LSU Women's Basketball http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com The Lady Tiger Way - Official Blog posterous.com Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:36:00 -0700 Catching up with Big Syl http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/catching-up-with-big-syl http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/catching-up-with-big-syl

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Recently Chicago Sky center and FIBA World Champion Sylvia Fowles spoke with some of Chicago’s finest sportswriters over the phone from her home in Miami. Among other things they touched on the FIBA World Championships, the changes within the Sky organization and how Big Syl has spent her time since returning from the Czech Republic.

Here are 10 questions and Syl's answers from that conversation.

Question: How was your experience at the 2010 FIBA World Championships?
Answer: Health wise I was 100%. Just going out there and performing is a whole different thing. I wanted to do more and I felt like I could do more, but it’s different when your body says something different. It was a test because I was used to being on the floor, but sitting back and watching your teammates is a humbling experience. It also gives you confidence to get back to where you want to be.

Q: How have you felt physically since the end of the Sky season?
A: I got my right knee re-scoped and had a cyst removed. That’s what caused me to be out for 3-weeks. It was nagging, nothing too serious. I wanted to get it looked at before I went overseas or started with USA Basketball. If it was something I needed to get fixed, it was something I wanted to do now rather than later to prevent problems in the long run. Now I’m back to 100%.

Q: What has it been like for you to become one of the leaders on the Sky?
A: It’s something that I had to learn. Am I comfortable with it? No. Knowing I have to get it done for my teammates and myself, I’m ready. It’s something I’ve inherited over the years and I’m getting better at it as the years go along. I’m not the type of person who will talk. I’m the type of person who will lead by example. At my position I need to talk and lead that way.

Q: The 2010 Sky season was by far your most productive, what was different from previous years for you?
A: I’d been hurt my first year and got hurt my second year too. I felt every time I went overseas I got better. When I came back to the States I kind of limited myself with the injuries. I made a promise to myself to play the whole season and play to my full abilities.

Q: How do you feel about Steven Key resigning?
A: I enjoyed my time with him. I think he’s a very, very good person. A great person actually. Things happen. When things don’t work within in a system, it's time to try new things. I think that’s the direction we’re going, trying to figure this thing out.

Q: What type of coach do you think the Sky needs?
A: We need a coach who’s pretty much demanding over what they want and how to get it done. And a coach with enough experience knowing what they want and how to get it done on the floor. I want a coach to come in and coach us to the point where we want to be. Get us to the playoffs. It doesn’t matter as long as they get someone in who can coach.

Q: What do you think the Sky can improve on headed into 2011?
A: Our communication. We knew each other, we knew how each other played. Our communication [lacked]. We were inconsistent.

Q: How do you feel about the direction the Sky is headed?
A: Change. We needed something different. It just wasn’t from the coaches or players perspective. They took it another step beyond that in the front office, which I can respect. It’s going to be different. And I’m looking forward to that.

Q: What have you been up to since winning the Gold medal at the FIBA World Championships?
A: I’m home in Miami, with my nieces and nephews, and brothers and sisters, hanging out with the family. I had seven days since the FIBA tournament ended. I’m supposed to leave [October 11] to go to Turkey. The little time I do have I tried to enjoy it every bit. Since I’ve been here, we’ve been hitting up the beach like crazy. My days are: go to the beach or stay home and do nothing. I’ve been home relaxing and going to the beach. I don’t lift any weights or anything like that. I’m not lifting weights or looking at a basketball until I get into a gym.

Q: Do you think you'll get a break before the 2011 WNBA Season?
A: Yes, I’ll definitely get a break to come back and recoup. I don’t know for how long. If we players get more than two weeks, that’s like paradise to us. Hopefully I’ll get two weeks off and if I get two weeks off I’ll be refreshed and ready to go.

Thanks to: http://www.wnba.com/sky/ for the Big Syl Q&A!

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:03:00 -0700 Big Syl, Team USA capture GOLD at World Championships http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-team-usa-capture-gold-at-world-champi http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-team-usa-capture-gold-at-world-champi

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The USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team (9-0) stormed out of the locker room at halftime on a 15-2 run to pull away from host Czech Republic (6-3) and finished the night with the eventual 89-69 gold medal victory at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. With the gold medal victory, played in front of a boisterous and deafening crowd of Czech supporters who never gave up hope on their squad, the USA became the first team to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games that will be held July 27-Aug. 12 in London, England.

“I thought the Czech team played with so much heart and so much passion and they’re so smart,” said USA and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. “Every time you make a mistake, they make a basket. I can’t tell you with how impressed I am with coach (Lubor Blazek) and his style of play. That was the best team we played in the entire tournament, without question. We’re fortunate to be world champions. I know my players worked really, really hard. To do it here, in the Czech Republic, against the Czech national team, in front of an unbelievable crowd. The crowd last night was incredible and tonight was just as good. I think it makes this win even more rewarding because of who we had to beat and where we had to beat them.”

The American women now own a 97-21 (.822) all-time record since the first FIBA World Championship was held in 1953, earned their ninth straight podiumfinish at the Worlds dating to the 1979 tournament, and the 2010 gold medal represented a record eighth gold for the U.S. in World Championship competition.

 

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Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:54:00 -0700 Big Syl goes for the Gold on NBA-TV today at 1:00 PM http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-goes-for-the-gold-on-nba-tv-today-at http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-goes-for-the-gold-on-nba-tv-today-at

LSU's Sylvia Fowles and Team USA will battle host Czech Republic (6-2)  for the gold medal at 8:00 p.m. (:00 p.m. CST) on Oct. 3 in Karlovy Vary.  The USA's final game, which will be played in front of a raucous crowd of Czech supporters, will air live on NBA TV, and fans can also watch live streaming of all FIBA World Championship games at www.FIBATV.com.

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Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:28:00 -0700 Big Syl hits double figures in USA victory http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-hits-double-figures-in-usa-victory http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-hits-double-figures-in-usa-victory

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Less than two weeks following surgery on her knee, Sylvia Fowles entered the USA starting line-up and registered 10 points in only 13 minutes of action.  Big Syl also grabbed 3 boards, blocked a shot and tallied a steal as Team USA dominated Senegal 108-52.

How much fun was tonight for this team?
It was a lot of fun, knowing that we haven’t been together that long as a team, and to just go out there and be able to pull together and get better game-by-game. I’m excited to see where we are going to be at tomorrow and in the next 10 days.

The U.S. wraps up preliminary play against France (2-0) on Sept. 25 at 3:15 p.m. (live on NBA TV at 9:15 a.m. EDT). All of the USA games will air live on NBA TV, and fans can also watch live streaming of all FIBA World Championship games at www.FIBATV.com.

In today's other Group B preliminary round action, France topped Greece (0-2) 69-55. Also in Ostrava, Group A saw Canada (1-1) hold on against China (0-2) 65-61, and Australia (2-0) top Belarus (1-1) 83-59. Meanwhile in Brno, Spain (2-0) downed South Korea (1-1) 84-69, and Brazil (1-1) won against Mali (0-2) 80-73 in Group C; while in Group D Japan (1-1) edged out Argentina (0-2) 59-58, and Russia (1-0) survived a late scare by host Czech Republic (1-1) 55-52.

Following preliminary play, the USA will cross over against the top three finishers out of Pool A, which includes defending world champ Australia, Belarus, Canada and China, for the Sept. 27-29 second round games to be played in Ostrava. The medal round will be played in Karlovy Vary, with the quarterfinals scheduled for Oct. 1, the semifinals on Oct. 2 and the medal games played on Oct. 3.

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

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Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:33:00 -0700 Mone, Syl, Team USA to play exhibition games in September http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/mone-syl-team-usa-to-play-exhibition-games-in http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/mone-syl-team-usa-to-play-exhibition-games-in

In its final domestic tune-up prior to the 2010 FIBA World Championship, the USA Basketball Women’s National Team will host Australia and Spain in a pair of exhibition contests at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 10 and 12, USA Basketball and the XL Center today announced. The U.S. will take on defending world champion Australia on Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. (all times EDT) and Spain, the No. 5-ranked women’s program in the world, on Sept. 12 (time TBD). Tickets will go on sale this Friday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available online at www.ticketmaster.com, through Ticketmaster charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and in person at the XL Center box office. Ticket prices range from $75, $50, $30, $20 and $10 respectively, additional fees may apply.   

In addition to the USA exhibition games, the University of Hartford will play host to an exhibition between Australia and Spain on Sept. 11 at 2:00 p.m.

“One of the things you always want to do is to try to play some really good competition leading up to the (FIBA) World Championship,” said 2009-12 USA Basketball Women’s National Team and University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. “Usually those games are held overseas where we don’t have a lot of fans. It’s fortunate for us that we’re able to get teams of the caliber of Spain and Australia, two of the top five teams in the world, to come to Hartford and play exhibition games. I think people here in the Hartford area, in Connecticut especially, appreciate women’s basketball as much, if not more, than any other place in the country. I think those two teams will get a great reception and people will get a chance to see what we’re going to be seeing in the Czech Republic. I’m excited for our team. I’m excited for our fans. I’m excited for the city of Hartford, and I’m really appreciative of the XL Center for working with us to put that together.”

The U.S. has faced Australia 14 times in exhibition games and official FIBA events over the past decade. In addition to the USA’s victories over Australia in each of the last three Olympic gold medal games, the U.S. in 2002 defeated Australia 71-56 in the FIBA World Championship semifinal contest, and owns an 8-2 record over Australia in various exhibition games since the turn of the century.

The USA and Spain are less familiar as the teams have played each other just five times since 2000. The USA topped Spain 90-56 and 94-55 at the 2006 and 2002 FIBA World Championship, respectively, collected a pair of Olympic victories over Spain in 2004 (71-58) and 2008 (93-55), and defeated Spain 77-61 in a 2004 pre-Olympic exhibition game.

Members of the 2009-12 USA Basketball Women’s National Team are Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Alana Beard (Washington Mystics), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Shameka Christon (Chicago Sky), Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Lindsey Harding (Washington Mystics), Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun), Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun), Maya Moore (University of Connecticut), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks), Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty), Diana Taurasi  (Phoenix Mercury), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx) and Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx).

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Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:25:00 -0700 What they're saying about Big Syl http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/what-theyre-saying-about-big-syl http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/what-theyre-saying-about-big-syl

DIANA TAURASI: “It’s huge for Sylvia, because Sylvia is someone that when she’s confident is unstoppable. Then you see the other side of Sylvia, which is the passive side that we’re trying to elude from her body, because when she plays focused and determined there’s no one like her in the world.”

SUE BIRD: “She’s just nice by nature, just very nice and gentle, a gentle giant. So you have to get on her to get her to play that way. I’ve played over in Russia with her for the last two years and I know that. And when you do get on her, the best part about Syl is that she responds immediately.  The only person who can stop her really is herself, as cliché as that is, but it’s very true in Sylvia’s case.”

KATIE DOUGLAS:  “I see way too much of her,” Douglas said with a laugh. “I saw a lot of her tonight. I saw a lot of the back of her jersey and that’s not what I like to see because that normally means she’s scoring buckets. Obviously she’s a premier post in this league; she’s such a dominant force and demands so much attention.”

SWIN CASH: She’s grown, but Sylvia can take it to another level."

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Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:14:00 -0700 Big Syl goes "Beast Mode" to capture All-Star Game's MVP Award http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-goes-beast-mode-to-capture-all-star-g http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-goes-beast-mode-to-capture-all-star-g

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing was the last time the US National Team took the court in a major international competition. A quick look at that team’s roster shows the following post players: Sylvia Fowles,  Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, and Candace Parker. 

When the US National Team begins the 2010 World Championships in September, the only player from that group that will wear the red, white and blue is Fowles. Both Leslie and Thompson have ended their USA Basketball careers and Parker is out after suffering a dislocated shoulder last month.

But considering the performance that Fowles put on during Saturday’s WNBA vs. USA Basketball game at Mohegan Sun, it appears the USA is going to be just fine in the post.

Fowles was named the Most Valuable Player of the game after scoring a game-high 23 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a performance more dominant than those numbers suggest. When the National Team pulled away from the WNBA Stars in the third quarter, Fowles was at her best, hitting layups and grabbing rebounds at will.

“That’s Sylvia. That’s what we need from Sylvia,” said USA teammate Diana Taurasi. “That’s a responsibility she has to put on herself and we’re going to need games like that throughout our quest to bring back a World Championship.”

As important as Fowles’ performance was to the National Team on Saturday, Taurasi believes it is just as beneficial for Fowles herself.

Read the article: http://bit.ly/ddNmEk

Check the Boxscore: http://bit.ly/d0W2zB

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Sun, 27 Jun 2010 05:12:00 -0700 Theresa hits for double figure, leads USA into Gold Medal Game http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-hits-for-double-figure-leads-usa-into http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-hits-for-double-figure-leads-usa-into

Theresa Plaisance hit for double figures with 11 points while adding 6 rebounds and Team USA dominated yet another opponent beating Chile 98-28.

Another quick start and strong finish pushed the USA Women's U18 National Team (4-0) within one win of its ultimate goal.

Eight different U.S. players scored at least eight points on June 26, leading the Americans to a 98-28 win over Chile (2-2) in a medal semfinal game of the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The win puts the USA in the gold medal game against Brazil (3-1), a 50-49 winner over Canada in Saturday's other medal semfinal, at 5:45 p.m. on June 27. The game is not only a rematch of the USA's 89-46 triumph over the Brazilians during preliminary round play but also several rounds of scrimmages in the days leading up to the tournament.

Game story & box: http://bit.ly/cKYGc8

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Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:41:00 -0700 Theresa, Team USA roll to opening round victory http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-team-usa-roll-to-opening-round-victor http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-team-usa-roll-to-opening-round-victor

Theresa Plaisance came off the bench and scored 6 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and had a team high 3 blocked shots as the 2010 USA Women’s U18 National Team (1-0) made an impressive first step toward earning its own gold medal.

Nine players scored at least six points for the USA, leading the USA to a 91-32 win over Argentina (0-1) on June 23 in each team’s opening game in the preliminary round of the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The USA’s 12 players have been in Colorado Springs training since June 8, when the trials to make the U18 National Team began. Some of the accompanying anxiousness to actually hit the floor showed in the game’s first minute and a half. After settling, though, the USA shot 33-68 from the field (49.0 percent) and out-rebounded Argentina, 62-20.

The USA now plays Brazil (1-0), an 81-35 winner over Costa Rica in its preliminary round opener, at 5:45 p.m. on June 24 on the second of three preliminary round games in Group B. The winner automatically secures one of the top two spots in the group, qualifying for the medal semifinals on Sat., June 26.

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Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:58:00 -0700 Theresa and Team USA go mountain climbing http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-and-team-usa-go-mountain-climbing http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-and-team-usa-go-mountain-climbing

Before the 2010 USA Women's U18 Team attempts to conquer the FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women June 23-27, the team stood atop one of the highest summits in Colorado: Pikes Peak  --  which is

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Sun, 20 Jun 2010 07:05:00 -0700 Plaisance, USA teammates go through two scrimmages http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/plaisance-usa-teammates-go-through-two-scrimm http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/plaisance-usa-teammates-go-through-two-scrimm THERESA PLAISANCE: Last night we played two quarters against Chile and then two quarters Brazil and they played a completely different style of basketball. Chile was extremely short, their tallest player was 5'8" and they played really physical defense to make up for their size. They were great outside shooters. Brazil was extremely physical on both ends of the court. They had decent size and were well conditioned. I did alright aganst both teams , I dont know how many points I had against Chile but I had 9 against Brazil. It was intersting to listen to the other teams communicate with themselves. I'm anxious for the tournament to start on the 23rd of this month.
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Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:10:00 -0700 Theresa taking success in stride http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-taking-success-in-stride http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-taking-success-in-stride

From Kelly McElroy of HoumaToday.com:

Theresa Plaisance is the kind of kid who never forgets to thank those around her, even with a schedule that would make most people’s head spin. After interviewing the star basketball player from Vandebilt Catholic numerous times over the last couple of years, not once has she left me without thanking her family, friends, coaches, teammates, classmates and others who she feels have helped her succeed.

Her faith, too, plays a large part in her life, something she is always sure to make mention of.

We live in a time and place where being a star high school athlete is not as easy as it once was.

In the past, the star prep athlete may have had to deal with a few calls and visits from recruiters now and then and maybe a bunch of letters from colleges in the mail.

But that was about it.

Now things are much different.

The colleges aren’t the only ones who want their attention.

College sports and the coverage of them are big business.

These kids are having to balance school, practice, games, hectic schedules and their social lives, with calls (sometimes daily) from people all over the country trying to get the scoop on them.

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/aS4e6E

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Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:33:00 -0700 Theresa hard at work for USA Basketball http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-hard-at-work-for-usa-basketball http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-hard-at-work-for-usa-basketball

We just received some photos of Theresa Plaisance at USA Basketball practice in Colorado Springs as the 18-Under team prepares for the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, June 23-27 at the USOTC.

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Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:11:00 -0700 Theresa Plaisance surives final cut; makes USA U18 Team http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-plaisance-surives-final-cut-makes-usa http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/theresa-plaisance-surives-final-cut-makes-usa
After 16 finalists participated in six days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball today announced its final, 12-player 2010 USA Women’s U18 National Team. The USA women will compete in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, June 23-27 at the USOTC. The tournament will take place in Sports Center I and is open to the public.

“I’m real excited to get going,” said Jen Rizzotti, USA U18 and University of Hartford head coach. “With 12 players, now, you know your pieces and you know your strengths and your weaknesses, so we can decide what we want to do. The next phase is about to begin, and we’re real excited to fine tune some things and really get ready for the start of the tournament next week.”

The 12-player roster includes: Theresa Plaisance (Vanderbilt Catholic H.S./Marrero, LA), Diamond DeShields (Norcross H.S./Norcross, Ga.); Stefanie Dolson (Minisink Valley H.S./Port Jervis, N.Y.); Reshanda Gray (Washington Prep H.S./Los Angeles, Calif.);  Cassie Harberts (San Clemente H.S./San Clemente, Calif.); Bria Hartley (North Babylon H.S./North Babylon, N.Y.); Malina Howard (Twinsburg H.S./Twinsburg, Ohio); Alexis Jones (MacArthur H.S./Irving, Texas); Allyson Malott (Madison H.S./Middletown, Ohio); Kayla McBride (Villa Maria Academy/Erie, Pa.); Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair H.S./Cypress, Texas);and  Cassie Peoples (Cy-Fair H.S./Houston, Texas).

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/cL3geW

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Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:23:00 -0700 Lady Tiger freshman Theresa Plaisance makes first cut for USA Basketball http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/lady-tiger-freshman-theresa-plaisance-makes-f http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/lady-tiger-freshman-theresa-plaisance-makes-f

After three days of intense trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, USA Basketball today announced 16 finalists to make the 2010 USA Women’s U18 National Team. Congratulations to Theresa Plaisance for making that cut!   Of the 16 finalists, only 12 will make the 2010 USA U18 National Team, which will compete in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women, June 23-27 at the USOTC. The final, 12-player team will be announced no later than the afternoon of June 14, after several additional practice sessions.  While Ogwumike was named both the Gatorade National and Texas State Player of the Year, Hartley (New York), McBride (Pennsylvania), Peters (New Jersey) and Plaisance (Louisiana) also earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors in their respective states.

Read the complete article at: http://bit.ly/baLCJh

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Fri, 21 May 2010 10:18:00 -0700 Lady Tiger newcomer prepares for USA Basketball experience http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/lady-tiger-newcomer-prepares-for-usa-basketba http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/lady-tiger-newcomer-prepares-for-usa-basketba

When Shanece McKinney unfurls her 6-foot-4 frame and trots onto the basketball court, everybody notices.

Yet, the LSU signee — and soon-to-be LeFlore graduate — has never grown accustomed to her leading role in the hoops hierarchy. She has consistently voiced surprise, even shock, over the last two seasons at being selected as the Press-Register player of the year.

She was all smiles, and bashful about hobnobbing with the state’s best, at the Miss Basketball banquet earlier this spring when she finished fifth in voting for the statewide award.

So when a letter addressed to her from USA Basketball arrived recently, she didn’t expect much when she ripped it open.

To hear her tell it, her jaw dropped to the floor cartoon-style as she read she had been invited to the under-18 national team tryouts in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I read it and I said, ‘I think they’re kidding,’” McKinney said. “I was shocked.” 

She shouldn’t be.

McKinney emerged from the high school and AAU ranks as one of the most sought-after recruits in the country, thanks in large part to her 6-foot-4 frame and calm demeanor on the court. And it doesn’t hurt that she oozes humility.

She may not have the killer instinct of Baylor’s Brittney Griner, but McKinney possesses a quiet confidence that played a huge role in the Rattlers’ back-to-back appearances in the AHSAA state semifinals.

McKinney said she’s not heading to Colorado Springs expecting to secure a national team spot, not when 30 or so invitees will work for a dozen or so slots. In reality, she’s probably fighting for one of two or three spots at center.

“I’m not going up there thinking I’ve got this,” she said. “I’m going to do my best.”

From By Josh Bean of AL.com.  Read the entire article at:  http://bit.ly/bbVUxn

Mckinneyblock

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/566494/lsucoachstarkey.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5ALKlEihyfjb Bob Starkey Bob Starkey - Assistant Head Coach Bob Starkey
Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:51:00 -0700 Seimone returns to action with USA Basketball http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/seimone-returns-to-action-with-usa-basketball-0 http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/seimone-returns-to-action-with-usa-basketball-0
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Coming off an ACL injury and long rehab process, Seimone Augustus makes an appearance and gets some quality action on the court for USA Basketball. Here are some of her thoughts:


On the USA Select Team:
They fought tonight. It was good to see them playing. It took them awhile to get into their groove, but once they did, some girls impressed me. I got caught up with Jantel (Lavender) and it was torture down there banging with her. I’m impressed with the way they’re playing.
On any surprises in camp:
I wouldn’t say seeing Maya Moore is a surprise. Everybody knows what she can do. But to see it in person is like, ‘wow.’ She reminds me a lot like Tamika Catchings. She’s a hard worker. She plays on both ends of the court. She’s a great rebounder for a guard. Tina (Charles) as well, seeing her play and how hard she goes every possession is a plus. As far as the college girls, I’ve only (practiced) with Dee (Danielle Robinson), Kalana (Greene) and Kelsey (Griffin). They’ve all impressed me because they are so poised. They never seem to get rattled. They’re coachable. They’re willing to listen to criticism and go out there and better themselves.

On being back on the court after missing last fall and winter while rehabbing from her ACL:
I’m happy to be back out on the court. It’s been tough for me. It’s been brutal. Sunday was the worst day for me because it was actually my first time playing against top-notch competition. I just started playing a few weeks ago and it was at the YWCA. That wasn’t really a lot of good competition. But everyday here I’ve seen a lot of good progression. I haven’t had any pain in my knee and I’m looking for better days to come.
You watched on the sideline last fall during training camp, did that help you to know what coach Auriemma wanted?
It was good because I actually got a chance to talk to coach. You read things in the media, you see things on TV about him, but he’s actually a great person. He’s very straightforward, which is what I like. He tells you what he wants done and if you do it, you shouldn’t have any problems. As far as the offense and things, it’s seamless to what we ran at LSU, a motion offense, so it’s kind of easy to get into the groove with that. Defensively, that never has been my strong point (laughs), but I’m going to do what I can to make sure I’m helping out the team.

