As advertised...

Hi everyone, this is Kate Burkholder again after my early-summer absence. As Mel said earlier I'm making a return to the blog and the WNBA scene tomorrow, when the New York Liberty host the Phoenix Mercury and my former Rutgers classmate, Cappie Pondexter, at Madison Square Garden.

It will be my second trip to MSG this summer and, more importantly, Pondexter's second stop on her first real East Coast trip since graduation in May.

That will take place tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon at 4 p.m., and the game plan as of now is for me to report the Rutgers-fan reaction from the game, which, if you know the Scarlet Knight supporters like I do, is expected to be significant.

I'll also be back at the Garden next Wednesday for the all-star game, which I am really looking forward to experiencing. (It also means I can sneak out early from my day job, a secretary at a certain Philadelphia hospital not too far from Mel's home base at the Inquirer).

Briefly just to touch on some other Rutgers news while we're on the topic (and because, honestly, having been on summer break for 2 months, I'm missing the Banks of the Old Raritan a little), it was announced this week that Charese "Tudy" Reed, a two-year member of the Knights and a rising junior, has announced her transfer to Oklahoma State.

It was no secret that Reed, a Chicago native, experienced some homesickness and adjustment problems as a freshman in 2004-05, but last year I had a sizeable interview with her one afternoon after practice in order to compile a feature, and she told me then that she was having a much better time as a sophomore and was really enjoying herself.

Coach C. Vivian Stringer pointed to Reed as one of the possible role-players she wanted to have step up as the "missing piece" that team really needed, and still does. That's why the transfer kind of came as a surprise to me, even though there have certainly been enough rumors for the last two years. So, hopefully, she'll get good playing time there and get to enjoy being a little closer to home. I know everyone at Rutgers and everyone who dealt with her media-wise wishes Tudy well.

On that note, I'm signing out for now. Will check back tomorrow with my Cappie report and whatever kind of gamestory I get go-ahead for. Have a great weekend!

--Kate Burkholder