Pre-Season All Americans
Is there anyone surprised by the pre-season All-American list?
Maya Moore-UCONN
Tina Charles-UCONN
Jayne Appel-Stanford
Jantel Lavender-Ohio State
Monica Wright-Virginia
Moore becomes only the 7th pre-season unanimous selection for the All-American squad. Let's see the company she is in:
Chamique Holdsclaw
Diana Taurasi
Alana Beard
Seimone Augustus
Candace Parker
Courtney Paris
I will take Moore over 50% of them.
Monica Wright puts UVA on the pre-season All American map, first nomination since Wendy Palmer was selected for the 1995-1996 season. Jantel Lavender is the only the second Buckeye on the roster, Jessica Davenport was the first.
On another note: Elena Delle Donne was an honorable mention for the pre-season All American squad...without playing a Division I game and with having taken a year off. Hmm, road trip to Newark? I think so....
Skylar Diggins is the real deal
So it was only an exhibition game, but it was an exhibition game against another college team (Indianapolis, to be exact). But what she did in her first game, in front of over 7,000 fans, was score 17 points. And she made an immediate impact when she came into the game by forcing a turnover and getting an assist, no jitters for her! Okay, so you say that it's the home court, she can't play on the road. See, that is where you are wrong...this kid is the real deal and Notre Dame will win the Big East...not this year since they barely have any inside height...but next year, and the year after, and the year after. Notre Dame NCAA champs in 2011.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sad day in Russia...
Yesterday I talked about Pokey Chatman and how she coaches a team that many coaches would die for. The team with Diana Taurasi. Today I had intended on discussing a great article I found called "Rolling in Rubles" about the relationship between Diana, and the rest of the Spartak Moscow team, and their CEO/General Manager Shabtai von Kalmanovic. However, in researching for a little bit of information on him, I came upon this news article: Shabtai von Kalmanovic died a tragic and sudden death last night. After further research on the shock of this loss, I came upon this tragic article about the former KGB member. Okay, maybe he didn't lead the best life in the past but there is no denying what he has done for women's basketball overseas.
What I was going to discuss was how this man did not take a cut from any revenue generated because he gave out free tickets to the games. He spent millions of dollars to build a team of great women's basketball players, he considered it his hobby. What I got from the article was a man that was passionate about what he loved and he took care of his investment.
To read the great article on Diana and the running of Spartak Moscow, click here. Let me know your thoughts on the article and how it seems that many of the teams are run in Europe.
What I was going to discuss was how this man did not take a cut from any revenue generated because he gave out free tickets to the games. He spent millions of dollars to build a team of great women's basketball players, he considered it his hobby. What I got from the article was a man that was passionate about what he loved and he took care of his investment.
To read the great article on Diana and the running of Spartak Moscow, click here. Let me know your thoughts on the article and how it seems that many of the teams are run in Europe.
Monday, November 2, 2009
November is the Month of Fun!
November is my favorite month. Not because it's my sister's birthday (as much as I love her), not because it holds my favorite holiday (Thanksgiving)...but because it's the start of College Basketball GAMES. Yes, mid-October is grand for its "start of practice" but to me, it is only anticipation for November. This is the month of fun.
My Rutgers team starts their official play on Sunday, November 15th at the RAC against the team that made it to the Final Four and lost to UCONN in the semi-finals: Stanford. Stanford is also the team with a pre-season rank of #2, while Rutgers snuck in at #25. (Click for complete rankings)
What do I expect? Realistically: I can not help but feel that Stanford will be in the Final Four again this year while Rutgers will probably be in New Jersey. Noticed I said "probably". After years and years (25th year to be exact) of watching Rutgers play basketball I've come to expect the unexpected. If they are picked to finish high in the rankings, they stumble. If they are picked to finish low in the rankings, they succeed. They have one of the best motivators in the game as their coach. Her motto is simply, "It's not how you start but how you finish." Just look at the 2007 season, not supposed to be a great season (great I suppose is calculated by how many times, if at all, you are picked to beat UCONN) and they went all the way to the Championship game. But really, realistically: Stanford will win, probably by a lot (not like 2 years ago). But that's okay, Rutgers never really "shows up" until January anyway. The Big East is really tough this year and as we have seen in the past, playing in a tough conference only makes you stronger come the Big Dance in March. So this is why I love November, it's the start of the roller coaster ride that ends in April.
Other News
Props to Diana Taurasi who quietly served her 1-day in jail sentence last week. Quietly is the key word: I had no idea until I checked the women's hoops news today. Complete article here.
The European league is getting ready to kick into high gear as many of the top American players are headed over, if they aren't already over there. Looks like the favorite in Russia is the team coached by former LSU superstar/coach: Pokey Chatman (who has a great twitter, btw). Spartak Moscow. They have a great roster that many teams in any country would die for.
My Rutgers team starts their official play on Sunday, November 15th at the RAC against the team that made it to the Final Four and lost to UCONN in the semi-finals: Stanford. Stanford is also the team with a pre-season rank of #2, while Rutgers snuck in at #25. (Click for complete rankings)
What do I expect? Realistically: I can not help but feel that Stanford will be in the Final Four again this year while Rutgers will probably be in New Jersey. Noticed I said "probably". After years and years (25th year to be exact) of watching Rutgers play basketball I've come to expect the unexpected. If they are picked to finish high in the rankings, they stumble. If they are picked to finish low in the rankings, they succeed. They have one of the best motivators in the game as their coach. Her motto is simply, "It's not how you start but how you finish." Just look at the 2007 season, not supposed to be a great season (great I suppose is calculated by how many times, if at all, you are picked to beat UCONN) and they went all the way to the Championship game. But really, realistically: Stanford will win, probably by a lot (not like 2 years ago). But that's okay, Rutgers never really "shows up" until January anyway. The Big East is really tough this year and as we have seen in the past, playing in a tough conference only makes you stronger come the Big Dance in March. So this is why I love November, it's the start of the roller coaster ride that ends in April.
Other News
Props to Diana Taurasi who quietly served her 1-day in jail sentence last week. Quietly is the key word: I had no idea until I checked the women's hoops news today. Complete article here.
The European league is getting ready to kick into high gear as many of the top American players are headed over, if they aren't already over there. Looks like the favorite in Russia is the team coached by former LSU superstar/coach: Pokey Chatman (who has a great twitter, btw). Spartak Moscow. They have a great roster that many teams in any country would die for.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Women Unequal Everywhere...
So the recent announcement that Phoenix, AZ is going to "do something" about Diana Taurasi's July DUI honestly made me shake my head. Here is the low down: Two weeks ago the Phoenix court dropped the "Extreme DUI" charge and the speeding charge against Taurasi if she pled guilty to "DUI slightly impaired". So she did that. Now, since she pled guilty she can get this: 10 consecutive days in prison, various fines, suspended license, probation and possible counseling. So in other words, since she's not Dante Stallworth she will have to do this? Here is the difference between the two of them: Diana honestly realizes she messed up, is remorseful, feels she let her family, friends, fans and teammates down. Dante barely apologized and oh yes, he killed a person while driving drunk and his BAL was nearly 3 times the legal limit. Fine, his career is in question but let's be honest, he'll be in the NFL next year, no question about it. So where is the justice? Just because she's not a HUGE star...which she totally is a HUGE star...she will have to pay the piper? I know this: she'll do it with dignity, whatever she is sentenced to. She'll take it in the chin and just keep going. And I bet this: she won't cry that she found herself while in prison like so many of the male athletes have said. Gee, didn't know that you were lost Michael, Dante, PacMan....amazing you were able to find yourself.
The blog by John Altavilla can be read here.
The blog by John Altavilla can be read here.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
No Picture Compares.....Yet....
Of the many "First practice" pictures I have seen, none equal this one posted on "govolsxtra.com":
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Other Champions from around the World
After a bit of a hiatus, I'll start this blog again....first topic of discussion: Champions!
The Phoenix Mercury won their 2nd WNBA title in 3 years a few weeks back. I'm sure most of you know this. Also, did you know that this series was the highest watched WNBA Finals. According to ESPN, the five-game Finals averaged 548,000 viewers, up 73 percent from 316,000 in 2008. The 13 postseason games aired on ESPN2 averaged 435,000 viewers, a 54 percent increase from the 282,000 last year. In all of the years I have watched the WNBA, this was the best series EVER. It created buzz, energy and people who may not have watched the WNBA could be fans for life. Great series!
So we all know about the Mercury, but what about some other Champions?
In China, PLA (People's Liberation Army) won their 7th consecutive Chinese National Games title by beating Liaoning 90-68 over the weekend. I'm impressed that this team can win all of the time, reminds me of Houston Comets and their run of Championships. PLA has a familiar WNBA player on their team: Chicago Sky's Chen Nan. Nan scored 16 points in the final. Liu Dan (an up and coming star for China) had 20 points.
In Africa, Senegal won the Women's Basketball African Championships with a 72-57 win over Mali. This is Senegal's first title since 2000.
In June, France beat Russia to win the European Championship. However, Russia is hardly concerned because they did not have one of their key players: Becky Hammon.
Congrats to those that won...or should I saw to those that I could find on the web. I'm sure there were countless other Championship games played around the world.
The Phoenix Mercury won their 2nd WNBA title in 3 years a few weeks back. I'm sure most of you know this. Also, did you know that this series was the highest watched WNBA Finals. According to ESPN, the five-game Finals averaged 548,000 viewers, up 73 percent from 316,000 in 2008. The 13 postseason games aired on ESPN2 averaged 435,000 viewers, a 54 percent increase from the 282,000 last year. In all of the years I have watched the WNBA, this was the best series EVER. It created buzz, energy and people who may not have watched the WNBA could be fans for life. Great series!
So we all know about the Mercury, but what about some other Champions?
In China, PLA (People's Liberation Army) won their 7th consecutive Chinese National Games title by beating Liaoning 90-68 over the weekend. I'm impressed that this team can win all of the time, reminds me of Houston Comets and their run of Championships. PLA has a familiar WNBA player on their team: Chicago Sky's Chen Nan. Nan scored 16 points in the final. Liu Dan (an up and coming star for China) had 20 points.
In Africa, Senegal won the Women's Basketball African Championships with a 72-57 win over Mali. This is Senegal's first title since 2000.
In June, France beat Russia to win the European Championship. However, Russia is hardly concerned because they did not have one of their key players: Becky Hammon.
Congrats to those that won...or should I saw to those that I could find on the web. I'm sure there were countless other Championship games played around the world.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The adventure of Delle Donne
I'd just like to start off by saying how happy I am for Elena Delle Donne. No, not because she's not at UCONN with the possibility of destroying my beloved Rutgers team...but because she made a decision for the most important person: herself.
This past Friday she started practice as a University of Delaware Blue Hen. Has she had any impact yet? You bet! Season ticket sales have tripled and she hasn't even played in a game yet. In an article on WQAD.com, she talks about how this is the first time she has had fun playing hoops since the recruiting started in High School. Please note the word "fun" in that sentence. Shouldn't that be what sports is all about? Fun? When did that change? I remember playing sports and having fun, I never found it to be a chore until my Senior year of High School. Do you know what I did? I stopped playing because it became a chore, work, extra stress, etc. I was burned out. I wasn't having fun anymore. I am so happy that Elena is having fun and I wish her the best of luck. Maybe I'll have to take a road trip to Newark, DE to see her play. I bet she is fun to watch when she is having fun playing. You can read the excellent article on Delle Donne by clicking here: Delle Donne Ready to Give Hoops Another Try.
This past Friday she started practice as a University of Delaware Blue Hen. Has she had any impact yet? You bet! Season ticket sales have tripled and she hasn't even played in a game yet. In an article on WQAD.com, she talks about how this is the first time she has had fun playing hoops since the recruiting started in High School. Please note the word "fun" in that sentence. Shouldn't that be what sports is all about? Fun? When did that change? I remember playing sports and having fun, I never found it to be a chore until my Senior year of High School. Do you know what I did? I stopped playing because it became a chore, work, extra stress, etc. I was burned out. I wasn't having fun anymore. I am so happy that Elena is having fun and I wish her the best of luck. Maybe I'll have to take a road trip to Newark, DE to see her play. I bet she is fun to watch when she is having fun playing. You can read the excellent article on Delle Donne by clicking here: Delle Donne Ready to Give Hoops Another Try.
The Shock to Tulsa?
Sad reality: It does not matter how many titles you bring to a city, if a city doesn't recognize your greatness.....you are moved. Unlike the Houston Comets, who had a fan base, the Detroit Shock have no large fan base. Frankly, Detroit is not willing to keep a women's basketball team (even they they are super good) in a city that doesn't care about them. Or at least that is what it seems like.
Looks like Tulsa, Oklahoma will not get the Seattle Storm....looks like the Detroit Shock are moving there. Three Championships, WNBA All-Stars and they are being moved to Tulsa. So close to being one of the original teams (1998). I think Tulsa is a good move for Detroit. The city seems excited to welcome a team there....just what the Shock need.
Good luck Tulsa! Complete article here.
Looks like Tulsa, Oklahoma will not get the Seattle Storm....looks like the Detroit Shock are moving there. Three Championships, WNBA All-Stars and they are being moved to Tulsa. So close to being one of the original teams (1998). I think Tulsa is a good move for Detroit. The city seems excited to welcome a team there....just what the Shock need.
Good luck Tulsa! Complete article here.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Playoffs....Round 2
Let the games begin!
Round 2 starts tonight and both match ups prove to be noteworthy!
Indiana Fever vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/23 - (Detroit) 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/25 - (Indiana) 7:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sat 9/26 - (Indiana) 7:00 pm (NBA TV, if necessary) <--and it will be This series is going to three games, I guarantee it. Even though Indiana won the series 3-1 during the regular season this Shock team is totally different then the June/July Shock team. Oh, and we can't forget that Detroit always plays better in the playoffs. They are a team that gets it, they get that it's "do or die" and they have the players that can "do". Deanna Nolan is key to the success of the Shock and I'm sure she won't disappoint. She is consistent and incredibly talented in the post season (and in general). Even with the hit to the head she took in Game 1 against Atlanta, she still dropped in 22 the next game. I think she is the most under the radar player in the league, not underrated but under the radar. There have always been distractions for the Shock or a great player named Katie Smith overshadowing Nolan. Now it's up to Nolan and I know she will not disappoint. I love watching her play because she gets such sheer joy out of playing the game, something that is lacking with so many players! Keys for Indiana
For Indiana to win it's very simple. Stop Deanna Nolan. If they can limit her to the 13, 16 and 4 points she had in the first three meetings the Fever won, then the Fever have a chance. Limit her looks, stop the transition game and get those rebounds. Tammy Sutton-Brown will have her work cut out with Kara Braxton (I can not wait to see that match up) so look for some heavy physical play in the post!
