Sho, Meek and Marie shine last night in the WNBA

There were a lot of LSU Lady Tigers in action but none shined more than Scholanda Robinson.  In fact Sho is on a tear and playing as well as anyone in the WNBA right now.  She has had two consecutive weeks where she has been mentioned as a candidate for WNBA Player of the Week and she started off the week well last night by leading all scorers on both teams with 19 points.  Her effort wasn't enough however as Tulsa lost to Allison Hightower's Connecticut Sun 101-89.  Ally came off the bench to hit a 3 for the Sun in the win.

Temeka Johnson registered a double last night with 11 points and 12 assist but it was enough to help Phoenix on the road in Atlanta as the Dream defeated the Mercury 94-88.  The Mercury played without Diana Taurasi last night.

Marie Ferdinand-Harris also had an outstanding night with 12 points, 4 rebounds and four assists but it too was not enough at the Los Angeles Sparks dropped a game to the New York Liberty.

Scholanda & Ally's Game: http://bit.ly/9YRaol

Temeka's Game: http://bit.ly/bJ7YDw

Marie's Game: http://bit.ly/9gplBH

Filed under  //  Alumni   Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Sun excited about Hightower and other rookies

When the Connecticut Sun walked away from the 2010 WNBA Draft with Tina Charles, Kelsey Griffin, Danielle McCray and Allison Hightower, the questions surrounding the team didn’t lean toward the “if” as much as they did the “when.” How long would it take for these rookies to mesh with the veteran presence of Kara Lawson, Asjha Jones and Tan White? How patient would Sun fans have to be as they literally watched a team grow before their own eyes? WNBA.com asked those same questions before the season tipped off.

The answer to both questions (with the exception of Danielle McCray’s recovery from pre-draft knee surgery): Not long at all.

“It’s kind of interesting,” said Sun head coach Mike Thibault. “With the draft, there were so many people all over the place wondering what kind of team we were going to have. Some people picked us for first, some people picked us for last. You just never know when you have that many new players.”

At 9-5, the Connecticut Sun remains a strong contender for first place in the Eastern Conference. The neck-and-neck race with the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics puts all three teams in a position where each win remains just as crucial as the previous one, and each loss stings twice as much.

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

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Filed under  //  Alumni   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

KG writes about Ashley's wedding and her Lady Tiger legacy!

KATERINE GRAHAM: Saturday, June 26th I had the privilege of attending the wedding ceremony of a two former LSU Tigers; former Lady Tiger Ashley Thomas and former football player for the National Championship team Tremaine Johnson. The ceremony and reception both took place on campus and was heavily influenced with Louisiana tradition. An intimate wedding was marvelous to say the least...everything was absolutely gorgeous, especially Ashley's wedding gown, and Tremaine cleaned up nice as well - LOL!

 

At the reception the Louisiana tradition was evident when the wedding party was introduced doing the second line while everyone else was seated waving white clothes engraved with, "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez" which means let the good times roll, and roll they did. At the reception Quianna Chaney, Rashonta "Tae Tae" LaBlanc, Florance Williams, Latear Eason, Courtney Jones, LaSondra "Boogie" Barrett and myself was able to share a table and talk about our Lady Tiger experiences.

 

As I sat there I was elated with joy for Ashley and began thinking about all the things she has helped me with during my tenure at LSU. I remember the times as a freshman when I did not know if she liked me or not. She has a very serious demeanor on the court and taught me how important doing the little things were.

 

Ashley was never the person to get a lot of the attention for her play, but in my opinion she was a HUGE key to the team's success. I would always say, "A-Town is always in the right place at the right time." Later I realized it was just because she played EXTREMELY hard, and was able to think the game which helped her become the player she was. Off the court I have turned to her for advise academically, and personally with future plans. She has shown me the importance of dedication in the class room as well as on the court which will allow you great opportunities in the job market.

