Januarye-Zine 2004 July 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg For The Hoops Connoisseur We'll, we're at the first of the NCAA champions who had lost a few month, the time for our usual opus on early battles in the recruiting wars and matters in women's hoops, except also had a few bench players leave after we've been feeding you an ongoing the season for other destinations. menu of WNBA items to keep you from going hungry over a 30-day Hunter, who is still recovering from stretch or so. Thus, the question knee and foot injuries during her arises, what can we say so quickly freshman season with the Blue Devils, after discussing the logjam in the will have three years of eligibility. Eastern Conference earlier this week? There's a touch of irony to how this A Duke Rebuke episode has evolved following two seasons ago when Hunter, the No. 1 We'll it just so happens that the target of Connecticut coach Geno collegiate powerhouse named Auriemma and his staff, declared for Connecticut in the Nutmeg State is Duke because the North Carolina school back in the headlines at the same located in the heart of the Research time that the WNBA-Connecticut Sun Triangle might benefit her more later in has been riding a nifty four-game win life. streak. The decision had come just before The Hartford Courant reported in the major showdown when Connecticut, Tuesday's editions that one Brittany then -ranked No. 2, was about to travel Hunter, who recently decided to leave to Durham and face coach Gail Duke after a season, has chosen the Goestenkors squad, which was ranked Huskies to continue her collegiate No. 1. career. During a teleconference call the week The announcement by the 6-foot-3 leading up to the game, the matter of forward, who will sit out a season, Hunter's comments entered the continues a reversal of fortune to the discussion. positive for the three-time defending JanuaryPage 2 of2004 5 July 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg Van's Views Auriemma's reaction was something to the point that there were as many Duke Houston Comets coach Van graduates out there (in the workforce) Chancellor has a month remaining waiting on tables in restaurants as there before his thoughts turn to the Red, were Connecticut graduates. White, and Blue sector of the WNBA - namely those 12 pros who will play for Whatever, it now appears that Hunter's him on the USA Olympic team that will basketball hunger will be better fed above compete in Athens. the Mason-Dixon Line. At the moment, the focus is to keep in Spirit of ‘76 contention in the West with the Comets, who have had to play several games The way the New York Liberty is while Olympian Tina Thompson is getting battered and bruised, the team sidelined with an injury. may soon be able to model for a modern day depiction of that famous `Spirit of '76' “Anytime we can win a game without revolutionary war painting by A.M. Willard Tina Thompson in the lineup, we ought depicting the drummers and fife player to consider ourselves fortunate,” marching forward amid battle with the Chancellor said after his team grabbed American Flag in the background. two such victories last weekend. First, shooting guard Crystal Robinson As for competing against teams the was lost for several weeks with a fractured Comets dominated the first four seasons pinkie finger suffered in last week's home with titles through 2000, Chancellor loss to Los Angeles. Now center Tari stated the obvious. Phillips will be sidelined at least a month with a fractured right hand suffered in “Everyone has gotten better, no Monday's practice in Los Angeles. matter what the standings say,” Chancellor commented. “That's because The only positive on the Liberty road of the rookie class that came into the trip West has been on Saturday night league and then everyone helped when New York upset Seattle to give themselves in the dispersal draft of the Richie Adubato his 100th victory. Cleveland Rockets roster.” JanuaryPage 3 of2004 5 July 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg Dish to a Swish Fever at the MCI Center, former Notre Dame star Danielle Green, who recently The last time a rookie led the league lost a hand while serving in Iraq, will be in assists, her name was Ticha paid tribute. Penicheiro when she arrived in the WNBA in 1998 to the Sacramento Now she makes them Monarchs from Old Dominion and finished with a 7.5 average. She A few months ago, then-Stanford continued to stay at the top through last senior Nicole Powell missed a long shot season when she was still No. 1, at the buzzer that would have beaten although her average dipped below 7.0 Tennessee in a sub-regional final. for the first time at 6.7. As a rookie, the third overall pick for The native of Portugal's assist the Charlotte Sting, Powell currently dynasty is being threatened, however, by leads the WNBA in making three- another rookie – Connecticut’s Lindsay pointers with a 60.0 average. Whalen, the fourth overall pick in the draft from Minnesota, whose average is The only other rookie to crack the top 5.5 ten in this category in the history of the league by season's end was when Washington honor Jackie Stiles (remember her?) arrived in Portland in 2001 from Southwest At halftime Thursday night when the Missouri State and finished with a 43.1 Washington Mystics host the Indiana percentage, good enough for sixth place. TEAM REAL SPORTS apparel available at www.RealSportsMag.com 10% Discount for TEAM REAL SPORTS Members JanuaryPage 4 of2004 5 July 2004 Olympic Preview Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline Olympic Previews – Fifth in a seven-part series For most casual gymnastic fans, strictly a women's competition. The whether young or old, Nadia Comeneci's competition involves incorporating a perfect 10 score at the 1976 Montreal rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, while Games, the first ever awarded, remains being performed to music on a 13-metre- the image people have of the event and square floor area. In the individual event, of the sport’s female competitors. the athletes perform different routines with four of the five apparatus. In the The image of Nadia and the Perfect team competition, teams of five perform 10 is so strong that REAL SPORTS together once using clubs and once with magazine chose her as one of five to be two using hoops and three using ribbons honored as Athletes of the Century in the magazine’s Winter 1999 issue. Even less well known in the U.S. is Trampoline. This sport, added to the Gymnastics has changed since then. Olympic games as of January 1, 1999, As we prepare for Athens, the U.S. team with a debut at the 2000 Games in for Artistic Gymnastics is still being Sydney, Australia, features both men determined, but our Olympic and women events. representatives for Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline have been decided. At the U.S. Olympic Team Trials held on June 19, 2004, Mary Sanders earned Where Sport Meets Art there herself a trip to Athens, Greece by is…Beauty – Rhythmic securing a 105.175 All-around total. Gymnastics Olga Kramansky of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Lisa Wang of Buffalo Grove, Il followed While relatively unknown in the U.S., respectively with 95.525 and 88.500. Rhythmic gymnastics is widely followed Sanders, who holds dual American and throughout the world. A key distinction Canadian citizenship, was heavily for Rhythmic gymnastics is that it is favored. performed with an apparatus and is JanuaryPage 5 of2004 5 July 2004 Olympic Preview Trampoline Jennifer Parilla of Newport Beach, Parilla, finished with a total of 101.70, Calif., came from behind to claim her followed by Jaime Strandmark of spot as the USA representative for Webster, Texas with 96.60 and Amanda trampoline. Bailey, Sundown, Texas at 95.70. The San Jose Sports Authority Parilla finished ninth in Sydney, reported that Parilla trailed rival Kim trampoline’s first appearance in the Poling of Eden Prairie, Minn., 26.8-26.5 Olympics, and hopes for a substantial after the trampoline compulsories, the improvement in Athens. I “think I'm going first of three rounds of competition in that to Athens with a different level of focus discipline. But she took the lead in the than Sydney. Sydney, I was just excited optional round and never looked back. to go. It was the first Olympics as a sport for trampoline. The man who invented “I don’t pay attention to anybody the trampoline was there. And the first else’s scores or routines,’’ said Parilla, a world champion was there. In my second five-time national trampoline champion Olympics, I'm more looking forward to who also represented the United States the competition and going home with a four years ago in the Sydney Olympics. medal.” [RS] “As long as I do that, I’ll probably be first – in this country.” Jody Meacham contributed to this report. Spread the word – Annual TEAM REAL SPORTS memberships available for just $14.99 and it includes the exclusive members only T-Shirt. Call 800-650-0122..