WNBA

Zach Randolph is ALL ABOUT having a female head coach in the NBA -- especially after working with a female asst. coach on the Kings ... telling TMZ Sports it was one of best experiences of his career.

The entire NBA is buzzing about Becky Hammon -- an assistant with the Spurs who's in the running for the head coaching job in Milwaukee. If hired, she'd be the first female head coach in NBA history.

Enter Z-Bo who was out in ATL when he stopped to rave about Jenny Boucek ... an assistant player development coach with the Sacramento Kings.

"This was the first year we had a [female assistant coach]. This was my first year ever experiencing that and it was a great experience ... probably one of the best experiences."

How's this for turning the tables ... a former NBA lottery pick getting a massive $400,000 alimony check from his WNBA star wife?

That's exactly what happened between Candace Parker and Shelden Williams ... according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

Candace -- one of the biggest stars in WNBA history -- married Williams back in 2008, two years after he was selected 5th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Despite the fact Williams reportedly made more than $12 MILLION during his 6-year NBA career, Parker has apparently done better ... and agreed to shell out the $400k alimony payment. In exchange, she won't have to pay ongoing spousal support.

The couple also divided the profits on their former home in Encino, CA which they just sold for $3.75 mil.

As for their 8-year-old daughter, the couple agreed on joint legal and physical custody -- but neither party will pay child support. Instead, they both agreed to equally fund her education and split any major costs associated with her care.

Clyde Drexler ain't been on the job for a week as BIG3 commish -- and he's already makin' history -- hiring the 1st ever female as head coach of a men's pro basketball team ... TMZ Sports has learned.

"The Glide" tapped Nancy Lieberman -- a member of the Naismith and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame -- to coach Power, the squad he previously coached before leaving to run the league.

Lieberman -- a legend for her hoopin' on the court -- isn't a novice to coaching either. She was an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings ... and was the head coach of a WNBA team from '98 to '00.

N.L. isn't goin' to be coaching bums ... she's got former NBA stars Corey Maggette and Cuttino Mobley in her starting lineup.

One of the best basketball players alive says she's sick and tired of having to play overseas to make a decent living -- and she's calling for the WNBA to start paying women like their male counterparts.

Angel McCoughtry was the #1 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA draft and went on to become the 2009 WNBA Rookie of the Year, a 4-time WNBA All-Star and has already won the scoring title TWICE!

Problem is ... the top female players make SQUAT compared to NBA stars. According to a 2017 report, the top WNBA players only make around $100k in annual base salary.

To compare -- Steph Curry is making $34.6 million this season and that goes up to $45.7 mil per season at the end of his contract.

McCoughtry says the top women are forced to play overseas -- where they can make 10 times as much. McCoughtry has played everywhere from Russia to Lebanon to Turkey.

But she's clearly over it ...

"Pay us like you pay the men. I don't want to get paid more overseas. I want to get paid in my country."

In fact, McCoughtry says she sometimes wears the medals she wins in overseas tournaments out in public because people usually buy her a free meal when she does.

With all the fights in the NBA lately, we had to ask WNBA legend Chamique Holdsclaw if there was ever a female baller she just didn't mess with in the women's league.

And she definitely produced a name.

First off, Chamique was no cupcake ... 6'2", 172 lbs and was a 2-time rebounding champion during her legendary career. Bottom line -- she was a beast.

But Holdsclaw tells TMZ Sports ... the baddest chick she ever played against was Yolanda Griffith -- 7-time All-Star, WNBA champ and the '05 Finals MVP.

And according to Chamique, she'd rough you up hard if you got in her way.

#Respect

Byron Scott says it's time for NBA teams to give Becky Hammon a shot at becoming the league's first female head coach ... telling TMZ Sports she's ABSOLUTELY qualified.

40-year-old Hammon -- one of the best WNBA players of all time -- became the NBA's first female assistant coach when she joined the San Antonio Spurs back in 2014. But Scott says she's ready to break another coaching barrier by taking control of her own team.

