Becky Hammon Articles

Franchise Player on the Mend
Hammon hopes knee will heal in time for team?s season opener
7-3-03
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/307030004
As a Western Athletic Conference women's basketball All-American from Colorado State University, Becky Hammon became the sweetheart of northern Colorado. In her fifth season with the Women's National Basketball Association's New York Liberty she is well on her way to becoming America's sweetheart. But on June 27, Hammon, the leading scorer for the Liberty, took the court against the Detroit Shock only to get a shock of her own.


Chill?s Hammon Sets Sights on Return After Knee Injury
7-24-03
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/307240011
(excerpts - great long article!)
When the National Women's Basketball Association New York Liberty's Becky Hammon tore her anterior cruciate ligament on June 12 in a game against the Detroit Shock, she said she wasn't doing anything she hadn't done before. But as the 5-foot-6 guard was preparing for a wrap-around pass, she heard the pop in her right knee that took her on a journey she never thought she'd have to start.

Speaking from her home in New York shortly after surgery to repair the damage, Hammon explained what was going on in her mind at the time of the injury and in the days leading up to the surgery. "My foot planted, but my body weight just kept going," Hammon said. "It scared me so bad I just grabbed my knee and couldn't let go." "The pain really wasn't so bad," Hammon said. "I thought maybe I had just twisted or sprang it, but when I couldn't put any pressure on it, they had to help me off the floor." And that's when she knew it was bad. But filled with a positive attitude, Hammon said she never really worried about it.

"I think it scared my friends and family more than it did me," she said. "Sue Wicks (Hammon's close friend and retired New York Liberty forward) was telling me that at first she thought it would just be a twist or something because she knows me and how healthy I am, but she said when they had to help me off the floor she knew it was something bad because I have never not gotten up."

Chill to Announce Hiring of Head Coach
8-25-03
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...PORTS/30825007
The Colorado Chill will announce today the hiring of head coach Jade Strohm, otherwise known to Colorado State University fans as Jade Huntington. The National Women Basketball Association's Chill is northern Colorado's newest professional sport. Strohm was assistant coach for the women's basketball team at CSU from 1997-99, a time that has gone down in infamy with CSU fans with Becky Hammon, Katie Cronin and Angie Gorton-Nelp, who all basked in their basketball golden years during that time.


All-Star Game Coming to Budweiser Events Center
10-21-03
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/110210049


WNBA Championship MVP Signs with Colorado
11-18-03
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/111180029
Take Ruth Riley for example, the MVP of the Women's National Basketball Association Championship. "She's a big-game player," King said. "I'd put her up there with signing Becky Hammon." The former CSU standout Hammon was the leading scorer for the WNBA's New York Liberty before tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. Riley is looking forward to playing with her new teammate. "She is an exciting player to watch," Riley said. "It should be even more fun to be on the court with her. It will take some of the pressure off playing with her instead of against her."


Chill Game
1-18-04
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/101180032
(mostly about Allison Curtin but Becky, Ruth, Helen, Edna get mentioned )
? FIRST TIMERS: First basket goes to Allison Curtin who scored the easy layup on the first play of the game on Ruth Riley's successful first jump ball. The first 3-pointer went to Edna Campbell. Helen Darling recorded two firsts, first rebound and first foul while Riley recorded the first free throw. The Stealth also recorded a first for Budweiser Events Center basketball, the first stuck ball. Kelly Gibbon lodged her ball between the rim and the backboard.

? BECKY SIDELINED: Although she wasn't dressed to play, Becky Herman's presence was more than known during the night. The former CSC standout, who tore her anterior crutiate ligament during a game against the Detroit Shock last April, was shouting words of encouragement to her teammates throughout the game.


Natural Condition
1-26-04
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...NEWS/101260028
Hinz shares the record with Becky Hammon for all-time consecutive 20-plus point scoring games, with 34, at Colorado State University. She was the first CSU women's basketball player to be named an All-American.


