Coach Chancellor does session with NBA TV

Taking a quick recruiting break, Coach Van Chancellor finds a few minutes to video a session with Lisa Martin and NBA TV for a special tribute to Cynthia Cooper.  Cooper, one of Coach Chancellor's WNBA All-Stars while coaching the Houson Comets will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame this fall and the video session will be part of a video segment on her life as a player.

Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tigers all over stat leaders in WNBA; Big Syl most efficient

SCORING: Desptie missing the early part of the season with surgery, Seimone Augustus is currently 6th in the WNBA in scoring at 19.2 points a game.  Right behind her in the 7th spot is Sylvia Fowles at 18 points a game.  Scholanda Robinson ranks 30th with 11.8 points a game.

WNBA SCORING STATS: http://bit.ly/b7EnUo

REBOUNDING: Sylvia Fowles is 4th in the WNBA in rebounding grabbing 12.7 boards a game.

WNBA REBOUNDING STATS: http://bit.ly/d0iGxe

FG%: Syl is 5th in FG% among players in 10 games or more hitting 58.9% of her shots.  Mone is 37th hitting 47.5%

WNBA FG% STATS: http://bit.ly/cGS2fO

BLOCKED SHOTS: Big Syl leads the W with 2.75 swats a game.

WNBA BLOCKED SHOTS: http://bit.ly/9l02Lw

3 PT SHOOTING %: Believe it or not, Big Syl leads the WNBA in 3-Point Shooting % after hitting her only attempt this past weekend for a perfect 100%. Seimone, shooting 41.9% is ranked 20th.  Roneeka Hodges is his hitting 34.7 and is ranked 49th.

WNBA 3 PT SHOOTING %: http://bit.ly/aehp4P

ASSISTS: Temeka Johnson is 4th in the WNBA in assists at 5.36.

WNBA ASSISTS: http://bit.ly/d0MDnD

STEALS: Scholanda Robinson is 20th in the WNBA in steals at 1.5.

WNBA STEALS: http://bit.ly/9LenYQ

DOUBLE DOUBLES: Big Syl is second in the WNBA in double-doubles with 11.  Temeka Johnson is 12th with 3 but doing it the hard way with points and assists -- she is first among guards.

WNBA DOUBLE-DOUBLES: http://bit.ly/abksuT

EFFICIENCY: In arguably the most important statistical category as it combines all the others, the WNBA is leader is Sylvia Fowles with a rating of 25.2! Seimone Augustus ranks 16th with a rating of 15.0. Temeka Johnson is 40th at 10.3

WNBA EFFICIENCY: http://bit.ly/cbJYqd

Wnba_lsu_report

Filed under  //  Alumni   Seimone Augustus   Sylvia Fowles   Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Mone, Syl, Marie, Meek and Sho shine in big weekend in WNBA

Starting back to Thursday the Los Angeles Sparks defeated Tulsah 86-83 with Marie Ferdinand-Harris hitting 2 of 3 behind the 3-point arc.  The Shock were lead by Scholanda Robinson who poured in 19 points.

LA/Tulsa Box: http://bit.ly/byQqVI

On Friday, the Chicago Sky lost a tough one to the New York Liberty but not because of the effort of Sylvia Fowles.  Big Syl registered yet another double-double with  12 points and 16 43bounds to go long with 4 blocked shots.

Chicago/NY Box: http://bit.ly/c8awgS

Yesterday, LA registered another win as the Sparks hit 15 three-pointers in the game.  Part of the credit for the long-range success belongs to Marie who again hit 2 of 3 behind the act as LA defeated Connecticut 89-80.

LA/Connecticut Box: http://bit.ly/bs4Lh7

Sylvia Fowles scored 23 points and the Chicago Sky overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 3:10 to beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 75-72 on Saturday night.  The Sky have won four of their last five. Roneeka Hodges scored 13 points  to lead the Silver Stars (8-14). Hodges missed a potential tying 3 and Fowles grabbed the rebound as time expired.

Chicago/San Antonio Box: http://bit.ly/9P9Ee7

Despite a season-high 36 points from Seimone Augustus, the Phoenix Mercury set the WNBA scoring record with a 127-124 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night.  In one of the most exciting games of the season, the Mercury, lead by Temeka Johnson among others, rallied from 14 points down in the 4th quarter.

