Big Syl making big impact Epilepsy research

The following comes from Susan Axelrod's blog "Chair's Corner" --

Friday night, WNBA Chicago Sky Center Sylvia Fowles lent her towering voice and passion to help raise awareness and funds for epilepsy research! A portion of the proceeds from Friday night ticket sales were donated to CURE,  CURE t-shirts were tossed out to the crowd during the game, and some of us were lucky enough to go back and meet members of the team before the game, and greet Sylvia again after the game. Sylvia is an absolute star–she led Louisiana State University to four straight NCAA Final Four appearances, has gone to the WNBA All Star game two years in a row, and was a part of the gold medal-winning 2008 US Olympic Women’s Basketball team!

Sylvia reached out to CURE because her nephew Morris, who is now 9 years old, has had epilepsy since birth. We’re so grateful for her help in raising awareness and money for research. Everyone at the Sky were great–it’s clear we have some new friends and supporters of this cause!

Thanks to Sylvia and Chicago Sky for reaching out and helping!  We look forward to working together.

Read Susan's blog at: http://presidentscorner.cureepilepsy.org/

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

A bomb-sniffing dog, bull horn instructions and one smokin' HOT city

BOB STARKEY: Sitting in my hotel in Phoenix with a beautiful view of the city as well as the mountains on the outskirts (see photo below).  I had a great day of travel with great flights -- those that know how much I dislike flying know what a great day I had -- though it wasn't without incident.  While sitting during a layover in the Dallas Airport, I felt the something cold on my hand only to turn and see the nose of a german shepherd.  Further review saw he was attached to two security officers.  I simply said, "What's up guys?"  I was then told I was sitting beside a piece of abandoned luggage so they brought in the bomb-sniffing dog. I looked at the mysterious suitcase within three feet of me and asked "Should I not be sitting here then?"  The reply was "Probably."

Then on the flight from Dallas to Phoenix the flight attendant stepped out with a bull horn to give us our saftey instructions explaining that speaker system in the plane was not working.  I then prayed that would be the only mechinical failure today.

I spent part of my layover in Dallas tweeting with Seimone to remind her that we'd be going to dinner after the game tomorrow night.  I actually got to Phoenix before Temeka who played in Seattle last night.  Not sure what kind of mood she'll be in after her team lost a lead and a difficult game last night.

Oh, and one other thing -- IT'S HOT!  About a week ago I ran into a couple of our Fast Break Club members, Mona Ragan and Karen Miller and told them of my planned trip to Arizona and we spoke about the head.  Karen told me not to worry as it would be "a dry heat."  Then she laughed.  I think she knew!

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

Road trip to Phoenix to see Meek, Mone and Syl

COACH BOB STARKEY: Leaving out of Baton Rouge tomorrow morning heading to Pheonix, Arizona.  I'm quite sure I won't be complaining about the Louisiana heat when I get back. 

It will be a pilgrimage of sorts for me -- going to watch arguable the three most influential Lady Tigers of all time compete on professional level over the course of four days.

On July 29th and I will watch Temeka Johnson and Phoenix host Seimone Augustus and the Minnesota Lynx.  There's a good chance that the two will rope me out of a free meal.  I'll then stay for a few more days where I will have a chance to be a part of the launch of Temeka's children's book "Decisions, Decisions, Decsicions."  I'll then stay for the August 1 showdown between Meek and Sylvia Fowles' Chicago Sky.  I'm also looking forward to spending time with basketball great and Phoenix General Manager Annie Meyers Drysdale.  Annie is a dear friend introduced to me by Coach Gunter (who coached on the 1976 Olympic Team).  I'm really looking forward to the trip and will be blogging constantly during the trip so stay tuned to "The Lady Tiger Way Blog" (or the Lady Tiger Facebook page or my twitter page) to find out what's up with these Lady Tiger alums. 

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

Lady Tigers all in action today in the WNBA

Big day in the WNBA with all 12 teams playing.  Translation?  All the Lady Tigers in the W will also be in action!

12:30 PM CST: Scholanda Robinson and Tulsa host Atlanta (you can catch this game on NBA TV)

6:00 PM CST: Sylvia Fowles and Chicago tip-off against Indiana

6:30 PM CST: Allison Hightower wlecomes Washington to Connecticut

6:30 PM CST: San Antonio and Roneeka Hodges plays at New York (ESPN2)

7:00 PM CST: Marie Ferdinand-Harris and the LA Sparks travel to Minnesota to play against Seimone Augustus

8:30 PM CST: Temeka Johnson and Pheonix travel to Seattle to play the leagues best (ESPN2)

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

Lady Tigers all over stat leaders in WNBA; Big Syl most efficient

SCORING: Desptie missing the early part of the season with surgery, Seimone Augustus is currently 6th in the WNBA in scoring at 19.2 points a game.  Right behind her in the 7th spot is Sylvia Fowles at 18 points a game.  Scholanda Robinson ranks 30th with 11.8 points a game.