Giddy Victory
3-22-04
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...73313568331877
LOVELAND -- Becky Hammon was like a little girl on Christmas morning. The 27-year-old watched film and ate a pre-game meal with her Colorado Chill teammates Sunday morning before their 2 p.m. game against the Birmingham Power.

She walked into the film room with a beaming smile on her face, like a kid shaking boxes and trying to figure out what her gifts were.

While these acts are pretty routine to players, Hammon has not played a game since June 2003. She's was recovering from an ACL tear in her right knee.

Colorado Chill guard Becky Hammon drives to the basket between two Birmingham Power defenders during a game at the Budweiser Events Center. In her first game of the season Hammon and only seeing 21 minutes of action Hammon scored 16 points Sunday afternoon, tying with teammate Katie Cronin to lead the team as the Chill defeated the Power 70-66.
DARIN MCGREGOR / mcgregor@greeleytrib.com


Chill to Take on Blaze
3-23-04
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/103230043
Sunday's game saw shooting guard Becky Hammon take the court for the first time since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament during last year's WNBA season. In 21 minutes, the 5-foot-6 all-time Western Athletic Conference leading points scorer for both men and women put up 16 points for her team, bringing the Chill from behind to overcome the Birmingham Power 70-66 and keep the home streak alive. It was the first game all season where the full team was healthy, as Edna Campbell also returned to the lineup.


Colorado Blazes Past Chicago to Earn Berth in President?s Cup Final
4-1-04
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/104010050
The biggest surprise of the game came with the benching of forward Katie Cronin to make room for a healthy Becky Hammon. Hammon, who scored 28 points in the game, played in only the final two games of the regular season, but Strohm thought she deserved the start and said she discussed it with Cronin


In the Spotlight
1-2-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/101020041
(good Ruth stuff in this one)
The biggest Chill news: Forward Becky Hammon, who played in just two Chill games last season because of an anterior crutiate ligament injury, will play all 28 games this year, King said. Hammon suffered the ACL tear while playing for the Women's National Basketball Association's New York Liberty. And she's back better than ever, he added.

IN SEARCH OF A TITLE: Center Riley would like to win a title with the Chill this year. Such a feat would help her reach a personal milestone -- winning a championship with every team she was on.

In 2001, Riley led Notre Dame to the NCAA championship. In 2003, she helped the Detroit Shock to the WNBA championship. She was named most valuable player that year. Then in 2004, Riley was a member of the United States gold medal women's team.

With her Olympic gold, Riley joined Swin Cash, Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Kara Wolters in a rare group of women to have won an NCAA title, a WNBA title and an Olympic gold medal.


Chill Star Returns Home in Win
1-9-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/101090062
(great article)
RAPID CITY, S.D. -- Nearly 10 years ago, when Stevens High School's leading scorer walked off the basketball court for the last time, no one knew it was only the beginning for Becky Hammon. "You're too short." But Saturday, with several college and professional records behind her, Hammon stepped back onto the Rapid City hardwood for the first time in a decade as one of the biggest names in women's professional basketball.


Center?s Performance Comes Up Golden in Chill Victory
1-10-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/101100053
LOVELAND -- Ruth Riley hopes to be as good as gold -- in more ways than one -- for the Colorado Chill. Riley, the 6-foot-5 center for the Chill, of the National Women's Basketball League, displayed her gold medal from the 2003 summer Olympics in Greece, then had a performance to match in the Chill's 72-69 exhibition home opener against the Chicago Blaze. Riley showed the Budweiser Events Center crowd of 1,760 her gold medal before the game, the second in two nights for the Chill.


Chill Weather Storm, Keep Home Winning Streak Alive
1-28-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/101280061
In their short history, the Chill were 16-0 at home going into Thursday night's matchup with the Dallas Fury. Colorado is still unbeaten at home. But just barely. The Chill won 99-92 Thursday. It took overtime for Colorado to keep that win streak alive. After starting slow, Chill star and Colorado State grad Becky Hammon took control of the game to drag Colorado to the win despite an unbelievable performance by Fury star Anna DeForge.


Home Cookin?
1-31-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/101310025
"Once you break the press, you're going to get an open shot," said Chill center Ruth Riley, who had 20 points in the game.

