Seimone returns to action with USA Basketball

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Coming off an ACL injury and long rehab process, Seimone Augustus makes an appearance and gets some quality action on the court for USA Basketball. Here are some of her thoughts:


On the USA Select Team:
They fought tonight. It was good to see them playing. It took them awhile to get into their groove, but once they did, some girls impressed me. I got caught up with Jantel (Lavender) and it was torture down there banging with her. I’m impressed with the way they’re playing.
On any surprises in camp:
I wouldn’t say seeing Maya Moore is a surprise. Everybody knows what she can do. But to see it in person is like, ‘wow.’ She reminds me a lot like Tamika Catchings. She’s a hard worker. She plays on both ends of the court. She’s a great rebounder for a guard. Tina (Charles) as well, seeing her play and how hard she goes every possession is a plus. As far as the college girls, I’ve only (practiced) with Dee (Danielle Robinson), Kalana (Greene) and Kelsey (Griffin). They’ve all impressed me because they are so poised. They never seem to get rattled. They’re coachable. They’re willing to listen to criticism and go out there and better themselves.

On being back on the court after missing last fall and winter while rehabbing from her ACL:
I’m happy to be back out on the court. It’s been tough for me. It’s been brutal. Sunday was the worst day for me because it was actually my first time playing against top-notch competition. I just started playing a few weeks ago and it was at the YWCA. That wasn’t really a lot of good competition. But everyday here I’ve seen a lot of good progression. I haven’t had any pain in my knee and I’m looking for better days to come.
You watched on the sideline last fall during training camp, did that help you to know what coach Auriemma wanted?
It was good because I actually got a chance to talk to coach. You read things in the media, you see things on TV about him, but he’s actually a great person. He’s very straightforward, which is what I like. He tells you what he wants done and if you do it, you shouldn’t have any problems. As far as the offense and things, it’s seamless to what we ran at LSU, a motion offense, so it’s kind of easy to get into the groove with that. Defensively, that never has been my strong point (laughs), but I’m going to do what I can to make sure I’m helping out the team.

What did you get out of this training camp?
I got a lot out of it. I got to measure myself, see where I’m at and see how much further I have to go. I was excited about everything. Every day I saw progress. I got stronger each day. As far as playing with the young ladies and everybody, being coached by Geno, it was a great experience. I had a lot of fun. I got to learn a lot about Geno and the other coaches. I learned a lot about the other players on the team. Hopefully we can transfer this to the summer and to the World Championship.

Filed under  //  Seimone Augustus   Team USA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Ally takes from USA Basketball experience

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Here are some comments from Allison Hightower following her USA Basketball participation this past weekend:


On the scrimmage
I thought it was a great experience to come out here and play as hard as you can against some of the best players in the world. To be able to get that opportunity is something that I will truly learn from, and I learned a lot. I've grown a lot. I learned from the older players and the coaches, so overall it's been a great experience.

What about your game specifically did you learn?
You got to go all out, every single day, every single minute, every single possession. I learned a lot about my game individually, what I need to work on, ball-handling, shooting, reading screens. I will definitely take from the experience, go back to work and improve my game doing the things we have been doing here.
Was it an honor to get to play with USA on your chest?
To be able to scrimmage against the National Team players and be able to represent the United States was something that I'm truly blessed to do. I'm just seizing the moment right now. It's been overall just great getting to know them, seeing how they play and seeing what it takes to get to that level. It's something that I will definitely take with me.

Filed under  //  Team USA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Allison and Seimone report for USA Basketball workouts

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The public will have a chance to see some of the country’s top basketball talent, including nine with ties to Connecticut, when members of the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s National Team take on the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s Select Team in a Red-White exhibition scrimmage on Sunday, April 18 in Hartford, Conn.


Fans will get a chance to cheer on some of their local favorites in the Red-White scrimmage. In addition to Auriemma, USA National Team members include former UConn standouts Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), 2010 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun) and current Husky Maya Moore; and the Connecticut Sun will also be represented on the USA National Team by Kara Lawson. UConn’s Kalana Greene (New York Liberty), and the Connecticut Sun’s Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska) and Allison Hightower (Louisiana State) will compete on the USA Select Team.

Additional USA National Team members participating in the spring training camp include: Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx/LSU) , Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury) and Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream). Further, USA National Team hopeful Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars / Stanford University), is injured, but is attending the USA National Team training camp in the hopes of being added to the squad at a later date.

Filed under  //  Seimone Augustus   Team USA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Destini Hughes: What I did during spring break

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DESTINI HUGHES:
I didn't do anything spectacular over spring break but I still really enjoyed myself. I stayed in Baton Rouge for the break and really just hung out with friends, watched movies, slept, and worked out a little bit. The best part was not having to go to school and getting a much needed break!

Filed under  //  Off the Court   Player's Post  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Taylor Turnbow: What I did during spring break

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TAYLOR TURNBOW:
This spring break I went to Savannah Georgia to visit a good friend of mine, and get a tan on the beach. I had so much fun seeing many of my friends from back home. The first night I was there, some friends and I went to go see the movie Hot Tub Time Machine and it was extremely funny. I had a chance to hear my friend sing at the Black Expo in Savannah with her Gospel Choir and it was amazing. Spring Break 2010 was awesome.

Filed under  //  Off the Court   Player's Post  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Jasmine Nelson: What I did during spring break

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JASMINE NELSON:

What I did during spring break was travel to Panama City, Florida and did some things that I really never had gotten a chance to do... like going to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. It was a lot of fun we saw a lot of great things like the tallest man in the world (who he was 8'11), part of the Wall of Berlin and a Giant Hurricane Ball form Hurricane Betsy. It a was very fun experience and I really enjoyed it.

