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Stars clinch playoff spot, extend Hammon’s career

By WTOP Staff

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Becky Hammon’s historic new career will have to wait. Her teammates with the San Antonio Stars are not ready to let their beloved teammate exit the WNBA just yet.

Jia Perkins scored 23 points and San Antonio extended Hammon’s playing career with a 92-76 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.

Hammon is retiring at the end of the season following a 16-year career in the WNBA after she went undrafted out of Colorado State. She will join the San Antonio Spurs and become the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA, but her new gig will have to wait at least a week longer.

“It felt good to be out there standing a winner after we won tonight, I can tell you that,” Hammon said. “It would not have been as enjoyable had we not won. So that was the first thing, getting in the playoffs was a great feeling.”

Mirroring Hammon’s career, the Stars overcame a lot this season to earn their seventh playoff berth in eight years.

Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts and Hammon’s friends and family were among the largest home crowd of the season as San Antonio commemorated her career with a postgame ceremony.

“You take great pride in being told you can’t do something and proving us wrong,” Buford said, referring to Hammon’s All-American career at Colorado State. “But we didn’t recognize it again. You go undrafted in the WNBA and now, 16 years later, we are celebrating one of the great careers in WNBA history.”

Hammon received a standing ovation and a long embrace from Stars coach Dan Hughes upon exiting the game with 1:20 remaining and San Antonio having secured a return to the postseason.

She finished with seven points and 10 assists in 23 minutes.

“My teammates, you guys make it fun every day to come to work,” Hammon said during the ceremony. “I believe in each and everyone one of you guys. I believe there are great things we can do together, when we do it together. Every day we go in and we fight for each other and we fight with each other to make each other better. When I leave, the best thing you guys can learn from me is to love and serve each other. Be about each other. Be about each other.”

The Stars secured the final playoff berth in the Western Conference, and will face either the Lynx or top-seeded Phoenix Mercury. San Antonio (15-18) won the season series against Los Angeles (15-17), but the Sparks can secure the third seed by winning their last two regular-season games, or having the Stars lose their season finale on Sunday at Chicago.

Danielle Adams added 19 points and Danielle Robinson had 12 for San Antonio.

Maya Moore scored 20 points, Tan White added 15 and Lindsay Whalen had 13 for Minnesota (24-9).

Playing off the emotion of Hammon’s final regular-season game, the Stars outscored Minnesota by seven points in both the second and third quarters in building a double-digit lead.

Perkins’ jumper closed a 7-1 run and created a 65-55 lead.

Hammon smiled excitedly as the 12,659 in attendance gave her a thunderous ovation during introductions. Averaging 8.6 points, the lowest since her fourth season in the WNBA with the New York Liberty, Hammon had a hand in seven of San Antonio’s first nine points.

“Being overlooked and underestimated has always been a part of my career, and I was OK with that,” Hammon said.

She scored the game’s opening basket, driving the lane and hitting an off-balance jumper high off the glass after receiving a shoulder bump from Whalen.

Hammon later fed Kayla McBride inside for a layup and then hit her only 3-pointer with 6 minutes left in the first quarter.

Hammon’s hot start was countered by Moore, who hit a series of off-balance jumpers and driving layups in scoring 13 points in 10 minutes.

San Antonio opened the second quarter on a 7-1 run to reclaim the lead at 31-29 on a three-point play by Sophia Young-Malcolm off a lob feed from Hammon.

The Stars closed the first half on a 10-6 run to take a 50-47 lead.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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