wnba

Kyle Ramos

In between offseason training sessions in Texas, Buddy Hield recently took some time to check out some WNBA action while also visiting a friend.

This friend also happened to be Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones - who is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season.

Hield sat courtside to watch the Sun take on the Dallas Wings on their home court, while rocking a Sun jersey in support of Jones.

Buddy and Jonquel are both natives of Freeport, Bahamas and have known each other since their younger years.

“It goes way back to elementary school,” said No. 24 in a sideline interview. “Jonquel’s always been a tremendous athlete. She’s a blessing for the Bahamas and the League. She’s been a really great inspiration for everybody back home.”

Buddy Buckets also tweeted out a photo of him repping his fit and encouraging fans to cast their All-Star votes for the Sun forward.

Jones is averaging a career-high 16.4 points per game which places her at fifth-highest in the League. On top of that, she is posting averages of 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest - both of which lead the WNBA.

While Jonquel continues to make her case for the top player in her field, Buddy will be rooting from afar as he prepares for a quickly-approaching season of his own after this summer.

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Buddy Shows Love for Childhood Friend Jonquel Jones

Benedict Tagle

Ruthie Bolton, an inductee in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, is without a doubt, one of the best to ever lace it up. Spending the entirety of her WNBA career in the Capital City, she was a key member of the Sacramento Monarchs for eight seasons, setting the foundation for the franchise’s lone championship in 2005.

No. 6 accumulated many different awards throughout her playing days. She was an accomplished international athlete, highlighted by her two Olympic Gold Medals with Team USA.  Bolton also garnered two All-Star appearances and an All-WNBA First Team honor in 1997.

As part of the WNBA in its inaugural season, she helped spearhead the growth of women’s basketball. Through her tenacity and competitive will on the court, Bolton introduced a first-class organization to young girls, showing that they too can be professional athletes in a sport they love.

Since her playing days ended, Bolton has continued to help grow the game. She has worked with the United States government through the SportsUnited Sports Envoy, traveling overseas to grow the sport for youth and women across the globe.  She also participates in camps across the country to help teach the game, including right here in Sacramento where she’s often leading Junior Kings camps around the region.

Bolton has also penned her own books, sharing her journey. Her most recent book “The Ride of a Lifetime” tells her story of her humble beginnings in Mississippi all the way through her success as a pro player later in life. She is currently writing another book, with continued hopes of inspiring women just like her.

As one of the most decorated players in Monarchs franchise history, Bolton has used her life experiences both on and off the court to help teach youth about life.

“I’m thankful to be chosen to go through the bad, as well as the good,” Bolton said in an interview with Kings.com. “At the end of the day, to find beauty in struggle. It’s been a journey, but a good one.”

Today, the WNBA reaches audiences on national television and has expanded to 12 teams. The League’s growth can be attributed to the executives and players that pioneered its growth in its infancy, like Bolton. As time continues to roll on, her impact will continue to bear fruit.

“I want to be able to see young girls grow and keep growing, and dream,” she said.

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Ruthie Bolton: Women's Basketball Pioneer

Katie Cracchiolo

She Shares is a conversation series featuring women who have made an impact on their community via their leadership efforts. As the second female coach in NBA history, a Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time Olympian, Nancy Lieberman is a perfect fit for this stage.

“This world is about being a team," she said during the event, "and we’re all role players in this thing called life."

Throughout the conversation the former WNBA player shared her experience working in the sports industry as an athlete and coach, balancing a demanding career with her family and more.

Lieberman praised the people of Sacramento and her colleagues with the Kings for their support in her quest for equality in the workplace and in life. “Don’t do something for something, do it because you love it,” she continued.

Bringing it all back to basketball, she emphasized the importance of a leadership role in any capacity is like being a point guard, posing the following question: How do you grow and support the rest of your teammates?

Capping off a fantastic event, she left attendees with a few words of wisdom, “If I’m a better me, we’ll be a better we.”

To view photos from the event, click here.

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Nancy Lieberman Inspires at She Shares

sacasingh

Sacramento, Calif. – On November 9, the Sacramento Kings will host “Women in Sports” night presented by Angle Vineyards at Sleep Train Arena. The game marks the first time two women will serve as assistant coaches on a National Basketball Association (NBA) bench during the regular season. Throughout pregame and during game breaks, the Kings will highlight female community leaders and celebrate several accomplishments women have made in sports.

“Sacramento has a rich tradition of women working hard to improve their community. From the State Legislature to business and community leaders, we’re lucky to have strong women locally to serve as role models,” said Kings President of Business Operations Matina Kolokotronis. “Hosting leaders who have evolved and improved the way women engage in professional sports is a privilege. We’re proud we can share their accomplishments with our fans.”

