Archive for April, 2012

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Notebook: Moves in Store?

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Just two days into training camp, the Seattle Storm is moving toward possible decisions on the first roster moves of the season. After Monday’s practice, Storm Head Coach Brian Agler said cuts were possible as soon as after Tuesday’s session.

“We’ve got to move forward,” said Agler. “We’re getting to the point where it’s hard to get everybody into practice.”

The Storm has 13 players in camp. 12 of them were on the floor Monday, when Katie Smith sat out after what Agler described as a “little medical procedure.” She’s expected back as a “full go” on Tuesday. Right now, the Storm appears to have a glut at the guard positions. Including Shekinna Stricklen, who can play either wing spot, six of the team’s 13 players are guards.

  • Agler said that day two was marked by, “More emphasis on the defensive end. We spent time on it. We were fatigued, but we worked through it and we got a lot of reps for our veteran people and some of the people we’re looking at. We’ll just be ready for tomorrow.”

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Coverage as Camp Starts

Monday, April 30th, 2012

After previewing the Storm’s training camp on Sunday, Jayda Evans of the Seattle Times wrote about Seattle native Jacqua Williams appearing in camp for the front page of today’s sports section.

She says an epiphany on her 25th birthday in January landed her in the Storm’s training camp, which opened Sunday. The first step was a pro combine after about a year away from sports.

About 67 people attended the combine organized by Merit Management, which represents Williams. To date, 39 players have signed with a WNBA team. Williams caught the eye of Seattle’s coaching staff, co-owner Ginny Gilder and Karen Bryant, the president and CEO of the franchise.

The Columbian of Vancouver, Wash. wrote about local product Ashley Corral earning a training camp invitation from the Storm.

Corral had hoped to be selected in the WNBA’s draft last week. But she was told by her agent that if she was not picked, there would be teams willing to sign her as a free agent, giving her a chance to make a squad.

The Storm made contact with Corral’s representative “five minutes” after the draft, Corral said.

At SwishAppeal, Nate Parham looked at the playing styles of every Western Conference roster at the start of training camp, including the Storm’s group.

The draw for basketball groups at the London Olympics was held Monday, and the USA Women landed in Group A with China, Angola and three teams that will earn their spots via the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women in June. That means the May 12 exhibition between the USA and the China National Team at KeyArena will be a preview of a matchup in London. Australia got what appears to be the tougher draw, landing with Brazil and Russia in Group B.

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Training Camp Blog: Day One

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Forward Alysha Clark is one of eight players the Storm has signed to contracts for training camp to try to make the team. She’s blogging about the experience for StormBasketball.com. You can follow Clark between blogs on Twitter @Alysha_Clark and stay tuned for future installments!

April 29

Hey hey, everyone! So today was the first day of training camp. A lot of emotions going in. Even though this is my third time, I still get a little nervous! It went as expected today, a lot of nerves, energy, mistakes and hard work. The coaches introduced a few of the basic offensive calls as well as their basic defensive principles. I love that the majority of the drills they do here in Seattle are competitive! I think it helps build toughness and a winning attitude.

The vets here – Camille, Tina and Katie – are awesome! I know it’s the first day, but they were so positive and encouraging. They were offering advice anytime they could. They’re some of the best in the league, so anytime one of them was talking I made sure to get close enough to hear. It’s such a blessing to be able to work alongside them, for real.

After practice I stayed and shot with Rachel and then went straight to the ice bath! One thing I’ve learned how to do in my career is take care of my body! The ice bath is my boyfriend haha!

For the rest of the night I’m just going to rest up, stretch and go over what we learned today so I can be ready for tomorrow!! I’m just trying to work at being the best in the world at being me!

Until next time,
Alysha

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Training Camp Blog: Storm Luncheon

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

Forward Alysha Clark is one of eight players the Storm has signed to contracts for training camp to try to make the team. She’s blogging about the experience for StormBasketball.com. You can follow Clark between blogs on Twitter @Alysha_Clark and stay tuned for future installments!

