Lady Tigers help promote Breast Cancer Awareness

COACH BOB STARKEY: Today was a special day for me and hopefully for our team.  Angela Miller of the Susan G. Komen Foundation arranged for our team to spend some time at the Math Science and Arts Academy East, St. Gabriel.  This a special week in which breast health education and celebration of survivors is achieved.

Temeka Johnson started us off on Monday by speaking at the “Pink Breakfast where students were served on pink plates with pink napkins.  Banners were be in the halls for students and teachers to write statement of encouragement, support and memory of loved ones with breast cancer.  

The weekend continued on Tuesday with Breast Health Education Day. Wilfret Loraine the Outreach Coordinator fro YWCA shared breast health information with high school age girls during PE class. On Wednesday it was the Ribbon Fundraiser where students paid $1 per pink ribbon card and had their names placed on them.  They also could acknowledge breast cancer survivors or place the name of a loved on they would like to memorialize to the card. 

Today the Lady Tiger arrived to help 5th through the 7th grade host a Pink Pep Rally that included games in order to celebrate survivors and learn breast health facts.  There was also a balloon release that took place at the conclusion of the Pink Pep Rally. 

 Tomorrow (Friday) will be Pink Out Day! Students will have a free dress day to wear pink shirts.  A pink cake and pink lemonade will be served at to finish the event. 

As always, the Lady Tigers represented our program in a first class manner and we made some new friends along the way — THE LADY TIGER WAY!

Posted by Bob Starkey 

Plaisance adjusting to life at LSU

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Article written by Chris Singleton of HoumaToday.com:

HOUMA — Even with a long list of high school athletic accomplishments, former Vandebilt Catholic basketball star Theresa Plaisance is no different from any other freshman athlete.

She has to go through the same transition process like other college freshmen, such as moving away from home for the first time, living on a college campus and starting college classes.

Plaisance, a 6-foot-5 freshman forward on the LSU women's basketball team, said college life has been an "eye-opening" experience.

"College is such a big step," Plaisance said. "I expected it to be hard, but I really didn't think it would be this hard."

Plaisance, the daughter of Nicholls State women's basketball coach DoBee Plaisance, started her freshman season at LSU earlier this month after finishing her decorated high school basketball career.

Plaisance, who led Vandebilt to its first basketball state title in school history in March, received many other individuals honors such as the Class 4A Player of the Year, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Miss Basketball award, a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year winner, a 2010 McDonald's All-American selection and a member of the 2010 Under-18 USA women's basketball national team that won the gold medal at the FIBA America's Championships in June.

With her successful high school basketball career over, Plaisance said the focus has shifted to her freshman season at LSU, where she said the competition is stronger and the practices are more intense.

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

Posted by Bob Starkey 

Andrea Kelly returns for final season with Lady Tigers

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The following is written by Rachel Whitaker of the LSU Reveille

LSU women's basketball senior point guard Andrea Kelly has endured a great degree of adversity both on and off the basketball court.

From the death of her father when she was in eighth grade to two injuries in her second season at LSU in 2009-10, Kelly has earned the respect of her coaches and teammates through her ability to fight back.

Kelly got a medical redshirt for her senior season after she suffered a stress fracture in her foot last October that caused her to miss the entire season.

But the injuries did not stop there.

Kelly tore her right ACL in a game of pickup basketball during spring break and had surgery in April to repair the knee.

Now she's back on the court and going strong, having improved in several aspects during her rehabilitation.

"It was a learning experience getting to observe firsthand from a coach's standpoint the mistakes and the good things we did," Kelly said. "I was able to get a better understanding of the game as a student."

Kelly's main strength on the court for the Lady Tigers is her 3-point shooting. In the 2008-09 season — her first at LSU after transferring from Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida — she converted 34-of-84 shots from beyond the arc.

The 40.5 percent clip ranked as the eighth-highest season total in school history.

"She brings instant offense. She is a zone buster," said LSU coach Van Chancellor. "When you have her, you have a great teammate that can shoot. ... We had some lulls last year. Now she gives us that opportunity to score."

Kelly's first start came Jan. 25, 2009, against Kentucky, and she scored 15 points — all from behind the arc — including two 3-pointers in the last six minutes to clinch LSU's 59-56 win on the road.

LSU women's basketball assistant coach Joni Crenshaw said she can sense a distinct improvement in Kelly's game since her injuries, a mark of a mature, dedicated basketball player in Crenshaw's eyes.

"She's back. She's quicker and shooting it better than she was before she was hurt," Crenshaw said. "She got a sense of how much she was needed because we didn't have that 3-point threat last year."

