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!

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

Temeka hits the golf course to help battle breast cancer

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!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Breast Cancer   Community   Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tiger alum Becca Hayes changing lives on medical mission trip

COACH STARKEY: The following comes from Becca Hayes, a Lady Tiger alum that is about to share a truly inspiring story with us:

 

Thanks Bob, for the opportunity to share my medical mission trip experience with you and the Lady Tiger family.  For those who don’t know me, I played for the Lady Tigers from 1987-1990.   The legendary Coach Sue Gunter recruited and coached me.  What a privilege it is to be able to say that. 

 

Fast forward 20 years…I am a pediatric intensive care nurse currently working at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas.  I work primarily with post-operative congenital heart defect babies and children.  That is my specialty, and my passion is serving others through mission work.  So, when I was asked to join a very talented group of medical professionals to go to South America and combine those two things, I jumped at the opportunity.

 

On September 2, 2010, a group from both children’s hospitals in Houston (Children’s Memorial Hermann and Texas Children’s) traveled to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to do heart surgery for kids with congenital heart defects. We performed 11 cardiac caths and 12 open-heart surgeries over a 6-day period. Together we helped change 23 children’s lives as well as their families.  It only took $27,000 to put this mission trip together.  In the USA, that would cover the surgeon’s cost for one surgery in the average hospital.

 

There are no pediatric cardiovascular surgeons in Bolivia.  Our team consisted of 1 surgeon, 2 perfusionists, 3 anesthesiologists, 1 physician assistant, 1 scrub tech, 5 nurses, 2 cardiologists, 1 respiratory therapist, and 1 biomedical engineer.  We partnered with a private hospital in Santa Cruz called Incor, which gave up one week of paying patients to allow this to happen.  They donated their staff to assist us, their ICU beds and one of their surgical suites as well.  We brought all of our supplies and equipment, except a few major items.  Otherwise, it was a collaborative effort through and through.  The team was awesome.  I only knew 2 out of the 17 people before we departed Houston.  There was an instant bond with each and every one of the people.  It was much like being on a basketball team.  We all brought different skills to the court.  We had different roles to play, each one important and vital to the team’s success.  I know that my experience as a Lady Tiger prepared me for the work I do today.  I will always be grateful and proud to be a LSU Tiger. 

 

The families were so appreciative of the work we did. They gave us many hugs and kisses.  To know that the children would now have the opportunity to live relatively healthy lives with a normal life expectancy because of this surgery made it all worthwhile for me.  The Bolivians were the most gracious hosts.  We never had the opportunity to get hungry.  They fed us well and constantly.  We were able to jog/run every morning, thank goodness!  (Side bar:  One of the anesthesiologists was an Olympic miler for Spain in 1990.  He still runs and competes at a world-class level.  Let’s just say we all met at the same time every morning and some of us went farther and faster than others!)  Also, they gave us incredible accommodations. The Hotel Yotau’ was as nice as it gets in Santa Cruz.  President Clinton stayed there early in his presidency when he traveled to Bolivia for diplomatic reasons. They had many celebrations for us and we were treated like royalty.  It was pretty cool.  I haven’t felt like that since I was wearing the purple and gold!

 

In conclusion, I can say that it was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Big Syl, Team USA capture GOLD at World Championships

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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.

 

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

Marie Ferdinand-Harris: Another Lady Tiger giving back to the community

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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.

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Big Syl goes for the Gold on NBA-TV today at 1:00 PM

LSU's Sylvia Fowles and Team USA will battle host Czech Republic (6-2)  for the gold medal at 8:00 p.m. (:๏ปฟ0๏ปฟ0๏ปฟ ๏ปฟp๏ปฟ.๏ปฟm๏ปฟ.๏ปฟ ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟC๏ปฟ๏ปฟST) on Oct. 3 in Karlovy Vary๏ปฟ.๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ 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 ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟwww.FIBATV.com.

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

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

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

An amazing evening, an incredible facility, a lot of people to thank!

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.

