|
Basketball for Women - Nancy Lieberman
Basketball for Women
Second Edition
by Nancy Lieberman
NEW, 272 pages
Get other Basketball books here
About Basketball for Women
Arguably the greatest women’s basketball player to step onto the court and the first woman to be head coach of a professional men’s team, Nancy Lieberman has accomplished it all throughout her career. Her experience is unrivaled, and in Basketball for Women, she’s sharing her secrets, insights, and advice with you.
Inside you’ll find comprehensive coverage on all aspects of the game:
- More than 100 drills to fine-tune essential skills, including ball handling, shooting, and rebounding
- Defensive techniques and strategies to shut down any opponent
- The best offensive plays for scoring in any situation
- Tips for getting the most of your practice time
- Exercises and programs for peak physical conditioning
In addition, Basketball for Women takes you inside the huddles, and into the locker room, as Nancy provides advice on developing a winning attitude and becoming a complete team player.
To be your best, learn from the best! With Nancy Lieberman’s Basketball for Women, you will master the skills, elevate your play, and reach your potential.
About Nancy Lieberman-Cline
Nancy Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in women's basketball. Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1996 and into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, Lieberman is an accomplished basketball player, coach, two-time Olympian, broadcaster, and writer.
A native of Queens, New York, Nancy played hoops on the Harlem courts and developed a tough style of basketball that led her to one of the most distinguished careers in basketball history. At the age of 18, she became the youngest basketball player in Olympic history to win a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. From 1976 to 1980, Lieberman attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where she and her team won two consecutive Association of Intercollegiate Athletics of Women (AIAW) National Championships (1979 and 1980) and compiled a 72-2 record.
In January 1997, at the age of 38, Lieberman was drafted in the inaugural season by the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) Phoenix Mercury. During her professional career, she averaged 15.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. In 1998, she was hired as the general manager and head coach of the WNBA’s Detroit Shock, a team she coached for three seasons. Lieberman again made history on July 24, 2008, by coming out of retirement and signing to play for the Detroit Shock of the WNBA, becoming the oldest player in the history of the league at the young age of 50. She broke the previous record of 39 years of age, which Nancy herself established as a member of the Phoenix Mercury in 1997.
In November 2009, Nancy Lieberman became the first woman to coach a professional men's basketball team, the Texas Legends, an affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. In 2011 she stepped away from her coaching duties to join the front office for the Texas Legends. Lieberman currently lives in Dallas, Texas.
Reviews
“Nancy Lieberman's accomplishments in sport have been groundbreaking and historic.Basketball for Women is another major achievement. Learn the game from one of the all-time greats.”
Rick Carlisle -- Head Coach of the NBA Dallas Mavericks
“Nancy’s experiences coaching at the NBA D-league level enable her to add terminology and skills and drills that will benefit young athletes as well as older and more experienced athletes.”
Alvin Gentry -- Head Coach of the NBA Phoenix Suns
“Insightful look at how to make improvements in your game whether you are a coach, mentor, athlete, or parent. I have been Nancy’s teammate and coach, and she delivers in all areas.”
Pat Summitt -- Head Basketball Coach, University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers
“Basketball for Women is an excellent guide that will take female athletes’ games to the next level.”
Jenny Boucek -- Assistant Coach of the WNBA Seattle Storm
“There are countless resources out there that teach basketball tips. Basketball for Womentakes a different approach. This guide provides basketball enthusiasts with an amazing array of easy to more complex drills, skills, and techniques." Vinny Del Negro -- Head Coach of the NBA Los Angeles Clippers
"Lieberman has done it again. When you look at a book that covers all aspects of the game, this is a must-have! From beginners to advanced players, there is something for everyone. "
Tamika Catchings -- Indiana Fever, Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008), WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Winner (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010)
About Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules. Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sport.
A regulation basketball hoop consists of a rim 18 inches (45.7 cm) in diameter and 10 feet (3.05 m) high mounted to a backboard. A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the hoop during regular play. A field goal scores two points for the shooting team if a player is touching or closer to the hoop than the three-point line, and three points (a "3 pointer") if the player is "outside" the three-point line. The team with more points at the end of the game wins, but additional time (overtime) may be issued when the game ends with a tie. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or passing it to a teammate. It is a violation (traveling) to walk with the ball, carry it, or to double dribble (to hold the ball and then resume dribbling).
Various violations are generally called "fouls". Disruptive physical contact (a personal foul) is penalized, and a free throw is usually awarded to an offensive player if he is fouled while shooting the ball. A technical foul may also be issued when certain infractions occur, most commonly for unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of a player or coach. A technical foul gives the opposing team a free throw.
Basketball has evolved many commonly used techniques of shooting, passing, and dribbling, as well as specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures (player positioning) and techniques. Typically, the tallest members of a team will play "center", "small forward", or "power forward" positions, while shorter players or those who possess the best ball handling skills and speed play "point guard" or "shooting guard".
While competitive basketball is carefully regulated, numerous variations of basketball have developed for casual play. Competitive basketball is primarily an indoor sport played on carefully marked and maintained basketball courts, but less regulated variations are often played outdoors in both inner city and rural areas.
The strategies also evolve with the game. In the 1990s and early 2000s, teams played with more "isolation". Teams that had one superstar would let one player, usually the point guard or shooting guard, run most of the offense while the other four offensive players get out of his/her way. Nowadays, teams tend to play with more teamwork. The "Center" position has evolved to become more of a taller "Small Forward" position. Since teams play more teamwork, ball movement has evolved with the game, and more jump shots have been taken as a result.
There are two main defensive strategies: zone defense and man-to-man defense. In a zone defense, each player is assigned to guard a specific area of the court. In a man-to-man defense, each defensive player guards a specific opponent. Man-to-man defense is generally preferred at higher levels of competition, as it is intuitively easier to understand and avoids mismatches between players who play different positions. However, zone defenses are sometimes used in particular situations or simply to confuse the offense with an unexpected look.
Offensive plays are more varied, normally involving planned passes and movement by players without the ball. A quick movement by an offensive player without the ball to gain an advantageous position is a cut. A legal attempt by an offensive player to stop an opponent from guarding a teammate, by standing in the defender's way such that the teammate cuts next to him, is a screen or pick. The two plays are combined in the pick and roll, in which a player sets a pick and then "rolls" away from the pick towards the basket. Screens and cuts are very important in offensive plays; these allow the quick passes and teamwork which can lead to a successful basket. Teams almost always have several offensive plays planned to ensure their movement is not predictable. On court, the point guard is usually responsible for indicating which play will occur.
Defensive and offensive structures, and positions, are more emphasized in higher levels in basketball; it is these that a coach normally requests a time-out to discuss.
Basketball for Women
| 
