Sun 2003 schedule home games in red Exhibitions May 6: New York 81, Conn. 73 May 15: Houston 79, Conn. 72 Regular season May 24: L.A. 79, Sun 71 (ABC) June 7: Sun 65, Houston 58 June 13: Sun 84, Washington 70 June 18: Sun 70, Cleveland 57 June 22, Detroit, 4 p.m. 24, @ Washington, 7 26, Indiana, 7 p.m. 28, @ Charlotte, 6 (FSNE) July 1, @ New York, 8 (Oxygen) 2, Cleveland, 7 p.m. 4, Sacramento, 7 p.m. 6, New York, 4 p.m. (MSG) 8, @Detroit, 7:30 (FSNE) 10, @ Minnesota, 8 17, Seattle, 8 p.m. (ESPN2) 19, @Phoenix, 10 20, @Los Angeles, 9:30 23, Minnesota, 7 p.m. 27, Charlotte, 4 p.m. (Hartford) August 1, Washington, 7 p.m. (FSNE) 3. Indiana, 7 p.m. 5, Detroit, 8 p.m. (Oxygen) 9, @ Charlotte, 6 12, New York, 7 p.m. 14, @Cleveland, 7 16, @ New York, 4 22, Charlotte, 7 p.m. 23, @Washington, 6 (FSNE) 25, @Indiana, 8 |
Sun set to make WNBA debut By GERRY deSIMAS, JR. Connecticut Sports Online UNCASVILLE, Conn., May 22 -- The dress rehearsals are over. Now the games count for real. The Connecticut Sun make their official WNBA debut on Saturday when they host the two-time defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks at Mohegan Sun Arena at 4 p.m. on national television. The Sun, 16-16 a year ago as the Orlando Magic, had a mixed exhibition season, losing a pair of games at home to the New York Liberty and the Houston Comets while beating the Charlotte Sting on the road. Against the Comets, the Sun received a lesson from reigning league MVP Sheryl Swoopes, who scored 15 of her game-high 24 points in the first 7:14 of the second half to lead Houston to a 79-72 victory. She scored on seven of her first nine shots, giving the Sun a harsh lesson regarding collapsing on the hot shooter. "I just got into a rhythm when we needed it," Swoopes said. "The ball felt good in my hands. I wanted to come out tonight and not even worry about knocking down shots, just go out and play. But my teammates did a good job making screens for me." Nykesha Sales led Connecticut with 20 points while Adrienne Johnson sank 18 points, including a game-high four 3-point goals for Connecticut. But the Sun struggled to make the key stop when they had to. New coach Mike Thibault has vowed to have his team run and run hard behind guards Shannon Johnson and pesky backup Debbie Black, which Connecticut picked up from Miami in the dispersal draft. Katie Douglas gives the Sun another scoring threat along with Adrienne Johnson. They'll need all the weapons they can find Saturday against Los Angeles, led by playoff MVP Lisa Lesile, who averaged 16.9 points and 10.4 rebounds last year. The Sparks return virtually its entire team led by guards Tamecka Dixon and Nikki Teasley, three-point shooter Mwadi Mabika and forward Delisha Milton. LA added Phoenix veteran Jennifer Gillom as well. Lesile and Gillom are the top two scorers in league history. CUTS: The Sun cut three players to trim its roster to 11 players. Connecticut waived Lindsey Wilson, Rasheeda Clark and Carla McGhee.. Wilson, a third round pick from Iowa State, barely saw any time in the preseason and didn't even score a point. Clark played only 7.3 minutes a game and scored 1.7 points. McGhee was Orlando's fourth round pick in 1999 but missed most of the 2002 campaign with the Miracle after hurting her left wrist. She averaged 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in four years with Orlando. UCONN NEWS: Houston traded guard Rita Williams to Seattle for a third round pick in the 2004 WNBA draft. Williams, a six-year WNBA veteran, has averaged 7.