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Storm Players Win Titles

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

A week after the Storm started training camp, the team’s players are finished overseas, and two more are bringing home titles.

On Thursday, Ros Casares Valencia and Storm newcomer Jana Vesela earned the Liga Feminina championship in Spain by defeating Halcon Avenida to sweep the finals series 2-0. It wasn’t easy for Valencia, however, as Game 2 went to overtime. There, Ros Casares outscored Avenida 13-9 to finish things off. Belinda Snell led Ros Casares with 21 points, while Erika de Souza had 16 points and 13 boards. Vesela contributed seven points and three rebounds in 25 minutes. Le’coe Willingham battled foul trouble much of Game 2, ringing up just two points and two rebounds. Sancho Lyttle had 29 points and 14 rebounds, but it was not enough to extend the series.

That outcome left Tanisha Wright, playing in the Polish PLKK Finals, as the last Storm player active elsewhere. After stealing Game 2 on the road, Wright’s Lotos Gdynia team came home this weekend for Game 3 yesterday and Game 4 today. Gdynia took Game 3 75-68, getting 14 points and eight assists from Wright. Today’s Game 4 was a thriller, with Gdynia trailing at the half but holding AZS Gorzow to five third-quarter points to reclaim the lead. Sidney Spencer apparently intentionally missed her second free throw late with Gorzow down two, but the team could not make a follow basket and Gdynia held on 60-58. Wright had 10 points, six assists and five rebounds. Aussie Erin Phillips was named Finals MVP after scoring 17 points in Game 4. Check out a photo gallery from the game.

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Wright Moves to Poland

Monday, January 11th, 2010

The holiday break observed by European basketball leagues serves as an unofficial cutoff between the first and second halves of the season, and is also an opportunity for changes to be made. You’ve surely already read that Sue Bird went to Russia to join Spartak Moscow Region last week, but other Storm players were trading places as well. Both Camille Little and Tanisha Wright saw their contracts with K.V. Imperial AEL come to an end.

Wright has already landed in a new destination, signing yesterday with Lotos Gdynia in Poland, where she will battle Storm teammate Janell Burse. Lotos is currently second in the league at 13-2, a record built up with departed Alana Beard and Shameka Christon. Burse’s Wisla Can-Pack Krakow squad sits fourth at 10-5 despite being tied for the best record in Euroleague play at 8-0. Wright will also be joining Bird and Burse in the Euroleague, where Lotos Gdynia is tied for fourth in Group D at 2-6. Lotos is schedule to face Bird and Spartak on Jan. 20 in the finale of group play.

Speaking of Poland, yesterday was the PLKK All-Star Game, which pitted a group of the best imports in the league against the Polish National Team. The PLKK Stars won 95-75, with Burse leading all scorers with 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting and pulling down seven rebounds.

In Australia, Lauren Jackson led the Canberra TransAct Capitals to a 115-39 blowout win Saturday over their young crosstown rivals, the Australian Institute of Sport. Jackson had 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the win, which improved Canberra to 11-5. That leaves the Capitals a game behind the Sydney Uni Acuvue Flames, who hung on to second place in the WNBL with Saturday’s 86-79 home win over Bendigo. Suzy Batkovic-Brown turned in another big game for Sydney, scoring 30 points on 12-of-23 from the field and pulling down 10 boards. The Flames overcame Kristi Harrower’s 38 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

Bird made her Russian SuperLeague debut a winner on Sunday as Spartak defeated Dynamo Kursk 101-79. Bird played just under 10 minutes, scoring seven points and making all three of her shot attempts. Sylvia Fowles led Spartak with 18 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field. Spartak moved to 8-1 in SuperLeague action. Defending champion UMMC Ekaterinburg, which recently added Candace Parker to the lineup, is atop the league at 10-0.

Nice win for Swin Cash’s Guangdong Asia Aluminum team, which handed the Bayi Kylins just their second loss of the season by an 82-77 final. Cash powered Guangdong with 28 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Chen Nan, who plays for the Chicago Sky, had 15 points and eight boards for Bayi.

Liomatic Umbertide kicked off the second half of the season with a 79-71 win over Napoli Basket Vomero, improving to .500 in Serie A1. Chelsea Newton had 13 points and four boards for Umbertide, doing work at the free throw line, where she shot 9-of-11. Benedetta Bagnara made seven three-pointers in nine attempts, scoring a game-high 27 points for Umbertide.

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Wright for Most Improved

Friday, September 11th, 2009

This is the first time in my seven years with the Storm that I haven’t been involved in an MVP campaign of some sort – Lauren Jackson for several years, including 2003 and 2007 when she did win, and Sue Bird a year ago. With Jackson sidelined by injury and Bird not quite having enough time as the Storm’s go-to player to establish herself in the discussion as she did last year, it did not seem appropriate to push either player.