Number One: Becky Hammon leads the NWBL in assists, averaging 6.7 a game. She had 13 assists Sunday night. Chill center Ruth Riley leads the league in blocks, averaging 4.3 per game. Riley ranks second in the league in rebounding at 9.6 per game.


Colorado Chill's Becky Hammon blazes past Kesha Watson of the Lubbock Hawks while driving to the basket at Loveland?s Budweiser Events Center. Hammon helped lead her team to an 84-70 victory over the Hawks on Sunday.


All-Stars Gives Girls Something to Shoot For
2-22-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/102220042
(great one!)
LOVELAND -- "Little girls need big girls to look up to." That's how Colorado Chill All-Star Becky Hammon, surrounded by autograph-seeking young girls, explained the importance of professional women's sports.

On a day of stars, Hammon's shined the brightest at the National Womens Basketball League All-Star game held Monday at the Budweiser Events Center. In front of hundreds of screaming fans, she led the West All-Star team to a 91-82 win over the East All-Stars and received the game's Most Valuable Player Award, scoring 20 points and handing out five assists.


Occasion to Rise
3-14-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/103140060
Down the stretch, with the playoffs looming, stars have to elevate their games.
Colorado Chill star Becky Hammon knows when her team needs her to take over, and she's done it at every level.


Jason P. Smith/gtphoto@greeleytrib.com Colorado Chill?s Becky Hammon drives past Chicago Blaze?s Keisha Anderson during their game Sunday, March 23, 2005. The Chill defeated the Blaze 79-66.

Colorado Chill Primed for Today?s Playoffs
3-30-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/103300069
Ensuring home-court advantage was the main goal of the Chill franchise's second season. "It's huge," Hammon said. "Our crowd's energy level, our familiar shooting environment. All of it increases our home-court advantage. That's what we worked for all season, and now we have the fruits of our labor." If Colorado stays perfect at home for two more games, it will win the NWBL championship.

The six-team league's playoff format is simple. Four teams make the playoffs. The two teams that win in today's semifinals meet for the championship game on Friday with the better-seeded team getting home-court advantage in the final game.


Chill Advance to Title Game
3-31-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/103310089
With the win, Colorado moves on to face Dallas on Friday night in the championship game. Hammon made sure her presence was known early. Hammon drilled an NBA range 3-pointer a few minutes into the game and never cooled off. "I just try to take whatever they gave me," Hammon said. "If I feel like I have an opening, I'll take an opening." She scored 24 points and handed out 11 assists.

The listless Chill would have gone into the locker room trailing at the half if Hammon hadn't scored five points in the last minute to give the Chill a 30-25 lead. But Colorado was ready to put Chicago away in the second half, going on a scorching 17-5 run. Hammon credited the loud home crowd as inspiration for the second half run.

"We built up some energy and intensity right off in the second half," she said. "We got a little adrenalin going and people started knocking down shots. This is the only place in this league where the crowd is like this and I though you could really feel their energy."

Colorado center Ruth Riley handled Chicago's second-best player, low-post threat Ebony Hoffman. Riley never gave Hoffman a clean look and held her to 12 points on the night.


Chill Look to Avenge
4-1-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/104010066
The game is a rematch of last year's championship matchup, which the Fury won 73-69. But there's one big difference this year. The game will be played on the Chill's home court where they are undefeated in regular season and playoff play. "We wanted Dallas. We didn't want anybody else but Dallas," said Chill leading-scorer Becky Hammon.

In the Chill's short history, no team has ever won on their home court. But Dallas came closer than any other team, losing by just one point earlier this month and forcing overtime in its first meeting of the year.

"They play their best basketball against us," Hammon said. "Whatever they do mentally to prepare for us is some good stuff." At 21.6 points per game, DeForge is the second leading scorer in the NWBL, trailing only Hammon, who averages 23.2 points a game.


