Swish Appeal: All Posts by Smoove FridayBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2015-04-03T13:00:02-04:00https://www.swishappeal.com/authors/smoove-friday/rss2015-04-03T13:00:02-04:002015-04-03T13:00:02-04:00Catchings talks life, WBCA Good Works Team
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<img alt="Catchings finally achieved a lifelong dream: winning a WNBA Championship in 2012. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zbR1kUnXycE5l_1FfDo2YV9Da3E=/0x484:3490x2811/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46037568/usa-today-6684966.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Catchings finally achieved a lifelong dream: winning a WNBA Championship in 2012. | Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tamika Catchings twice within the last month and we talked everything from basketball to life in general. Catchings, who recently announced that she will retire after the 2016 Rio Olympics, is a member of the highly distinguished voting panel for the Allstate Women's Basketball Coaches Association Good Works team. </p> <p>Drafted by the Indiana Fever with the 3rd overall pick, Tamika Catchings has been a mainstay at the top of the women's game since missing her rookie season due to an injury sustained in her senior season at Tennessee. Sitting down with her and picking her brain, she references the uncertainty that was her future when she left Knoxville. "I decided to follow in my dad's footsteps," Catchings' father Harvey -- a Jackson, Mississippi native-- played 11 years in the NBA with the Sixers, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Bucks</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>. Boy did she ever. By the time her career finishes, Tamika will have played 15 seasons in the WNBA and they will have all been with one franchise, the same one that drafted her. Catchings seemingly radiated through the phone as she spoke on her experience being able to play for one team and have the "amazing support" of not only family and friends but the Fever fans and organization.</p>
<p>Prior to being a top pick in the best women's basketball league in the world, Tamika put together a fantastic collegiate career in Knoxville. It all began with the "Meeks" -- a trio consisting of Lady Vol all-time greats Catchings, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Semeka Randall-- and their undefeated run to a national championship. Although that championship would be the lone of her college career, currently sitting 4th on both the rebounding and scoring charts, Catch definitely left her mark on Knoxville. The Lady Vols, 2015 version, bowed out to Maryland in a tough Elite Eight game but left Catchings proud of what she saw.</p>
<p>The only thing that could potentially be more synonymous with Tamika Catchings than the University of Tennessee is USA basketball. Catchings didn't mince words with what playing for her country has meant to her. "I'm excited about this last opportunity. Just to be named to the pool, is a great honor and I still have every hope and intention of making the team. But there's some great, young players that are in the mix and I've just got to continue to work hard."</p>
<p>Catchings said she knew last season, with all the ups and downs associated with injuries last season, while working her way back she could feel that she might be approaching the end. With 2015 three months old and the WNBA draft rapidly approaching, I asked Tamika what she looked forward to most this season and she instantly talked about the youth, in particular Natalie Achonwa. For those unfamiliar, the talented and precocious Achonwa was injured in Notre Dame's Elite Eight game her senior season and was drafted by the Fever, but spent the season rehabbing. Catchings also missed what would have been her true rookie season after tearing an ACL --the same injury that took Achonwa off the floor-- before winning Rookie of the Year the next season. Achonwa will benefit from having tempered expectations as she's not only a rookie to the professional game but recovering from a major surgery.</p>
<p>Not to be lost in all the basketball chatter, is the amazing difference in the community made by the players nominated and named to the <a href="http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2015-02-10/2015-good-works-teams-announced" target="_blank">WBCA Good Works</a> team. The ten player team, composed of five players from NCAA Division I and five players from a pool of NCAA Division II, III and NAIA players will be recognized during the 2015 WBCA Convention and at the Women's Final Four in Tampa while also volunteering to participate in a local community project. Catchings spoke at length about how much she enjoys being able to share the passion for making a difference in people's lives with the players rewarded with the distinction. It is easy to see why when you look into some of the stories behind the athletes:</p>
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<ul>
<li><span>Take Northwestern senior center <a href="http://www.bigten.org/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/021015aaa.html" target="_blank">Alex Cohen</a>. In addition to helping lead the Cats back to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA tournament</a> for the first time since 1997, Cohen served as the president of a campus student organization called <i><a href="http://events.autismspeaks.org/site/c.nuLTJ6MPKrH/b.8760443/k.BDB5/Home.htm" target="_blank">Autism Speaks U</a>, </i>for two years before moving into the vice president role so that she could shift focus to serving as the event chair for a special night held Oct.2nd called NU Goes Blue where she helped raise autism awareness and nearly $20,000 towards research. Alex's brother Aaron was diagnosed when he was three years old. </span></li>
<li><span>Now let's talk about <a href="http://geneseoknights.com/sports/wbkb/2014-15/releases/20150209qjcbba" target="_blank">Lea Sobieraski</a>, a senior from SUNY Geneseo, who is actively involved with the <a href="http://www.unyts.org/" target="_blank">Upstate New York Transplant Services</a>. Lea was born with a rare liver condition called Wilson's Disease that nearly took her life during her junior year. While making it a priority to promote organ and tissue donation, Sobieraski make it her mission to return to school and basketball for her senior year. Lea played in 30 games, starting five, for the 25-5 Knights. </span></li>
<li><span>The youngest player on the team, Columbia sophomore <a href="http://www.gocolumbialions.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209881999" target="_blank">Devon Roeper</a>, wasted very little time in making a mark in her community. After her freshman year of high school, Devon went on a two-week medical missions trip to northern Uganda. Even after serving over 700 people a day in makeshift clinics, Roeper was able to convince the tribal king to donate land and then raised $15,000 to build a basketball court to help her connect with people of the Mukono community. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>I then asked Catch to speak about what the biggest surprise has been for her and she immediately spoke on exactly what she was doing with me at that moment. Catchings, who mentioned that she really didn't speak for herself until her sister left to play at the University of Illinois her junior year of high school, said she never imagined speaking in the manner she does today and being an advocate for those that may not know what the world truly has to offer. As widely noted, Catchings was born with a hearing disability and even wore a hearing aid as a young child.</div>
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<div>The interview closed by giving Catchings the opportunity to talk about her legacy, her brand. To the naked eye, professional athletes get to live a life of privilege and luxury that many claim to aspire towards. But the responsibility and the opportunities that come with being an athlete and an advocate are things that Catchings embraces. When asked what was the one thing that she would have people remember about her, if she had control, was simply one word: <strike>CHAMPION</strike> <strike>LEGEND</strike> <b>PASSION. </b>
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<div>So with 9 all star appearances, an MVP, and the first quintuple double in Texas state basketball history, what has meant the most to Tamika Catchings is being able to give back to others. "I just have a passion to make a difference in people's lives." I, as well as the world, are better for having known you Catch.</div>
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<div>Here's a look at the full Good Works Team</div>
<div>
<table class="inline-left" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 5px 15px 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid #cccccc; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21.2800006866455px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; border-spacing: 0px; width: 312px; color: #444444; background-color: #efedee;">
<thead style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">
<th colspan="4" scope="col" style="border-bottom-style: none; padding: 4px 3px; text-align: center; margin: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: bottom; color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase; background: #01375d;">2015 ALLSTATE WBCA GOOD WORKS TEAM</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">
<td colspan="4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; max-width: inherit;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #333333;">Division I</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ededed;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Kyndal Clark</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">G</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Drake</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Alex Cohen</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">F/C</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Northwestern</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ededed;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Bria Goss</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">G</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Kentucky</td>
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<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Stephanie Leon</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">C</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Delaware</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ededed;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Devon Roeper</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Soph.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">F</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Columbia</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">
<td colspan="4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; max-width: inherit;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #333333;">Division II, III and NAIA</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ededed;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Kathryn Clark</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Jr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">G</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Johns Hopkins</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Jasmine DeBerry</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">G</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Wingate</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ededed;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Megan Whittaker</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">G</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Loyola</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Shanteona Keys</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">G/F</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Georgia College</td>
</tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ededed;">
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Lea Sobieraski</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">Sr.</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">F</td>
<td style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 8px; border: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: inherit;">SUNY Geneseo</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div><br></div>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/4/3/8338267/catching-up-with-tamika-looking-at-the-allstate-good-works-team-andSmoove Friday2015-03-31T15:07:00-04:002015-03-31T15:07:00-04:00SA Community WNBA Mock Draft: Who's your #5 pick?
