March 25, 2017
New York, NY,-The WNBPA issued the following statement in support of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team:
“The Women’s National Basketball Players Association believes strongly in the power of unity and encourages all female hockey players to stick together. Their common goal should be that only elite level players hit the ice on behalf of USA Hockey.”
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NEW YORK, NY – Women’s National Basketball Players Association Director of Operations Terri Jackson announced the results of all five of its Executive Committee positions of leadership. Nnemkadi Ogwumike was elected President, Layshia Clarendon elected as First Vice President, Monique Currie and Chiney Ogwumike, to the offices of Vice President; and Monica Wright as Secretary-Treasurer.
“We are thrilled about our new Executive Committee,” said Jackson. “I believe we have a group of women who are committed to leading and representing the collective voice of a diverse membership.”
Ogwumike, of the Los Angeles Sparks and former WNBPA Vice President, was elected to the office of President after running unopposed. “I am looking forward to serving as Executive Committee President and having a voice that will be heard, while representing, collaborating with, and leading our players’ union,” said Ogwumike. Her term as President will last three years, per the WNBPA’s Constitution and Bylaws. Ogwumike was recently named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2016 season and is set to play in the deciding game five of the WNBA Finals this Thursday against the Minnesota Lynx in Minnesota.
Clarendon will serve as the Executive Committee’s First Vice President. This Office also carries a three-year term. In her first four years in the league, Clarendon has been a Player Representative for both the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream. “I am looking forward to serving the women in our league as a voice that represents the varied backgrounds and needs of all of us,” said Clarendon.
Joining Ogwumike and Clarendon on the Executive Committee, are ten-year WNBA veteran Currie; and former Rookie of the Year and Ogwumike’s younger sister, Chiney Ogwumike, to the offices of Vice President; and Wright as Secretary-Treasurer. Wright won WNBA titles as a member of the Minnesota Lynx (2011 and 2013) and currently plays for the Seattle Storm.
WNBPA Executive Committee offices opened following the retirements of Tamika Catchings (President), Swin Cash (First Vice President), and Jayne Appel Marinelli (Secretary-Treasurer), and after the two-year terms for both Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Vice President) and Tanisha Wright (Vice President) expired.
“I would like to thank Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Jayne Appel Marinelli and Tanisha Wright for their service on our Executive Committee,” said Jackson. “Their contributions to the Union have been instrumental in our growth and we will be forever grateful.”
WNBPA DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS TERRI JACKSON’S STATEMENT ON THE WITHDRAWAL OF WNBA FINES
NEW YORK, NY-“We are pleased that the WNBA has made the decision to rescind the fines the league handed down to the players on the Fever, Liberty and Mercury. We look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with the league to ensure that the players’ desire to express themselves will continue to be supported.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 28, 2016
NEW YORK, NY-Women’s National Basketball Players Association Director of Operations Terri Carmichael Jackson released the following statement on the passing of Hall of Fame Coach Pat Summitt:
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Pat Summitt. Pat will not only be remembered as one of the greatest coaches of all-time in any sport, but as a leader, teacher, mentor and friend. Her legacy will continue to live on through the countless number of players, coaches, students and fans she has touched. We send our prayers and condolences to the Summitt family and the University of Tennessee community at this difficult time.”
KNOXVILLE,TN – SEPTEMBER 05, 2008 – Portrait of Head Coach Pat Summitt with all eight of her NCAA National Championship Trophies at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Tennessee Athletics
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The Women’s National Basketball Players Association Executive Committee announced today that Terri Carmichael Jackson has been named Director of Operations. In her new role, Jackson will be responsible for WNBPA board relations, executive leadership and management, financial governance, and stakeholder outreach.
“We are excited to welcome Terri to the WNBPA team,” said Executive Committee President Tamika Catchings. “She brings extraordinary leadership skills and a wealth of knowledge that will be essential in continuing the growth of the WNBPA.”