 

When we lost nine seniors my freshman year, Ashley was named as the graduate assistant and helped bridge the gap between the past to the present and help with the learning curve of the basketball concepts. Although she is a post player I guess I can say she was a great role model - LOL! (that one was for Coach Starkey)

 

Ashley "A-Town" Johnson is the true meaning of a Lady Tiger and I am thankful for her leadership, knowledge, patience and understanding. Congratulations to them both again and wishing them the best wishes on their fairytale story forever and ever!

sh

Filed under  //  Alumni   Player's Post  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

A beautiful wedding with a lot of hidden messages

BOB STARKEY: It is always special as a coach when your players hit milestones in their life -- and even more special when they ask you to share those moments.  In the the past two month, I've got to see Ashley Thomas walk across the stage and receive her Master's Degree and then last night wed Tremaine Johnson.  Ashley is a very special and unique woman.  She is someone who is destined to do great things and make amazing contributions.  She is a strong and focused person who genuinely cares about others.  Many of these things flood through my mind during the wedding and the reception.

First was the impact of LSU on the families as the wedding court entered the reception two-line dancing in true Mardi Gras fashion complete with Zydeco music, umbrellas and beads.  It reminded me of how we entered Ashley's first Final Four banquet in New Orleans -- and I hope she had at least a second of that memory.

One of the first things I noticed was that there was a total of eight managers at the wedding.  For those that coach, you know this is significant because unfortunately not all players treat managers with the respect that they deserve.  One of the managers, Traci Moore Barrilleaux actually flew in from South Carolina.  Of course the fact that these managers came also speaks to who they are and I promise a post on these young ladies soon as well. 

There were also former players there, some coming from a ways to attend.  But it was also worth noting that some of our current team was in attendance -- players who had not played with Ashley but had been mentored by her over the past two years as she served as her Graduate Assistant.  Typically Ashley -- in the background but making a huge impact.  The LSU academic community was also on hand -- Carole Walker and Leah Saal -- and because of their respect for Ashley.

Her high school basketball coach game all the way from Georgia -- the same coach that taught Taylor Turnbow (the man can obviously coach).  But I promise you he didn't come because of Ashley's basketball ability -- but because of her character.

And for those that haven't met Tremaine, he's a great guy and I really believe these two are going to make a wonderful couple.  At the reception, I had the opportunity to talk to Tremaine, a current member of the Minnesota Vikings, and told him we finally had something in common.  In terms of our spouses, we both had "out kicked our coverage."

Congrats to Ashley and Tremaine!!!

Filed under  //  Alumni  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Big Syl "Most Improved" in WNBA thus far

An article at Full Court Press by Christopher Thompson:

But in addition to this elite group, there are some players who have taken a big step forward this season. This week we will take a look at the WNBA’s most improved players in 2010 and how they have shaped the early season.

The most improved player so far is Sylvia Fowles. Big Syl was a “can’t miss” prospect out of LSU two years ago but due to injuries and playing on a poor Chicago team, Fowles has been a bit of a disappointment. This year, she has stepped out of the shadows to become the best true center in the league. She is averaging 19.7 points per game, up from 10.9 her first two years and sixth in the WNBA in scoring this season. She is also second in the league in field-goal percentage (64.3 percentage) and leads the league in blocked shots (2.5 per game). This hasn’t yet translated into making Chicago (near the bottom of the East at 5-8) a title contender, but if she continues her strong play the Sky could squeak into the playoffs.

Read entire articel: http://bit.ly/dmVSWJ

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

Miami connection turn in good nights in the W

Once teammates at Miami Edision High School, and then again at LSU, Sylvia Fowles and Scholanda Robinson turned in good nights though both of their teams lost.

Big Syl at 16 points and 7 boards along with 2 blocked shots but fouled out as Chicago lost to Washington.

Box Score: http://bit.ly/alQ4yA

Sho had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in a Tulsa loss to New York.

Box Score: http://bit.ly/9dAdrz

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

Mone and Syl in WNBA MVP race!

The WNBA is keeping tabs on the top players involved in the rave for league MVP and two Lady Tigers are among the top 10 in the latest projections. Here is what is being said about both:

Sylvia Fowles: It's a roller coaster year for the Chicago Sky, who since the start of the season have lost four, won four, lost four and, as of Tuesday night, won one. In the two games Chicago has played since the Week 5 Race to the MVP rankings, Fowles has finished one rebound short of a double-double in each. Her point production was limited Tuesday against the Sun, as she scored just 12 points, but the more impressive part is that she scored that on just 5-for-8 shooting. Plus, a game against the Sun pinned her against Tina Charles in a battle of the East's bigs. To credit Fowles' defensive game, she did hold Charles to 7-of-18. While rookie Epiphanny Prince may have led all scorers in points, Fowles' ability to contain Charles was a significant factor in the win.

