Off the Record - Oct. 2005
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Posted on October 27
With the NBA season fast approaching, life is hectic here at Sonics & Storm HQ; apologies for the tardiness of an update for Off the Record.
Since we last updated, the WNBA held its Draft Lottery in New York. From a Storm perspective, the results were less than ideal - Western Conference teams, Minnesota and Phoenix, ended up with the top two picks. Both teams were competitive for the playoffs last year, meaning the West promises to be as loaded as ever in 2006. WNBA.com's "In Other News …" blog 
has more from the NBA headquarters.
Abroad, the big news is that the first round of Euroleague play is in the books. No less than four Euroleague teams feature Storm players on their rosters, and they split the first set of games. Phard Napoli came up with a big 68-59 win at Wisla Can-Pack Krakow. 
Francesca Zara had 10 points, eight assists and four steals for Napoli, while 
Alicia Thompson came off the bench to score three points and grab three rebounds.
In a clarification of what we posted last week, Thompson will only be playing for Phard Napoli in Euroleague games, not in the Italian League.
Also victorious was 
Suzy Batkovic's UMMC Ekaterinburg squad, beating Famila Schio 60-51 at home. Coming off the bench, Batkovic had nine points and a game-high nine boards.
Despite 
Natalia Vodopyanova's 12 points and six assists (without a turnover in 30 minutes), Moscow Dynamo fell 70-64 at Valenciennes. Former Storm center Kamila Vodichkova led Dynamo with 14 points.
Janell Burse's USK Praha team got off to a slow start in Euroleague, dropping a 65-57 decision at home to USO Mondeville. Burse, plagued by foul trouble, played only 17 minutes. She did have 10 points and six rebounds in that span. Teaming up with Burse for Praha is former Storm forward Sheri Sam, who had two points and four rebounds in the losing effort.
Moving to league play, Napoli improved to 3-2 last weekend with a 70-57 win over Acer Priolo. Zara led the way with a brilliant line of 21 points on 9-for-10 shooting and six assists. She's now averaging 14.2 points and 3.6 assists per game, ranking second to former WNBA guard Kedra Holland-Corn in the league in the latter category.
With an 86-67 win over Shelen last Sunday, UMMC Ekaterinburg is now an undefeated 3-0 in Russian Superleague play. Batkovic made her debut in that game, posting eight points and four boards. Moscow Dynamo had the week off and remains 3-1.
Burse had 18 points and 11 rebounds in her league debut as USK as crushed Slovanka 108-38 last Saturday.
One more tidbit from the week: Storm Coach Anne Donovan was honored this week by the Sun Belt Conference as the greatest women's basketball player in conference history. Donovan's alma mater, Old Dominion, was part of the Sun Belt from 1982-91, encompassing Donovan's senior season.
Looking ahead, Protected Lists for the Expansion Draft to stock the Chicago Sky are due next Tuesday, with the Sky's picks set to be finalized two weeks later. WNBA.com's blog reports that these lists will not be made public.
Jackson Sidelined
Posted on October 18
 Jackson |
Lauren Jackson we mentioned yesterday have turned out to be very real indeed. Because of a stress fracture in her left shin, Jackson will have to sit out indefinitely and could miss the remainder of the WNBL season after playing just two games for the Canberra TransAct Capitals.
Jackson hopes to return in time for the Commonwealth Games, which will be played in March in Melbourne.
"With the Capitals' help and the doctors and medical staff here, I think I've got a very good chance of getting back in time," she told reporters.
In happier news, the WNBA.com In Other News ... blog has a report on the Womens' Sports Foundation's Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner and Auction, which was attended by Storm guard 
Sue Bird and other WNBA stars.
Also, recently retired Storm forward Alicia Thompson will be joining Storm teammate Francesca Zara in Italy to play for Phard Napoli. For those of you that don't speak Italian, we've taken the liberty of translating the news release using BabelFish:
"It will be therefore Francesca Zara, its companion of square in W.N.B.A., to receive to open arms the arrived new, that it will disembark to the shadow of the Vesuvio not hardly the society will have sbrigato practical the bureaucratic ones."
