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

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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

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Allison realizing her dream

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By Jim Kleinpeter, The Times Picayune
April 01, 2010

BATON ROUGE -- As a schoolgirl in Arlington, Texas, LSU guard Allison Hightower chased the WNBA dream.

Because her grandparents lived in Houston, she took in Houston Comets games whenever she visited. She saw the Comets win three of their four championships under current LSU coach Van Chancellor.

Back home, she plastered her bedroom wall with posters of her idol, Cynthia Cooper, and collected the league trading cards.

"I used to wear the fake championship rings they passed out at the game, " she said with a smile.

Now the dream is becoming real. Hightower, one of the elite players in LSU history, is expected to be one of the top 10 picks in the WNBA draft to be held April 8 in Secaucus, N.J. If that happens, she will be the seventh WNBA first-round pick from Louisiana State University. The first was Marie Ferdinand in 2001.

"It's just so exciting, so surreal right now, " said Hightower, an All-American the past two seasons and Player of the Year candidate this season. "That was so long ago. It's exciting that women have a professional game. It's always been my dream to play in the WNBA."


Read the entire article at: http://bit.ly/a8IptS

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Allison to attend WNBA Draft Show on April 8

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NEW YORK, April 1, 2010 – Fourteen of the top women’s basketball prospects have been invited to the 2010 WNBA Draft presented by adidas on Thursday, April 8 at the NBA Entertainment studios in Secaucus, N.J.


The list of invitees is headlined by Allison Hightower (LSU), Tina Charles and Kalana Greene (University of Connecticut), Jayne Appel (Stanford University) and Amanda Thompson (University of Oklahoma), who are still competing in the NCAA Women’s Final Four. In addition, Associated Press All-Americans Monica Wright (University of Virginia) and Kelsey Griffin (University of Nebraska) highlight the list of prospects.

ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will provide live coverage and analysis of the first round of the draft beginning at 3 p.m. ET. ESPNU and NBA TV will broadcast the second and third rounds.

After completing a trade with the Minnesota Lynx earlier this year, the Connecticut Sun hold the top pick in the draft for the first time in franchise history. The Sun obtained the first overall pick and Renee Montgomery from the Lynx in exchange for Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick. It marked the first time in league history that a team had swapped the No. 1 pick in advance of the WNBA Draft. Minnesota previously obtained the pick from the New York Liberty, which ultimately led to the Lynx winning the ninth annual WNBA Draft Lottery. The Lynx now have the second and third picks in the 2010 WNBA Draft followed by the Chicago Sky and the San Antonio Silver Stars to round out the top five selections.

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Ally speak to media about WNBA future

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Allison Hightower spent yesterday afternoon as one of four WNBA draft prospects in a nation-wide media teleconference. Here is her response to some of the questions:

Allison Hightower (Opening Statement): I am excited to have this op to be able to be in the WNBA draft and just as everyone else said, there are some great players in this league. I have had a great career here at LSU and I am just looking forward to continuing it on the professional side.

Q: Allison, you have the advantage for playing for Van Chancellor who coached in the WNBA. How much of an advantage was that for you in getting ready for the draft and what has he told you to expect?

AH: "I think it was really good advantage. Some of the stuff he ran here he also ran in the WNBA such as pick-and-roll. I think that prepped me for the next level. He told me [WNBA teams] do a lot of that stuff. He gave me great advice on what I need to learn and work on and he’s just been a really big help for me.”

Q: What do you think you need to work on the most?

AH: “Just having a stronger right hand, everybody knows I’m left handed. I’m just going to have to develop a right hand and make it more consistent. I also have to work on my jumpshot and make it more consistent.”

Q: Allison, I know you had talked about visiting your grandparents in Houston and them taking you to watch the Comets play? Did you envision yourself in the WNBA at that point?

AH: "Having grandparents that lived in Houston was just awesome for me because as you know the Houston Comets were a big thing there. 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. I got to see a lot of games and go to a lot of championship games. 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.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the transition from college to the WNBA? It’s such a quick turnaround?

AH: “I think it’s all about being tough. If you want to play you just have to go ahead and play. It’s going to be a very physical league, its going to be long, but that’s what you prepare for. You prepare for these types of thing. I am looking forward too it.”

Q: Can you speak about the fact that you are the second generation of players to see women play professionally in the States?

AH: “It is a great opportunity for women to be able to play here in the States and not be able to go overseas if you don’t have to. It’s great to play in front of our family, friends and fans here.”

Q: Now that you see yourselves becoming professionals, have you thought about your role in becoming role models for the young ladies growing up?

AH: “I think that college has prepared us to be great role models because a lot of people that come to our games are a younger crowd. The WNBA is the same fan base. We have to be role models for a younger generation that look up to us and continue to carry good attitudes and be disciplined.”

Q: Allison, what have you heard about your draft prospects?

AH: “[The draft] is very guard heavy. I don’t know much about where I might be going. I am just looking forward to having the opportunity. Its going to be a great draft, there’s a lot of great players. I am just looking forward to seeing what is going to happen.”