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

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

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

Keia Howell making a difference through Basketball Without Borders

I recently returned from my second trip to Africa with the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program!! The program was started nearly a decade ago by Kim Bohuny, VP of International Affairs for the NBA. She and her asst VP, Brooks Meeks, are wonderful people and have become great friends of mine!  They do an outstanding job with the program and continue to make a difference in the lives of many.  The program not only promotes basketball throughout the world, but it also does an extensive amount of charity and humanitarian work as well. 

 

Last year we visited Johannesburg and Uganda in South Africa.  This year we traveled to Cape Verde and Dakar, Senegal, which are both in Western Africa. While there, we put on clinics for both boys and girls. All of the courts are outdoor which makes for very hot days but we had so much fun with the kids!! The biggest challenges with basketball are the facilities and lack of goals and balls. Even though alot of kids play without shoes, they love the game and are very eager to learn!  They are extremely competitive and take the games we play very seriously!!  A simple game of knock-out is serious business!!    

 

We were able to meet the President and other officials of Cape Verde as well as visit the US Embassy. They were very appreciative of the NBA for bringing the program to their island. They realize and recognize the difference that sports can play in childrens' lives as well as the opportunities that it can offer. Most schools don't have any sports programs but they hope that will change in the near future!  Cape Verde is such a beautiful island and I'm so thankful for the experience and for the love that was shown to us by the natives.....

 

From there, we went to Dakar where the first ever BWB camp for girls was held!! The program in Africa has always been for the top boys around the continent. Close to 100 boys are flown in for the camp where they receive coaching and instruction from top NBA players, coaches, scouts, and general managers.  It is an opportunity of a lifetime for these kids! Many of them end up in prep schools and colleges around the US!  So this was a very exciting time for the girls!  

 

40 girls from all around Senegal were able to participate in the 4 day camp. The girls were very excited and eager to learn!  In the gift bags from the league were probably the first pair of real basketball shoes that most of the girls have ever had.  I was highly impressed with the level of skill, fundamentals, and work ethic that these young ladies had. Although women are culturally shy and not very outspoken, they were aggressive on the court!  WNBA legend Tameka Raymond and I worked with the post players, while WNBA All-Star Nykesha Sales worked with the guards. They caught on very quickly to the drills and moves that we taught. It was a bit challenging since we had to use translators, (they speak French) but we managed!  The players and coaches were very appreciative and the girls worked extremely hard. We had so much fun and it an experience I won't ever forget!!!

 

The experience made me realize how blessed and fortunate we are to live in America where there are countless opportunities to achieve whatever dreams we have.  OPPORTUNITY. Something that we take for granted and the main reason everyone around the world wants to come to the US. I thought about what having the opportunity to play college basketball would mean in the lives of these girls. It would mean the chance to get a college education, the chance to have a job making more than cents a day, the opportunity to send money back home and feed an entire village for dollars a day, the opportunity that for most, no one in their family has ever had. The opportunity to inspire and to be a ray of hope for other girls in their country who aspire to do the same. 

 

I had to ask myself, did I appreciate the opportunity to play at LSU or did I take it for granted??  Sure, I did everything I was supposed to do.  I did well in school and I worked hard in practice.  But was that enough?  For us, if you're a good athlete, make decent grades and do enough to get by, we get a full ride, live in the nicest apartments on campus, travel first class, and have someone to assist us in whatever it is we need. Strength coaches, trainers, tutors, guidance counselors, the list goes on and on. But for those girls, the opportunity to play collegiate basketball are few and far between. Very few of them will ever have the opportunity to leave their native countries and will live in conditions that most of us wouldn't want to spend an hour in....  Trust me, I've seen it with my own eyes.   

 

I hope that by sharing my experiences, someone will be more appreciative of the things we all often take for granted . I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've had with Basketball Without Borders and the chance to travel the world and in some small way, make a difference.  I thank God for the experiences because they have changed my life forever!!!

 

We should all complain less and GIVE MORE.  Our time, talents, resources, and LOVE. It does make a difference!  

 

Keia Howell

Lady Tiger for Life!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community  
Posted by Bob Starkey