Guru's Notes: UConn Nearly Residential at White House
(Note: Updating to reflect date which is not the 10th as implied in original post.)
By Mel Greenberg
Georgetown can relax when the Connecticut women return to the nation's capital on Monday, May 17.
The Huskies won't be in town for a Big East encounter with the Hoyas.
Rather, in what may become an annual event, Coach Geno Auriemma and his bunch are once again visiting the White House and President Obama to celebrate a second straight unbeaten NCAA title.
"We're baaack," former center Tina Charles, the top overall WNBA pick of the Connecticut Sun, shouted to the ESPN cameras toward Obama last month after UConn rallied over Stanford to continue the Huskies' NCAA record unbeaten streak to 78.
Actually Charles, if not several others with Huskies DNA in their genes, along with Auriemma could be making visits to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. under several different labels the next few years.
Besides another NCAA title or two, if they are acquired, one could expect Auriemma will lead a delegation later this year of USA Basketball types if his "other" team wins the FIBA World Championship this fall.
And in 2012, when Obama will be up for re-election, there's the possibility of celebrating an Olympic gold medal won at the London Games.
Rutgers' Stringer Getting Consolation Prize?
Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer has had bittersweet encounters in recent years when her Scarlet Knights have had to meet Iowa in regular season and NCAA matchups in recent times.
In fact, the Hawkeyes bounced Rutgers early out of the NCAA tournament at Stanford in March.
The mixed feelings are caused by mostly glorious times from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s when Stringer quickly built Iowa into a national women's power after her time at Cheyney University in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Since then, Stringer has kept Rutgers most of the time in the national radar while gaining Naismith and Women's Basketball Halls of Fame recognition and becoming the first men's or women's coach to lead three different programs to an NCAA Final Four.
Despite the Guru's late night attempt at humor in writing the headline to this blurb, Iowa will be offering more than consolation for this year's tournament setback.
Next Saturday on May 15, she'll return to Iowa City to reserve an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the university's College of Arts and Liberal Sciences at the annual commencement ceremonies.
Marginean Watch
Former Drexel senior Gabriela Marginean did not appear to play mutch -- about six minutes -- in the WNBA Minnesota Lynx's loss at the Chicago Sky on Thursday.
The Guru hasn't checked in with coach Cheryl Reeve, a former La Salle star, to determine whether it had to do with her staff looking at other combinations or whether a roster cut may be near.
Temple Staff Alums
Two former Temple aids to former coach Dawn Staley are involved in transactions this week.
Lisa Boyer, who actually was Staley's coach under the former ABL Richmond/Philadelphia Rage and who followed her to South Carolina, was promoted to associate head women's coach with the Gamecocks.
Fred Chmiel, who moved on as an assistant to Beth Burns at San Diego State the last two seasons, was named an assistant to Coquese Washington at Penn State, replacing Itoro Coleman, who became head coach at her alma mater at Clemson.
Housekeeping
In moving the Guru's blog back to this address, he forgot if he mentioned his twitter account for those of you who want to follow breaking news of sorts and tweets from WNBA games.
Anyhow, pardon the repetition if he already mentioned it but the address is http://twitter.com/womhoopsguru.
That's it for now.
- Mel
By Mel Greenberg
Georgetown can relax when the Connecticut women return to the nation's capital on Monday, May 17.
The Huskies won't be in town for a Big East encounter with the Hoyas.
Rather, in what may become an annual event, Coach Geno Auriemma and his bunch are once again visiting the White House and President Obama to celebrate a second straight unbeaten NCAA title.
"We're baaack," former center Tina Charles, the top overall WNBA pick of the Connecticut Sun, shouted to the ESPN cameras toward Obama last month after UConn rallied over Stanford to continue the Huskies' NCAA record unbeaten streak to 78.
Actually Charles, if not several others with Huskies DNA in their genes, along with Auriemma could be making visits to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. under several different labels the next few years.
Besides another NCAA title or two, if they are acquired, one could expect Auriemma will lead a delegation later this year of USA Basketball types if his "other" team wins the FIBA World Championship this fall.
And in 2012, when Obama will be up for re-election, there's the possibility of celebrating an Olympic gold medal won at the London Games.
Rutgers' Stringer Getting Consolation Prize?
Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer has had bittersweet encounters in recent years when her Scarlet Knights have had to meet Iowa in regular season and NCAA matchups in recent times.
In fact, the Hawkeyes bounced Rutgers early out of the NCAA tournament at Stanford in March.
The mixed feelings are caused by mostly glorious times from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s when Stringer quickly built Iowa into a national women's power after her time at Cheyney University in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Since then, Stringer has kept Rutgers most of the time in the national radar while gaining Naismith and Women's Basketball Halls of Fame recognition and becoming the first men's or women's coach to lead three different programs to an NCAA Final Four.
Despite the Guru's late night attempt at humor in writing the headline to this blurb, Iowa will be offering more than consolation for this year's tournament setback.
Next Saturday on May 15, she'll return to Iowa City to reserve an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the university's College of Arts and Liberal Sciences at the annual commencement ceremonies.
Marginean Watch
Former Drexel senior Gabriela Marginean did not appear to play mutch -- about six minutes -- in the WNBA Minnesota Lynx's loss at the Chicago Sky on Thursday.
The Guru hasn't checked in with coach Cheryl Reeve, a former La Salle star, to determine whether it had to do with her staff looking at other combinations or whether a roster cut may be near.
Temple Staff Alums
Two former Temple aids to former coach Dawn Staley are involved in transactions this week.
Lisa Boyer, who actually was Staley's coach under the former ABL Richmond/Philadelphia Rage and who followed her to South Carolina, was promoted to associate head women's coach with the Gamecocks.
Fred Chmiel, who moved on as an assistant to Beth Burns at San Diego State the last two seasons, was named an assistant to Coquese Washington at Penn State, replacing Itoro Coleman, who became head coach at her alma mater at Clemson.
Housekeeping
In moving the Guru's blog back to this address, he forgot if he mentioned his twitter account for those of you who want to follow breaking news of sorts and tweets from WNBA games.
Anyhow, pardon the repetition if he already mentioned it but the address is http://twitter.com/womhoopsguru.
That's it for now.
- Mel
posted by Mel Greenberg | 12:28 AM
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