And I’m kind of happy about that, because sometimes there is a danger of putting the individual player ahead of the team. The success of this year’s Storm has been predicated less on any one player and more on a starting lineup that is strong from one through five.  The Storm’s three All-Star starters are indicative of that, but maybe the ultimate testimony is the way the Storm played yesterday without all three of those All-Stars and reserve Katie Gearlds. With other players taking on added responsibilities, the Storm still fought the league’s best team for 45 minutes before falling.

That brings me to Tanisha Wright. No player has stepped up more than Wright this season. We saw what she could do when turned loose as a starting shooting guard toward the end of 2008, but in a full-time starting role this year Wright has added consistency over the long season to take her game forward. She’s become a go-to option for the Storm, not only when the team is short-handed, but even for several big shots when the team was at full strength. The constant has been Wright’s defense and energy.

For veteran Storm observers, watching Wright develop her game has been a pleasure. It was evident that Wright was out of position when she spent much of the first four years of her career playing as a backup to Bird, but she was cut little slack. Now, Wright’s fierce determination and the attitude she brings the Storm have made her a fan favorite.

We put together a page highlighting the case for Wright as the WNBA’s Most Improved Player that I think is pretty compelling to send to the league’s award voters this afternoon. Give it a look and cast your own vote in the poll on the homepage.

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Wright Joins Storm for Practice

Monday, May 25th, 2009


Aaron Last/Storm Photos

A week after finishing her season in France, Tanisha Wright joined her Seattle Storm teammates for practice Sunday. In between, Wright went to her hometown of Pittsburgh and her offseason home in Charlotte, where she spent some time wrapping up details on her purchase of a home.

“It was good, but it was busy,” Wright said after practice. “It was a busy couple of days. I went home to get stuff together for my house, and that’s not an easy task. I’m glad to be back. It’s bittersweet because I’d love to be back in my house, but I’m glad to be back as well and getting ready to start.”

Wright’s team played in what was apparently the final game played anywhere in Europe during the 2008-09 season, contesting the Coupe de France after playing in the French LFB Finals.

“It felt like a really long season – it was a long season,” she said. “The good thing about it was it was a long season, but it was broken up. There were plenty of times where we would have four or five or six days off throughout the season. I think three or four times where we had that situation where we didn’t play for several days. That helps.”

In her first practice back, Wright felt the effect of the long season as well as her travel over the last week.

“I was tired – I’m not going to lie,” she said. “Usually I’m not like exhausted exhausted, but I was exhausted today.”

Still, Head Coach Brian Agler didn’t notice much fatigue and lliked what he saw from Wright, who played primarily at shooting guard alongside either Sue Bird and Shannon Johnson, joining them in a versatile three-guard lineup at times.

“She looks in real good shape,” he said. “We had her in and out – we didn’t try to overdo it. She’s still tired from traveling and a long season. She did a good job. It’s great to have her back out here.”

For Wright, the start of this training camp is very different from a year ago, when she came in late and was trying to pick up a new offense and adjust to a number of new teammates. She was also trying to establish a position then, having shifted between both guard spots. Now, she is solidly at shooting guard, though with the ability to swing to small forward in small lineups or play the point if needed.

“I think the difference this year is being more comfortable now – knowing the situation, knowing his system and knowing (Coach Agler) and the rest of the coaching staff as well as the players, because we have a lot of returning players,” Wright explained. “This year, I think I’m more comfortable in my skin and can just play. I don’t have to learn a lot on the run. You know what he expects, you know exactly what he wants and it’s a matter of going out and doing it.

“There’s some new stuff. The more I get out there the more it will be like the rest – I won’t have to think about it.”

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Wright's Season Finished

Monday, May 18th, 2009

Guard Tanisha Wright is one of four Storm players who is not here for today’s Media Day, as Wright had the longest overseas schedule of any player (period, not just on the Storm). Her Tarbes team, which lost to Bourges last week in the French LFB Championships, got a rematch with the Coupe de France on the line. Alas, Bourges emerged victorious again by a 68-63 final.

Wright had a huge effort in the loss, scoring 27 points with eight rebounds and three assists. Tarbes took advantage of its superior depth, with six players scoring at least eight points.

Wright now heads home and will be in camp later this week. We’ll pass it along when we hear a more exact date.

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Wright's Team Falls in Final

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Tanisha Wright and Tarbes fell short in their bid to win the French LFB, losing today’s deciding Game 3 72-49 at Bourges. As in Game 2, Tarbes fell behind early. It was 18-8 Bourges after one quarter and 43-19 at the half. Tarbes had a tough time generating offense, shooting 36.4 percent from the field. Wright scored 12 points as one of three Tarbes players in double-figures.

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Batkovic's Team Takes Title

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Congrats to Suzy Batkovic and her Cras Basket Taranto teammates. With a 56-52 victory yesterday, Taranto defeated Umana Venezia 3-1 in the Italian LegA Basket Femminile finals to win the top Italian league.

