🏀 The Story Behind Pat Summitt’s Enduring Legacy

Pat Summitt’s legacy lives on in the coaching tree that stems from her influence. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Pat Summitt was more than a coach. She was a cultural icon whose mark lives on in multiple ways, but perhaps most specifically in the coaching tree that stems from her influence ... we take a look at how baseball puts the regular back in regular season ... and we are treated to an outstanding commercial spot featuring Steph Curry and Sue Bird. Editor's Note: This story is part of FOX Sports' series celebrating Women's History Month. Around nine months ago, on the fourth anniversary of Pat Summitt’s death, LSU women’s basketball head coach Nikki Fargas remembered one of the sport’s true icons with an online message. “I miss you,” [Fargas wrote](. “There’s nothing else to say.” The image behind the words, of a smiling Summitt with arms folded on a hardwood sideline, was a lovely one, as was the tribute. But when it comes to Summitt, there is more to say. There always is. There is plenty to say about her legacy as a true pioneer, and as the leader of eight national championship-winning teams. There is something different to remember whatever time of year it is, but especially at this precise turn of the calendar, as March rolls into April and college hoops unfolds its most majestic drama. [STORY IMAGE 1] With the Women’s NCAA Tournament off to a roaring start and what promises to be a mouthwatering Final Four nearly inked, women’s basketball is producing some spectacular entertainment. As it does so, the legacy of the trailblazers who brought the game to this point, none more so than Summitt, has never been more significant. “I remember her all the time but especially at this time of year,” current Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper told me in a telephone interview. “This is when so many special things happened. “Some of the things that are happening now fit in with what she worked towards. Pat wanted success for her team but she wanted all of women’s basketball to be strong and for the sport to grow and have a bigger spotlight.” [STORY IMAGE 2] Summitt died in 2016 after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Her career at Tennessee spanned from 1974 – when she took over as a 22-year-old barely older than some of her players, earned $250 a month, drove the team bus and washed the uniforms herself – until 2012. She never had a losing season and, from the time women’s hoops became an official NCAA sport, had a span of 27 straight Sweet 16-or-better appearances until it was broken in 2009. A member of both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, her mark lives on in numerous ways, but perhaps most specifically in the coaching tree that stems from her influence. Her incredible coaching tree stretches across the country and even internationally, but with the strongest roots in the SEC. Harper, a starting point guard on the three-peat Tennessee team of 1996-1998, has been the head coach in Knoxville since 2019. Fargas took over at LSU a decade ago, having played for Summitt from 1990-1994. Then there is Kentucky’s Kyra Elzy and Mississippi State’s Nikki McCray-Penson, who were also part of the Tennessee 90s juggernaut. “With her players who went into coaching I think we feel it is part of our duty to teach her legacy,” Harper said. “She was the most influential person in our sport. Her message runs through me and now I’ve had my own players go into coaching. She touched so many people and continues to do so. “Watching her, observing her, you realized the class she had, the way she treated people. She was graceful and made everything look so easy. Very poised, very calm. The intensity to find ways to succeed was always there. It was a relentless pursuit of elite level success.” [STORY IMAGE 3] The current women’s tournament has seen games played at a ferocious pace, overtime thrillers, last-gasp game-winners, star players stepping forward into the national spotlight and ever-increasing competitiveness. Summitt, according to Harper, would thoroughly approve. Players like Paige Bueckers have blossomed into truly recognizable stars – Bueckers has 800,000 social media followers and looks to be a can’t-miss diamond in the pro ranks. But the fight for equality continues, with the [NCAA rightly coming under fire for disturbing differences in the preparation facilities afforded to men’s and women’s teams]( sparking a swift promise to take action. Dan Fleser, of The Chattanoogan, has covered University of Tennessee sports since 1988, and witnessed the magic of the Summitt era. “The game has changed a lot but Pat saw what women’s basketball could become and wanted to take it there,” Fleser said. “She believed in the sport, was always a great spokesperson for it. She led by example, and showed how to be great while still being very accessible. “You look