We also asked Scott if Hammon could do a better job with the Showtime Lakers than Pat Riley did ... but you probably already know his answer to that.

FYI, Hammon was a 6-time WNBA All-Star whose number was retired by the San Antonio Stars. Plus, in 2011, she was named one of the WNBA's top 15 players of all time.

WNBA star Breanna Stewart says she was repeatedly molested by an adult man from ages 9-11 ... and she's sharing her story to help other abused women find the strength to seek help.

"It's not a dirty little secret," Breanna wrote in The Players' Tribune. "When you're comfortable with it, and when you're comfortable being open about it, you could save someone's life."

Stewart describes her abuser as a construction worker who "lived in one of the houses" of a relative.

She says the man would molest her when she slept over at the family member's house ... and the abuse continued for 2 years until she finally told her parents, who reported the man to the police.

Stewart says she's never been to therapy, but the basketball court "became a sort of safe space for me."

But basketball was just an outlet to help her cope ... and Breanna urges fellow victims to step forward the moment the abuse begins.

L.A. Sparks player Essence Carson is telling TMZ Sports why the team walked off the court for the national anthem during games 1 and 2 of the WNBA Finals this week ... and why it's NOT about the flag.

FYI, the Sparks were booed in Minneapolis when they returned to the floor following their demonstration -- but Carson says people are completely missing the point of the protest.

"Everyone's so focused on the flag. It's not even about the flag. It's about racial equality, criminal justice reform, police brutality and everything along those lines and I feel like people are forgetting that."

Carson says she hopes "one day [people] will finally understand the point of it all."

Essence also says she feels like she's truly standing up for something she believes in -- and it doesn't sound like the team will stop the demonstration anytime soon.

Albert Haynesworth and his baby mama, Brittany Jackson, went nuclear on each other during an argument about Albert's alleged cheating ... and it got so bad, cops were called.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Albert claims he's the victim of domestic violence -- alleging his baby mama abused him physically and emotionally during their rocky relationship.

We did some digging and found multiple incidents with couple involving police -- including one altercation in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in which the ex-NFL star says Jackson was berating him in front of their 3-year-old son.

The officer who responded to their home said, "Brittany told me that she was upset that Albert has been talking to other women and they had an argument over his infidelity."

Brittany told the cop the alleged cheating was "an ongoing issue between them."

Brittany denied physically attacking Albert. Albert denied physically attacking Brittany.

Albert admitted they did argue over "claims" of infidelity -- and he tried to ignore her but she wouldn't drop the issue. Albert says he just wants to be left alone.

The cop advised both parties to cool off. No arrests were made.

As we previously reported, cops were also called to a home in Tennessee the very next month -- where Haynesworth claims Brittany kicked him in the groin twice during an argument.

Ex-NFL superstar Albert Haynesworth claims he's the victim of domestic violence -- alleging his baby mama physically and verbally abused him ... and TMZ Sports has the police report.

The drama between Haynesworth and his ex, Brittany Jackson, went public Wednesday when she accused him of skipping out on child support for their young son.

Jackson's a former college basketball star who says she also played in the WNBA.

Haynesworth -- who reportedly made more than $50 MILLION during his NFL career -- fired back with allegations of his own.

"Not only has she called me unthinkable names she has been extremely violent," Haynesworth claims.

The 6'6", 350-pound defensive tackle says he called police on the woman more than 10 times during their rocky 2-year relationship.

"I have witnesses and bruises but me for some reason still tried to protect her by not sending her to jail bc I didn't want to ruin her so called career and name."

TMZ Sports obtained a police report filed back in January in which Haynesworth told police in Tennessee that Jackson kicked him in the groin twice after an argument at a friend's house. Albert told cops she had been drinking wine.

According to the police report, Haynesworth refused medical attention. Albert never pushed forward with charges.

Haynesworth claims his ex, who is white, would call him the n-word -- despite the fact they have a mixed race child together -- because "she said she wanted me to feel hurt bc I didn't show her affection."

