Sports

The NCAA let down the Utah women’s basketball team

Published

8 months ago

April 1, 2024

IAM

The NCAA must have known higher.

On March 21, members of the University of Utah women’s basketball travel team – players, coaches, associate athletic director, cheerleaders and band members – arrived in Spokane, Washington for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament after which achieved a rating of 33.5 – a mile trip to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where their hotel was situated.

A short while later, while walking to a restaurant, group members said a white pickup truck pulled up in front of them, the driver revved the engine, then shouted the N-word and drove away.

When they left the restaurant two hours later to return to the hotel, two trucks they were supposedly waitingagain revving the engines in a threatening manner and shouting epithets.

Utah worked with the NCAA and Gonzaga to maneuver the group to a hotel in Spokane for the remainder of their stay. The Utes won their first game against South Dakota State and lost in the second round to host Gonzaga.

Days later, Utah State officials and players are still processing racial trauma and pointing fingers at the NCAA.

On Tuesday, an announcement issued by the University of Utah and signed by athletic director Mark Harlan, associate athletic director Charmelle Green and coach Lynne Roberts read partially: “We proceed to supply support and resources to all those impacted by the situation. As we proceed to get better, we’re very disillusioned with the decision to allocate our team to hotels situated to date from the competition venue in one other state.

“We will work with NCAA leadership to clarify that this distance from the scene was unacceptable and was a contributing factor to the impact of this incident.”

Statement from Director of Athletics Mark Harlan, Associate AD Charmelle Green and Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lynne Roberts. pic.twitter.com/GJbvPs9dvm

— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) March 26, 2024

I believe anyone reading this knows that anti-black sentiment is all over the place on this country. This is what it was built on.

However, the NCAA and Gonzaga failed these young women and their team’s support staff, in addition to UC Irvine and South Dakota State, the remaining teams that were forced to stay in Coeur d’Alene.

Gonzaga guard Esther Little takes a shot against Utah during the second round of the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament at the McCarthey Athletic Center on March 25 in Spokane, Washington.

Myk Crawford/NCAA photos via Getty Images

If there’s one place on this country that could be called the home of hate, it’s northern Idaho. Lake Hayden, about six miles north of Coeur d’Alene, is where the neo-Nazi group Aryan Nations was founded in 1977 and held annual meetings until the late Nineties. According to state statistics20 of the 50 reported hate crimes in Idaho in 2022 were reported by Black people. Although the situation improved after the bankruptcy of the Aryan Nations and their eventual expulsion from the city, the Southern Poverty Law Center, who tracks hate groups, claims that the variety of white supremacist cells in Idaho has increased in recent times. And now a few of these groups apparently have the support of state and native politicians, with far-right Republicans gaining ground in the state GOP.

Just this week, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed a bill banning “diversity statements” and other activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion teaching and advocacy. shouts about it on Facebooktacitly condoning those that stoke racial animosity (while ignoring the indisputable fact that DEI initiatives also aim to assist women and folks with disabilities).

It must be emphasized that it was pure coincidence that Spokane hosted the first two rounds of the men’s and women’s tournaments, and since a big youth volleyball tournament was held on this relatively small city last weekend, accommodations were scarce. The men’s teams play all rounds at neutral sites, and Spokane has long been awarded first- and second-round games in the 2024 men’s tournament. On the women’s side, the top 4 seeds in each region will host the weekend’s opening matches. Since Gonzaga was the No. 4 seed in the Portland area, that meant much more athletes headed to Eastern Washington. Gonzaga asked and received permission from the NCAA to position teams in Coeur d’Alene since it is greater than half-hour away from the host stadium.

But given all the history, how could anyone involved on this case think it was a very good idea to place any teams in the city, let alone two that included several black players, coaches and support staff? The UC Irvine team includes one in every of the few women’s college basketball players who wears a hijab. Given the hatred that many white supremacist groups have towards Muslims, one shudders to think what might occur in the event that they saw the Anteaters guarding Diaby Konate.

A University of California, Irvine official said that after hearing what happened to the Utes, the group moved out of Coeur d’Alene.

Green, the Utes’ associate athletic director and a Black woman, told Utah online news site KSL.com that she was upset after the horrific events.

“We were all in shock and looked at each other like, did we just hear that? … Everyone was in shock – our cheerleaders and the students who were in the area who heard it clearly just froze,” Green said. “We kept walking, just shaking our heads like I couldn’t believe it.”

After the second hate incident, as the band was leaving the restaurant, ‘I became emotional and commenced crying’ – said Green. After ensuring the group returned safely to the hotel, “I got here back and just had a while to myself. I used to be just numb all night.