Seimone Augustus: What a story for Seimone Augustus, who after playing only her third game since returning from surgery was awarded the Western Conference Player of the Week Award. It's no coincidence either that Augustus has played only four games since returning to the 2010 season and, in that span, Minnesota has gone 3-1. The hole's not too deep, nor is it entirely impossible to climb out of, but Augustus' on-court success will ultimately translate to success for the Lynx as a team. That much was evident Tuesday night against the Liberty when Augustus scored eight straight points within the last four minutes of the game to help the Lynx stay in it long enough to seal the deal. The No. 10 spot seems like a good place for Augustus to make her debut. Where she goes from here is up to her.

Check out and compare their stats with the others: http://www.wnba.com/features/player_rankings_100623.html

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

Big Syl featured on ESPN.com by Mechelle Voepel

The following is part of an article written by Mechelle Voepel for ESPN.com:

Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles is the youngest of five siblings in her family … yet being a kind of older-sister type actually comes easily to her.

 "It's funny, isn't it? I like it, though," said the 6-foot-6 Fowles. "I accept my role. If that's what it takes, that's what I'm willing to do."

 "Big Syl" as "big sis"? Well, at the very least, she is that to rookie teammate Epiphanny Prince.

 "I cook her food," Fowles said, chuckling.

 And to sixth-year pro Cathrine Kraayeveld -- another newcomer this season to the Sky, although not to the WNBA -- Fowles is just a "sister" -- not necessarily the "big" kind. She doesn't need a protective instinct with Kraayeveld; instead they have bonded because of personality similarities.

 "Cat and I are very, very close," Fowles said. "Actually, we do call each other sisters. We hang out a lot more than anybody on the team. We have so much in common; we are both goofy and outgoing, and we like people."

Fowles, limited by injuries her first two WNBA seasons, is averaging 18.9 points and 8.1 for the Sky, a team that is 5-8 currently this summer and already has been down … and up … and down … and might now be up again.

But Fowles, individually, has avoided that roller coaster. She has scored in double figures in all 13 of the Sky's games and finally feels that she's closer to fulfilling her potential.

The knee/ankle/shoulder injuries that held her to 17 games as a rookie and 24 last season were rough for her, no doubt. But she never got very down about anything.

"I got through it all OK thanks to my mom," Fowles said. "She told me if I keep working at it, things will always get better. I had a good season in Russia, and to come back healthy this year and get off to an OK start in Chicago … I know I can do better, but I'm getting closer to where I should be."

After being such a lockdown defensive presence in college, Fowles wants to extend that in full force in the WNBA and in international competition. And on both offense and defense, she still gets tips/critiques from former LSU assistant coach Bob Starkey.

"He's like my papa," Fowles said. "Even though we had a rough time my freshman year as I was getting used to everything, I know now he's always going to have my back.

"He'll hit me up after games, with texts or by e-mail, telling me what I did well and what I can do better. I might not want to hear it sometimes, especially when we lose. But I always respect he's going to be there through the good, the bad and the ugly."

Fowles believes that earning a playoff spot in the log-jammed-as-usual Eastern Conference is an attainable goal this summer for the Sky … but she also knows the right way to talk about that possibility.

"We have the pieces to put together for the playoffs, but you can never jump too far ahead," Fowles said. "And you have to also be willing to learn as you go along."

Read the entire article: http://es.pn/alb7f8

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

Sholanda has 17 points & 6 steals in matinee loss

In a rare afternoon tip-off Scholanda Robinson gave a valiant effort for the Tulsa Shock in a 96-90 road loss to the Atlanta Dream.  Sho-Time lead the Shock in scoring with 17 points and a season high 6 steals!

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Filed under  //  Alumni   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Seimone continues torid 3-point shooting in Lynx victory

Seimone Augustus has been relentless from behind the 3-point line since her return to the line up and that didn't change last night as the Lady Tiger star hit three of four behind the arc in scoring 20 points and leading the Minnesota to a road win against the New York Liberty.  The victory was the third in a row for Minnesota including two on the road.  During that span, Mone has been an amazing 12 of 19 from the 3-point line!

Video highlights: http://bit.ly/91jWBc

Box Score: http://bit.ly/aIymgU

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Filed under  //  Alumni   Seimone Augustus   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey