Swish Appeal - 2013-2014 San Antonio Stars offseason: Kayla McBride headlines three 2014 WNBA draft selectionsBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2014-05-13T16:00:10-04:00http://www.swishappeal.com/rss/stream/49378392014-05-13T16:00:10-04:002014-05-13T16:00:10-04:00Guest blog: Bri Kulas on Stars camp & being cut
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<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In her latest blog, Missouri product Bri Kulas reflects on her time in San Antonio Stars training camp, a new friendship that came of it, and what she'll do in the future now that she has been cut.</p> <p>Being able to be a part of the San Antonio Stars training camp was an amazing experience and even though I was only there about two weeks I think that I learned something new every day. It was a blessing to be around a group of welcoming individuals.</p>
<p>The Stars have a great group of experienced woman on their team. Becky Hammon is one of those women. She knows so much about the game of basketball and it was fun to see her play and teach us younger girls everything that she knows. I think that when she is done with her career she will be a great coach.</p>
<p>There is definitely a difference transitioning from college basketball to professional basketball and I think that is the biggest thing I learned from being at training camp. Basketball is now my job and I now know what it is like to play at the next level.</p>
<p>After talking to Coach (Dan) Hughes, I think it is also imperative that I become a more assertive 3 player. Of course I am used to playing the 4 position but in this league I think becoming a 3 player will help me personally be more successful. I plan to use this summer to develop my game in that area.</p>
<p>I not only had an eye-opening basketball experience while I was in San Antonio, but I was able to do a few things outside of basketball as well. We went to the river walk one evening and that was an enjoyable place to have dinner and walk around. I also had the opportunity to go to a couple of the Spurs game, which was really cool. The atmosphere was crazy there; people in San Antonio are very passionate about basketball.</p>
<p>Another aspect that I was thankful for during this experience was building relationships with all of the other rookies (Kayla McBride, Whitney Hand-Jones, Carolyn Davis, Heather Butler, Jessica Kuster and Karla Gilbert). They are all amazing young ladies and I'm glad I got the chance to meet them. It's crazy because I actually played against a couple of them in college and when you are on the court playing against them you don't know what their personality is like outside of basketball, but getting to know the girls on a more personal level was cool.</p>
<p>Before I got to San Antonio I had never met Kayla McBride, but we actually decided to share a car while there. Usually when I first meet people I'm really quiet and reserved and like to observe my surroundings. With her it was different and we instantly clicked from day one, we liked the same type of music, we both love shoes and it was easy to talk to her about anything.</p>
<p>We would always joke around with each other and it was funny because one day one of the older players was like "you guys fight like your sisters." Which was very true: we got on each other's nerves sometimes but I am thankful to have met Kayla and I have no doubt that we will continue to be friends and I wish her nothing but the best of luck - I am expecting big things from her this year.</p>
<p>Although things did not work out how I wanted them to, I am very blessed and thankful for this opportunity that was given to me. By no means am I done here though. I am very confident in my abilities and I think that as long as I continue to work hard for what I want I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.</p>
<p>I am very positive about the situation, and again I am beyond thankful for Coach Hughes and his coaching staff for this opportunity and allowing me to be one of very few women who can say they were a WNBA draft pick. I plan to spend my summer doing an internship so I can graduate from college and also working out to develop my game.</p>
<p>This is only the beginning for me and my career. I appreciate everybody's support thus far, and I couldn't ask for a better support group.</p>
<p><i>For more of Kulas' blogs about her journey to this point, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2013/12/4/5173798/wnba-san-antonio-silver-stars-offseason-2014">check out our San Antonio Stars offseason storystream</a>. </i></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2014/5/13/5714140/wnba-san-antonio-stars-training-camp-bri-kulas-blogMike Robinson2014-04-28T08:00:04-04:002014-04-28T08:00:04-04:00Guest blog: Bri Kulas on the start of Stars camp
