All three incoming UConn freshmen – Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson – have been selected to play for the 2012 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team.
HERE IS THE RELEASE FROM USA BASKETBALL
The 12-member squad includes Stewart (Cicero-North H.S. / North Syracuse, N.Y.) and previous USA gold medalists Bashaara Graves (Clarksville H.S. / Clarksville, Tenn.); Imani Stafford (Winward School / Los Angeles, Calif.); Tuck (Bolingbrook H.S./ Bolingbrook, Ill.); and Jannah Tucker (New Town H.S. / Randallstown, Md.).
The team also features Jefferson (Texas Home Educators Sports Association / Glenn Heights, Texas); two-time trials participant Alexis Prince (Edgewater / Orlando, Fla.); 2010 USA U16 National Team trials participants Kendall Cooper (St. Anthony H.S. / Carson, Calif.) and Allisha Gray (Washington County H.S / Sandersville, Ga.); and USA Basketball newcomers Lexie Brown (North Gwinnett H.S. / Suwanee, Ga.); Michaela Mabrey (Manasquan H.S. / Belmar, N.J.) and Brittney Sykes (University H.S. / Newark, N.J.).
Connecticut Sun coach Mike Thibault says Tina Charles is one of the best centers in the WNBA, which is a lot like saying August is one of the hottest months of the year. Both statements are true, but vastly understated.
Leave your lawn without water in August and watch it wither. Take Charles out of the Sun lineup and chances are great the same thing would happen to the team most believe can challenge for the championship this season.
Charles, UConn’s former national player of the year, is off to another fast start in the midst of perhaps the most remarkable start any post player has ever had in the WNBA’s 16-year history. And her domination should no longer surprise anyone. Come this August in London, Charles may very well start at center for the 2012 Olympic team as it tries to win gold for Coach Geno Auriemma in London.
Tina Charles has 47 double-doubles in 70 career WNBA games. She needs three to tie Taj McWilliams-Franklin’s career mark for the Connecticut Sun.
But it took Taj 241 games to do it. Do the math.
Charles also is four rebounds from reaching 800 faster than anyone in WNBA history.
The schedule handed the Connecticut Sun a prime early-season chance to make hay in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference. If you don’t think hay is an appropriate metaphor for pennant race basketball, you likely don’t believe the postseason is as much a horse race as the coaches.
Saturday at Madison Square Garden, the Sun opened the season with a determined win over the New York Liberty and then repeated the most popular phrase in horse racing these on the bus ride home for Sunday’s rematch at the Mohegan Sun Arena: I’ll have another.
And that’s what the Sun received. Led by Olympians Tina Charles (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Asjha Jones (20 points, eight rebounds), the Sun spotted the Liberty the first eight points of the game, took their first lead late in the second and then rolled to a 92-77 win at the casino.
HERE IS THE REPORT FROM WNBA.COM ABOUT MINNESOTA’S SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER PHOENIX SUNDAY.
note the absence of a popular former UConn player.
Seimone Augustus scored 19 points before leaving with bruised ribs, and the Lynx didn’t let up in a 105-83 season-opening victory over the Diana Taurasi-less Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
“Once the banner went up and the lights went on and we started to warm up for the game, it was about 2012 and what we’re trying to do,” Augustus said.
Connecticut Sun guard Kara Lawson announced Sunday that she will donate $50 for every three she makes this season to the Pat Summitt Foundation.
Summitt, who won 1,098 games at Tennessee and eight national titles, stepped down after 38 seasons nearly a year after being diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.
In response to Lawson’s pledge, the Connecticut Sun said they would match each donation. Lawson made 55 threes last season and entered 2012 ninth all-time in league history with 433. She made one in Saturday’s opener against New York.
“Coach has been a mentor to me since I was 18,” Lawson said. “The basketball community has been effected by her diagnosis and her decision to step down. This works on many levels for me; I played for her, its a performance incentive, a win-win situation. You get a chance to play well and do something well that I like to do – shoot threes – and raise money for her foundation, which they are still trying to build.
“And I am thankful to the Sun organization for deciding to match my donations. It shows you a lot about the class of this organization.”
Lawson said she talks to Summitt every few weeks, but had not told her of her plans to make this donation.
“I guess it’s a good idea that I call her,” Lawson said laughing. “After call, the cat is out of the bag now.”
Lawson is one of 10 Tennessee players in the WNBA. Only UConn (11) has more. Lawson said she did not know of any other organized or singular effort of any other Lady Vol to support the Foundation in this way.
“I haven’t spoken to any of them about it,” Lawson said. “But maybe this will inspire other players in the league, or the league itself, it would be great to help find a cure.”
Lawson made 2 threes in Sunday’s 92-77 win over the New York Libery bringing the total contributions to the Summitt Foundation to $300 for the season.
A season of promise began for the Connecticut Sun Saturday with a victory based on perseverance against the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden.
And that included veteran Asjha Jones, one of their Olympians, who connected from the left triangle of the lane with the shot clock running out and 31.4 seconds to play to get the Sun started Saturday on a 78-73 win over the Liberty before 8.,112.
Jones had missed 12 of her first 17 shots before sinking the one that gave the Sun a 73-71 lead after the last of five lead changes and 12 ties.
“I had been horrible,” Jones said.
Much is expected from the Connecticut Sun this season. Just about every place Coach Mike Thibault turns there is a survey, a comment or a prediction that claims the Sun is not only the best team in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference, but good enough to challenge the defending champion Minnesota Lynx for the 2012 title.
“I don’t read that much, so I don’t know too much about those things,” Thibault said. “Legitimately, at least two-thirds of the league has the potential to win the championship because the talent is that good. Given some breaks or injuries, that number can change, too. Just look at our conference. It would be hard for anyone to say what the order of finish might be.
“But I have my own ideas. I’d like to think we are on top of that list. It’s nice that people would think that of us.”
It’s that time of the year again. The USA Basketball program greets its best 18 and under players today in Colorado Springs.
That group includes incoming UConn freshmen Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck.
Here is the press release from USA Basketball about the roster…..
Dominique Brooks (Thornton Fractional South H.S. / Lansing, Ill.) has been added to the 2012 USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team Trials roster and will compete along with 25 previously announced athletes for a spot on the 2012 USA Basketball U18 National Team during the May 18-21 USA U18 National Team Trials, held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo.
With the WNBA season to start Saturday, including the Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden, here is a look at how the 12 league teams cut down to their 11-player rosters.
Not a lot of big names, but interesting.
May 17
The Phoenix Mercury waived Chastity Reed, Dymond Simon and Amanda Johnson
The New York Liberty waived Katelan Redmon and Raffaella Masciadri
May 16
The Phoenix Mercury waived Chastity Reed, Dymond Simon and Amanda Johnson
The Connecticut Sun waived Sidney Spencer
The San Antonio Silver Stars waived Loree Moore and Porsha Phillips
The Chicago Sky waived Felicia Chester
The Atlanta Dream waived Coco Miller
The Minnesota Lynx waived Julie Wojta and Queralt Casas
The Phoenix Mercury waived Krystal Thomas and Andrea Riley
The Seattle Storm waived Allie Quigley and Ashley Corral
May 15
The Washington Mystics signed Jessica Breland
The San Antonio Silver Stars waived Kalisha Keane
The Connecticut Sun waived Dawn Evans
The Tulsa Shock waived Amber Holt and Shanna Zolman
The Los Angeles Sparks waived Khadijah Rushdan, Ashley Shields and Darxia Morris
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