Monday, April 23, 2018

Slim pickings

WNBA players are trickling into their cities this week in anticipation of the beginning of training camp Sunday. And in the meantime, WBB news is scarce.

WNBA team news:

The Mercury have announced their local TV broadcast schedule for the year.

WNBA player news:

Interview with Sun draftee Lexie Brown.

College player news:

Kaila Clark is transferring from Navy to Richmond.

College coach news:

Besides Kelly Roysland, Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen has named Carly Thibault-DuDonis as her new assistant coach.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

College coaching changes aplenty

College coach news:

Tina Thompson and Lindsay Whalen are leading a wave of female coaching hires.

Thompson impressed Virginia's hiring committee immediately.

Whalen has the perfect role model in Dawn Staley.

Central Michigan coach Sue Guevara will earn at least $340,000 annually under her new contract.

Miami Ohio coach Megan Duffy has signed a contract extension through 2022-2023.

New Pitt coach Lance White is ready to work.

NC State assistant coach Gene Hill is the new head coach at Georgia State.

Mary Evans has fulfilled a lifelong dream in being named Valparaiso's new coach.

Lindsay Whalen has hired former Gopher teammate Kelly Roysland to assist her at Minnesota.

Boston College coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee is bringing her two assistant coaches from Albany with her.

Nneka Enemkpali is a new assistant coach at UCSB.

UConn's new assistant coach is former grad assistant Jasmine Lister.

New Washington State coach Kamie Ethridge is bringing Laurie Koehn with her as an assistant coach.

Erin Grant is back at Texas Tech as an assistant coach.

LaNitra Perry will return to Toledo as an assistant coach.

Alex Delanian returns to Hawaii as an assistant coach.

Wisconsin's new assistant coach is Kayla Tetschlag.

Jauwan Scaife is Murray State's new assistant coach.

College player news:

Vanderbilt transfer Kayla Overbeck has landed at USC.

NCAA news:

The Division I council has adopted new recruiting legislation: New rules aim to make college athlete recruiting experience similar to student body’s.

The Council also voted to allow recruiting visits in an athlete's junior year of high school.

Wilson Sporting Goods and the NCAA have extended their partner ship through 2020-2021.

Arike Ogunbowale's "Dancing With the Stars" gig forces the NCAA into a tricky two-step.

WNBA player news:

A brighter day: How Imani McGee-Stafford found light in the darkest of times.

Recruiting news:

Top recruit Samantha Brunelle was ready to commit to Notre Dame before they won the title this month.

Monday, April 16, 2018

College coach news rules the day

Tina Thompson is the new head coach at Virginia.

Kamie Ethridge is Washington State's new coach.

Tomeika Reed is Jackson State's new coach.

Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie begins a two-month leave of absence today to get treatment for a kidney ailment.

Central Michigan has extended the contract of coach Sue Guevara through 2022-2023.

Everybody loves Lindsay Whalen. That doesn't mean Minnesota's decision to hire her as coach comes without risk.

JR Payne is excited for the future of Colorado.

Michigan Tech coach Kim Cameron has stepped down to pursue a DI coaching opportunity.

College player news:

Arike Ogunbowale wants to get back to winning.

NAIA news:

The NAIA will combine divisions into one beginning in the 2020-2021 season.

WNBA history:

The evolution of WNBA uniforms. Check out the awesome retro picture.

WNBA draft news:

Last week's draft had the highest viewer ratings since 2014.

All-access.

WNBA player news:

Tanisha Wright is preparing, once again, to suit up for the WNBA.

Myisha Hines-Allen's new coach didn't need her, but drafted her for her toughness.

Ariel Atkins’ efficiency, athleticism, and work ethic are what the Mystics need at the wing.

The Liberty have drafted Barack Obama's niece, Leslie Robinson from Princeton.

Q&A with WNBA draftees Maria Vadeeva and Raisa Musina.

Elena Delle Donne and former vice president Joe Biden ran into each other on a golf course this weekend.

USA Basketball news:

The roster is set for the Women's National Team April 26 game in Seattle.

Friday, April 13, 2018

The day after

More on the WNBA draft:

Draft grades.

The league's team-by-team analysis.

ESPN commentators share their thoughts and make predictions.

The draft inspired some young girls last night.

Great draft photos.

The Fever have reloaded.