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<p>Missouri alum Bri Kulas sent us a blog about her arrival to San Antonio last week and her first day of training camp as a rookie with the Stars. </p> <p>I arrived in San Antonio on Thursday afternoon. When I got here we went to the rental car place to rent a car and then me and Kayla McBride went out to eat. I would say that arriving to San Antonio a couple days before camp actually started worked out well because it gave me a few days to relax and get acclimated with the city.</p>
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<p>The first day of training camp was today. I woke up at about 8 o'clock this morning because I was so anxious to get to the gym and start this process. I would say that going into training camp I did not know what to really expect but from my few days being here early and being around the coaching staff I knew that they were going to be very welcoming.</p>
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<p>Day One of this opportunity was definitely a success. Everything did not go perfect, but I would say for the most part things went well. Different from college basketball, today was a heavy learning day. We learned a lot about their system and the plays they run, how they come off screens, and how they defend.</p>
<p>I went into today with listening ears and absorbed all the information that was given to us not only from the coaches but from the vets as well. The vets were awesome at helping us rookies understand what was going on. I am so thankful to be apart of this welcoming atmosphere, and I cannot wait until tomorrow.</p>
<p>My goal throughout this process is to learn and apply what I learn each and every day, play hard, and have fun. Never be content with how I preformed the previous day, and get better each and every day I am here.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Stars, check out<a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2013/12/4/5173798/wnba-san-antonio-silver-stars-offseason-2014"> our San Antonio Stars offseason storystream</a>.</i></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2014/4/28/5659212/wnba-san-antonio-stars-training-camp-bri-kulasMike Robinson2014-04-16T08:00:02-04:002014-04-16T08:00:02-04:00Guest blog: Bri Kulas on her draft day experience
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<p>In our latest guest blog, Missouri's Bri Kulas recounts the experience of waiting for <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/15/5615100/wnba-draft-2014-recap-san-antonio-stars-kayla-mcbride-astou-ndour" target="new">the San Antonio Stars to select her with the 28th pick</a> of the 2014 WNBA Draft and her experience of training camp.</p> <p>Monday night was a moment in my life when I realized that dreams do come true. Being a WNBA prospect is something that I always dreamt about. It has been a crazy journey through my four year college career. I think that I have always been a player that has been overlooked.</p>
<p>Leaving Kansas State and going to a JuCo, I doubt that anybody thought I was going to do anything successful in my college career, but I can honestly say that it feels great to prove those people wrong.</p>
<p>I have always been the type of person to work hard for what I want. I remember last year around this time when I was watching the draft I was talking to one of my best friends and I told her, "Hey, next year you are going to see my name on here."</p>
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<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/w1BSy5vILuE" align="middle" frameborder="0"></iframe><i>Bri Kulas and her Missouri teammates watching the moment she got drafted by the San Antonio Stars on Monday night (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1BSy5vILuE&feature=youtu.be" target="new">via Mizzou WBB</a>).</i>
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<p>So on draft night I gathered in the locker room with my teammates and some of my coaches. The third round was getting ready to start and around that time I started to get a little quiet, wasn't really talking to anybody. I guess you can say that I was a little bit nervous, having some doubt about if my name would be called or not.</p>
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<p>Everybody else was just talking, having a good time and for some reason around the time that my name came across the television nobody was really paying attention but me. I was sitting there with my eyes glued to the t.v. anxious for the last few picks.</p>
<p>All of a sudden I see my name pop up and I'm just like "oh shoot" then a couple seconds later Coach (Robin) Pingeton looks at the television and she sees my name as well and she starts screaming and runs and jumps on me. Next thing I know, my whole team is dog piled on me. Having their support during that special moment is something that I am very thankful for.</p>
<p>Most people that know me know that I am not an emotional person at all, but last night was a night that some tears definitely fell. I think that those emotions just came from me knowing that all my hard work and dedication to the game of basketball had finally payed off and I was now part of a select group of young ladies who have worked just as hard as I have to get to this point and make their dreams come true.</p>