April 27

Today was a pretty short day. More of the girls got in last night so at workouts this morning we had six people. We worked a lot on the different options out of pick-and-roll situations and got a lot of shooting in. Jenny and Nancy have so much knowledge about the game and about life … it’s truly an honor to be able to learn from them.

After the workout we had a luncheon with the front office staff. It was great to get a chance to meet all the people that work so hard to make what we do possible. Everyone in this organization from the top to the bottom is so supportive and really makes you feel a part of the Storm family! I love the energy here!

On the way out from the luncheon Camille was hating on the beautiful rental car I was given!! Haha she said it wasn’t cute at all and that Rachel should lean back as far as possible to avoid being seen!

For the rest of the afternoon I just rested in bed, watched TV, did my nails, and oh yeah, let the front desk know they charged over $2,000 on my debit card!! Lol I was like, “Um, sir, there’s a mistake!” But they were great, they took care of it right away!

For the evening I’m heading to go spend some time with my family again :-) My grandma is making me some of her amazing smothered pork chops!!! There’s nothing like grandma’s cooking! I love having them so close!!

Until next time,
Alysha

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Training Camp Blog: Life Lessons

Friday, April 27th, 2012

Forward Alysha Clark is one of eight players the Storm has signed to contracts for training camp to try to make the team. She’s blogging about the experience for StormBasketball.com. You can follow Clark between blogs on Twitter @Alysha_Clark and stay tuned for future installments!

April 26

This morning I woke up a little sore from my workout! All that repetition on my left quad has me walking like a pimp haha! But I didn’t have time to worry about my soreness because I had another workout at 9. In this workout Rachel Allison and my roommate Lindsay Taylor joined us too. We did a lot of spot shooting and worked on some pick-and-roll shooting as well. Once the other two girls left for their physicals, I stayed with coach Jenny and worked on some rhythm dribbles and my pull-up jumper. At the end of our workout she was talking to me about keeping your identity and making sure to just be free when you play because how you are on the court translates to your everyday life. It really means a lot to me that she can take the time out from training and give me advice not only for basketball, but for life too.

After the workout we had to go get our physicals. I seriously have a slight panic attack when it comes to needles haha … I really dislike getting my blood drawn! But I manned up, covered my eyes and got it done! The rest of the afternoon Lindsay and I flipped back and forth between First 48 and Real Housewives of Atlanta! Haha we’re very diverse in our entertainment. Then for dinner we went downtown to The Crab Pot! I have been craving crab legs since before I got home from Israel! They were SO delicious! I definitely will be back :-)

Until next time,
Alysha

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Introducing Alysha Clark’s Training Camp Blog

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

Forward Alysha Clark is one of eight players the Storm has signed to contracts for training camp to try to make the team. Clark spent the last two years in training camp with the San Antonio Silver Stars, who drafted her in the second round of the 2010 WNBA Draft. Last year, she blogged about her experience for SwishAppeal.com, and this time around she’s bringing her blog from camp to right here on StormBasketball.com. You can follow Clark between blogs on Twitter @Alysha_Clark and stay tuned for future installments!

Hey hey, everyone! So it’s 7 a.m. and I’m sitting in this hotel bed wide awake! My goal was to wake up at 10 to eat breakfast and get ready for my workout with Coach Jenny. Since I’m up, I’ll write this blog to start my day :-)

I am so excited about my opportunity here in Seattle!! The city, the team, the fans, just the whole organization is the best. Everyone I’ve talked to has had nothing but great things to say about the Storm. I’ve been working so hard to make this transition from the 4 (power forward) to the 3 (small forward) and I’m ready to just come in to camp and show that. I think the past two years, I’ve been so scared to make a mistake or to “do too much” that I never gave myself an opportunity to just play. This year I’m coming in with a new mindset!

I got a nice workout in today with Coach Jenny and Camille. Working with a player of Camille’s caliber is such a blessing. To be able to learn from her is going to be great! Coach Jenny is really focusing on helping me develop a rhythm on my shot and letting my body work for me. I feel a lot more confident this year with my shot and just hope to continue improving it!!