Jackson comes to the WNBPA after spending the last four years with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in Indianapolis, most recently serving as the Director of Law, Policy and Governance. In this role, she was the primary contact and staff support to university chancellors, presidents and athletics administrators who comprised the Association’s highest governing body, the NCAA Board of Governors. Jackson also worked with all divisions of governance (Divisions I, II, III) and association-wide committees to ensure consistency of process and strategic coordination in legislative and policy matters.
Jackson also served as the Associate Director for the NCAA’s Office of the Committees on Infractions (COI), where she led the training for members of the Division I and II Committees on Infractions on NCAA enforcement reform. In addition, she was responsible for spearheading the Division I COI membership expansion and outreach initiatives during the first phase of expansion.
Prior to her time at the NCAA, Jackson served as Legal Counsel for Athletics and, later, Assistant General Counsel and FOIA Officer for the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). At UDC, she worked closely with NCAA Athletic Department senior staff on Title IX Compliance, student-athlete welfare, NCAA rules education and corporate sponsorship agreements.
Jackson has also taught courses on Women in Sport at American University, Trinity University, University of the Incarnate Word and Tulane University.
A native of Metuchen, New Jersey, Jackson earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University. Jackson and her husband, Jaren, have one son, Jaren Jr.
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NEW YORK, NY – Women’s National Basketball Players Association Director of Operations Terri Jackson announced the results of all five of its Executive Committee positions of leadership. Nnemkadi Ogwumike was elected President, Layshia Clarendon elected as First Vice President, Monique Currie and Chiney Ogwumike, to the offices of Vice President; and Monica Wright as Secretary-Treasurer.
“We are thrilled about our new Executive Committee,” said Jackson. “I believe we have a group of women who are committed to leading and representing the collective voice of a diverse membership.”
Ogwumike, of the Los Angeles Sparks and former WNBPA Vice President, was elected to the office of President after running unopposed. “I am looking forward to serving as Executive Committee President and having a voice that will be heard, while representing, collaborating with, and leading our players’ union,” said Ogwumike. Her term as President will last three years, per the WNBPA’s Constitution and Bylaws. Ogwumike was recently named the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2016 season and is set to play in the deciding game five of the WNBA Finals this Thursday against the Minnesota Lynx in Minnesota.
Clarendon will serve as the Executive Committee’s First Vice President. This Office also carries a three-year term. In her first four years in the league, Clarendon has been a Player Representative for both the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream. “I am looking forward to serving the women in our league as a voice that represents the varied backgrounds and needs of all of us,” said Clarendon.
Joining Ogwumike and Clarendon on the Executive Committee, are ten-year WNBA veteran Currie; and former Rookie of the Year and Ogwumike’s younger sister, Chiney Ogwumike, to the offices of Vice President; and Wright as Secretary-Treasurer. Wright won WNBA titles as a member of the Minnesota Lynx (2011 and 2013) and currently plays for the Seattle Storm.
WNBPA Executive Committee offices opened following the retirements of Tamika Catchings (President), Swin Cash (First Vice President), and Jayne Appel Marinelli (Secretary-Treasurer), and after the two-year terms for both Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Vice President) and Tanisha Wright (Vice President) expired.
“I would like to thank Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Jayne Appel Marinelli and Tanisha Wright for their service on our Executive Committee,” said Jackson. “Their contributions to the Union have been instrumental in our growth and we will be forever grateful.”
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association Executive Committee announced today that Terri Carmichael Jackson has been named Director of Operations. In her new role, Jackson will be responsible for WNBPA board relations, executive leadership and management, financial governance, and stakeholder outreach.
“We are excited to welcome Terri to the WNBPA team,” said Executive Committee President Tamika Catchings. “She brings extraordinary leadership skills and a wealth of knowledge that will be essential in continuing the growth of the WNBPA.”
Jackson comes to the WNBPA after spending the last four years with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in Indianapolis, most recently serving as the Director of Law, Policy and Governance. In this role, she was the primary contact and staff support to university chancellors, presidents and athletics administrators who comprised the Association’s highest governing body, the NCAA Board of Governors. Jackson also worked with all divisions of governance (Divisions I, II, III) and association-wide committees to ensure consistency of process and strategic coordination in legislative and policy matters.