A'ja Wilson is ready to stage her second act.

Diamond DeShields knows she has plenty to prove in the WNBA.

DeShields is ready for a fresh start in Chicago.

Under Sue Bird's guidance, Jordin Canada looks to become the next great Storm point guard.

Inside Victoria Vivians' draft experience in New York.

Van Chancellor sings Vivians' praises.

Jill Barta reacts to being drafted.

Draftee Mackenzie Engram has an NFL-playing brother.

The business:

Why it's even difficult to compete as a WNBA agent.

Tamika Catchings talks about entering the WNBA.

Final Four:

....made history with viewership and attendance numbers.

College player news:

Arike Ogunbowale will appear in the athlete-only season of "Dancing with the Stars."

The NCAA has broken its own rules for DWTS, and that's progress.

Ogunbowale plays a news dude one-on-one.

Auburn's Bria Johnson uses poetry to serve the community.

Dana Evans is looking forward to next season at Louisville.

Is Danni Williams considering a transfer from Texas A&M?

Myriama Smith Traore will transfer from Marquette.

College coach news:

Valparaiso's new coach is Mary Evans.

Changes are coming for Kentucky's coaching staff.

New Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen says she always envisioned herself coaching.

Geno Auriemma shares his thoughts on Minnesota's hire of Whalen.

New Clemson coach Amanda Butler talks about her coaching philosophy.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

WNBA draft eve

WNBA draft:

Five storylines to watch at the draft.

It's draft time.

The draft prospects arrived yesterday.

Strategizing with the Fever for an historic draft night.

The Sky is sitting pretty entering the draft, with the third and fourth picks.

The Lynx, with their roster virtually set, are drafting for camp competition. They are also keeping an eye out for trade deals. And they remain mindful of their future.

The Sparks are looking to build depth and add a post player.

The Sun is looking to get it right tomorrow.

Las Vegas Aces coach Bill Laimbeer says the first pick will be very easy.

A'ja Wilson is a jackpot waiting to be won.

Russia's Maria Vadeeva could be the steal of the WNBA draft.

How will Azura' Stevens effect the draft?

Stevens and Diamond DeShields are among the Sky's targets in the draft.

Kelsey Mitchell is grateful to be there.

Mitchell and her Buckeye teammates await their fate.

Five things to know about Victoria Vivians.

Where Jordin Canada and Monique Billings fit in.

Canada is the best playmaker in the draft.

When will Tennessee's Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell be picked?

Katelyn Flaherty and Tyler Scaife are draft hopefuls with New Jersey ties.

Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell are set for tomorrow.

UConn's three stars are expected to be drafted early.

Versatile Cal guard Mikayla Cowling looks forward to the draft.

Imani McGee-Stafford reflects on the draft process.

WNBA news:

The league has kicked off their 2018 ad campaign with the emotional story of Skylar Diggins-Smith's comeback.

How Christine Monjer is marketing the Las Vegas Aces.

College player news:

Bianca Cuevas-Moore has transferred from South Carolina to West Virginia.

Chanette Hicks is leaving Virginia Tech.

College coach news:

Tennessee's AD is working on a contract extension for Holly Warlick.

Tom Garrick is the new head coach at UMass Lowell.

Longwood will hire Rebecca Tillett as head coach.

Akron coach Jodi Kest is retiring after 12 years.

Howard Payne coach Meia Netter has resigned after five seasons.

Marlene Sollings left the Gophers for "sleeping giant" Texas Tech.

Again, UAlbany needs a new coach.

High school news:

MaxPreps All-American team.

Monday, April 9, 2018

The dial flips

WNBA draft news:

Draft stats history.

A'ja Wilson is ready to bring a new house into the WNBA.

Wilson is ready for the draft.

Kelsey Mitchell is coming to the WNBA to get buckets.

Mitchell is expected to go high in the draft.

Diamond DeShields has given the WNBA plenty to think about before the draft.

Louisville's Myisha Hines-Allen can make noise at the pro level.

OSU's Marie Gulich is preparing for the next phase of her career.

Phoenix Mercury draft preview.

WNBA draft hub.

WNBA player news:

Maya Moore has an air Jordan coming soon.

Seimone Augustus was inducted into the Louisiana high school hall of fame.

College conference news:

It was a banner year for the ACC.

College player news:

Indiana's Tyra Buss is proud of her legacy.