<figure>
<img alt="Isabelle Harrison's still available at #5 y'all." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2ggm4uhJBYXdoZ5xbjzOUm8IR-I=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46012512/usa-today-8280534.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Isabelle Harrison's still available at #5 y'all. | Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The mock draft continues as the Chicago Sky's on the clock for pick numero cinco.</p> <p><b>MOCK DRAFT UPDATE: </b>With the fourth pick in the 2015 Swish Appeal Community Mock WNBA Draft, the Connecticut Sun selects Crystal Bradford of Central Michigan.</p>
<p>I feel that this pick up was a little early, but in this Draft, team fit is key. The Connecticut Sun needs a guard who can help fill the void for Katie Douglas as she heads toward retirement in the not too distant future. In addition, Bradford is a dominant player for her team and can be a player who can contribute to many areas besides just scoring. Therefore, this may not be a bad pick if she works out with them. For more reading, I'll <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/2/19/8068455/2015-wnba-draft-preview">defer to Colin Davenport's FanPost</a>, which previewed the WNBA Draft.</p>
<p>The latest player to be added to the poll is Ariel Massengale of Tennessee. Now let's head over to Chicago and see how things are going over there. - Albert</p>
<h4><b>Synopsis</b></h4>
<p>You are Pokey Chatman, the General Manager and Head Coach of the Chicago Sky. Last season left a bitter taste in your mouth. Finally armed with a roster that you've built, the injury bug hit your team last season and decided it preferred this perch against others. The timing of these injuries probably stung more than the sum of the injuries themselves, yet you still found your way to the WNBA Finals despite being the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.</p>
<p>The lack of depth on an otherwise talented team really caused problems for Sylvia Fowles and crew when they faced a series with the best team in the league in 2014. With the number of veteran contracts on this team, you're looking at potentially running into the same issue this season. WNBA hopefuls Jacki Gemelos and Clarissa Dos Santos are players with professional experience that would be eligible for rookie-level contracts, but your best bet may be in what's considered to be a "weak draft."</p>
<h4><b>Projected Depth Chart</b></h4>
<p class="pgh-paragraph"><span>If the roster looks almost exactly the same as last season, that's because it is.</span></p>
<table width="379" border="0" align="center" class="sbn-data-table">
<colgroup> <col width="34"> <col width="115" span="3"> </colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr height="15" class="ui-state-even">
<td style="text-align: center;" width="34" height="15" class="xl63"><br></td>
<td style="text-align: center;" width="115"><b>Starter</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;" width="115"><b>Backup</b></td>
<td style="text-align: center;" width="115"><b>Backup #2</b></td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" class="ui-state-odd">
<td style="text-align: center;" height="15" class="xl64">G</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Courtney Vandersloot</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Jameirra Faulker</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Jacki Gemelos</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" class="ui-state-even">
<td style="text-align: center;" height="15" class="xl64">G</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Cappie Pondexter</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Allie Quigley</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Courtney Clements</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" class="ui-state-odd">
<td style="text-align: center;" height="15" class="xl64">F</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Elena Delle Donne</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Tamera Young</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><br></td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" class="ui-state-even">
<td style="text-align: center;" height="15" class="xl64">F</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Jessica Breland</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Sasha Goodlett</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Gennifer Brandon</td>
</tr>
<tr height="15" class="ui-state-odd">
<td style="text-align: center;" height="15" class="xl64">C</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Sylvia Fowles</td>
<td style="text-align: center;" class="xl64">Markeisha Gatling</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Clarissa Dos Santos</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The only change is at the shooting guard position, where the jury is out on the Cappie Pondexter acquisition. Based on last season, the Sky lose this trade using the eye test due to Prince being the younger player with more potential to grow. HOWEVER, if Cappie can rediscover her form -- and I think she just needed out of the toxicity she created in NYC -- this could be just what the Sky needed.</p>
<h4>Primary Weaknesses: Defense and depth of talent</h4>
<div class="sidebar">
<h2>Who has been drafted so far?</h2>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">The following players have already been selected in our community mock draft:</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">1. <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/25/8288539/swish-appeal-community-2015-wnba-mock-draft-seattle-storm-number-1" data-ref-index="9">Storm: Reshanda Gray</a></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">2. <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/26/8294103/swish-appeal-community-2015-wnba-mock-draft-tulsa-shock-number-2" data-ref-index="10">Shock: Elizabeth Williams</a></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">3. <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/27/8298393/swish-appeal-community-2015-wnba-mock-draft-seattle-storm-number-3" data-ref-index="11">Storm: Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis</a></p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">4. <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/30/8305363/swish-appeal-community-2015-wnba-mock-draft-connecticut-sun-number-4" data-ref-index="11">Sun: Crystal Bradford</a></p>
</div>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">For a long time, the Sky have relied on Fowles to hold down the fort defensively. With the combination of injuries and the talent level of the league steadily increasing, that cannot be the case if the Sky want to improve upon last season's final results.</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">Your starting backcourt gave up as many, if not more points than it produced on a nightly basis. The only reason Delle Donne isn't included in that same statement is because she can make up for any scoring deficit better than any other player in the league. Defensive ability doesn't happen overnight, but you don't have to be a juggernaut to win games. On that same token, you cannot be a sieve. Just ask the Phoenix Mercury.</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">The Sky just need to continue to improve upon the product they already have. Pokey has been a breath of fresh air for the WNBA in terms of giving players a chance. Most teams look directly to the waiver wire for improvements. However, Chatman brings in players that fit her style, and the growth continues throughout the course of the season. But at the end of the day, talent is the name of the game. If those players' skills, abilities, and mental capacities aren't improving, you'll find yourself on the ever-popular "Treadmill of Mediocrity." It will be interesting to see just how much the players bring to the table this season.</p>
<h4>Which players could be a good fit for the Sky at the #5 spot?</h4>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">The biggest hole the Sky have right now is at the power forward spot. I haven't been shy about my obsession with big guards/skilled posts, and Chicago has two of the best examples of these. The issues arise when they try to combine the two. Delle Donne should not be playing the post at any time. There's no way I'm asking the most unique player the game has ever seen to wear her body down defending post players who usually have a game plan to be physical with her. There was no other realistic option last season as Gennifer Brandon proved the equivalent of an intern on the first day of the assignment which means this is an area the team should address first.</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">Some players that crossed my mind as potential fits here in Chicago, regardless of whether they would be the best players available or not at this spot. They include Ally Mallott, Aleighsa Welch, Sara Hammond, and Izzy Harrison.</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">But two names stuck out perfectly. Instant gratification tells me to choose Dearica Hamby. She fits perfectly and is one of the most skilled players in the draft. She's got good size for the power forward spot at 6'3 and has skills to stretch out to the perimeter. She's likely one of the most pro-ready players in the draft because she HAD to perform on a nightly basis for her team to stand a chance (and they were in a lot of games this season) in a packed ACC that put five teams into the Sweet Sixteen. Hamby is also high on my list based on her work ethic and desire to be great. She's spoken candidly via Twitter about being lightly recruited and playing a minor role her first two seasons at Wake Forest before taking it to a new level her final two seasons.</p>
<p class="pgh-paragraph">However, it's probably become apparent that I'm not too excited about this draft and I've approached it that way all season. Chicago is a team that is capable of filling the holes they via trade or free agency because there aren't many for the defending Eastern Conference champions. A player I had on the radar all year for the Sky but isn't available this season due to injury is Nneka Enekmpali. She played with top level centers this season and even without any refined stretch ability, they flourished. She's an offensive rebounding threat with a high motor and she's skilled enough to score one-on-one in the low post. She would then play against the likes of Delle Donne and Breland in practice and come face-to-face with how difficult it is to guard a post with stretch skills and have ample opportunity to improve.</p>
<h4><b>Now, it's time to vote!</b></h4>
<p class="pgh-paragraph"><b>POLLING CLOSES AT 12 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1! </b>On Wednesday, we head southwest to the Lonestar State and assess the San Antonio Star's options with the number 6 pick. Also, feel free to add which player(s) we should add to the Draft Board Poll for Wednesday.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/31/8317109/swish-appeal-community-2015-wnba-mock-draft-chicago-sky-number-5Smoove Friday2015-02-10T12:00:03-05:002015-02-10T12:00:03-05:00UConn makes statement, FSU continues hot streak
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-fdbXajXVsyqUWW-UrotESp1XV0=/0x133:1878x1385/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45660748/usa-today-8340557.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The showdown of the year has come and gone and the outcome wasn't much different than many of us expected. This game, unlike many recent big games UConn has been involved in probably will have a larger impact later than sooner. ALSO: Tennessee continues to set standards in SEC. Florida State continues impressive stretch.</p> <p>On more occasions than one, I've mentioned the parity level of women's basketball being at an all-time high. New kids on the block like Oregon State and Princeton find themselves in the conversation weekly. Meanwhile, old faithful programs like UConn and Tennessee continue to be measuring sticks for programs around the country. The middle used to be filled with mediocre teams that tended to follow a specific pattern: beat the teams you're supposed to beat while succumbing to those at the next level, with a shocker either way sprinkled in. That narrative is still relevant in the scheme of things but it's definitely been a season to behold. Monday proved no different.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">UCONN MAKES STATEMENT, HANDS GAMECOCKS FIRST LOSS</h3>
<p>Heading into Monday's game, there were only two possible outcomes in my mind. South Carolina would shock the world and pull out a tough, hard-fought victory over the UConn Huskies. OR.... UConn would continue to demolish teams that built up season-long storylines for Geno to talk about in the confines of his locker room. Unfortunately for some, it happened to be the latter.</p>
<p>Three things are going to happen when you face this year's UConn team:</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span>Breanna Stewart isolations</span></li>
<li><span>Morgan Tuck/Moriah Jefferson attacking off the bounce</span></li>