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 154 WNBA games. She played with Washington for two years before becoming an All-Star in Indiana during the 2000 campaign. The Fever traded Williams to Houston last July. Seattle opens the season at Houston on Thursday. Kara Wolters was released by Sacramento Wednesday. The Monarchs released the 6-foot-7 Wolters and kept rookie 6-6 center Chantelle Anderson of Vanderbilt, the No. 2 overall pick in the college draft. Wolters, 27, came into camp in the best shape of her WNBA career but was slowed by a left quadriceps strain. General manager Jerry Reynolds told the Sacramento Bee that he tried to trade Wolters but found no takers -- in part because of the same salary-cap issues. "Kara definitely belongs in the WNBA," Reynolds told the Bee. "Hopefully, she'll get the opportunity to play somewhere else." In February, Wolters lobbied publicly for a trade to Connecticut so she could be closer to her mother, Liz, who is battling cancer. "The only reason I would want that is to be close to my mom," Wolters told the Bee. "I love my teammates, I love the fans, I love everybody here. I love being a Monarch and everything about this organization." Sun add 3 players to roster UNCASVILLE, April 28 -- The Sun picked up three players through the WNBA dispersal draft and college draft. In the disepersal draft, Connecticut picked up feisty 5-foot-3 guard Debbie Black, who played two years with the Miami Sol, one of two teams that folded after the season. Black, 36, played her college ball at St. Joseph's and was the league's 2001 defensive player of the year. She was also an ABL All-Star with Colorado. Courtney Coleman, a 6-foot-2 forward from Ohio State, and Lindsey Wilson, a guard from Iowa State, were the two draft picks by the Sun in the 2003 WNBA college draft. Coleman was the 13th overall pick and first in the second round. She averaged 14 points and nearly seven rebounds a game as a senior. She earned second team all-Big Ten honors three times during her Ohio State career. Wilson, who was a three-time All-Big 12 Conference performer for the Cyclones, was taken with the 34th overall pick in the three-round, 42-player draft. Wilson, a 5-foot-9 point guard, led Iowa State in scoring (19.0) and assists (4.9) per game last season. She holds the school record for career assists and is the single-season leader in assists (207), field goal attempts (472) and 3-point percentage (.537). The Sun will open training camp this week with 18 players on the roster. They are allowed to keep 11. |
Connecticut Sports Online |
An assortment of stories and links to the top sports news in Connecticut and the nation. |
This page was last updated on: June 21, 2003
Connecticut Sun |
Sun set to make WNBA debut By GERRY deSIMAS, JR. Connecticut Sports Online UNCASVILLE, Conn., May 22 -- The dress rehearsals are over. Now the games count for real. The Connecticut Sun make their official WNBA debut on Saturday when they host the two-time defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks at Mohegan Sun Arena at 4 p.m. on national television. The Sun, 16-16 a year ago as the Orlando Magic, had a mixed exhibition season, losing a pair of games at home to the New York Liberty and the Houston Comets while beating the Charlotte Sting on the road. Against the Comets, the Sun received a lesson from reigning league MVP Sheryl Swoopes, who scored 15 of her game-high 24 points in the first 7:14 of the second half to lead Houston to a 79-72 victory. She scored on seven of her first nine shots, giving the Sun a harsh lesson regarding collapsing on the hot shooter. "I just got into a rhythm when we needed it," Swoopes said. "The ball felt good in my hands. I wanted to come out tonight and not even worry about knocking down shots, just go out and play. But my teammates did a good job making screens for me." Nykesha Sales led Connecticut with 20 points while Adrienne Johnson sank 18 points, including a game-high four 3-point goals for Connecticut. But the Sun struggled to make the key stop when they had to. New coach Mike Thibault has vowed to have his team run and run hard behind guards Shannon Johnson and pesky backup Debbie Black, which Connecticut picked up from Miami in the dispersal draft. Katie Douglas gives the Sun another scoring threat along with Adrienne Johnson. They'll need all the weapons they can find Saturday against Los Angeles, led by playoff MVP Lisa Lesile, who averaged 16.9 points and 10.4 rebounds last year. The Sparks return virtually its entire team led by guards Tamecka Dixon and Nikki Teasley, three-point shooter Mwadi Mabika