Texas freshman Rellah Boothe will transfer to Northwest Florida State College.

Boothe is looking for a fresh start in her home state.

Why Mississippi State's Myah Taylor will become the new face of college basketball.

Purdue sophomore Miracle Gray is transferring.

A'ja Wilson thought about quitting basketball two years ago, when her grandmother died.

Wilson was presented with the Naismith Trophy today.

College coach news:

Marlene Stollings is leaving Minnesota to take the head coaching job at Texas Tech.

Stollings' departure is reminisent of Brenda Frese's.

A contract extension for Louisville coach Jeff Walz 'will get done.'

Bonus:

The Chamique Holdsclaw documentary focuses on her mental illness journey.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Imani McGee-Stafford Shares the Spilled Contents of her Broken Heart


NOTES IN THE KEY OF HEARTBREAK

We Can Only Love Others as Well as We Love Ourselves

AUSTIN, TEXAS - WNBA Star, Poet, Writer and Mental Health Advocate, Imani McGee-Stafford, adds published author to her burgeoning brand. Notes in The Key of Heartbreak, a book of poems by the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream center standout, is the next chapter in McGee-Stafford’s remarkable journey towards becoming a true renaissance woman.

“We are taught to search for love outside ourselves from a young age. We watch fairytales and romanticize relationships in search of the elusive ‘happily ever after’,” McGee-Stafford writes. “However, growing up, many of us don’t experience healthy, loving relationships so, we are sent into the world stumbling through heartbreaks, simply trying to do our best.”

As a child, McGee-Stafford was molested by a family member and raised in an abusive and negligent environment, spending many of her teen years depressed and suicidal. In 2012, she earned a full scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, where she eventually received the support and mental health services she long needed--support that also ultimately equipped her with enough courage to share her story. “Some of us never do the work to make ourselves whole even though we all know that none of us can give what we don’t have,” said McGee-Stafford, who champions mental health through her speeches in corporations, organizations, and schools around the country.

Seeking the “happily ever after” so many long for, McGee-Stafford met her college sweetheart at age 17. By age 20 they’d gotten married. And by age 23, they were divorced. While McGee-Stafford struggled to reach her potential as a basketball player in an elite program at Texas, she says the lessons of love were perhaps her greatest challenge. “Did we love each other because it looked and felt good?” writes McGee-Stafford, who’s entering her third season in the WNBA. “Or, did we love each other because it’s easier to ignore yourself when someone is standing next to you?”

The collection of poems taps into the tapestry of McGee-Stafford’s pain and experiences, and includes favorites like “Dad Says,” “I Keep Praying That You’ll Love Me,” “It Takes A Special Kind of Woman To Walk Away,” “I’m Deleting Your Pictures Off Social Media Because That’s What People Do In Breakups,” and “I Wonder What You Say About Me When They Ask About Us.”

Monday, April 2, 2018

The day after

Final Four:

Yes, it was the best ever.

Columbus garnered praise for its hosting job.

Family for all teams, in pictures.

Arike Ogunbowale put an unforgettable stamp on the Final Four.

Who is Ogunbowale?

From Nebraska to Notre Dame, Jessica Shepard saw her title dreams come true.

Notre Dame arrived home to a celebration today.

Today's Final Four is a far cry from that of yesteryear.

College team news:

What to expect from Mississippi State next season.

The Bulldogs got a warm welcome home today.

Mississippi State looks to be resilient after a second straight title loss.

The Bulldogs had an impact on fans.

It's not too early for Notre Dame fans to dream about next year.

Idaho State is the most-improved field goal shooting team of the year.

College player news:

Azura Stevens will skip her final year at UConn to enter the WNBA draft.

Texas A&M's Anriel Howard may transfer.

Forgot to post this the other day: Roshunda Johnson balances motherhood and being a student-athlete.

College coach news:

Muffet McGraw was noncommittal when asked if Notre Dame would visit the White House, if invited.

Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale on women's basketball: "It’s a mistake to try to be like the men."

New UMaine men's assistant coach Edniesha Curry isn't motivated by her trailblazing status.

Vermont is investigating the verbal conduct of coach Chris Day.

USA Today coaches poll:

The final poll of the season.

WNBA news:

The W breaks down team needs 10 days before the draft.

Aces preview.

Fever preview.