<li><span>Concerted efforts to find Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis in transition</span></li>
</ol>
<div>And there's really nothing you can do about it. South Carolina is an extremely talented team and they hang their hats on the defensive end of the floor. What happened on Monday? 7 made field goals apiece for each of the players listed above as they accounted for 78 of the 87 points UConn put on the board. And there wasn't anything amazing about it. Geno may have some of the best schemes and gameplans in the world in his back pocket but we may never know because he's built a career on keeping it simple. He puts his players in positions to be successful, he motivates them to work harder than every other team, and pushes them to be the best every day.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>This isn't about X's and O's. Dawn Staley is an up-and-coming talent and will one day stand at the apex of the women's college basketball world. This isn't about talent. The #1 recruit in the country comes off the bench for an SC squad that came into this game undefeated. This is solely about the best motivator and the best teacher in the country flexing his muscles. I used to think I suffered from "UConn fatigue" but what I realized on Monday is that I want to be in Geno's shoes one day. And in the grind towards being able to do that, I would greatly benefit from seeing his peers force him to take it up a notch. To be even better than the greatness he already personifies. To see Geno sweat towards the end of a game and truly find out what he would have to do if he had to rely on Saniya Chongs or Kiah Stokes of the world. Boy! That would be nice.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>There's a reason that the losses Geno has endured have come from a very elite list. VanDerveer. McGraw. Summit. Stringer. Sounds like a roster at the basketball hall of fame; and that's because it is. Well, Staley is there as a player and is destined to double up on the nods. But Monday was the first of many building blocks for her program. A true measuring stick for a season that provides endless opportunity. Staley left Temple to try and build her own culture at a program that was happy just to break even in the SEC and she's succeeded. Columbia is a destination now. USC shows a confidence and toughness early in this game that not many teams have. In a game that has a 25-point final spread, they at least have something they can build upon.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>23 was the final point tally for Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis to lead the way for the Huskies. Three more joined her in double figures as Stewart had 22, 8 boards and 5 blocks. 17 and 16 were the totals for Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson as they dominated the game at different times for UConn. 17 points was the leader for the Gamecocks as Aleighsa Welch and Tiffany Mitchell proved they belong amongst the elite. A'ja Wilson struggled on the big scene but still produced relatively well, finishing with 10 and 6 off the bench. Welch played a spectacular game, finishing with a double-double, adding 11 boards.</div>
<div><br></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">TENNESSEE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: BUSINESS AS USUAL</h3>
<p>There's a commotion involving an SEC team at the top of women's basketball and it doesn't involve the team that calls Thompson-Boling area home. And they likely wouldn't have it any other way. As Dawn Staley's crew grabs the headlines and the attention of America as the top-ranked team in the nation, Holly Warlick is busy hammering away. Trying to rebuild a program and re-establish a level of expectation that seems to have left the room in Pat Summit's gym bag. The Lady Vols have emerged from the early SEC schedule unscathed, including a stretch of three straight ranked teams-- dropping Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi State in succession.</p>
<p>What might be most interesting about this is who's not playing. On the sideline sit the number one overall recruit from 2013 in Mercedes Russell. Beside her? The number 3 recruit from the same class in North Carolina transfer Diamond DeShields. Further down? The number 8 player in that class in Jannah Tucker, who has yet to really make a dent this season after a rough stretch the last few years. That not enough? Warlick is adding two of the top guards in the country next year in Tea Cooper and MeMe Jackson.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">I still think there's a ceiling for this team that, at best, ends in the Elite Eight but one cannot deny what Warlick has accomplished in not allowing this team to settle for a struggle while transitioning. There's a chance to state otherwise for the Lady Vols as we approach the end of the season. In their final five games, Warlick and crew will welcome ranked team Kentucky to town before going to South Carolina and Georgia. It'll be interesting to see how things turn out in this solid conference battle.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">SEMINOLES CRASHING BOARDS, ACC PARTY AT SAME TIME</h3>
<p>Florida State, on paper, doesn't really have room to feel slighted. One of their best player's wasn't supposed to take the court until next year. They lost a program cornerstone to the WNBA and replaced her with a junior college All-American and their backcourt is littered with transfers. All things considered, 5th place preseason is probably just about right for a team that had a lot more questions than answers to start the season.</p>
<p>Fast forward to February and you're looking at the number 7 team in the nation. Sue Semrau has this team clicking in every facet even prior to Leticia Romero's release and now, a fully healthy team has taken it to the next level. Semrau has more talent than she's ever had. She's got a McDonald's All-American freshman coming off the bench, taking minutes from a McDonald's All-American sophomore who has yet to put it together. Shakena Richardson left Rutgers in search of more minutes and now is battling with players of her level or better to break double digit minutes.</p>
<p>Even with all things considered, the backboards are where FSU is winning games. 24 games? 24 outrebounded opponents. The Seminoles are grabbing 13 more boards than their opponents each game, ranking 4th in the country. Take it a step further and the reason there's so many boards to grab is because they're only allowing 57.1 points per game. Add in four double figure scorers (five if you count Romero's 9.7 points.) and you've got the equation to your 22-2 record.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">TEAM OF THE WEEK:</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">UCONN HUSKIES</h4>
<p>After months and months of endless chatter of the 1 v 2 matchup in Storrs, Geno's squad took a valiant effort from Dawn Staley's crew and effortlessly pulled away. Don't let the score fool you, Staley had her crew ready. Usually, the pressure of the moment has gotten to teams and by the second media timeout, UConn has blown things open. At the under-16 timeout, the game was knotted at 18-apiece. UConn just methodically pieced together another masterpiece.</p>
<p>I mentioned above how Geno keeps it simple. Case in point: Tiffany Mitchell scored 8 quick points early on. He doesn't go zone. He doesn't go to a gimmick box-and-1. He challenges his players, including Saniya Chong who's been in the doghouse for her defense this season, to get in a stance and face guard the reigning SEC player of the year. And they did just that. In the only game that actually stood the chance of being a game for the Huskies, they blew the lid off the place and rewarded the students and fans that braved heavy snow and low temps to fill the stands.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">GAME OF THE WEEK</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">GONZAGA DEFEATS SAN FRANCISCO 91-84</h4>
<p>Cal beat Arizona State to shake up the standings out West. UConn dominated out East. All the while? Lisa Fortier has Gonzaga at a place it's quite familiar being. The top. 12-0 is the mark for the Bulldogs atop the West Coast Conference and they had to battle to make it that way.</p>
<p>USF came into the game at 5-7 in conference play but put a scare in Fortier's team in the first matchup before falling by 8 at home. Being on the road seemed to motivate Jennifer Azzi's squad and they put up a valiant fight. After four extra sessions, the victor emerged in home uniforms, thanks to 20 points from Keani Albanez. Elle Tinkle, the honorable committee of one's pick for most improved player in the country added 17 and 10 rebounds. Sunny Greinacher had 19 and Emma Stach added 11 off the bench.</p>
<p>USF was led by Taylor Proctor's 19. Michaela Rakova added 17 and 8 rebounds off the bench. 12 apiece for Paige Spietz and Taj Winston. Zhane Dikes added 10, 5, and 5 before fouling out to round out the players in double figures for the Dons.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">PLAYER OF THE WEEK:</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Lexi Eaton, G BYU</h4>
<p>Lexi Eaton has gotten a chance to play in the spotlight after leading the BYU women's run to the Elite Eight last season alongside 6'7" Jennifer Hamson. The second act has been just as good. Scoring 20.7 points and shooting 44% from distance is no small task, but Eaton showed us she had another level this week.</p>
<p>In what turned out to be victory number 300 for her head coach, Eaton took over the game against Pepperdine and finished with career-highs of 37 points and 14 rebounds in a 77-58 victory. As if this weren't enough, she tallied 24 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists in a 74-59 over Loyola Marymount.</p>
<p>The stage may not be as big, nor the ceiling as high but Lexi Eaton has made it clear that she likes the big lights and continues to produce like it. BYU is a team that knows what it's like to win big games after returning 3 of the 5 players to start at least 28 games a season ago. March could be special for Jeff Judkins squad again and if so, it'll be Eaton 'eating' this time around.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">WNBA PROSPECT OF THE WEEK:</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Brittany Hrynko G Depaul</h4>
<p>This has been one of my favorite players to watch play and grow the last four seasons. She came into Chicago a gunner who had never met a shot she didn't think she could make and there were some growing pains. Struggles against the top teams. Finishing an otherwise strong freshman season with more turnovers than assists or made field goals. It even got as bad as ten turnovers in one game vs Louisville that freshman year. But turn it around, she did.</p>
<p>In 25 games this season, Hrynko has more than 50 more assists than turnovers. Add-in 36% shooting from deep and a team-leading 70 steals, Drake's most recent crush seems to have finally grasped what Doug Bruno was looking to instill in her. And there's likely a professional career to follow now. Hrynko brings all the flash and confidence of a point guard from Philly (see Dion Waiters) but in a body that also digs in defensively and takes what the defense gives her now. She's still a bit small for the WNBA but the opportunity is there. Considering the recent success of players like Jameirra Faulkner and Riquna Williams, Hrynko should go into camp and just do what she does better than anyone else.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/2/10/8010203/weekly-recap-uconn-backs-up-banners-florida-state-continues-hot-streakSmoove Friday2015-02-03T11:00:03-05:002015-02-03T11:00:03-05:00Weekly Recap: Baylor trots on, Frese cruises on
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vBhGUZF8RDWIoWrr94C0z8hrNMc=/0x105:1724x1254/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45612958/usa-today-8348414.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Baylor Lady Bears never seem to know when to leave the table. Mulkey has her squad ready for the big show. Frese finds comfort amidst new foes in the realigned BIG 12. ALSO: Take a look at a young big from out west in our WNBA Spotlight Player and a transfer making a splash in a new color. </p> <p>Debbie Antonelli put it in <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/debbieantonelli/status/562374915454955521">plain words</a> for all to see Monday afternoon: "6 ways to guard ball screens. Under, over, hedge, switch, trap, ice.. if you don't have it by February, you're not gonna. Get in the gym and shoot Work on OFFENSE." I couldn't agree more. You're not going to do much more defensively than you've already established for yourself at this point in the season. Get your behind in the gym and be able to make shots. Maryland has had the Big Ten's third-best scoring defense this season. All that goes out the window when the third best offensive, second best shooting team in the league comes into the building and shoots 53%.</p>
<p>28 free throws and a 41-29 rebounding advantage told the story for this game but as Antonelli mentioned, Iowa was still able to get what it wanted all night long. Perfect example, in late game execution, Bluder brought sniper Melissa Dixon off a screen only to have the defense rotate up leaving Ally Disterhoft with a layup before taking a timeout. Here's a few of my takeaways from the week.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<h3 style="text-align:center">MARYLAND SETS PACE IN BIG 10 RACE</h3>
<p> </p>
<p>Brenda Frese's squad was supposed to be in the midst of an era change in College Park after losing program cornerstone Alyssa Thomas to the WNBA. Somebody didn't inform Lexie Brown. 26 points and 7 assists were the final tallies for the sophomore guard as she led the way to a 93-88 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes.</p>
<p>Brionna Jones rang up 19 points and 15 rebounds while senior guard Laurin Mincy finished with 15. Ally Disterhoff led four Hawkeyes in double figues as she registered 22 points. Melissa Dixon hit 4 more threes and finished with 18. Sam Logic had 18, 7 assists and 6 rebounds while center Bethany Doolittle added 16 points and 6 rebounds.</p>
<p>Maryland moved to 10-0 in the Big Ten while handing Lisa Bluder's squad its second conference loss. Two games is the gap between the team's for the conference's top spot. Iowa welcomes in Ohio State on Thursday while Frese's squad travels to Penn State.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align:center">MULKEY'S BEARS SET PACE IN BIG 12</h3>
<p>Nina Davis came into Waco a four-star recruit at one time listed as a "6'1 guard with an awkward shooting motion and ability to play all three perimeter spots" and now she's the leading scorer as an undersized 5'11 post player for the third ranked team in the country. Just how much is she doing you ask? 21.3 points and 8.8 rebounds are the nightly average for the reigning BIG 12 Freshman of the year.</p>
<p>Regularly assisted by a sixth-woman who's the team's second leading scorer off the bench at under 20 minutes per game and the nation's leading assister, Davis has continued to take advantage of her agility and finishing ability, shooting 57% from the field. A healthy Alexis Prince has proven effective and Aussie freshman Kristy Wallace is shooting 40% from three.</p>
<p>Kim Mulkey's team's have found a way to sustain, first to losing Griner, then Sims and sitting ranked third in the country currently, this team is expected to only lose one senior while adding newly named McDonald's All American centers Kalani Brown and Beatrice Mompremier to the fold. 13-0 leads the way in the Big12 and they've won 19 straight, the Bears seem to be primed for the spotlight come March.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align:center"><i>GAME OF THE WEEK</i></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">TEXAS DEFEATS OKLAHOMA IN OT 84-81</h4>
<p>Karen Aston's squad has been searching for an identity since losing All Big 12 forward Nneka Enemkpali to a torn ACL. The most recent decision has been to start the two centers, junior Imani McGee-Stafford alongside sophomore Kelsey and boy, did it kickstart the Aggies. The first-time starting lineup also included Big 12 Freshman of the Week Ariel Atkins, Brooke McCarty and Brady Sanders.</p>
<p>The game began as a struggle Oklahoma hit 4 of its 5 threes in the first stanza, forging a 33-30 advantage at the break. 8 points, 5 boards and 2 blocks were the second half numbers for McGee-Stafford before allowing guards Empress Davenport and Atkins to take over in OT, scoring 15 of the Longhorns 19.</p>
<p>Fouls continued to be a factor in losses for Sherri Coale's team. As much depth as she has available, Maddie Manning, Gioya Carter, Kaylon Williams and Sharane Campbell-Olds all fouling out is a huge problem. 16 points apiece for Carter and Peyton Little. 13 for freshman Gabbi Ortiz and 12 for Manning. 15, 11 and 3 were the final marks for McGee-Stafford as Atkins led the way with 21.13 apiece for Brady Sanders and Empress Davenport and 10 and 7 were added by Lang.</p>
<p>The streak didn't last long though as TCU pulled the upset of the Longhorns in Forth Worth. Imani continued the stellar play in the starting lineup with 22 and 8 boards. 13 apiece for Lang and Atkins. Veja Hamilton spearheaded the upset for the Horned Frogs with 16 points.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align:center"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span>PLAYER OF THE WEEK:</span></i></h3>
<h4 style="text-align:center"><span>CHEYENNE PARKER F MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE</span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When reading the scout on Rick Insell’s MTSU squad, the first name you come to is Olivia Jones.<span> </span>And it’s definitely the correct thing to do.<span> </span>She leads the team at 21.7 points per outing, is second on the team at 8.8 rebounds per game, while leading the team in total defensive rebounds and steals. She also happens to be the only Blue Raider to start every game this season. The player that’s second to Jones and usually cleans up all her misses is the standout player this week at the Swish.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Parker had a storied career going at High Point University, including back-to-back Big South Defensive Player of the Year awards after an All-Freshman first season. But after sitting out the 2013-14 season due to transfer restrictions, Parker is back to doing what she does best: numbers. In this week’s Thursday-Saturday home stand, Parker averaged 21.5 points, 17 boards, and 9.5 blocks while hitting 16-24 (67%) from the field in matchups with the Texas schools from El Paso and San Antonio.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 37 minutes against the Roadrunners, Parker racked up 25 points, 17 rebounds and 8 blocks. But she decided that the block number didn’t satisfy her so on Saturday, she became the first player in a<span> </span>program with a ton of quality players (Amber Holt, Alysha Clark, Ebony Rowe) to register a triple-double, garnering 18 points, 17 boards and 11 blocks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align:center"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span>TEAM OF THE WEEK:</span></i></h3>
<h4 style="text-align:center"><span>SOUTH CAROLINA</span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If Dawn Staley’s team even happens to walk in front of a television, they’re likely to hear their team being referenced. The matchup with UConn is inching closer and that’s all that seems to matter in the women’s basketball game right now. Quotes like "1 v 2," or "UConn v South Carolina" bullies the airways; meanwhile, the Gamecock crew still have a tough slate of games to get to that point.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Alabama and Ole Miss proved to be the obstacles that followed the national television matchup, and subsequent bludgeoning of Texas A&M and these are teams that can’t be looked over. Alabama continues to ratchet up its nonconference scheduling since Kristy Curry took over and the team made strides this season, upsetting then-number 12 Nebraska. Ole Miss, under Matt Insell, has done the same, beating then-#22 Georgia at home, initially going 4-1 to begin the conference slate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dawn Staley was aware. And her squad responded swiftly. Before venturing on the road for Oxford, the Gamecocks hosted the Tide and cruised to an 85-54 victory over U of A. A’ja Wilson led the way again with 17 points and 5 rebounds, fellow sub Alaina Coates added 14 and 10 with 5 blocks, and Tiffany Mitchell rounded out the double digit scorers with 11.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a rough and tumble bout in Oxford, the Gamecocks had to battle back in the last few minutes to take a 7-point lead at the half that did not justify how well Ole Miss had played in the first 16 minutes. Freshman phenom Bianca Cuevas led the way with 21 points and was aided by 11 apiece from Wilson and Mitchell and 10 by both Coates and senior post Elem Ibiam. 40 free throws for Staley’s squad proved to be the difference, as All-SEC senior Forward Tia Faleru was rendered ineffective early on due to foul troubles.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align:center"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span>WNBA PROSPECT OF THE WEEK:</span></i></h3>
<h4 style="text-align:center"><span>RESHANDA GRAY F CAL</span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The sky is the limit in terms of potential for Reshanda Gray. It always has been. She was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school and had seen multiple awards with her name on them in California. But where, exactly did she fit into the plan at Cal? The answer, at least initially, was in the forefront.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">As a freshman, Gray started 13 games on the way to 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and a selection to the Pac12 All-Freshman team. Then, a hamstring injury, affected her play all during her sophomore season. Gray missed three games and only started one, but her production remained relatively the same, tallying 8.3 points and 5.2 boards per game.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">After a trip to the final four as a sophomore, Gray became the focal point for the 2013-14 season,<span> </span>Gray improved to 16.8 points and 8.8 boards while adding an additional 10% to her free throw shooting. Cal hasn’t had to rely on her as heavily this season so her minutes are down, but Gray’s production is still high level. With averages of 18.7 points and 7.6 boards, Reshanda has carried this team to a 15-5 record in her final season in Berkeley.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Her potential for the WNBA can be viewed in a similar manner. Gray will likely transition into an energy-provider and extra body on the inside. Her post game needs refinement and her face up game still leaves a lot to be desired, but she’s definitely got the chance to add to her abilities.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unlike the more talented posts of late to come out of Cal (Devenai Hampton, Ashley Walker) Gray does have WNBA-caliber height, especially if she’s able to transition into more of a forward role. Her endless energy and athletic ability lay the foundation for greatness but it’ll be interesting to see if Gray adds to her game or rests on her laurels as a professional.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/2/3/7968019/weekly-recap-baylor-trots-on-frese-finds-familiar-confines-in-newSmoove Friday2015-01-28T20:00:02-05:002015-01-28T20:00:02-05:00Grading the Storm-Sun trade
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<p>The first official player movement of the WNBA season hit the wire today as the Seattle Storm made it clear they plan to inject some youth into the franchise by swapping a veteran stalwart and it’s most promising young player for a couple picks in the upcoming draft. The Storm sent F Camille Little and G/F Shekinna Stricklen to the Sun in exchange for G Renee Montgomery, the 3rd and 15th picks in the 2015 WNBA Draft</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span>At first glance, this trade doesn’t make a lot of sense for either side, considering both teams finished outside of the playoffs last season and the prospects don’t seem that great for this season. But when you take a look at the direction of both squads, it makes a lot more sense.</span></p>
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<h1 style="text-align: center;"><i>SEATTLE STORM: </i></h1>