Chill Capture Trophy
4-2-05
http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/2...ORTS/104020047
(wow sour grapes by Dallas, love the ending of article lol)
LOVELAND -- Break out the champagne, the Colorado Chill are champions. An intense, tight first half with the Dallas Fury turned into a second-half blowout as the Chill surfed a
wave of crowd noise to a 77-70 win and a NWBL title. "This crowd is easily worth eight points," said Chill coach Kelly Packard in a champagne-drenched postgame locker room. "I credit them for coming out and helping us win this championship."

It was fitting that the star of the game would be a local product -- former Colorado State University standout Katie Cronin. "She's an impact player," said Becky Hammon, the playoff MVP. "She brings it every night. This crowd loves her and they feed off each other."

Thanks fellow Padawan Timeout and Best Jedi Master Rooky! It was work but well worth it.

I'm all over the place but rather than take the chance of "never getting around to it" or losing them, here are a few Becky articles from 2003, her phenomenal season with the Liberty until the knee injury.



Hammon pours in career-high 33 points
6-6-03
http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/recap?gameId=230606008

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Becky Hammon made the 9-hour trip worth the time for her family and friends.

Hammon scored a career-high and team-record 33 points to lead the New York Liberty to a 70-60 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.

A native of Rapid City, S.D., Hammon had more than 100 family and friends in the stands. And she put on a shooting exhibition, making 12 of 16 shots, including a career-high six 3-pointers for the Liberty (2-1). She started for the second consecutive game in place of injured Vickie Johnson.

``It was a special night,'' Hammon said. ``My teammates did a good job of finding me. They knew I was feeling it.''

Hammon hit another milestone during the game; her fifth 3 of the game put her over the 1,000 career-point mark. She has 1,012 career points.

The Lynx (3-2), who rallied in the second half in all of their victories this year, went on a 19-6 run to trim a 15-point deficit to 57-55.

Katie Smith led the Lynx with 12 points. Her 3-pointer with 4:41 to play brought Minnesota within two.

``We knew we were capable of making a run, but that's not a situation we want to be in,'' Smith said.

The Lynx had three possessions with a chance to tie or take the lead, but couldn't convert. Then Teresa Weatherspoon made a layup and Hammon hit two free throws to restore a six-point lead.

Things went so well for Hammon that she scored the Liberty's final basket by releasing the ball from her hip while falling down.

``On a night like tonight, if I pass up a shot, they'd be screaming at me,'' Hammon said.
Minnesota missed its first 13 attempts from 3-point range before Smith connected with 10:22 left in the second half. The Lynx finished 4-for-24 from 3-point range.

The Lynx got a big lift off the bench from Shaunzinski Gortman and Lynn Pride, both of whom escaped serious injury in a car accident Thursday. The two combined for 11 second-half points despite admitting to having soreness in their necks after the wreck, which totaled their rented SUV.

``I was really anxious to get out there to take my mind off it,'' Pride said.< ^Notes:@ Johnson missed her second consecutive game with a strained right calf. ... Weatherspoon started her WNBA-record 189th consecutive game. She has started every game in Liberty history. ... Smith needs one more 3-pointer for 300 all-time, a WNBA record.



Hammon scores 28 off the bench to lead Liberty
6-10-03
http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/recap?gameId=230610009

NEW YORK (AP) -- Becky Hammon seems to say all the right things, and her coach listens.

Hammon came off the bench to score 28 points in leading the New York Liberty past the Cleveland Rockers 73-65 Tuesday night.

"Obviously, it was another Becky Hammon show,'' coach Richie Adubato said. "She said the rims looked like oceans after she warmed up. I'll always go when Becky tells me that.''
Hammon hit a 3-pointer coming off a screen with 6:46 left that gave New York the lead for good. It was the third time in five games Hammon has led the Liberty in scoring, but Adubato insists he likes the guard's scoring off the bench, and Hammon herself isn't lobbying for a different role.

"I'm not concerned with it at all. I have a lot of respect for the people in this organization. It's not even an issue,'' said Hammon, who grinned when recalling her pregame statements. "That was a shooter talking.''

Tari Phillips had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Liberty (3-2).

