Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played professionally for 15 seasons[1] in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She currently[2] serves as vice president of basketball operations and team development for the New Orleans Pelicans. A prolific scorer and rebounder, as well as a capable ball handler and defender, she helped lead the University of Connecticut women's basketball team to national titles in 2000 and 2002. In her second WNBA season, she led the Detroit Shock to their first ever WNBA title. In 2015, she was named a studio analyst for MSG Networks covering the New York Knicks pre-games and post-games as well as the weekly coaches show. In 2017, Cash was named the Director of franchise development for the New York Liberty.[3] Cash was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 9, 2022.[4]
Cash is one of 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a Fiba World cup gold and a WNBA Championship.
Personal life
Cash was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of McKeesport and raised by her mother, Cynthia. She has two brothers named Stephen and Kevin Menifee and one sister, Angelique Menifee. She holds basketball camps and clinics under her company, Swin Cash Enterprise LLC, and is involved in charity events through the WNBA. Cash married longtime boyfriend Steve Canal in Atlanta, Georgia.
High school
Cash attended McKeesport Area High School in McKeesport, where she participated in many activities. She tried baseball, track and cheerleading. She was also in school plays.[5] Cash is best known for her basketball skills, which earned her a place on the national WBCA All-American team. She participated in the WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored fourteen points, and earned MVP honors.[6][7]
Swin Cash meets George W. Bush after winning the WNBA Championship with the Detroit Shock in May 2004
In the off-season, Cash has appeared as a studio analyst on ESPN's NBA Fastbreak (according to ESPN.com) and during the 2008 Beijing Olympic games, she alternated with Teresa Edwards in presenting in-game commentary for NBC's presentation of the women's basketball tournament from the network's New York broadcast studios. Swin appeared (as herself) in the movie Bring It On: All or Nothing.[12]
Cash left Detroit for the 2008 season after "struggling to build a consistent relationship with Detroit Shock head coach Bill Laimbeer". On February 19, 2008 Cash was traded to the Seattle Storm for the 4th pick in the 2008 WNBA draft.[14] The Shock selected Alexis Hornbuckle with their draft pick.[15] Cash along with Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson helped the Storm win their second championship in 2010.[16] On January 2, 2012, in perhaps the WNBA's biggest blockbuster trade news thus far, Cash was traded, along with Le'Coe Willingham, to the Chicago Sky joining All- Star Sylvia Fowles.
Cash has been suffering from a herniated disk for more than two years,[17] an injury suffered while helping the Detroit Shock win the WNBA championship in 2006. In 2009, she came back to Connecticut to lead the Western Conference over the Eastern Conference at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. She led all scorers with an All-Star record of 22 points in a 130–118 win. The previous high was 20 by Cash's former Detroit teammate, Deanna Nolan, in 2005.[18]
Cash was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009.[19] The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team will travel to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they compete in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.[19]
Cash at USA National team versus USA Select team scrimmage.
Cash was one of twenty players named to the national team pool. Twelve of this group will be chosen to represent the US in the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics.[20]
Cash was selected to be a member of the National team representing the US at the World Championships held in September and October 2010. The team was coached by Geno Auriemma. Because many team members were still playing in the WNBA until just prior to the event, the team had only one day of practice with the entire team before leaving for Ostrava and Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Even with limited practice, the team managed to win its first games against Greece by 26 points. The team continued to dominate with victory margins exceeding 20 points in the first five games. Several players shared scoring honors, with Cash, Angel McCoughtry, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Lindsay Whalen, and Sylvia Fowles all ending as high scorer in the first few games. The sixth game was against undefeated Australia — the USA jumped out to a 24-point lead and the USA prevailed 83–75. The USA won its next two games by over 30 points, then faced the host team, the Czech Republic, in the championship game. The USA team had only a five-point lead at halftime, which was cut to three points, but the Czechs never got closer. Team USA went on to win the championship and gold medal. Cash averaged 8.6 points per game.[21]
Cash was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball.[22] This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women to be held in the Czech Republic during September and October 2010.[23]
Cash was one of 21 finalists for the U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team Roster. The 20 professional women's basketball players, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster which will represent the US at the 2012 Olympics in London.[24] Cash made the final roster and played for the U.S. team that won the 2012 Olympic gold medal.[25]
Washington and Jefferson College awarded Cash with an honorary degree in Doctorate of Public Service at their commencement ceremonies in May 2011 to honor her charity work. Cash is the founder of the Pennsylvania-based Cash for Kids charitable organization.[26]
Cash was waived by New York Liberty on May 11, 2016. On May 24, 2016, it was reported that Cash re-signed with the Liberty for the remainder of the season. She was immediately eligible for their game versus the Atlanta Dream on that day.
On June 7, 2016, Cash announced that she would retire at the end of the 2016 season.[27]
Anti-racism and anti-violence activism
Cash is an advocate against gun violence and police brutality. In 2016, she was fined $500 by the Association, along with her teammates and players from two other WNBA teams, for wearing warm up shirts that read "#BlackLivesMatter" and "#Dallas5", both serving as references to gun violence.[28][29][30] In a post-game debriefing following the incident, Cash stated:
I think it’s a shame that we keep seeing people that want to make this movement as something that’s violent. Five cops gave their lives up trying to protect a peaceful movement. And in this country, I do believe that you can assemble peacefully and protest against injustice. So until the system transforms, we cannot sit here and act like there is not a problem here in America.[31]
She said that part of what motivated her to take a stance against police violence was the Civil Rights Movement era stories her grandmother told her. She recognizes that police brutality is an aspect of racial activism, and she fears that because police are able to kill unarmed people without facing arrests, a regression to pre-Civil Rights laws and practices may occur for black people.[31] In addition, her brother, Kevin Menifee, was allegedly beaten by police officers, who broke his nose.[32]
College statistics
Swin Cash statistics[33] at University of Connecticut
^York, Ben (December 11, 2009). "The Definition of Class". Source Interlink Magazines. Archived from the original on December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
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