WNBA: Alysha Clark Makes Transition From Prolific Scorer to Fierce Defender With Seattle

By Rob Knox @knoxrob1

WASHINGTON – Alysha Clark is embracing her new responsibilities while simultaneously displaying the dynamic depth of her game.

The affable fourth-year Seattle Storm guard with an electric smile has quietly and efficiently transformed from a ruthless scorer into a human handcuff.

Emerging as one of the more underrated and fearless defenders in the WNBA, Clark has also developed into a leader for the youthful Storm.

Whatever the Storm has needed this season, Clark has provided.

Whether it’s an encouraging word, a key rebound, clutch basket or timely defense, Clark has consistently delivered.

Though the Storm are 5-14 overall heading into the second of a grueling cross-country six-game road trip Friday night against Connecticut, Clark has continued to shine and remain positive.

“I think I’ve started to settle in and stay true to who I am in terms of what I am good at,” Clark said earlier this week at the Verizon Center prior to the Storm’s 87-74 setback to the Washington Mystics.

“Now, I am maximizing those things that I am good at along with those intangibles. They may not show up in the boxscore, but the things I bring to the team are just as important and I take pride in that. My game is still growing and I have a lot of room for improvement.”

It took some time for Clark to make her mark in the league. The journey was arduous but Clark never doubted that the road would eventually lead back to the WNBA.

Despite being drafted in the second round by the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2010, Clark didn’t make her WNBA debut until two years later.

It turned into a blessing into disguise for Clark, who worked hard and developed into a difference maker for Hapoel Rishon LeZion in Israel during the 2010-11 season.

Clark was named Domestic Player of the Year by Eurobasket.com and selected to the All-Israeli First Team after averaging 14.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

A scoring machine out of Middle Tennessee State who led the NCAA in scoring in her senior year, Clark traumatized defenders with a variety of post moves along with a deft touch around the rim.

While she’s capable of scoring eruptions, it hasn’t been required in her role even though she had an immediate challenge of transitioning from a post player to a guard.

Clark had the luxury of learning the ropes from veteran guard Tanisha Wright, who signed with New York in the offseason. Those practice battles laid the foundation for Clark’s enhanced desire to grow into a dominant defender.

“She really challenged me,” Clark said of Wright. “She told me that you can take pride in being a strong defensive player as well. I’ve never been a bad defender, but being a defensive stopper has never been in my repertoire as a player, but getting to learn from Tanisha was amazing. It just shows that I am evolving.”

Another role the 28-year-old-Leo finds herself in is mentor to rookies Jewell Loyd, Ramu Tokashiki and Kalena Mosqueda-Lewis.

The Storm are one of the younger teams in the league even though veterans Sue Bird and Crystal Langhorne are still competing at a high level.

Seattle, which has won a pair of WNBA championships, is positioning themselves for future success after a rough 2014 season.

“Alysha doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Bird said. “She knows what she’s good at and she kinds of stays in that little world.

"To be honest, the way I look at it is you don’t lead the country in scoring when you’re in college for nothing. It goes beyond an ability to score – it’s a mentality. She has that.

"Every single night, she’s guarding the other team’s best player so that just shows where she is in her mental space. She’s tough and brings a lot of that toughness to our team. It’s been really great to watch her grow from when she first got here to now. She’s really matured.”

Clark is happy to be part of that foundation. Her contributions this season have gone beyond the 4.5 points she averages per game. She has reached double figures in scoring five times this season and scored a season-best 14 points in an 86-73 win over Atlanta on July 18.

The Storm currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference standings and the playoffs are within reach although the last-place Sparks with the return of Candace Parker will be a factor in August. Seattle will be in New York Sunday afternoon for a 3:00 p.m. start.

“When I first came into the league, I was constantly learning from the veterans ahead of me and now I am in the position of teaching,” Clark said. “I’ve always been a leader in a sense and it’s just been in different ways.

"Now, I think being one of the older people on the team, I am using my experience and the leadership qualities I learned from the veterans. It’s a testament to them because learning from them and seeing how they were as professionals, teammates and women off the court has been a great learning curve for me so now I am trying to pass that down.”

Another thing that Clark shares are delicious meals. She’s the Storm’s resident top chef. Don’t be surprised to see Clark with her own cooking show in the future. She spends her free time preparing meals and lists baked chicken spaghetti as one of her signature dishes.

While Clark’s passionate cooking nourishes the stomachs of others, her warm spirit feeds and soothes the soul of her teammates.

“We play a game for living,” Clark said. “I am blessed and thankful to be able to do that. I want people to know that I am thankful to be here and that I am enjoying myself. I feel like no matter the situation, there’s always a positive and something to learn from it. That mindset has resonated through the team and that’s something that I take pride in."


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Philly Summer League: Villanova Duo Power Neon Green While Purple Upsets Pink in Quarterfinals

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

HATBORO, Pa. -- A shot of revenge, a huge upset, and a gloomy pair of forfeits marked the opening round of playoffs with quarterfinal action Thursday night in the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s NCAA Basketball League at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades.

In the games actually played third-seeded Neon Green (9-3) shook off Tuesday’s regular season-ending 66-65 loss to sixth-seeded Black (6-6), also known as Division II Philadelphia University by delivering a competitive 57-50 elimination while seventh-seeded Purple (6-6), also known Division II USciences, edged second-seeded Pink 57-56 after just missing an upset during the regular season when Purple suffered a low-scoring 34-31 defeat on July 9th.

But top-seeded Gold (11-1), the defending champion; and fifth-seeded Sapphire Blue (6-6) got virtual free passes to the semifinals through forfeits when Red didn’t field enough players, while fourth-seeded Maroon (8-4), also known as Division II West Chester, failed to appear for the second straight game because of running a camp on the Golden Rams’ campus.

Counting the two that occurred Thursday night, the league suffered nine forfeits on the 13-week 12-game per team schedule.

During the regular season, Gold also on a forfeit beat Red, which has the summer league’s top-scoring sensation in Saint Joseph’s sophomore Chelsea Woods, who did appear, as did her Hawks teammate Ciara Andrews out of Cheltenham.

Red (5-7) was idle Tuesday taking the last of the 13-byes, one-each, given to all the teams, so to play it safe, following the breaking of ties to determine the eight seeds, longtime commissioner David Kessler solicited Red players and got enough assurances to declare them the eighth seed on the basis of a head-to-head tie-break win over Forest Green (5-7), also known as Division II Holy Family.

Had Red called off their participation in advance, with Forest Green known to not have enough players for Thursday, the commissioner was set to offer the eighth slot to Orange (4-8), which won its last three and finished in a tie with Ash Grey (4-8), also known as Division II Millersville, by beating Ash Grey on Tuesday night.

“It’s a shame the ones that showed up all year didn’t get that shot,” said Orange coach Steve Flynn, who runs the Renagades and had an Orange squad of Division III players who were from for the most part high schools in lower Bucks County.

Of course, Red or Orange would have been long shots against Gold, whose only loss was to Neon Green.

West Chester beat Sapphire Blue 74-65 during the regular season to help hold the fourth seed over the squad composed of mostly Division II East Stroudsburg players.
Had the game been played it was probably a toss-up in terms of going in but because of the re-seed caused for the semifinals, third-seeded Neon Green, still quite formidable, would have been perhaps a better opportunity than playing Gold, which has lost just twice overall the last two summers.