<p>I think if you take a brief overview of what I have been through to get to the point of my career where I am today most people would not believe it and some people may be sitting there doubting me still. But like my mother always told me you can do anything that you put your mind to and to shoot for the stars.</p>
<p>I am just beyond blessed and thankful for this opportunity and I think it is so ironic that my mother consistently tells me to shoot for the stars and the team that has given me a chance is the San Antonio Stars. I can't wait for this amazing opportunity and I am looking forward to training camp coming up here soon.</p>
<p><i>For more on Kulas, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2014/3/6/5476656/sec-womens-basketball-tournament-2014-Mississippi-state-vs-missouri-recap">our previous piece on her performance in the SEC tournament</a>. For more on the Stars' draft and their offseason, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2013/12/4/5173798/wnba-san-antonio-silver-stars-offseason-2014">our San Antonio Stars offseason storystream</a>.<br></i></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/16/5619070/wnba-draft-2014-bri-kulas-san-antonio-starsMike Robinson2014-04-15T11:00:04-04:002014-04-15T11:00:04-04:00Breaking down the Stars' 2014 draft picks
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<figcaption>San Antonio Stars rookie guard Kayla McBride was the third pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft. | NBA Images</figcaption>
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<p>The San Antonio Stars drafted Kayla McBride, Astou Ndour and Bri Kulas in the 2014 WNBA entry draft Monday night. Find out a bit more about the new Stars here.</p> <p>The Stars' 2013 season was derailed by injuries to Becky Hammon and Sophia Young; the bright side is that it earned them the number three pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, which they used to select Kayla McBride. The guard out of Notre Dame shot 46 percent in her senior season and averaged 3.84 assists a game.</p>
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<p>There was more than a little bit of talk linking Alyssa Thomas, a forward out of Maryland, to the Stars. The decision to select a guard, to me, reflects the Stars' need to think of life after Becky Hammon. Hammon is now in her 16th season as a pro and just turned 37; and that's not to mention the two torn ACLs. McBride can relieve Hammon off the bench this season and pick up valuable experience without the pressure of having to start right away, barring any catastrophic injuries.</p>
<p>In the second round the Stars stuck to their organizational roots by picking foreign-born player Astou Ndour. <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/13/5610532/wnba-draft-2014-prospect-astou-ndour-spain">This</a> is a good summary of Ndour from Luís F. Cristóvão:</p>
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<p id="paragraph5" class="pgh-paragraph" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; line-height: 24px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Astou Ndour is a rebounding machine. Her two performances in the U19 World Championships produced a more than 9 rebounds per game average and, this season, in the Spanish Liga Femenina, she averaged more than 13 rebounds a game in the regular season. At 6-6, she will need to keep working on her body and gain some weight, but she is already very physical and has no problems facing anyone in the paint.</p>
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<div>I encourage you to read the rest of that article if you're interested in learning more about Ndour, it's extremely well written. The gist of it is that because Ndour is young (19), Stars' fans shouldn't expect her to reach her ceiling right away. Like I mentioned above, with Young and Hammon back in the starting five, San Antonio shouldn't need immediate starting impact from either of these rookies to be successful in 2014. If they do, it's gravy. If not, they should be able to count on the full assortment of pieces that they should have had last year.</div>
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<div>In the third round of the draft, San Antonio selected Missouri's Bri Kulas. There is a bit on her in this <a href="http://www.rockytoptalk.com/2014/2/23/5436786/womens-basketball-tennessee-lady-vols-at-missouri-lady-tigers-2-pm-est">Rocky Top Talk</a> article. The pertinent bits can be found below.</div>