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<h4><i>GRADE: B</i></h4>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Most of the biggest questions around this Seattle franchise surrounded the post rotation. Last season, Agler trotted out two 6’2" power forwards in his starting frontcourt and while the mobility and skill of Camille Little and Crystal Langhorne can’t be questioned, that was bound to fail in a loaded Western Conference. Moving Little allows them to commit to moving Langhorne back to her natural four spot. The big concern surrounds Lauren Jackson and her return. If she was to come back, you had an all-star caliber trio where someone would end up as the odd woman out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now with Little out of the picture things can go one of two ways, LJ comes back and you have an all-star at the pivot spots and now with 2 of the top three picks, you’re likely to have a solid post (Williams or Harrison) coming off the bench and learning from two of the best to do it. If LJ decides to sit out this season, you can throw whichever post you have into the mix and let them learn on the fly, which isn’t exactly a bad thing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>And the fifteenth pick may seem like a throw-away but let’s look at this past year’s second round picks. Of the twelve picks, Jordan Hooper (Tulsa Shock), Tiffany Bias (Phoenix Mercury), Maggie Lucas (Indiana Fever, drafted by Phoenix) and Gennifer Brandon (Chicago Sky) were on their respective teams' roster all season.<span> </span>Inga Orekhova made the Dream’s initial roster but was a casualty when Celine DuMerc came over. Asya Bussie likely would’ve made the Lynx roster had she not gotten hurt. Michelle Plouffe had made Seattle’s roster before she was cut for a more veteran player in Nicole Powell, who was cut by Tulsa for Hooper. Astou Ndour finished the season in San Antonio. Cassie Harberts and Tyaunna Marshall are WNBA-caliber players<span> </span>and Jennifer Hamson will be on the Sparks roster this season if she decides on basketball. Then, the last pick of the second round, Christina Foggie made an impression that wasn’t expected in Minnesota and was praised by the coaching staff but ultimately, that team was just way too stacked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, I saved the best for last. Renee Montgomery is a bit of an enigma. She clearly wasn’t happy coming off the bench and probably wanted out as soon as Charles skipped town. She’s a talented player who has been underwhelming based on the lofty standards she set for herself during her senior season at UConn but this is a perfect opportunity for her. Jenny Boucek is going to integrate an open offense for this team and will likely encourage her aggression on the offensive end and being able to pick the brain of Sue Bird on the daily will only help <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Da20one">Da20One</a>’s growth. At 28, she’s entering what should be the prime of her career and a change of scenery was much needed.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">In the end, the draft picks are the big win for the Storm, I mentioned on Twitter that their best bet would be to take Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis to fill the hole they now have on the wing at one, allow Tulsa to take their pick between Izzy Harrison and Elizabeth Williams and grab whichever one is left. There’s a solid rotation of guards In Seattle (Bird, Montgomery, Johnson, O’Hea) so there won’t be a need to add any perimeter help in what is likely a weak draft.</p>
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<h1 style="text-align: center;"><i>CONNECTICUT SUN</i></h1>
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<h4><b><i>GRADE: A+</i></b></h4>
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<p class="MsoNormal">DISCLAIMER: I DON’T THINK THIS TRADE MAKES CONNECTICUT LOADS BETTER OR PUTS THEM INTO PLAYOFF CONTENTION. But you can’t consider trading a player who didn’t want to be there or wasn’t happy with their role a loss in any fashion. The subtraction of Montgomery from an otherwise strong corps of guards (when healthy) will likely be the Sun’s greatest addition. Alex Bentley had a breakout season, Chelsea Gray is playing extremely well in Israel, and Allison Hightower and Danielle McCray are both former starters from this franchise that should return to a high level of play after getting healthy. With all that considered, Montgomery needed to walk. Connecticut will likely do everything they can early in the season to try and make the playoffs but the future is where their best days lie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Camille Little has long been one of my favorite players and I think this could be the next step in her development. After finishing last season as Seattle’s leading scorer, she more than showed she’s capable of being a top level option. Katie Douglas will likely still be chucking that weird but accurate lefty jumper from the wings but with Ogwumike out for the season, Little should be option number two. She’ll also be able to be a fantastic mentor and bring championship experience to a young, inexperienced frontline. Kelsey Bone is a player that immediately comes to mind. Coming out of high school, Bone has struggled to really find a home but she seemed to really take steps forward in Connecticut, simply because she got the consistent minutes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shekinna Stricklen is the wild card of this trade. Three years down the line, we could be asking ourselves what was Seattle thinking? Or, we could be talking about how crazy Connecticut was to give up two picks and a proven scorer at the point guard spot for someone who just can’t figure it out. I’m on the side of the former, and I think that this could be a good move for Stricklen. Things are a little bit slower on the East Coast and the makeup of this team is much more similar to what she was used to at Tennessee. Hopefully, Anne Donovan won’t try to parade her around as a power forward and really allows Stricklen to be aggressive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Connecticut "wins" this trade for me solely based on the fact that they got two players in return that they wouldn’t have been able to get with the 3<sup>rd</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup> picks in this year’s draft. They hold on to the fourth pick, which should be a BPA pick and automatically improve the locker room. Nothing against Montgomery at all as a leader or a teammate, but her happy times in Connecticut ended long before she lost her starting job last season.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2015/1/28/7932973/first-thoughts-storm-sun-kick-off-2014-wnba-player-movementSmoove Friday2015-01-27T11:00:02-05:002015-01-27T11:00:02-05:00Weekly Recap: SC blows past A&M, ASU ends skid
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<p>As the month of January inches towards its end, most teams have found their groove and shaken loose all the cobwebs associated with integrating new players, adjusting to injuries and the like. As we approach the stretch run heading into conference tournaments, the familiarity of teams starts to show. And this week was a perfect illustration. </p> <p>First things first, let me start by sending positive vibes to Eastern Michigan University as well as Kent State for the difficulties both women's basketball programs are enduring at this time, as well as the EMU student body. On behalf of the team here at Swish Appeal, we extend our condolences to the families of EMU forward Shannise Heady and student Jordan Hopkins; as well as calm in the eye of the storm for KSU coach Danielle O'Banion and her battle with Lymphoma.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center; ">PARITY REIGNS SUPREME</h3>
<p>If you're a stats buff and love to see things in written form, look no further than the ACC for the confirmation of the high quality basketball we're seeing this season. In a league that produced a 16-0 champion last year, 2.5 games separate the 8th team from the three-way tie for first place. Notre Dame, Louisville and Florida State all have one loss in league play. Miami, Syracuse and Duke are right behind them at 5-2 and North Carolina technically sits in 3rd place alone at 4-3 even with 6 teams ahead of them in the standings.</p>
<p>And what makes things so interesting is that the teams are beating up on each other. Notre Dame’s loss came at Miami, Louisville’s lone L came at Florida State, and Notre Dame was able to come back and knock FSU from the rank of conference unbeaten.</p>
<p>Still skeptical? Well let’s take a look at the Big 12. This is the only league in America where each member has a winning overall record. Kansas State’s 1-6 record may cause you to initially think that this is a bad team. Well, they have an overall record of 11-7, which includes going 10-2 at home. Granted, the Wildcats have played an extremely soft schedule, but you ask your players to win the games in front of them and Jeff Mittie’s squad came into conference play with just one loss. Baylor and Oklahoma sit in a tie in first place at 7-0 and they don’t face off until February. It’s definitely going to be a fun ride as we approach the second month of the year.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">SOUTH CAROLINA BATS DOWN A&M, MOVES TO 19-0</h3>
<p>This week's big Monday matchup pitted top-ranked and undefeated South Carolina against the Texas A&M Aggies in Colonial Life Arena. A&M likely brought confidence into this matchup based solely on the fact that they knocked off the only team that's come close to chalking up a tally in the loss column for Dawn Staley's squad. A week after dropping the four-point decision in College Station, the Blue Devils came within a few inches of knocking USC from the ranks of the unbeaten way back in December. Early on, it looked like they stood a pretty good chance.</p>
<p>Though they went into the half down eight, Coach Blair was getting some solid production from the center spot, something he hasn't seen much of at all this season. Much to his chagrin, not much changed in the second half. SC kept up the pressure and stretched its lead out early and from a Tiffany Roy three-pointer at the 11:44 mark, it was all cosmetic. A'ja Wilson played the best game I've ever seen from her -- to be frank, I hadn't understood the hype until Monday-- leading the way off the bench with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Her dandy bench buddy Alaina Coates, who I think may be the second best player on the team, added her eighth double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Those eight double-doubles tie her with Ole Miss' Tia Faleru for the lead in the SEC. Aleighsa Welch added 12 points and 7 rebounds of her own while battling foul trouble and cramps. Reigning SEC Player of the Year Tiffany Mitchell finished with 16. </p>
<p>The Aggies were able to get four starters in double figures but 3-21 shooting for Courtney Williams was just too much to overcome, especially when you consider Courtney Walker shot 5-8 for 10 points. Williams finished with 12. Achiri Ade --who I would like to mention could play for me ANY day-- led the way with 15 points and 5 boards, point guard Jordan Jones also finished with 14, 4 and 4 but she had the script flipped on her in this game. I've seen her cleanly rip point guards and hand them their receipts on several occasions but Khadijah Sessions and future WNBA All-Star Bianca Cuevas had their way as she finished with 5 turnovers and 4 fouls.</p>
<p>In the end, South Carolina's discipline, size and defensive intensity won out. I noticed early on in this game that SC doesn't really take bad shots. They're patient and they do what they want: POUND THE BALL INSIDE. They dominated the paint to the tune of a 43-29 rebounding advantage to match their domination in the blocks category, swatting back 7 shots --including a highlight block on the fast break by Welch-- against just two from the Aggies. Going forward, Staley's team will have to knock down more shots from the perimeter and 16 turnovers will not cut it against a certain team coached by the Olympic head coach, but their efforts were enough to win tonight and it should be enough for them to win the SEC. But I'm definitely looking forward to February 9th, and not just because it's my birthday.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">ARIZONA STATE UPENDS CARD, BREAKS LENGTHY SKID</h3>
<p>Charli Turner-Thorne knows how difficult it is to win at Maples considering it's her alma mater and she suited up for their current coach. So being able to win at Stanford last Monday for the first time since 1984 must have been quite sweet. Promise Amukamara led the way on both ends for the Sun Devils, scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 rebounds while defending the dynamic and talented LiLi Thompson very well. Elisha Davis and Sophie Brunner also finished in double figures with 10 apiece.</p>
<p>Thompson, Taylor Greenfield and Amber Orrange all scored 12 points apiece but with 10 players seeing the floor, Tara Vanderveer was only able to get 21 points total out of the other 7 players. Add in LiLi's 3-13 shooting and Kaylee Johnson being rendered ineffective inside all night (3 points, 5 boards) and this game would've been tough to win regardless of the opponent. Stanford had their chances though, mainly aided by 20 turnovers from the ASU squad. But after Thompson's freebie brought the Cardinal within 1 with 4:59 remaining, the Sun Devils went on an 8-0 run which turned out to be the game clinching stretch. The win put Turner-Thorne's team at it's best conference start (6-0) ever. The stretch didn't last much longer though....more on that below.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><br></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center; ">WOODEN AWARD DOWN TO 20</h3>
<p>The John R. Wooden award list was cut down to twenty and while the list is respectable, it’s a little bit off to me. Enemkpali went down after the decisions were made but her place on the list prior to being hurt was justified. A few glaring misses for me are Morgan Tuck, Lili Thompson, Brianna Turner and Ruth Hamblin. These are four players that are vital to their teams’ success right now and their coaches will agree. Granted, there’s usually players that don’t make the preseason list that make a name for themselves as the season goes on but at this point, there is truly no right or wrong to the list. Usually the honorees at the end of the season are pretty solid so we’ll see how it turns out.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center; ">GAME OF THE WEEK:</h3>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">DUKE FOLLOWS WILLIAMS' LEAD, KNOCKS OFF CAROLINA</h5>