In terms of the games that occurred, the Villanova duo of junior Megan Quinn (Episcopal Academy), whose birthday it was Thursday night, scored 26 points while Wildcats sophomore Alex Louin out of Mt. St. Joseph’s.

Alexandra Heck, a Philadelphia University senior out of Archbishop Wood, scored 14 points for Black while Erin Maher, a Rams sophomore out of North Penn, scored all nine of her points for Black with three 3-pointers.

In the Purple upset of Pink,whose only loss all season was to Gold to finish in a first-place but take the second seed off the head-to-head loss, Hadiyah Tucker, a Devils out of the Sanford school in Delaware for the Devils, put Purple ahead by two with six second remaining.

Alyssa Monaghan, an incoming Saoint Joseph’s freshman out of Bonner/Prendie, had a chance to force overtime from the foul line but made only one free throw with a second left in regulation.

Alex Thomas, a Devils freshman, had 19 points for Purple, while Sarah Abbonizio, a a 2020-targeted graduate for USciences out of Episcopal, had nine points, while Laura Trisch, a Devils sophomore out of Archbishop Wood, and Micah Morgan, also out of Caravel Academy, each scored eight points.

Saint Joseph’s senior Sarah Fairbanks out of Elizabethtown High near Harrisburg, had 29 points for Pink and Sarah Payonk, a Scranton junior out of Spring-Ford, scored 10 points.

To date there have been 52 times a player scored 20 or more points and seven with players scoring 30 or more.

Red's Chelsea Woods has had three 30-point plus games and eight overall of the 20-times 25 or more points have been scored. Megan Quinn has two 30-plus outings and six games scoring 25-or-more points.

In the semifinals on Tuesday night on Court 1, Gold will meet Purple on Court 1 rematching their first game since the close 65-60 score won by Gold, while at 8:15 on the same court Neon Green gets another chance for revenge meeting the Sapphire Blue squad that gained the 70-67 win in double overtime.

The championship will be at 7 p.m. next Thursday on Court 1.

As for the future resolving the difficulties arising from the upsets commissioner Kessler had multiple thoughts – “I’m fair so obviously on a certain nights a shortage may occur due to injuries or work or vacations planned before the league schedule is produce.

“But I think, minimally, we should have advance notice when camps may occur. I could if possible give a team a bye that week for that reason and also a late start in the 8:15 p.m. games. You also have to be fair to the players who do show up and want to work on their skills for their return to classes in the fall.”

Since many upsets occur in the back end of the season, it was suggested that maybe in June and early July play three nights a week to move up the end of the season before running into the problems involved once you get to late July or early August.

“The other thing is next year could be entirely different and there may not be many conflicts with the Tuesday and Thursday league nights,” Kessler added.

“The other issue to reach more parity you could craft the perfect roster but if players don’t show it is all meaningless.”

Kelly Green, for example, thought they had a great player in Saint Joseph’s Amanda Fiorvanti, who had some outstanding performances, but she did not play many nights due to summer school and other conflicts.

Had this been known ahead of time, Kelly Green would have gone in a different direction in the preseason draft that is conducted in late May.

Final Regular Season Standings

Team W-L G.B. PF PA Pct.

*-1-%%-Gold 11-1 -- 659 556 .917
*-1-%-Pink 11-1 -- 689 510 .917
*-3-%-Neon Green 9-3 2.0 760 650 .750
*-4-@-Maroon 8-4 3.0 732 .667 .
*-5-Sapphire Blue 6-6 5.0 681 678 .500
*-5--%-Black 6-6 5.0 570 584 .500
*-5-Purple 6-6 5.0 653 600 .500
*-8-%@-Red 5-7 6.0 674 657 .417
8--%@-Forest Green 5-7 6.0 610 689 .417
10-Orange 4-8 7.0 746 763 .333
10--&-Ash 4-8 7.0 526 575 .333
12-@-Kelly Green 3-9 8.0 674 755 .250
13-@-Royal Blue 0-12 11.0 537 793 .000

%%-Includes 2 forfeit 2-0 wins
%-includes 1 forfeit 2-0 win
&-includes 2 forfeit 0-2 losses
@-includes 1 forfeit 0-2 loss

*-Clinched playoff berth

Playoffs
(Seed No. in Front of Team
Regular Season Records in Parenthesis
^-Won Regular Season Meeting Between the Two)

b> Tues., Aug. 4

Semifinals

Court 1-both games

7 p.m.

7-Purple (6-6) vs.^ 1-Gold (11-1)

8:15 p.m.

5-^Sapphire Blue (6-6) vs. 3-Neon Green (9-3)

Thurs., Aug. 6

Championship

Court 1

7 p.m.

Neon Green or Sapphire Blue vs. Gold or Purple

Thurs., July 30

Quarterfinals Results

7 p.m.

1-Gold 2, 8-Red 0, forfeit
3-Neon Green 57, 6-Black 50
7-Purple 57, 2-Pink 56
5-Sapphire Blue 2, 4-Maroon 0, forfeit

8:15 p.m.

7-Purple (6-6) vs. ^2-Pink (11-1), Court 1
5-Sapphire Blue (6-6) vs.^ 4-Maroon (8-4), Court 2

Season Results

Tues., July 28
End of the Regular Season

Pink 2, Kelly Green 0, forfeit
Forest Green 2, Maroon 0, forfeit
Black 66, Neon Green 65
Orange 67, Ash Grey, 64, overtime
Gold 51, Sapphire Blue 39
Purple 50, Royal Blue 30
Bye: Red

Thurs., July 23

Neon Green 55, Gold 48
Pink 97, Maroon 57
Orange 83, Forest Green 61
Sapphire Blue 62, Kelly Green 58
Black 43, Purple 34
Red 69, Ash 38
Bye: Royal Blue

Tues., July 21

Gold 56, Pink 47
Neon Green 68, Royal Blue 53
Sapphire Blue 49, Black 33
Orange 69, Red 67, ovt.
Maroon 51, Ash 47, ovt.
Forest Green 85, Kelly Green 84, ovt.
Bye: Purple

Thurs., July 16

Gold 65, Purple 60
Pink 69, Orange 48
Neon Green 72, Kelly Green 48
Maroon 74, Sapphire Blue 65
Red 2, Forest Green 0, forfeit
Black 2, Royal Blue 0, forfeit
Bye: Ash Grey

Tues., July 14

Neon Green 72, Orange 66, ovt.
Gold 61, Black 55
Pink 56, Ash Grey 38
Sapphire Blue 70, Red 65
Maroon 68, Purple 63
Kelly Green 73, Royal Blue 52
Bye: Forest Green

Thurs., July 9

Sapphire Blue 70, Neon Green 67, 2 ovt.
Gold 2, Red 0, forfeit
Pink 34, Purple 31
Forest Green 79, Royal Blue 54
Black 54, Ash 43
Kelly Green 67, Orange 62
Bye: Maroon

Tues., July 7

Pink 52, Black 42
Gold 72, Forest Green 56
Neon Green 72, Purple 60
Maroon 68, Red 63
Ash Grey 74, Kelly Green 68
Sapphire Blue 58, Royal Blue 41
Bye: Orange

Thurs., July 2
Maroon 67, Royal Blue 51
Ash 56, Sapphire Blue 59
Pink 60, Forest Green 56
Kelly Green 68, Black 51
Neon Green 75, Red 73
Purple 63, Orange 56
Bye: Gold

