Mike Thibault did not approach this WNBA season with a preconceived notion about how his Connecticut Sun would begin it. It’s not his style to make predictions, at least publically.
“I don’t visualize,” Thibault said. “I pray.”
Still, there was one idea the Sun coach thought would immediately help his team, asking starting guard Renee Montgomery, the former UConn first-team All-American, to accept a role coming off the bench.
Montgomery started all 34 games last season and 57 of the 68 regular-season games she’s played since being acquired from Minnesota in January 2010. She had become accustomed to it, as had her friends and family. But Thibault felt using Montgomery in this capacity would give his team the adrenaline and production it has sorely lacked.
The preponderance of UConn alumnae on the Connecticut Sun roster may be a coincidence, or so says Sun management. But one thing was certain Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
It’s a nice coincidence to have on your side.
Renee Montgomery came off the bench again to score a game-high 23 points, Tina Charles added 18 points and eight rebounds and Asjha Jones chipped in 16 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Sun to a 83-79 win over San Antonio.
Danielle Adams led the Silver Stars (1-1) with 21 points, including the first eight her team scored.
South Carolina has become the seventh team confirmed to play in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands from Nov. 22-24.
UConn, DePaul, Hampton, Marist, Purdue and Wake Forest had previously confirmed.
The Connecticut Sun organization spent a good portion of Wednesday at a soup kitchen in New London, literally giving back – in the form of dinner – to those less fortunate.
Click here to see a video of the visit, produced by the Mohegan Sun.
I realize its only been a day or so since I’ve mentioned Tina Charles in this forum. Sorry for the delay. What must have I been thinking?
It’s just that I love numbers, statistics, sports history. And Charles is turning into Hemingway of the WNBA, writing new pages in the record books just about every time she plays for the Connecticut Sun.
On Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena – and leave early, down-staters, it’s Memorial Day weekend – Charles will likely do it again. She needs just four rebounds against San Antonio to reach 800 in her career faster than anyone who has ever played in the WNBA.
If you want to see the USA Olympic basketball teams play before they head to London in July, here is your one and only chance.
This from USA Basketball….
USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Teams will embark on their 2012 training and exhibition tour schedule in July and will feature a stop in the nation’s capital for an exhibition doubleheader on July 16 versus Brazil at Verizon Center. The rare USA Basketball men’s and women’s doubleheader will be both teams’ final domestic game before continuing their respective tours in Europe.
“We’re excited to be able to host the doubleheader exhibition game and provide a unique opportunity for the city and the surrounding metropolitan area to come and see the USA Basketball men’s and women’s national teams,” said David Touhey, senior vice president and general manager of Verizon Center. “There is simply no better way to send off the U.S. teams this summer than from right here in the nation’s capital.”
Tickets for the July 16 exhibition doubleheader at Verizon Center will go on sale May 30 through all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Verizon Center box office, via Phonecharge at 800-745-3000 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. The women’s game will take place at 5:30 p.m. (EDT) followed by the men’s game at 8 p.m. (EDT).
“July 16 will be a memorable night as the USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Teams take on the national teams from Brazil at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball chairman. ”Brazil is a respected international basketball power on both the men’s and women’s sides. These exhibition contests will be the final games on U.S. turf for both teams and they will offer basketball fans a very special night of international basketball.”
Peer over the shoulder of a SNY sports anchor, any time of the day they are on, and see New York City staring back from the outside. Yes, that’s Radio City Music Hall in the background. At night, its marquee casts crimson light on Sixth Avenue.
But if UConn women’s basketball fans want to see New York, they can take Metro North, the tour bus or brave the West Side Highway at rush hour. As if relates to SNY, its ambitious goals and 14 million viewers nationwide, the constituency of the seven-time national champions has just one simple request; well, it’s actually more of a demand – televise and treat “our girls” in the fashion they are accustomed.
That’s what SNY plans to do. That is why they aggressively pursued the women’s basketball television contract when it came due after 18 years with Connecticut Public Television and will pay the school $1.1 million a year for the next four seasons.
There is something you should know about UConn’s junior center Stefanie Dolson. And that is, whether talking or dancing or just breathing in the air, she does it with a sense of excitement and adventure much larger than her 6-foot-5 frame.
So on Sunday, with her two sisters by her side, Dolson got into a prop plane that took off from The Blue Sky Ranch in Gardner, N.Y. And when the plane reached about 14,000 feet, Dolson, with her guide, Steve Webb, harnessed securely to her, crossed off another line item on her bucket list by jumping out of the plane and taking the 6-minute ride of her life, the first 60 seconds of which was in free fall.
And you thought playing in the Final Four was a rush?
Ah, its been a long time since we chatted about possible conference realignment in the Big East.
Of course, the Big East is probably talking about it even as we speak at their annual spring meetings in Florida. Who is coming, who is going, who is staying, who is happy … all that interesting stuff.
And then everyone plays golf
Saw and heard something interesting this morning about how the athletic director at Texas, while admitting that the Big 12 wasn’t thinking about any more expansion, has been keeping its eyes on Notre Dame as a possible member.
The report first surfaced on cbssportsline.com. Read it here.
Here is one of the most popular questions I field on a daily basis:
Question:
Last week, I wrote to UConn President Herbst expressing my dismay at not getting UCWB on CPTV Hoopstreams. We live in Maryland where none of the cable or satellite networks carry SNY. I received a reply from the UC Athletics Dept that told us that SNY was planning internet streaming of the games. What can you learn about this? I wrote SNY to no avail. UCWB on the net is very important to us rapidly greying expatriot Huskies. Many Thanks
George Thomson Continue reading »
Churchville, MD
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