Chasity Melvin had a season-high 16 points and nine rebounds, and Helen Darling and Lucienne Berthieu each scored 10 for Cleveland (3-2), which shot just 35 percent.
Cleveland started the second half with a 7-0 run and Berthieu's pair of free throws put the Rockers up 46-38 with 11:44 left, but Hammon and fellow reserves Elena Baranova and Kristen Sharp brought the Liberty back.

"That's everybody's job coming off the bench -- to provide energy,'' Hammon said. "Whenever we play defense, we're going to win.''

Hammon then hit two 3-pointers and converted two three-point plays during a 5:15 stretch, as New York went on a 12-0 run to secure the win.

"She's been incredible,'' Cleveland coach Dan Hughes said of Hammon. "She came down and made plays time and time again.''

Cleveland went 6:14 without scoring until Merlakia Jones hit one of two free throws with 2:41 left. Penny Taylor's quick 3-pointer with 1:03 left cut New York's lead to 65-61, but Cleveland had was forced to foul and the Liberty held on.

Sharp finished with eight points and Baranova had six points, eight rebounds and three blocks.



Hammon a Handful for Foes
6-17-03
http://espn.go.com/wnba/columns/lieberman/1569658.html

By Nancy Lieberman
Special to ESPN.com

New York has always been a perennial power in the East. The Liberty have one of the league's best coaches on their bench and four former all-stars on their roster.



Becky Hammon comes off the bench to average 17 points, which ranks seventh in the league.


But reserve guard Becky Hammon also deserves a nod for her part in keeping the Liberty in the limelight.

Hammon, a 5-foot-6 guard and five-year veteran, is averaging 17.3 points, which ranks seventh in the WNBA, in 26.4 minutes per game. Hammon also tops the league in efficiency, ranking first (25.7) in points per 40 minutes.
Considering she rarely sneaks inside for a layup, Hammon's 55.2 percent accuracy from the field is most incredible. More than half (32) of her 58 shots from the field are from 3-point range. Hammon also ranks fifth in 3-pointers made (14) and free-throw percentage (96.3).

Hammon has been a fan-favorite and a valuable reserve in New York since the Liberty signed her as a free agent out of Colorado State in 1999. (Hammon has to be one of the greatest free-agent pickups in the league, and kudos once again to Carol Blazejowski, who picked the right woman for the right team.) For the past few years, Hammon and Sue Wicks were New York's only true weapons off the bench; Wicks came in to bolster the defense, while Hammon was expected to generate an offensive spark.
But after starting 16 games and averaging 26.1 minutes in 2000, coach Richie Adubato reportedly wasn't happy with Hammon's defense. In the past two seasons combined, she started just one game and averaged about 20 minutes.

Hammon, however, is back on track this season, and has truly been turning heads this month. On June 6, she netted a career-high 33 points in a 70-60 win over Minnesota. That's more points than Lisa Leslie has ever scored in a WNBA game (32) and ties Sheryl Swoopes' top scoring effort.

Hammon's mentality is the key. She's not only very smart, but a gym rat, too, and a student of the game. She's fearless, brings so much energy and is unafraid to get physical. As a 1 or 2, Hammon also understands the angles and can be very deceptive with her dribble.

More than anything, Hammon is a perfect example of quality over quantity, that it doesn't matter how many minutes you play, but how you play those minutes. Hammon really maximizes her time on the court, and at times is reminiscent of Jackie Stiles in college (remember how the former Southwest Missouri State All-American could score 30 points on just 14 or 15 shots?).

Smart players find ways to score in a variety of ways, and Hammon, who has scored more than 1,000 points in the WNBA despite starting just 19 games, is no exception. She can stretch the defense, but also is smart enough to push the ball past it and attack the rim to get to the foul line, too.

In 35 minutes against Minnesota on June 6, for example, Hammon was 12-for-16 from the field, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range, and 3-for-3 at the line in her second start of the year (in place of injured Vickie Johnson). Hammon was 5-for-9 from the field, including 3 of 6 from downtown, and 4-for-4 at the foul line off the bench in Tuesday's win over Sacramento.

