Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20201104

A32 sports
Diaranson 4 november 2020

Nancy Darsch, former Ohio State and WNBA coach, dies at 68

the NCAA championship
game. Darsch later coached the
Washington Mystics and was
"Nancy was a trailblazer, an assistant for the Minnesota
coach and mentor. I was Lynx and Seattle Storm. She
lucky to have such a caring was a coach with the Storm
and kind coach," former Ohio from 2008-13 and helped
State star Katie Smith said in them win a championship in
a statement. "She loved what 2010.
she did and the people she
shared it with. Always had a "She was a great coach and
smile on her face, a fun com- even better person. The
ment to make you laugh and thing that jumped out to me
a playful punch on the arm. was her lack of ego and how
She will be dearly missed." humble she was," Agler said.
"Veteran players really liked
After her stay in Columbus, her because they respected
Darsch went to the WNBA her wisdom and that's what
and was the inaugural coach she brought to the table. Bas-
of the New York Liberty in ketball wisdom or life wis-
1997. She helped the team dom."
reach the WNBA Finals that
first season when they lost to She also worked as an assis-
the Houston Comets. tant coach for USA Basket-
(AP) – Nancy Darsch, who hometown of Plymouth, great Pat Summitt. Darsch ball, helping the women's
guided the Ohio State Massachusetts. Brian Agler, led the Buckeyes for 12 years, "We are grateful for Nancy's team earn its first gold medal
women's basketball team who coached with her at from 1985 to 1997, compil- leadership as a pioneer of this in 1984. She returned as an
to the 1993 title game and Seattle in the WNBA, said ing a 234-125 record and game," the Liberty said in a assistant for the 1996 team
went on to coach in the Darsch's family informed making seven appearances in statement. "Her contribu- that won gold in Atlanta.
WNBA, has died. She was him of her death. the NCAA Tournament. tions to the advancement of
68. both collegiate and profes- Darsch graduated from
Darsch started her college Ohio State went 28-4 in dur- sional women's basketball Springfield College in Mas-
She had Parkinson's disease coaching career as an assis- ing the 1992-93 season and and her passion for the game sachusetts.
and died Monday in her tant at Tennessee under the lost to Texas Tech 84-82 in will forever be felt."

Crew chiefs feel the heat to be perfect in NASCAR finale

(AP) — The NASCAR give Denny the best platform ins, and Elliott is teamed with runs give them an edge, but plished crew chief on the
championship was in clear we can as a race team to go Alan Gustafson, who led Jeff points to Logano's win three roster, a move at the time Ke-
reach when Denny Ham- out and perform, then we're Gordon in Gordon's 2015 fi- weeks ago at Kansas that selowski said he hoped gave
lin made his final pit stop going to let him perform." nal four appearance. locked the No. 22 team into him the kick he needed to el-
in last year's title-deciding the finale. Wolfe has had ex- evate his performance.
finale. With everything The pressure will be intense Gustafson believes he can tended time to work on their
on the line, his crew chief Sunday at Phoenix Raceway help Elliott manage the stakes Ford for Phoenix, where Lo- Keselowski will go to Phoe-
went with an aggressive for both the drivers and their of the winner-take-all final gano won in March before nix with four wins and drive
adjustment aimed at gain- team leaders. There is no race as NASCAR's most pop- the pandemic shutdown. the Ford that won at both
ing one last burst of speed. practice or qualifying under ular driver competes in his New Hampshire and Rich-
COVID-19 protocols, so the first championship. "I feel like we have an ad- mond.
Chris Gabehart called for cars must be dialed-in when "I don't think you can really vantage because we won at
a large, thick patch of tape they are unloaded on race be prepared for it until you go Kansas, (I've) have had may- "When we made the swap,
across the front right side of day. through it," said the veteran be a little more time to put we immediately added a ton
the No. 11 Toyota. It was a Hendrick Motorsports crew thoughts into how do we of experience to our team.
gamble Gabehart was willing The four-driver field this year chief. "Going through this want to approach the race," We've just tried to take advan-
to take, believing "you've got includes two former champi- weekend, we can help pre- Wolfe said. tage of Brad's experience, use
to dance with the fire to beat ons: Joey Logano, who won pare him for it. It's a unique that to better what we were
these guys." in 2016 under this current experience. I think you have Bullins has yet to compete in doing as a race team, put our-
format, and his Team Penske to go through it to really un- a race with such high stakes selves in a good spot," Bullins
He got burned. teammate Brad Keselowski, derstand it and learn how to but takes pride in the work said. "I think we're just trying
The aerodynamic adjustment won won in 2012 under dif- manage it. he's done with Keselowski. to make it no more than what
backfired, Hamlin had to pit ferent rules. Hamlin of Joe The Penske organizational it is, not make it bigger than
again to avoid overheating his Gibbs Racing is back in the The dynamic at Team Penske swap on paper put Kesel- what it is. Obviously there's a
engine, and his title chanc- final four for the third time is interesting in that Logano owski with the least accom- lot on the line."
es were over. As Gabehart and Chase Elliott is making and Keselowski both worked
leads Hamlin back into the his championship debut for through the cornavirus-im-
championship race Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports. pacted season with new crew
the crew chief has no fear of chiefs, having to learn their
overthinking his team out of Only Hamlin and Gabehart, team leaders with little track
title contention. in their second season as time. The Penske organiza-
driver and crew chief, have tion made a three-team swap
"You've certainly got to learn previously raced for a cham- at the start of the year and
from your mistakes and your pionship together. Wolfe, the only crew chief
successes, right? That's part in the finale with a title, is
of getting better," he said. Paul Wolfe won the 2012 ti- teamed with the only driver
"I'm not concerned of making tle with Keselowski but now to win a championship in this
those same issues again. For crew chiefs Logano. Kesel- format.
better or worse, we're going owski is in his first season
to put our best foot forward, with newcomer Jeremy Bull- Wolfe doesn't think prior title