WNBA SCORING STATS: http://bit.ly/b7EnUo

REBOUNDING: Sylvia Fowles is 4th in the WNBA in rebounding grabbing 12.7 boards a game.

WNBA REBOUNDING STATS: http://bit.ly/d0iGxe

FG%: Syl is 5th in FG% among players in 10 games or more hitting 58.9% of her shots.  Mone is 37th hitting 47.5%

WNBA FG% STATS: http://bit.ly/cGS2fO

BLOCKED SHOTS: Big Syl leads the W with 2.75 swats a game.

WNBA BLOCKED SHOTS: http://bit.ly/9l02Lw

3 PT SHOOTING %: Believe it or not, Big Syl leads the WNBA in 3-Point Shooting % after hitting her only attempt this past weekend for a perfect 100%. Seimone, shooting 41.9% is ranked 20th.  Roneeka Hodges is his hitting 34.7 and is ranked 49th.

WNBA 3 PT SHOOTING %: http://bit.ly/aehp4P

ASSISTS: Temeka Johnson is 4th in the WNBA in assists at 5.36.

WNBA ASSISTS: http://bit.ly/d0MDnD

STEALS: Scholanda Robinson is 20th in the WNBA in steals at 1.5.

WNBA STEALS: http://bit.ly/9LenYQ

DOUBLE DOUBLES: Big Syl is second in the WNBA in double-doubles with 11.  Temeka Johnson is 12th with 3 but doing it the hard way with points and assists -- she is first among guards.

WNBA DOUBLE-DOUBLES: http://bit.ly/abksuT

EFFICIENCY: In arguably the most important statistical category as it combines all the others, the WNBA is leader is Sylvia Fowles with a rating of 25.2! Seimone Augustus ranks 16th with a rating of 15.0. Temeka Johnson is 40th at 10.3

WNBA EFFICIENCY: http://bit.ly/cbJYqd

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

Mone, Syl, Marie, Meek and Sho shine in big weekend in WNBA

Starting back to Thursday the Los Angeles Sparks defeated Tulsah 86-83 with Marie Ferdinand-Harris hitting 2 of 3 behind the 3-point arc.  The Shock were lead by Scholanda Robinson who poured in 19 points.

LA/Tulsa Box: http://bit.ly/byQqVI

On Friday, the Chicago Sky lost a tough one to the New York Liberty but not because of the effort of Sylvia Fowles.  Big Syl registered yet another double-double with  12 points and 16 43bounds to go long with 4 blocked shots.

Chicago/NY Box: http://bit.ly/c8awgS

Yesterday, LA registered another win as the Sparks hit 15 three-pointers in the game.  Part of the credit for the long-range success belongs to Marie who again hit 2 of 3 behind the act as LA defeated Connecticut 89-80.

LA/Connecticut Box: http://bit.ly/bs4Lh7

Sylvia Fowles scored 23 points and the Chicago Sky overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 3:10 to beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 75-72 on Saturday night.  The Sky have won four of their last five. Roneeka Hodges scored 13 points  to lead the Silver Stars (8-14). Hodges missed a potential tying 3 and Fowles grabbed the rebound as time expired.

Chicago/San Antonio Box: http://bit.ly/9P9Ee7

Despite a season-high 36 points from Seimone Augustus, the Phoenix Mercury set the WNBA scoring record with a 127-124 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night.  In one of the most exciting games of the season, the Mercury, lead by Temeka Johnson among others, rallied from 14 points down in the 4th quarter.

Augustus scored 15 points in the third quarter to key a Minnesota rush after Phoenix got within four points early in the second half.

A pair of long jumpers by Augustus sandwiched around one of her five 3-pointers gave the Lynx a 79-66 lead. After Phoenix scored six straight, Augustus hit another long jumper to put Minnesota up nine.

Augustus scored seven of Minnesota's points during a 13-4 run for a 45-28 lead midway through the second quarter. Phoenix used a 10-2 run to pull to 54-47 at halftime.

Meek scored 7 points and added a game high 9 assists including a key long pass to start the Mercury comeback.

Pheonix/Minnesota Box: http://bit.ly/c5dQ6q

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

More MVP talk for Big Syl at Swish Appeal

Q McCall of Swish Appeal list Sylvia Fowles, Temeka Catchings and Lauren Jackson as his primary candidates for Most Valulable Player in the WNBA this season...here is what he has to say about Big Syl:

The argument for Sylvia Fowles is simple: nobody in the league has assumed a larger responsibility for their team's success than Fowles, who sits at 30.94%. Her vastly improved free throw shooting - which was over 90% early in the season and has plummeted to 80.6% -- has made her the second most efficient scorer in the league by true shooting percentage, at 65.83%.

It's just that when trying to select one of these three players have particularly dominant season, the low plus/minus is a hindrance for Fowles. There are at least two potential reasons - first, the Sky can go through long stretches of time where they Fowles doesn't touch the ball on offense. Although she has definitely improved the range on her shot, she's still limited compared to Catchings and Jackson so on those plays where they put Fowles out on the wing or high post to spread the defense she essentially becomes a non-factor.