Hammon is especially good at reading screens. New York has been running "tap the head" for her for years. Off that high screen, Hammon can go either way, sometimes off a crossover dribble and sometimes behind her back. She's smart enough and feisty enough to get by the defense, and when she can't, she whips a pass right to the hole that might leave you scratching your head.

Like reserve Betty Lennox in Cleveland, Hammon could start for some teams in the league. Instead, she is the consummate role player in New York and is producing career numbers across the board.

And in the end, Hammon really has come a long way since entering the WNBA. In her first season, she averaged just 2.7 points and 6.7 minutes. Not many players have increased their average by 14 or 15 points in this league.

The best, however, is probably still to come. We haven't seen the best of Becky yet. It'll be interesting to see what she might do if she's consistently seeing 30-35 minutes a night.

But regardless of how many minutes she gets, Hammon is just fun to watch on the court. Every player in the league should be lucky enough to have Hammon beside her. And if I were voting for the All-Stars, she might just qualify as a write-in candidate.

WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon signs to play with Russia during Beijing Olympics

The ESPN one
Hammon's Olympic dream puts her in Russian uniform

Rapid City Journal
Hammon defends decision to play for Russia in Olympics

Denver Post
Hammon gets heat for jump to Russia

Found some 2005 Colorado Chill stuff, champs!

A Rebkell topic on the Chill.

This was interesting! BeckyTrice!?!
Becky 2005

and here are Becky's stats for 2005 Colorado Chill - their championship season!

and top performer stats for the league for that same 2005 season, cool! You will see Becky and Ruth's names alot.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Colorado Wins NWBL Title Over Dallas Friday, April 01, 2005

-------------------------------------------

Becky Hammon Wins MVP With 31 Points

LOVELAND, Colo. - Everyone who has followed the National Women?s Basketball League (NWBL) this season knew that Friday night?s championship game between Dallas and Colorado would be a dogfight, and the team?s didn?t disappoint.

Colorado was able to escape with a 77-70 victory over the Dallas Fury.

The game was physical from the beginning with each team collecting fouls early and often, the trend continued in the second half. With 5:05 remaining in the game, Dallas?s frustration began to show as La?Neisha Caufield committed a hard foul on a Becky Hammon drive. Caufield was called for the intentional foul on the play to give Hammon two free throws and the ball on the side.

After the hard foul by Dallas, Colorado would stretch the lead from 15 to 19 points, it?s biggest of the game.

Minutes earlier on a fast break by Hammon and Katie Cronin, Anna DeForge took out both players with a physical play resulting in a 3-point opportunity. Hammon converted the chance for Colorado.

The game that featured the league?s number one scorer in Hammon and the number two scorer in DeForge turned into a defensive battle, as both teams clamped down on the defensive end.

Hammon had the better game of the two as she finished with a game-high 31 points. With her effort of 31 points, six assists and three rebounds in the game, Hammon wrapped up her second most valuable player award of the season. She also won the MVP award for the 2005 NWBL All-Star Game held in February.

DeForge struggled all night long from the field as she finished just 7-of-21 from the field, good for 19 points. Much of her struggles on the offensive end were contributed to the stellar defense played by Cronin. Cronin held DeForge to just 1-of-8 shooting from the floor in the first half. Four of DeForge?s seven field goals came in the final four minutes when Colorado had the game in hand.

The only other players to score in double-figures for the Chill was Cronin, who finished with 19 points, and Erin Scholz who scored 10 points in just 13 minutes. Ruth Riley also had a solid game as she ended the night with nine points and 10 rebounds. She was one of three players to play all 40 minutes in the game for Colorado. Hammon and Cronin were the others.

Jia Perkins and Joanne Aluka scored 13 points a piece for the Fury, and Caufield added 10 points of her own.

With the win, Colorado won the 2005 NWBL Championship of the Americas, something they missed by just one game last season. Dallas defeated the Chill by four-points to win last season?s championship game, which was held in Dallas.

http://boards.rebkell.net/viewtopic....ht=becky+chill

WOOHOO...Becky will play in the 2008 ASG ;D

Becky to play as European in 2008 ASG

[shrrew]

Here's a mention of Becky's party dancing abilities in cowboy boots...