I am loving Seattle already! I can’t wait to see what the city has to offer :-) Now it’s time to go spend the rest of my day with my family that lives here! It’s so great to have people you know in a place you’ve never been:-)

Until next time,
Alysha

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Campeonas

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

Congratulations to Silvia Dominguez, Lauren Jackson, Ann Wauters, Jana Vesela and their teammates. With today’s 86-68 win over Halcon Avenida in Salamanca, Ros Casares Valencia has been crowned Spanish Liga Femenina champions, sweeping through the playoffs after going 26-0 during the regular season. This is Ros Casares’ fifth Spanish title in the last six years after Avenida interrupted a string of four consecutive by winning last year. Valencia also completed the prestigious double that started earlier this month with a EuroLeague championship.

In the deciding game, Wauters had 13 points and seven rebounds. Maya Moore led Ros Casares by scoring 20 points, while Shay Murphy added 12 and Jackson was one of three players to score nine points. Dominguez had seven points and five assists. Valencia’s balanced production was in stark contrast to Avenida, which got 41 points and 22 boards from stars DeWanna Bonner and Erika de Souza but saw the rest of the team combine for just 27 points.

UMMC Ekaterinburg opened up a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Russian Finals with an 80-73 victory in today’s Game 2. Candace Parker had another big effort with 24 points and 15 rebounds and Sandrine Gruda also scored 20 points for Ekaterinburg. Sue Bird chipped in eight points and five assists. Candice Dupree had 24 points and Becky Hammon 15 for Sparta&K Moscow Region, which will try to avoid the sweep during Game 3 Friday in Vidnoe.

On Monday in Israel, Tanisha Wright and Elizur Ramla evened the Israeli D-I Finals at one game apiece with a 68-60 win over Maccabi Ashdod. Wright’s 15 points were tied with Alana Beard for game-high honors in the defensive affair. Wright added five assists. Le’coe Willingham scored 11 points for Ramla. Plenette Pierson and Ashley Shields paced Ashdod with 13 apiece. The series returns to Ashdod for Thursday’s Game 3.

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Ros Casares Survives Game 1 Thriller

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

It took the full 40 minutes, but Ros Casares Valencia held home court in Game 1 of the best-of-three Spanish Liga Femenina Finals, beating Halcon Avenida 74-72. Lauren Jackson, who scored a game-high 19 points, knocked down the clinching free throws with seconds remaining as Ros Casares held off a comeback attempt by the visitors in the final quarter. Jackson added six rebounds and shot 6-of-10 from the field in one of her best performances for Valencia. Ann Wauters was quiet offensively, scoring six points, but pulled down 10 rebounds as Ros Casares held Avenida to just three second chances. Silvia Dominguez had six points and two assists, while Sancho Lyttle scored 12 points and Shay Murphy 11.

Ros Casares will go for the sweep Tuesday in Salamanca.

UMMC Ekaterinburg tipped off the Russian Premier League Finals today with an impressive 80-65 triumph over Sparta&K Moscow Region. Candace Parker dominated opposing number Candice Dupree with 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting and eight rebounds. Sue Bird scored 15 points and handed out five assists, while Sandrine Gruda had 11 points and 11 boards for a double-double. Seimone Augustus (19) and Marina Kuzina (16) contributed more than half of Sparta&K’s scoring.

Game 2 is tomorrow, also in Ekaterinburg.

In Poland, Wisla Can-Pack Krakow holds an early 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Playing at home, Wisla took Game 1 73-59 behind balanced scoring, with eight players scoring at least five points. Ewelina Kobryn’s game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds led Wisla’s 72-60 Game 2 victory. Kobryn had eight points and four rebounds in 14 minutes of Game 1. CCC Polkowice will host the next two games Friday and Saturday.

Tanisha Wright and Elizur Ramla suffered a heartbreaking 58-56 loss in last week’s Game 1 against Maccabi Ashdod. Up 56-54 with 90 seconds to play, Ramla saw Ashdod tie the game on a bucket and win it on free throws by Plenette Pierson and Tamera Young, who combined for 33 points and 21 boards. Wright led Ramla with 13 points, but committed seven turnovers. Le’coe Willingham had 12 points and nine rebounds.