Second, Fowles is more effective when the team is shooting the three well...or the team shoots the three well when Fowles is more effective. The point is that if opposing defenses know that they can sag off of Sky shooters, it becomes much easier to defend Fowles on the block. That was essentially the story of the Sky's 4-0 win streak after their 0-4 start - they shot nearly 14% better from the three point line.

A third reason is that Fowles plays 32 minutes a game on an 11-11 team, meaning that her team probably experiences being down a bit more often with their starters on the floor and Fowles bears the brunt of that. Granted, the supporting cast members for Catchings and Jackson are playing very well this season, arguably better than the roster of the Sky - if Fowles was playing with point guard Sue Bird, perhaps we'd see a different outcome.

Looking forward, if the Sky don't make the playoffs and the Storm continue at their pace and the Fever stay on track as an Eastern Conference contender, it would be very hard to choose Fowles over the Catchings and Jackson given how much they are doing for their teams. Nevertheless, none of this should take away from the fact that Fowles is having an absolutely outstanding season.

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/dmQ4QN

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

Meek serves as official blog for White House website

During yesterday's visit to the White House, Temeka Johnson got to serve as the official blogger for the Mercury's visit on the White House' official page:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/20/honoring-wnba-champion-phoenix-mercury

Here is what she had to say but click on the link above for the original story along more photos and video.

Ed. Note: Yesterday President Obama honored WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury at the White House. In his remarks, the President congratulated the team on winning their second WNBA title and thanked them for their extraordinary service. The team is committed to serving the Phoenix community -– from putting on basketball camps for children of veterans to collecting clothes for the homeless. Yesterday, the team continued that commitment at the White House by holding a clinic as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to help young people live healthy and active lives. We caught up with Phoenix Mercury point guard Tameka Johnson following her visit. Here is what she had to say:

Today’s experience at the White House is hard to put into words, but if I could use one word, it would be inspiring! My Phoenix Mercury teammates and I were honored by President Obama and his administration for winning the 2009 WNBA Championship. It was a great experience and a moment a lot of us have been waiting for. You play to win championships, but to be honored by our President is a dream come true. This is not a dream that we normally have, but it feels like the icing on the cake. We are all inspired to do it again and get back here this time next year!

In just a few hours, my teammates and I learned so much. Seeing the Vermeil Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, etc., and learning about the history and all that has gone on in the White House was amazing. Forgive me if I use “amazing” too many times in this blog! LOL – Seriously, this has been amazing.

To see how much this administration is involved in community service is beautiful to witness. Everyone knows that in my spare time I’m devoted to helping others through my Heaven Opens People’s Eyes (HOPE) Foundation, so being able to participate in a basketball clinic for children on the White House courts was an experience that’s hard to capture in this blog.

Playing with the kids and my teammates, it felt so natural. It’s important for us to address the challenge of childhood obesity by staying active. Whether it’s a jog through the park, shooting hoops, or spending a few hours outside playing with your friends rather than inside watching TV or playing video games, it all matters. Let’s Move! is a great initiative that our First Lady has started, and I’m glad to be a part of it. Staying active is part my new children’s book, Meek Moments! It’s a lifestyle, not a recess break! Let’s Move America! We can fight childhood obesity, one activity at a time!

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

Syl jumps from 7th to 4th in MVP Power Rankings

By Frank Della Femina, WNBA.com:

I said last week that Chicago's playoff hopes rest on the shoulders of Sylvia Fowles. Consider the team's three-straight wins, Fowles' two-straight double-doubles and her double-figure scoring in every single game and try to convince me otherwise. The league-leading shot blocker does it all. Points? She'll score em. Rebounds? She'll grab em. Free throws? She'll make em. And right now the Sky will take anything and everything Fowles is willing to give, which if you haven't noticed by now is her all. It's been a career year for Fowles so far and it's only bound to get better. Cracking the postseason for the first time in franchise history will no doubt be the icing on the cake. A championship, of course, would be the cherry on top.

Read the entire rankings: http://bit.ly/cIBU6h

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

Meek's White House visit represented more than just a special moment

BOB STARKEY: As a coach, it was an extremely proud moment for me to see Temeka at the White House, visiting with President Obama.  To many it looked like a very special moment but to me it was a process-related event.  It was yet another indicator of what an individual can accomplish regardless of circumstances.  Temeka spending and afternoon at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was accumulation of years of hard work -- both on the court and in the classroom.  It shows a tremendous vision on her part.  Visiting the White House was simply something that she had dreamed about only to wake up and go to work towards achieving that dream.  For Meek, it was also about overcoming barriers.  Many thought her too short to play high school basketball, must less elite college level basketball and then professional basketball.  And what those few special moments depicted yesterday was dedication, commitment, and overcoming adversity.  And for so many she had created a road map for them to follow and given them some that is very special to her -- HOPE!

Video of Meek at the White House: http://ht.ly/2dEfv

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