Jackson also served as the Associate Director for the NCAA’s Office of the Committees on Infractions (COI), where she led the training for members of the Division I and II Committees on Infractions on NCAA enforcement reform. In addition, she was responsible for spearheading the Division I COI membership expansion and outreach initiatives during the first phase of expansion.
Prior to her time at the NCAA, Jackson served as Legal Counsel for Athletics and, later, Assistant General Counsel and FOIA Officer for the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). At UDC, she worked closely with NCAA Athletic Department senior staff on Title IX Compliance, student-athlete welfare, NCAA rules education and corporate sponsorship agreements.
Jackson has also taught courses on Women in Sport at American University, Trinity University, University of the Incarnate Word and Tulane University.
A native of Metuchen, New Jersey, Jackson earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University. Jackson and her husband, Jaren, have one son, Jaren Jr.
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WNBPA.com recently sat down with professional basketball player Lindsey Harding, a pioneer who’s making basketball history by breaking into NBA coaching. Find out more about her recent coaching experience, her coaching mentors, the impact she’s had thus far and what’s ahead for the eight-year WNBA vet:
Q: The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where you served as a Guest Assistant Coach for the Toronto Raptors, recently wrapped up. Talk about the role you played…
A: Coach Casey, the Raptors head coach, talked to me about how defense was going to be their main focus at summer league (and definitely will be this upcoming season as well). He really wanted me to focus on that and learn their terminology so I could reiterate everything they wanted to do. A lot of the guys are so young – rookies, first-year, maybe second-year – so he wanted me to be able to help teach them the defense.
But I wasn’t restricted just to that, especially during practices. Any time I saw something, I had the freedom to actually stop a practice and speak up, which was great. I also participated in a lot of the drills. We did a lot of shell drills and transition drills, and they weren’t shy about asking me to get in there and play with those guys a little bit. It was a lot of fun!
Q: As the first female to serve on the Raptors coaching staff, what type of reception did you get from the players and even the other coaches?
A: It was awesome from the start. On the very, very first day when all of us coaches met each other, and then the players came in, we went around the room and introduced ourselves. When it got to me, I told them that while I’m looking to the future, I’m currently still playing overseas and that I played in the WNBA for eight years. And it was really cool because after I spoke, Coach Casey said, “Guys, I want you to understand that she’s here for a reason. There’s a lot that she can teach you, and she wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think that we could benefit from this.” It was great to hear that before anything started. The respect was there from the head coach all the way down to every assistant and all the players. There was no hesitation whatsoever. Anything I had to say or thought or contribute was definitely taken equally.
Q: What did you find to be the biggest challenge?
A: At the beginning, it was the uncertainty of everything. I’m wondering how people are going to take this. Is it going to be different? Will they be respectful? It wasn’t just me coming into a new situation. These guys had never been coached by a woman before. But after that first day, I was really comfortable. I know the game, I understand it…and I knew I belonged there.
There are a few differences from what I’m used to, like how they play above the rim, which is new to me. And then there are things like letting them change before I go in to the locker room! The coaches are in there, they’re writing on the board, guys are changing. And when the guys are finished changing, it’s kind of like, “Hey Lindsey, we’re ready!” Other than that, basketball is basketball.
Q: How would you describe your coaching style?
A: I’m a motivator. It’s not just a coaching style, but how I know the game and how I play the game. In my position as a point guard, I always try to motivate my teammates. And I was trying to do the same with these guys. There are some players who came out there and played right away the majority of the game. And then you have players out of college who are used to playing all the time and might not even get enough reps in practice. As a coach, how do I keep these guys motivated and focused on their goals in such a short time? It’s still new for me and I’m still trying to find my place, see what fits and what doesn’t fit. But I am a positive person, and it’s fun to help them find that fire and motivation.
Q: Who are some of your coaching mentors?