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Jersey Numbers

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

With training camp less than a week away, the Storm’s newcomers have chosen jersey numbers for the upcoming season:

  • Ann Wauters will wear her familiar No. 12, as you might have guessed when she posed with a No. 12 Storm jersey in Spain after signing with the team. She inherits the jersey from Belinda Snell. It was previously worn by two players, including Edna Campbell.
  • After wearing the No. 32 in Los Angeles to honor Magic Johnson, Tina Thompson is returning to the No. 7 jersey she made famous with the Houston Comets. She’s the fifth player to wear No. 7 for the Storm. Oddly, all her predecessors were international players, including Kamila Vodichkova and Jana Vesela.
  • Shekinna Stricklen is sticking with the No. 40 she wore at Tennessee. She joins Alison Lacey as the second draft pick in three years to pick the number. I asked Stricklen about No. 40, and she said she picked it over 50 in AAU basketball because her family number has always been 20, which she doubled. Of course, the No. 40 has a great track record at KeyArena with Sonics All-Star Shawn Kemp. Stricklen was excited to hear about the connection as a fan of Kemp’s.
  • Victoria Dunlap will wear No. 34, as she did at Kentucky and with the Washington Mystics, taking it from departed Le’coe Willingham.
  • Silvia Dominguez is the first Storm player to wear No. 6 since Doneeka Lewis in 2007. Previously, international players Sandy Brondello and Natalia Vodopyanova wore 6 for the Storm.
  • Camp invitees Rachel Allison and Alysha Clark chose No. 3 and No. 32, respectively.

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First Overseas Finals Tip Today

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

The Israeli D-I finals start today, with Maccabi Ashdod hosting Tanisha Wright and Elizur Ramla. Ramla advanced by knocking out Alysha Clark and Ramat Hasharon in four games last week, winning the finale 60-59 on Tanisha Wright’s game-winning layup with 1.5 seconds remaining. Wright made a huge defensive play to put her team in position to win, stealing Clark’s inbound pass intended for Jia Perkins at the six-second mark. Perkins blocked Wright’s first shot attempt, but she scored after the ball went to Ramla out of bounds. Wright had 21 points and four steals. Clark contributed nine points and four steals for Hasharon.

Ros Casares Valencia swept its way into the Liga Femenina finals with a 57-47 win at Rivas Ecopolis last week, getting 23 points from Ann Wauters, 10 points, seven boards and three assists from Lauren Jackson and six assists from Silvia Dominguez. The three Storm players and their teammates had the week off to prepare for a best-of-three series with rival Perfumerias Avenida that begins Saturday in Valencia. This is the sixth consecutive year the two teams have met in the Spanish finals, and Avenida’s win last season snapped a streak of four consecutive Valencia championships.

The Russian SuperLeague Finals don’t begin until Monday, after UMMC Ekaterinburg wrapped up its sweep of Nadezhda in the semifinals on Monday. Ekaterinburg dominated Game 1 96-73 at home, dominating the paint with a combined 51 points from Candace Parker and Sandrine Gruda plus 11 points and seven boards off the bench from Yelena Levchenko. Sue Bird had eight points and four assists. Game 2 in Orenburg was more competitive, but Gruda and Parker combined for 36 points and 20 rebounds as UMMC held on for the 73-67 win. Bird had 10 points and four assists.

Sparta&K Moscow Region swept Dynamo Kursk in the other semifinal, setting up a finals matchup that starts Monday. The teams will play back-to-back games home and away, with the deciding Game 5 set for May 1 in Ekaterinburg if necessary.

The Polish PLKK Finals, a marathon best-of-seven series, tip off Saturday. Ewelina Kobryn and Wisla Can-Pack Krakow got some extra rest by sweeping their semifinal matchup with Energa Torun 3-0 while CCC Polkowice needed the full five games to oust Lotos Gdynia. Ewelina Kobryn averaged 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in the semifinals despite being limited to 32 minutes in the last two games by foul trouble and lopsided scores. She had 23 points and 12 boards in Game 1.

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