The evening’s guests will meet with fans and sign autographs, as well as participate in a pregame Q&amp;A session to share personal experiences in sports, their favorite moments and take questions from the audience. Fans interested in tickets for the Q &amp; A and game can purchase them at Kingsgrouptickets.com/WomenInSports and receive a discount with the code “WomenInSports”. 

In advance of Women in Sports night, the Kings will host an all-girls Kings NEXT basketball camp on November 8 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST at St. Francis High School. The four-hour camp for girls ages 6-16 will feature special coaching appearances from Kings Assistant Coach Nancy Lieberman and former Sacramento Monarchs players. Each participant will receive a ticket to the Women in Sports game on Monday, November 9 and take a post-game photo on the court. Registration remains open, but space is limited. 

For more information on the clinic, visit KingsNEXT.com. 

sacramento-kings-host-women-in-sports-night

Sacramento Kings Host Women in Sports Night

Alex Kramers

From holding her own against NBA players as far back as 1980 and becoming the first woman to play in a men’s professional basketball league to serving as the inaugural female head coach in the D-League, Nancy Lieberman has broken countless barriers in spearheading the women’s basketball movement throughout an esteemed career that spans five decades.

With the Sacramento Kings, the 1996 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee has added a new milestone to her already illustrious résumé, owning the distinction of being only the second full-time female assistant coach in the NBA, joining Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Spurs.

Nicknamed “Lady Magic” for her revolutionary passing prowess and flashy playmaking, the revered trailblazer carries a lengthy, decorated list of on-court accomplishments and basketball firsts. The initial two-time recipient of the prestigious Wade Trophy that recognizes the nation’s best women’s college basketball star, the three-time All-American became the youngest player – male or female – in Olympic annals to win a medal, bringing home the silver at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal at age 18.

On the heels of guiding the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs to back-to-back championships in 1979-80 and 1980-81 and nearly averaging a triple-double en route to leading the Dallas Diamonds to a title in the Women's American Basketball Association, the 5-foot-10 guard not only suited up for the L.A. Lakers Summer League squad, but commenced a pioneering, two-year stint in an all-men’s pro league – the United States Basketball League – where she was coached by Henry Bibby, the father of Kings legend and Sacramento-era assist leader Mike, in 1986.

The Brooklyn, N.Y. native continued to help shape the future landscape of female sports over the proceeding years, making history as the first woman to tour with the Washington Generals – the storied opponent of the Harlem Globetrotters – in 1988.

Coming out of retirement nearly a decade later, Lieberman averaged 8.3 points, 5.2 assists and 1.9 steals per 36 minutes in 25 contests with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in 1997, making the then-39-year-old the oldest woman to play in the league. After a three-year tenure as general manager and head coach of the Detroit Shock – during which she compiled the highest winning percentage of any expansion team in professional sports (.569) in 1998 – Lieberman broke her own record by staging an unprecedented comeback at age 50, dishing out two assists in nine minutes of action on July 24, 2008.

The following season, the groundbreaking legend returned to the sidelines as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA Development League affiliate – marking the first time a woman held the position on a men’s professional basketball team. Lieberman – who simultaneously competed in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game in 2009 and 2010 – guided the Texas Legends to a 24-26 record and a Playoff berth, prior to earning a promotion to the front office as an assistant general manager.

Widely respected and admired in basketball circles, the former ESPN-ABC basketball broadcaster and FOX Sports Oklahoma analyst on Thunder pre- and postgame shows emerged as a Kings assistant candidate and received an invite to accompany the team’s Summer League coaching staff.

Based on her extraordinary history in all facets of the game, remarkable wealth of knowledge and indicative testament of former NBA players during her D-League experience, the 57-year-old is indisputably qualified and perfectly suited for the position’s primary responsibilities, ranging from discussing strategy and game plans to preparing scouting reports to providing astute advice.

Having already spent considerable time with and making a strong impression on numerous Kings standouts – including No. 6 overall pick Willie Cauley-Stein in Las Vegas (video courtesy of News10.com), as well as veterans DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi – Lieberman will also serve a key role in fostering player development as a valuable motivator and teacher for younger players on the nuances of the game – all while continuing to pave the way for women’s progress in professional sports.

wnba

Buddy Shows Love for Childhood Friend Jonquel Jones

Ruthie Bolton: Women's Basketball Pioneer

Nancy Lieberman Inspires at She Shares

Sacramento Kings Host Women in Sports Night

Get to Know: Nancy Lieberman