Augustus scored 15 points in the third quarter to key a Minnesota rush after Phoenix got within four points early in the second half.

A pair of long jumpers by Augustus sandwiched around one of her five 3-pointers gave the Lynx a 79-66 lead. After Phoenix scored six straight, Augustus hit another long jumper to put Minnesota up nine.

Augustus scored seven of Minnesota's points during a 13-4 run for a 45-28 lead midway through the second quarter. Phoenix used a 10-2 run to pull to 54-47 at halftime.

Meek scored 7 points and added a game high 9 assists including a key long pass to start the Mercury comeback.

Pheonix/Minnesota Box: http://bit.ly/c5dQ6q

Filed under  //  Alumni   Seimone Augustus   Sylvia Fowles   Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tigers invade New Orleans in recruiting event

BOB STARKEY: It's that time of the year when your Lady Tiger coaching staff is hitting the road recuriting.  July is divided into two period with a little break in the middle -- we are hot and heave into the second period.  Coming out out staff was all over the country.  Coach Chancellor and Travis Mays started in Washington DC, while Joni headed to New Orleans. On day two, Travis came off the road (only 3 at a time can be one the road) with me heading to New Orleans.  Joni Crenshaw met Coach Chancellor in Indianapolis.  It's a lot of travel and a lot of coordination but it's such a very important part of a programs success.

The thing that was great about New Orleans was the huge Lady Tiger flavor at the Alario Center.  Besides the our staff involvement in the event there were past Lady Tiger present.  Two former coaches, Yolanda Wells Broughton (Texas Southern) and Kenay Larkin-Landers.  It was wonderful being able to catch up with them during the games.  Then there was our former GA Katherine Katz (Samford) and former manager Matt Couvillon (Jacksonville State) doing the recruiting thing.  Former players were also on the job yesterday including Elaine Powell (Grambling State) -- one of my all-time favorites and someone that I think is going to make an outstanding coach.  One former player was on the other side.  Tae Tae Leblanc was actaully coaching an AAU team.

Later in the evening I ran into Courtney Jones who drove down so that she could visit with her high school who was coaching in the event.  And Shanece McKinney made the trip to see her old AAU team.

And last but certainly not least, I was pleased so see Zach Rau strolling around the facility in some LSU gear.  For those fans not familair with Zach, he is a member of the Bengal Brass Basketball Band and a big Lady Tiger fan.  He actually works at the Alario Center in the summer and I enjoyed spending a few minutes with him.

Stories_from_the_road

Posted by Bob Starkey 

Bonita Johnson's daughter standing out for LSU volleyball

BATON ROUGE - LSU setter Brittney Johnson, daughter of Lady Tiger basketball alum Bonita Johnson, was named to COBRA Magazine's All-Preseason Volleyball Team. The squad honors the top African-American collegiate players heading into the 2010 season.

Johnson, a two-time recipient of Jesse Owens Award presented to the African-American athlete with the highest GPA on campus, has passed out 835 assists during her first three seasons with the Tigers. Her athleticism and versatility offer LSU's attack multiple looks on the front row heading into the 2010 season.

Johnson, a Baton Rouge native, ran an efficient offense circulating 45 assists to go along with a career-best 13 digs and matched a career-high with six blocks in a 3-2 setback to No. 5 Stanford during last season's opener.

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/9cLefk 

Bonita_johnson

Posted by Bob Starkey 

More MVP talk for Big Syl at Swish Appeal

Q McCall of Swish Appeal list Sylvia Fowles, Temeka Catchings and Lauren Jackson as his primary candidates for Most Valulable Player in the WNBA this season...here is what he has to say about Big Syl:

The argument for Sylvia Fowles is simple: nobody in the league has assumed a larger responsibility for their team's success than Fowles, who sits at 30.94%. Her vastly improved free throw shooting - which was over 90% early in the season and has plummeted to 80.6% -- has made her the second most efficient scorer in the league by true shooting percentage, at 65.83%.