Keys for Detroit
Stop Tamika Catchings and feed the ball to Deanna Nolan. When Nolan is hitting, the rest of the Shock follow. When Deanna is on...look out. So, let her do her thing and drive to the hoop, hit pull up jumpers, set up the post players....get her rolling because when her confidence is high you can see the rest of the team getting confident.
Shock win the series 2-1 and go to their 4th straight WNBA Final.
Los Angeles Sparks vs Phoenix Mercury
Game 1: Wed 9/23 - (Los Angeles) 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/25 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sat 9/26 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA TV, if necessary)
This is another great series and one I'm really looking forward to. Phoenix is 3-1 against LA this season but again, like the Indiana/Detroit series, this is a different team then the 1 they beat in June/July. But so is Phoenix. If Phoenix plays the way they are capable of playing, there is no reason to evaluate the series (or the rest of the post season). But sometimes they just don't "show up". First game against San Antonio the Mercury looked almost star struck! It was odd to see confusion and frustration on the faces of the entire Mercury team. Nobody took charge and in the end, they dropped Game 1. Could that happen again? You bet. LA is going to be rocking, they get great attendance and this could be a Legend's last WNBA game in the city she grew up in. Emotion will be high and the Sparks will be determined to not let Lisa Leslie leave LA without a victory.
Keys for Los Angeles
Stop Diana Taurasi from getting pull up shots. Face guard her and always put a hand in her face. If you can frustrate her, perhaps you have a shot. Let Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie pound the inside, that is where Phoenix might be "weaker". It's important for LA to win the rebound battle, if they can limit the second chance points and keep DeWanna Bonner in check then perhaps they have a chance to win the series. But doing both of these things will be tough to do for 3 games.
Keys for Phoenix
Slow down Candace Parker (I'm not sure she can be stopped so slowing her roll is important). It's important to always box her out so put your best box-er-outter on her at all times, no excuses for her to duck inside and grab easy rebounds untouched. But most importantly, get Diana Taurasi involved in every play in the first quarter, if she doesn't at least touch the ball then the confidence won't be there.
Phoenix wins 2-1
Round 2 starts tonight and both match ups prove to be noteworthy!
Indiana Fever vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/23 - (Detroit) 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/25 - (Indiana) 7:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sat 9/26 - (Indiana) 7:00 pm (NBA TV, if necessary) <--and it will be This series is going to three games, I guarantee it. Even though Indiana won the series 3-1 during the regular season this Shock team is totally different then the June/July Shock team. Oh, and we can't forget that Detroit always plays better in the playoffs. They are a team that gets it, they get that it's "do or die" and they have the players that can "do". Deanna Nolan is key to the success of the Shock and I'm sure she won't disappoint. She is consistent and incredibly talented in the post season (and in general). Even with the hit to the head she took in Game 1 against Atlanta, she still dropped in 22 the next game. I think she is the most under the radar player in the league, not underrated but under the radar. There have always been distractions for the Shock or a great player named Katie Smith overshadowing Nolan. Now it's up to Nolan and I know she will not disappoint. I love watching her play because she gets such sheer joy out of playing the game, something that is lacking with so many players! Keys for Indiana
For Indiana to win it's very simple. Stop Deanna Nolan. If they can limit her to the 13, 16 and 4 points she had in the first three meetings the Fever won, then the Fever have a chance. Limit her looks, stop the transition game and get those rebounds. Tammy Sutton-Brown will have her work cut out with Kara Braxton (I can not wait to see that match up) so look for some heavy physical play in the post!
Keys for Detroit
Stop Tamika Catchings and feed the ball to Deanna Nolan. When Nolan is hitting, the rest of the Shock follow. When Deanna is on...look out. So, let her do her thing and drive to the hoop, hit pull up jumpers, set up the post players....get her rolling because when her confidence is high you can see the rest of the team getting confident.
Shock win the series 2-1 and go to their 4th straight WNBA Final.
Los Angeles Sparks vs Phoenix Mercury
Game 1: Wed 9/23 - (Los Angeles) 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/25 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sat 9/26 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA TV, if necessary)
This is another great series and one I'm really looking forward to. Phoenix is 3-1 against LA this season but again, like the Indiana/Detroit series, this is a different team then the 1 they beat in June/July. But so is Phoenix. If Phoenix plays the way they are capable of playing, there is no reason to evaluate the series (or the rest of the post season). But sometimes they just don't "show up". First game against San Antonio the Mercury looked almost star struck! It was odd to see confusion and frustration on the faces of the entire Mercury team. Nobody took charge and in the end, they dropped Game 1. Could that happen again? You bet. LA is going to be rocking, they get great attendance and this could be a Legend's last WNBA game in the city she grew up in. Emotion will be high and the Sparks will be determined to not let Lisa Leslie leave LA without a victory.
Keys for Los Angeles
Stop Diana Taurasi from getting pull up shots. Face guard her and always put a hand in her face. If you can frustrate her, perhaps you have a shot. Let Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie pound the inside, that is where Phoenix might be "weaker". It's important for LA to win the rebound battle, if they can limit the second chance points and keep DeWanna Bonner in check then perhaps they have a chance to win the series. But doing both of these things will be tough to do for 3 games.
Keys for Phoenix
Slow down Candace Parker (I'm not sure she can be stopped so slowing her roll is important). It's important to always box her out so put your best box-er-outter on her at all times, no excuses for her to duck inside and grab easy rebounds untouched. But most importantly, get Diana Taurasi involved in every play in the first quarter, if she doesn't at least touch the ball then the confidence won't be there.
Phoenix wins 2-1
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An then there were Four...
Go Phoenix! I admit, I fell asleep at half time only to wake up to a rerun of poker on ESPN2 (sometimes I wish I lived in the middle of the country). Anyway, I could tell before I nodded off to sleepy land, that this game was going to be a dual between Becky Hammon and Diana Taurasi. And apparently, I was right. Hammon hit for 29 and Taurasi hit for 30. Both excellent players, both deserving of the MVP nod. Great games played by both but the Mercury free throw shooting proved to be too much for San Antonio as they were sent packing. Tomorrow night, the Final Four start their series of games. Preview tomorrow....
This does, sadly, end the WNBA career of one of the great WNBA players: Vickie Johnson. She rocked the house in NY, that smooth shooting lefty that would drop in 20 before you realized it. Great player, great person...you'll be missed. Be a great coach, pass your knowledge of the game onto the younger generation....best of luck!
Cappie Pondexter
Did you all see the new hair on Cappie? Well, shorter hair with funky design I should say. Comments? I love Cappie and her expressive personality....how can you not? (okay, so I also love her because she put RU on the map...but still...she's just so likable!)
Should we really care?
Okay, what is the big deal with Alysa Auriemma (aka, Geno's daughter) writing a blog for a local Connecticut newspaper and being paid for it? Are you serious? Apparently, according to the Hartford Courant, Alysa was paid for blog posts in July and August. I guess everyone was in a tizzy because it was a conflict of interest....how? It's a blog, it's not writing a news article and personally I think a lot of the writers in Hartford are so bias for UCONN that they are all in a conflict of interest. Read the articles and let me know what you think...
Latest article
Original Note on the situation
This does, sadly, end the WNBA career of one of the great WNBA players: Vickie Johnson. She rocked the house in NY, that smooth shooting lefty that would drop in 20 before you realized it. Great player, great person...you'll be missed. Be a great coach, pass your knowledge of the game onto the younger generation....best of luck!
Cappie Pondexter
Did you all see the new hair on Cappie? Well, shorter hair with funky design I should say. Comments? I love Cappie and her expressive personality....how can you not? (okay, so I also love her because she put RU on the map...but still...she's just so likable!)
(wnba.com)
Should we really care?
Okay, what is the big deal with Alysa Auriemma (aka, Geno's daughter) writing a blog for a local Connecticut newspaper and being paid for it? Are you serious? Apparently, according to the Hartford Courant, Alysa was paid for blog posts in July and August. I guess everyone was in a tizzy because it was a conflict of interest....how? It's a blog, it's not writing a news article and personally I think a lot of the writers in Hartford are so bias for UCONN that they are all in a conflict of interest. Read the articles and let me know what you think...
Latest article
Original Note on the situation
Monday, September 21, 2009
WNBA Action Heats Up!
Tonight is Game 3 of the Phoenix vs San Antonio series. I'm not sure what happened to Phoenix last week, did they forget to show up at the arena? Did they forget it was the playoffs? Alas, that game is in the past and Phoenix (and my keys to winning) showed up and dismantled the Silver Stars on Saturday to set up a Game 3 showdown in Phoenix.
San Antonio Silver Stars vs Phoenix Mercury (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Los Angeles Sparks vs Seattle Storm
I'm tired of hearing that people are surprised by how well the Sparks are playing. Of course they are playing well! Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker are on fire and Betty Lennox is totally under rated! Parker and Leslie missed a good portion of the season so they are just in mid-late season form now. Tina Thompson plays well when others around her play well so, guess what, she's on fire too. Best pickup in the off season for them was Thompson, one of the few remaining originals (Tameka Dixon is the other one). So yes, I'm not surprised LA won the series against the Storm. LA frustrated the Storm and took the win. Swin Cash was pretty much a no show in their two losses so guess what, the Storm lost. Maybe next year...
Detroit Shock vs Atlanta Dream
Experience and veterans got the best of the Dream this year. Their first playoff spot but they'll be back. Angel McCoughtry is the real deal and she'll help lead the Dream to a WNBA final one day. Holdsclaw was back but not 100% and de Souza ended up being a non-factor because Kara Braxton played liked the world was ending tomorrow. Great series, look for the next series to be just as entertaining!
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
I think this was the best series so far. Indiana should've lost both games that they won, period. But, they came back like the veterans that they are (Tamika Catchings was unbelievable in Game 2) and won both games. What amazed me was that in Game 2 the Mystics had no excuse to not win that game! They led the ENTIRE game...up until the very end. Washington needs to find that desire to put a knife in their opponent, they just can't seem to finish.
So depending on what team shows up tonight for Phoenix, it could be a very interesting remainder of the playoffs. If the real Phoenix team shows up, I don't see how anyone can beat them. But, they showed that they can be defeated because San Antonio really rattled them on Thursday night. Should prove to be a great game, lots of emotion flying as this could be VJ's last game in the WNBA!
San Antonio Silver Stars vs Phoenix Mercury (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Los Angeles Sparks vs Seattle Storm
I'm tired of hearing that people are surprised by how well the Sparks are playing. Of course they are playing well! Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker are on fire and Betty Lennox is totally under rated! Parker and Leslie missed a good portion of the season so they are just in mid-late season form now. Tina Thompson plays well when others around her play well so, guess what, she's on fire too. Best pickup in the off season for them was Thompson, one of the few remaining originals (Tameka Dixon is the other one). So yes, I'm not surprised LA won the series against the Storm. LA frustrated the Storm and took the win. Swin Cash was pretty much a no show in their two losses so guess what, the Storm lost. Maybe next year...
Detroit Shock vs Atlanta Dream
Experience and veterans got the best of the Dream this year. Their first playoff spot but they'll be back. Angel McCoughtry is the real deal and she'll help lead the Dream to a WNBA final one day. Holdsclaw was back but not 100% and de Souza ended up being a non-factor because Kara Braxton played liked the world was ending tomorrow. Great series, look for the next series to be just as entertaining!
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
I think this was the best series so far. Indiana should've lost both games that they won, period. But, they came back like the veterans that they are (Tamika Catchings was unbelievable in Game 2) and won both games. What amazed me was that in Game 2 the Mystics had no excuse to not win that game! They led the ENTIRE game...up until the very end. Washington needs to find that desire to put a knife in their opponent, they just can't seem to finish.
So depending on what team shows up tonight for Phoenix, it could be a very interesting remainder of the playoffs. If the real Phoenix team shows up, I don't see how anyone can beat them. But, they showed that they can be defeated because San Antonio really rattled them on Thursday night. Should prove to be a great game, lots of emotion flying as this could be VJ's last game in the WNBA!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
WNBA Playoffs Day 2
Great games last night, Detroit comes back to win and LA wins, perhaps, Lisa Leslie's final game in LA (which it won't be, sorry Seattle).
Los Angeles vs Seattle
Los Angeles, 1-0
Detroit vs Atlanta
Detroit, 1-0
The match ups tonight will be good too, well one of them will be.
Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (7:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ San Antonio Silver Stars (9:00 pm)
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
Game 1: Thu 9/17 (Washington) - 7:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 (Indiana) - 7:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Indiana)-8:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Both teams are banged up which should prove to be interesting. All season long I've heard how Indiana can't win on the road (and I've thought that too). But they were almost .500 on the road, NOT bad. I'd take that. For Indiana both Tammy Sutton-Brown and Katie Douglas are still recovering. Tamika Catchings left the game early on on Sunday after her head collided with Connecticut Sun's Tan White's head (ouch).
For Washington, Alana Beard is recovering from a sprained ankle. Even with Beard though, the Mystics didn't win one of the four games they played against Indiana. Another issue for the Mystics; the game will not be played at the Verizon Center because some dinosaurs are marching around the Verizon Center floor. If you've read my blogs, you'll remember me talking about this before (or click here).
So some notes:
-Both teams average 77 points per game
-Washington allows 77 points per game vs Indiana's 71
-Both are very close on rebounding (for and against): Washington 35 for, 33 against; Indiana 33 for, 33 against.
-Indiana has 2 double figure scorers (Katie Douglas and Tamika Catchings) while Washington has 3 (Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Crystal Langhorne). But the rest of the Indiana starting 5 is nearly at double figures where Washington has a pretty big gap.
Keys for Indiana: STAY HEALTHY. Enough said....