Haynesworth adds, "Being a man I am a provider and protecter I have millions of faults that are not flattering but NO ONE deserves to be mentally and physically abuse!!!"

Hey WNBA (hell, maybe NBA), Kobe Bryant's daughter is coming to dominate you all ... here's video of the making of a new Mamba -- and it seems like the snake doesn't slither far from the father.

Kobe posted video of his 11-year-old daughter, Gianna, getting some work in ... and that work was learning some signature Bryant moves -- the same moves that dominated the NBA for 20 years.

Bryant explained the workout in one of his captions, saying they were both inspired to get up and sweat by the upcoming WNBA Finals rematch ... and debuted a new nickname for her -- "Mambacita."

WNBA star Sue Bird is going public with her sexuality for the first time ... revealing she's dating U.S. women's soccer player Megan Rapinoe!!

The 36-year-old All-Star opened up about her relationship with Rapinoe ... saying she's never purposely kept her relationship with the 32-year-old Seattle Reign star a secret to her close friends, but explains why it was time to finally go public.

"It's happening when it's happening because that's what feels right," Bird told ESPNW.

"So even though I understand there are people who think I should have done it sooner, it wasn't right for me at the time. I have to be true to that. It's my journey."

WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi tied the knot with ex-teammate Penny Taylor this weekend ... less than 24 hours before Diana hit the court for the Phoenix Mercury's season opener.

Taurasi and Taylor won 3 WNBA championships together with PHX ... before Taylor retired in 2016 to become the team's director of player development.

The 2009 MVP scored just 3 points in the Mercury's 68-58 loss to the Dallas Wings ... but Taurasi says that didn't take away from her special weekend, telling reporters "It's going to be one of those days we'll remember for the rest of our lives."

Taurasi is one of the biggest names in women's basketball, but kept her relationship with Taylor out of the public eye until discussing the wedding after Sunday's game.

One of the greatest female basketball players ever is calling out Jameis Winston ... saying the time of women being silent, submissive and meek is OVER ... and he'd better get used to it.

TMZ Sports spoke with Chamique Holdsclaw, a former 2-time NCAA player of the year and 6-time WNBA All-Star who says Jameis was WAY OFF when he told elementary school kids that women are "supposed to be silent, polite and gentle."

"Young girls to be silent? That's not the way that I was raised," Holdsclaw told us.

"When I'm out there ministering to young girls, I'm telling them you gotta be your authentic self ... you can't be stuck in a box. You can't heed to traditional stereotypes of what a woman should be."

She didn't stop there ...

"We have to teach these men and boys not to tear us down either and not limit us with their expectations or perceptions of us."

WNBA superstar Candace Parker has just been hit with divorce papers from her husband, a former NBA player, who's demanding spousal support from the 2016 Finals MVP ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We obtained court docs filed by Shelden Williams -- a former Duke star who was the #5 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Williams played in the NBA for 6 seasons.

Williams and Parker were married back in 2008 -- and have a 7-year-old daughter together.

According to the divorce docs, Williams says the two separated back in August and are living apart. Now, he wants to officially end their 7 year marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. He's asking for joint custody of their kid.

But get this ... Williams -- who reportedly made more than $12 MILLION during his NBA career -- is demanding spousal support from Parker. He also wants her to pay his attorneys fees.

FYI, Parker reportedly makes in the low 6-figures with the L.A. Sparks -- but crushes it overseas, where reports say she hauls in more than $1 MILLION per year. She also has major endorsements including a deal with Adidas.

We reached out to Parker's camp. So far, no word back.

THE CHAMPS HAVE RETURNED!!!

The WNBA champion Sparks made their triumphant return to L.A. moments ago -- so, we had to ask the obvious question ... HOW'D YOU CELEBRATE?????

Clubs? Yes. Boozing? Absolutely. Strippers??? Not exactly ... at least not yet.

But according to rookie Evgeniia Belyakova (she's from Russia), it ain't outta the question!