<p>Duke women’s basketball has a history of having fantastic teams and that hasn’t changed under JoAnne P. McCallie. But when you consider some of the talent that has come through Durham, it amazed me to find out that it’s been 9 years since a player scored 30 or more points in a game. Problem solved. Solution? Elizabeth Williams. Last season, Duke responded to being swept by UNC in the regular season by beating the Heels in the ACC tournament before being bounced out of the NCAA tournament early but none of that mattered on Sunday. In an ugly contest offensively – the two teams combined to shoot 34% and grabbed a combined 108 rebounds—Duke was able to dig deep and get the job done. After struggling out of the gate, UNC got it together and stretched their lead to 10 at the half behind wonderful pressure defense. Sylvia Hatchell’s squad was able to turn 11 Duke turnovers into a 13-0 advantage in fast break points.</p>
<p>In the end, Duke’s size won out. Elizabeth Williams dominated the game, she added 16 points and 5 boards in the second half, aiding her new career-high 33 points to match 10 boards and 4 blocks. Rebecca Greenwell continued her stellar play with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Ka’Lia Johnson also set a new career-high with 13 rebounds to go along with 12 points and 4 assists. Allisha Gray led the Tar Heels with 20 points and Stephanie Mavunga and Latifah Coleman followed with 15 and 14 points respectively. Mavunga held her own in a game where she was UNC’s only true post, adding 15 rebounds, 3 blocks and 4 steals but it just wasn’t enough.</p>
<p>Duke has to feel vindicated after pulling out the victory but their ability to take care of the ball will likely be their demise as the season goes on. There's lot of promise for the future with the likes of Greenwell/Stevens/Cooper/Chidom all in either their first or second season, but they lose their cornerstone of the last four years in Williams. That's a gaping hole to fill. Carolina has some questions as well. They'd been fine parading Butts, who's really a guard, as a backup power forward behind Xylina McDaniel but their lack of size inside was brought to the forefront in this game.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center; "><br></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center; ">TEAM OF THE WEEK:</h3>
<h5 style="text-align: center; ">OREGON STATE BEAVERS</h5>
<p>Scott Rueck's squad has taken the PAC-12 by the throat and put the oonference race in its back pocket. The Beavers headed into this week's trip to the desert with two games that on paper seemed to be the complete opposite. On Friday, the gang faced off against an Arizona squad that had yet to register a win in conference play. With the normal Friday/Sunday turnaround, the Beavers headed to Tempe to take on 13th-ranked Arizona State. Arizona proved to be up for the challenge in the first half as Niya Butts’ team took a 6 point lead early on and only committed 2 turnovers. The second half was more to form as the Beavers pulled away for a 73-55 win. 9 OSU players saw double digit minutes and and all 10 players that saw action finished with at least 3 points. In Sunday’s much-anticipated matchup of unbeaten squads, OSU went into halftime against Arizona State with a 5-point lead, up 27-22.</p>
<p>Halftime proved to be the difference as the Beavers from Corvallis came out a totally focused squad and pulled away from a 68-57 win that wasn't even that close. The lead got as big as 17 and two late threes from Katie Hempen in the last 34 seconds closed the gap a bit. Jamie Weisner led the charge with 21 points and Ruth Hamblin, Ali Gibson and Gabby Hanson all finished with 12 points. Katie Hempen was the only ASU player to score in double digits, finishing with 23, as the Sun Devils only shot 36% on the game. The Beavers were rewarded this week as their continued to set new standards for their women’s basketball program, reaching #7 in the AP Poll.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: center; ">PLAYER OF THE WEEK:</h3>
<h5 style="text-align: center; ">KELSEY MITCHELL, G, OHIO STATE, FRESHMAN</h5>
<p>Kelsey Mitchell probably won’t get the national recognition she deserves. This reminds me of former Oregon, now Kentucky guard Chrishae Rowe’s freshman season in 2013-14. She was the best scorer in the nation and made a nightly impact on the scouting report but wasn’t even in the conversation for national frosh of the year awards because her team wasn’t winning at a high level. They finished the season at 16-16 and 6-12 in the PAC12. Ohio State currently sits at 13-7 (5-3 B1G) which has them in a three-way tie for fourth place with Minnesota and Rutgers and they have a chance to build on this. If they plan to, Mitchell will play a huge role. And she DEFINITELY came through this past week.</p>
<p>Coming off a home loss to Minnesota, a game in which she hit a school-record 9 three pointers, Mitchell played 38 minutes and hit 5 more threes en route to 21 points as the Buckeyes were able to ring up a 69-60 win. Apparently, she wasn’t too happy with her performance as she came out on Sunday and scratched the stat sheet for 37 points and 7 rebounds as the Buckeyes were able to knock off Purdue in OT 79-71 in West Lafayette; that same Purdue squad had just upset a talented Minnesota squad and seemed to be on the path to figuring things out.</p>
<p style="text-align: center; "> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">WNBA PROSPECT OF THE WEEK:</h3>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">AMBER ORRANGE, G, STANFORD</h5>
<p align="left"><span>Coming into the season after ending the Ogwumike era on the Farm, Tara VanDerveer wasn’t sure what she was going to do for offense. She went to several coaches that have had success with installing quality offenses and finally settled on taking advantage of the great guard corps she has. LiLi Thompson, Karlie Samuelson, and Briana Roberson are all talents in their own right but Orrange is the head of the snake. Still quiet and reserved, Orrange has allowed her game to speak for itself. And she let out a primal yell in the team’s first challenge of the season.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">After blowing past Boston College in their season opener and Vanguard and UC Davis in exhibition games, the Cardinal welcomed 2-time defending national champion and top-ranked UConn to town. The teams went toe-to-toe for long stretches of the game but when her team needed her most, Amber answered the phone. She nailed a game-tying three pointer with 1.4 seconds left in regulation only to follow that by knocking down the go-ahead jumper with 1:38 left in OT as the 47-game winning streak for UConn came to an end. Orrange isn’t a knock-down shooter or an off-the-charts athlete but she gets the job done and you can trust her to run your team. She had 4 turnovers in the UConn game but she played 42 minutes. Then when you look at her season stats, she hasn’t finished a game with more than that four and has only hit 3 in two games since then.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What’s most impressive about Orrange is that she’s continued to improve her game in the problem spots that she brought to Palo Alto. After only taking 10 threes as a freshman, she’s shooting a career-high 46% from three this season and is on pace to shatter her career high for steals in a season. Orrange can step on the floor and run your team in a pinch but her potential for the future is evident. If she continues to work and improve on her game, the sky is the limit for the reserved guard from Houston.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2015/1/27/7877617/weekly-recap-upsets-rock-the-acc-arizona-state-breaks-skid-vs-stanfordSmoove Friday2015-01-20T08:00:02-05:002015-01-20T08:00:02-05:00Weekly recap: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Seton Hall win
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<p>Another week of conference hoops and several more illustrations of the parity in women's college basketball. </p> <p>Save a few minor shifts in the top ten, the apex remained the same with South Carolina undefeated at #1 and one-loss UConn at #2. There will likely be more shifting in the weeks ahead as 5 Tennessee faced 6 Notre Dame in a Big Monday matchup while 3rd-ranked Baylor hosted Karen Aston's 8th-rated <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barkingcarnival.com/">Texas Longhorns</a>. simultaneously.</p>
<p>Lest we ignore, a resurgent Sooner squad in Norman, Oklahoma is making its presence known. A former national contender, bolstered by the return of its All-League junior guard knocks off a couple ranked SEC foes. And a trio of guards in New Jersey combine to put 75 points on the board for a Big East up-and-comer.</p>
<h4>BAYLOR CRUISES, LEAVING TEXAS IN ITS DUST</h4>
<p>Texas continued its recent struggles in the Big 12 after a sparking non-conference schedule, dropping a road contest to Kim Mulkey's fantastic Baylor squad. 75-58 was the final score and that doesn't do any justice for the job the Lady Bears did in stamping this game as their own.</p>
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<p>Nina Davis finished with 25 points and 6 rebounds while national assist leader Niya Johnson directed traffic to the tune of 15 points and 12 assists. Imani Wright was aggressive taking 13 shots and rounded out the double figures scoring for Baylor with 11.</p>
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<p>Freshman Brooke McCarty came off the bench to lead the Longhorns with 14 points. The outstanding post duo of Nneka Enemkpali and Kelsey Lang flipped the script in terms of performance as Lang finished 6-6 for 12 points and 6 rebounds while Nneka's double-double ended abruptly with 2 points and 6 boards. There's some concern as to her health after the senior went down in obvious pain with <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">5:44</span></span> left in the first half. She returned to the bench in the second half with a sleeve and crutches.</p>
<p>Empress Davenport added 10 for a Texas team that could potentially see some lineup changes coming soon. There are no off nights in the Big 12 and Aston's squad could be in risk of that smacking them across the face with Iowa State and conference leader Oklahoma coming to town.</p>
<h4>LOYD'S BOUNCE BACK LEADS NOTRE DAME TO WIN</h4>
<p>Jewell Loyd's been good for double figure scoring in 78 of her 91 games in a Notre Dame uniform. A consecutive streak of 60 games was broken as Loyd was less than 100% against North Carolina in a game Brianna Turner dominated but Loyd was back to her breath-taking self on Monday.</p>
<p>34 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists rounded the stat-line for Loyd in an 88-77 victory over 6th-ranked Tennessee. Loyd hit 13 of 22 shots in leading the charge for Muffett McGraw's Crew. Lindsay Allen chipped in 15 while Turner continued her stellar play with 13 points and 5 blocks. Taya Reimer had her best game back, narrowly missing a double-double with 9 points and 10 boards.</p>
<p>BaShaara Graves showed up in a big way with 22 points and 8 rebounds in a much needed showing from her. Cierra Burdick added 15 before fouling out. Isabelle Harrison added 12 points and 9 boards but only hit 4 of her 15 shots. Senior point guard <span>Ariel Massengale</span> hit three triples en route to 11 points.</p>
<h4>SETON HALL TRIO LIGHT UP SCOREBOARD</h4>
<p>A pair of graduate students and a junior guard are setting fire to the nets for Anthony Bozzella's squad. Ka-Deidre Simmons racked up 28, Daisha Simmons 22 and Tabatha Richardson-Smith 35 and 15 rebounds in scoring 75 of Seton Hall's 107 points in a 20-point win against DePaul.</p>
<p>Both Simmons combined to add 18 of Seton Hall's 20 assists as they were able to knock off the Blue Deacons and move into first place in the Big East. This was Seton Hall's first win as a Big East program over DePaul. Doug Bruno's team hit 14 threes and put five players in double figures but it wasn't nearly enough to overcome 55% shooting from the Pirates.</p>
<h4>TEAM OF THE WEEK: Oklahoma<br>
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<p>Sherri Coale talked about her young Oklahoma squad taking its bumps early in the non-conference season.<br>Losses to South Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas, and Duke all mounted up before the Christmas break arrived. But something over the holiday clicked with the Sooner squad and they've reeled off 7 straight wins, including a 6-0 start in Big 12 play.</p>
<p>Sophomore guard Gioya Carter has been huge for the OU squad, chalking up 17.2 points per outing in the first five Big 12 matchups. <span>Kaylon Williams</span> has also been a revelation, making 25 of her last 41 shots, including a career-high 25 points and season-high 12 boards in a victory over TCU.</p>