Tues., June 30

Red 60, Purple 47
Orange 89, Royal Blue 43
Gold 76, Kelly Green 60
Maroon 67, Black 48
Forest Green 60, Sapphire Blue 54
Neon Green 2, Ash 0, forfeit
Bye: Pink

Thurs, June 25

Maroon 77, Orange 56
Purple 59, Sapphire Blue 54
Red 94 , Kelly Green 64
Gold 2, Ash 0, forfeit
Pink 87, Royal Blue 31
Bye: Neon Green

Tues., June 23

Black 49, Orange 47
Neon Green 91, Forest Green 42
Purple 59, Ash 31
Red 89, Royal Blue 84
Gold 87, Maroon 84
Pink 54, Sapphire Blue 49
Bye: Kelly Green

Thurs, June 18
Gold 70, Royal Blue 57
Ash 74, Forest Green 67
Sapphire Blue 62, Orange 60
Neon Green 69, Maroon 60
Pink 67, Red 50
Purple 66, Kelly Green 40
Bye: Black

Tues, June 16
Maroon 59, Kelly Green 54
Gold 69, Orange 43
Black 73, Red 42
Pink 64, Neon Green 52
Purple 61, Forest Green 47
Ash 61, Royal Blue 41
Bye: Sapphire Blue

Scoring 20 Points or More

32-Chelsea Woods, Red (L) vs. Maroon (W) – July 7
31-Dallas Ely, Maroon (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 2
31-Chelsea Woods, Red (W) vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 25
30 Chelsea Wood, Red (L-Ovt) vs. Orange, (W) – July 21
30 Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 21
30- Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) - June 23
30-Maureen Leahy, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) –June 23
29-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (L) vs. Purple (W) – quarterfinals – July 30
29-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (L-2ovt) vs. Sapphire Blue (W), July 9
28-Chelsea Woods, Red (L), vs. Neon Green (W) – July 2
28- Chelsea Woods, Red (W), vs. vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
28-Chelsea Woods, Red (L), vs. Pink (W) – June 18
27-Chelsea Woods, Red (W), vs. Ash (L) – July 23
26-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W) vs. Black (L), quarterfinals – July 30
26-Chelsea Woods, Red (L) vs. Sapphire Blue (W) – July 14
26-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W-ovt.) vs. Orange (L) – July 14

25-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W), vs. Red (L) – July 2
25-Tori Smick, Maroon (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 23
25-Ashley Wood, Gold (W) vs Orange (L) – June 16
25-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W) vs Maroon (L) – June 18
24-Mary Ellen McCollum, Kelly Green (L-ovt.) vs. Forest Green (W) – July 21
24-Amanda Fioravanti, Kelly Green (W) vs. Orange (L) – July 9
24-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W) vs. Forest Green (L) – July 7
24-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W) vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 30
24-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Red (L) – June 18
24-Tyniqua Henderson, Royal Blue (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 18

23-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Maroon (L) – July 23
23-Katie O’Hare, Forest Green (W-ovt), vs. Kelly Green (L) – July 21
23-Dallas Ely, Maroon (W), vs. Sapphire Blue – July 16
23-Amanda Fioravanti, Kelly Green (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 14
23-Mackenzie Carroll, Orange (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 25
23-Lauren Crisler, Gold (W) vs. Maroon (L) – June 23
22-Jenna Swope, Kelly Green (L-ovt.) vs. Forest Green (W) – July 21
22-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Forest Green (L) – July 2
22-Alex Thomas, Purple (W) vs. Sapphire Blue (L) – June 25
22-Micah Morgan, Purple (W), vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 18
21-Johanna McMillan, Pink (W), vs. Maroon (L) – July 23
21-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W), vs. Purple (L) – July 17
21-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W), vs. Purple (L) – July 7
21-Aunjel Van Brakle, Ash (W), vs. Kelly Green (W) – July 7
21-Chelsea Woods, Red (W) vs. Purple (L) – June 25
21 Sarah Payonk, Pink (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 25
21-Natalya Lee, Red (W), vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
21-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) –June 23
21-Lauren Crisler, Gold (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 18

20-Emily O’Donnell, Sapphire Blue (L), vs. Maroon (W) – July 16
20-Emily O’Donnell, Sapphire Blue (W) vs. Red (L) – July 14
20-Micah Morgan 20, Purple (L) vs. Maroon (W) – July 14
20-Samantha Stipa, Neon Green (W), vs. Red (L) – July 2
20-Maggie Locke, Royal Blue (L) vs. Orange (W) – June 25
20-Mary Ellen McCollum, Kelly Green (L) vs, Red (L) – June 25
20-Margaret Melham, Red (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
20-Brittany Sicinski, Maroon (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 23

Tie-Break Tracker

#-Gold (10-1) vs. O (W), RB (W), vs. M (W), Ash (W-*F), KG(W), FG(W), Red (W-*F), Black (W), Pur(W), PK (W) NG (L), SB (W)
Pink (10-1) vs. NG (W), Red (W), SB (W), RB(W), FG(W), Black (W), Purple (W), A(W), O (W), Gold (L), M(W), KG (W-*F).

Neon Green (9-3) vs. Pnk(L), M(W), FG (W), Ash (W-*F), Red(W), Purp (L), SB(L-2ovt.), O (W-ovt.), KG(W), RB (W), Gold (W) Black (L).

Maroon (8-4) vs. KG (W), NG (L), G(L).O(W), Black (W), RB(W), Red(W), Purple (W), SB (W), Ash (W-ovt.), Pink (L), FG (L-*F).

$-Sapphire Blue (6-6) vs. O(W), Pink(L),Purple(L), FG(L), Ash(L), RB(W), NG (W-2ovt.), Red(W), M(L), Black (W), KG (W) Gold (L).
Black (6-6) vs. Red (W), O (W), FG(L), M(L), KG(L), Pink (L), Ash (W), Gold (L), RB (W-*F), SB (L), Purple (W), NG (W).
Purple (6-6) vs. FG (W), KG (W), A(W), SB(W), Red (L), O(W), NG(L), Pink (L), M(L), Gold (L), Black (L) , RB (W).

^-Red (5-7) vs. Blk (L), Pink (L), RB(W), KG(W), Purp(W), NG(L), M(L), Gold (L-*F), SB(L), FG(W-*F), O(L-ovt.), Ash (W).
Forest Green (5-7) vs. Purp (L), Ash (L), NG(L),B(W), SB(W),Pink(L),Gold (L), RB(W), Red (L-*F), KG(W-ovt.), Or (L), M (W-F*).

%-Orange (4-8) vs. Gold (L), SB (L), B(L),M(L), RB(W),Purple(L), KG(L), NG(L), Pink (L), Red (W-ovt.), FG (W), Ash (W).
Ash (4-8) vs. RB (W), FG (W), Purple (L), Gold (L-*F), NG(L-*F), SB(W), KG(W), Black (L), Pnk(L), M(L), Red (L), Orange (L)

Kelly Green (3-9) vs. M (L), Purp (L),Red(L), Gold(L),Black(W), Ash (L), O(W), RB(W), NG (L), FG (L-ovt.), SB (L), Pink (L-*F).

Royal Blue (0-12) vs. Ash (L), Gold (L), Red (L),Pink(L), O(L),M(L), SB(L), FG(L), KG(L), Black(L-*F), NG(L), Purple (L).

*-Forfeit win or loss

#-Gold holds first on head to head win over Pink.