I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I do hope Zara receives Thompson "to open arms."
Canberra Back in Action
Posted on October 17
After a bye in the second round of WNBL action, the Canberra TransAct Capitals returned to the court Sunday, traveling to Bulleen. Trailing at the half, the Capitals outscored the Boomers 46-35 in the second half to
earn a 77-70 win and stay undefeated at 2-0. Lauren Jackson was dominant as ever, posting 29 points and 18 rebounds in 36 minutes of action.
The Canberra Times reports that old friend Tully Bevilaqua - playing her 200th WNBL game - celebrated some big plays with "chest bumps" (their term) with Jackson.
"We wanted to bring a little bit of the WNBA to the WNBL and want the girls to show their excitement, show their enthusiasm and their passion," Bevilaqua told the Times. "I'm sure we'll get a few jibes from opposition teams but if it works for us, we'll keep doing it."
The more disheartening news is that Jackson's shins and possible stress fractures are still an issue, as the Age reported over the weekend.
 Zara Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty |
For the season, Zara is averaging 12.5 points, 3.0 assists (which puts her tied for third in the league) and 3.3 rebounds per game.
In Russia, Storm forward Natalia Vodopyanova's Moscow Dynamo team is now 3-1 after defeating Novosibirsk 98-64 yesterday (Dynamo led 32-8 after one quarter). In four games, Vodopyanova is averaging 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals. She had 12 points yesterday.
Vodopyanova will later be joined in Russia by Dynamo teammate Sue Bird and Suzy Batkovic (playing for rival UMMC Ekaterinburg), and there was news on both players last week. Bird celebrated her 25th birthday, as WNBA.com's In Other News … blog covered, while a well-sunned Batkovic was spotted in her native Australia at a WNBL game between Sydney and Adelaide (hat tip: Insane Platypus blog).
Player of the Week
Posted on October 7
On the heels of her great opening game we blogged about below, Storm forward
Lauren Jackson was named WNBL Player of the Week. That's nothing new for Jackson, who has won the award six times in the WNBA.
Half a world away, Storm guard Sue Bird will be re-teaming with former UConn teammate Diana Taurasi. Bird and Taurasi will serve as co-MCs (that's sure to be worth some laughs) for the "SuperShow" which tips off the Huskies' practices for the upcoming season. Later, this winter, Bird and Taurasi - along with Storm forward Natalia Vodopyanova and Taurasi's WNBA teammate, former Storm center Kamila Vodichkova - will be teammates for Moscow Dyanmo. WNBA.com has a complete list of where WNBA players will be playing during the off-season.
Season Kicks Off Down Under
Posted on October 3
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Jackson |
Lauren Jackson was on the court and as dominant as ever, dropping 39 points on the Australian Institute of Sport. Behind Jackson's efforts, the Canberra TransACT Capitals cruised to a 91-47 victory.
The Australian media has been closely watching Jackson's return to the WNBL after she missed all of last season following ankle surgery. The Canberra Times takes a look at Jackson's continued presence in the WNBL despite her ascent to international superstardom.
In other news, Storm post Simone Edwards is back in her native Jamaica. The Jamaica Observer reports that in addition to working with her Simone4Children Foundation, Edwards is looking to help young Jamaican basketball players play in the U.S., as she did at the University of Iowa.
Off the Record is not alone in blogging the Storm off-season. WNBA.com and Matt Wurst have started "In Other News ...," with information from around the league. Be sure to give it a look and check back regularly. WNBA.com also chatted with players, including Jackson and Sue Bird, about where they see their teams going next year.
"Now we obviously have more motivation because we are very disappointed with how we got knocked out in 2005," said Bird. "Hopefully we can use a little bit of that for 2006."
Lastly, a reminder to send us any questions you have at the above e-mail link. One fan asked about the Storm's search process to replace departed assistant coach Jenny Boucek. I chatted with Anne Donovan last week, and she said she'd heard from many good candidates but really hasn't begun the process in earnest. Look for more on the assistant front by the end of the calendar year.