<p>The trend continued in the Sooners' crushing of Oklahoma State in the Bedlam rivalry. Carter chipped in 18 points while Williams added 16. Peyton Little finished with 13 and 7 rebounds and Sharane Campbell rounded out double figure scorers for OU with 11. Lashawn Jones led OSU with 15 points while freshman Kaylee Jensen added 13 and 5 off the bench. Roshunda Johnson's 12 wasn't even to make up for Liz Donohoe's inability to scratch as the final score was an ugly 73-54.</p>
<h4>PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Danielle Ballard, LSU<br>
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<p>Danielle Ballard was sidelined for the first 14 games of the year due to a suspension for unspecified violations of team rules and I must admit, LSU has been hard to watch. With 6 losses amounting to the worst non-conference performance in over two decades, the Lady Tigers have made their presence known this season, picking up back-to-back upsets of top-15 squads.</p>
<p>First, she rang the (cow)bell for 24 points in a comeback while also adding 10 rebounds in a road victory over Vic Shaefer's then 15th-ranked Bulldogs. Then she followed that by filling the stat sheet -- 25 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals-- all in 32 minutes in an 84-79 upset of Kentucky in Pete Maravich Arena.</p>
<p>It doesn't get much easier for Nikki Caldwell's squad as they go to Thompson-Boling Arena to matchup with a Tennessee team coming off a loss at Notre Dame.</p>
<h4>WNBA PROSPECT OF THE WEEK: Samantha Logic<br>
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<p><b>Samantha Logic, Iowa (5'9", G)</b></p>
<p>Four triple-doubles have been registered beside the name of Sam Logic during her stellar career in Iowa City and nothing has changed in her senior year. 10.8 points and 6.8 apiece in terms of assists and boards would be a fantastic year for most but it could be considered down for Sam.</p>
<p>But surrounded by a team of players shooting 39% from three and 45% from the floor, Logic's individual scoring numbers were bound to come down. She continues to pass the ball and rebound at the same high rate of years past.</p>
<p>Athleticism will be a concern as the game is bigger, faster, and stronger for guards at the WNBA label and the name Lindsey Moore still draws cringes from some Minnesota Lynx faithful. Logic's toughness and willingness to do whatever is needed will be key to her success as a professional baller. But the former McDonald's All-American has more than left her mark on the Big Ten.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2015/1/20/7855233/ncaa-womens-basketball-2015-baylor-seton-hall-oklahoma-jewell-loydSmoove Friday2015-01-13T11:00:02-05:002015-01-13T11:00:02-05:00Weekly recap: Undefeateds fall, Harrison leads
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<p>It was an exciting week in the world of women's basketball with more undefeated teams taking their first loss and seniors leading their team to victories. We review some of the bigger moments. </p> <p>It's been a few weeks since we last spoke and in that time I've welcomed a niece into the family and relocated to Texas. I'm now back in the fold and man, what a week it was for women's college basketball. We're down to two undefeated teams in women's college hoops:</p>
<p>Dawn Staley's top-ranked <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.garnetandblackattack.com/">South Carolina Gamecocks</a> and Courtney Banghart's upstart <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/princeton-tigers">Princeton Tigers</a>, looking to return to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA tournament</a> after losing out on the Ivy's bid in a late loss last season. Teams have dug their heels into conference play and the parity across the sport has never been better.</p>
<h4><a href="http://www.cyclones.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209843595&DB_OEM_ID=10700">TEXAS GOES COLD, DROPS DECISION TO IOWA STATE</a></h4>
<p>Karen Aston's squad did a great job of transition from the hunter to the hunted, going undefeated in non-conference play and rising as high as number three in the AP poll. After taking a lead as large as 18 -- including being up 13 at the half -- the Longhorns struggled to score the ball and were out-scored 50-35 in the second half, falling to Iowa State 59-57 on a last second bucket by Seanna Johnson.</p>
<p>After shooting 46% in the first half, the Longhorns were only able to generate 8 baskets and having only taken 4 free throws, points were difficult to come by. ISU shot 52% in the second frame and knocked down 5 treys in route to upsetting their visitors from Austin. Nikki Moody led the charge, finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and a block. Ball control was key in the second half as ISU only turned the ball over 4 times and held UT without a basket for the final 3:30. Brynn Williamson and Johnson joined the senior in double figures with 14 and 12 points respectively. Johnson also led the team with 9 boards.</p>
<p>Brady Sanders continued her fantastic play, finishing with 16 points, including 4 of 6 from three. Nekia Jones had 15 points and three triples of her own but the Longhorns leading scorers Kelsey Lang and Nneka Enemkpali combined to shoot 4-21. The front court tandem also accounted for 5 of the team's 12 turnovers on the afternoon.</p>
<p>Texas continues Big 12 play against Oklahoma in Norman on Wednesday. Sherri Coale's squad sits tied with Baylor at 3-0.</p>
<h4>NOTRE DAME FALLS VICTIM ON THE ROAD</h4>
<p>The Notre Dame-Miami matchup didn't seem to be that attractive on paper but that's why we play the game. There was an eery feeling when the game began with a change in the starting lineup for Muffet McGraw's squad. Sophomore F Taya Reimer was missing and in her place was senior guard Madison Cable. More on that later. The last think Katie Meier told her team before they left the locker room was that she wouldn't be shocked if her team won the game. And boy! They responded.</p>
<p>Putting a choke hold on the Irish from the start, the U women's hoops squad took a 40-20 lead at the half on the strength of 14 points, 5 boards and 4 assists by Adrienne Motley. Miami also took Notre Dame out of its comfort zone, holding the Irish to 0-6 from distance and forcing 7 turnovers. 4 first half blocks also made a difference as ND was only able to generate 6 baskets on 25 attempts.</p>
<p>Led by Jewell Loyd and Brianna Turner, the Fighting Irish made a valiant attempt at coming back in the second half. Turner's three-point play cuz the Hurricane's lead to 55-49 but Meier's squad responded by scoring 14 of the next 20 points to stretch the lead out to 69-55. Suriya McGuire added 11 points and 8 rebounds while Jassany Williams was fantastic with 9 blocks. Loyd finished with 27, albeit on 20 shots, and Turner finished with a double-double of 17 and 10 boards. Only four other Irish were able to dent the scoring column.</p>
<p>Now, what was intriguing about this game is that it was made apparent that Reimer wasn't with the team for personal reasons and word came out that she had plans on transferring. After taking the time to consult with the coaching staff and her family, Reimer has decided to <a href="http://www.ndinsider.com/basketball/womens/notre-dame-forward-taya-reimer-is-back-but-are-the/article_f1ce6196-99ef-11e4-ab8a-430ecfd6bd38.html">return to practice on Monday</a>. It'll be interesting to see how things go from here. <a href="http://thefanindiana.com/burlage-lady-irish-having-it-tough-since-t-shirt-game/">Reimer had reportedly received death threats and other negative feedback after the team wore "I Can't Breathe" shirts</a> in response to the story of New Yorker Eric Garner.</p>
<h4>BULLDOGS HIT SNAG ON THE ROAD, HANDED FIRST LOSS</h4>
<p>Vic Shaefer has spoken very candidly recently about coaching to the zero in the loss column for his young Mississippi State team and now, he no longer has to. Melanie Balcomb's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.anchorofgold.com/">Vanderbilt Commodores</a> punched the Bulldogs in the mouth after swinging and missing in their first three conference games. The Dores scored the game's first 6 points and never looked back. At the 11:49 mark, they had stretched the lead to 16-3.</p>
<p>68% shooting kept the Bulldogs at a distance even after the squad found their rhythm. 34-24 was the lead for Balcomb's squad and the second half wasn't much different. Kendra Grant drilled a three with 9:46 left to cut the lead to seven before VU stretched the lead back out to double figures. Breanna Richardson's layup cut the lead to six with 4:03 left before free throws aided the final margin.</p>
<p>Morgan Batey came off the bench to lead four double figure scorers for Vanderbilt, finishing with 18 points and 10 boards. Rebekah Dahlman and Heather Bowe added 17, and Rachel Bell tallied 12. 14 players saw the court for State but only three scored in double figures. Richardson finished with 16 and 11 boards. Freshman phenom and leading scorer Victoria Vivians struggled down the stretch and spent most of the second half on the bench as she finished the game with 12 points, shooting 5-16, including 1-7 from three. All-SEC center Martha Alwal chipped in ten.</p>
<h4>TEAM OF THE WEEK</h4>
<p>Holly Warlick has plenty of reason to be excited about the future but she's done a pretty darn good job as we speak. After dropping consecutive games on the road, the Lady Vols have won 9 consecutive games, including a 81-58 stomping of top ten Texas A&M. There's a big challenge on the horizon for UT coming in the form of Muffett McGraw's bunch on the road January 19th but first the Lady Vols will need to make sure they don't look past an improving Auburn squad.</p>
<p>It seems Warlick has settled on a lineup and a rotation and considering the injury woes in Kentucky and the struggles of a certain team in College Station, the SEC title likely will be directly impacted by the team in orange.</p>
<h4>GAME OF THE WEEK</h4>
<p>Maryland went into Minneapolis hoping to knock off a hot Minnesota squad and it proved to be quite a battle. With the Gophers back in the rankings for the first time in almost a decade, Marlene Stollings has put her team in position to complete on a nightly basis. Hopes seem to temper a bit after mainstay Rachel Banham went down with a season-ending injury but every player in uniform has stepped up their play.</p>
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<p>Both teams battled with everything they had. Maryland with its guard depth and Minny with their veteran post duo. Sophomore Amanda Zahui B dominated the middle to the tune of 26 points, 15 rebounds three steals and four blocks. Senior transfer Shae Kelley added 15 points and and 5 boards of her own. Shayne Mullaney added 12 assists to the tally for the Gophers.</p>
<p>Maryland was able to seize control down the stretch due to the stretch of its guards, in particular senior guard Brene Moseley. She only saw 16 minutes of GameTime but her impact was incredible. 4-4 from the floor, including three big triples, and 4-4 from the free throw line for 15 points was huge. In a game where neither team lead by more than eight and with the stars shining bright, you can't help but appreciate players like Moseley filling in the gaps.</p>
<p>Maryland put three other players in double figures, including a dandy game from Lexie Brown. 20 points, 7 assist, 4 steals and 0, count em, ZERO turnovers while playing all forty minutes. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Brianna Jones finished with 15 and 11 points respectively. Even after dropping this game, Minnesota should feel confident going forward that the NCAA tournament is a viable goal.</p>
<h4>WNBA PROSPECT OF THE WEEK</h4>
<p>Isabelle Harrison, C, 6'3"</p>
<p>Harrison has put me on notice this season. I've always been a fan of her fire and overall passion for the game but one must take notice of the improvements she's made in four years. If I'm a WNBA scout in a draft projected to be extremely week, grabbing a player with a willingness to work is objective number one.</p>
<p>Izzy had the ability to knock the midrange jumper down now which puts the onus on the defender to decide how they want to be scored on. Leave her too much space? She'll bury the jump shot. Close out too hard? She'll use her agility and post moves to make you look foolish.</p>
<p>That's a lot to take in and we haven't even talked about her biggest strength. On the defensive end Harrison is one of the most underrated shot blockers in the game. With sneaky elevation and stellar timing, she can change the flow of the game with timely swats and solid rotations.</p>
<p>Harrison is a player to consider for every team out there. Ideally? I'd love to see her expand her range and move comfortably to the four spot. If she's looking for someone to emulate, she doesn't have to look far: <span> </span>Tamika Catchings made a successful transition to the three spot and if Harrison can match that, she'll become the next generation's standard bearer in terms of successful women's basketballers from Rocky Top.</p>