It's just that when trying to select one of these three players have particularly dominant season, the low plus/minus is a hindrance for Fowles. There are at least two potential reasons - first, the Sky can go through long stretches of time where they Fowles doesn't touch the ball on offense. Although she has definitely improved the range on her shot, she's still limited compared to Catchings and Jackson so on those plays where they put Fowles out on the wing or high post to spread the defense she essentially becomes a non-factor.

Second, Fowles is more effective when the team is shooting the three well...or the team shoots the three well when Fowles is more effective. The point is that if opposing defenses know that they can sag off of Sky shooters, it becomes much easier to defend Fowles on the block. That was essentially the story of the Sky's 4-0 win streak after their 0-4 start - they shot nearly 14% better from the three point line.

A third reason is that Fowles plays 32 minutes a game on an 11-11 team, meaning that her team probably experiences being down a bit more often with their starters on the floor and Fowles bears the brunt of that. Granted, the supporting cast members for Catchings and Jackson are playing very well this season, arguably better than the roster of the Sky - if Fowles was playing with point guard Sue Bird, perhaps we'd see a different outcome.

Looking forward, if the Sky don't make the playoffs and the Storm continue at their pace and the Fever stay on track as an Eastern Conference contender, it would be very hard to choose Fowles over the Catchings and Jackson given how much they are doing for their teams. Nevertheless, none of this should take away from the fact that Fowles is having an absolutely outstanding season.

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/dmQ4QN

Sylvia_fowles800

Filed under  //  Alumni   Sylvia Fowles   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

The original Fast Break Club and some thoughts on the Mick

COACH STARKEY: Last night was our Fast Break Club Summer Cookout and was a tremendous success.  Gotta start with a big shout out to Chico Moore.  I've known Chico for 25 years -- since my first arrival to LSU -- and he has and continues to be one of the absolute best friends of LSU Athletics.  From our staff, Angela Jones worked with Chico and put the event together and I think if you ask anyone and was an incredible evening.  I know Coach Chancellor has already blogged about the night but there was one photo that was special to me.  It shows Coach Chancellor sitting with Darlene Foster, John Hawie and Howard Jones.  These were Fast Break Club members that have been with us the longest that attended last night.

I also wanted to talk a little bit about our trainer, Micki Collins.  She is one of the most special people I have come across in athletics.  She is tireless worker and compassionate person who cares deeply about everyone in our program -- and those who aren't in our program.  And now she's a mom!  It's pretty amazing to watch her and her husband Ken (who is of course also a big Lady Tiger supporter) raise Granger.  They are amazing parents.  Yet somehow Micki doesn't miss a beat at work and actually has allowed our families to be a part of hers.  Micki brought Ken and Grange along last night and Granger was kind enough to entertain us for a bit in the yard playing some football (hey, it is LSU). 

Friends and family -- The Lady Tiger Way!

Filed under  //  Fast Break Club   Team  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Coach Chancellor reports on the Fast Break Club Summer Cookout

VAN CHANCELLOR: Last night we had our annual Fast Break Club Summer Cookout and, as it is every year, it was a really special event.  This year it was even more special because our dear friend Chico Moore hosted it at his home.  And anybody that knows Chico knows he only knows one way to go -- ALL OUT!  Chico is someone who has been a tremendous friend not just to Lady Tiger Basketball but all of LSU Athletics and we can't begin to thank him enough for the wonderful hospitaltiy last night.  And then there was the great turnout of our Fast Break Club membership.  Darlene Foster was there and as I understand it was an original member of the very first Fast Break Club.  It is really nice that John Hawie now lives in Baton Rouge and can actually attend some of our events.  I was so impressed with his knowledge of recruiting and women's college basketball. Of course we have the most loyal Tiger fan in our corner - Howard Jones.  One of my dear friends from Mississippi Stan Douglas was there and told us about a trip to Chicago where he got to spend some time with Sylvia Fowles and Marie Ferdinand after a Chicago-LA game. Sue Bernie is another loyal supporter that follows the game intensly -- she knows more about the WNBA than any fan I've met.  Sallye Stewart was there, as she always is, though we did miss her husband Wayne last night who was hard at work. And two of my favorite suppoters are Wayne & Diane Leader -- they have been such loyal supporters...travelling to road games, visiting us at practice, opening their home to us at Christmas. it was my first opportunity to meet Carl Hampton who has some crazy work hours that often keep him away from some of our events.  It was great to hear him and Travis talk about their love for motorcycles.  Diane Simon was there as well which made it seem like practice as she is a regular visitor in the PMAC during basketball season.  And last, but certainly not least, Kim Crane and Kelly Presley of Lady Tiger Depot who get involved in our program in a variety of ways and have had such a major impact in our success.

