Women's College Basketball

Five former players for the Florida Gators women's basketball team have shared details about alleged abuse by former head coach Cam Newbauer.

Per ESPN's John Barr, players said Newbauer routinely belittled and berated players and created a toxic and abusive culture:

Players described a pressure-cooker environment where the slightest misstep during a practice drill or a game could spark fury from their former coach. They said he threw basketballs at players, at one point hitting a player recovering from a torn ACL in her injured leg, made racially insensitive comments and routinely reduced players to tears during profanity-laced tirades.

Haley Lorenzen, who played for the Gators from 2014-18, told Barr that she didn't even pick up a basketball for more than a year after graduating because of her experience with Newbauer. 

"I had the opportunity to play professional basketball," she said. "I had an agent lined up. I even went to the WNBA combine and I got there and I just didn't even want to be there."

Details of the alleged abuse were first made public this week when Zachary Huber of The Independent Florida Alligator, Florida's student newspaper, published a story about Newbauer's history with the program. 

"For him, I felt very, 'You’re only useful to me on the court,'" Sydney Morang told Huber about her experience playing for Newbauer. "'I don’t really care about anything about you or how I treat you other than that.'"

Morang medically retired from basketball during her sophomore season because of a series of concussions. 

According to Barr, Sydney's parents, Frank and Lynn Morang, sent an email to Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin and school president Kent Fuchs in April 2018 that said Newbauer had "cultivated a toxic environment and is not equipped to coach young athletes who are at a crucial point in their development as women."

Current WNBA player Sydney Searcy told Barr that Newbauer would frequently call players "b---hes" and "made racially insensitive comments about the hair and tattoos of several Black players on his team."

Searcy and Mikayla Hayes also recalled witnessing Newbauer tell three Black players on the team to throw away their clothing. 

"He didn't like that they wore baggier or men's clothing, as if they dressed like thugs," Searcy said. "He had them go into the locker room and throw their clothes away. ... As a Black woman I saw the pain and the fear in their eyes."

Hayes noted other times in which Newbauer told a group of players on the Gators team who were gay that he "didn't like the way they looked or how they presented themselves."

Cydnee Kinslow, who played for the Gators as a graduate transfer during the 2020-21 season, told Barr "it was very difficult to play behind someone that we felt was very sexist and homophobic, racist, all those kinds of things."

Kinslow also described Newbauer's treatment toward women as "outrageous."

Newbauer was hired as head coach of the Florida women's team in March 2017. He spent the previous four years in the same position at Belmont. 

The school announced on June 1 that Newbauer's contract had been extended through the 2024-25 season. The 43-year-old announced his resignation on July 16, citing personal reasons. 

Despite no mention of the allegations by the school at the time of Newbauer's resignation, Florida issued a statement on Monday in the wake of Huber's reporting (via Barr):

There were concerns brought to our attention. Each time, additional information was sought, and these concerns were addressed directly with Cam as we required corrective actions and outlined clear expectations of behavior moving forward. Ultimately, we did not see the required improvements, and following discussions with Coach Newbauer he made the decision to resign.

Kelly Rae Finley, who was an assistant under Newbauer for the past four seasons, was promoted to interim head coach for the 2021-22 season. 

The NCAA announced Wednesday that the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship tournament will begin using March Madness branding during the upcoming event in 2022.

While the NCAA men's basketball tournament has been referred to as March Madness for many years, that wasn't the case for the women's tourney until now.

The NCAA noted that the decision was made after a "comprehensive external review of gender equity issues in connection with NCAA championships."

Lynn Holzman, the NCAA vice president of women's basketball, explained how the March Madness branding will be beneficial to women's basketball:

"Women's basketball has grown tremendously over the past several years, and we remain focused on our priority of enhancing and growing the game. The brand recognition that March Madness carries will broaden marketing opportunities as we continue that work to elevate the women's basketball championship."

Additionally, Chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee Lisa Campos discussed what the move means for women's basketball and collegiate women's athletics in general:

"This is just the start when it comes to improving gender equity in the way the two Division I basketball championships are conducted. Adding the March Madness trademark to the Division I Women's Basketball Championship will enhance the development and public perception of the sport, and the oversight committee looks forward to its work to address other recommendations through the governance structure to continue those efforts." 

The Division I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee played a significant role in the March Madness branding extending to women's basketball by voting unanimously in favor of it.