and forward Delisha Milton. LA added Phoenix veteran Jennifer Gillom as well. Lesile and Gillom are the top two scorers in league history. CUTS: The Sun cut three players to trim its roster to 11 players. Connecticut waived Lindsey Wilson, Rasheeda Clark and Carla McGhee.. Wilson, a third round pick from Iowa State, barely saw any time in the preseason and didn't even score a point. Clark played only 7.3 minutes a game and scored 1.7 points. McGhee was Orlando's fourth round pick in 1999 but missed most of the 2002 campaign with the Miracle after hurting her left wrist. She averaged 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in four years with Orlando. UCONN NEWS: Houston traded guard Rita Williams to Seattle for a third round pick in the 2004 WNBA draft. Williams, a six-year WNBA veteran, has averaged 7.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 154 WNBA games. She played with Washington for two years before becoming an All-Star in Indiana during the 2000 campaign. The Fever traded Williams to Houston last July. Seattle opens the season at Houston on Thursday. Kara Wolters was released by Sacramento Wednesday. The Monarchs released the 6-foot-7 Wolters and kept rookie 6-6 center Chantelle Anderson of Vanderbilt, the No. 2 overall pick in the college draft. Wolters, 27, came into camp in the best shape of her WNBA career but was slowed by a left quadriceps strain. General manager Jerry Reynolds told the Sacramento Bee that he tried to trade Wolters but found no takers -- in part because of the same salary-cap issues. "Kara definitely belongs in the WNBA," Reynolds told the Bee. "Hopefully, she'll get the opportunity to play somewhere else." In February, Wolters lobbied publicly for a trade to Connecticut so she could be closer to her mother, Liz, who is battling cancer. "The only reason I would want that is to be close to my mom," Wolters told the Bee. "I love my teammates, I love the fans, I love everybody here. I love being a Monarch and everything about this organization." Sun add 3 players to roster UNCASVILLE, April 28 -- The Sun picked up three players through the WNBA dispersal draft and college draft. In the disepersal draft, Connecticut picked up feisty 5-foot-3 guard Debbie Black, who played two years with the Miami Sol, one of two teams that folded after the season. Black, 36, played her college ball at St. Joseph's and was the league's 2001 defensive player of the year. She was also an ABL All-Star with Colorado. Courtney Coleman, a 6-foot-2 forward from Ohio State, and Lindsey Wilson, a guard from Iowa State, were the two draft picks by the Sun in the 2003 WNBA college draft. Coleman was the 13th overall pick and first in the second round. She averaged 14 points and nearly seven rebounds a game as a senior. She earned second team all-Big Ten honors three times during her Ohio State career. Wilson, who was a three-time All-Big 12 Conference performer for the Cyclones, was taken with the 34th overall pick in the three-round, 42-player draft. Wilson, a 5-foot-9 point guard, led Iowa State in scoring (19.0) and assists (4.9) per game last season. She holds the school record for career assists and is the single-season leader in assists (207), field goal attempts (472) and 3-point percentage (.537). The Sun will open training camp this week with 18 players on the roster. They are allowed to keep 11. |
Bloomfield native Nykesha Sales of the Sun |
Sun 2003 schedule home games in red Exhibitions May 6: New York 81, Conn. 73 May 15: Houston 79, Conn. 72 Regular season May 24: L.A. 79, Sun 71 (ABC) June 7: Sun 65, Houston 58 June 13: Sun 84, Washington 70 June 18: Sun 70, Cleveland 57 June 22, Detroit, 4 p.m. 24, @ Washington, 7 26, Indiana, 7 p.m. 28, @ Charlotte, 6 (FSNE) July 1, @ New York, 8 (Oxygen) 2, Cleveland, 7 p.m. 4, Sacramento, 7 p.m. 6, New York, 4 p.m. (MSG) 8, @Detroit, 7:30 (FSNE) 10, @ Minnesota, 8 17, Seattle, 8 p.m. (ESPN2) 19, @Phoenix, 10 20, @Los Angeles, 9:30 23, Minnesota, 7 p.m. 27, Charlotte, 4 p.m. (Hartford) August 1, Washington, 7 p.m. (FSNE) 3. Indiana, 7 p.m. 5, Detroit, 8 p.m. (Oxygen) 9, @ Charlotte, 6 12, New York, 7 p.m. 14, @Cleveland, 7 16, @ New York, 4 22, Charlotte, 7 p.m. 23, @Washington, 6 (FSNE) 25, @Indiana, 8 |