Read the rest of the article: http://bit.ly/bx5wsh

Filed under  //  Team  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Catching up with Big Syl

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Recently Chicago Sky center and FIBA World Champion Sylvia Fowles spoke with some of Chicago’s finest sportswriters over the phone from her home in Miami. Among other things they touched on the FIBA World Championships, the changes within the Sky organization and how Big Syl has spent her time since returning from the Czech Republic.

Here are 10 questions and Syl's answers from that conversation.

Question: How was your experience at the 2010 FIBA World Championships?
Answer: Health wise I was 100%. Just going out there and performing is a whole different thing. I wanted to do more and I felt like I could do more, but it’s different when your body says something different. It was a test because I was used to being on the floor, but sitting back and watching your teammates is a humbling experience. It also gives you confidence to get back to where you want to be.

Q: How have you felt physically since the end of the Sky season?
A: I got my right knee re-scoped and had a cyst removed. That’s what caused me to be out for 3-weeks. It was nagging, nothing too serious. I wanted to get it looked at before I went overseas or started with USA Basketball. If it was something I needed to get fixed, it was something I wanted to do now rather than later to prevent problems in the long run. Now I’m back to 100%.

Q: What has it been like for you to become one of the leaders on the Sky?
A: It’s something that I had to learn. Am I comfortable with it? No. Knowing I have to get it done for my teammates and myself, I’m ready. It’s something I’ve inherited over the years and I’m getting better at it as the years go along. I’m not the type of person who will talk. I’m the type of person who will lead by example. At my position I need to talk and lead that way.

Q: The 2010 Sky season was by far your most productive, what was different from previous years for you?
A: I’d been hurt my first year and got hurt my second year too. I felt every time I went overseas I got better. When I came back to the States I kind of limited myself with the injuries. I made a promise to myself to play the whole season and play to my full abilities.

Q: How do you feel about Steven Key resigning?
A: I enjoyed my time with him. I think he’s a very, very good person. A great person actually. Things happen. When things don’t work within in a system, it's time to try new things. I think that’s the direction we’re going, trying to figure this thing out.

Q: What type of coach do you think the Sky needs?
A: We need a coach who’s pretty much demanding over what they want and how to get it done. And a coach with enough experience knowing what they want and how to get it done on the floor. I want a coach to come in and coach us to the point where we want to be. Get us to the playoffs. It doesn’t matter as long as they get someone in who can coach.

Q: What do you think the Sky can improve on headed into 2011?
A: Our communication. We knew each other, we knew how each other played. Our communication [lacked]. We were inconsistent.

Q: How do you feel about the direction the Sky is headed?
A: Change. We needed something different. It just wasn’t from the coaches or players perspective. They took it another step beyond that in the front office, which I can respect. It’s going to be different. And I’m looking forward to that.

Q: What have you been up to since winning the Gold medal at the FIBA World Championships?
A: I’m home in Miami, with my nieces and nephews, and brothers and sisters, hanging out with the family. I had seven days since the FIBA tournament ended. I’m supposed to leave [October 11] to go to Turkey. The little time I do have I tried to enjoy it every bit. Since I’ve been here, we’ve been hitting up the beach like crazy. My days are: go to the beach or stay home and do nothing. I’ve been home relaxing and going to the beach. I don’t lift any weights or anything like that. I’m not lifting weights or looking at a basketball until I get into a gym.

Q: Do you think you'll get a break before the 2011 WNBA Season?
A: Yes, I’ll definitely get a break to come back and recoup. I don’t know for how long. If we players get more than two weeks, that’s like paradise to us. Hopefully I’ll get two weeks off and if I get two weeks off I’ll be refreshed and ready to go.

Thanks to: http://www.wnba.com/sky/ for the Big Syl Q&A!

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

Complete LSU Basketball Media Day Coverage Here, Including Video From Coach Chancellor and Players

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LSU women’s basketball head coach Van Chancellor and the 2010-11 LSU Lady Tigers met with members of the media to discuss the upcoming season on Wednesday at the new LSU Basketball Practice Facility.

Chancellor, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, is in his fourth year at the helm of the women’s program. Chancellor has compiled an impressive 71-27 (.724) mark in three seasons with three NCAA Tournament appearances and one Final Four.

LSU returns 11 letterwinners from a team that reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round a season ago. Eight players are either juniors or seniors and Chancellor signed one of the nation’s most talented recruiting classes headlined by Louisiana natives Theresa Plaisance and Jeanne Kenney.