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<p>This year's Missouri squad isn't much different than last year's. The good news - such as it is - is that Bri Kulas is the only other player worth noticing. Of course, she's 6'1", shoots 42% from deep, and gets 1.15 points per weighted shot...She's going to likely spot up at the 4, which puts her up against Isabelle Harrison at the top of the key - or, even better, Bashaara Graves down low. Make her work on defense and she'll likely need a few possessions off on the other side of the court.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately that's the extent of the good info I could find on Kulas, but here's a highlight reel of some of what she did at Mizzou. Video! Flashing lights!</p>
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<p>You can see the full list of drafted players <a href="http://www.wnba.com/draft/2014/draft_board.html">here</a> and be sure to check out all the coverage Swish Appeal has to offer leading up to opening night on May 16. It's going to be a great season in the WNBA!</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/15/5615100/wnba-draft-2014-recap-san-antonio-stars-kayla-mcbride-astou-ndourjake.sundstrom2014-04-14T22:54:06-04:002014-04-14T22:54:06-04:00Round 3, Pick 4: Stars select Bri Kulas
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<p>With the 28th pick in the 2014 draft, the San Antonio Stars selected Missouri's Bri Kulas.</p>
<p>Wows: The biggest strength for the 6-foot-1 Kulas is that she shot 40% from the three point line and really has little problem in creating her shot whether off the dribble or off spot ups. She has the length and quickness to be a serviceable perimeter defender as well, making her a potentially solid "three and D" type player in San Antonio.</p>
<p>Wonders: How much of a chance does she have to make this roster? The reason people wanted the Stars to select Alyssa Thomas was a hole at small forward - can Kulas fill that hole?</p>
<p>Worries: Kulas is only marginally efficient scorer as a wing, despite the three point ability and not so dominant a rebounder that she'll be able to get by on that. That really puts a lot of pressure on her to earn her minutes on the defensive end and beyond the arc.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/14/5615652/2014-wnba-draft-round-3-pick-4-san-antonio-stars-select-missouris-briNate P2014-04-14T21:34:09-04:002014-04-14T21:34:09-04:00Round 2, Pick 4: Stars select Astou Ndour
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<p>With the fourth pick in the second round, the Stars selected Spain's Astou Ndour.</p>
<p>ESPN's Rebecca Lobo said that Ndour would not be playing in the WNBA this season.</p>
<p>Since Luis Cristovao has seen more of her than we have, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/13/5610532/wnba-draft-2014-prospect-astou-ndour-spain">may I re-direct you to his pre-draft prospect profile</a>?</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/14/5615296/2014-wnba-draft-round-2-pick-4-san-antonio-stars-select-spains-astouNate P2014-04-14T20:24:59-04:002014-04-14T20:24:59-04:00Round 1, Pick 3: Stars select Kayla McBride
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<p>In a mild surprise, the San Antonio Silver Stars select Kayla McBride.</p> <p>The San Antonio Silver Stars have selected Notre Dame star Kayla McBride with the third overall pick.
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<p>Wows: Have you seen her shoot? It's a thing of beauty. But in addition to having a lethal mid-range jumper, McBride excelled this season with Notre Dame while picking up greater ball handling responsibilities in the absence of Skylar Diggins. But with the Silver Stars, her ability to pass the ball and score in the gaps of the defense with her jumper makes her a great fit. The combination of McBride and Danielle Robinson should be lethal for years.</p>
<p>Wonders: How much of a ball handling role will she be able to fill at the WNBA level? In San Antonio, that part of her game could make her even more valuable.</p>
<p>Worries: As with any jump shooter, there's a tendency to cold on occasion. The only question as someone who's primarily a scorer is whether she'll continue to get her shot as easily as she did at Notre Dame. Her size and ability to handle the ball should mean that she'll face few problems in getting her shot, meaning this is not at all a major concern.</p>
<p><i>For more on McBride's value as a prospect, check out <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/13/5611730/wnba-draft-2014-prospect-kayla-mcbride-profile">our draft prospect profile on her</a>.</i></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/14/5615052/wnba-draft-2014-san-antonio-silver-stars-kayla-mcbrideNate P2014-04-03T02:23:44-04:002014-04-03T02:23:44-04:00Whitney Hand-Jones headed to San Antonio Stars training camp<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://triblive.com/mobile/5837393-96/jones-seton-coach">Whitney Hand-Jones headed to San Antonio Stars training&nbsp;camp</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>She was the 32nd pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft.</p></p></div>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2014/4/3/5577236/whitney-hand-jones-headed-to-san-antonio-stars-training-campShades-