$-Three-Way Sapphire Blue, Black, and Purple all 1-1. Sapphire Blue and Black both beat Neon Green on best win, dropping Purple to seventh and then Sapphire Blue beat Black on head-to-head to fifth seed and black at sixth.

^-Red takes eighth seed on head-to-head win over Forest Green.

%-Orange takes 10th place on head-to-head win over Ash Grey.




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WNBA: Washington Rides Early Scoring Explosion to Win Over Seattle

By Rob Knox @knoxrob1

WASHINGTON – Ivory Latta and Tayler Hill fueled an entertaining scoring show to help the Washington Mystics easily extend their winning streak to four with an impressive 87-74 victory over the Seattle Storm Wednesday morning at the Verizon Center in a Camp Day matinee.

In delivering a pair of photoshoot-fresh scoring performances, Latta and Hill were a devastating combination that couldn’t be contained.

The pair of energetic guards with light-up-the-galaxy-smiles combined for 38 points while connecting on six of the Mystics’ eight three-pointers.

Latta made her first six shots and juiced the enthusiastic crowd with a game-high 20 points.

Meanwhile, Hill, who glided gracefully, soared majestically and shot terrifically, finished with a career-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting. She benefitted from the week the Mystics enjoyed between games.

“My body needed the rest,” Hill said. “We were able to shake out any rust we had in practice the last two days because we went pretty hard and that helped us today. Any night could be anybody’s night. All12 of us can have a great night. I think when we rotate the ball, we are a hard team to guard and I was just the recipient of the open shots today.”

All-star center Stefanie Dolson added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Mystics, who raised their overall record to 10-6 overall. Washington tied a franchise record for fewest turnovers in a game with six. They won the rebounding battle 36-33 and improved to 5-2 overall when shooting at least 40 percent in a game. The Mystics made 47.1 percent of their shots, the third highest shooting performance of the season.

They set the tone immediately.

The opening 10 minutes were the basketball version of perfection for the Mystics, who scored a season-high 34 points during the frame. Although the Storm sliced a 24-point second quarter deficit to 55-44 early in the third quarter, the Mystics controlled this game from beginning to end.

In shooting an insane 72.2 percent from the field (13-for-18), sprinting to a 34-14 bulge and having nine players reach the scoring column, the Mystics were crisper than a freshly pair of pressed pants from the cleaners. The basket looked as big as the Potomac River.

The fast start was a pleasant surprise for Washington head coach Mike Thibault.

“If you had watched our practices the last two days, I was worried about the rust,” Thibault said. “It was a little better in the second half of practice (on Tuesday). You never know how you’re going to play once the game starts.

"We got a lot of big performances today. The way we’re trying to use Ivory, she did exactly what we needed and she was joined by Tayler. They gave us a huge lift and that was something we were missing for a while.”

Latta fueled an efficient effort from the Mystics talented bench mob that resulted in them outscoring the Storm, 17-14 in the opening quarter. With the Mystics leading 17-8, Latta scored eight straight points in less than two minutes to help the Mystics gain the separation needed to cruise to victory.

Latta, who scored in double figures for the third straight game, played 25 minutes.

Following a three-game losing streak, Thibault tinkered with startinglineupsinserting rookie Natasha Cloud from St. Joseph's and it has paid off.

Despite starting the first 12 games, Latta has come off the bench the last four games for the Mystics.

“I’m here to do my job, whatever they want me to do,” Latta said. “If I need to bring energy off the bench then that’s what I’m going to do, that’s my job. We had a good crowd today and those kids-- their energy was amazing. That kept us going.”

In addition to Latta and Hill, Washington’s reserves included first round picks Kia Vaughn, the former Rutgers standout who played for the first time since June 13, Bria Hartley and LaToya Sanders. Or three-fifths of last season’s Mystics starting lineup (Hartley, Vaughn and Latta).

Sanders blocked four shots and Vaughn added eight points. They lit a fuse and reached a level that the Storm were unable to match.

“Anybody on this team can start and do well,” Hill said. “Everybody is here for a reason. For us, it doesn’t matter if you start or come off the bench as long as you produce when you’re out there.”

With so much talent and depth at his disposal, Thibault is excited at the possibilities of the multitude of line-ups he can use.

The early season injuries to Hartley and Vaughn, which forced each player to miss significant time, has been a blessing in disguise for the Mystics.

Now, with a complete roster that also features Cloud in the starting line-up, the Mystics have plenty of talented weapons to attack opponents. They are 4-0 with Cloud starting.

“That’s a great problem to have as a coach,” Thibault said. “The hardest part now is figuring out minutes for everybody. Sometimes as a coach in those situations you’re guessing who’s going to be good every night. What we’re asking for is to be consistent now; your team knows how good they can be when you can count on things every night.

"That’s our next step on our progress, but it was a huge lift tonight and hopefully that will carry over that we can keep doing that. It allows me to mix and match lineups.”

For Seattle, this was the beginning of a six-game road trip. The Storm placed four players in double figures highlighted by Abby Bishop’s 17 points. Ramu Tokashiki, Crystal Langhorne and Markeisha Gatling finished with 10 points each for the Storm (5-14 overall).

“Very disappointed with the start of the game especially defensively, so that put us in a huge hole,” Seattle head coach Jenny Boucek said. “Thought we did a decent job of regaining our composure, playing more like we want to play but it was a rough start for us.”

Both teams have road games on Friday night. The Mystics visit San Antonio and the Storm travel to Connecticut.


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Philly Summer League: Gold Takes Top Seed While Black Upsets Neon Green

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

HATBORO, Pa. -- An upset, two forfeits, and an overtime in the final contest left in the regular season on the 13-week schedule highlighted Tuesday’s pre-playoff action in the 13-team Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s NCAA Summer Basketball League at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades.

For the second straight season defending champion Gold finished in a deadlock at the top at 11-1 but based on its head-to-head win over Pink took the No. 1 seed for Thursday’s quarterfinal action, which begins at 7 p.m. on Courts 1 and 2 with the other games to be played immediately afterwards in the two doubleheaders at 8:15 p.m.

Gold easily won its game with Sapphire Blue, 51-39, while Pink, also known as Division III Scranton, gained its place in a tie courtesy of a forfeit by Kelly Green (3-9), which finished 12th, just ahead of winless Royal Blue (0-13), also known as Penn State-Abington, which fell to Purple 50-30.

There were three other deadlocks in the final standings, one of which was moot, but the eight playoff teams were easier decided this time than a year ago, though things are not entirely locked away just yet.

Sapphire Blue, Black, courtesy of a dramatic 66-65 upset over No. 3 Neon Green (9-3), and Purple, also known as Division II USciences finished in a three-way tie for fifth place all at 6-6 at .500.

Neon Green held third, which was the worst that could happen to them, and Maroon (8-4), also known as Division II West Chester, stayed fourth – the seed it would have gotten no matter what – but the Golden Rams had to forfeit their game with Forest Green (5-7) due to attending a camp.

That gave Forest Green (5-7) a very long shot for the postseason because although finishing in an eighth-place tie with idle Red (5-7), which served the last of the 13-byes that go with the three doubleheaders on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Red gets the eighth slot based on its head-to-head win over Forest Green.

However, with this being a time of the year in the real calendar when players either start heading back to school, take their actual vacation from basketball or head to their family homes to spend some time, forfeits due to lack of a starting five are usually not known until the last minute.

Longtime commissioner David Kessler was checking with Red’s availability – three of four players had already given their ok on the roll call – because if a forfeit was to occur, to start with a full complement of teams, Forest Green would get the invite followed if necessary by Orange (4-8).

Late Wednesday morning the commish confirmed that Red is officially the eighth seed after getting commitments from enough players to field a squad.

There were a total of seven forfeits that occurred since the June 16th tipoff, all of which are listed below in the standings, the running results scores, and the running who-beat-who at the bottom to enable to keep track of how to break ties.

In the three-way for fifth, among the squads involved, everyone was 1-1 to make the first procedure not usable so when it came to the next method, Sapphire Blue, also known as Division II East Stroudsburg; and Black, also known as Division II Philadelphia U., each had a premium win over Neon Green.

That immediately dropped Purple, also known as Division II USciences, to the seventh slot, and then Sapphire Blue got the fifth spot off its head-to-head win over Black.

The other tie in the standings occurred when Orange (4-8) continued its late season-rush and in the final game still being played on the night caught Ash 67-64 in overtime to tie Ash (4-8), also known as Division II Millersville to take the 10th slot though both teams were eliminated beforehand.

The Black upset prevented what would have been a longshot tie for eighth that would have occurred among Black, Forest Green, also known as Division II Holy Family, courtesy of its unforeseen upset gain through forfeit over Maroon, and Red.

In that scenario Red would have lost out.

Another rarity occurred out of the four games that were played on the last night because for the first time this season and maybe several seasons not one player hit the individual special performance standard of scoring 20 or more points.

Maybe part of the credit also for that goes to Red being idle, which kept high-scoring Saint Joseph’s sophomore Chelsea Woods off the court.

Setting the Playoffs

On Thursday, top-seeded Gold (11-1) meets eighth-seeded Red (5-7), barring any change, at 7 p.m. on Court 1. The two teams did not meet during the season due to a forfeit by Red.

At the same time on Court 2 in the two doubleheaders in quarterfinals action, sixth-seeded Black (6-6) meets third-seeded Neon Green (9-3), the team it just upset at the end. With Gold and Pink winning, Neon Green was relegated to third even if coach Ted Hagedorn’s squad had not been upset. And if it had finished tied with Maroon, it would still have held third on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

At 8:15 p.m., on Court 1 seventh-seeded Purple (6-6) meets second-seeded Pink (11-1) and when the two met during the season in a strange low-scoring game, Purple fell short of pulling an upset, losing to Pink 34-31 on July 9th.

At the same time on Court 2, fifth-seeded Sapphire Blue (6-6) meets fourth-seeded Maroon (8-4), which, on July 16 was the winner between the two 74-65.

The semifinals on Tuesday will be played on Court 1 at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. with the highest surviving seed meeting the lowest surviving seed in the first game before the other two squads meet in the nightcap.

The championship will be played Thursday next week at 7 p.m. on Court 1. That round used to be best-of-three but the commissioner had to cut back several years afo to lessen the threat of forfeits creeping into the mix.

Tuesday’s Recaps

Black 66, Neon Green 65: Neon Green rallied from eight points down to get back into it but Rachel Day, a Philadelphia University sophomore out of Archbishop Wood, won it with two foul shots with 30 seconds left in regulation.

Alynna Williams, targeted for 2021 graduation from the Rams and out of Plymouth Whitemarsh, had 12 points for Black, while Alex Heck, a Rams senior out of Archbishop Wood, scored 10 points, Erin Rafter, a freshman out of Washington Township in South Jersey, scored nine points while six other players for Black also got into the scorebook.

Neon Green got 18 points from Maureen Leahy, a Bryant senior out of Cardinal O’Hara, while Megan Quinn, a Villanova junior out of Episcopal Academy scored 17 and was 6-for-6 from the line, while Mackenzie Rule, a Saint Joseph’s junior out of Cardinal O’Hara, scored 11. Villanova sophomore Alex Louin was unable to make the game.

Gold 51, Sapphire Blue 39 Despite the defending champions missing high-scoring Jasmine Elum, Lauren Crisler, and Penn’s Taylor Bryant, who suffered a knee injury several weeks ago, coach Keith Wood was still able to guide his squad into the top seed for the second straight year.

Monica Newman, a 2010 Millersville grad out of Upper Dublin, and Shira Newman, a 2013 Millersville grad out of the same high school, each scored 11 points with Shira going 5-for-5 from the line, while Danielle Derr, a 2013 Bloomsburg grad also out of Upper Dublin, scored 10 for Gold.

Noelle Powell, an incoming East Stroudsburg freshman out of Bayard Rustin scored 16 points for Sapphire Blue and Emily O’Donnell, an Albright senior out of William Tennent, scored eighth points.

Purple 50, Royal Blue 30: Micah Morgan out Caravel Academy for Purple/USciences scored 12 points while Devils targeted 2020 graduate Sarah Abbonizio out of Episcopal Academy scored 11 points and six other players also collected on the scoreboard for Purple.

Royal Blue may not have won any games but during the season the players expressed their appreciation for being able to test themselves against opponents from the higher divisions and enjoy the experience.

In their final game, Tyniqua Henderson, a PSU-Abington senior out of Dobbins High, scored 11 points and Kyra Lundsford, also a PSU-Abington senior but out of Vineland High in South Jersey, scored eight points for Royal Blue.

Orange 67, Ash Grey 64, overtime: One of the best games of the summer and of the night along with the Black upset of Neon Green came at the very end as Orange, a group of mostly Division III players from this area in lower Bucks County, won their third straight under coach Steve Flynn.

With less than 20 seconds left, Alex Stam, a Millersville senior out of Cardinal O’Hara, nailed a trey to force Orange into overtime but Josephine Noonan, a Salisbury sophomore, hit a shot for the winners with less than 10 seconds left to seal the win.

Lauren Rothfeld, a Salisbury junior out of Upper Dublin topped Orange with 18 points and a trio of 3-pointers, while Lindsey Kelly, a Nazareth College senior out of Central Bucks East, scored 17, Noonan had 13 and five other players also scored for the winners.

Ash Grey, which got tied by Orange in the final standings but both fell short of the playoffs, got 16 points from Jade Farquhar, an incoming Millersville freshman, while Lexi Scrivano, a Millersville senior out of Central Bucks East, and Stam each scored 12 points and Stam got all hers off four 3-pointers.

Forest Green 2, Maroon 0, forfeit: The details are spoken to above but to repeat the forfeit win allowed the Holy Family group to catch Red at eighth, though lose the tiebreak. Had Black lost to Neon Green, the triple tiebreak that would have occurred would have allowed Forest Green to slip into the postseason ahead of Red.

Pink 2, Kelly Green 0, forfeit: Things could have been interesting off the forfeit win but Gold’s win precluded Pink from stealing first.
Had the game been played and Kelly Green pulled an upset and if Neon Green had not lost then Neon Green would have tied Pink for second and taken the slot off last Thursday’s upset of Gold.

And of course letting the Black stand as the reality also means that if Pink had lost the squad would have still been ahead of Neon Green in that scenario.

Final Regular Season Standings

Team W-L G.B. PF PA Pct.

*-1-%%-Gold 11-1 -- 659 556 .917
*-1-%-Pink 11-1 -- 689 510 .917
*-3-%-Neon Green 9-3 2.0 760 650 .750
*-4-@-Maroon 8-4 3.0 732 .667 .
*-5-Sapphire Blue 6-6 5.0 681 678 .500
*-5--%-Black 6-6 5.0 570 584 .500
*-5-Purple 6-6 5.0 653 600 .500
*-8-%@-Red 5-7 6.0 674 657 .417
8--%@-Forest Green 5-7 6.0 610 689 .417
10-Orange 4-8 7.0 746 763 .333
10--&-Ash 4-8 7.0 526 575 .333
12-@-Kelly Green 3-9 8.0 674 755 .250
13-@-Royal Blue 0-12 11.0 537 793 .000

%%-Includes 2 forfeit 2-0 wins
%-includes 1 forfeit 2-0 win
&-includes 2 forfeit 0-2 losses
@-includes 1 forfeit 0-2 loss

*-Clinched playoff berth

Playoffs

Thurs., July 30

Quarterfinals

(Seed No. in Front of Team
Regular Season Records in Parenthesis
^-Won Regular Season Meeting Between the Two)

7 p.m.

8-Red (5-7) vs. ^1-Gold (11-1), Court 1
^6-Black (6-6) vs .3- Neon Green (9-3), Court 2

8:15 p.m.

7-Purple (6-6) vs. ^2-Pink (11-1), Court 1
5-Sapphire Blue (6-6) vs.^ 4-Maroon (8-4), Court 2

Tues., Aug. 4

Semifinals

Court 1

7 p.m.

Highest Quarterfinal Seed Survivor vs. Lowest Quarterfinal Seed Survivor

8:15 p.m.

Remaining Quarterfinal Survivors vs. Each Other

Thurs., Aug. 6

Championship

Court 1

7 p.m.

Semifinals Survivors vs. Each Other

Season Results

Tues., July 28
(End of the Regular Season)

Pink 2, Kelly Green 0, forfeit
Forest Green 2, Maroon 0, forfeit
Black 66, Neon Green 65
Orange 67, Ash Grey, 64, overtime
Gold 51, Sapphire Blue 39
Purple 50, Royal Blue 30
Bye: Red

Thurs., July 23

Neon Green 55, Gold 48
Pink 97, Maroon 57
Orange 83, Forest Green 61
Sapphire Blue 62, Kelly Green 58
Black 43, Purple 34
Red 69, Ash 38
Bye: Royal Blue

Tues., July 21

Gold 56, Pink 47
Neon Green 68, Royal Blue 53
Sapphire Blue 49, Black 33
Orange 69, Red 67, ovt.
Maroon 51, Ash 47, ovt.
Forest Green 85, Kelly Green 84, ovt.
Bye: Purple

Thurs., July 16

Gold 65, Purple 60
Pink 69, Orange 48
Neon Green 72, Kelly Green 48
Maroon 74, Sapphire Blue 65
Red 2, Forest Green 0, forfeit
Black 2, Royal Blue 0, forfeit
Bye: Ash Grey

Tues., July 14

Neon Green 72, Orange 66, ovt.
Gold 61, Black 55
Pink 56, Ash Grey 38
Sapphire Blue 70, Red 65
Maroon 68, Purple 63
Kelly Green 73, Royal Blue 52
Bye: Forest Green

Thurs., July 9

Sapphire Blue 70, Neon Green, 2 ovt.
Gold 2, Red 0, forfeit
Pink 34, Purple 31
Forest Green 79, Royal Blue 54
Black 54, Ash 43
Kelly Green 67, Orange 62
Bye: Maroon

Tues., July 7

Pink 52, Black 42
Gold 72, Forest Green 56
Neon Green 72, Purple 60
Maroon 68, Red 63
Ash Grey 74, Kelly Green 68
Sapphire Blue 58, Royal Blue 41
Bye: Orange

Thurs., July 2
Maroon 67, Royal Blue 51
Ash 56, Sapphire Blue 59
Pink 60, Forest Green 56
Kelly Green 68, Black 51
Neon Green 75, Red 73
Purple 63, Orange 56
Bye: Gold

Tues., June 30

Red 60, Purple 47
Orange 89, Royal Blue 43
Gold 76, Kelly Green 60
Maroon 67, Black 48
Forest Green 60, Sapphire Blue 54
Neon Green 2, Ash 0, forfeit
Bye: Pink

Thurs, June 25

Maroon 77, Orange 56
Purple 59, Sapphire Blue 54
Red 94 , Kelly Green 64
Gold 2, Ash 0, forfeit
Pink 87, Royal Blue 31
Bye: Neon Green

Tues., June 23

Black 49, Orange 47
Neon Green 91, Forest Green 42
Purple 59, Ash 31
Red 89, Royal Blue 84
Gold 87, Maroon 84
Pink 54, Sapphire Blue 49
Bye: Kelly Green

Thurs, June 18
Gold 70, Royal Blue 57
Ash 74, Forest Green 67
Sapphire Blue 62, Orange 60
Neon Green 69, Maroon 60
Pink 67, Red 50
Purple 66, Kelly Green 40
Bye: Black

Tues, June 16
Maroon 59, Kelly Green 54
Gold 69, Orange 43
Black 73, Red 42
Pink 64, Neon Green 52
Purple 61, Forest Green 47
Ash 61, Royal Blue 41
Bye: Sapphire Blue

Scoring 20 Points or More

32-Chelsea Woods, Red (L) vs. Maroon (W) – July 7
31-Dallas Ely, Maroon (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 2
31-Chelsea Woods, Red (W) vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 25
30 Chelsea Wood, Red (L-Ovt) vs. Orange, (W) – July 21
30 Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 21
30- Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) - June 23
30-Maureen Leahy, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) –June 23
29-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (L-2ovt) vs. Sapphire Blue (W), July 9
28-Chelsea Woods, Red (L), vs. Neon Green (W) – July 2
28- Chelsea Woods, Red (W), vs. vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
28-Chelsea Woods, Red (L), vs. Pink (W) – June 18
27-Chelsea Woods, Red (W), vs. Ash (L) – July 23
26-Chelsea Woods, Red (L) vs. Sapphire Blue (W) – July 14
26-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W-ovt.) vs. Orange (L) – July 14

25-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W), vs. Red (L) – July 2
25-Tori Smick, Maroon (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 23
25-Ashley Wood, Gold (W) vs Orange (L) – June 16
25-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W) vs Maroon (L) – June 18
24-Mary Ellen McCollum, Kelly Green (L-ovt.) vs. Forest Green (W) – July 21
24-Amanda Fioravanti, Kelly Green (W) vs. Orange (L) – July 9
24-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W) vs. Forest Green (L) – July 7
24-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W) vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 30
24-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Red (L) – June 18
24-Tyniqua Henderson, Royal Blue (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 18

23-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Maroon (L) – July 23
23-Katie O’Hare, Forest Green (W-ovt), vs. Kelly Green (L) – July 21
23-Dallas Ely, Maroon (W), vs. Sapphire Blue – July 16
23-Amanda Fioravanti, Kelly Green (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 14
23-Mackenzie Carroll, Orange (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 25
23-Lauren Crisler, Gold (W) vs. Maroon (L) – June 23
22-Jenna Swope, Kelly Green (L-ovt.) vs. Forest Green (W) – July 21
22-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Forest Green (L) – July 2
22-Alex Thomas, Purple (W) vs. Sapphire Blue (L) – June 25
22-Micah Morgan, Purple (W), vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 18
21-Johanna McMillan, Pink (W), vs. Maroon (L) – July 23
21-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W), vs. Purple (L) – July 17
21-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W), vs. Purple (L) – July 7
21-Aunjel Van Brakle, Ash (W), vs. Kelly Green (W) – July 7
21-Chelsea Woods, Red (W) vs. Purple (L) – June 25
21 – Sarah Payonk, Pink (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 25
21-Natalya Lee, Red (W), vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
21-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) –June 23
21-Lauren Crisler, Gold (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 18

20-Emily O’Donnell, Sapphire Blue (L), vs. Maroon (W) – July 16
20-Emily O’Donnell, Sapphire Blue (W) vs. Red (L) – July 14
20-Micah Morgan 20, Purple (L) vs. Maroon (W) – July 14
20-Samantha Stipa, Neon Green (W), vs. Red (L) – July 2
20-Maggie Locke, Royal Blue (L) vs. Orange (W) – June 25
20-Mary Ellen McCollum, Kelly Green (L) vs, Red (L) – June 25
20-Margaret Melham, Red (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
20-Brittany Sicinski, Maroon (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 23

Tie-Break Tracker

#-Gold (10-1) vs. O (W), RB (W), vs. M (W), Ash (W-*F), KG(W), FG(W), Red (W-*F), Black (W), Pur(W), PK (W) NG (L), SB (W)
Pink (10-1) vs. NG (W), Red (W), SB (W), RB(W), FG(W), Black (W), Purple (W), A(W), O (W), Gold (L), M(W), KG (W-*F).

Neon Green (9-3) vs. Pnk(L), M(W), FG (W), Ash (W-*F), Red(W), Purp (L), SB(L-2ovt.), O (W-ovt.), KG(W), RB (W), Gold (W) Black (L).

Maroon (8-4) vs. KG (W), NG (L), G(L).O(W), Black (W), RB(W), Red(W), Purple (W), SB (W), Ash (W-ovt.), Pink (L), FG (L-*F).

$-Sapphire Blue (6-6) vs. O(W), Pink(L),Purple(L), FG(L), Ash(L), RB(W), NG (W-2ovt.), Red(W), M(L), Black (W), KG (W) Gold (L).
Black (6-6) vs. Red (W), O (W), FG(L), M(L), KG(L), Pink (L), Ash (W), Gold (L), RB (W-*F), SB (L), Purple (W), NG (W).
Purple (6-6) vs. FG (W), KG (W), A(W), SB(W), Red (L), O(W), NG(L), Pink (L), M(L), Gold (L), Black (L) , RB (W).

^-Red (5-7) vs. Blk (L), Pink (L), RB(W), KG(W), Purp(W), NG(L), M(L), Gold (L-*F), SB(L), FG(W-*F), O(L-ovt.), Ash (W).
Forest Green (5-7) vs. Purp (L), Ash (L), NG(L),B(W), SB(W),Pink(L),Gold (L), RB(W), Red (L-*F), KG(W-ovt.), Or (L), M (W-F*).

%-Orange (4-8) vs. Gold (L), SB (L), B(L),M(L), RB(W),Purple(L), KG(L), NG(L), Pink (L), Red (W-ovt.), FG (W), Ash (W).
Ash (4-8) vs. RB (W), FG (W), Purple (L), Gold (L-*F), NG(L-*F), SB(W), KG(W), Black (L), Pnk(L), M(L), Red (L), Orange (L)

Kelly Green (3-9) vs. M (L), Purp (L),Red(L), Gold(L),Black(W), Ash (L), O(W), RB(W), NG (L), FG (L-ovt.), SB (L), Pink (L-*F).

Royal Blue (0-12) vs. Ash (L), Gold (L), Red (L),Pink(L), O(L),M(L), SB(L), FG(L), KG(L), Black(L-*F), NG(L), Purple (L).

*-Forfeit win or loss

#-Gold holds first on head to head win over Pink.

$-Three-Way Sapphire Blue, Black, and Purple all 1-1. Sapphire Blue and Black both beat Neon Green on best win, dropping Purple to seventh and then Sapphire Blue beat Black on head-to-head to fifth seed and black at sixth.

^-Red takes eighth seed on head-to-head win over Forest Green.

%-Orange takes 10th place on head-to-head win over Ash Grey.







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Mike Siroky's SEC Notebook: South Carolina's Staley and Wilson Headline USA U-19 Gold

By Mike Siroky

Just as having Holly Warlick at her side (as an assistant coach) helped Tennessee’s Mercedes Russell at the World University Games, so, too, did having Dawn Staley at her side (as the coach) help South Carolina’s A'ja Wilson, the tournament MVP in the recently under-19 world basketball tournament in Chekov, Russia

The Gamecock duo set some impressive marks.

Wilson broke the U.S. women's scoring record in the title game with 30; she led the team by averaging 18.3 points in the tournament run. She was the obvious choice as MVP, the best player on the best team.

The Southeastern Conference rookie of the year joins some elite company as the latest greatest.

Wilson is the fourth USA athlete to participate in and win two FIBA U19 World Championship medals; she also won Gold in 2013.

Baylor’s Alexis Jones and Connecticut’s Morgan Tuck and Breanna Stewart teamed up in 2011 and 2013 to win Golds.

Those three have all maintained in the older teams which are open to college players.

The WNBA elite occupy the Olympic spots, though Stewart might make her first Games next year after UConn romps to another title.

Staley became the first U.S. coach to both play in and coach a USA U19 World Championship Team.

Previously known as the FIBA Junior World Championship, Staley’s first outing in a USA Basketball uniform was at the 1989 Junior Worlds.

In the Under-19s USA has a record sixth straight women's under-19 Gold and seventh overall. Russia was the final foe this time, losing 78-70.

USA took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter, scored seven straight and took away home court.

"It was so tough," Wilson said about playing against host Russia. "I thought away games (in the SEC) were tough, but playing an away game in a whole different country against the home team is just out of this world. They had such great fans that were nonstop cheering."

Duke's Azura Stevens scored 18, so that was 48 of the 78 between she and Wilson. USA finished the tournament 7-0.

UConn was represented by Napheesa Collier, an incoming player, and Crystal Dangerfield, a freshman in 2016.

A third UConn player had to skip this

Staley was most impressed with Collier and, of course, Wilson, her team captain. She averaged 23.3 minutes per game – as usual, some were blowouts and therefore, less minutes available. Collier averaged 24.1 minutes and 12.7 points per game, joining Wilson on the all-tournament team.

“I had a great opportunity to work with A’ja and Napheesa last summer,” Staley said, “so I think they were familiar with our style of play and how we like to play. It was great to have their veteran leadership coming in.”

She said their consistency set the pace for the USA, “Just setting the tone and setting the example of how we need to play and how we need to approach it to win in a tight situation like in the Gold medal game.”

As for the tough finisher: “It is great for the players. Now they get a chance to see what international play is all about.

“You win big in pool play. In the medal rounds, the leads that you had, they tighten. Then in the Gold medal game you are always going to be challenged in some way. I

"think sometimes, our young players do not get to why they need to be disciplined in lopsided victories.

“But, we are always playing for that stretch of a ball game when you can win or lose it. I was glad that we had A’ja and Napheesa in there to be a force on the floor, and a calm in the midst of our storm.”

She also praised her assistants, Jeff Walz (Louisville) and Kim Barnes-Arico (Michigan).

“I don’t know who the committee is that picked this staff, but it was a great staff. They always had suggestions as to what we should do next,” Staley said.

“It was never more apparent than in the Gold medal game, where they made some calls that gave us an edge to go out there and win a Gold. And, I love them for it. I respect them even more. I know them as competitors, but to know them in this way means a lot.”