Taranto win on the road to take the deciding game, outscoring Venezia 28-19 in the second half and holding the hosts to seven points in the final period of another slow-paced, low-scoring affair. Batkovic was one of three players, along with series MVP Emile Godin and Megan Mahoney, to pace Taranto with 12 points, shooting 6-for-12 from the field.

According to the incomparable Paul Swanson, this is Taranto’s second Italian championship, having previously won in 2003.

The finals series in France is heading to a deciding Game 3 after Tanisha Wright’s Tarbes squad was blown out 78-37 on the road in Game 2. Host Bourges led 30-5 following a dominant first quarter, and things got little better for Tarbes the rest of the way. The previous games between the two teams have been close, so a lopsided outcome was a definite surprise. Tarbes will get a chance to bounce back and take the series on Wednesday, the final game also to be played in Bourges.

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Latest from Overseas

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Having returned home for Games 2 and 3, Cras Basket Taranto and Suzy Batkovic have taken a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five series against Umana Venezia.

Game 2, played Tuesday, saw Taranto overcome an off night from Batkovic, who spent time in foul trouble and scored but three points on 1-of-6 shooting. She contributed six rebounds, and Taranto emerged victorious by a 56-52 final in a defensive battle where both teams hit fewer than 40 percent of their shots. Karen David came off the bench to score a game-high 14 points, and Elodie Godin had 10 points and 14 rebounds for Taranto. No Venezia players reached double-figures.

Today’s Game 3 was scarcely more offensive, but Taranto’s stars got back on track in the 57-50 win. Megan Mahoney led the way with 19 points, while Batkovic scored 10 and pulled down five rebounds. Michelle Greco also scored 10 points.

The series shifts back to Venezia for Game 4 on Sunday for an elimination game for the hosts.

In France, the finals series is through just one game. On Wednesday, Tarbes earned the 56-50 victory over Bourges on the strength of a 22-9 third-quarter advantage and now goes on the road needing one win to claim the championship of France. Again, the game was defensive in nature, Bourges shooting 33.3 percent from the field. Bourges clamped down on Tanisha Wright defensively, holding her to seven points with five assists and four rebounds. Isabelle Yacoubou stepped up for the victors with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 2 will be played on Saturday.

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Storm Players Into Finals

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

As we head into May and approach WNBA training camps, overseas play is winding down. Just two Storm players are still in action, and both of their teams are currently playing for national league championships in finals series.

In the Italian Lega Basket Femminile, Game 1 of the finals was today. Suzy Batkovic’s Cras Basket Taranto team went on the road under the 1-2-1-1 format used by the LBF and fell 74-62 to Umana Venezia. Taranto led through much of the first half, but was outscored 19-8 in the third quarter as Venezia took command of the game.

Batkovic scored 14 points for Taranto, making four of her five shot attempts and all six of her tries from the free-throw line. The rest of Batkovic’s teammates had a tough time finishing, as Taranto shot 35.9 percent on two-point shots. Megan Mahoney scored 15 and Michelle Greco 11 for Taranto.

Venezia features WNBA players Essence Carson and Vanessa Hayden-Johnson as well as WNBA vet Mery Andrade, but it was Italian vet Simona Ballardini – one of the team’s go-to players – who led Venezia with 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

The series now shifts to Taranto for games Tuesday and Thursday.

Tanisha Wright’s Tarbes Bigorre Elite team won its way to the French LFB Finals last Wednesday, sweeping a semifinals matchup against Villeneuve d’Ascq with a 74-56 victory. Wright had 12 points and seven assists and five Tarbes players scored double-figures. Bourges also swept into the finals, setting up a showdown between the two top teams in France.

The best-of-three series opens Wednesday, with a last possible date of the following Tuesday, May 12.

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Wright's Israel Season Over

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

Elizur Ramla beat Ranaana Hertzeliya 77-69 in Game 4 of the Israeli D1 Finals today, taking the series three games to one. Looking to force a deciding fifth game, Raanana was within 60-57 with six minutes left to play but saw Ramla score the next nine points to blow the game open and win.

“We always look to win, but down the stretch we got tired mentally and started making mistakes, and they capitalized on it,” said Storm guard Tanisha Wright. “They scored on our mistakes, they got stops, they did a lot of things to help themselves win. It’s just disappointing”

Wright had 16 points and six rebounds, but Ramla kept her from beinga playmaker; she did not have an assist in the game. While her team fell short of the championship, Wright still had a terrific second season in Israel. She averaged 21.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 3.2 steals during the regular season.

Her season over, Wright will head back to Seattle to rejoin the Storm in the near future.

In Italy, Famila Wuber Schio took a 2-0 series lead yesterday over Phard Napoli and Storm color analyst Adia Barnes. Schio is a win away from claiming the best-of-five series with Game 3 at Schio on Saturday.

While we’re talking members of the Storm championship team, congrats to Trina Frierson, who has been promoted to associate head coach at Northwestern State University in Louisiana. Frierson has spent three years on the coaching staff at Northwestern State and will play a larger role as associate head coach. (HT: StormFans)

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