Keys for Washington: Monique Currie has to step up for Washington to have any chance to win. If Beard is "good to go" she will not be 100% and not having her athleticism at full tilt could hurt them against a quick Indiana team. I know Monique can play, she's proven her abilities in playoff type games before. But she's also shown her ability to falter. Lindsey will have a nice series but she needs to get Langhorne the ball a lot more and pound Indiana's forwards. She has the athleticism to do it. Washington has the athletes to succeed, they just need to put it together and stay consistent for a full 40 minutes.
So the series will end up with Indiana winning 2-0. Washington allows opponents to shoot nearly 44% from the field, if you keep allowing that you are going home early. I think the games will be tight since Washington is very athletic and strong but I just see them falling short...barely but it's only a 3 game series and the track record is well, not there.
Phoenix Mercury vs San Antonio Silver Stars
Game 1: Thu 9/17 - (San Antonio) 9:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA, TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Phoenix is healthy and ready to bring another Championship to Arizona. Phoenix heads to San Antonio tonight to begin the quest. They bring with them the best road record in the WNBA (11-6), WNBA scoring leader Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter is the 4th highest scorer this season and the league best average points per game at 93. So San Antonio has their work cut out for them.....hope they prepared well!
The Silver Stars are pretty healthy too but they just don't have the same kind of players Phoenix has. But, anything can happen. Becky Hammon is averaging more assists this season then any other season and she has always played well come playoff time. She also set a career high with 19.5 points per game this season. So she might be playing her best ball right now. There are just some players that can play their best in the playoffs and she's one of them. Plus she's an awesome leader that can get her team fired up.
Some notes on the teams:
-Mercury score 92 points per game BUT allow 89 points per game.
-Silver Stars score 77 points per game and their defense allows 78 per game (that's the wrong way you want that stat to be!)
-Mercury average 35 boards and allow 35 boards per game.
-Silver Stars average 31 boards and allow 35 boards per game (wrong way stat again!)
-Mercury have 5 players in double figures for scoring
-Silver Stars have 3 players in point per game averages
Keys for Phoenix: dominate the boards and protect the middle. That little one (aka Becky Hammon) loves to drive the lane. As long as Pondexter and Taurasi are playing well, Phoenix should be fine.
Keys for San Antonio: stop the perimeter game of Phoenix. If they got hot from behind the arc, forget it. Rebound, rebound, rebound! Win the boards and limit second chance points for Phoenix, stop the transition game. Let Sophia Young do her thing and let her be free in her decisions, she's a great athlete that can match the athleticism of the Mercury.
Phoenix wins the series 2-0.
Los Angeles vs Seattle
Los Angeles, 1-0
Detroit vs Atlanta
Detroit, 1-0
The match ups tonight will be good too, well one of them will be.
Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (7:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ San Antonio Silver Stars (9:00 pm)
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
Game 1: Thu 9/17 (Washington) - 7:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 (Indiana) - 7:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Indiana)-8:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Both teams are banged up which should prove to be interesting. All season long I've heard how Indiana can't win on the road (and I've thought that too). But they were almost .500 on the road, NOT bad. I'd take that. For Indiana both Tammy Sutton-Brown and Katie Douglas are still recovering. Tamika Catchings left the game early on on Sunday after her head collided with Connecticut Sun's Tan White's head (ouch).
For Washington, Alana Beard is recovering from a sprained ankle. Even with Beard though, the Mystics didn't win one of the four games they played against Indiana. Another issue for the Mystics; the game will not be played at the Verizon Center because some dinosaurs are marching around the Verizon Center floor. If you've read my blogs, you'll remember me talking about this before (or click here).
So some notes:
-Both teams average 77 points per game
-Washington allows 77 points per game vs Indiana's 71
-Both are very close on rebounding (for and against): Washington 35 for, 33 against; Indiana 33 for, 33 against.
-Indiana has 2 double figure scorers (Katie Douglas and Tamika Catchings) while Washington has 3 (Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Crystal Langhorne). But the rest of the Indiana starting 5 is nearly at double figures where Washington has a pretty big gap.
Keys for Indiana: STAY HEALTHY. Enough said....
Keys for Washington: Monique Currie has to step up for Washington to have any chance to win. If Beard is "good to go" she will not be 100% and not having her athleticism at full tilt could hurt them against a quick Indiana team. I know Monique can play, she's proven her abilities in playoff type games before. But she's also shown her ability to falter. Lindsey will have a nice series but she needs to get Langhorne the ball a lot more and pound Indiana's forwards. She has the athleticism to do it. Washington has the athletes to succeed, they just need to put it together and stay consistent for a full 40 minutes.
So the series will end up with Indiana winning 2-0. Washington allows opponents to shoot nearly 44% from the field, if you keep allowing that you are going home early. I think the games will be tight since Washington is very athletic and strong but I just see them falling short...barely but it's only a 3 game series and the track record is well, not there.
Phoenix Mercury vs San Antonio Silver Stars
Game 1: Thu 9/17 - (San Antonio) 9:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA, TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Phoenix is healthy and ready to bring another Championship to Arizona. Phoenix heads to San Antonio tonight to begin the quest. They bring with them the best road record in the WNBA (11-6), WNBA scoring leader Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter is the 4th highest scorer this season and the league best average points per game at 93. So San Antonio has their work cut out for them.....hope they prepared well!
The Silver Stars are pretty healthy too but they just don't have the same kind of players Phoenix has. But, anything can happen. Becky Hammon is averaging more assists this season then any other season and she has always played well come playoff time. She also set a career high with 19.5 points per game this season. So she might be playing her best ball right now. There are just some players that can play their best in the playoffs and she's one of them. Plus she's an awesome leader that can get her team fired up.
Some notes on the teams:
-Mercury score 92 points per game BUT allow 89 points per game.
-Silver Stars score 77 points per game and their defense allows 78 per game (that's the wrong way you want that stat to be!)
-Mercury average 35 boards and allow 35 boards per game.
-Silver Stars average 31 boards and allow 35 boards per game (wrong way stat again!)
-Mercury have 5 players in double figures for scoring
-Silver Stars have 3 players in point per game averages
Keys for Phoenix: dominate the boards and protect the middle. That little one (aka Becky Hammon) loves to drive the lane. As long as Pondexter and Taurasi are playing well, Phoenix should be fine.
Keys for San Antonio: stop the perimeter game of Phoenix. If they got hot from behind the arc, forget it. Rebound, rebound, rebound! Win the boards and limit second chance points for Phoenix, stop the transition game. Let Sophia Young do her thing and let her be free in her decisions, she's a great athlete that can match the athleticism of the Mercury.
Phoenix wins the series 2-0.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
WNBA Playoffs
So with the playoffs kicking off tonight (and the games actually on TV...WOW!) it's time for some predictions.
Tonight's games:
Atlanta @ Detroit (8:00 pm, ESPN2)
Seattle @ Los Angeles (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Atlanta Dream vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (Detroit)- 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Atlanta)- 7:30 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Atlanta)- 3:00 pm (If necessary) (ESPN2)
It's reality time for Atlanta and their first round games are going to be the toughest games they have played all season. Why? The Detroit Shock are a.) on a tear b.) no WAY are the defending Champs going to bow out in the first round (a-la Tennessee Lady Vols). On paper, Atlanta is a more balanced team but that doesn't take into account the factor of the playoffs and what it can do to a team (good and bad). Some notes:
-5 Double figure scorers for the Dream compared to 3 for Shock (1 for each team might be out).
-Katie Smith and Chamique Holdsclaw are doubtful to play in Game 1, perhaps the entire series.
-Atlanta scores average 84 PPG and allows 82 PPG
-Detroit scores 78 PPG and allows 77 PPG
-Rebounds are close: Atlanta 37, Detroit 36
-Rebounds allowed (this is where Atlanta will suffer): Atlanta 37, Detroit 32
Here are some keys for Detroit to win: If Cheryl Ford remains healthy and dominates Erika de Souza (who is averaging 2 more boards per game then Cheryl), the Shock will win. If Katie Smith can play in the series, they will win (right now it's unclear if she will play in the first game or at all).
Keys for Atlanta to win: Limit the number of second chance opportunities for the Shock and perhaps, Atlanta can sneak out the win....but I just don't see that happening.
Detroit wins the series 2-0. (I'm sorry Atlanta, I love you, but first playoffs against Detroit? Sorry ladies!).
Seattle Storm vs Los Angeles Sparks
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (LA) - 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Seattle)- 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Seattle)- 5:00 pm (if necessary) (ESPN 2)
Seattle will be without All-World player Lauren Jackson for this series BUT they get many of their other players back. Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Tanisha Wright and Katie Geralds should all be in uniform and ready to play tonight. Geralds is still pretty hurt from her injured PCL but just having her on the floor for a few minutes will create some positive vibes for the Storm. The Sparks, on the other hand, have as much playoff experience as the Storm and are flying high with emotion. Nobody on that teams wants legendary Lisa Leslie to retire without a WNBA title this season (heck, how storybook would that be...a-la David Robinson?). The Sparks are playing really good ball right now and they are healthy. Some notes:
-Both teams have 5 players scoring in double figures but Seattle is down one
-Both teams average 74 points per game and allow the same 73
-Sparks have the edge in rebounds: 37-32
-Sparks have the edge in allowed rebounds: 30-32 (but close enough)
For Seattle to win: One name-Swin Cash. If Cash plays BIG (boards and points) Seattle could win the series. What is going to hurt them is no Lauren Jackson in the playoffs. Sure, they are playing great ball without her but LA is on a mission and they know how to win and they know how to use emotion effectively (loaded with successful NCAA and Olympic Champions).
For LA to win: Rebounds, rebounds and rebounds. Stop Swin Cash and limit the assists Sue Bird gets (in other words, protect the low block) and LA can win this series.
This is the series to watch...arguably the best one of the playoffs.
Los Angeles wins 2-1.
Tonight's games:
Atlanta @ Detroit (8:00 pm, ESPN2)
Seattle @ Los Angeles (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Atlanta Dream vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (Detroit)- 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Atlanta)- 7:30 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Atlanta)- 3:00 pm (If necessary) (ESPN2)
It's reality time for Atlanta and their first round games are going to be the toughest games they have played all season. Why? The Detroit Shock are a.) on a tear b.) no WAY are the defending Champs going to bow out in the first round (a-la Tennessee Lady Vols). On paper, Atlanta is a more balanced team but that doesn't take into account the factor of the playoffs and what it can do to a team (good and bad). Some notes:
-5 Double figure scorers for the Dream compared to 3 for Shock (1 for each team might be out).
-Katie Smith and Chamique Holdsclaw are doubtful to play in Game 1, perhaps the entire series.
-Atlanta scores average 84 PPG and allows 82 PPG
-Detroit scores 78 PPG and allows 77 PPG
-Rebounds are close: Atlanta 37, Detroit 36
-Rebounds allowed (this is where Atlanta will suffer): Atlanta 37, Detroit 32
Here are some keys for Detroit to win: If Cheryl Ford remains healthy and dominates Erika de Souza (who is averaging 2 more boards per game then Cheryl), the Shock will win. If Katie Smith can play in the series, they will win (right now it's unclear if she will play in the first game or at all).
Keys for Atlanta to win: Limit the number of second chance opportunities for the Shock and perhaps, Atlanta can sneak out the win....but I just don't see that happening.
Detroit wins the series 2-0. (I'm sorry Atlanta, I love you, but first playoffs against Detroit? Sorry ladies!).
Seattle Storm vs Los Angeles Sparks
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (LA) - 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Seattle)- 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Seattle)- 5:00 pm (if necessary) (ESPN 2)
Seattle will be without All-World player Lauren Jackson for this series BUT they get many of their other players back. Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Tanisha Wright and Katie Geralds should all be in uniform and ready to play tonight. Geralds is still pretty hurt from her injured PCL but just having her on the floor for a few minutes will create some positive vibes for the Storm. The Sparks, on the other hand, have as much playoff experience as the Storm and are flying high with emotion. Nobody on that teams wants legendary Lisa Leslie to retire without a WNBA title this season (heck, how storybook would that be...a-la David Robinson?). The Sparks are playing really good ball right now and they are healthy. Some notes:
-Both teams have 5 players scoring in double figures but Seattle is down one
-Both teams average 74 points per game and allow the same 73
-Sparks have the edge in rebounds: 37-32
-Sparks have the edge in allowed rebounds: 30-32 (but close enough)
For Seattle to win: One name-Swin Cash. If Cash plays BIG (boards and points) Seattle could win the series. What is going to hurt them is no Lauren Jackson in the playoffs. Sure, they are playing great ball without her but LA is on a mission and they know how to win and they know how to use emotion effectively (loaded with successful NCAA and Olympic Champions).
For LA to win: Rebounds, rebounds and rebounds. Stop Swin Cash and limit the assists Sue Bird gets (in other words, protect the low block) and LA can win this series.
This is the series to watch...arguably the best one of the playoffs.
Los Angeles wins 2-1.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Angels, Wiggins and Leslies...oh my!
Tonight is a pretty important night here in WNBA land. Minnesota Lynx play at Los Angeles Sparks and Connecticut Sun play at Atlanta Dream. It's important because....
-the Atlanta Dream can start to complete their turn around from last season by clinching a playoff spot in their friendly confines of Philips Arena. If they beat the Sun (which I think they will) the Dream will certainly be living a dream.
-The Minnesota Lynx can keep their hopes alive by staying alive in the playoff hunt with a win at Los Angeles. IF the Lynx can win and win again on Sunday (saying the Silver Stars beat the Storm Saturday) they are in the playoffs. How can they be if they are tied with the Silver Stars? You know, that recreational head-to-head thing....Minnesota has the edge over San Antonio.
Check out the games! The more viewers the better...
Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream (7:00 pm)
Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Washington Mystics
So if the Mystics make the playoffs the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show will kick them out of the Verizon Center. They will have to go 30 minutes north to College Park, MD...where there is train service but it's kind of a pain to navigate. Of course this is not the first time a pro team has had to reschedule a playoff game. Just this past NHL season the Pittsburgh Penguins had to reschedule their game with the Washington Capitals because of a Yanni concert. Not like it mattered because my Pens won but still...dinos and Yanni kick pro sports out of their own arena? Who exactly has banners hanging in the rafters? I rest my case....
-the Atlanta Dream can start to complete their turn around from last season by clinching a playoff spot in their friendly confines of Philips Arena. If they beat the Sun (which I think they will) the Dream will certainly be living a dream.