 

 

Filed under  //  Off the Court   Player's Post  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Temeka mentioned as possibly point guard for Liberty

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Swish Appeal discusses possibility of Temeka Johnson (a free agent) signing with the New York Liberty:


For most of the off-season, we've known that the Mercury are facing a very difficult financial situation that led to Le'coe Willingham signing with the Seattle Storm, and possibly contributed to Pondexter being traded to the Liberty. The thinking behind the Pondexter trade was that it would help free up resources to re-sign point Temeka Johnson and forward Penny Taylor, two key parts of the Mercury's core.


However, with the Liberty clearing considerable cap room by waiving both Loree Moore and Kelly Mazzante - who was acquired in the Mercury trade - restricted free agent Johnson could make some sense.


Swish Appeal has learned from multiple sources that there is another potential suitor for Johnson and all signs point to New York: clearing cap room, needing a point guard, and perhaps being able to out-bid the Mercury. Given that the Mercury have still not made the move to re-sign either Johnson or Taylor, it's reasonable to wonder if they are still facing a difficult financial situation.


Go to Swish Appeal and read the entire article: http://bit.ly/9yb0og

Filed under  //  Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Meek blogging from overseas for Slam Magazine

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Temeka Johnson has been a guest blogger for Slam Magazine's online site this spring. Here is her latest entry:


What’s up SLAMonline?!

Sorry for being late, but we had a lot of games last week, lots of travels, and as I mentioned in my last blog, I have my personal trainer with me. No excuses, though, I’m back! Did you miss me?

We secured our place in our league and continue to play well and move forward. Lost one game, but won our last one the way we needed to win it (by a margin of over 20 points). I played pretty well with my own 20-point effort in the game. But the most important part was getting that much needed victory. No matter what we do individually, basketball is still a team game. I wanted to make sure we won that game, and was going to do whatever it took to win. But, having teammates like Lenae Williams (former DePaul player who I’m sure you’ve heard about with the Phoenix Mercury) make it easy. She can ball y’all! You’ll see. She’s also been a great assist to me while learning the French way of life! Thanks, Lenae!

Read Meek's entire blog entry at SlamOnline: http://bit.ly/abZCti

Filed under  //  Media   Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Allison's Top 10 featured on WNBA Draft Page

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By Frank Della Femina, WNBA.com:

For Louisiana State’s Allison Hightower, a career in the WNBA would be a dream come true. The Dallas, Texas native was exposed to the league at an early age, thanks to Houston-based grandparents who made a habit of taking her to Comets games.

“I was able to go watch those games when I was younger and see great players, a great fan base and it really motivated me and got me excited about women playing professionally,” Hightower said in a recent conference call with WNBA.com. “I thought of myself maybe being able to play in the WNBA, and now that I am able to have that opportunity, I am just blessed and it’s a great feeling.”

That opportunity will present itself in full at the 14th annual WNBA Draft, scheduled for Thursday, April 8th at the NBA Entertainment studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.

When it comes to player comparisons, Hightower doesn't shy away from admitting her model player, as she was quick to praise Phoenix Mercury guard/forward and reigning WNBA MVP Diana Taurasi. "I love everything about her game.”

There's a healthy buzz surrounding the LSU guard as days tick down to the draft. Her defense remains a focal point for many, but offensive talent is not far behind. In a call with WNBA.com, Los Angeles Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom praised Hightower’s two-way skill set. “I think Allison Hightower is probably one of the best guard defenders that’s out there,” admitted Gillom. “She’s a very versatile player, a great three-point shooter, has a nice mid-range jumper, great penetrater and you get a player of her caliber that plays well on both ends of the court.”

Read the rest of the article including Allison's Top 10 at: http://bit.ly/amsPs7

Filed under  //  WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Allison readys for WNBA draft

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SECAUCUS, N.J. -- On Thursday, LSU guard Allison Hightower is projected to be a top 10 selection in the 2010 WNBA Draft held at the NBA TV Studios in Secaucus, N.J. Hightower is seeking to become the seventh LSU player taken in school history in the first round of the WNBA Draft.

The 2010 WNBA Draft will be televised live at 2 p.m. CST on ESPN2 and www.ESPN3.com. Hightower will be on hand at the NBA Studios for the nationally televised event.

Hightower will be the first LSU player drafted since the trio of Sylvia Fowles, Erica White and Quianna Chaney of the 2008 Final Four team were all selected. In total, the Lady Tigers have produced 14 WNBA Draft picks dating back to LSU's first in 1999 - Elaine Powell, who went on to win three WNBA championships with the Detroit Shock.

Here is a look at LSU's WNBA Draft history dating back to the league's inception in 1997:

1999
Elaine Powell
- 4th round, 50th pick to the Orlando Miracle

2000
Katrina Hibbert
- 4th round, 57th pick to the Seattle Storm

2001
April Brown
- 4th round, 51st pick to the Indiana Fever
Marie Ferdinand - 1st round, 8th pick to the Utah Starzz

2003
Ke Ke Tardy
- 2nd round, 25th pick to the San Antonio Silver Stars
DeTrina White - 2nd round, 20th pick to the Indiana Fever
Aiysha Smith - 1st round, 7th pick to the Washington Mystics

2004
Doneeka Hodges - 2nd round, 25th pick to the Los Angeles Sparks

2005
Temeka Johnson
- 1st round, 6th pick to the Washington Mystics

2006
Seimone Augustus
- 1st round, 1st pick to the Minnesota Lynx
Scholanda Robinson - 1st round, 14th pick to the Sacramento Monarchs

2008
Sylvia Fowles - 1st round, 2nd pick to the Chicago Sky
Erica White - 2nd round, 17th pick to the Houston Comets
Quianna Chaney - 2nd round, 19th pick to the Chicago Sky

Filed under  //  WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin