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, 11 Oct 2010 17:26:00 -0700 Temeka hits the golf course to help battle breast cancer http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/temeka-hits-the-golf-course-to-help-battle-br http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/temeka-hits-the-golf-course-to-help-battle-br

TEMEKA JOHNSON: Today was such a joyous day. I had the privilege and the honor to participate in this year's Women's Victory Open. Momma Sherie (Starkey) invited me to be a "celebrity putter" and despite my lack of golf experience I knew I wanted to support this terrific cause.  This event is put on to raise money for breast cancer for the women of the area. While there I learned that over the past eleven to twelve years there have been close to 1 million dollars that has been raised through this event. There were so many women there to support this fund raiser as well as participate in the Golfing. They all were having a blast. I saw so many women that have been breast cancer survivers for 1 year to as far as 24 years. I was amazed. To be in the presence of such strong, fighting, never gving up, supportive women, I couldnt ask for a better way to start off my Monday morning. These are the kind of event that one just enjoy doing. I was truly happy to be there!

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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 09:03:00 -0700 Marie Ferdinand-Harris: Another Lady Tiger giving back to the community http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-ferdinand-harris-another-lady-tiger-giv http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-ferdinand-harris-another-lady-tiger-giv

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The following is an article written by Jeff B. Flinn, Editor of the Northeast Herald

It's a long way to the top, as they say — and Marie Ferdinand-Harris knows that as well as anyone. The guard for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks wants girls in the Judson School District to benefit from her message, her experience and her basketball skills.

“I started playing sports when I was in eighth grade and came from a family of seven kids, with a single mother working two jobs to make ends meet,' Ferdinand said. “I am where I am today ... because I didn't make excuses, I just found a way.”

Ferdinand left Miami Edison High School bound for LSU, where she became a three-year starter and a Kodak All-American, went to the WNBA and was later inducted into the LSU Sports Hall of Fame.

“I've always said, whenever I get to the pros and have the opportunity, I'm going to use sports as a vehicle to improve girls' playing abilities and help them shape their lives.”

The result is the Marie Ferdinand Basketball School of Excellence, which begins next week in the Judson School District.

The program begins with elementary students, age 8 and up, meeting for two hours every Monday at Masters Elementary. The middle school program meets for two hours on Tuesday and Saturday at Metzger Middle School. The high school-and-older group meets for two hours each Wednesday and Thursday at Judson High School.

Classes are limited to 30 girls per age grouping; registration costs $125 per player and forms are due Friday, available at www.marieferdinand.com.

“The classes are geared toward teaching the fundamentals; learning how to dribble left-handed, to do a left-handed layup, how to shoot properly,” said Ferdinand, in her fourth year with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks after a three-year stint with the San Antonio Silver Stars. “It's great to see kids develop their shot. You need to fall in love with shooting, the form, the technique, in the very beginning.”

As players achieve goals and begin to grow, they show more determination, she said, gaining a sense of discipline, and becoming more confident, becoming leaders — “all of these are skills I learned through basketball.”

“I'm so passionate about this. Basketball has done so much for me,” she said. “I want these girls to see that this is available to them, they can do the same thing as me.

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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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Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:43:00 -0700 An amazing evening, an incredible facility, a lot of people to thank! http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/an-amazing-evening-an-incredible-facility-a-l http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/an-amazing-evening-an-incredible-facility-a-l

BOB STARKEY: Yesterday was a very special day for me personally as we officially opened the doors to our new practice facility.  With over 20 years of coaching at LSU, I have split that time between the men’s program and the women’s program.  Ushering a new era in yesterday represented a major step forward for both programs that mean so much to me and that have played such a pivotal role in my development as a coach and as a person.

The most significant thing to me was that those who have already worn the LSU jersey know that they are the major reason that the facility was built.  Certainly it will be of great benefit to future basketball players and coaches at LSU but the importance and relevance of LSU Basketball comes from our past – the legacy left by so many.

The first two that come to mind are Dale Brown and Sue Gunter.  I have been extremely blessed to have worked for both and know the time, sweat and tears that were needed to take their respective programs from obscurity to elite status.  I made sure Coach Brown was one of the first people I thanked at the ceremony yesterday.  At the end of the evening Coach Brown, myself and Rudy Macklin walked back into Sue Gunter Basketball Complex and stood in front of Coach Gunter’s statue and shared some great stories about her.  Spending time with Coach Brown and finding time to talk about Coach Gunter made the evening extremely special for me.

There were some alumni there from both teams.  For the women, Temeka Johnson, April Brown, Miriam Farr Segar and Flo Williams were in attendance.  From the men’s side, I saw Rudy, Ricky Blanton, Collis Temple and Randy Livingston (whom I coached).  I wish every former player could’ve been there yesterday.  It is so important to me that they know this building is a part of what they accomplished.  Our staff is going to work hard to make sure that our alumni know that we appreciated them and the price they paid to make yesterday happen.

I also thought about Skip Bertman, our past athletic director who pushed so hard to get us the practice facility and I fully recognize that it wasn’t easy in these difficult times.  But the coach in him knew the importance to us from the recruiting standpoint as well as for maximum teaching potential.  Judy Southard crossed my mind as well – our former SWA who was a part of Skip’s staff and knew that to be an elite program you must have elite facilities.

I am especially thankful that Eddie Nunez was on our senior staff and headed up this project.  As a collegiate player and coach he had a great awareness for every single aspect involved in the process.  He diligently went through every task involved with great attention to detail to make it truly one of the best practice facilities in the nation. And a big thanks as well to Joe Alleva who came in as our AD in the middle of the project and with his support helped us complete it in a first class fashion.

Finally, I thought about so many of our fans, especially the Fast Break Club, that have worked hard in so many ways to help us upgrade our facilities and I know they will be very proud of this one.  We are working on plans to have our Tip-Off Party in the near future so that they will get a chance to take in this amazing facility.

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Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:44:00 -0700 Big Syl 1st team All-WNBA http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-1st-team-all-wnba http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-1st-team-all-wnba

Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles was named to the 2010 All-WNBA First Team, the league announced today.

Fowles received 125 points in the voting which was conducted by a panel of national and local sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were selected by position and received five points for each First Team vote. Lauren Jackson, Cappie Pondexter, Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi are the other First Team selections.

“I am thankful to have received this recognition,” said Fowles. “It was my goal to stay healthy and have the best season I possibly could and I am happy with my on-court performance in 2010 and hope to continue to improve on my game in the offseason and produce even better results for the Sky in 2011.”

This is the first time Fowles has received this honor. In 2010, she played a career-high 34 games in which she averaged of 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 32 minutes per game, all career-highs. She also shot a career-best 76 percent from the free throw line. During the Sky’s 10-game stretch from June 27 through July 24 Fowles recorded nine double-doubles, she finished the season with 15 total. Her 88 total blocked shots in 2010 are a Sky franchise record and the 9th best single-season total in WNBA history.

For the season, Fowles ranked No. 6 in the WNBA in points per game, No. 3 in rebounds per game, No. 1 in blocks per game and No. 3 in field goal percentage. She was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive first team and the MVP at the WNBA vs. USA Basketball: Stars at the Sun showcase game in which she scored 23 points and eight rebounds to lead Team USA.

Big Syl Highlight Video: http://bit.ly/cGUwuY

Read more: http://bit.ly/bbnSSB

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Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:32:00 -0700 Marie a spokesperson for new Coca-Cola campaign http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-a-spokesperson-for-new-coca-cola-campai http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-a-spokesperson-for-new-coca-cola-campai

Coca-Cola has formed a multiyear marketing partnership with the WNBA to host a number of WNBA FIT Clinics at community parks across the U.S.

The program supports Coca-Cola's "Live Positively" initiative and WNBA Cares. It kicked off last week with clinics in New York City and Washington, D.C, and will continue through the end of the summer.

The clinics will teach fitness skills and nutrition to kids. Coke also hopes that holding camps in local parks, as part of its "America Is Your Park" program, will encourage families to visit neighborhood recreational facilities more often. The program is giving away $500,000 in grants to state and local parks, a $100,000 grant to the park with the most votes, a dollar for every laugh uploaded to the "Smile-izer" at MyCoke.com, and matching donations to the
nation's parks submitted through LivePositively.com.

The rationale behind Coke's park effort seems to be that going to parks more often will make people more active; making people more active will reduce obesity; and reducing obesity will reduce calls for a soda tax and anti-soda initiatives like New York City Health's campaign.

Furthermore, by opening WNBA FIT Clinics, "we're giving families the chance to get active together and have fun by interacting with amazing role models like WNBA players," said Ellen Lucey, director of sports marketing at Coca-Cola North America.

WNBA stars Marie Ferdinand-Harris (L.A. Sparks), Taj McWilliams-Franklin (New York Liberty), Helen Darling (San Antonio Silver Stars), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm) and Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) will serve as the program's ambassadors and will appear in videos on the "Live Positively" Web site.

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Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:47:00 -0700 Big Syl named 1st Team All-WNBA Defense http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-named-1st-team-all-wnba-defense http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-named-1st-team-all-wnba-defense

NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2009 –One thing they know at LSU is how to play defense and Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles has extended that to the WNBA level by being names to the 2010 WNBA All Defense 1st team.

Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings, the 2010 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors, headlines the 2010 WNBA All-Defensive Team, the league announced today. Catchings, who also earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2005, 2006 and 2009, collected 22 points from the league’s 12 head coaches. Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry and Fowles finished second with 18 points apiece.

Seattle Storm guard Tanisha Wright (11 points) and New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter (10 points) round out the All-Defensive First Team.

Catchings earns her sixth consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive First Team. She is the only player to be named to the First Team every year it has been selected (2005-2010). Wright is the only other member of the First Team who was so honored last season. McCoughtry and Fowles, who were selected to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2009 and 2008, respectively, make their initial appearance on the First Team. For Pondexter, it is her first time earning All-Defensive Team honors.

The WNBA All-Defensive Second Team is comprised of Seattle Storm forward-center Lauren Jackson (15 points), Minnesota Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson (six points), Atlanta Dream center Sancho Lyttle (seven points), Washington Mystics guard Lindsey Harding (nine points), and Indiana Fever guards Tully Bevalaqua and Katie Douglas (six points apiece).

Jackson, the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, was twice selected to the All-Defensive First Team (2007 and 2009) and twice named to the All-Defensive Second Team (2005 and 2008). For Brunson, this marks her third selection to the All-Defensive Second Team (2007 and 2008), while Lyttle earns Second Team honors for a second consecutive season. The Fever guards, Bevilaqua and Douglas, are no strangers to this honor. Bevilaqua was selected to the All-Defensive First Team in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009, and to the second team in 2007; Douglas was a member of the First Team three consecutive seasons, 2005-2007. Harding is a first-time member of the All-Defensive squad.

A panel of the WNBA’s 12 head coaches voted on the WNBA All-Defensive Team, selecting First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Players earned two points for each First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.

Read more: http://bit.ly/cnOuVe

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Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:30:00 -0700 Big Syl addresses Lady Tiger team http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-addresses-lady-tiger-team http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/big-syl-addresses-lady-tiger-team

KATHERINE GRAHAM: One of the greatest gifts we can recieve as a team is being able to have a relationship with former players. This was one of the first times that Sylvia Fowles has had time of from playing basketball and wonder how she spent her Saturday morning? In the Sue Gunter Complex sharing wisdom with this years team. Its always great to see alumni return and tell us about thier experience what they plan on doing in the future endevors, as well as talk about some of the coaches! There were a lot of great questions that were asked and Syl did a great job of answering them honestly. Her personality and passion for this program was evident in every word she spoke. In this meeting Syl allowed us to be very personal and develope a close connection to her journey of how she became the player she is today, and what motivates her to continue to work hard and become better. We thank Syl for her insight and wisdom that was shared and wish her all the best in her foundation, as well as her basketball career. Until next time Lady Tiger Fans!

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Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:21:00 -0700 Meek & Roneeka in televised play-off clash tonight http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/meek-roneeka-in-televised-play-off-clash-toni http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/meek-roneeka-in-televised-play-off-clash-toni

Temeka Johnson and her Phoenix Mercury teammates begin their quest of defending last year's World Championship tonight when they host San Antonio and Roneeka Hodges.  Action begins at 8:00 PM CST on ESPN2

Phoenix/San Antonio Pre-Game Story: http://bit.ly/aQCljt

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Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:10:00 -0700 Marie shines in play-off loss http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-shines-in-play-off-loss http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-shines-in-play-off-loss

Even with her Sparks losing to the WNBA's best team on the road, Marie Ferdinand showed that she is still one of the leagues better perimeter players.  Marie lead Los Angeles in scoring with 18 points on 7 of 15 shooting (including 2 3-pointers).  She also added 3 rebounds and 2 assists as LA fell to Seattle 79-66.  The series moves to Los Angeles where the Sparks will need a win to tie the series.  A Storm victory wraps of the series.

LA/Seattle Game Story & Box: http://bit.ly/di83YK

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Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:59:00 -0700 Sho shines for Tulsa in loss to red-hot Liberty http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/sho-shines-for-tulsa-in-loss-to-red-hot-liber http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/sho-shines-for-tulsa-in-loss-to-red-hot-liber

It was certainly a tall order for the Tulsa Shock, travelling to New York to face the hotest team in the WNBA,  but the Shock gave them a run for their money lead by Lady Tiger Scholanda Robinson.  Sho had 16 points and 4 assists.  She also grabbed 3 rebounds, picked off 2 steals and blocked 3 shots.  Obviously is was a performance that would remind LSU fans of Sho's effort as a Lady Tiger when she was nicknamed the "Matrix" because she seemed to be at more places than one.

Tulsa/New York Boxscore: http://bit.ly/aNO6j5

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Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:05:00 -0700 Ally struggles through rookie year with illnesses http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/ally-struggles-through-rookie-year-with-illne http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/ally-struggles-through-rookie-year-with-illne

MOHEGAN — During Connecticut Sun training camp in April and May, observers saw in Allison Hightower an energetic, two-way guard who seemed far more valuable than the second-round pick used to get her.

Less noticeable was her resilience.

“Oh yeah, I was sucking air,“ Hightower said, laughing at the memory of four months prior. “I’m able to just go, go, go.”

Hightower finally stopped last week. Bogged down by fatigue and sickness, the rookie hasn’t dressed for the last three games while she and the team await the results of tests to determine why she’s felt ill not only of late but for the better part of the last calendar year.

Frequent ailments

Since the start of her senior season at LSU last fall, Hightower has dealt with multiple bouts of strep throat, the flu and, on at least one occasion, bronchitis. Twice this WNBA season, including during training camp, she’s played through strep, and last week, with the Sun nearing elimination from playoff contention, she told the team she simply felt too weak to play.

Sun coach Mike Thibault has said he doesn’t expect Hightower to play in either of the Sun’s final two games. She said she’s felt ill since a game at Washington last Tuesday, and with her overseas season approaching — she’s scheduled to leave for France on Sept. 15 — Connecticut is taking all necessary precautions.

“This past year has just been a rough year for me health-wise,” said Hightower, who visited doctors last week. “I just want to get back healthy. That’s all I’m striving for. Just rest now until they figure out what’s going on.”

Thibault has been impressed by Hightower’s work ethic, even when “you could tell there were days she was tired.” Last week, he said, she looked like “a kid trying to play with the flu.”

“She’s such a great kid, she’s got a good future ahead of her,” the coach said. “You don’t want to mess with that. I love the kid. She’s worked her butt off. And as a coach, you don’t know from day to day, unless they come and tell you, ‘Hey, I feel great,’ or, ‘Hey, I feel bad.’ Probably there were more days she didn’t feel great, and she came in, practiced, and didn’t say anything.”

Hightower said she is waiting on results to make any decision on possibly not going overseas.

For now, the Sun (16-16) play Friday at Chicago and Sunday at New York with no playoff berth on the line, but for a chance to continue to gain experience and gel. Hightower would love to be a part of that, but knows her health is her top priority.

“You want to be healthy,” she said. “You want to be able to do 100 percent, and to not do that is hard.”

Read the entire article by Matt Stout of the Norich Bulletin: http://bit.ly/c1YQhM

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Sat, 14 Aug 2010 07:08:00 -0700 Merucry waste 23 point outburst by Meek http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/merucry-waste-23-point-outburst-by-meek http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/merucry-waste-23-point-outburst-by-meek

Temeka Johnson poured in 23 points with 10 of 16 shooting including 3 of 5 from behind the 3-point line but it wasn't enough as Indiana defeated Phoenix 110-90.  Despite losing their 3rd straight, the defending champions locked up a play-off bid due to Minnesota's loss.

Phoneix/Indiana Box: http://bit.ly/9TvLj2

Seimone Augustus had a rough shooting night hitting only 4 of 12 for 8 points and Minnesota fell on the road to Washington 61 to 58.  The loss keeps the Lynx tied for the last play off spot with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Minnesota/Washington Box: http://bit.ly/9C1QVx

Scholanda Robinson lead Tulsa with 14 points but the Shock still fell short to San Antonio losing 94-74.  Roneeka Hodges pitched in 10 points to help the Stars to the victory.

Tulsa/San Antonio Box: http://bit.ly/c7HT5g

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Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:13:00 -0700 Chicago's Sylvia Fowles Receives WNBA Cares Community Assist Award for July http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/chicagos-sylvia-fowles-receives-wnba-cares-co http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/chicagos-sylvia-fowles-receives-wnba-cares-co

NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2010 – The WNBA today honored Chicago Sky center Sylvia Fowles'  commitment to the community with its WNBA Cares Community Assist Award for July. Throughout the month, Fowles has played a leadership role in the team’s community outreach, including a recent partnership with Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE). She continues to be a positive role model for youngsters in Chicago and beyond.

Fowles’ personal experience with epilepsy— her young nephew, Morris, is fighting the disease— prompted her desire to get more involved with CURE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for epilepsy by raising funds for research and increasing public awareness. In June, the WNBA All-Star player reached out to the organization to see how she could help, an effort that resulted in the launch of a new partnership between the Sky and CURE. The Sky tipped off the partnership with a special ticket program for their home game against the New York Liberty on July 23 and donated a portion of the ticket sales to CURE. Following the game, Fowles hosted a special meet-and-greet to thank fans for their support and treated epilepsy sufferer Lauren Axelrod to a private tour of the Sky locker room, where she introduced her to teammates. 

“I am grateful that I am in a position to make a difference for those who struggle with epilepsy,” Fowles said. “I look forward to continuing to raise awareness and funding to find a cure for this devastating disease, and I encourage others to lend a helping hand.” 

To further lend her support, Fowles designed and purchased CURE-themed red silicon wristbands, which she wears during all games and has distributed to CURE members, teammates, family, and friends. Fowles plans to continue her efforts by filming a PSA with CURE and participating in a number of upcoming events hosted by the organization. 

The WNBA Cares Community Assist Award is presented monthly throughout the season to the player who best reflects the league’s passion for making a difference in the community. In recognition of Fowles’ charitable efforts, the WNBA is donating $5,000 to CURE on her behalf.

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Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:26:00 -0700 Marie on ESPN2 with a big night of Lady Tiger action in the WNBA http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-on-espn2-with-a-big-night-of-lady-tiger http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/marie-on-espn2-with-a-big-night-of-lady-tiger

Connecticut (Allison Hightower) at Washington at 6 PM (NBA TV)

Preview: http://bit.ly/9G5bGS

Phoenix (Temeka Johnson) at Chicago (Sylvia Fowles) at 7 PM

Preview: http://bit.ly/bh3ncr

Minnesota (Seimone Augustus) at San Antonio (Roneeka Hodges) at 7 PM

Preview: http://bit.ly/ajrUl6

Indiana at Los Angeles (Marie Ferdinand-Harris) at 9 PM (ESPN2)

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Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:16:00 -0700 Mone leads Lynx to comeback overtime win over Syl and Sky http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/mone-leads-lynx-to-comeback-overtime-win-over http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/mone-leads-lynx-to-comeback-overtime-win-over

CHICAGO (AP) Seimone  Augustus scored 27 points, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 26.9 seconds left in overtime to lead the Minnesota Lynx to an 87-82 victory over the Chicago Sky on Saturday. Lindsay Whalen had 19 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, Charde Houston added 17 points and Monica Wright added 11 to help the Lynx (9-16) rally from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.  Jia Perkins led Chicago (12-16) with 16 points and Sylvia  Fowles had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Dominique Canty added 13 points and Tamera Young scored 10.   Augustus' jumper with 1 minute left in OT gave the Lynx an 80-79 lead. Fowles made 1 of 2 free throws to tie the score about 20 seconds later. After Augustus' go-ahead 3, Fowles made a layup to pull the Sky to 83-82 with 19.3 seconds to go. Whalen then made two free throws 3 seconds later to put Minnesota up by three again.

  

Minnesota/Chicago Box: http://bit.ly/b9VxF8

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Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:16:00 -0700 Mone vs. Syl on ESPN2 today at 2 CST http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/mone-vs-syl-on-espn2-today-at-2-cst http://lsuwbkb.posterous.com/mone-vs-syl-on-espn2-today-at-2-cst

Today at 2:00 PM EST on ESPN2, Lady Tiger fans can watch two of LSU's great players collide when Seimone Augustus takes her Minnesota Lynx to Chicago to play Sylvia Fowles and the Sky.  It would be hard to find two players in the WNBA that are playing at a higher level than these two in recent weeks.

Minnesota/Chicago Preview via WNBA.com - http://bit.ly/b9VxF8

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