I also have to thank our administration.  Our Athletic Directir Joe Alleva and his lovely wife Annie joined us as well as Miriam Segar, our new Senior Women's Administrator.

Thanks again to our host Chico Moore, the wonderful folks at Drusilla's for the incredible meal, and to our entire Fast Break Club family.

Filed under  //  Fast Break Club   Team   Van Chancellor  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tigers In The WNBA Weekly Stats Update -- July 20, 2010

Lady Tigers In The WNBA Weekly Update – July 19, 2010

Every week, we will take a look at what former Lady Tigers did the past week in the WNBA.

Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Guard
Los Angeles Sparks

Last Week:

July 13 at Tulsa (W, 87-71) 12 pts, 5-of-10 FG, 2-of-2 FT, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk, 29 min

July 16 at Chicago (L, 68-80) 5 pts, 3-of-4 FT, 5 reb, 2 ast, 35 min

July 18 at San Antonio (L, 73-83) 11 pts, 5-of-6 FT, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 23 min

This Week:

Thursday, July 22 at Indiana, 4 p.m. CT

Saturday, July 24 at Connecticut, 4 p.m. CT

Sylvia Fowles, Center

Chicago Sky

Last Week:

July 14 vs. San Antonio (W, 88-61) 14 pts, 7-of-11 FG, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 17 min

July 16 vs. Los Angeles (W, 80-68) 10 pts, 4-of-8 FG, 2-of-3 FT, 10 reb, 3 ast, 4 blk, 32 min

July 18 at Washington (W, 61-59) 13 pts, 6-of-11 FG, 1-of-1 FT, 11 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, 33 min

This Week:

 Friday, July 23 vs. New York, 7:30 p.m. CT

 Saturday, July 24 at San Antonio, 7 p.m. CT


Allison Hightower, Guard
Connecticut Sun

Last Week:

July 14 at Indiana (W, 77-68) 8 pts, 3-of-5 FG, 2-of-2 FT, 4 reb, 2 stl, 18 min

July 17 at Atlanta (W, 96-80) 4 pts, 2-of-2 FG, 12 min

This Week:

Tuesday, July 20 vs. New York, 8 p.m. CT

Saturday, July 24 vs. Los Angeles, 7 p.m. CT


Temeka Johnson, Point Guard
Phoenix Mercury

Last Week:

July 14 vs. Seattle (L, 107-111) 4 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 33 min

July 17 vs. Tulsa (W, 97-88) 5 pts, 1-of-1 3FG, 4 ast, 3 stl, 28 min

This Week:

Thursday, July 22 at Tulsa, 5 p.m. CT

Saturday, July 24 at Minnesota,  5 p.m. CT


Scholanda Robinson, Guard
Tulsa Shock

Last Week:

July 13 vs. Los Angeles (L, 71-87) 6 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 21 min

July 16 at San Antonio (W, 75-70) 7 pts, 3-of-6 reb, 1-of-1 FT, 3 reb, 3 ast, 21 min

July 17 at Phoenix (L, 88-97) 15 pts, 5-of-6 FT, 5 reb, 3 stl, 26 min

This Week:

Tuesday, July 20 at Los Angeles, 2 p.m. CT

Thursday, July 22 vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m. CT

Sunday, July 25 at Seattle, 8 p.m. CT

Seimone Augustus, Guard-Forward
Minnesota Lynx


Last Week:

July 14 vs. Atlanta (W, 83-81) 22 pts, 2-of-2 FT, 8 reb, 3 ast, 33 min

July 17 vs. Seattle (L, 71-73) 13 pts, 2-of-5 3FG, 3-of-4 FT, 4 reb, 2 ast, 35 min

This Week:

Thursday, July 22 vs. San Antonio, 7 p.m. CT

Saturday, July 24 vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m. CT

Posted by Bill Martin