Seimone talks about her difficult year

MyFox9.com with a great interview with Seimone and her difficult year.

Filed under  //  Seimone Augustus   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Big Syl checks in from Russia

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The following is from Sylvia Fowles thanks to her WNBA team:


Life in Russia ...where should I begin?

Okay, for you guys out there who don't know where I play in my off season, I am in Vidnoe, Russia. That's about 30 to 40 minutes away from the city. Playing here is not so bad when you have Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Janel McCarville as teammates. They keep me going and I have to say, having them around makes things much better.

I really don't get out too much here. I may go out to eat from time to time with my teammates, but nothing major or juicy to tell you guys. I am more of a home body and I LOVE "me time". The main reason for me being a home body is because it is too cold here, and I don't like it one bit. I spend most of my days drawing, watching movies and talking to my mother through Skype.

My mother will be coming to visit me in a few weeks and she's bringing my dog. YAY!!! I'm super-excited to see them. I'm going to be super-happy when they're here. It seems like forever since I've seen them, and it's only been a month. When my mother gets here I will take her out, but she has to cook me meals. She is not on a vacation, and I have to get some good home-cooking in while I can.

Thanks for checking in. I can't wait to see you all when I get back in the States, and back in Chicago.

Thanks to the Chicago Sky for the update! http://bit.ly/9X5xrh

Filed under  //  Sylvia Fowles   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Lady Tigers assisting at NBA All-Star Game

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Lady Tiger alumni Scholonda Robinson and Marie Ferdinand have been busy during the NBA All-Star Game festivities in Arlington, TX. Marie has been a guest speaker and assisted in building a home while Sho (seen above) work a coaching clinic for young people. Giving back -- it's the Lady Tiger Way!!!

Filed under  //  WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Mone links long-term deal with Minnesota

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Lynx have signed two-time WNBA All-Star Seimone Augustus to a multi-year contract.

The Lynx disclosed the signing Monday without releasing terms. Augustus is currently the WNBA's all-time leader at 21.2 points per game. The 6-foot forward was a restricted free agent, coming off a major injury.

Augustus tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in a game last June, cutting short her fourth season in the league after only six games.
Augustus played on the U.S. Olympic team in 2008.

Filed under  //  Seimone Augustus   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Syl feeling good about her future

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The following is an article on Syl from Slam Magazine:


Sylvia Fowles is frequently described as a teddy bear off the court due to her gracious persona, her steadfast faith, and humble personality.

On the court, however, is a different story.

There are few that can defend the paint like her, and even fewer who possess her raw athleticism. With Fowles now fully healthy, she has a legion of Sky fans feeling optimistic about the future.

A motivated and driven Fowles should be a scary thing to opposing offenses. And make no mistake about it, Sylvia Fowles is pumped, and motivated, for a breakout 2010 season.

Though, breakout might be an unfair word; Sylvia did make the 2009 All-Star team as a member of the Chicago Sky and generated a substantial amount of buzz with a late game dunk. Still, playing in just 41 games in her two years in the WNBA, the amount of potential for Fowles is limitless — the key is simply staying healthy.

After struggling with injuries in her first two seasons in the WNBA, Fowles hasn’t lost the competitive fire that was so evident during her time at LSU. Leading the Lady Tigers to the Final Four each of her four years, Fowles gained a tremendous amount of respect for her ability to withstand adversity as well as her incredible basketball prowess. That talent and raw athletic ability led to the Chicago Sky picking Sylvia 2nd overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft (behind Candace Parker) and would fortify the Sky’s frontline for the future.

A staple of consistency for the Sky when healthy, Fowles has averaged 11 points and almost 8 rebounds a game in each of her seasons with the Sky. Fowles rounds out an impressive, young roster of Sky players that are well equipped to make a playoff run in 2010. Players like the incomparable Candice Dupree, Jia Perkins and Kristi Tolliver will certainly make the Sky a legitimate force in the East.

I caught up with Sylvia recently to get an update on her current time with Spartak Moscow, her excitement for the 2010 WNBA season, and what is truly important to her.

To read the rest of the article and a great one-on-one interview with Syl click: http://tiny.cc/pSQ70

Filed under  //  Sylvia Fowles   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Seimone: "Motivated to come back as a more complete player"

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An outstanding article and update on Seimone from Slam Magazine written by Ben York:

There’s an age old saying that the night is darkest just before the dawn. For Seimone Augustus, the dawn is finally coming.

