Name on Court, Cash Leaves Bigger Mark on ’Port

‘Work hard, make sure you invest in yourself and make sure you care about the person that's next to you’

By Adam Reinherz
The Tube City Almanac
January 28, 2025
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

Swin Cash speaks with Lady Tigers players and coaches following Monday's game. (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

Swin Cash and McKeesport basketball have been synonymous for decades. Now it’s official. During Monday’s home game against the West Mifflin Area Titans, McKeesport Area School District dedicated its court in honor of the former player.

The halftime ceremony marked a “full circle” moment for Cash and the community, School Board President Mark Holtzman Sr. said: “She has been recognized as an Olympic champion, as a WNBA champion, and now she's being recognized as a champion in her own community, in her own home.”

Long before accruing nearly every basketball accolade imaginable, Cash was a self-described “scrawny girl” growing up in Harrison Village.

During high school, Cash size and talent exploded. She grew several inches and by senior year, Cash not only averaged 30.4 points and 16.9 rebounds per game but helped her team win the WPIAL title. After being named Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the year, the 6’1 phenom went on to win two national championships at the University of Connecticut, three WNBA titles and two Olympic Gold medals for Team USA.

Well before Monday’s ceremony, Cash’s accomplishments have been nationally celebrated. She is a two-time WNBA All-Star Game MVP, was named part of the 20th and 25th all-WNBA team, her jersey was retired by UConn, and, in 2022, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Swin Cash joins members of the McKeesport Area High School Lady Tigers for a post-game picture. (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

Though her playing days are over, Cash is still engrossed in the game. In June 2024, she became Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Given that role with the Pelicans, the former McKeesport resident is one of the “highest-ranking women in an NBA front office,” according to Sports Illustrated.

Coming back to McKeesport was less about revisiting feats than imparting lessons, she explained.

“A lot of times people see the end result but don't understand that there are a lot of factors to go into it,” she said. “My advice to every young woman that's out there is take advantage of every single opportunity presented to you. You are smart, you are strong, you can do whatever it is that you want to do. Don't be boxed in by someone's idea of what you could be. Work hard, make sure you invest in yourself and make sure you care about the person that's next to you.”

Somehow, that sense of camaraderie has waned in the decades since Cash called Soles Street. home.

“When I grew up, it was really a time when, you know, every neighbor was responsible for every kid in the community,” she said. “As a society right now, there's so much opportunity for everybody to go run in opposite corners. But, what I had growing up, and what these young people need now — they need to get in this common thread, people coming together.”

Former McKeesport teammates Swin Cash and Amy Gumberg embrace during Monday's game. (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

Cash spent Monday night speaking from a podium, touring facilities, meeting up with past teammates and talking to students. At points, she rallied the Lady Tigers, who, after a slow first-quarter start, pummeled the Titans 45-31.

“I was so inspired today watching other Ladies out here, because at the end of the day, everything you learn between these lines will help you as you go on later in life,” Cash said.

Lady Tigers Coach Anna Leonard said Cash’s presence is felt whether the Hall of Famer is in the building or not.

“We want to leave our mark like she left her mark,” Leonard said. Now that the court bears her name it’s a “constant reminder to us that if we put the work and effort in, it can happen.”

On Monday evening MASD school director Jason Pavlecic led Cash through the Neenie Campbell Gymnasium. Oversized pictures heralding Cash’s achievements adorned a wall. Her jersey hung from the rafters. Pavlecic pointed out the women’s locker room and touted the district’s investment in its youth.

“It’s about the whole community. It’s about the young female athletes here at McKeesport, that’s really what it’s about,” he said.

Cash noted how lessons learned in that locker room and on the nearby court can shape the future.

“I think women have a real powerful place to play in our community right now, and I think sports is always that connector that brings us together. Because, guess what, if you got game it doesn't matter where you're from. It doesn't matter how much money your family got. You go out there and play, and that's the ultimate equalizer,” she said.

MASD athletic director Charley Kiss graduated high school alongside Cash in 1998. Like many from the area, he’s followed her career and numerous successes.

“She’s a superstar around here,” he said.

Cash is a “worthy, worthy, worthy individual” to name the court after, but not only because of her basketball prowess. Whether through Cash for Kids — her nonprofit — or her repeated investment in youth, she’s stressed that “work ethic will set you apart from everybody else.”

Conveying that message is the responsibility of coaches, teachers, administrators and community members, Kiss continued: “Our job here in school is to try to develop the next Swin Cash — not necessarily the basketball player, but the person, the kid that could take life lessons through participation in sports.”

Cash’s influence is unmistakable, Lady Tigers point guard and shooting guard Emily Eisenberg said:  “I’ve always looked up to her.” Everywhere she’s gone, Cash has demonstrated pride in coming from McKeesport, and has left such an “impact on her community and the world and everybody around.”

That presence is something generations of Lady Tigers can take and put “to heart,” fellow point guard and shooting guard Jessica Miller said.

Both her comments to the team and encouragement to the community were inspiring, Miller continued. “It’s stuff I can carry with me day to day,” whether on the court, in school or years in the future. “I mean, everything she said is how I should live my life.”

Swin Cash stops inside the McKeesport facilities. (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

Adam Reinherz is a Pittsburgh-based journalist. He can be reached at adam.reinherz@gmail.com.

Originally published January 28, 2025.

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