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

Syl_finiding_inside_wnba

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!

Sho_in_tulsa_uniform

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

340x

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

Syl's near double-double lead Sky to huge road win

Sylvia Fowles put in a near double-double with 12 points and nine boards (along with 3 blocked shots) to lead Chicago over the Connecticut Sun last night.  The victory was the first by any WNBA team over the Sun in Connecticut.

Big_syl_wnba

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

LSU Lady Tigers In The WNBA Weekly Update -- June 21, 2010

Lady Tigers In The WNBA Weekly Update – June 21, 2010 

Every week, we will take a look at what former Lady Tigers did the past week in the WNBA.

Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Guard
Los Angeles Sparks

Ferdinand owns back-to-back double-digit scoring games, including 16 points in a loss to Connecticut on Friday. In that contest, she added five rebounds. Ferdinand averages 6.7 points per game for the Los Angeles Sparks, who are 3-8 this season.

Last Week:
June 18 vs. Connecticut (L, 75-78) 16 pts, 5 reb, 34 min

 

This Week:

Thursday, June 24 at Washington, 4 p.m. CT

Sunday, June 27 at Atlanta, Noon CT

Sylvia Fowles, Center

Chicago Sky

Sylvia Fowles has been spectacular in all 12 of the Chicago Sky’s games this year. She has posted double-figures every contest and last week was no exception highlighted by a 24-point performance against Atlanta on June 15. On Saturday, Fowles (19.5 ppg) led the Sky in four categories in a loss at Washington on Saturday – points (17), rebounds (9), blocks (5) and steals (3).

Last Week:

 June 15 vs. Atlanta (L, 86-93) 24 pts, 6 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl, 7-of-13 FG, 10-of-11 FT, 30 min

June 19 at Washington (L, 61-65) 17 pts, 9 reb, 5 blk, 3 stl, 6-of-8 FG, 5-of-7 FT, 37 min

 

This Week:

Friday, June 25 vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m. CT

Sunday, June 27 vs. Indiana, 5 p.m. CT

Allison Hightower, Guard
Connecticut Sun

Last Week:

June 18 at Los Angeles (W, 78-75) 1 reb, 1 stl, 4 min

Sunday, June 20 at Phoenix, did not play

 

This Week:

Tuesday, June 22 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m. CT

 Friday, June 25 vs. Phoenix, 7:30 p.m. CT

Sunday, June 27 at New York, 4 p.m. CT


Temeka Johnson, Point Guard
Phoenix Mercury

Johnson is posting averages of 11.2 points and 4.6 assists per game for the Phoenix Mercury who own a 5-7 record after losses to Connecticut and San Antonio last week. Johnson dished out a game-high seven assists in a 108-105 loss to San Antonio on Sunday.

Last Week:

 June 18 vs. San Antonio (L, 105-108) 8 pts, 3 reb, 7 asst, 1 stl, 2-of-5 FG, 1-of-2 3 FG, 3-of-4 FT, 30 min

June 20 vs. Connecticut (L, 94-96) 8 pts, 2 reb, 1-of-2 FT, 33 min

 

This Week:

Friday, June 25 at Connecticut, 4:30 p.m. CT

Sunday, June 27 at Washington, 1 p.m. CT


Scholanda Robinson, Guard
Tulsa Shock

Robinson earned consideration for WNBA Player of the Week honors despite her team’s recent five-game skid. In a pair of losses to Seimone Augustus’ Minnesota Lynx team, Robinson delivered team-highs in points with 13 and 14 on consecutive nights. She added two steals and four assists. Robinson is averaging 10.8 points per game for the inaugural Tulsa Shock.

Last Week:
June 18 vs. Minnesota (L, 67-78) 13 pts, 2 reb, 1-of-1 3 FG, 4-of-6 FT, 21 min

June 19 at Minnesota (L, 78-92) 14 pts, 2 reb, 4 asst, 2 stl, 2-of-4 FT, 27 min

 

This Week:

Wednesday, June 23 at Atlanta, 11 a.m. NBA-TV
Friday, June 25 vs. New York, 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 17 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m.