Much was made about the equity gap between the men's and women's basketball tournaments last year, especially after Oregon player Sedona Prince showed the differences between the weight rooms provided to the players during the tournaments:

The NCAA came under fire as a result and made some changes in an effort to make things more equal. NCAA Vice President for Basketball Dan Gavitt also apologized for the NCAA making the gaffe in the first place, saying:

"We have intentionally organized basketball under one umbrella, with the goal of consistency and collaboration. When we fall short of these expectations, that's on me.

"I apologize to women's basketball student-athletes, to the coaches, to the women's basketball committee for dropping the ball, frankly, on the weight-room issue in San Antonio. We'll get it fixed as soon as possible."

The Women's Final Four will be played in Minneapolis from April 1-3, 2022, and games throughout the tournament will air on ESPN and its related networks.

Meanwhile, the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament will conclude with the National Championship Game in New Orleans on April 4, 2022.

Former Florida women's basketball coach Cam Newbauer is the subject of allegations he verbally abused his players and staffers, made racist remarks and threw basketballs at players.

Zachary Huber of the Independent Florida Alligator spoke to multiple players about their experiences with Newbauer, who resigned in July.

"Practices under Newbauer evolved into a toxic environment as Florida struggled to win games," Huber wrote. "[Sydney] Morang noticed his tone changed, how he screamed in players’ faces and yelled at assistant coaches from across the court."

Athletic director Scott Stricklin addressed the allegations and said that "at times during Coach Newbauer's tenure there were concerns brought to our attention." Stricklin added that Newbauer's resignation came after the university "did not see the required improvements":

Cydnee Kinslow, who played for the Gators as a graduate transfer in 2020-21, said Newbauer "would make [players] cry."

"Push until they cried, whatever it was, like, he tried," she said to Huber. "There's a breaking point for people and pushing them through a wall to make them stronger. And then there's what Cameron Newbauer did."

Huber detailed comments Newbauer allegedly made that had racial overtones:

Newbauer ordered his assistant coaches to take two Black freshmen, Jalaysha Thomas and Tameria Johnson, shopping during the 2017-2018 season. He thought the 'wife beaters' and long shorts they wore to run errands were inappropriate, and the assistant coaches used UAA funds to pay for Newbauer-approved clothing.

Kinslow and Johnson, a fifth-year who now plays for Delaware, remember how Newbauer told them to change their clothes and cover up their tattoos. He asked players to do so because he didn't want his three daughters to mimic their style.

According to the report, the former coach showed little regard for injured players: "He got in players' faces in the training room and taunted them after injuries. He told a player who tore her ACL that her condition wasn't 'that bad.'"

Haley Lorenzen was a member of Newbauer's first Gators team in 2017-18. She told Huber there was a moment in practice when he threw a ball toward a player and that the ball hit the leg in which she had suffered a torn ACL.

Though Stricklin acknowledged the athletic department had been made aware of issues within the women's basketball program, Newbauer received an extension through the 2024-25 season in June. His new contract kept his annual salary at $500,000.

Stricklin said at the time Newbauer was "building his program the right way and making steady progress."

The Gators went 46-71 during his four years at the helm.

Kelly Rae Finley assumed the title of interim head coach following his exit this summer.

The Baylor women's basketball team is no longer going by the name "Lady Bears" and will now be known simply as the "Bears" moving forward.

According to ESPN's Mechelle Voepel, Baylor announced the change Saturday with the intention of creating uniformity among all of its men's and women's athletic teams:

"Baylor women's basketball has solidified itself as one of Baylor's most remarkable and celebrated programs. While the use of Lady Bears is still very much a part of the program's decorated history, in an effort to be more consistent with the current nomenclature of the other 18 Baylor sport programs, the team will now be referred to as simply the Bears.

"This evolution is unique in that it creates consistency among Baylor teams while also highlighting the individual sport and contributions of its athletes and coaches."

Baylor boasts one of the most successful women's basketball programs of all time with four Final Four appearances and three national championships to its credit.

The Bears won it all in 2005, 2012 and 2019, and they have reached the NCAA tournament each of the past 16 years it has been held.

Baylor has reached at least the Sweet 16 in 12 straight tournaments and reached at least the Elite Eight in nine of them.

Kim Mulkey helped Baylor enjoy its greatest success during her head coaching tenure from 2000-21.

Following Baylor's loss in the Elite Eight last season, Mulkey left to become the head coach at LSU. She has since been replaced by Nicki Collen, who was the head coach of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream from 2018-20.

Voepel noted that the only women's basketball team in the Big 12 that still includes "Lady" in their nickname now that Baylor has abandoned it is the Texas Tech Lady Raiders.

Purdue University's Office of Institutional Equity is investigating women's basketball coach Sharon Versyp amid allegations that she fostered a "toxic and hostile environment" with her players and bullied one of her assistant coaches, per Mike Carmin of the Lafayette Journal & Courier. 

The director of women's basketball operations Terry Kix is also named in an internal document for allegedly "cussing out players, and hitting a player's arm and knocking a cell phone out of her hand." The document states that Versyp was "fully aware of Ms. Kix's conduct" but did not put a stop to it.

Among the allegations made against Versyp are that she locked poor-performing players out of the locker room after a game, banned players from talking during a plane trip and regularly called her players "fat." She reportedly singled out one player in front of the team during a film session last year, telling her she was a "(expletive) pathetic leader. Your teammates don't look up to you."

In Feb. 2020, Versyp accused one player of having "attacked [Versyp] and Ms. Kix in an interview about the game" and made life "miserable" for her at the next practice and "made an example" of her in front of the team. 

She also allegedly bullied the coaching staff and at one point told players not to speak with a particular assistant. She also reportedly "unreasonably interfered with the coach's employment."

The accusations run from the 2018-19 season through last year. Five players entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

Versyp, 55, is entering her 16th and final season with the Boilermakers this year, with former Purdue guard Katie Gearlds set to replace her. Her 301 victories are the most in program history. 

Connecticut star Paige Bueckers didn't wait long to capitalize on the NCAA's new rules regarding name, image and likeness.

The 5'11" guard filed an official trademark application on her "Paige Buckets" nickname in July.

She has also signed with Wasserman to represent her in NIL negotiations, joining Stanford star Cameron Brink.

Bueckers is already one of the most recognizable names in women's college basketball after having built a national profile in high school. She burnished her reputation by averaging 20.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds in her first year with the Huskies.

Her popularity and the impact it could have on women's basketball were cited in an independent gender equity review commissioned by the NCAA.

Bueckers stands to be a big beneficiary of the new NIL legislation. The Wall Street Journal's Rachel Bachman reported one estimate pegged her potential earnings at $1 million annually.

Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP released a 114-page report Tuesday that criticized the NCAA's efforts to maintain gender equity and suggested the organization hold the men's and women's Final Fours at the same site in the future.

Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press provided details, noting the law firm was hired following public criticism about the NCAA's efforts during the 2021 basketball tournaments in March.

NCAA President Mark Emmert even issued an apology after such criticism. 

"With respect to women's basketball, the NCAA has not lived up to its stated commitment to 'diversity, inclusion and gender equity among its student-athletes, coaches and administrators,'" the report stated, pointing to issues that extend beyond the 2021 tourneys and were at least in part tied to media rights deals.

The report also stated the NCAA's systems "are designed to maximize the value of and support to the Division I Men's Basketball Championship as the primary source of funding for the NCAA and its membership."

A number of players, including Sabrina Ionescu, A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and CJ McCollum, criticized the NCAA for the lackluster amenities available during the NCAA women's tournament compared to the men's resources:

NCAA vice president Lynn Holzman released a statement acknowledging the differences:

We acknowledge that some of the amenities teams would typically have access to have not been as available inside the controlled environment. In part, this is due to the limited space and the original plan was to expand the workout area once additional space was available later in the tournament. However, we want to be responsive to the needs of our participating teams, and we are actively working to enhance existing resources at practice courts, including additional weight training equipment.

The men's tournament was based in Indiana, while the women's tournament took place in Texas.

The review by Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP stated the NCAA should perform annual assessments during the next five years to see if it is improving its gender equity.

The recent slew of Syracuse women's basketball players who've decided to leave the program was reportedly due to inappropriate behavior from head coach Quentin Hillsman. 

Chantel Jennings and Dana O'Neil of The Athletic reported Tuesday that 28 different people connected to the program said Hillsman's behavior, including "unwanted physical contact, threats and bullying, and the program’s generally pernicious culture, pushed many players and staff members to leave."

In April, John Kekis of the Associated Press noted the Orange had 11 players enter the transfer portal following the 2020-21 season.

One former player described to Jennings and O'Neil the type of threatening language Hillsman allegedly used.

"The way he threatened us, like we all knew he would never physically harm us, but he’d always be talking about beating our asses. Like, 'I'll f--k you guys up. I'll f--k you up. It’s gonna be your ass if you f--k this up,'" the player said.