Just 6 games into the 2009 WNBA season, the Minnesota Lynx were flying high under new head coach Jennifer Gillom, rivaling the Phoenix Mercury in terms of excitement and scoring. Seimone Augustus, Minnesota’s perennial All-Star and one of the best players in the game, was third in the league in scoring, averaging 21 points per game and shooting 57% from the floor. She even won Western Conference Player of the Week honors for leading the Lynx to their strong start. Legitimate buzz surrounded the young, exuberant, and up-tempo team and optimism began to consume Lynx fans in Minnesota and across the country.

Seimone isn’t the type of player to be down for long. Sitting out the entire year has provided a motivation for Augustus to come back with a vengeance. Augustus made the decision to stay in Minnesota during the off-season to focus 100% on the rehabilitation of her knee. Simply put, Seimone is poised to come back stronger than ever. “I’m motivated to come back as a more complete player,” Augustus said. “This experience has helped me understand I need to go hard at all times; in practice go hard, shoot-arounds go hard, because you never know when it can change.”

Another major change for Seimone was the cutting of her trademark dreadlocks. Though, for Seimone, the change in appearance represented a new direction in life rather than just another haircut. “It was a life changing year for me and my family,” Augustus said. “It was just time to cut it off, start fresh. My dad was having a tough time with MS [Multiple Sclerosis] and it was a tough battle for my family and I. Tearing the ACL was life changing and it was just time for a new beginning.”

Seimone’s rehab couldn’t be going better, and it’s easy to sense the focus and determination that Seimone has to return to her old form. There is an indelible feeling of perseverance that exudes from Augustus when she talks about coming back in 2010. She’s in the gym on a daily basis working to not only improve physically, but mentally, as well. Lynx fans will be happy to know that the wait to see Seimone back on the basketball court isn’t much longer. “I can’t complain, I feel good,” Seimone said with a smile. “I’m doing more basketball related things like running, jumping, and weights and in January will return to full contact. I should be 100% in January and could even start playing basketball in December.”

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/6aMPxN

Filed under  //  Seimone Augustus   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

"Professor" Chancellor Talks WNBA Finances to LSU Class

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JENNI PETERS - LSU INSTRUCTOR (11-19-09):
Coach Van Chancellor did a fabulous job explaining the money matters in the WNBA to the Sports Administration: Financial Issues class today. A teacher can communicate relevant facts and figures. But when you can get that information from the source, a former 4-time WNBA championship coach…WOW. I wish we all our majors could have been there to hear it. He filled 3 blackboards with inside scoop on WBNA revenues and expenses. I left it up on the board to impress all the classes that followed us.

 

Filed under  //  In the Classroom   Van Chancellor   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Meek raises the trophy & the roof

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Last night at the Suns NBA game against Golden State -- and in front 18,422 fans, the city of Phoenix gave a rousing ovation to Temeka Johnson and a few teammates for their WNBA Championship only two weeks ago. Meek said the crowd ovation was "electrifying."

Filed under  //  Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Seimone Rehab Progress Report

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We came across a great article on Seimone with a question and answer in regard to her rehab and process and we are all so pleased to hear that things are going great! Thanks to Lynxbasketball.com


LB: What can you say to the fans to thank them for their support? I'm sure you've gotten letters, flowers…

SA: I've gotten everything. I really can't say enough. I love the fans here; From the times when they're getting on me because I'm not playing well, to the support they've given me through my situation. I've gotten cards, flowers, letters… Even at the games they'll stop by. They'll say a few words. I don't know if they know, but it means a lot when you're going through something that you've never experienced before. It means a lot. Just to hear people say 'I can't wait to have you back.' It uplifts me and gets me looking forward to coming back next year and working harder.

Read the entire article at: http://bit.ly/3DCxUK

Filed under  //  Seimone Augustus   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

The Kind of Lady Tiger Alumni I Want To Be

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KATHERINE GRAHAM (10-18-09):

Our team has had a great weekend. It's the first weekend of practice, we hung out together at the volleyball game, and celebrated Courtney Jones birthday as an entire team last night. But maybe the best part of going to Temeka's WNBA Celebration Party on Friday night. Meek means a lot to our team. We always have a lot of alumni stopping in to watching us practice or play. Coach Starkey always has them talk to us and it's a great way to learn about the legacy they left. But nobody has been more involved with us than Meek. She's always around. And when she's not she will call, text or email one of us to check on us. Even at the celebration she spoke directly to our team. She spoke from her heart about how much it meant to be a Lady Tiger and that we need to know that now to help us enjoy the experience even more. She started crying as she spoke and we all got teared up. She's the kind of Lady Tiger I want to be after I graduate -- one that continues to come back and give to those who were the Purple and Gold -- Meek has shown us that this is The Lady Tiger Way!

 

Filed under  //  Alumni   Player's Post   WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin