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NBA Continues To Open Doors For Women

Published

10 years ago

October 10, 2015

Sacramento, CA – Becky Hammon made headlines last year when she became the first woman hired as a NBA assistant coach. This summer she became the first ever woman to coach the NBA Summer League in Vegas. Hammond also led the San Antonio Spurs to win the Summer League Championship. This season another phenomenal woman joins the elite league.

Former WNBA player and coach Nancy Lieberman was hired this summer to help out during summer league with Sacramento Kings. Head coach George Karl was so impressed, he decided to bring her back for the season. Lieberman becomes the second woman hired as an assistant coach since Hammon was hired in 2014.

“I thought about this 12 or 13 years ago,” said Karl. “I remember in Milwaukee I had list of ladies that I was thinking about interviewing and hiring. I just never got down that road. I’m glad it’s opening up a window, I think its going to gradually grow. There’s definitely a lot of positives to it.”

Thursday night both ladies had the opportunity to catch up when both their teams faced each other in a preseason game. The Kings took advantage of a Spurs team who were without their starters and head coach Gregg Popovich. They beat San Antonio 95-92 with both women on opposing benches.

Photo by Antonio Ray

Hammon enters her second season as an assistant coach and does not want to talk about opening the door for Lieberman. Both women who were elite players in the WNBA are humbled to be apart of the NBA as coaches but their path to success is more than just being a woman on the bench.

“Let me correct you real quick,” Hammon said. “Nancy and the older players opened doors for me a long time ago to get the WNBA established, so I’m really riding what other women did for me to be here. If there was no WNBA which she [Lieberman] fought so hard to get for my generation, I wouldn’t here today.”

The the success for both Hammon and Lieberman began with the WNBA, a women’s counterpart to the NBA. The journey wasn’t easy but as a whole the league and players earned their respect. The opportunity to crossover may not be for everyone but it’s a opportunity for the elite to embark on path that others may follow.

“We were never in a contest. If Jackie Robinson makes it to major league baseball and if there was no Larry Doby, we have failed,” Lieberman said. “We have won because Becky did open a door and I’m proud of her, not only as my sister and my friend but as a professional. But the real sense of accomplishment in winning is that less than a year later there’s somebody else in the league.”

Photo by Antonio Ray

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was quoted by saying “Whether it’s Becky or another woman, especially when we see the number of young women playing our sport, we see the number of women in the WNBA and we see, increasingly, the number of women who work in the NBA. I think, just like we’ve seen enormous change in our society, just in the last decade, that’s another ceiling, another barrier that will be broken.”

The road to the NBA has not been easy for most but these two women have an exceptional resume. Hammon had an impressive playing career before sustaining an injury. In her time off she began attending Spurs practices. The following year she became an assistant coach. Her knowledge of basketball well exceeds many current head coaches.

Lieberman blazed the trail while being one of the first women playing in the Women’s Pro Basketball League long before the WNBA was established. After retiring as a player Lieberman was hired as a coach and General Manager for the Detroit Shock. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996, and now she’s brings her talent over to the NBA as an assistant coach.

“We didn’t get hired because we’re women, we got hired because we’re qualified,” said Lieberman.

“It’s just basketball. “It’s what we’ve been doing our whole lives,” Hammon said. “We worked tirelessly to become great basketball players. And to be rewarded on the men’s side just shows how far society has come.”

The most important aspect of the job is the players. This league is much younger than the days when both Hammon and Lieberman played basketball. Especially for Lieberman who played professionally with men during her playing days. The goal is to make the players better at every angle and for these two ladies the challenge is welcomed.

“I don’t know if its that big of a deal, said Spurs forward David West. “Everyone knows she’s a good player and has a lot of basketball knowledge. Based on that is why she’s here and not because she’s a lady.

“The pressure is to be a good coach and give back to the guys as much as we can,” said Hammon. “The amazing thing for us is that we get to do what we love. And now make a living at it, at the highest level and that’s really cool.”

“Change is hard and our job is to make it normal. They gave us access and accessibility to make it normal,” Lieberman said.

Oakland Post

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.