2003 WNBA dispersal draft 1. Detroit Shock, Ruth Riley, C, Miami 2. Minnesota Lynx, Sheri Sam, F/G, Miami 3. Cleveland Rockers, Betty Lennox, G, Miami 4. Phoenix Mercury, Tamicha Jackson, G, Portland 5. Sacramento Monarchs, DeMya Walker, F, Portland 6. Connecticut Sun, Debbie Black, G, Miami 7. Indiana Fever, Sylvia Crawley, C, Portland 8. Washington Mystics, Jenny Mowe, C, Portland 9. Seattle Storm, Alisa Burras, F, Portland 10. Charlotte Sting, Pollyanna Johns Kimbrough, F, Miami 11. New York Liberty, Elena Baranova, F, Miami 12. San Antonio Silver Stars, LaQuanda Barksdale, G/F, Portland 13. Houston Comets, Ukari Figgs, G, Portland 14. Los Angeles Sparks, Jackie Stiles, G, Portland Players not selected in the Dispersal Draft: Miami Sandy Brondello Iziane Castro Marques Claudia Neves Vanessa Nygaard Kristen Rasmussen Trisha Stafford-Odom Portland Tully Bevilaqua Kristen Folkl Amber Hall Stacey Thomas Lindsey Yamasaki Carolyn Young 2003 WNBA DRAFT The Cleveland Rockers won the 2003 Draft Lottery, conducted on Thursday, April 24. Here is a complete rundown of the 2003 WNBA Draft: ROUND 1 1. Cleveland Rockers, LaToya Thomas, F, Mississippi State 2. Sacramento Monarchs, Chantelle Anderson, C, Vanderbilt 3. Detroit Shock, Cheryl Ford, C, Louisiana Tech 4. Phoenix Mercury, Plenette Pierson, F, Texas Tech 5. Detroit Shock (from Connecticut), Kara Lawson, G, Tennessee 6. Indiana Fever, Gwen Jackson, F, Tennessee 7. Washington Mystics, Aiysha Smith, C, Louisiana State 8. Seattle Storm, Sun-Min Jung, C, Korea 9. Charlotte Sting, Jocelyn Penn, F, South Carolina 10. New York Liberty, Molly Creamer, G, Bucknell 11. San Antonio Silver Stars, Coretta Brown, G, North Carolina 12. Houston Comets, Allison Curtin, G, Tulsa Round 2 13. Connecticut Sun (from Detroit), Courtney Coleman, F, Ohio State 14. Minnesota Lynx, Teresa Edwards, G, Georgia 15. Cleveland Rockers, Jennifer Butler, C, Massachusetts 16. Phoenix Mercury, Petra Ujhelyi, F-C, South Carolina 17. New York Liberty (from Sacramento), Erin Thorn, G, Brigham Young 18. Minnesota Lynx (from Miami), Jordan Adams, C, New Mexico 19. Houston Comets (from Connecticut), Lori Nero, F-C, Louisville 20. Indiana Fever, DeTrina White, F, Louisiana State 21. Washington Mystics, Zuzana Zirkova, G, Slovakia 22. Seattle Storm, Suzy Batkovic, C, Australia 23. Charlotte Sting, Dana Cherry, G, Arkansas 24. New York Liberty, Sonja Mallory, C, Georgia Tech 25. San Antonio Silver Stars, Ke-Ke Tardy, F, Louisiana State 26. New York Liberty (from Houston), K.B. Sharp, G, Cincinnati 27. Los Angeles Sparks, Schuye LaRue, F, Virginia Round 3 28. Detroit Shock, Syreeta Bromfield, F, Michigan State 29. Minnesota Lynx, Carla Bennett, C, Drake 30. Cleveland Rockers, Shaquala Williams, G, Oregon 31. Phoenix Mercury, Telisha Quarles, G, Virginia 32. Washington Mystics (from Sacramento), Trish Juhline, G, Villanova 33. Phoenix Mercury (from Miami), Marion Jones, G, North Carolina 34. Connecticut Sun, Lindsey Wilson, G, Iowa State 35. Indiana Fever, Ashley McElhiney, G, Vanderbilt 36. Washington Mystics, Tamara Bowie, F, Ball State 37. Seattle Storm, Chrissy Floyd, G, Clemson 38. Houston Comets (from Charlotte), Constance Jinks, G, UNLV 39. New York Liberty, Nicole Kaczmarski, G 40. San Antonio Silver Stars, Brooke Armistead, G, Austin Peay 41. Houston Comets, Oksana Rakhmatulina 42. Los Angeles Sparks, Mary Jo Noon, C, Purdue |
Copyright 2003, Collinsvile Publishing Company |
Sun radio Listen to every Connecticut Sun game home and away on these Connecticut Radio Network affiliates. Hartford's WTMI-AM (1290) New Haven's WYBC-AM (1340) New London's WSUB-AM (980) Waterbury's WATR-AM (1320) Old Saybrook's WLIS-AM (1420) Middletown's WMRD-AM (1150) Springfield's WMAS-AM (1450). Television Fox Sports Net (cable) June 14: @ Cleveland, 7 June 20: @ Indiana, 8 June 28: @Charlotte, 6 July 8: @ Detroit, 7:30 Aug. 1: Washington, 7 Aug. 23: @ Washington, 6 |