Simoine barking in the yard:

http://yardbarker.com/wnba/articles/..._before/250494

[Rowdy]

Athlete of the Week: Stephanie Kramer '08 Track and Field
Ashlee Thatcher
Issue date: 5/2/08

8. Who is your favorite athlete and why?

Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars. She's surpassed expectations time and time again and the heart and intensity with which she plays is infectious. Watching her is awesome; she's a great shooter and one of the most creative passers in the game.




http://media.www.lawrentian.com/medi...-3356111.shtml

New Orleans 08: Becky Hammon breaks Guinness World Record

?Big Shot? Becky lives up to her name as she breaks the free throw record in New Orleans.

We knew she was good. We just didn?t know she was that good. This All-Star weekend brought out the best in all of the ballers that came to town. Not only did they take the opportunity to help rebuild NOLA through court dedications in local neighborhoods and by building new homes throughout the city, but they also took a little time out to have some fun. Guinness World Records challenged NBA and WNBA stars to see if they can top some of the greatest records ever set in the game.

Becky Hammon stepped up to the challenge in the free throw category, looking to break the record for the most free throws made in a minute. With all New Orleans supporting her she crushed it, posting up an amazing 38 buckets from the charity stripe.

Also, in Saturday night?s events, she teamed up with San Antonio ballers from past and present to win the Shooting Stars competition. The challenge required three-person teams made up of an current NBA player, a WNBA player and a former NBA great, all from the same city. They had to make a total of six shots from different points on the court with the final one a massive toss from mid-court.

[li'lmosquito]

I found this while browsing for Becky's pictures.


Becky Hammon, point guard, CSKA

God has a plan for me. I believe that with all my heart, because I?ve seen too many things happen in my life where something bigger than me has been at work.

I grew up watching my dad play in city leagues and church leagues. When I started playing, it was mostly against boys, and that?s one reason that I?ve always played above my level. Playing against opponents who were physically stronger helped develop my creativity, which came in handy later. I?ve never wondered whether I was good at basketball or not. When you?re good, people don?t hesitate to tell you.

After Colorado State, where I had a great college career, I went off to New York for a tryout with the Liberty. I was given almost no chance of making the team, since I?m only five-foot-six, and that?s pretty small for a ballplayer. People are always giving me a million reasons why I can?t do something, but I never listen. What happened? I packed my bags for 2 weeks and wound up staying 8 years!

A few months ago, CSKA contacted my agent about bringing me over here. I was looking to make a change, and I?d heard that the team treated its players really well, so it was an easy choice.

European basketball is very different from the WNBA. The Europeans are great shooters, great passers. There?s more teamwork, too. Back home, the game is all about speed and physicality.

There?s a language barrier here, of course. But it?s not that much of a problem on the court, because basketball is pretty non-verbal. Everywhere else, it?s a lot tougher. One of my goals is to eventually learn Russian.

I drive myself around. Living in New York prepares you for Moscow drivers. But there are only a few places I know how to get to: home, the stadium, and the grocery store are pretty much it. I?ve been to a few clubs with the girls from the team, but all in all, I?m a homebody. After 8 years, I?ve seen and done everything. Now I just want to play ball.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_9641092

Hammon diversifies her game

[Rowdy]

A star switching teams isn't unusual in the WNBA, either. San Antonio guard Becky Hammon played eight years in New York before being traded to San Antonio last year. Hammon said Swoopes can expect a wave of bittersweet feelings.

"When I first went back to New York, I got a warm welcome from the fans, and it was a little sad for a minute because I had so many good memories there," Hammon said. "Sheryl is going to go through those same feelings, I bet."

But Hammon expects Swoopes to show a little fire, too.

"Sheryl is such a competitor anyway," she said. "You get the added motivation when it's in front of your old teammates and coaches and fans. You want to play at the top of your game."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...s/5837245.html

(This was a bit older article, if already posted, please delete )

[Rowdy]

Pretty good Becky and the Olympics article written by a 22-year-old.


http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v...yID=13281&on=1

Mercury guard Kelly Miller can sympathize with Becky Hammon.