<p>Harrison is currently averaging 11.5 points and 8.7 boards, which doesn't blow you away but the strength of the Lady Vols squad this year is balance. With 7 players averaging 7 points or more, Holly Warlick is sending talented players at the opposition in waves. Harrison's shooting percentage (43%) leave a lot to be desired but she struggled to start the season with a few nagging injuries and has picked up her play of late.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2015/1/13/7534283/ncaa-womens-basketball-tennessee-isabelle-harrisonSmoove Friday2014-12-30T22:39:07-05:002014-12-30T22:39:07-05:00Longhorns ground Owls without Lang, move to 11-0
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<p>Tuesday evening marked the Longhorns final non-conference matchup before beginning Big 12 play and Karen Aston's squad took advantage of the much smaller Owls. Senior post Nneka Enemkpali led the Texas with a double-double, tallying 14 points and 14 boards. Guards Empress Davenport and Brooke McCarty backed up the forward with 13 apiece. </p> <p>After recent remarks about not being so sure about her team's lofty ranking, Karen Aston has to be pleased with what she saw from her team against Rice. Missing starter, and co-leading scorer, sophomore center Kelsey Lang, the Longhorns went small and were able to take advantage. Rice was game for most of the afternoon, only losing the rebounding battle 50-45 but, in the end, talent won out.</p>
<p>Enemkpali became the obvious focus with Lang out and she responded well, continuing her recent hot streak of five straight double-doubles while also extended her streak of consecutive games with double digit rebounds to 6. She took up space and occupied the defense, taking 11 shots and grabbing 5 o-boards but she saved her best for the other end. At 6'1", coming in an inch shorter than Rice's tallest player, Nneka grabbed 9 defensive boards while adding 3 blocks and 2 steals. Junior guard Brady Sanders won't get much pub but she continued what's been an impressive season. She's recorded at least one assist in each game she's played this season and did a great job moving the ball, recording a season-high 6 assists versus just 2 turnovers, after having none in the last game.</p>
<p>Freshman guard and 2014 McDonald's High School All-American Brooke McCarty has been a revelation for this Longhorns squad and she added to her strong first season in Austin by coming off the bench and hitting 6 of her 8 shots. What's likely most impressive is the 5'4" guard finished with 2 blocks as well. We also got our first look at junior forward Sara Hattis, who joined the team after a run to the Final Four with the women's volleyball squad. Hattis, a 6'4" athlete, quickly made her presence known, showing off that great volleyball timing in grabbing 3 boards and 1 impressive block in 4 minutes.</p>
<p>Junior forward Alyssa Lang led the Owls with 17 points and 9 boards. The Owls only put one other player in double digits--junior guard Breion Allen added 12 points, including 3 three-pointers--as no one scored more than 6 points. 10th year head coach Greg Williams team was unable to overcome 28% shooting versus the Longhorns as they dropped to 5-6 on the year.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/12/30/7472209/texas-continues-hot-start-knocks-off-rice-77-54-for-11-0Smoove Friday2014-12-29T13:00:03-05:002014-12-29T13:00:03-05:00Conference play begins as the holidays end
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<p>Happy Holidays everyone! This was a bit of a short week for the women's hoops world with schools being on break to allow students to head home for winter break but that still doesn't mean that nothing happened. With conference play beginning across the country within the next 7 days, teams should be ready to buckle down and battle over the course of the next couple months. </p> <p>In this week's recap, I introduce a new format for you. After two weeks of the player of the year rankings, I decided to scrap them for more individual weekly recognition. We'll now have a team of the week, performance of the week, game of the week and a WNBA draft prospect of the week. Feel free to provide feedback and chime in!</p>
<h3>B1G OPENS CONFERENCE PLAY</h3>
<p>Most teams are finishing up the non-conference slate within the next few days but the Big 10 has already gotten into the swing of things. Sunday kicked off the second half of the schedule for 10 teams, including a few of my personal favorite teams to watch. 17th-ranked Rutgers won its first B1G conference game, knocking off a young, talented Indiana team 66-51. Betnijah Laney led the Scarlet Knights with 20 points and 10 boards while Tyler Scaife finished with 16. IU was led by sophomore guard Larryn Brooks' 13.</p>
<p>We'll likely see another B1G team enter the rankings next week as Joe McKeown's Northwestern Wildcats moved to 11-1, 1-0 with a road victory over 20th-ranked Michigan State. Sophomore forward Nia Coffey led her team with 15 points and 6 boards.Christen Inman also added 13 and 8. Becca Mills led the way for the Spartans with 21 points and 16 rebounds.</p>
<p>Penn State continues to struggle after seeing Maggie Lucas and Ariel Edwards collegiate careers end. The Nittany Lions fell 77-52 to 23rd-ranked Iowa. Melissa Dixon, who hit 10 threes in a game last week, added 5 more en route to 21 points to lead the Hawkeyes. Redshirt freshman guard Lindsey Spann led the charge for Penn State with with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.</p>
<h5>Other Scores:</h5>
<p><i>Purdue 62 Illinois 55</i></p>
<p><i>Wisconsin 63 Michigan 53</i></p>
<h3>AMERICAN OPENS CONFERENCE SLATE ALSO</h3>
<p>Over the course of two days, the American Athletic Conference kicked-off its conference season as well. Starting with defending national champion UConn crushing SMU 96-45. Moriah Jefferson scored a career-high 24 points and Kaleena Mosqueeda-Lewis added 19 points and 6 assists. No one scored more than seven points for SMU as three players tied for the team lead. Jose Fernandez's South Florida squad hopes to carry it's solid start into conference play and they started out on the right foot with a 69-62 win over East Carolina. The Bulls put five players into double figures, led by Courtney Williams 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Meanwhile, Alisia Jenkins dominated the paint to the tune of 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 blocks. Jada Payne and Jasmine Phillips led the Pirates with 14 apiece.</p>
<h5>Other Scores</h5>
<p><i>Tulane 60 Cincinnati 50</i></p>
<p><i>Temple 58 Memphis 57</i></p>
<p><i>UCF 64 Houston 50</i></p>
<h3>SYRACUSE WELCOMES SYKES BACK INTO THE FOLD</h3>
<p>Quentin Hillsman had to be happy with his team's 8-3 start but I'm sure he's much more excited about what's to come after he welcomed back Preseason All-ACC honoree Brittney Sykes. The 5'9" guard from Newark, New Jersey missed the first 11 games of the season after tearing her ACL in her team's first round matchup with Chattanooga last season. The Orange have four players averaging double figures but Sykes gives them another player that can create her own shot and make the defense pay. Sykes, along with fellow junior wing Brianna Butler, were the third and fourth MCDonald's All-Americans in Syracuse women's basketball lore.</p>
<p>Sykes won't have much time to get her bearings together though, after one final non-conference matchup with Central Connecticut State on December 30th, ACC play opens for the Orange with a visit from Muffet McGraw's Fighting Irish before traveling to Cameron Indoor to take on a highly confident Duke Blue Devil team. Sykes' first game back finished relatively quiet as she garnered 2 points (1-4) and 7 rebounds.</p>
<h3>PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK</h3>
<p>The first performance of the week recognition goes to a rookie that's been lighting up scoreboards across the country from the time she stepped onto the floor in Columbus, Ohio. Last season, Ameryst Alston was the leading scorer and the player that usually had the big games for the Buckeyes. She's still around and wasn't too shabby in her own right in scoring 26 points but freshman Kelsey Mitchell was a sight to see. The guard from nearby Cincinnati lit up Mike Carey's 21st-ranked Mountaineers for a freshman record 39 points.</p>
<p>What might be most impressive about the performance is how she went about it. Carey's teams are perenially among the best defensively but Mitchell hit 12-18 shots, including 8-10 from distance, and hit 7-11 free throws in just 27 minutes. The Buckeyes have suffered major losses to a really good freshman class but the gem of the class is making her presence known.</p>
<h3>GAME OF THE WEEK</h3>
<p>In what was otherwise a dull week, the top ten matchup in Knoxville whetted our appetites after holiday meals started to settle. Scott Rueck's Oregon State Beavers were off to the best start and in turn, garnered the program's highest ranking heading into this battle on Sunday. Meanwhile, Holly Warlick's crew has picked up its play of late. After dropping back-to-back road games to Chattanooga and Texas, the Lady Vols have cranked it up a notch and Sunday was no different. This matchup was intriguing because of the major contrast in styles.</p>
<p>Coming in as the 11th-best shooting team from three, Oregon State is a team known for it's ball movement and efficiency from the perimeter. On the opposite end, you have a Tennessee team that is extremely physical and really uses it's athleticism to their advantage, to the tune of a +12.5 rebounding margin, good for 7th in the country, so far. A back-and-forth first half ended with a Jordan Reynolds floater putting Warlick's squad ahead by one. Oregon State was able to keep the game close by shooting a blistering 6-9 from three and they needed it as 6'6" center Ruth Hamblin struggled, missing a few chippies and finishing with 2 points.</p>
<p>The second half was much different as Tennessee controlled the pace and took away those threes in the half, forcing the Beavers into 0-7 from deep. Combine that with the Lady Vols 26-6 edge in points off turnovers and you have your story of the game. Isabelle Harrison dominated the inside for the duration of the game, finishing with 20 points, 12 boards and 5 blocks. Freshman Alexa Middleton provided a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor and finished with 12 points. Ariel Massengale and Cierra Burdick finished with 11 apiece as four players finished in double figures for UT. Sydney Wiese led the Beavers with 19 points and 6 assists but after just having 19 in her first ten games, she finished with 7 turnovers.</p>
<p>Ali Gibson added 14 for Rueck's crew and Gabby Hanson added 10 before fouling out. The 6'6" Hamblin filled the stat sheet with 8 points, 12 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal but she fouled out late in the second half without ever really seeming comfortable.</p>
<h3>TEAM OF THE WEEK</h3>
<p>Without hesitation, the team of the week is Joe McKeown's Northwestern Wildcats. After struggling to a 17-16 record and bowing out in the round of 16 in the WNIT to end last season, this team came into this season ready to make some noise. Well, they've done just that. After starting the season 10-0, including wins over DePaul and Gonzaga, the women of the NW program lost their first game of the season in Tempe, Arizona to a talented, and now ranked, Arizona State team. But boy, did they bounce back strong.</p>
<p>The road battle against Charli Turner-Thorne's squad lit a fire under this team as they went and took a win in East Lansing, Michigan. We'll likely see this team in the Top 25 and it's definitely warranted. And with only 2 seniors on the roster, the future is bright for this team. If you haven't had a chance to watch them, I'd definitely recommend taking the time to do so. I watched this team several times last season and I'm not surprised at all.</p>
<h3>WNBA PROSPECT OF THE WEEK</h3>
<p>This week's prospect of the is a 6'3" forward from Wake Forest:</p>
<p><b>Dearica Hamby </b>put together one of the best seasons in recent memory in 2013-14, leading the ACC in both scoring (22.0) and rebounding (11.0). Here's a few more key numbers for Hamby:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>Set seven single season school records: points (683), rebounds (340). double-doubles (22), scoring average (22.0), field goals made (265), free throws made (142) and attempted (210)</span></li>
<li><span>fourth-best shooting percentage in the ACC last season (55%)</span></li>
<li><span>saved her best for the big stage, almost garnering the first triple-double in school history in the ACC tournament: finishing with 25 points, 16 rebounds, and a career-high 8 assists against Pitt</span></li>
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<p>This season hasn't been much different, for the 2014-15 season, Hamby is averaging 21.5 points (2nd in the ACC), 10.6 boards (3rd), in about 34 minutes per night (3rd.) She also leads the ACC in defensive rebounds per game (8.0) and is hitting 43% from three. In what seems to be a weak draft, Hamby's versatility could be key and at 6'3" she's got the size to be able to play inside and be effective.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/12/29/7460317/ncaa-womens-basketball-tennessee-oregon-state-northwestern-dearica-hambySmoove Friday