A Little Pre-New Year's WNBA Gossip

(Guru’s Note: If you arrived here through the blogspot link, there is a collegiate post above this one.)

By Mel Greenberg

With less than 48 hours left before departing WNBA president Donna Orender’s name gets expunged from the league’s payroll sheets, there’s some interesting activity going along the underbelly though it has nothing to do with any potential successor to Orender’s throne.

And it is difficult to determine the validity though some well-grounded sources have confided that they have heard the same whispers and believe there might be some credence off of their sources.

The thread goes like this: Out in Sacramento – as in NBA Sacramento – several reports have been suggesting that Paul Westphal’s days may be numbered as coach of the Kings, although the time frame could allow him to stay at the helm until the end of the season.

As for a replacement: though they jettisoned the former WNBA Sacramento Monarchs a year ago this winter, the hearts of owners Joe and Gavin Maloof remained tied to a former prominent member of the one-time league champions.

That would be one John Whisenant, the former GM-coach who was recently hired in a similar dual capacity to guide the New York Liberty next season.

The Maloofs would like to have a three-year guarantee before getting seriously involved with Whisenant and if they intend to keep Westphal until the end of the season there’s no rush at their end to get to contract talks.

However, the Liberty would almost be in the same position as a year ago when Anne Donovan announced her departure as the new coach of Seton Hall but remained to guide New York to a serious challenge for the WNBA Eastern Conference title, losing to the Atlanta Dream in the playoffs in the conference finals.

So who replaces Whisenant in New York? Well that could be a golden oldie – one Richie Adubato the former coach of the Liberty and Washington Mystics who loves the women’s pro league and is said to consistently keep his ears open to any new opportunity.

The biggest barrier to his return was moved aside when MSG Sports let go Hall of Famer Carol Blazejowski, who was the Liberty’s executive head for the entire 14-year history of the franchise dating to the league’s launch in 1997.

During the period after Blazejowski’s ouster and before Whisenant’s hire became official there were some former Liberty players ready to compaign on Adubato’s behalf to John Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden, Inc., and Donnie Walsh, the New York Knicks director of basketball operations.

The Liberty will be playing across the Hudson River in nearby Newark, N.J., at the Prudential Center the next three summers while Madison Square Garden undergoes renovations.

Meanwhile a former Adubato aide is soon to be announced returning to the WNBA, perhaps as early as Wednesday.

Sources familiar with the hire said Jeff House will be named as an assistant to new Chicago Sky general manager-coach Pokey Chatman, the former coach of LSU.

House’s last gig was as an assistant to Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Debbie Ryan at Virginia and has remained living in the Charlottesville area.

As for Blazejowski, the all-time scoring star that played at Montclair State in the late 1970s has yet to make any public comments since her exit. Some of her friends have said she is still getting over the shock of her banishment, though becoming philosophical that things happen for a reason.

She does have support from various sectors in the women’s basketball community to succeed Orender, though many associated with the WNBA oval office have said they have yet to have any idea what NBA commissioner David Stern has in mind to fill the vacancy.

It is known Blazejowski has been invited to be part of a group associated with a special project the WNBA is planning involving the 15th anniversary summer of the league, which is expected to be announced sometime next month.

But that appointment has no bearing on the WNBA presidential search.

Stay tuned. We now return you to regular Guru collegiate coverage in the post above.

-- Mel