Couer d’Alene Mayor Jim Hammond condemned the abuse, apologizing and saying he would really like to talk to the staff and team. The police chief said investigators are on the lookout for video footage and witness reports The FBI is now involved.

Gonzaga officials quickly issued an announcement expressing remorse. But as of this writing, the NCAA, the same organization that gave Gonzaga the green light to position these teams in a spot famous for being a haven for extremists, has remained silent.

Utah coach Lynne Roberts speaks to the media after a loss to Gonzaga during the second round of the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament at McCarthey Athletic Center on March 25 in Spokane, Washington.

Myk Crawford/NCAA photos via Getty Images

Given the way the NCAA has treated women’s teams over the years – remember the low standard “weighing room” were delivered during the 2021 tournament? – the organization does not benefit from the doubt that it simply did not know the history of Coeur d’Alene, not this writer. Not when she tried to explain the clear evidence of poor facilities and treatment of female athletes an external investigation conducted almost three years ago found that the NCAA intentionally undervalued the Division I women’s basketball tournament “in a way that creates, normalizes and perpetuates gender inequality.”

A second investigation into sports beyond basketball revealed more gender inequality, which “while disappointing, is not surprising,” the report said.

What must have been a joyous time for the Utes, a likelihood to point out off a rapidly growing program and rejoice seniors, will as an alternative be remembered for the worst of reasons.

They deserved more.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com

Sports

In 2025, the Basketball Africa League play-offs will move to South Africa

Published

9 hours ago

November 22, 2024

IAM

The 2025 Basketball Africa League season will feature a brand new venue for the finals and playoffs and will also start at a brand new location.

The BAL 2025 Playoffs and Finals, scheduled for June 14, 2025, will happen at the recent home in Pretoria, South Africa. This will be the first time the BAL playoffs and finals haven’t been held in Kigali, Rwanda. The BAL 2025 season will also debut in a brand new location in Rabat, Morocco on April 5, 2025. During the BAL 2025 season, 12 of the best club teams from 12 African countries will play 48 matches in Rabat, Kigali and Dakar, Senegal, before traveling to Pretoria for play- offs.

“Over the first four seasons of BAL, we have seen tremendous growth in on-court competition, attendance and engagement from fans and partners in Africa and around the world,” BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall said in a press release. “Our groundbreaking fifth season will build on this momentum and continue to showcase the level of talent and passion for basketball in Africa, including through the first BAL games in Morocco and the first BAL Finals in South Africa.”

The 12 teams will be divided again into three conferences of 4 teams each. The group stage of the Kalahari Conference will happen from April 5 to 13, 2025 in Rabat. The group stage of the Sahara Conference will be held in Dakar from April 26 to May 4, 2025. The group stage of the Nile Conference will be held in Kigali from May 17 to 25, 2025. Eight teams from the three conferences will qualify for the play-offs in Pretoria, which will start on June 6 and end with the BAL 2025 finals.

“The Kalahari conference marks another expansion of BAL into a new country on our continent and we are more than satisfied,” FIBA Africa president Anibal Manave said in a press release. “The competition continues to grow each year, providing greater exposure for our sport and helping to raise the level of basketball in Africa, making the league increasingly competitive.”

National champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia routinely qualify for the BAL. The remaining five teams are from FIBA Africa’s Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments.

In the 2024 BAL season, Petro de Luanda of Angola became the first team from Sub-Saharan Africa to win the championship. According to BAL, the 2024 BAL season reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages, set an attendance record of greater than 120,000 fans in the 4 host countries and generated greater than 1.2 billion views across the NBA and BAL social media channels.

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to have the option to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to do it for years and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com

Sports

NFL star Terrell Owens signs a contract with Michael Strahan’s talent agency

Published

22 hours ago

November 21, 2024

IAM

NFL Hall of Fame receiver and podcast host Terrell Owens has signed with a talent agency to further strengthen his claims within the entertainment game.

According to , Owens was signed by SMAC Entertainment, headed by host and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and his business partner Constance Schwartz-Morini.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz has also joined SMAC Entertainment.

“We are excited to add TO and Jordan to the SMAC family. They are both at the top of their game and set the standard in their industry,” Schwartz-Morini said in a written statement. “TO and Jordan have already brought an infectious energy to our team, and we are excited to help them realize their vision for careers in media, business and branding.”

A five-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Owens played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. In 2018, he was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A member of the 2000 NFL All-Decade Team, Owens finished his profession with 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards, 14.8 yards per catch and 153 touchdowns, rating third all-time in receiving yards and touchdowns.