at the players she coached who are now into coaching and you think it’s not really a great surprise. When you go to work every day with someone like that, you have to think a number of them are going to be inspired to take it up themselves.” [STORY IMAGE 4] For all the hardware Summitt collected, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Four NCAA title game defeats – all to UConn – stung Summitt, but never dimmed her desire or resiliency. Harper’s Volunteers bowed out in the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, upset by 6-seed Michigan, 70-55. And, just like she does in times of success, Harper cast a thought to Summit and what her old coach might say. “Pat would always try to look at the positives,” Harper said. “If things hadn’t worked out, she knew how to take time off. Then she would say ‘let’s get to work’ and figure out how to bounce back stronger.” [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Kyra Elzy, Kentucky women’s head coach (on Pat Summitt): “I always joke that if I could be half the woman and half the coach that she was, then I’ll be in business.” Ben Portnoy, The Dispatch: “As players grow younger, Summitt’s former understudies grow older and the personal connections to the legendary coach grow fewer and further between, it’s this quartet that carries on their former coach’s legacy in the conference she dominated for decades. In (Nikki) McCray-Penson, (Kyra) Elzy, (Kellie) Harper and (Nikki) Fargas, a piece of Pat remains.” Nikki McCray-Penson, Mississippi State women’s head coach (on Pat Summitt): “It’s like, man, you miss her and you wish you could just call her and talk to her. Because she would tell you what’s going on, what you need to be doing.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - A return to a full 162-game schedule, with fans in the stands, has Major League Baseball poised to be a slice of normalcy in a world turned upside down. [Tyler Kepner of the New York Times]( explains how baseball puts the regular back in regular season. - Miami’s flurry of deals at the trade deadline not only put the Heat in a better position for the postseason, but also set the reigning Eastern Conference champs up to chase even bigger moves this summer. [The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor]( explains why after adding Victor Oladpio at the deadline, the Heat could be eyeing a bigger move. - Two options for extending the NFL season were in play in 2019, and DeMaurice Smith seemed defiant in the face of one of them. [ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham]( detail how the NFL got a 17th game from union boss DeMaurice Smith. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( We’re kicking off today’s "Internet Is Undefeated" section of the newsletter by giving some big props to CarMax. Check out this 27-second commercial spot, where both NBA superstar Steph Curry and WNBA superstar Sue Bird are featured. In short, Curry approaches a representative about purchasing a car and he informs Curry that it’s an honor to work with a four-time champion. As Curry tires to correct the rep that he’s only won three titles, he informs Curry that he sold a car to Sue Bird, who is seen stepping into a new car. The rep informs Curry that Bird is an 11-time All-Star, to which Curry responds, “I mean I’m… working on it.” CarMax did a fantastic job incorporating both the NBA and WNBA into this commercial, which is great to see. Not to mention ... it’s pretty funny too! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Oregon State vs. Houston (CBS, 7:15 p.m. ET) Ethan Thompson and the No. 12 seed Oregon State Beavers take on Quentin Grimes and the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars in an Elite Eight matchup. WWE Monday Night Raw (USA, 8 p.m. ET) Bobby Lashley places the target on Drew McIntyre this week on Monday Night Raw. Arkansas vs. Baylor (CBS, 9:57 p.m. ET) Moses Moody and the No. 3 seed Arkansas Razorbacks battle Jared Butler and the No. 1 seed Baylor Bears with a trip to the Final Four on the line. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Oregon State vs. Houston: Under 130 This is a showdown between two teams that have been playing excellent basketball as of late, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Oregon State held Loyola Chicago to just 58 points on 33% shooting from the field in the Beavers Sweet 16 win over the Ramblers. Meanwhile, Houston was also dominant on defense in its Sweet 16 victory over Syracuse, holding the Orange to just 46 points, including a 28% clip from the field. It was the lowest scoring output by a Syracuse team in NCAA history. With all that said, taking the under of 130 looks like a great play. [WHAT THEY SAID] “Teamwork is what makes common people capable of uncommon results.” — Pat Summitt [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2021 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900