According to Jennings and O'Neil, another player said she "felt violated after Hillsman came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands near her pelvic region before brushing it off as a joke."

One team manager said Hillsman pushed a bottle of water away from a player who was "literally gasping" after going through a sprinting exercise known as Big Fives.

Jennings and O'Neil noted that among the nine former Orange players they spoke with, several of them experienced "suicidal thoughts" and "self-harm" as a result of their time with Hillsman.

"Five said they received therapy; two of those women were prescribed antidepressants," Jennings and O'Neil wrote.

The school issued a statement to The Athletic about the allegations against Hillsman:

“Syracuse athletics remains committed to providing a healthy, academically rigorous, competitive and rewarding environment to all our student-athletes. Any behavior – from our student-athletes, coaches and staff – that contradicts our commitment to these ideals is investigated thoroughly, and if necessary, appropriate action is taken.”

Former Syracuse guard Tiana Mangakahia discussed the matter, per Lindsay Kramer of Syracuse.com, saying she "never saw" any inappropriate behavior by the coach:

“I felt really sad for Coach Q and I feel like players who didn’t get what they want are now accusing him of things and making him look bad just because they didn’t get the minutes that they wanted while they were at Syracuse.

“I know that a lot of the players that spoke in that, because I could tell who it was, didn’t barely get any minutes of court time. I just feel like they did it in spite of not getting what they thought they were going to get out of attending Syracuse. I’m very surprised. The stuff they say in that article I never saw.”

Per Kekis, Syracuse is expected to return only four players from the 2020-21 squad. Kamilla Cardoso, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, and Kiara Lewis, who led the team in scoring (14.0 points per game) last season, are among the players who transferred.

Hillsman recently completed his 15th season as head coach of the Orange women's basketball program. He has led them to eight straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, including a trip to the national title game in 2016.

The 50-year-old's contract with Syracuse runs through the 2023-24 season.

Duke women's basketball coach Kara Lawson went in-depth discussing her career in an AMA session with Bleacher Report on Wednesday.

The former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist has spent the past three years rising through the coaching ranks, including time as an assistant with the Boston Celtics and now head coach of the Blue Devils. The 40-year-old Tennessee graduate is now reportedly a candidate to replace Brad Stevens as coach of the Celtics, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

Lawson discussed the Celtics, her coaching career, former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and much more with B/R users.

The following is the full transcript from the AMA session.

@JDog44: Why did you become a coach?

I actually wanted to be a coach since when I was young. I played all sports, not just basketball since when i was a kid. I always admired the coaches I had and thought it would be really cool to teach other people. I didn’t know where i wanted coach. When I got more familiarity with the collegiate level/professional level, i thought that could be a fit too.

@kool: When did you first fall in love with basketball?

My best friend had a hoop. He had a flat driveway, I had a slanted driveway. We used to play every day. That’s when I fell in love with the game, just playing with my friends. I loved watching on television too. I grew up in the Jordan era so I loved watching MJ. There wasn’t a WNBA, there was women’s college, but it wasn’t on TV. I just fell in love with the game, out in the yard, out in the driveway.

@allorangeandblue: What is the biggest lesson you plan on teaching your players? 

The biggest responsibility of helping shape young women is empowering their minds to know they can accomplish anything in life. At Duke, we have some pretty amazing young minds. Some young women who are quite literally going to change the world. So to have an impact on them at this stage is a powerful responsibility.

@zeropython: What was it like coaching Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?

JT and JB are incredible young men. Just solid all around with their approach, with their professionalism. Just as good as it gets. They’re pretty easy to relate to. They work on their game constantly. They just keep growing. Their trajectory hasn’t slowed down yet. It was really fun watching them this season as they both got to the All-Star status.

@Saintsguy1341: If offered, would you take the Celtics job?

I’ve done really well in my career by focusing on myself in the moment. I loved my time in Boston. I loved coaching those players. It was a special time in my life. The speculation, you can chase a lot of rabbits down a lot of holes.

@jshaffer33: What is your favorite coaching memory from any team you had the opportunity to work with?

