The (Far) Away Game Defensive Player of the Year in 2005

The (Far) Away Game Defensive Player of the Year in 2005

SCARTETSPORTS who, as a senior, was the Big East The (Far) Away Game Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. A T}le poperNarig of basketbal! sverseas has allovsed collegc pNayers*men and wonnen*ts second-round pick, she stafted every game on a team that won its first WNBA lrave profes*ionaN playing eareers where seant opportunity Exists stateside. Three yeans of championship in 2005. She made the glnbe-tnottimg has allowed forrmer &utgers star Cllelssa l'{e*vtcn to thrive as a player. league's All-Rookie Team and just missed making the All-Defensive Second Team. iscataway has its charms, but no playing after the WNBA season," says Picked in the expansion draft, she joined one will ever mistake it for the pic- Newton, the 5-11 guard for the the Chicago Slqz for the 2006 season and turesque coast of northern Italy. Sacramento Monarchs. "The WNBA was traded back to the Monarchs for the That's why Chelsea Newton RC'05 season is only four months long. Ifyou're 2007 season. But the WNBA season, jumped at the chance to play profes- a woman and want to play pro hoops, which takes place during the summer sional basketball in the city of La Spezia you have to go overseas." months, is short, and the salaries are rel- by joining the Carispe La Spezia team, The native of Monroe, Louisiana, is atively modest. So, she and other players part of the Lega Basket Femminile. "l among the former stars of Rutgers' look further afield. didn't want to worry about where I was women's and men's basketball teams Her first stop was Israel, where she who are fashioning careers played during the three-month season as basketball missionaries. for Raanana Hertzliya, one of nine There are Scarlet Ituights women's teams in Israel's Division I everywhere: Joel Salvi Women's League. "The people, the cul- RC'01, SCILS'O1 in Italy; turg and the clubs-the atmosphere was Adrian Hill UCNB'O7 in great." International leagues limit the Spain; lerome Coleman number of foreign players on a team. RC'03 in France; Tammy Newton, one of three Americans, com- Sutton-Brown RC'01, peted before 700 fans each game, earned Cappie Pondexter RC'06, $5,000 a month, shared a rent-free apart- and Ridcy Shields in Tirrkey; ment, and had the use of a car. Jeff Greer in France; and Retuming to Piscataway at season's Herve Lamizana in China end, she grew restless and eagerly joined (the last three didn't gradu- the Lotos Gdynia, a team based in north- ate). Because of the growing ern Poland and a member of the Polish numbers of professional Women's Basketball League. Playing for leagues throughout Europe, four months, she led her team to the South America, Asia, championship game against Krakow. "lt Australia, and Africa-63 couldn't have been more different than nations alone host women's Israel," she says. "Outside of basketball, teams-former collegiate there wasn't nearly as much to do or see." stars nationwide who, In her current home in La Spezia, unlike Newton, can't make Newton has an apartment, earns $10,000 the cut in the WNBA or a month, and plays one weekly game. NBA have a second life feed- She practices twice daily, in the moming ing the demand worldwide. and in the late afternoon. "l sleep Since graduating with between practices. I could make more a degree in sports man- money in Russia (host to the premier agement, the 24-year-old Russian Basketball Super League), but I Newton has been a pro hear playing there isn't much fun." basketball nomad, bounc- Wherever she does play, Newton, out ing from WNBA franchises of respect for her hosts, tries to learn in Califomia and Chicago the language and culture. One thing to prolessional teams in that Newton, formerly a defensive Israel, Poland, and now specialist, has learned is how to be an Italy. The Sacramento offensive threat. 'Americans are expected Monarchs drafted Newton, to score here." 20 RUTGERS MAGAZINE.

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