Q: You have been one of LSU’s leaders in your career – how will you adjust to being on the learning end once you start your career?

AH: “I was in the same position when I started at LSU. W e had the class of 2008 leave – 8 seniors. I easily learned form them and took their advice. I looked up to them on-the-court and off. When I get the opportunity to go to the league, it’s all about learning and taking what they say and being a coachable player.”

Q: What is a very coachable player in your mind?

AH: “Listening, being disciplined, doing the things they need you to do and giving great effort.”

Q: What do you think is your strength and skill that you bring the league that is not always recognized?

AH: “I come from a defensive school and it’s all about teamwork and effort. I can add energy to a team.”


Read the entire transcript of the press conference at: http://bit.ly/dafwqp

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WNBA Coaches & GM talk about Allison

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WNBA head coaches and general managers discuss Allison Hightower and her prospects in the WNBA.


Q: Can you give a general assessment of Allison Hightower?

CHERYL REEVE: “I think Allison Hightower is a player that has a chance to be successful in our league because she can score the ball and she’s a very good defender. She’s in a situation where that position is one that probably has the most depth in the draft. The perimeter players I think have good number of players and it depends on your taste in a basketball player and it might depend a little geographically, how much you’ve seen a player but there’s a good bunch of players in the category with Hightower, that I think they’re all very good, it is just a matter of where they land.”

JENNIFER GILLON: “Just to add on to what Cheryl said, I think Allison Hightower is probably one of the best guard defenders that’s out there. There are so many things she can do. 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 players well on both ends of the court, I think she’s an outstanding athlete. ”

Read the entire article at: http://bit.ly/9k1xfN

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Meek a guest blogger at Slam Magazine

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BEN YORK AT SLAM MAGAZINE:
I sincerely feel that Temeka Johnson is one of the kindest human beings you'll ever meet, and I don't think you’ll hear an argument from anyone on that assessment. In addition to being a leader on the court, she is equally as dedicated to giving back to the community. In fact, I was fortunate enough to be invited to her “Night of HOPE” event this past August where her dedication truly shined through. Being new to Phoenix, this was an opportunity for Meek to receive guidance and recommendations on how to best help the Phoenix community. There aren’t many athletes who would hold such an event, and her passion for improving the lives of others was unmistakable. In her first guest post, Meek talks about her whirlwind 2009, her offseason in France, and her thoughts on the future.

Read Meek's first blog entry at: http://bit.ly/c92fWS

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Q signs with San Antonio

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SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 24, 2010 – The San Antonio Silver Stars today announced the signing of guard Quianna Chaney to a training camp contract.

Chaney originally was selected 19th overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2008 WNBA Draft. In her rookie season, she played in 28 games and tallied averages of 2.4 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 8.6 minutes per game. Additionally, she scored a season-best 11 points against Indiana on July 22, and a season-best five rebounds at Houston on July 26.

Chaney joined Samsun Basketbol in Samsun, Turkey, and currently is averaging 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 36.0 minutes per game in 21 games played. Additionally, she has recorded one double-double as she tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds on Jan. 17. During the 2008-09 offseason, Chaney played for Energa Toruñ (Toruñ, Poland).

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Former Lady Tiger Roneeka Hodges traded to San Antonio

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The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with San Antonio, trading guard/forward Roneeka Hodges to the Silver Stars in exchange for the right to swap second round picks in the 2011 WNBA Draft. Hodges entered the 2010 season as a restricted free agent.


"It feels a bit strange not to be re-signing Roneeka after the great job she did for us last year filling in for Seimone (Augustus)," said Lynx executive vice president Roger Griffith. "She showed last year that she can play in this league. The reality was that with our offseason additions, which added to our depth at the shooting guard and small forward positions, we knew we weren't going to be able to keep everyone. Other teams went after Roneeka and because of how our roster is made up today, we knew that we weren't going to be able to retain her. At that point we started talking to the teams that were interested in her to see what kind of sign-and-trade agreements we could work out, and this trade is the result of those conversations. Again, Roneeka did more than what was asked of her last season and we wish her the best of luck in San Antonio. This is a good scenario for both parties in that we're able to obtain something that could pay dividends for us down the road, while offering Roneeka a chance at playing time in San Antonio. We just weren't in the position to offer Roneeka the type of security that San Antonio was. We are very happy for her."

The Lynx originally acquired Hodges, a 5'10 guard/forward, via a dispersal draft involving former Houston Comets players on December 8, 2008, and then signed her on May 7, 2009. In 33 games with the Lynx in 2009, the five-year veteran averaged 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while filling in for the injured Seimone Augustus. In 136 career games with Houston and the Lynx, the New Orleans, Louisiana native holds averages of 6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 17.6 minutes per game.

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Marie lights it up during NBA All-Star Weekend

Check out Marie Ferdinand-Harris representing Los Angeles (and LSU) in the NBA-WNBA Shootout during the All-Star weekend festitives.

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