-The Minnesota Lynx can keep their hopes alive by staying alive in the playoff hunt with a win at Los Angeles. IF the Lynx can win and win again on Sunday (saying the Silver Stars beat the Storm Saturday) they are in the playoffs. How can they be if they are tied with the Silver Stars? You know, that recreational head-to-head thing....Minnesota has the edge over San Antonio.
Check out the games! The more viewers the better...
Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream (7:00 pm)
Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Washington Mystics
So if the Mystics make the playoffs the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show will kick them out of the Verizon Center. They will have to go 30 minutes north to College Park, MD...where there is train service but it's kind of a pain to navigate. Of course this is not the first time a pro team has had to reschedule a playoff game. Just this past NHL season the Pittsburgh Penguins had to reschedule their game with the Washington Capitals because of a Yanni concert. Not like it mattered because my Pens won but still...dinos and Yanni kick pro sports out of their own arena? Who exactly has banners hanging in the rafters? I rest my case....
C. Vivian Stringer
Today marks the long overdue enshrinement of C. Vivian Stringer into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. There are some excellent articles on the web about her, I have listed my favorites below.
When I was 11 years old my Mom took me to my first live women's basketball game. The school: Rutgers University. A nice 45 minute drive from my home in Mercer County, NJ. My Mom and I didn't know much about the program but we went anyway. Man, were we thrilled. There was a duo there known as Wicks and Sticks (Sue Wicks and Regina Howard). I was amazed at how quickly they moved and how effortlessly they played the game. That was when I was hooked on Rutgers basketball. I watched the team do well in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
At the same time, more and more games were being shown on TV. At that time, the women's NCAA Championship game was broadcast on CBS (I can still picture Ann Meyer's outfit as she broadcast the 1990 final between Stanford and Auburn). In the early 90s a coach and a team captured my attention. University of Iowa and C. Vivian Stringer. Perhaps I was a bit partial to Iowa because they had an excellent field hockey program (another sport I love). I just loved how Coach Stringer empowered her team to play well and how she approached and respected the game. I started to learn about Coach Stringer and I read about her accomplishments at Cheyney State (small school playing big time hoops) and her move to Iowa and what she had done there. Did you know that Coach Stringer's Iowa Hawkeye's team became the first team ever, in the history of women's basketball, to have an advance game sell out? Coach Stringer took the Iowa Hawkeyes to 10 NCAA tournaments, 9 straight from 1984-1993. Final Four berth in 1993 (her second one), not bad if you ask me.
In July 1995 Rutgers, my team, announced that this great coach would replace Theresa Grentz. Could it be true? That someone of her caliber would come to a program that was mediocre? Oh, the possibilities of a Final Four berth, Tournament Championships, All-Americans danced through my head. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
I made sure that my Mom and I were there for her first game against Penn State on November 25, 1995 (I still have the program). It was a thriller with RU beating then unflappable Rene Portland's Penn State team by 2 points. I clearly remember the last few seconds of the game as RU had fouls to give before PSU would shoot free throws so Stringer would foul them as soon as the ball would be thrown into play. It worked flawlessly. I was more thrilled with the strategy and the hope that RU would become the "Jewel of the East".
Sure enough, RU made the final four in 2000 (and the National title game in 2007). Coach Stringer became the first coach in NCAA history to take 3 different teams to the Final Four. From there the top High School players started knocked on the big red doors on the Banks. Cappie Pondexter, Matee Ajavon, Kia Vaughn, April Sykes and Monique Oliver (and many others that have walked through the door). In February 2008, Coach Stringer won her 800th game and she ranks #3 all time.
Now they are a team that is talked about as possible NCAA Champions! Coach Stringer took an average to above-average team and made them one of the best, a force to be reckoned with. People used to say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford and UNC. Now they say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford, UNC and Rutgers. She has taken yet another program and put them at the top of their game. Congratulations to C. Vivian Stringer on this special day. I am proud to say she is the head coach of my team, Rutgers University.
C. Vivian Stringer's impact reaches beyond the court
Stringer’s Long, Rewarding Trip to Hall of Fame
Naismith Induction "Earth Shattering” for C. Vivian Stringer
Chaney and Stringer
Stringer nervous before Hall of Fame inductions
When I was 11 years old my Mom took me to my first live women's basketball game. The school: Rutgers University. A nice 45 minute drive from my home in Mercer County, NJ. My Mom and I didn't know much about the program but we went anyway. Man, were we thrilled. There was a duo there known as Wicks and Sticks (Sue Wicks and Regina Howard). I was amazed at how quickly they moved and how effortlessly they played the game. That was when I was hooked on Rutgers basketball. I watched the team do well in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
At the same time, more and more games were being shown on TV. At that time, the women's NCAA Championship game was broadcast on CBS (I can still picture Ann Meyer's outfit as she broadcast the 1990 final between Stanford and Auburn). In the early 90s a coach and a team captured my attention. University of Iowa and C. Vivian Stringer. Perhaps I was a bit partial to Iowa because they had an excellent field hockey program (another sport I love). I just loved how Coach Stringer empowered her team to play well and how she approached and respected the game. I started to learn about Coach Stringer and I read about her accomplishments at Cheyney State (small school playing big time hoops) and her move to Iowa and what she had done there. Did you know that Coach Stringer's Iowa Hawkeye's team became the first team ever, in the history of women's basketball, to have an advance game sell out? Coach Stringer took the Iowa Hawkeyes to 10 NCAA tournaments, 9 straight from 1984-1993. Final Four berth in 1993 (her second one), not bad if you ask me.
In July 1995 Rutgers, my team, announced that this great coach would replace Theresa Grentz. Could it be true? That someone of her caliber would come to a program that was mediocre? Oh, the possibilities of a Final Four berth, Tournament Championships, All-Americans danced through my head. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
I made sure that my Mom and I were there for her first game against Penn State on November 25, 1995 (I still have the program). It was a thriller with RU beating then unflappable Rene Portland's Penn State team by 2 points. I clearly remember the last few seconds of the game as RU had fouls to give before PSU would shoot free throws so Stringer would foul them as soon as the ball would be thrown into play. It worked flawlessly. I was more thrilled with the strategy and the hope that RU would become the "Jewel of the East".
Sure enough, RU made the final four in 2000 (and the National title game in 2007). Coach Stringer became the first coach in NCAA history to take 3 different teams to the Final Four. From there the top High School players started knocked on the big red doors on the Banks. Cappie Pondexter, Matee Ajavon, Kia Vaughn, April Sykes and Monique Oliver (and many others that have walked through the door). In February 2008, Coach Stringer won her 800th game and she ranks #3 all time.
Now they are a team that is talked about as possible NCAA Champions! Coach Stringer took an average to above-average team and made them one of the best, a force to be reckoned with. People used to say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford and UNC. Now they say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford, UNC and Rutgers. She has taken yet another program and put them at the top of their game. Congratulations to C. Vivian Stringer on this special day. I am proud to say she is the head coach of my team, Rutgers University.
C. Vivian Stringer's impact reaches beyond the court
Stringer’s Long, Rewarding Trip to Hall of Fame
Naismith Induction "Earth Shattering” for C. Vivian Stringer
Chaney and Stringer
Stringer nervous before Hall of Fame inductions
Thursday, September 10, 2009
There can only be 1
It should be no surprise to anyone which team is considered #1 in the "nearly-a-decade" list (my comparison to Stanford Basketball Examiner writer Jake Curtis' top 10 teams). If you are surprised, did you live under a rock for most of the decade?
Jake-UCONN
Jenn-UCONN
-4 National Titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2009)
-2 additional Final Fours (2001, 2008)
-Failed to make the NCAA Elite Eight only one time (2005)
-39 victories in both 2002, 2009 (I would argue with anyone that the 2002 UCONN team is the best ever to be put on a floor)
-Won fewer then 30 games only once in the 9 years
-2 Undefeated seasons (2002, 2009)
-Finished in the top 10 final standings all 9 years (#1 in 5 of those seasons)
-7 Regular Season Big East Champions (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009)
-6 Big East Tournament Championships (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
-7 (yes 7) 1st Team All Americans: Svetlana Abrosimova 2001, Swin Cash 2002, Sue Bird 2002, Diana Taurasi 2002-2004, Tina Charles 2009, Renee Montgomery 2008, 2009, Maya Moore 2008, 2009.
-3 Wade Trophy National Player of the Year Awards: Sue Bird, 2002; Diana Taurasi, 2003; Maya Moore, 2009
Enough said....
WNBA
Minnesota Lynx picked up a very important win over the Detroit Shock last night. If the Shock had won they would've clinched a playoff spot but now they have to wait another game. The Lynx scored 9 straight points to pull out the 3 point victory. The win puts the Lynx tied with San Antonio Silver Stars for 4th place in the West. San Antonio holds the tie-breaker head to head and they both have 2 games remaining.
I think it's time, with the talent so diversified in the WNBA, that if teams tie for a playoff position they play 1 game to determine the standings. None of this recreational league head to head stuff. A good example would be the Sparks. Say it was between the Sparks and a team they played twice early on in the season. The Sparks were without Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie for a good portion of the beginning of the season. Now they are on fire. Is it fair and right to not have them in the playoffs when they are playing better ball then a lot of teams just because they didn't win their head-to-head? Go to a 1 game playoff, let the ladies lay it on the floor, let the PLAYERS decide who gets into the playoffs not a statistician.
Games Tonight:
New York Liberty @ Detroit Shock (7:30 pm, NBA TV)
Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky (8:00 pm)
San Antonio Silver Stars @ Sacramento Monarchs (10:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm (10:00 pm)
Big games for Detroit and Chicago. If Detroit wins, they clinch a playoff spot. Liberty are playing pretty well now, if Katie Smith is out again for Detroit (back) then look for the Liberty to delay the Shock their playoff berth.
Chicago is 11-4 @ home and as we've seen, the Fever just are not playing well on the road. Look for the Sky to win and gain sole possession of that 4th place playoff spot.
Jake-UCONN
Jenn-UCONN
-4 National Titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2009)
-2 additional Final Fours (2001, 2008)
-Failed to make the NCAA Elite Eight only one time (2005)
-39 victories in both 2002, 2009 (I would argue with anyone that the 2002 UCONN team is the best ever to be put on a floor)
-Won fewer then 30 games only once in the 9 years
-2 Undefeated seasons (2002, 2009)
-Finished in the top 10 final standings all 9 years (#1 in 5 of those seasons)
-7 Regular Season Big East Champions (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009)
-6 Big East Tournament Championships (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
-7 (yes 7) 1st Team All Americans: Svetlana Abrosimova 2001, Swin Cash 2002, Sue Bird 2002, Diana Taurasi 2002-2004, Tina Charles 2009, Renee Montgomery 2008, 2009, Maya Moore 2008, 2009.
-3 Wade Trophy National Player of the Year Awards: Sue Bird, 2002; Diana Taurasi, 2003; Maya Moore, 2009
Enough said....
WNBA
Minnesota Lynx picked up a very important win over the Detroit Shock last night. If the Shock had won they would've clinched a playoff spot but now they have to wait another game. The Lynx scored 9 straight points to pull out the 3 point victory. The win puts the Lynx tied with San Antonio Silver Stars for 4th place in the West. San Antonio holds the tie-breaker head to head and they both have 2 games remaining.
I think it's time, with the talent so diversified in the WNBA, that if teams tie for a playoff position they play 1 game to determine the standings. None of this recreational league head to head stuff. A good example would be the Sparks. Say it was between the Sparks and a team they played twice early on in the season. The Sparks were without Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie for a good portion of the beginning of the season. Now they are on fire. Is it fair and right to not have them in the playoffs when they are playing better ball then a lot of teams just because they didn't win their head-to-head? Go to a 1 game playoff, let the ladies lay it on the floor, let the PLAYERS decide who gets into the playoffs not a statistician.
Games Tonight:
New York Liberty @ Detroit Shock (7:30 pm, NBA TV)
Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky (8:00 pm)
San Antonio Silver Stars @ Sacramento Monarchs (10:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm (10:00 pm)
Big games for Detroit and Chicago. If Detroit wins, they clinch a playoff spot. Liberty are playing pretty well now, if Katie Smith is out again for Detroit (back) then look for the Liberty to delay the Shock their playoff berth.
Chicago is 11-4 @ home and as we've seen, the Fever just are not playing well on the road. Look for the Sky to win and gain sole possession of that 4th place playoff spot.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Rutgers Announces 2009-2010 Schedule
Rutgers has another demanding schedule this season. Stanford, Georgia, USC, Texas, Florida, Tennessee...oh yes, and the rest of the Big East schedule. Look for RU to be just fine this season, even though I have a feeling the talk will be "Without Prince who will lead them." Oh, you just wait and see.
You can see the entire schedule here.
Coach Stringer goes into the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. Long overdue if you ask me. Just what she did at Cheyney State and Iowa deserved the honor but I'm proud to say she's going into the Hall as the coach of Rutgers. Nice article on her on the women's basketball site.
You can see the entire schedule here.
Coach Stringer goes into the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. Long overdue if you ask me. Just what she did at Cheyney State and Iowa deserved the honor but I'm proud to say she's going into the Hall as the coach of Rutgers. Nice article on her on the women's basketball site.
Almost-A-Decade teams and other news...
Since we are approaching #1 (haha, fooled you, we are not doing #1 today), let's look back at some quality teams that didn't quite make the cut in my top 10.
-Maryland: 2006 NCAA Champions, 2009 ACC Tournament Champions, 3 All-Americans (Kristi Toliver, Crystal Langhorne, Marissa Coleman)
-Ohio State: 4 Big 10 Regular Season Champs (or co-Champs), 1 three time All-American (Jessica Davenport, 2005-2007), NCAA Tornament 2003-2008 (#1 seed in 2006), Sweet 16 in 2005.
-Michigan State: NCAA Championship game berth (2005), 2 Honorable Mention All-Americans (Kristin Hayne, Lindsay Bowen, Liz Shimek), 2005 Big 10 Regular Season and Tournament Champs, 6 times in the NCAA tournament
Some nice teams but not quite good enough to hit the top 10, maybe they'll make the next decade countdown!
Central Michigan Chippewas
Small school (be it Division I) so this may have been passed over by some people. Last week a Michigan judge dismissed a case against Head Coach, Sue Guevara. The case: a player felt that she was discriminated against because she was not a lesbian. According to the article on CBS Sports.com, Brooke Heike lost her scholarship because of her poor attitude and unwillingness to work hard. The case was thrown out of court because the coach and other officials at Central Michigan are immune from such legal claims. So the player's lawyer will try another type of lawsuit. The best is, Heike is still attending the University. Interesting, no? I know that if I felt I was discriminated against by a company, person or school I would high tail it out of there. Wouldn't you? Makes me wonder if perhaps she thought she was a better player then she really was. You can read the entire article here.
WNBA
The Sparks clinched a playoff spot with their nice win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. With the Silver Stars loss, the Lynx pulled to within 1/2 game of the final coveted 4th spot. Silver Stars have 2 games remaining: @ Sacramento and home against Seattle Storm. Silver Stars are 1-2 against the Monarchs and 1-2 against the Seattle Storm. As for the Minnesota Lynx: Detroit tonight, @ Los Angeles and @ Sacramento. 0-1 against Detroit (losing when Detroit was mediocre), 1-2 against LA, 2-1 against Sacramento. Should be some interesting games in the West!
Indiana Fever (with the win last night over the New York Liberty) are tied with the Phoenix Mercury for the best record in the WNBA at 22-10. Indiana is having a hard time playing well on the road. Should prove to be interesting since their last 2 remaining games are on the road (@ Chicago and @ Connecticut)
Congrats to Deanna Nolan and Vickie "VJ" Johnson for being named WNBA players of the week. This is Nolan's fifth of her career and the second in as many weeks (winning last week with Sue Bird). Averages: 20.7 points, 51.1% from the floor, 4.3 boards, and 3.3 assists. She helped the Shock go 3-0 last week.
VJ wins her first "Player of the Week" award in her career. Nice way to end her career, no? She averaged 22 points, 76.0% from the floor (league leading), 3.5 assists, 3.5 boards, and 1.5 steals. She helped the Silver Stars to 2 wins over the past week. She is one of only 4 players still playing from the inaugural WNBA draft, one of two players to have 4,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career (with her teammate Becky Hammon) and is the WNBA all-time leader in games played.
Rookie Watch
Rookie report time (Last three games)
DeWanna Bonner:
41 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 4 steals
Team record: 2-1
Angel McCoughtry:
39 points, 10 boards, 12 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals (double-double on 9/4: 26 points, 10 assists)
Team Record: 2-1
Shavonte Zellous:
44 points, 10 boards, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Team Record: 3-0
Tough call this week! Shavonte played great this week and is my rookie of the week. She really helped her team climb back into the playoffs! It's not just how she does as an individual but also how she helps her team.
Tonight's Game:
Detroit Shock @ Minnesota Lynx (8:00 pm)
-Maryland: 2006 NCAA Champions, 2009 ACC Tournament Champions, 3 All-Americans (Kristi Toliver, Crystal Langhorne, Marissa Coleman)
-Ohio State: 4 Big 10 Regular Season Champs (or co-Champs), 1 three time All-American (Jessica Davenport, 2005-2007), NCAA Tornament 2003-2008 (#1 seed in 2006), Sweet 16 in 2005.
-Michigan State: NCAA Championship game berth (2005), 2 Honorable Mention All-Americans (Kristin Hayne, Lindsay Bowen, Liz Shimek), 2005 Big 10 Regular Season and Tournament Champs, 6 times in the NCAA tournament
Some nice teams but not quite good enough to hit the top 10, maybe they'll make the next decade countdown!
Central Michigan Chippewas
Small school (be it Division I) so this may have been passed over by some people. Last week a Michigan judge dismissed a case against Head Coach, Sue Guevara. The case: a player felt that she was discriminated against because she was not a lesbian. According to the article on CBS Sports.com, Brooke Heike lost her scholarship because of her poor attitude and unwillingness to work hard. The case was thrown out of court because the coach and other officials at Central Michigan are immune from such legal claims. So the player's lawyer will try another type of lawsuit. The best is, Heike is still attending the University. Interesting, no? I know that if I felt I was discriminated against by a company, person or school I would high tail it out of there. Wouldn't you? Makes me wonder if perhaps she thought she was a better player then she really was. You can read the entire article here.
WNBA
The Sparks clinched a playoff spot with their nice win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. With the Silver Stars loss, the Lynx pulled to within 1/2 game of the final coveted 4th spot. Silver Stars have 2 games remaining: @ Sacramento and home against Seattle Storm. Silver Stars are 1-2 against the Monarchs and 1-2 against the Seattle Storm. As for the Minnesota Lynx: Detroit tonight, @ Los Angeles and @ Sacramento. 0-1 against Detroit (losing when Detroit was mediocre), 1-2 against LA, 2-1 against Sacramento. Should be some interesting games in the West!
Indiana Fever (with the win last night over the New York Liberty) are tied with the Phoenix Mercury for the best record in the WNBA at 22-10. Indiana is having a hard time playing well on the road. Should prove to be interesting since their last 2 remaining games are on the road (@ Chicago and @ Connecticut)
Congrats to Deanna Nolan and Vickie "VJ" Johnson for being named WNBA players of the week. This is Nolan's fifth of her career and the second in as many weeks (winning last week with Sue Bird). Averages: 20.7 points, 51.1% from the floor, 4.3 boards, and 3.3 assists. She helped the Shock go 3-0 last week.
VJ wins her first "Player of the Week" award in her career. Nice way to end her career, no? She averaged 22 points, 76.0% from the floor (league leading), 3.5 assists, 3.5 boards, and 1.5 steals. She helped the Silver Stars to 2 wins over the past week. She is one of only 4 players still playing from the inaugural WNBA draft, one of two players to have 4,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career (with her teammate Becky Hammon) and is the WNBA all-time leader in games played.
Rookie Watch
Rookie report time (Last three games)
DeWanna Bonner:
41 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 4 steals
Team record: 2-1
Angel McCoughtry:
39 points, 10 boards, 12 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals (double-double on 9/4: 26 points, 10 assists)
Team Record: 2-1
Shavonte Zellous:
44 points, 10 boards, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Team Record: 3-0
Tough call this week! Shavonte played great this week and is my rookie of the week. She really helped her team climb back into the playoffs! It's not just how she does as an individual but also how she helps her team.
Tonight's Game:
Detroit Shock @ Minnesota Lynx (8:00 pm)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
And then there were 2!
With the Holiday and travelling, I missed a day of posting. Lots happened over they weekend with the WNBA but I'll get to that after my number 2 selection for top 10 almost-a-decade women's basketball teams (in comparison to Jake Curtis).
Jake-Tennessee
Jenn-Tennessee
Jake-Tennessee
Jenn-Tennessee
2 National Titles, 6 Final Fours, 4 National Title game Berths, 8 Top 10 finishes (none at #1 interestingly enough) and Pat Summitt. Oh wait, and 4 All Americans: Tamika Catchings (2001), Kara Lawson (2003), Shyra Ely (2004), Candace Parker (2006, 2007, 2008). 2007 Wade Trophy National Player of the Year winner: Candace Parker. And I would argue Tamika Catchings deserved the honor in 2001 (Jackie Stiles rocked the party boat that year but Tamika was just amazing). Tennessee plays in one of the top 3 toughest conferences in the nation: SEC. Even though they lost in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament this season and finished a super low #18 in the Final rankings, they are still one of the best teams EVER. Pick a decade: Tennessee was there.
A neat Tennessee note: 13 former Lady Vols are currently in the WNBA...the most of any school!
WNBA
Phoenix Mercury clinched the West with their 100-82 win on Saturday. The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Seattle Storm 76-68 to help the Mercury clinch earlier then this week. With Indiana Fever losing on the road to Detroit Shock, the Fever are really starting to fall flat. Could it be the season wear and tear? The fact that they have had minimal injuries so their players are more tired then others? Remember the tear Minnesota made in the NCAA a few years ago (okay, probably 5 years ago but that is a few for me) when their star player was hurt? Maybe injuries during the season help a team. As long as the team gels together and the player can fit into her role, why not?
Standings right now:
East
Indiana (clinched)
Atlanta Dream -4.5
Detroit Shock -5.0 (yes, DETROIT)
Chicago Sky -6.5
Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun -6.5
New York Liberty (eliminated from playoffs)
West
Phoenix (clinched)
Seattle Storm -3.0
Los Angeles Spark -6.5
San Antonio Silver Stars -7.5
Minnesota Lynx -8.5
Sacramento Monarchs (eliminated from playoffs)
Games Tonight!
Indiana Fever @ New York Liberty (7:30 pm)
San Antonio Silver Stars @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Big game on the West Coast!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Terrific #3 and other news
My number 3 team is......
Jake: Duke
Jenn: Duke
Jake: Duke
Jenn: Duke
Now, how much slack will I get for this one? No National Titles and a team that should have won in 2006 but failed to do so, losing to that upstart team from their conference...you know the one, Maryland. Ready? Here we go:
-Finished in the Top 10 in all nine seasons in review
-Finished #1 in 2004, #2 in two of the seasons
-Three Final Fours, 1 National Title berth
-2 additional NCAA Quarterfinal berths
-4 ACC Tournament Titles
-5 (yes, five) All Americans: (Georgia Schwitzer, 2001; Iciss Tillis (2003); Alana Beard (2002, 2003, 2004); Monique Currie (2005, 2006); Lindsey Harding (2007)
-National Player of the Year (Wade Trophy) Alana Beard, 2004
That's enough for me to put them at #3.
WNBA News
The Washington Mystics proved they want to be in the playoffs by beating the visiting Seattle Storm. The Storm had 24 turnovers which helped the Mystics run the floor a bit (18 fast break points). Looks like the Mystics mean business and maybe not having Jackson in the lineup hurts the Storm more then I think. Guess it's tough to replace one of the best players in the game.
This moves Washington into 3rd with a .5 game lead over the Detroit Shock.
Games tonight:
New York Liberty @ Connecticut Sun (7:00 pm, NBA TV)
Indiana Fever @ Detroit Shock (7:30 pm)
Washington Mystics @ Chicago Sky (8:30 pm)
Atlanta Dream @ Sacramento Monarchs (10:00 pm)
Vickie JohnsonLast night the San Antonio Silver Stars honored one of the original players of the WNBA. Johnson graduated as a two-time All American from Louisiana Tech (1996) and one of the original members of the WNBA being drafted #12 in the second round by the New York Liberty. Turns out that #12 pick was a steal for the talent VJ brought to the table. Two-time WNBA All-Star and the first New York Liberty player to reach 2,000 points. June 2005 she hit a bucket for 3,000 points in the WNBA. And an even bigger honor, the owner of the world famous Carnegie Deli in Manhattan created the "VJ Classic Sandwich". It's a 3,000 calorie sandwich (oh my!).
In 2006, VJ moved onto San Antonio where she continued (and continues) to help her Silver Stars team stay in the playoff hunt. I know that I will miss seeing her play, she was always one of my favorites in the WNBA. A true teammate and a real role model. Best of luck to VJ, maybe we'll see you on the sidelines with Spoon at La Tech! Nice article on VJ on the Silver Stars website, check it out.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Former LaTech Coach happy with Assistant position
Leon Barmore, who can forget him? Who can forget what his teams did for the face of women's basketball? Coach Barmore was an Assistant to Sonja Hogg when the Lady Techsters won the first NCAA women's basketball title in 1982.
Barmore took over the full coaching reigns in 1985 after serving for three years as the co-head coach. He led the Lady Techsters to 20 straight winning seasons, 13 of those season were 30 wins or more (6 straight at one point), 20 straight NCAA tournament appearances, nine Final Fours and oh yes, five National title game berths. They won it all in 1988 (with Spoon leading the charge). Coach Barmore led Louisiana Tech to 13 regular season conference Championships in 15 years, coached 12 All-Americans and 14 of his players went onto play in the WNBA. He coached now Louisiana Tech's Head Coach, Teresa 'Spoon' Weatherspoon (Olympian, All-American, star player of the WNBA, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2010). 2003 Naismith Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, he amassed an incredible record of 576-87 (.869 winning percentage). I would think any coach would like to have that kind of resume.
One of those players that he coached was Kim Mulkey. Kim Mulkey played for Barmore from 1980-1984 and became an Assistant at the school after her playing days. She learned the trade under Barmore. Coach Mulkey went onto accept the Head Coaching position at Baylor University in 2000. Baylor won it all in 2005. In 2008, Coach Barmore joined her staff as an Assistant coach. At the end of the 2008-2009 season he contemplated retiring but decided to come back for another whirl at being an Assistant. There is a nice article on why he is returning to Baylor this season. Check it out.
Barmore took over the full coaching reigns in 1985 after serving for three years as the co-head coach. He led the Lady Techsters to 20 straight winning seasons, 13 of those season were 30 wins or more (6 straight at one point), 20 straight NCAA tournament appearances, nine Final Fours and oh yes, five National title game berths. They won it all in 1988 (with Spoon leading the charge). Coach Barmore led Louisiana Tech to 13 regular season conference Championships in 15 years, coached 12 All-Americans and 14 of his players went onto play in the WNBA. He coached now Louisiana Tech's Head Coach, Teresa 'Spoon' Weatherspoon (Olympian, All-American, star player of the WNBA, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2010). 2003 Naismith Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, he amassed an incredible record of 576-87 (.869 winning percentage). I would think any coach would like to have that kind of resume.
One of those players that he coached was Kim Mulkey. Kim Mulkey played for Barmore from 1980-1984 and became an Assistant at the school after her playing days. She learned the trade under Barmore. Coach Mulkey went onto accept the Head Coaching position at Baylor University in 2000. Baylor won it all in 2005. In 2008, Coach Barmore joined her staff as an Assistant coach. At the end of the 2008-2009 season he contemplated retiring but decided to come back for another whirl at being an Assistant. There is a nice article on why he is returning to Baylor this season. Check it out.
Feelin' it at #4 and WNBA News
The #4 team from 2001-2009 is...........
Jake: Stanford
Jenn: LSU
Jake: Stanford
Jenn: LSU
Seimone Augusts, Sylvia Fowles....enough said.
Okay, I guess I should give you some numbers and why I put them ahead of Stanford. LSU plays in the SEC against teams like Georgia, Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The SEC is one of the top 3 toughest conferences to play in every year. One could argue that they weren't tops of their game at the beginning of the nearly-a-decade but I beg to differ. Five straight Final Fours 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 (only team to accomplish this feat in this almost-a-decade) isn't enough to put them in the Top 5? Are you serious? Regular season SEC Champions in 2005, 2006 and 2008 (again, remember who plays in this conference) and Tournament Champions in 2003. SEC Tournament Runner-Ups five times during the span.
They were ranked in the Final Top Ten 4 times, advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament each year and made it to 1 additional Quarterfinal berth (not including the other 5 where they won and made it to the big dance). They were their regions #1 seed 3 of the 9 years they were in the NCAA tournament. LSU also had 3 All-Americans: Marie Ferdinand (2001), Seimone Augustus and Sylvia "Big Syl" Fowles (2007, 2008). Augustus was an All American from 2004-2006 (and I would argue deserved a 4 time nod but I guess the committee didn't see it that way). Augustus was also a two-time National Player of the Year-Wade Trophy winner (2005 & 2006). The great Nancy Lieberman is the only other player to win this award twice (Old Dominion University-1979 & 1980). That is some nice company. Top 5? I think so.
Tulsa Next WNBA Team?
Well it should be decided by the end of the month if Tulsa, Oklahoma will be the next team in the WNBA. This is the first time I've seen any mention on whether this will be a new team or a relocated team..hmmmm. Will Courtney Paris ask to be traded to Tulsa to play in front of the fans that loved her for 4 years? Will they be called the Tulsa Tornadoes? The Tulsa Tarmacs (since I sat on the tarmac for 2 hours on a flight back from New Mexico)? Hmmm, all questions to be answered as the drive for the expansion team continues!
WNBA
The Phoenix Mercury were on FIRE last night against the Indiana Fever. They shot 59% from the floor (to Fever's respectable 42%), 56% from the land-beyond-the-arc (to 22% for Fever) and 86% from the line. Fever were without Katie Douglas (injured ankle) but even if they had her in the lineup, Cappie Pondexter (Go RU!) was lights out. Pondexter dropped in 25 points, 3 boards, 4 assists and only 2 turnovers. Mercury led from the beginning and the Fever were able to get it close a few times but the Mercury went up big (by 22 points) and the Fever just couldn't chip away at it. Cappie had a nice under the basket inbounds play last night-bouncing it off of the back side of her old RU teammate, Tammy Sutton-Brown, grabbed the ball, put it up, scored and was fouled. Risky move but we are talking about Cappie here people!
Games Tonight
One game tonight: Seattle Storm @ Washington Mystics (7:00 pm)
Storm need the win since the Mercury jumped .5 game up on them. Storm are on the road for 2 games (Mystics then Lynx on Saturday) then they come home and play the Mercury next Thursday. It will be interesting to see if and when Jackson will be back this regular season. If I were them, with a playoff spot clinched, I might rest her until the playoffs start. Besides, the Storm are playing well even without her. Big game for the Mystics too as they try to separate themselves from the hot Detroit Shock.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Fine at Five
#5
We are cracking the Top 5 now of the top women's basketball teams of the nearly-a-decade (2001-2009).
Jake-LSU
Jenn-Stanford
LSU and Stanford were tight for 4 & 5 and even #3 but in the end, I have Stanford just shy of LSU in the #5 spot. I can see where Jake is coming from putting LSU at 5 but tomorrow I'll review why I put them ahead of Stanford. (hint: they are #4). Let's look at what the Cardinal women did over the nearly-a-decade.
Ranked in Top 13 all eight years, 7 Top 10 finishes, Top 5 for five of those years including the #1 ranking in 2005. What hurts them was their post season play. They fixed that in the last few years but the first half of the decade was Stanford-No Show and that hurts them in my rankings. If you are going to rank the best teams, then it has to be start to finish with the finish line as April, not early March. Don't get me wrong, Stanford is awesome and one of my Top 3 teams that I love to watch. Coach Tara Vanderveer is a master of the game. I consider her the Bobby Fischer of women's basketball. Stanford rocked the Pac-10, winning 9 regular season titles (only team in the Top 10 to do that), but fell short in the NCAA tournament until recent years. The Pac-10 has gotten considerably better since the beginning of this decade and it certainly shows that Stanford is consistent but it's still not as deep as SEC, Big East or ACC.
They were in 2 NCAA Final Fours (2008, 2009) including the 2008 Championship game. They were also in 2 additional NCAA Quarterfinal games. Not bad stats at all. But to me this is staggering and a true testament to the quality of players Stanford produces: Stanford had an All-American player in 8 of the 9 years we are talking about here. The list is: Nicole Powell (2002-2004), Candice Wiggins (2005-2008, Wade Trophy winner 2008) and Jayne Appel (2009). Scary.
Where is Stacey Dales?
The NFL Network snagged her up and offered her a spot on the Sunday morning pre-game show "NFL GameDay". She will be a co-host with Michael Irvin on the four hour kickoff show. You can read the article here. Good luck Stacey! I'll miss you come Tourney time!
Who can forget the hit she took a few years back as a sideline reporter?!
WNBA
Seattle, Detroit, San Antonio, Sacramento and Atlanta were all winners last night. Talk about anything can happen on any given day! Phoenix, who just saw their Western Conference lead cut to 1 game, lost to Detroit 101-99 as Cheryl Ford played her best game of the season (22 points & 11 boards). That moves Detroit into 4th place in the East. Oh yeah, and Detroit did this without Katie Smith (back injury, second game missed). Could my prediction of Phoenix dropping to second and Seattle taking first happen? Anything can happen at this time of the year.
Standings now:
East
Indiana Fever (clinched Eastern Conference Championship)
Atlanta Dream -5.0
Washington Mystics -6.5
Detroit Shock -6.5
Chicago Sky -7.0
Connecticut Sun -7.5
New York Liberty -9.0
West
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm -1.0
Los Angeles Sparks -5.0
San Antonio Silver Stars (big win last night put some distance between them and 5th place) -7.0
Minnesota Lynx -8.0
Sacramento Monarchs -9.5
Tonight's Game
Preview of the WNBA Final:
Phoenix Mercury vs Indiana Fever (7:00 pm, NBA TV)
We are cracking the Top 5 now of the top women's basketball teams of the nearly-a-decade (2001-2009).
Jake-LSU
Jenn-Stanford
LSU and Stanford were tight for 4 & 5 and even #3 but in the end, I have Stanford just shy of LSU in the #5 spot. I can see where Jake is coming from putting LSU at 5 but tomorrow I'll review why I put them ahead of Stanford. (hint: they are #4). Let's look at what the Cardinal women did over the nearly-a-decade.
Ranked in Top 13 all eight years, 7 Top 10 finishes, Top 5 for five of those years including the #1 ranking in 2005. What hurts them was their post season play. They fixed that in the last few years but the first half of the decade was Stanford-No Show and that hurts them in my rankings. If you are going to rank the best teams, then it has to be start to finish with the finish line as April, not early March. Don't get me wrong, Stanford is awesome and one of my Top 3 teams that I love to watch. Coach Tara Vanderveer is a master of the game. I consider her the Bobby Fischer of women's basketball. Stanford rocked the Pac-10, winning 9 regular season titles (only team in the Top 10 to do that), but fell short in the NCAA tournament until recent years. The Pac-10 has gotten considerably better since the beginning of this decade and it certainly shows that Stanford is consistent but it's still not as deep as SEC, Big East or ACC.
They were in 2 NCAA Final Fours (2008, 2009) including the 2008 Championship game. They were also in 2 additional NCAA Quarterfinal games. Not bad stats at all. But to me this is staggering and a true testament to the quality of players Stanford produces: Stanford had an All-American player in 8 of the 9 years we are talking about here. The list is: Nicole Powell (2002-2004), Candice Wiggins (2005-2008, Wade Trophy winner 2008) and Jayne Appel (2009). Scary.
Where is Stacey Dales?
The NFL Network snagged her up and offered her a spot on the Sunday morning pre-game show "NFL GameDay". She will be a co-host with Michael Irvin on the four hour kickoff show. You can read the article here. Good luck Stacey! I'll miss you come Tourney time!
Who can forget the hit she took a few years back as a sideline reporter?!
WNBA
Seattle, Detroit, San Antonio, Sacramento and Atlanta were all winners last night. Talk about anything can happen on any given day! Phoenix, who just saw their Western Conference lead cut to 1 game, lost to Detroit 101-99 as Cheryl Ford played her best game of the season (22 points & 11 boards). That moves Detroit into 4th place in the East. Oh yeah, and Detroit did this without Katie Smith (back injury, second game missed). Could my prediction of Phoenix dropping to second and Seattle taking first happen? Anything can happen at this time of the year.
Standings now:
East
Indiana Fever (clinched Eastern Conference Championship)
Atlanta Dream -5.0
Washington Mystics -6.5
Detroit Shock -6.5
Chicago Sky -7.0
Connecticut Sun -7.5
New York Liberty -9.0
West
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm -1.0
Los Angeles Sparks -5.0
San Antonio Silver Stars (big win last night put some distance between them and 5th place) -7.0
Minnesota Lynx -8.0
Sacramento Monarchs -9.5
Tonight's Game
Preview of the WNBA Final:
Phoenix Mercury vs Indiana Fever (7:00 pm, NBA TV)
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Kay Yow
FIBA Hall of Fame
Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) announced that Coach Kay Yow will be one of the eleven amateur basketball figures inducted into their Hall of Fame on September 20, 2009 in Poland (at the Finals of the 2009 EuroBasket) and on September 22, 2009 @ the FIBA Hall of Fame in Madrid, Spain. According to the FIBA website, "key criterion for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame is outstanding achievement, at the international level, to the development and status of the sport of basketball." Coach Yow clearly fits the criteria for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Soon the biographical information of all 11 inductees will be available on the FIBA Hall of Fame site.
Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) announced that Coach Kay Yow will be one of the eleven amateur basketball figures inducted into their Hall of Fame on September 20, 2009 in Poland (at the Finals of the 2009 EuroBasket) and on September 22, 2009 @ the FIBA Hall of Fame in Madrid, Spain. According to the FIBA website, "key criterion for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame is outstanding achievement, at the international level, to the development and status of the sport of basketball." Coach Yow clearly fits the criteria for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Soon the biographical information of all 11 inductees will be available on the FIBA Hall of Fame site.
Monday, August 31, 2009
#6 and then some
#6
Let's continue the countdown of the top nearly-a-decade women's basketball teams (as compared to Jake Curtis from Stanford Cardinal Basketball Examiner).
Jake-UNC
Jenn-OOOOOOO-klahoma! Where Stacey Dales and Courtney Paris playeddddd (<---sung to the obvious song)
Let's continue the countdown of the top nearly-a-decade women's basketball teams (as compared to Jake Curtis from Stanford Cardinal Basketball Examiner).
Jake-UNC
Jenn-OOOOOOO-klahoma! Where Stacey Dales and Courtney Paris playeddddd (<---sung to the obvious song)
Okay, okay...so I might get some slack from some people for putting OU ahead of UNC but like I mentioned in yesterday's post, UNC was the biggest disappointment for me. So much talent, no national title births, so many players in the WNBA. Enough about that. Onto some STATS!
Stacey Dales (2 time All-American from our neighbor, Canada) started the almost-a-decade and Courtney Paris (4 time All-American) finished the almost-a-decade. Start to finish, solid team. 2 Final Fours, 1 National Title game (2002, losing to my best team ever to be assembled, UCONN but we will get to that team later), five top 10 finishes, five Big 12 Titles. Oklahoma was solid.
Coach Sherri Coale has done amazing things with a program that was almost wiped away. In 1990 the University of Oklahoma came close to cutting the program (I mean this '-' close). As a side note: it was really inspiring to see the entire women's basketball community rally and wear ribbons to show their support of the women's basketball program at OU. Anyway, in 1996 OU took a chance and hired Sherri Coale as their head coach...her previous experience was high school. They averaged 100 people per game her first year. In 2009 they averaged 9,000 fans per game. So on top of their accolades of Final Fours, Championship games and All-Americans...they have a coach that gave the program a full make over. Well done, well done. I admit, as I sat at the Final Four in 2009 I looked at my friend and said, "Wow, I bet OU is glad they didn't pull the plug on this program!" Look for OU to continue to do well into the next decade.
WNBA
-Best of luck to Kara Lawson for a quick recovery from tendinitis in her right quadriceps muscle. Lawson was one of the first 8 players named to the US National Women's Basketball team. Training starts at the end of September and Kara should be back in time for that.
-Sue Bird (West) and Deanna Nolan (East) were named WNBA players of the week. Congrats to those two (Bird's second this year!).
Tight games tonight:
Seattle Storm @ New York Liberty (7:30 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ Detroit Shock (7:30 pm)
Minnesota Lynx @ San Antonio Silver Stars (8:00 pm)
Connecticut Sun @ Sacramento Monarchs (10:00 pm)
Atlanta Dream @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm)
Liberty will beat Storm: Lauren Jackson is out with a stress fracture in her back (OUCH!). Not sure on when she'll be back. The Liberty want to "save face" for their poor season in front of their home crowd. They will spoil Bird's return to her home state.
Mercury, Sun win on the road; Silver Stars and Sparks win at home.
Looks like ZERO games are on TV despite 5 that any major television network could choose from. Looking at the ESPN TV lineup: professional women's basketball is not being shown because the 2009 World Series of Poker is on ESPN. I'm fine with tennis on ESPN 2, but poker is worthy of air time over women's basketball?! Of course poker gets more "watching audience" then women's basketball...it's on all of the time. Ugh....
#7 Top Almost a Decade Team and other Random News
Onwards with the countdown. We are up to #7 in the Top 10 Women's Hoops teams from 2001-2009.
Jake-Oklahoma
Jenn-UNC
Wouldn't you think a team that dominated the ACC be a little better come tournament time? I belive that when UNC had their reign of ACC titles, the ACC was the toughest conference in the land, period. Duke, Maryland, NC State, Boston College, Florida State and UNC...all top caliber teams. UNC is notorious for having a top 5 RPI each year, so why didn't they succeed in the NCAA tournament?