 

Seimone Augustus, Guard-Forward
Minnesota Lynx

Seimone Augustus earned her fourth career WNBA Player of the Week honor this past week. Augustus averaged 21.5 points (fourth in Western Conference, seventh overall), 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block while leading the Lynx to a 2-0 record with back-to-back victories over the Tulsa Shock this past week. The pair of wins gave Minnesota a 2-2 mark in games since Augustus made her 2010 debut and pulled the Lynx to within 1.5 games of second place in the West. The LSU product and Baton Rouge, La., native had missed the first nine games of the year. After being idle for 19 home games stretching back to 2009, Augustus made a triumphant return to Target Center on June 18, with a game-high 27 points (her highest total since netting 30 on June 16, 2009), five rebounds and two blocks. Included in that effort were a career-high five three-pointers and a team-leading seven points in the fourth quarter that helped Minnesota rally for a 78-67 win. It marked the Lynx first victory in the last nine games in which they had entered the fourth quarter with a deficit. One night later in Tulsa, Augustus scored 16 points, including four more treys, in a 92-78 win over the Shock. The four three-pointers brought her total to a league-high nine for the week.

Last Week:

June 18 vs. Tulsa (W, 78-67) 27 pts, 11-of-19 FG, 5 reb, 3 asst, 2 blk, 34 min

June 19 at Tulsa (W, 92-78) 16 pts, 4-of-5 3 FG, 31 min

 

This Week:

Tuesday, June 22 at New York, 6:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, June 26 at San Antonio, 7 p.m. CT

 

 

 

Filed under  //  WNBA  
Posted by Bill Martin  

Seimone WNBA Player of the Week, Scholanda garners mention

NEW YORK, June 21, 2010 – Tina Charles of the Connecticut Sun and Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx, were named the league’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week presented by Kia Motors, respectively, for regular season games played Monday, June 14 through Sunday, June 20.

This marks the first season that Kia Motors, an official marketing partner of the WNBA, has presented the WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week award.

For Augustus, the top overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft, the Player of the Week presented by Kia Motors award is the fourth of her career. More importantly, it signifies a successful return from a pair of surgical procedures – first to the ACL in her left knee following a collision with the Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi on June 17, 2009, and then to remove non-cancerous fibroids this past April.

Augustus averaged 21.5 points (fourth in Western Conference, seventh overall), 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block while leading the Lynx to a 2-0 record with back-to-back victories over the Tulsa Shock this past week.

The pair of wins gave Minnesota a 2-2 mark in games since Augustus made her 2010 debut and pulled the Lynx to within 1.5 games of second place in the West. The LSU product and Baton Rouge, La., native had missed the first nine games of the year.

After being idle for 19 home games stretching back to 2009, Augustus made a triumphant return to Target Center on June 18, with a game-high 27 points (her highest total since netting 30 on June 16, 2009), five rebounds and two blocks. Included in that effort were a career-high five three-pointers and a team-leading seven points in the fourth quarter that helped Minnesota rally for a 78-67 win. It marked the Lynx first victory in the last nine games in which they had entered the fourth quarter with a deficit.

One night later in Tulsa, Augustus scored 16 points, including four more treys, in a 92-78 win over the Shock. The four three-pointers brought her total to a league-high nine for the week.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week presented by Kia Motors were Indiana’s Tamika Catchings, Los Angeles’ Tina Thompson, New York’s Cappie Pondexter, Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi, Seattle’s Lauren Jackson, Tulsa’s Scholanda Robinson, and Washington’s Katie Smith.

Shock_augustus_292_060524

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

Marie shines in return to Sparks' starting line-up

Marie Ferdinand, like Seimone Augustus, is yet another Lady Tiger on the mend following a knee injury and on Friday night she finally returned to the starting line up where she hit 7 of 14 shots for 16 points while grabbing 5 rebounds.  The effort was outstanding but not enough to lead Los Angeles to victory as they lost to Connecticut.  Allison Hightower logged 4 minutes grabbing a rebound and a steal for the Sun.

Read about the game: http://bit.ly/c1hhvQ

Marie

Filed under  //  Alumni   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

She's back!!! Seimone has MVP-like weekend!

Only 5 games into her return following a year off and two surgeries, and Seimone Augustus already looks to have returned to her spot as one of the elite players in the WNBA.  One Friday night in Tulsa, Mone poured in a high of 27 points along with 3 assists.  Her outstanding game included hitting 5 of 10 from behind the arc as Minnesota defeated Tulsa on the road 92-78.  Less than 24 hours later, the Lynx returned to Minnesota with the Shock and Seimone nailed 4 of 5 from the 3-point line in rout to a 16 point game and a 92-78 victory.  For the weekend, Mone hit 9 of 15 from beyond the arc.

Tulsa's one shinning start on both nights as also a Lady Tiger as Scholanda Robinson tallied 14 points with 4 assists and 2 steals in the first game, and then bounced back and tallied 13 points again the next day.

Read about Friday's game: http://bit.ly/9iJvsP

Read about Saturday's game: http://bit.ly/bNDjs3

Siemone_head_shot_minnesota

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