For a complete transcript and link to video from Coach Chancellor’s press conference and comments from players LaSondra Barrett, Katherine Graham, Courtney Jones and Jeanne Kenney, visit here:

http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=205011478

Posted by Bill Martin  

Temeka hits the golf course to help battle breast cancer

TEMEKA JOHNSON: Today was such a joyous day. I had the privilege and the honor to participate in this year's Women's Victory Open. Momma Sherie (Starkey) invited me to be a "celebrity putter" and despite my lack of golf experience I knew I wanted to support this terrific cause.  This event is put on to raise money for breast cancer for the women of the area. While there I learned that over the past eleven to twelve years there have been close to 1 million dollars that has been raised through this event. There were so many women there to support this fund raiser as well as participate in the Golfing. They all were having a blast. I saw so many women that have been breast cancer survivers for 1 year to as far as 24 years. I was amazed. To be in the presence of such strong, fighting, never gving up, supportive women, I couldnt ask for a better way to start off my Monday morning. These are the kind of event that one just enjoy doing. I was truly happy to be there!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Breast Cancer   Community   Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tiger alum Becca Hayes changing lives on medical mission trip

COACH STARKEY: The following comes from Becca Hayes, a Lady Tiger alum that is about to share a truly inspiring story with us:

 

Thanks Bob, for the opportunity to share my medical mission trip experience with you and the Lady Tiger family.  For those who don’t know me, I played for the Lady Tigers from 1987-1990.   The legendary Coach Sue Gunter recruited and coached me.  What a privilege it is to be able to say that. 

 

Fast forward 20 years…I am a pediatric intensive care nurse currently working at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas.  I work primarily with post-operative congenital heart defect babies and children.  That is my specialty, and my passion is serving others through mission work.  So, when I was asked to join a very talented group of medical professionals to go to South America and combine those two things, I jumped at the opportunity.

 

On September 2, 2010, a group from both children’s hospitals in Houston (Children’s Memorial Hermann and Texas Children’s) traveled to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to do heart surgery for kids with congenital heart defects. We performed 11 cardiac caths and 12 open-heart surgeries over a 6-day period. Together we helped change 23 children’s lives as well as their families.  It only took $27,000 to put this mission trip together.  In the USA, that would cover the surgeon’s cost for one surgery in the average hospital.

 

There are no pediatric cardiovascular surgeons in Bolivia.  Our team consisted of 1 surgeon, 2 perfusionists, 3 anesthesiologists, 1 physician assistant, 1 scrub tech, 5 nurses, 2 cardiologists, 1 respiratory therapist, and 1 biomedical engineer.  We partnered with a private hospital in Santa Cruz called Incor, which gave up one week of paying patients to allow this to happen.  They donated their staff to assist us, their ICU beds and one of their surgical suites as well.  We brought all of our supplies and equipment, except a few major items.  Otherwise, it was a collaborative effort through and through.  The team was awesome.  I only knew 2 out of the 17 people before we departed Houston.  There was an instant bond with each and every one of the people.  It was much like being on a basketball team.  We all brought different skills to the court.  We had different roles to play, each one important and vital to the team’s success.  I know that my experience as a Lady Tiger prepared me for the work I do today.  I will always be grateful and proud to be a LSU Tiger. 

 

The families were so appreciative of the work we did. They gave us many hugs and kisses.  To know that the children would now have the opportunity to live relatively healthy lives with a normal life expectancy because of this surgery made it all worthwhile for me.  The Bolivians were the most gracious hosts.  We never had the opportunity to get hungry.  They fed us well and constantly.  We were able to jog/run every morning, thank goodness!  (Side bar:  One of the anesthesiologists was an Olympic miler for Spain in 1990.  He still runs and competes at a world-class level.  Let’s just say we all met at the same time every morning and some of us went farther and faster than others!)  Also, they gave us incredible accommodations. The Hotel Yotau’ was as nice as it gets in Santa Cruz.  President Clinton stayed there early in his presidency when he traveled to Bolivia for diplomatic reasons. They had many celebrations for us and we were treated like royalty.  It was pretty cool.  I haven’t felt like that since I was wearing the purple and gold!

 

In conclusion, I can say that it was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Theresa Plaisance names Student-Athlete of the Month

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BATON ROUGE - The Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes honored six LSU student-athletes for their academic achievements and community service for the month of October.

Each month, five student-athletes are recognized for their academic improvement, dedication and proven ability. In addition, one student-athlete is chosen through the CHAMPS Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success program for their volunteerism and commitment to the community.

October's Student-Athletes of the Month are Smylie Kaufman [Men's Golf], Austin Nola [Baseball], Theresa Plaisance [Women's Basketball], Patrick Peterson [Football] and Sidney Sanabria-Robles [Gymnastics]. Laura Carleton [Cross Country] was selected as the Shaquille O'Neal CHAMPS/Student-Athlete Affairs Athlete of the Month.

A freshman forward from Houma, Plaisance and the Lady Tigers basketball team opened practice earlier this week. She comes to LSU as one of the top prep post players in the nation and was rated No. 3 by ESPN HoopGurlz.com at that position. A two-time Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year, Plaisance averaged 7.8 points over five games to help the Americans to a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA Americas 18 Championships.

Posted by Bob Starkey 

Big Syl nominated for community service award -VOTE FOR HER!

Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles has been nominated to be a member of the Dream Team for Public Service with the possibility of winning the Jefferson Awards for Public Service in the category of Outstanding Athlete as a Newcomer in Service & Community for her community involvement throughout the 2010 WNBA season.

Fowles, a recipient of the July 2010 WNBA Cares Community Assist Award, offered her support to Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) during this past season in an effort to assist with finding a cure to Epilepsy which is a disease her nephew suffers from. Through Sylvia’s involvement with CURE, the Sky partnered with them to host a fundraising event at a Sky game where Fowles hosted several meet-and-greets with young epilepsy patients before and after a Sky home game. Fowles also donated the funds from the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award to CURE. Throughout the 2010 season Fowles also helped distribute food at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, spent time with residents at the 79th Street Senior Center and participated in the Chicago Sky All Star Reading Program at a local library.

All Stars Helping Kids and the Jefferson Awards for Public Service recognize 10 professional athletes each year who display excellence in service and philanthropy. Including Fowles, professional athletes from across the country have been nominated for these distinctions. In January, 10 athletes will win spots on the Dream Team for Public Service. Then in June two winners will receive the prestigious Jefferson Awards for Public Service. Dream Team members will be determined by an online and text vote that is open to the public.

To vote for Fowles, click here.

All Stars for Helping Kids is a philanthropic platform that enables former and current professional athletes to fully leverage their brand to address issues that impact kids, and was founded by NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott in 1989.

The Jefferson Awards for Public Service, named after Thomas Jefferson, are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. They began in 1972 to create a Nobel Prize for public service. Winners of this award are determined by the 64-person Board of Selectors. Past winners include Barbara Bush, Colin Powell, Peyton Manning and Oprah Winfrey.

Vote now for Sylvia Fowles.  

Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tigers stress defensive deflections and transition in 1st practice

COACH STARKEY: Well the first practice session of the season is in the books and the staff was pleased with the effort and ethusiasm.  We hit the practice floor at 7:30 PM tonight.  As you can tell, practice is starting earlier this year based on a new NCAA rule.  The new rule reads that we can count 40 days back from our first game and then utilize 30 of those days for practice.  It means we get a few extra practices in but it also means more days off for the players.  We can get the work we need in while the team gets some good rest.  It's a really good rule.  The one negative is that the very first day of practice, you are not allowed to start until after 5:00 PM (Please don't ask me why).  Because of some afternoon classes we decided on 7:30.

We started off with Pre-Practice which is a period where we break the players down into two groups and do a lot of fundamental teaching.  Normally I will have the post players and Coach Mays will take the perimeter players though sometimes we mix and match depending upon what we need to accomplish.  This year we've added Joni Crenshaw to our staff and she works both ends.  I've been so impressed with Joni's knowledge of the game and her ability to teach.  She is picking up our system quickly and making a difference at practice.

We worked on some old staples of our system tonight including our motion offense, our C Play (Coach Chancellor's WNBA ball screen action) and our man to man defense.  We also spend some time working heavily on our transition offense.  Coach Chancellor went over 6 points to our transition attack and then we drill in those areas.

Step #1: Defensive Rebounding

Step #2: Deep Outlet Passes

Step #3: Sprint the Lanes

Step #4: Shot Selection/Responsibility

Step #5: Penetration Play

Step #6: Secondary Action

Each day that we practice we have an Emphasis of the Day.  We pick an area of our game that we are going to really stress in drills and in scrimmage situations.  When the players come to practice they will see the Emphasis of the Day plastered in the locker room and on the court.  After pre-practice, Coach Chancellor huddles the team up and talks about the emphasis and why it is so important.  Tonight our emphasis was "Hand on the Ball" which our way of saying we want our defense to pressure the ball.  They way we can read if we our successful is by charting deflections.  Tonight we had 60 which is an excellent number for the first day of practice.

We have a total of 5 different scrimmage situations and that included conversions.  Some notables in the stat department tonight included double figure scorers in Jeanne Kenney (20 points), Nicci Kelly (14 points), Katherine Graham (13 points), Tia Eason (12 points) and Adrienne Webb (10 points).  Top rebounders included Swayze Black (10 boards) and Taylor Turnbow (10 boards).  Bianaca Lutley lead us in assists with 5 followed by Tia with 4. 

The night ended with a "sudden death" game that Coach Chancellor devised.  We divide the group into two teams and the first team to lead by two wins.  It puts an immediate emphasis in all phases of the game.  After a defensive stop, LaSondra Barrett hit a baseline jumper to give her team the victory.

It's a short turn around for the Lady Tigers with practice tomorrow at 1:30 PM but it is part of our plan to work on the toughness of our team.  We play in several tournaments this year with quick turnarounds so it will be perfect for getting us prepared for the season.

Posted by Bob Starkey