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A23
SPORTS Wednesday 10 OctOber 2018
Walsh Jennings pairs with Brooke Sweat for 2020 Tokyo try

By JIMMY GOLEN also went to Sydney on the p1440 event last month as
AP Sports Writer U.S. indoor volleyball team a spectator.
Three-time Olympic gold — Walsh Jennings won The two practiced together
medalist Kerri Walsh Jen- three gold medals with last week for the first time.
nings, already the most Misty May-Treanor, who re- "It just confirmed what I've
decorated beach volley- tired after the 2012 Games. always thought about Ker-
ball player in history, will Walsh Jennings paired with ri: She just raises the level
pair with defensive star London silver medalist April of hard work and profes-
Brooke Sweat in an attempt Ross in 2016 and earned sionalism," Sweat said. "I al-
to make it to the Summer bronze, but the pair split ways want to show up for
Games for a sixth time. when Walsh Jennings left practices wanting to be
The decision kicks off a the AVP over philosophical the hardest worker on the
two-year qualification pro- differences and formed her court, and I think Kerri gives
cess that would send Walsh own tour, called p1440. me a run for my money."
Jennings to Tokyo in 2020 a The new partners will com- Two-person teams qualify
month before she turns 42. pete together for the first In this March 22, 2016, file photo, Kerri Walsh Jennings speaks to for the Olympics by earn-
Sweat, eight years young- time Oct. 18-21 at the reporters during a news conference in New York. ing points on the FIVB world
er, is a four-time AVP de- p1440 event in Las Vegas. tour over a two-year period
fensive player of the year "I'm so excited to finally be rope, Asia and North and make the usual pilgrimage that began in the spring.
who competed in Rio de on the same side of the South America. to the beach volleyball hub The two are starting at zero
Janeiro in her only Olym- net as Kerri," Sweat told the Walsh Jennings, nicknamed in Southern California. and will have to work their
pics. AP. "I'm excited to play de- "Six Feet of Sunshine," is a "I probably will do most of way up into the top two
"I was so excited that fense behind that block. ruthless competitor, a re- the talking," Walsh Jen- dozen — and be one of
Brooke wanted to play," She's the best blocker, and lentlessly optimistic chatter- nings said with a laugh. the top two U.S. teams — to
Walsh Jennings said in an it makes my job on defense box, a Stanford graduate "She's a really grounded, make it to Tokyo.
interview with The Associ- way easier." and now a budding mogul really good human being. "I have no points on the
ated Press. "She's literally a Beach volleyball partners who formed her own tour If you have a problem with qualification," Walsh Jen-
Jedi on defense. You can can take years to learn rather than give up on her Brooke, you are just not a nings said. "It's a new situ-
tell Brooke was born to play each other's strengths and vision to grow the sport. good human being." ation for me, which I don't
this game. She's elevated weaknesses, along with the Sweat grew up in Fort My- Sweat, who pronounced like."
every single partnership quirks that emerge while ers, Florida, and stayed herself recovered from Sweat's Olympic experi-
she's ever had." traveling on a world tour home to attend Florida Gulf May rotator cuff surgery, ence will be an advantage,
A five-time Olympian — she that bounces among Eu- Coast University rather than attended the San Jose Walsh Jennings said.q

NBA COACHES at finally running their own investigation of the Dallas
Continued from Page 18 clubs (Kokoskov, Phoenix; Mavericks, with the hope of
Popovich's team has long Nick Nurse, Toronto; Lloyd more women being hired
been at the forefront of Pierce, Atlanta), and sec- at the senior levels.
finding talented players ond chances to coaches He doesn't have the same
in places far outside the who only had brief stints concerns at the coaching
U.S. and it's no surprise he's at the top (Bickerstaff and level, in part because of
thought outside the box Borrego). Hammon's success. When
to grow his coaching tree. Though they come from she coached the Spurs to
Besides employing Borrego such varying backgrounds, the Summer League title
and Hammon last season, they are family. Coaches in 2015, Silver said he had
his top assistant is Italian support each other even "no doubt" that a woman
Ettore Messina, and Brett while sometimes compet- would someday coach an
Brown had been coaching ing with each other for the NBA team.
for nearly two decades in same jobs. Fizdale received "I think just like we've seen
Australia before Popovich calls from coaches around enormous change in our starts with Adam's outlook. ed in the coaching ranks
hired the current Philadel- the league when he was society, just in the last de- He really promotes that by then, having won a title
phia head coach for his fired early last season in cade, I think that's another from a leadership stand- in Detroit during six seasons
staff. Memphis, and he made a ceiling, another barrier that point of diversity, inclusion, as an assistant and helping
"It's got nothing to do with similar call to Jeff Hornacek will be broken," Silver said the whole nine yards, but it the Suns reach the Western
quotas or anything like that, when he was let go by the at the time. starts with him." Conference finals in 2010.
just people who are quali- Knicks. He credited women such But it started before Silver Perhaps the league wasn't
fied for jobs and getting "Because we're a fraterni- as Hammon and players became commissioner. ready then for a European
the opportunity," Popovich ty," Fizdale said. "We really willing to follow them for There were 16 coaches head coach, just as Bicker-
said. "So, there are no ceil- do take pride in that in the his belief. But Popovich of color — more than half staff can remember a time
ings for anybody based on NBA, that we look out for and other coaches say the league — in 2012, with before his father Bernie got
race or religion or gender each other and stay con- the credit goes to Silver for 14 African-Americans, a his first shot at running a
or anything like that." nected with each other making diversity and inclu- Filipino-American in Miami's team in the mid-1980s that
Nearly a third of the league and when I got fired they sion such important themes Erik Spoelstra, and Kaleb there wasn't such of an ac-
changed coaches, pro- all reached out to me the in the NBA. Canales, who became ceptance of black coach-
viding opportunities for same way. And it's heartfelt "I think our league is proba- the league's first Mexican- es.
successful head coaches because there's only 30 of bly the most diverse league, American coach when he "No matter what posi-
to quickly land with new these." whether it's nationality, replaced the fired Nate tion it is, no matter what
teams (Mike Budenholzer, NBA Commissioner Adam race, gender, whatever it McMillan in Portland on an field we're in, diversity is a
Milwaukee; Dwane Casey, Silver asked teams to re- is," Casey said. "I know we interim basis. He's now an huge part of who we are
Detroit; David Fizdale, New view their hiring practices have issues as far as things assistant to Fizdale in New as America and there's no
York; Steve Clifford, Or- in the front office following are going on just like cor- York. better place than the NBA,"
lando), assistants a shot the workplace harassment porations in the world, but it Kokoskov was well respect- Bickerstaff said.q