Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg
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e-Zine October 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg WNBA PLAYOFFS 2004 There will be a few notable Tari Phillips and Ann Wauters for the absentees as the WNBA onference season. finals get under way tonight (Oct. 1) in the first of the best-of-three Besides the injuries, the Liberty also games series in the cities of the experienced a coaching change when lower seeded teams. Richie Adubato was fired, July 3, and Patty Coyle was promoted to interim The overall defending champion head coach. won’t be in the house at this stage of the playoffs for the first time in Former Washington Mystics coach the eight-year history of the league. Marianne Stanley was hired as Coyle’s assistant. The conference The New York Liberty is semifinals victory should be enough responsible for that historical note, to ensure both will be back next particularly Stanford graduate season. “That kid's been maligned all Bethany Donaphin. In a local-girl- year,” Coyle praised Donaphin’s makes good story, Donaphin saved fortitude. “All year we keep hearing the Liberty on a busted play by about how good everybody else’s putting down a shot in the final post players are. I couldn’t be more second to give New York a 66-64 happy for her.” win over Detroit in the decisive game of their Eastern semifinal Veteran point guard Becky Hammon, series and short-circuit the Shock herself a former free agent, also dynasty to a one-year reign over lauded her teammate. “I can’t say the WNBA. enough about her. Coming in here as a third string after not being in the The native New Yorker was signed league and she hits the shot in to a free agent contract a year ago Madison Square Garden that sent us and had seen considerable playing to the Eastern Conference finals. I time recently because of the couldn’t be any happier for any other injuries that sidelined centers person in this locker room.” Page 2 of 6 October 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg Connecticut Sun center Taj titles with the Comets winning the McWilliams-Franklin, whose team will first four championships and the face New York in the Eastern finals, Sparks following with the next two had her teammates over for dinner to before losing to the Shock in 2003. watch the New York-Detroit game. This season, Houston didn’t even “Bethany is my friend,” McWilliams- make the playoffs, the only sour note Franklin said of Donaphin’s heroics. in a glorious summer for Van “I love her and I was happy for her. I Chancellor who coached the U.S. was yelling and screaming when they Olympic women’s squad to a gold won. I was yelling and screaming medal in Athens. when she shot it.” Los Angeles was eliminated in the Losing Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer opening round for the first time in the was gracious in defeat. “It was not a Spark’s playoff participation history great day for the Detroit Shock,” as the Sacramento Monarchs avenged Laimbeer said afterwards. I thought it previous dispatches to them by Lisa was a great day for WNBA basketball. Leslie and teammates. You couldn’t find a more competitive, hard-fought game by both teams. Ironically, two former veteran New Spectacular plays. Crowd into it. It York players were on the Los Angeles didn’t get any better than that. roster this season. Teresea Weatherspoon and Tamika Whitmore ”I told our team, ‘Remember this signed as free agents last winter. feeling’ that they had in the locker room afterwards. Tough way to lose. Completing the field on the Eastern But we put ourselves in this position side is the Connecticut Sun, which this year.” ruined the Washington Mystics’ Cinderella-type late-season run to the Prior to Detroit’s win a year ago, the playoffs without Chamique Holdsclaw, Houston Comets and Los Angeles who left in late July with an Sparks had claimed all six previous undisclosed “medical” situation. Page 3 of 6 October 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg Washington found a new leader in than having faced Detroit in last rookie point guard Alana Beard, the year’s Eastern Conference finals. second overall No. 2 pick out of “Last year, Detroit was just one of Duke. However, after losing the first those teams playing above a level game in Washington, the Sun took over everyone else,” Sun forward used their home-court advantage Nykesha Sales, a former University of effectively to capture the series, Connecticut star, said. particular off the play of rookie point guard Lindsay Whalen, the former “New York is definitely a team that we University of Minnesota sensation tied against, so it’s going to be a great who was the fourth overall pick in matchup,” Sales said. last April’s draft. In the West, Seattle had never won a Second-year coach Mike Thibault playoff game before this season, rebuilt the roster, making it younger having been dispatched, 2-0, by Los in the offseason with the addition of Angeles in 2002 in the Storm’s only six new players, including veteran other postseason appearance. Asjha Jones, who was acquired in a trade with Washington in the The series will feature a battle inside offseason. with U.S. Olympic reserve Yolanda Griffith leading the Monarchs against “Who would have thunk it several Seattle’s center Lauren Jackson, an months ago,” Thibault alluded to Australian Olympian who is the preseason forecasts placing the Sun reigning WNBA Most Valuable Player. at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. When we scout players Jackson’s national team was the for our team, we look at their heart. runnerup to the United States in Most of them played for winning Athens. An important facet for Seattle programs in college.” will be the condition of Olympic reserve point guard Sue Bird, who New York and Connecticut split their suffered a broken nose in the Storm’s season series, 2-2. However, the second game against the Minnesota Sun will be much more confident Lynx. Page 4 of 6 October 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg Seattle swept that series, 2-0. Bird is New York honors expected to be on the court, although that could change by Late last month, the Queens College game-time. 1973 squad that lost to Immaculata in the national championship that year Meanwhile, there are many became the first women’s team storylines involving teams whose inducted into the New York City season is over. The San Antonio Basketball Hall of Fame. Silver Stars, likely to be holding a high draft pick, has to name a Former coach Lucille Kyvallos coach. In Los Angeles, although accepted on behalf of the team, whose they did a commendable job in players included Debbie “The Pearl” leading the Sparks to the best Mason, Gail Marquis and Cathy overall record in the league, it is Andruzzi. unknown whether management will retain the tandem of Karleen Donna Lopiano, head of the Women’s Thompson and Ryan Weisenberg, Sports Foundation, introduced the who stepped up in interim co-head squad. In her remarks Lopiano went coaching capacities when Michael on to say: Cooper left for an NBA job with the “Just two seasons earlier...women Denver Nuggets. played a six player basketball game with only two rovers allowed to play There will also be an abundance of full-court. This Queens College team free agent talent. The No. 1 story will not only brought women’s basketball be the future of Holdsclaw in into the five player game... they wrote Washington as to whether she goes the book on it and challenged other to another team or remains. The teams to measure up. Mystics seemed to be more cohesive without her and the squad “No player was taller than 5’11”; and certainly looked unified having a most had little or no pre-college late-night meal in the casino playing experience. They were tough complex in Connecticut after their city kids who loved to play. elimination by the Sun. Page 5 of 6 October 2004 Inside Scoop™ by Mel Greenberg “There were no scholarships and no ”They inspired a generation of girls recruiting in women’s sports. The and women... creating aspirations for basketball team’s budget was less our daughters to become athletes. than $500. ”This team played “team” like our “They came to Queens College soccer, softball and basketball gold because of a great coach... someone medalists. who expected them to be great basketball players, not women ”They weren’t a bunch of superstars... basketball players. but they were a cohesive group of hard-working role players who gave The players had to try-out for the 100% effort every time they set foot team. No one had a free ride onto on the court. that ball club. ”They played against male players “No one told them they couldn’t play in practice because they wanted to like boys. They introduced the be tested by players who were women’s game to a tenacious, bigger and stronger and quicker. withering, pressing player-to-player defense from endline to endline. “This group of players became icons, the first female athlete role “They played fast break, up tempo models for a generation of NYC offense... disappointed if their fast girls. break lasted more than 4 seconds before putting the ball in the hoop... “They epitomized the promise of Title IX, the federal law that pledged “They pushed their opponents to that our daughters would be treated match their desire and conditioning.