A: I don’t have one specific coaching mentor. But last year I went to a coaching convention in Chicago and that’s where this all really got started. I got in contact with Rick Carlisle (who was kind of running it and hosting it) through Warren LeGarie. He encouraged me to come to the conference. I went and had great conversations with Rick and met so many coaches. I saw Jason Kidd, who has always been someone I can contact with anything. He’s another one who was very open to this and told me if I had any questions that he’d be there to help me. And same with Nick Nurse, who’s an assistant with the Raptors. There have been several coaches that have been very welcoming and open to the idea of giving women an opportunity.
Q: Do you feel that women pursuing coaching positions will always have something more to prove? What does the future look like?
A: We’re women in this society and that’s kind of how it works, especially when you’re trying to break into a little bit of a boy’s club, if you will. We have female NBA refs, like Violet Palmer and Lauren Holtkamp, and they have to be completely on top of their game all the time because they are under a magnifying glass.
Becky Hammon had a magnifying glass on her and she performed beautifully and handled herself extremely well. You talk about a coach I look up to, that’s one right there. I look up to her as a player and I definitely look up to her as a coach. It’s her demeanor and the way she handles herself. I keep using the word demeanor, but you have to have a certain kind of demeanor to get these guys’ trust. If they don’t trust you, then you’re not going to get any respect.
I definitely think the opportunity is there for women, and hopefully coaching continues to be part of my future.
Q: What does it feel like to be making basketball history?
A: I was at one of many functions during the NBA Summer League, and a front-office executive from an NBA team came up to me and said, “I just want to say thank you to you. I have daughters and I want my daughters to be able to do what their daddy does. They can look at you now and see that a woman is doing something in a ‘man’s profession.’” That kind of stuck with me because I’m doing something that I enjoy and can continue to learn and believe I can be pretty good at. And to hear something like that, to see the kind of effect that I’ve had in a short time…it’s just great.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Well, I actually just got back from speaking at Camp Olympia, a youth sports camp in Toronto. A lot of NBA and WNBA players have gone up there to speak to the kids. And now I’m in Los Angeles to help work out the Raptors players out here. I’m continuing to do different things to get my feet wet and gain experience. Plus, this is what I would be doing if I were coaching.
As for the future, I’m heading back overseas in September to play. But I plan to use my breaks and offseason time to gain some more coaching experience, learn and grow, make new contacts, stay relevant. I still love the game of basketball and I’m still playing. I was told once by a great man to “get all the music out before you step on the other side.” I’m still a player as of now, but I want to be ready for coaching whenever I do finish playing this game.
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As 6-time WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon continues to make basketball history – most recently by becoming the first woman to coach a team in the NBA Summer League – she’s also blazing a trail for other WNBA vets seeking an opportunity to lead from the sidelines.
And this year’s NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is proof of that. Tune in to a Toronto Raptors game, and you’ll see the first overall pick of the 2007 WNBA Draft Lindsey Harding in the coach’s huddle. And if you catch a Sacramento Kings match-up, you can’t miss Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman right in the thick of the coaching action.
From all of us at the WNBPA, congratulations to Becky, Lindsey and Nancy on helping to break basketball barriers one coaching position at a time!
There has been some speculation, which I wish to put to rest, as to whether the WNBPA plans to appeal the seven game suspensions issued by the WNBA to Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson as the result of a domestic incident that took place at their home in Goodyear, Arizona on April 22, 2015.
There is a significant segment of WNBA players who feel that, while a suspension may have been warranted, a suspension of seven games (20% of the season) is excessive and inappropriate for each player in these circumstances. As the union representing all WNBA players, for whom this suspension, left unchallenged, would have precedential effect, we feel there are sufficient grounds for an appeal challenging the length of these suspensions, including the fact this was a first time incident for both players, the current legal status of this matter, prior precedents in this and other sports leagues, and the significant economic impact suspensions of this length yield in the WNBA. Under the collective bargaining agreement, however, the union cannot appeal without the approval of the player who received the discipline.
We are still in discussions with Glory, Brittney and their representatives to determine how they wish to proceed in light of their own personal situations and the concerns of other WNBA players.
–Evie Goldstein, Director of Operations, WNBPA
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