzrCA โ Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 23, 2020In the meantime, the Spurs came up short in their first test inside the NBA bubble. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 22 points in 21 minutes to pace the Bucks. San Antonio will return to action on Saturday, July 25 against Brooklyn at 3:30 p.m.MORE SPURS COVERAGE
Masked man: Spurs' Popovich wears face covering for game
Popovich was not serving as head coach for the game against the Milwaukee Bucks. It is unclear if Popovich will wear a mask for the entirety of the Spurs time at Disney. Popovich was the coach who spoke in the teams pregame news conference and followed NBA rules by wearing a mask in that availability. GIANNIS' FOULSBucks star and reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had five first-half fouls in his team's scrimmage opener against San Antonio. The last time a player had five first-half fouls in an NBA game that counted was Dec. 7, 2013, when Utah's Mike Harris did it against Sacramento.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich denounces killing of George Floyd, joins NBA coaches committee on racial injustice
SAN ANTONIO Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has joined a committee of NBA coaches tasked to work with local and community leaders to find solutions on racial injustice and reform. The committee also includes Golden State Warriors head coach and former Spurs player Steve Kerr. "As NBA coaches -- both head and assistant coaches -- we lead groups of men, most of whom are African American, and we see, hear and share their feelings of disgust, frustration, helplessness and anger. As NBA coaches, we cannot treat this as an isolated incident of outrage. According to ESPN, the NBCA will begin discussions this week on how the committee can begin immediate action items across cities.
Spurs drop 7th in row, longest skid since Popโs 1st season
San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills, left, tries to get past Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans (42) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON, DC โ Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak, their longest skid since he took over as the teamโs coach more than 20 years ago. โAll in all, if you score 132 points, you should probably have a pretty good chance to win a game. In the ensuing draft, the Spurs took Tim Duncan, who starred for the team and now is an assistant to Popovich. San Antonio has made the playoffs in each of the past 22 seasons, claiming five NBA championships in that time.
'Not here to make history,โ Popovich says after Duncan becomes acting head coach, not Hammon
Popovichโs ejection led to the presumption that Becky Hammon would take over as acting head coach, but it was in fact Tim Duncan, who took over in that role. It was unclear at the time of Popovichโs ejection who would take lead, but the Spurs head coach clarified who was running the team after the game. Had Hammon taken over, she would have made history by becoming the first woman to serve as head coach of a major menโs professional sports team in the United States. Spurs analyst Matt Bonner said during the postgame broadcast that Duncan essentially served as acting head coach because he had scouted the Trailblazers. Spurs officials said during the game that a three-coach committee consisting of Duncan, Hammon and Will Hardy took over head coaching duties.