Jennifer Gillom facts for kids
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| Born | June 13, 1964 Abbeville, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| High school | Lafayette (Oxford, Mississippi) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Ole Miss (1982–1986) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1997 / Round: Allocated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Phoenix Mercury | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1997–2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2004–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2002 | Phoenix Mercury | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Los Angeles Sparks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2010, 2017-current | Xavier College Preparatory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Minnesota Lynx (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Minnesota Lynx | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Los Angeles Sparks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Washington Mystics (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Connecticut Sun (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jennifer "Grandmama" Gillom, born on June 13, 1964, is a famous American basketball player and coach. She played for the Phoenix Mercury from 1997 to 2002, and then for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2003. After her playing career, she became a coach for different teams, including the Minnesota Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks. She also coached high school basketball.
Jennifer was born in Abbeville, Mississippi. She played college basketball at the University of Mississippi. She helped the USA Basketball Team win a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. In 2009, she was honored by being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
In March 2024, Gillom led her high school team, the Xavier College Preparatory Gators, to win their first-ever WBB championship. They beat the defending champions, the Desert Vista Thunder.
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College Basketball Star
Jennifer Gillom played college basketball at the University of Mississippi, where she was known as an amazing player for the Ole Miss Rebels from 1982 to 1986. During her time there, she scored a total of 2,186 points, which was a school record. She also grabbed 955 rebounds.
In her final year, 1986, she averaged an impressive 23.2 points per game. She was recognized as a Kodak All-American and was named the SEC Female Athlete of the Year for the Southeastern Conference.
Playing for Team USA
Jennifer Gillom was a key player for the USA Basketball team in several major international competitions.
Early International Success
In 1985, Gillom played for the USA team at the World University Games in Kobe, Japan. The team won a silver medal, finishing second to the USSR. Jennifer was the second-highest scorer for the USA team, averaging 12.8 points per game.
The next year, in 1986, she played at the World Championships in Moscow. This time, the USA team faced the USSR in the final game and won the gold medal with a score of 108–88.
Pan American and Olympic Gold
Gillom was also part of the US team at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. The USA team won all four of their games, earning the gold medal. She averaged 9.5 points per game during this event.
Her biggest achievement with Team USA came at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The team won all five of their games, bringing home the Olympic gold medal.
Coaching Team USA
Later in her career, Jennifer Gillom became an assistant coach for the USA National team. She helped coach the team for the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
At the 2010 World Championships in the Czech Republic, the USA team showed great strength. Even with limited practice time, they won their first game by 26 points and continued to dominate. They won the championship and the gold medal, proving their skill on the world stage. She continued as an assistant coach at the 2012 Olympics in London, where the team also won gold.
WNBA Career Highlights
Jennifer Gillom was one of the first players chosen for the WNBA when it started in 1997.
Phoenix Mercury Star
On January 22, 1997, she was assigned to the Phoenix Mercury. Her first game was on June 22, 1997, where the Mercury won 76-59 against the Charlotte Sting.
Gillom was a consistent starter for the Mercury for six seasons, from 1997 to 2002. She played in 183 games and started every single one. During her time with Phoenix, she averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She was chosen for the All-Star Team in 1999. In that All-Star Game, she helped the Western Conference win 79-61, scoring 6 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.
The Mercury made it to the playoffs in three of Gillom's six seasons. In 1997, they lost in the Semi-Finals. In 1998, they reached the WNBA Finals but lost to the Houston Comets. In 2000, they were swept by the Los Angeles Sparks in the Semi-Finals.
Moving to Los Angeles and Retirement
In 2003, Gillom joined the Los Angeles Sparks as a free agent. She played in 33 games for the Sparks, but with fewer minutes than she had in Phoenix. She averaged 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
The Sparks had a great season, finishing with a 24-10 record. Gillom reached the WNBA Finals for the second time in her career. The Sparks played against the Detroit Shock. They won Game 1, but then lost the next two games by very small margins. The Sparks had won the previous two championships in 2001 and 2002, so this loss meant they couldn't win a third straight title.
The 2003 season with the Sparks was Gillom's last season as a player. She retired after the Finals loss.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Jennifer Gillom began a successful coaching career.
High School and WNBA Coaching
In 2004, Gillom became the head coach of the Xavier College Preparatory High School basketball team in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 2008, she joined the Minnesota Lynx as an assistant coach. In June 2009, she was named the head coach of the Lynx. She coached the team until the end of 2009.
She then coached the Los Angeles Sparks from 2010 to 2011. She also served as an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics in 2012 and the Connecticut Sun from 2013 to 2015.
Jennifer Gillom has had a long and impactful career in basketball, both as a player and a coach.
See also
In Spanish: Jennifer Gillom para niños