They are an established program and one that should have done better then it did. They made it to 2 Final Fours, and 4 NCAA Quarterfinals. They finished in the top 10 only 4 times during the 9 years; finishing 1st in the final 2006 poll. UNC failed to make the 2001 tournament all together. Granted yes, the Final Four of 2006 was an ACC-fest (Duke, eventual Champion Maryland and UNC) but UNC had THE BEST team in that tournament yet they lost in the Semifinals to a team they had beaten by 11 points 4 weeks earlier (Maryland). Two All-Americans (Ivory Latta, Erlana Larkins) and other players that were worthy of the honor. During this time, they graduated several top players who are now playing in the WNBA. To me, UNC was the disappointment of the 2001-2009 nearly-a-decade-of-women's-hoops teams...and I'll argue that.
WNBA
The weekend had some good games that jumbled up the standings a little. The big shocker was Indiana Fever losing at home to Sacramento Monarchs...ouch! The Storm upended the Atlanta Dream but Atlanta hasn't proved it's worth on the road this season. What helped them (and Washington) was that the Sun lost their two games (Mercury and Sparks). Standings look like this now:
East:
Indiana Fever
Atlanta Dream -5.5
Washington Mystics -6.5
Chicago Sky -7.0 (tied with Connecticut Sun and Detroit Shock, Sky have head-to-head)
West:
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm -2.0
Los Angeles Sparks -5.0
San Antonio Silver Stars -8.0 (tied with Minnesota Lynx but Silver Stars have the lead head-to-head)
Day-off for the Ladies tonight.
WNBA Rookie Report
It's that time of the week...Rookie Report
Angel McCoughtry (my pick, have I mentioned that?)
Last three:
20 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals
16 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals
16 points, 1 board, 4 assists, 4 steals, 4 turnovers (against Seattle...come on, that's not too bad)
Totals: 52 points, 11 boards, 11 assists, 8 steals
DeWanna Bonner
Last three:
9 points, 7 boards, 1 steal, 1 block
13 points, 9 boards, 0 steal, 1 block (against LA, impressive)
11 points, 2 boards, 0 steal, 0 block
Totals: 33 points, 18 boards, 1 steal, 1 block
Shavonte Zellous
Last three:
12 points, 4 boards, 5 assists, 0 steal
12 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals
10 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Totals: 34 points, 9 boards, 9 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Angel still gets my nod this week: not just the points but the rebounds and assists. She's still a big contributor to the success of the Dream.
Jake-Oklahoma
Jenn-UNC
Wouldn't you think a team that dominated the ACC be a little better come tournament time? I belive that when UNC had their reign of ACC titles, the ACC was the toughest conference in the land, period. Duke, Maryland, NC State, Boston College, Florida State and UNC...all top caliber teams. UNC is notorious for having a top 5 RPI each year, so why didn't they succeed in the NCAA tournament?
They are an established program and one that should have done better then it did. They made it to 2 Final Fours, and 4 NCAA Quarterfinals. They finished in the top 10 only 4 times during the 9 years; finishing 1st in the final 2006 poll. UNC failed to make the 2001 tournament all together. Granted yes, the Final Four of 2006 was an ACC-fest (Duke, eventual Champion Maryland and UNC) but UNC had THE BEST team in that tournament yet they lost in the Semifinals to a team they had beaten by 11 points 4 weeks earlier (Maryland). Two All-Americans (Ivory Latta, Erlana Larkins) and other players that were worthy of the honor. During this time, they graduated several top players who are now playing in the WNBA. To me, UNC was the disappointment of the 2001-2009 nearly-a-decade-of-women's-hoops teams...and I'll argue that.
WNBA
The weekend had some good games that jumbled up the standings a little. The big shocker was Indiana Fever losing at home to Sacramento Monarchs...ouch! The Storm upended the Atlanta Dream but Atlanta hasn't proved it's worth on the road this season. What helped them (and Washington) was that the Sun lost their two games (Mercury and Sparks). Standings look like this now:
East:
Indiana Fever
Atlanta Dream -5.5
Washington Mystics -6.5
Chicago Sky -7.0 (tied with Connecticut Sun and Detroit Shock, Sky have head-to-head)
West:
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm -2.0
Los Angeles Sparks -5.0
San Antonio Silver Stars -8.0 (tied with Minnesota Lynx but Silver Stars have the lead head-to-head)
Day-off for the Ladies tonight.
WNBA Rookie Report
It's that time of the week...Rookie Report
Angel McCoughtry (my pick, have I mentioned that?)
Last three:
20 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals
16 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals
16 points, 1 board, 4 assists, 4 steals, 4 turnovers (against Seattle...come on, that's not too bad)
Totals: 52 points, 11 boards, 11 assists, 8 steals
DeWanna Bonner
Last three:
9 points, 7 boards, 1 steal, 1 block
13 points, 9 boards, 0 steal, 1 block (against LA, impressive)
11 points, 2 boards, 0 steal, 0 block
Totals: 33 points, 18 boards, 1 steal, 1 block
Shavonte Zellous
Last three:
12 points, 4 boards, 5 assists, 0 steal
12 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals
10 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Totals: 34 points, 9 boards, 9 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Angel still gets my nod this week: not just the points but the rebounds and assists. She's still a big contributor to the success of the Dream.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
#8 and other news
Let the Countdown Continue:
#8
Jake-Baylor
Jenn-Baylor
Baylor finished in the Top 10 in 4 seasons, Top 15 six season, they took advantage of their 1 Final Four and won the Championship in 2005, they made it to 1 NCAA Quarterfinal and only had 1 year of not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. They also had 2 All-Americans (Sophia Young and Sheila Lambert).
Brief brilliance is the motto for Baylor, however, they have been consistent enough to bring in some of the top young talent our nation has to offer. Look for Baylor to be in the mix in 2 years.
In Other News
-Okay, so I know this is probably old news to a lot of people but it's something I've really had to think about. The Hartford Courant reported on August 8th that UCONN had 17 self-reported violations of NCAA rules. The women's basketball team had 7 of them. The University of Connecticut Athletic Department has kept a file of the violations and has reported each one. So I commend them for making the effort to do the right thing while also filing letters of admonishment into coaches folders. However, we all felt that Pat Summitt was to blame for the breaking up of UCONN/Tennessee rivalry (alleged recruiting violations when UCONN had Maya Moore up for her visit)...however that does not seem to be the case. It seems that UCONN did violate NCAA recruiting rules by scheduling a tour with ESPN studios when she came for her scheduled recruit visit. Okay, seems minor, right? It is minor but it's the principle of the fact that UCONN lied about it in the beginning. Eventually the truth came out that someone scheduled the tour.
Maybe Tennessee was over-reacting a bit but if UCONN went ahead and did that for Maya Moore, who's to say they didn't do something else? You can read the article here: UCONN Violations. I guess what leaves me to ponder is that it's great that UCONN self-reported rather then the NCAA finding out about the violations. On the other hand, is the NCAA being a bit to strict? I understand the importance of "silent periods" and "no contact" times when recruiting a player, the women's game has become a big business. Every time I hear about the NCAA penalizing a University because a player played 1 minute of professional basketball with a team in her native country (aka: Fresno State) it makes me wonder if the NCAA violations committee is a bunch of bitter adults who didn't quite make the varsity team as a Senior in High School. Come on, it's a tour of ESPN...what sports nut wouldn't want that?
WNBA
Indiana Fever extended their Eastern Conference lead to 5.5 games with the win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. Detroit Shock are being a spoilers and beat Atlanta Dream but with Connecticut Sun losing to Seattle Storm the standings for 2 & 3 remain the same. With the win, Detroit has sole possession of 4th place in the East. Phoenix Mercury knocked off LA Sparks so that moves the Storm a little further from the Sparks (3 games between them now).
Tonight:
Sacramento Monarchs @ Minnesota Lynx (8:oo pm)
New York Liberty @ Chicago Sky (8:30 pm, NBA TV)
Minnesota wins to make it a 1 game lead over San Antonio for 4th place and the Liberty beat the Sky to knock the Sky to 6th place in the East.
#8
Jake-Baylor
Jenn-Baylor
Baylor finished in the Top 10 in 4 seasons, Top 15 six season, they took advantage of their 1 Final Four and won the Championship in 2005, they made it to 1 NCAA Quarterfinal and only had 1 year of not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. They also had 2 All-Americans (Sophia Young and Sheila Lambert).
Brief brilliance is the motto for Baylor, however, they have been consistent enough to bring in some of the top young talent our nation has to offer. Look for Baylor to be in the mix in 2 years.
In Other News
-Okay, so I know this is probably old news to a lot of people but it's something I've really had to think about. The Hartford Courant reported on August 8th that UCONN had 17 self-reported violations of NCAA rules. The women's basketball team had 7 of them. The University of Connecticut Athletic Department has kept a file of the violations and has reported each one. So I commend them for making the effort to do the right thing while also filing letters of admonishment into coaches folders. However, we all felt that Pat Summitt was to blame for the breaking up of UCONN/Tennessee rivalry (alleged recruiting violations when UCONN had Maya Moore up for her visit)...however that does not seem to be the case. It seems that UCONN did violate NCAA recruiting rules by scheduling a tour with ESPN studios when she came for her scheduled recruit visit. Okay, seems minor, right? It is minor but it's the principle of the fact that UCONN lied about it in the beginning. Eventually the truth came out that someone scheduled the tour.
Maybe Tennessee was over-reacting a bit but if UCONN went ahead and did that for Maya Moore, who's to say they didn't do something else? You can read the article here: UCONN Violations. I guess what leaves me to ponder is that it's great that UCONN self-reported rather then the NCAA finding out about the violations. On the other hand, is the NCAA being a bit to strict? I understand the importance of "silent periods" and "no contact" times when recruiting a player, the women's game has become a big business. Every time I hear about the NCAA penalizing a University because a player played 1 minute of professional basketball with a team in her native country (aka: Fresno State) it makes me wonder if the NCAA violations committee is a bunch of bitter adults who didn't quite make the varsity team as a Senior in High School. Come on, it's a tour of ESPN...what sports nut wouldn't want that?
WNBA
Indiana Fever extended their Eastern Conference lead to 5.5 games with the win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. Detroit Shock are being a spoilers and beat Atlanta Dream but with Connecticut Sun losing to Seattle Storm the standings for 2 & 3 remain the same. With the win, Detroit has sole possession of 4th place in the East. Phoenix Mercury knocked off LA Sparks so that moves the Storm a little further from the Sparks (3 games between them now).
Tonight:
Sacramento Monarchs @ Minnesota Lynx (8:oo pm)
New York Liberty @ Chicago Sky (8:30 pm, NBA TV)
Minnesota wins to make it a 1 game lead over San Antonio for 4th place and the Liberty beat the Sky to knock the Sky to 6th place in the East.
Top Teams: #9 and other randomness
To continue the top 10 teams of the 2001-2009 decade, we'll pick up at #9. I have to agree with Jake on this one, for one reason. While a fantastic team playing in arguably the most difficult conference (SEC), when it comes to the post season this team just slips a beat. But, they are consistent: consistently in the top 25 rankings (never missed one), never missed a NCAA birth and had a winning SEC conference record all 9 years.
Jake-Vanderbilt
Jenn-Vanderbilt
Vandy had 3 top 10 finishes, 2 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal births, made every NCAA Tournament and had 1 All-American (Chantelle Anderson). Not only that, the Vanderbilt women's basketball attendance has skyrocketed over the past 9 seasons and they regularly sell out most of their home schedule.
Tomorrow--#8
WNBA News
Looks like Tulsa, Oklahoma will be the next stop for a WNBA team. Cameron/Box Sports announced yesterday that they have nearly 75% of funding needed for a team to take the court for the 2010 season. With Oklahoma City getting a NBA team, does this mean expansion (as they are claiming now) or a move for a team? While Seattle is safe for a few more years, anything can happen. The WNBA did sign a contract with ESPN/ABC extending the coverage through 2016 so perhaps the league isn't in as much trouble as I think. Perhaps the sponsored jerseys are a good idea. It works in NASCAR and overseas, so why not here? WNBA Tulsa has set up a little pitch video for those interested.
Games tonight:
San Antonio @ Indiana (7:00 pm, NBA TV)
Atlanta @ Detroit (7:30 pm)
Connecticut @ Seattle (10:00 pm)
Phoenix @ Los Angles (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Game of the night...hmmm...2 of them. Atlanta will beat Detroit, Los Angeles will beat Phoenix.
Indiana and Seattle both win at home, Seattle pulls to within 1 game of Phoenix!
In Other News
In a week the 21st Summer Deaflympics will take place. I had no idea that this existed. Here is a nice article on a women's basketball player as she heads over to compete.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Ranking the Tops Teams of the Decade
As the decade comes to a close maybe it's time to rank the top 10 teams from 2001-2009. I stole this idea from Jake Curtis who writes about Stanford basketball for the Examiner. He has some interesting points to bring up about each team he selected and for the most part, I agree with his selections. Well start with #10, his selection and my selection.
Jake-Purdue
Jenn-Rutgers (maybe I'm biased BUT....)
Jake-Purdue
Jenn-Rutgers (maybe I'm biased BUT....)
Rutgers: 1 National title game, 1, Final Four, ranked in the top 10 final AP poll 4 times, #2 in scoring defense for three seasons, 1 Big East Tournament Title, 1 Big East Regular Season Title (13-0, undefeated record), 2 All-Americans (Cappie Pondexter, Epiphanny Prince). Okay, so they dropped out of the poll last season for what, 2 weeks? Who cares! Look at what they have accomplished. I'm not taking anything away from Purdue, excellent ball club but Rutgers is taking it to the next level. 10 years ago people did not even mention Rutgers for National Titles or teams that could make a run. Now that is all that you hear. No team ever wants to play Rutgers in the NCAA Tournament, just ask Auburn or Duke!
I understand the selection of Purdue but I just feel Rutgers is a little better. It all started in 1999 for the Boilermakers and they have been consistent ever since. They have made the NCAA Tournament every year except 1, won two Big 10 titles, AP Top 10 Final poll 4 times, 1 National Title birth and 1 All American (Katie Douglas). The difference is that the Big 10 has been up and down with talented teams and the Big East is always loaded with talented teams. I think that helps put RU a step above PU.
WNBA
No big upsets last night, well none that I didn't predict. I was shocked at the announcers saying that the Sparks are a "surprise". Really? Are you serious? Whatever...