She is aware that the criticism the San Antonio guard has received due to her decision to play for Russia in the upcoming Olympics could very well have been directed at her.

Like Hammon, Miller plays in Russia during the WNBA offseason, and the two Americans are naturalized citizens. Needing an upgrade at point guard for the Beijing Games, Russia took advantage of a FIBA rule that allows one naturalized citizen per team and narrowed its choice to Hammon, Miller and Detroit's Deanna Nolan.

While the decision to go with Hammon was made during the Russian league season, if she had been sidelinded for any reason, Miller knows she could have been next in line.

"It would have been a tough decision. Fortunately, I didn't have to make it," Miller said Monday.

Suiting up for a country other than your homeland for the Olympics is not a revolutionary practice. Nigerian-born center Hakeem Olajuwon played for the United States at the 1996 Games, and several members of the Greek baseball and women's soccer teams at the 2004 Athens Games were Americans.

Several coaches have also switched alliances. Herb Brooks, who engineered the "Miracle on Ice," coached France at the 1994 Winter Games, and former NBA coach Del Harris led the Chinese men's basketball team in 2004.

But the attention Hammon, who is from Rapid City, S.D., has received is unprecedented.

"I'm sure she didn't realize what the controversy would be like when she decided to play," Miller said. "I think she's playing because she wants to go to the Olympics. People are making it more of big deal than it needs to be."

One of those people is Team USA coach Anne Donovan, who left the 31-year-old Hammon off the original list of 23 players being considered for the national squad.

"If you play in this country, live in this country and you grow up in the heartland and you put on a Russian uniform, you are not a patriotic person in my mind," Donovan, who was on the U.S. team that won gold in 1984 and '88, told ESPN.

Hammon, the league MVP runner-up last season, responded by telling USA Today, "I'm not giving weight to untruths in regards to me."

For the most part, though, Hammon said the American public has been supportive. That includes U.S. Olympians and Mercury players Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter.

"Becky and I are pretty good friends. Overseas we talked about it a lot," said Taurasi, who also plays in Russia in the offseason. "She's comfortable with the decision and that's all that matters. ... As long as she feels good about it, then good for her."

"I think it probably came down to a lot of things," Pondexter said, "financial stuff more than anything. You just have to respect that. It's not like we're in America making millions and millions of dollars."

But overseas, women can. Because she has never competed for the United States in international play and has a Russian passport, Hammon doesn't count against the Russian league rule that allows only two Americans per team. And that does wonders for her bank account. Hammon recently signed a four-year contract reportedly worth more than $2 million, six times what she makes in the WNBA.

"We're all capitalist in this world - I'm all for it," Taurasi said.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/120810

[baker10]

this article if pretty funny! silly.

Kenny Mayne tries to learn the rules of international basketball in time to interview Becky Hammon

KM: Where in South Dakota did you grow up?
BH: Rapid City.
KM: Is that just a constant party?
BH: Constant. If there's one thing people associate with Rapid City, it's partying.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3493753

[Rowdy]

Kenny Mayne tries to learn rules of international basketball before interviewingn Becky Hammon.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3493753

KM: You're playing for Russia in the Olympics. Why not Spain? Or Ecuador?
BH: Well, my Spanish is better than my Russian. But when the WNBA season ends and I leave San Antonio I'll be playing on a Russian club team for the next three years.
KM: So because you're playing over there, you qualify to be on their national team?
BH: Yes. They're getting me dual citizenship, and a passport.
KM: We're on friendlier terms with them, but we'll have to see if we're true friends …
BH: Well, we need to be if we want cheap oil. My goal is to make the cost of oil drop.

Kenny Mayne has written a book video - shows a bit of who he is.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...68630#24968630

Originally Posted by Rowdy

Kenny Mayne tries to learn rules of international basketball before interviewingn Becky Hammon.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3493753






Kenny Mayne has written a book video - shows a bit of who he is.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...68630#24968630

Thanks!!! That ESPN interview is HILARIOUS!!