Archive - Jun 2012 - Story

Argentina, Canada, Japan, Korea to battle for last remaining Olympic berth

Years of hard work and preparation have come down to this: three must-win basketball games.

France, Czech Republic, Turkey, Croatia punch tickets to London

Turkey and Croatia made history Friday as each nation earned its first-ever Olympic berth in women’s basketball at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women in Ankara, Turkey. France and the Czech Republic, both heavy favorites to make the Olympic field coming into the tournament, did not disappoint as they, too, secured their Olympic berths by winning their quarterfinal matches Friday.

Seattle Storm sign Svetlana Abrosimova

SEATTLE, June 29, 2012 – Svetlana Abrosimova, a member of the Seattle Storm's 2010 WNBA championship team, has signed with the Storm as a free agent.  Abrosimova met the team on the East Coast and is expected to suit up for the Storm's next game at 1:00 p.m. Saturday against New York at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

The Storm roster now stands at 11 players including Lauren Jackson, who will rejoin the team after the London Olympic Games.

Katie Smith savors her past, looks to a savory future

Peering at Katie Smith in the Storm locker room post-game is quite a sight these days.

With big bags of ice wrapped from her heel to just below the knee, from a distance the veteran looks more Megatron than mega-star shooting guard.

However, Smith’s three Olympic gold medals and two WNBA championships, to go along with a spot on the league’s all-time top 15 players’ list, easily makes her one of the most accomplished basketball players on the planet -- male or female.

Prep Spotlight: Jordin Canada

Add two inches and 15 pounds, and Jordin Canada (2014) would be considered the next great American point guard.  But at a slender 5-6, there’s just a sliver of doubt about whether she’ll be great, or merely very, very good. 

Stop the chatter: No one is tanking in the WNBA

Rumbling through the mental streets of the WNBA come the tanks of Brittney Griner – and Elena Delle Donne. Sinister and not-so-subtle, there are the unstoppable rumors that teams would do just about anything to find their way to the lottery, where these two great treasures of the 2013 draft lie waiting to be claimed.

These tanks, however, do not have treads, but rather are marked by odd coaching decisions, mysterious injuries and sudden collapses.  And they are, despite the claims of more than a few WNBA fans, unconnected with reality.

Family and Islam are key for Tennessee commit Jannah Tucker

This summer, Jannah Tucker was supposed to be narrowing down her college list to a top five and then take official visits in the fall.  But that never happened.  Instead, on an unofficial visit to Tennessee last weekend, she pulled the trigger and committed to the Lady Vols.

Title IX: Former Texas Longhorn reflects on era of change

It was a very different world in women’s basketball that sweltering August day in 1970, two years before the adoption of Title IX, as I made my way across the Austin campus to what was then simply called the Women’s Gym to try out for the University of Texas women’s basketball team.

My “recruitment” process had consisted of a mimeographed notice tacked to the Kinsolving Dormitory bulletin board announcing team tryouts. That and a friend who asked, “Are you going? I’ll try out if you do.”

WNBA to commermorate Title IX with special edition jerseys

Tomorrow, as part of the WNBA's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the league will commemorate the day with special edition uniforms designed by adidas.

The gear will be worn by four WNBA teams during two nationally televised games on ESPN on Saturday, June 23: the Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx at 12:30 p.m. ET and the Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury at 9 p.m. ET.

All Access: L.A. Sparks - part 1

The Los Angeles Sparks are off to a stong 9-3 start this season under new head coach Carol Ross.  They are comfortably sitting in second place in the Western Conference, two games back from Minnesota and have a huge lead of 5 or more games in the standings over the rest of the West. 

But enough about all that basketball stuff, Alex Chambers took some time to find out what the Sparks are up to off the court in this installment of All Access: L.A. Sparks-part 1.....(yes, there is MORE with All Access with LA next week).