The first practice, I ever led. I didn’t know what I was doing. I knew basketball, but the first time you’re a coach, it’s nerve-racking. It’s humble beginnings for all of us. That’s my first team. We were talking about it at dinner, and I told them it was the first practice I ever coached and they had no idea. With that team, we won the world cup in China. I remember walking behind them after we won, we were going back to the bus. One of the USA staff members asked me how it felt winning as a player vs. coach and I realized it actually felt better to win as a coach. The best thing about basketball is playing the game, but the best feeling I’ve had is watching my players achieve their dreams. I always thought my self achievement would be my favorite, but then when I got into coaching it shifted.

@hbraz98: What is your vision for the future of women’s college basketball?

My vision for our program is to be one of the elite programs in the country. When someone asks you about women’s college basketball, there are a set of schools that pop into your head. The same three or four are always in that conversation so we want Duke to be recognized not just by diehard women’s college basketball fans, but by casual sports fans. We want people to  recognize our excellence. Women’s basketball continues to grow, so hopefully that continues to happen - WNBA as well. I think we’re seeing a nice growth spurt and interest for our sport.

@abdulrahim1: What advice do you have for girls that may have been doubted in the world of sports?

The thing about doubt, one it never go away. When you’re fighting that, you’re fighting a losing battle. The doubt at times is useful, but it can’t be the only thing you do. It’s important to know it’s inevitable, people are going to doubt you and it’s healthy to use that as fuel, but it can’t be the only thing that fuels you. You need to give energy to your believers too. Don’t be surprised when doubt happens, but use it and channel it in the right way and make sure it’s not the only reason you’re trying to do things.

@JourneyMelvin: How did it feel when you found out Coach K retired?

Coach K is a legend in our sport, really in our country -- when you look at the impact he’s had on the game. I was fortunate enough to be coached by Pat Summitt, who is every bit as accomplished and impactful as Coach K was in the sport of basketball so I have a great respect for the impact he’s had, similar to the impact my college coach has. I have a lot of respect for what he’s been able to do over time. It’s hard to do something once, it’s really difficult to do it over four decades and to do it at that high level. To think about doing this for four decades and doing it at a really high level is such a high bar probably that nobody’s gonna reach. I’m excited to have another year to be around him to watch him coach and teach. I hope this last year is going to be memorable for him, one where he can be celebrated appropriately by Duke fans, by non Duke fans, really by basketball fans for what he’s meant to the game.

Rapid Fire

Favorite non-basketball athlete?

Mike Singletary

Next place you want to travel?

Japan for the Olympics - our 3 V 3 team qualified

Favorite food?

Breakfast food

Who wins this year’s NBA title?

Brooklyn

The piece of advice to your younger self is ____

Just don’t stress about where you think everything is going to go. It’s going to end up fine. There are moments in your career where you feel stuck, but it will work out the way it is supposed to but it doesn’t happen how you plan on all the time.

The University of Connecticut announced Friday it signed women's head basketball coach Geno Auriemma to a five-year contract extension through the Huskies' 2024-25 season.

The new deal is retroactive to the 2020-21 campaign and includes an annual base salary of $600,000 plus of media, consulting and speaking appearances fees worth $2.2 million in the first season. Auriemma's base salary will increase by $100,000 each year of the deal and includes postseason incentives meaning it's worth "at least $15 million," per Alexa Philippou of the Hartford Courant.

Auriemma, 67, has led UConn to 21 Final Four appearances and 11 national championships since taking over the program in 1985. He owns a career record of 1,119-144 record (.886 winning percentage) in 36 seasons.

His new contract includes a variety of incentives based on the team's performance and the option to receive either a job within the Huskies' athletic department with a $500,000 annual salary or a one-time $1.5 million payment if he retires or resigns from coaching in good standing, per Philippou.

Last July, Auriemma joked COVID-19 quarantine requirements that forced him to stay in the same spot for an extended time pushed him even further away from retirement thoughts, though.

"This is the longest I've been in one place in my life. I've been in Connecticut since the middle of March," he told reporters. "If this is what retirement is like, I've got no time for this. I'm not ready for this. No way, no how. I can't do this."

Although UConn hasn't won a national title since 2016, when the Huskies won their fourth straight championship, the program has retained powerhouse status with at least 28 wins and no more than three losses over the past five years. It reached the 2021 Final Four where it fell to Arizona.

The current Huskies roster features Paige Bueckers, one of the most prized recruits in recent history, and they added the second-best group of 2021 prospects, per ESPN.

Auriemma, an Italy native who grew up in Pennsylvania, has solidified his status as one of the greatest coaches in history between his success at UConn and leading the U.S. national team to three Olympic gold medals in women's basketball.

The contract extension should end any further questions about his short-term status.