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Despite leading her Nashville Rhythm of the American Basketball Association to a 17-7 record, Ashley McElhiney, the first female coach of a men's pro basketball team, was fired Saturday for refusing to comply with coaching instructions yelled by co-owner and CEO Sally Anthony during a game with the Kansas City Knights. Specifically, Anthony thought former Vanderbilt star Matt Freije should have been benched. When Anthony's admonitions fell on deaf ears, she apparently ran onto the court and tried to fire McElhiney during the game, but was restrained by security guards and was physically removed.
But then it got better. After the game, and for unclear reasons, Anthony allegedly attacked Jason Sonn, the brother of injured Rhythm player Adam Sonn. Sonn would later say, "She's delusional and she thinks she's bigger than she really is."
In her defense, Anthony, who would fire McElhiney after the game, claims that she was entitled to instruct her coach how on to coach: "[McElhiney] ignored me. I walked onto the court and said I'm her boss and she needed to bench him."
Hey, after all, Anthony is the owner, and owners coach, right?
McElhiney declined to comment, although despite being fired, must presumably feel a great sense of relief to no longer be employed by the Nashville Rhythm.
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