Since retiring from skilled soccer in 2012, Owens has already made several moves. He has appeared in several movies and tv shows, including “,” and in addition had his own reality show, “, on VH1.

He currently co-hosts the podcast with former NFL player and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe.

SMAC Entertainment is home to stars similar to rapper and actor Common, Wiz Khalifa, Strahan, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and current NFL players similar to Stefon Diggs and DK Metcalf.

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com

Sports

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker brings an NBA championship desire with his Olympic experience

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

IAM

The gold medal went to the USA Basketball team. Mission completed on the 2024 Paris Games. U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr just answered his final query during his final news conference on Aug. 10 after his team defeated France within the gold medal game.

However, before leaving the stage of the press conference in Paris, Kerr stopped to deliver an unsolicited message to media around the globe.

“Devin Booker is an amazing basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just desired to say that,” Kerr said.

The “underrated MVP” compliment meant so much to the Phoenix Suns guard.

“It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker recently told Andscape. “That was probably something that was weighing on his mind throughout the entire process. A 12 months ago I said what I desired to do for this team and what we desired to do for the country.

“It was a lot larger than all of us. Survival was something we’d discuss for the remainder of our lives.

The USA Basketball team was centered around NBA star icons LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. There has also been some discussion amongst media and fans in regards to the lack of playing time for Jayson Tatum and, to a lesser extent, Tyrese Haliburton. Lost within the shuffle was the all-around, unselfish play of sharpshooter Booker wearing the armband.

Guard Devin Booker throughout the final men’s basketball game between France and the United States on the Olympic Games on Aug. 10 at Bercy Arena in Paris.

Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images

Booker was fourth in scoring for the U.S., averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and a couple of.2 three-pointers made early in all six Olympics, and likewise had the perfect plus/minus (plus-130) for an American. Kerr was impressed with Booker’s deal with a difficult defense, regardless that he is thought for his offense, ball movement and the way he has adjusted to not being one in every of the highest options on offense.

“I just understood what was at stake,” Booker said. “I’m proud to be from this country. I’m happy with playing basketball. Even though it wasn’t invented in America, we dominated for a very long time. Obviously the world is incredibly talented and the sport is growing, however it was just one other message to allow them to know who we’re.

Booker said he also learned in regards to the preparations from his all-star team, watching the preparations on and off the court. The 28-year-old added that he gained lifelong friendships.

“It’s cool to see that everyone has their own issues,” Booker said. “In my 10 years in the NBA, I’ve learned that you have to choose what you can use for yourself. But the level of detail, the attention to detail, the intensity – it’s all consistent across the board.”

As for Durant, Booker said the bond between the 2 Sun stars “is close and grows stronger every day.” They live about five minutes from one another within the Phoenix area and commonly spend time at home and on the road. Most recently, Booker had to steer the Suns without Durant, who was sidelined with an injury.

The amazing Durant averaged 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and three.4 assists, which were tops for the Suns. However, the 14-time NBA All-Star has been sidelined since November 8 with a left calf strain. Suns players Bradley Beal (calf) and Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) were also sidelined. The Suns are 1-5 without Durant, which incorporates 4 straight losses.

Booker and Suns sans Durant’s next rivals shall be the New York Knicks on Wednesday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET). Over the last six games, Booker is averaging 24.1 points, shooting 43.2% from the sphere and making 16 of 43 three-pointers. Suns guard Tyus Jones said there was numerous pressure on Booker offensively due to the injury.

“We’re asking a lot of Book,” Jones said after Monday’s 109-99 loss to the visiting Orlando Magic. “It’s numerous pressure for him. We are very focused on it. They are physical with him, holding him and grabbing him, throwing two or three bodies at him all night long. So he’s got so much on his plate and we just need to proceed to seek out ways to get him open within the moments we will and proceed to assist him when other players are taking shots and making plays.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (left) with Suns forward Kevin Durant (right) during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 31 on the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Booker currently has two Olympic gold medals, 4 NBA All-Star appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. The only thing missing from the Suns’ second-leading all-time scorer is an NBA championship. Since the Suns joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1968, they’ve yet to win a title.

After experiencing the joys of winning a gold medal, Booker as an NBA champion wants the gold Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy much more.

“Most of the guys that were there did it,” Booker said of his Olympic teammates who were NBA champions. “They were champions. This is standard for them. Anything lower than that, they need nothing to do with it. It’s contagious…

“That’s all I want. That’s all I want.”

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to have the ability to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been capable of do it for years and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com