Detroit Shock move into a 3-way tie for 4th in the East. Washington still holds the edge for the 4th spot but Chicago will rebound. They played a great 1st 20 minutes last night then seemed tired in the 2nd 20 minutes, well last 10 minutes really.
No games tonight...good thing because we wouldn't want ESPN to have to cut into a Little League baseball game for a women's professional sporting event (note sarcasm).
Rookie watch: Angel McCoughtry dropped in 20 for the Dream last night along with 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers. Shavonte Zellous had 13 points for the Shock along with 1 board, 3 assists, 0 steals and 1 turnover. McCoughtry wins.
WNBA
No big upsets last night, well none that I didn't predict. I was shocked at the announcers saying that the Sparks are a "surprise". Really? Are you serious? Whatever...
Detroit Shock move into a 3-way tie for 4th in the East. Washington still holds the edge for the 4th spot but Chicago will rebound. They played a great 1st 20 minutes last night then seemed tired in the 2nd 20 minutes, well last 10 minutes really.
No games tonight...good thing because we wouldn't want ESPN to have to cut into a Little League baseball game for a women's professional sporting event (note sarcasm).
Rookie watch: Angel McCoughtry dropped in 20 for the Dream last night along with 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers. Shavonte Zellous had 13 points for the Shock along with 1 board, 3 assists, 0 steals and 1 turnover. McCoughtry wins.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Former Rutgers player Heather Zurich to play Overseas
2009 Rutgers graduate, Heather Zurich, has just signed a contract to play with Autocad-Amazone in the Netherlands. Zurich compiled a Rutgers win loss mark of 102-34 which included 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 14 NCAA Tournament games, 2007 National Championship game and 2 Regional Finals. It's very nice to see that she got picked up to continue her career overseas. Best of luck to Heather!
A Goodwill Ambassador
Agnus Berenato, Pittsburgh women's basketball coach, did a little more then just relax on her brief summer break. Coach Berenato traveled overseas to speak with U.S. Troops stationed in the Middle East with a goal of bringing them hope and thanking them for their sacrifices. Along with 4 other coaches their goal is to boost "the morale and quality of life for deployed military personnel by providing entertainment from the home front." (post-gazette.com).
Berenato was joined by University of Louisiana-Monroe men's basketball coach Orlando Early, Virginia Military Institute men's basketball coach Duggar Baucom, Murray State men's basketball coach Billy Kennedy and Jacksonville State University assistant men's basketball coach Mike Smith. Coach Berenato feels honored and humbled to be the only woman chosen to take the tour.
I encourage you to read her journal entries. There are inspiring, funny and appreciative of what we have here in the USA.
WNBA
No games last night but a few good ones tonight.
Detroit @ Connecticut (7:00 pm)
Sacramento @ Atlanta (7:00 pm)
Chicago @ Los Angeles (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Washington @ Seattle (10:00 pm)
I think Detroit will upend Connecticut; Atlanta, LA and Seattle win @ home.
**Rookie Report**
So most of the sites I've been looking at have DeWanna Bonner on top of the Rookie of the Year race and most have Shavonte Zellous in 2nd place. Angel McCoughtry is in third in many but I think Angel might just top Bonner (although very deserving of the honor as well) because Angel does a little more then Bonner. Angel brings the game to her and when she does that, she is able to get her teammates involved better. She is a big reason why the Dream sit nicley in 2nd place in the Eastern Division. Don't get me wrong, Bonner is great for Phoenix: she picked up her 5th double-double last week, but didn't play well against a team that she should have dominated: Washington Mystics. Bonner has 11.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game along with 21.6 minutes of playing time. Which brings me to Angel...and why she will win ROY.
I don't know what it is about Angel McCoughtry but as the season wears on she gets BETTER. She did this in college at Louisville too. Last three games she scored 73 points (23 against the Sparks on 8/23, 34 against San Antonio on 8/20 and 16 against Seattle on 8/15). Each game her minutes played have gone up so that means the Coach sees her contribution to winning as well! For the season she is averaging 11.8 points per game, 2.5 rebound per game and averages 18.8 minutes per game.
Phoenix has been on top all season long. Atlanta has not and because of Angel they have been able to claw their way up to the #2 spot in the East. Angel gets ROY.
Berenato was joined by University of Louisiana-Monroe men's basketball coach Orlando Early, Virginia Military Institute men's basketball coach Duggar Baucom, Murray State men's basketball coach Billy Kennedy and Jacksonville State University assistant men's basketball coach Mike Smith. Coach Berenato feels honored and humbled to be the only woman chosen to take the tour.
I encourage you to read her journal entries. There are inspiring, funny and appreciative of what we have here in the USA.
WNBA
No games last night but a few good ones tonight.
Detroit @ Connecticut (7:00 pm)
Sacramento @ Atlanta (7:00 pm)
Chicago @ Los Angeles (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Washington @ Seattle (10:00 pm)
I think Detroit will upend Connecticut; Atlanta, LA and Seattle win @ home.
**Rookie Report**
So most of the sites I've been looking at have DeWanna Bonner on top of the Rookie of the Year race and most have Shavonte Zellous in 2nd place. Angel McCoughtry is in third in many but I think Angel might just top Bonner (although very deserving of the honor as well) because Angel does a little more then Bonner. Angel brings the game to her and when she does that, she is able to get her teammates involved better. She is a big reason why the Dream sit nicley in 2nd place in the Eastern Division. Don't get me wrong, Bonner is great for Phoenix: she picked up her 5th double-double last week, but didn't play well against a team that she should have dominated: Washington Mystics. Bonner has 11.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game along with 21.6 minutes of playing time. Which brings me to Angel...and why she will win ROY.
I don't know what it is about Angel McCoughtry but as the season wears on she gets BETTER. She did this in college at Louisville too. Last three games she scored 73 points (23 against the Sparks on 8/23, 34 against San Antonio on 8/20 and 16 against Seattle on 8/15). Each game her minutes played have gone up so that means the Coach sees her contribution to winning as well! For the season she is averaging 11.8 points per game, 2.5 rebound per game and averages 18.8 minutes per game.
Phoenix has been on top all season long. Atlanta has not and because of Angel they have been able to claw their way up to the #2 spot in the East. Angel gets ROY.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Some well deserved recognition for Kay Yow
On November 19 at Madison Square Garden, the late Kay Yow (N.C. State women's basketball coach) will be recognized with the Lapchick Character Award. The award recognizes coaches who have shown the character traits and coaching skills of the Hall of Fame coach, Joe Lapchick. Coach Yow will be recognized along with John Thompason (former Georgetown coach) and Jack Curran. Coach Curran coaches at New York City's Archbishop Molloy High School where he has won more then 900 games, won five New York City Championships and has helped 500 students go onto receive scholarships to play college basketball. All three are deserving of this recognition.
This marks the second year these awards have been given out. The first year the recipients were: Pat Summitt, Dean Smith and Lou Carnesecca.
Coming in January 2010
ESPN will host the first women's basketball college GameDay. The event will take place prior to the Notre Dame/UCONN game in Storrs, Connecticut on January 16th. While I really like the idea and feel it's horribly OVERDUE, my concern is that they will not advertise enough and say the ratings were bad. Then they can say "hey, we tried but not luck." Media drives everything, let's get the media going about how good the show will be and not treat it like a side show.
WNBA News
If the playoffs started today:
West
(1) Mercury vs (4) San Antonio
(2) Storm vs (3) Sparks
East
(1) Fever vs (4) Mystics
(2) Dream vs (3) Sun
Since they are not starting today and there are 8 games left, here is a quick break down:
West
This marks the second year these awards have been given out. The first year the recipients were: Pat Summitt, Dean Smith and Lou Carnesecca.
Coming in January 2010
ESPN will host the first women's basketball college GameDay. The event will take place prior to the Notre Dame/UCONN game in Storrs, Connecticut on January 16th. While I really like the idea and feel it's horribly OVERDUE, my concern is that they will not advertise enough and say the ratings were bad. Then they can say "hey, we tried but not luck." Media drives everything, let's get the media going about how good the show will be and not treat it like a side show.
WNBA News
If the playoffs started today:
West
(1) Mercury vs (4) San Antonio
(2) Storm vs (3) Sparks
East
(1) Fever vs (4) Mystics
(2) Dream vs (3) Sun
Since they are not starting today and there are 8 games left, here is a quick break down:
West
- Mercury-3 Home, 4 Road. They have the best road record in the WNBA (8-5) so they will stay on top.
- Storm-4 Home, 4 Road. 10-3 at home, better then the Mercury but are 5-8 on the road. They have a winning streak of 2 games but it doesn't matter. Sparks might just take over 2nd place because...
- Sparks-6 Home, 2 Road. Winning streak of 5, are 7-4 at home. And they have their two X factors back: Parker and Leslie.
- Silver Stars-4 Home, 3 Road. They were in the title game last year but will barely hang on to 4th place in the West. They are just over .500 playing at home.
East
- Fever-4 Home, 4 Road. Best home record in the league, 12-1. They'll win the division by 7 games.
- Dream-2 Home, 6 Road. 4-7 on the road, uh oh. Dream will hang onto 2nd place...barely. Most of the team members have been in this position before and heck, Angel McCoughtry just had some bigtime NCAA tournament games.
- Sun-3 Home, 5 Road. Their 4-8 Road record is what keeps them in 3rd place. They have Detroit, New York, Chicago, Connecticut and Washington to contend with (in no particular order).
- Mystics-3 Home, 4 Road. 8-6 @ Home, 5-6 Road....hmm. They are playing in New York and personally I see the Liberty (and Shock) as party spoilers. Chicago sneaks up and takes 4th place from the Mystics because the Mystics just can't finish games! (I'm telling you, it's too many Duke players!)
Should be an exciting finish to the season!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Schedules: Colleges Releasing Schedules
Today marked another Top 25 school releasing their 2009-2010 hoops schedule, be in non-conference. Rutgers has a tough schedule ahead of them, and it would've been tough with Epiphanny Prince but it looks even harder without her! They open up November 15th @ home against Stanford. Yes, the same Final Four team...that one. The one with the lights out shooting point guard that missed 3/4 of last season, JJ Hones. And the one with preseason Wooden Award Candidate, Jayne Appel (who just finished a stint with USA Women's Basketball). But hey, anything can happen right? RU will play 14, 2009 NCAA Tourney teams, many of them from their own conference. My non-conference upset of the year...Prairie View A&M beats RU. Cynthia Cooper-Dyke's biggest win in school history!
December:
-Bilqis Abul-Qadir will be the first player in NCAA Division 1 women's basketball to play for a top tier team in full Muslim dress. She is a 5'3" guard who broke Rebecca Lobo's Massachusetts scoring record. Nice article on here, click here.
Rest of the non- conference schedule:
November:
15 Stanford
17 Kean
19 Boston College
22 at Georgia
26-28 at Paradise Jam, Virgin Islands
26 vs. Southern California
27 vs. Mississippi State
28 vs. Texas
December:
3 Temple
5 at Princeton
7 Florida (Jimmy V Classic)
10 Prairie View A&M
13 vs. Tennessee (Maggie Dixon)
20 Central Connecticut State
30 at George Washington
Stanford has also released their schedule, complete schedule that is, for the 2009-2010 season. Their big games are back to back home contests, 12/15 against Duke and 12/19 against Tennessee. Then they travel across the country to take on UCONN (rematch of Final Four Semi-Final) on 12/23. Other then that, they have the usual tough Pac-10 conference schedule. And if I hear one more commentator talk about how "weak the Pac-10 is", I think I might just drive to their location and slap them. Arizona, Washington is back, USC, UCLA...come on people! Give the West Coast some respect.
Tennessee released their schedule last week. I miss the UCONN/UT game...bring it back! Tennessee plays Baylor in the season opener State Farm classic game, I am anxious to see how Britney Griner (Baylor, Freshman) does against the defense of Tennessee. I would HATE to be Baylor in that game though. Let's be honest, do you THINK Tennessee is going to lose their first game of the season after losing in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament (for the first time ever) last year? I think not. Other notable games, 12/6 home against Texas, neutral site against Rutgers (although it is NYC, practically a home game for Rutgers), 12/19 @ Stanford, 1/17/10 vs Vanderbilt, 2/8/10 @ Vanderbilt. The SEC is always tough but look for Tennessee to rebound from last season.
Many of the other top schools have yet to release much of anything. I know it's early but I'm itching for some college hoops.
WNBA Stuff
-The Phoenix Mercury look to clinch a playoff spot tonight. They take on the Washington Mystics in Phoenix. Game time is 10:00 pm. If Phoenix wins, this will be their 4th straight win over the Mystics. If Washington wins, they can move into a tie with Chicago for the coveted 4th place in the East.
-The Mystics will be playing six of their final 9 games on the road...yuck. They are 4-7 on the road this season.
-Connecticut Sun travel to play the New York Liberty for a Friday night game. Breast Cancer Awareness night at the Garden. Game time is 7:30 pm (NBA TV). Connecticut is without their leading scorer, Asjha Jones. She is out for 2 weeks with a sore Achilles' tendon. Connecticut is looking to beat the Liberty twice in 1 week (they won 74-69 on Wednesday).
-Liberty have allowed 87 points per game and have scored a league low 72.6 points.
-Los Angeles Sparks are on a tear, they've won their last 3 games. They visit the San Antonio Silver Stars tonight (10:00 pm, NBA TV). The Sparks are pretty motivated as they haven't won in San Antonio's house in more then 3 years.
-Sparks win...take 4th place in West, Sparks lose, fall 1.5 games back. The two teams meet 2 more times next month. Playoff fever tonight in San Antonio!
Shout out to Halle Berry
Halle Berry showed her support for the Los Angeles Sparks as she attended the August 19th game against the Minnesota Lynx. She had on her personalized "sparkles" Sparks jersey, check it out (photo courtesy of WNBA.com)...
In other news:
-Former Rutgers star and WNBA player, Sue Wicks, was on Rachel Maddow. Check her out...pretty good stuff (12 minute video). Video
-Bilqis Abul-Qadir will be the first player in NCAA Division 1 women's basketball to play for a top tier team in full Muslim dress. She is a 5'3" guard who broke Rebecca Lobo's Massachusetts scoring record. Nice article on here, click here.
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