What did you get out of this training camp?
I got a lot out of it. I got to measure myself, see where I’m at and see how much further I have to go. I was excited about everything. Every day I saw progress. I got stronger each day. As far as playing with the young ladies and everybody, being coached by Geno, it was a great experience. I had a lot of fun. I got to learn a lot about Geno and the other coaches. I learned a lot about the other players on the team. Hopefully we can transfer this to the summer and to the World Championship.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/674116/martinbill.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxb874KSIN Bill Martin Bill Martin
Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:54:00 -0700 Ally takes from USA Basketball experience http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/ally-takes-from-usa-basketball-experience-0 http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/ally-takes-from-usa-basketball-experience-0
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Here are some comments from Allison Hightower following her USA Basketball participation this past weekend:


On the scrimmage
I thought it was a great experience to come out here and play as hard as you can against some of the best players in the world. To be able to get that opportunity is something that I will truly learn from, and I learned a lot. I've grown a lot. I learned from the older players and the coaches, so overall it's been a great experience.

What about your game specifically did you learn?
You got to go all out, every single day, every single minute, every single possession. I learned a lot about my game individually, what I need to work on, ball-handling, shooting, reading screens. I will definitely take from the experience, go back to work and improve my game doing the things we have been doing here.
Was it an honor to get to play with USA on your chest?
To be able to scrimmage against the National Team players and be able to represent the United States was something that I'm truly blessed to do. I'm just seizing the moment right now. It's been overall just great getting to know them, seeing how they play and seeing what it takes to get to that level. It's something that I will definitely take with me.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/674116/martinbill.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxb874KSIN Bill Martin Bill Martin
Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:30:00 -0700 Allison and Seimone report for USA Basketball workouts http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/allison-and-seimone-report-for-usa-basketball-0 http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/allison-and-seimone-report-for-usa-basketball-0
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The public will have a chance to see some of the country’s top basketball talent, including nine with ties to Connecticut, when members of the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s National Team take on the 2010 USA Basketball Women’s Select Team in a Red-White exhibition scrimmage on Sunday, April 18 in Hartford, Conn.


Fans will get a chance to cheer on some of their local favorites in the Red-White scrimmage. In addition to Auriemma, USA National Team members include former UConn standouts Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), 2010 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun) and current Husky Maya Moore; and the Connecticut Sun will also be represented on the USA National Team by Kara Lawson. UConn’s Kalana Greene (New York Liberty), and the Connecticut Sun’s Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska) and Allison Hightower (Louisiana State) will compete on the USA Select Team.

Additional USA National Team members participating in the spring training camp include: Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx/LSU) , Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury) and Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream). Further, USA National Team hopeful Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars / Stanford University), is injured, but is attending the USA National Team training camp in the hopes of being added to the squad at a later date.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/674116/martinbill.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxb874KSIN Bill Martin Bill Martin
Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:15:00 -0800 Olympic Connection in today's LSU-South Carolina game http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/olympic-connection-in-todays-lsu-south-caroli http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/olympic-connection-in-todays-lsu-south-caroli
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From Scott Hotard of The Advocate:


When he meets Dawn Staley at midcourt before today’s game, LSU women’s basketball coach Van Chancellor expects some good-natured ribbing between the two.

“She’ll remind me she won me a gold medal — tell me that three or four times,” Chancellor said. “I’ll remind her I’m the one who picked her to play for me.”

Staley, one of the great players in women’s basketball history, won three Olympic gold medals, the last with Chancellor as coach in 2004. She finished her professional career with Chancellor, playing two seasons on the Houston Comets he coached.

Nowadays, Staley and Chancellor are rivals.

Staley took over the South Carolina women’s program two seasons ago after leading Temple to six NCAA tournaments in eight seasons.

Chancellor left the Comets three years ago and has kept LSU among the nation’s elite in his return to the college game.

On the opening day of Southeastern Conference play, Chancellor and Staley reunite when No. 11 LSU (11-1) faces the Gamecocks (7-5) at 5 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.

Read Scott's entire article: http://bit.ly/4nmzLc

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/674116/martinbill.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5fdxb874KSIN Bill Martin Bill Martin