In the medal rounds, USA defeated Canada, 93-45, and Spain, 80-65.

Collier liked the tough competition and realizes the prep work ed to the result
“It feels amazing,” she said. “All the hard work that we all put in showed. It paid off.

“Definitely, I think these are the best games. These are my favorite kind of games, so I am glad that it was a tough game.”

She had no idea she was going to be all-tournament, but knew Wilson had earned her place

”I was really shocked,” Collier said of her selection, “and I think everyone could tell, because I was super confused, walking in circles when he was trying to tell me where to go. But, I was really proud.”

And of Wilson: “I am so proud of her. She deserved it, definitely. She played so well this tournament.

”This is going to help me a lot, because it has showed me how to play with college players and against them. So, it gives me a little bit of extra experience.”

Wilson returned the compliments.

“It was hard,” she said. “I told the girls when we were sitting around at pre-game, they asked how are we were going to hear, and I said, ‘You all are going to hear one voice and that is going to be Dawn Staley. I know that she is going to make her voice be heard no matter what.’

“So as long as I can hear her voice, that is pretty much it. It kept me calm to understand what she wanted on the court. It was tough playing in that environment, but it is always good to hear that one American voice.

”It was amazing. I cannot explain the feeling that I get. It never feels old to get a Gold medal and hear your National Anthem. It was great to win this medal, and to win against the host team is always great.

”It is great (to be all-tournament). And congratulations to Napheesa as well. She played a great game. It is great to be listed among those great players that really worked hard. Just to come out with Gold with this team is great.”

And she recognizes the accomplishment of winning two Under-19s

”It feels great; it really does. And going from two years ago when I was that young girl, 16-years-old, trying to take it all in as a role player, to being the MVP, the captain of this team.

“It goes to show that if you just work hard and let it all come to you, everything will be great. That is something I will take away from this, is letting it come to you, knowing how to play your role and what is to be expected of you.”

Two nationally-appreciated unsigned talents on this team were 6-4 forward Lauren Cox and 5-7 swing guard Destiny Slocum.

Cox is likely to stay in Texas and Slocum is not yet sure. She had committed to Washington, then withdrew that option, though it is still open. She is from Meridian, Idaho.

She was a late replacement to this team added just on July 17 when UConn signee Katie Lou Samuelson had to stay home to deal with an illness in her family.

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Philly Summer League: The Scenarios for Breaking Any Potential Ties to Set Playoff Seeds

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

HATBORO, Pa. -- It all ends Tuesday night in terms of the final regular standings of the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s NCAA Summer Basketball League with the eight teams out of the original 13 determined to launching the playoffs Thursday night in the quarterfinals at Kelly Bolish Gym. home of the AAU Renegades.

However, the final buzzer will not be the final moment because somehow some ties will surely occur and will have to be broken.

So here is what you need to know in terms of taking the floor if you are a player or parent or fan.

It could be the eight teams are virtually decided, except for one scenario exception, so it’s just the seeds to be set.

It is now determined that Ash, also known as Millersville, cannot win any tie-breakers and is not able to move up to any spot without gaining a tie.

Forest Green (4-7) has but one hope, needing to win its game at 8:15 p.m. on Court 2 against Maroon (8-3), which will be fourth seed no matter, and then hope for Black (5-6), a heavy underdog, to lose to Neon Green (9-2), being played at 7 p.m. also on Court 2, which would create a three-way seventh place tie with Red (5-7), which has the last bye and has completed its season.

In that three-way against each other they would all be 1-1 so in the next order of breaking, Forest Green owns a win over Sapphire Blue, which would be best in the group. Then on head-to-head Black would take eighth on its win over Red.

In all, there 13 potential ties for slots and 19 tie-breaking scenarios with two potential two-way ties existing for 1st place and one three-way; one two-way tie each for second place and third; Meanwhile there are two potentials for two-way ties for fifth and one three-way. Sixth place could have either one three-way possibility, two different four-way possibilities and one five-way deadlock.

There are two two-way chances for a seventh place tie and two three-way possibilities including the aforementioned one involving Forest Green, while at eighth place, the final playoff spot, there could be either one of two two-way ties or one three-way tie.

At the top, Gold (10-1), the defending champion beating Sapphire Blue (6-5) at 7 p.m. and Pink (10-1) beating Kelly Green (3-8) at 8:15 p.m. on Court 3 creates a tie with Gold gaining the No. 1 seed off its head-to-head win over Pink. Of course if one of the two suffers an upset loss, the top slot will be set but depending which team, there could be a tie for second involving either Gold or Pink with Neon Green (9-2), which meets Black (5-6) on Court 2.

Neon Green would get the second slot over Gold off last Tuesday’s upset but would yield to Pink in a two-way tie for second off its earlier loss.

Should Neon Green win and both Pink and Gold lose there would be a three-way deadlock in which there are two possibilities and while a three-way is a long shot, it is better to predetermine whether to start the procedure going with Pink beating Sapphire Blue getting the top slot because Gold and Neon Green will have lost and then Neon Green gets two over Gold off the head-to-head or Pink will have lost to Kelly Green on Tuesday to create the situation so mark that as a worst loss to drop Pink to third and then Neon Green over Gold gets the top slot.

Here, below then, are Tuesday’s schedule, a short-form look at the current standings, and then how any of the 19 potential ties would be broken.

Tues. Schedule

7 p.m.

Purple (5-6) vs. Royal Blue (0-11), Court 1
Neon Green (9-2) vs. Black (5-6), Court 2
Gold (10-1) vs. Sapphire Blue (6-5), Court 3

8:15 p.m.

Ash (4-7) vs. Orange (3-8), Court 1
Maroon (8-3) vs. Forest Green (4-7), Court 2
Pink (10-1) vs. Kelly Green (3-8), Court 3

Standings (Thru Mon., July 27)
Short Form but placed in order of current tiebreaks

Team, W-L, GB

1-Gold, 10-1 –-
1-Pink, 10-1 –
3-Neon Green, 9-2 1.0
4-Maroon, 8-3, 2.0
5-Sapphire Blue, 6-5, 4.0
6-Black, 5-6, 5.0
6-Purple, 5-6, 5.0
8-Red, 5-7, 5.5 (season completed)
9-Ash, 4-7, 6.0 (eliminated through all tie-break potentials)
9-Forest Green, 4-7, 6.0
11-Kelly Green, 3-8, 7.0 (eliminated)
11-Orange, 3-8, 7.0 (eliminated)
13-Royal Blue, 0-11, 10.0 (eliminated)

All Potential Tie-Break Scenarios

Two-Way 1st Place Tie

Gold and Pink 11-1. Gold on head-to-head 1 seed, Pink 2 seed.

Three-Way 1st Place Tie

Gold, Pink, Neon Green 10-2. To be discussed. They all would be 1-1.
If we took loss against next highest team, Neon Green and Gold losing to Sapphire Blue would make Pink top seed, then Neon Green second on win over Gold.

If we started with worst loss, Pink losing to Kelly Green would make them third, then Neon Green top seed on win over Gold, which gets second seed.

Both these scenarios real long shots but worth having commish declare ahead of time.

Two-Way 2nd Place Tie

Gold 10-2 and Neon Green 10-2, then Neon Green second seed on head to head, Gold third.
Pink 10-2, Neon Green 10-2, then Pink second seed on head to head, Neon Green third.

Two-Way 3rd Place Tie

Neon Green 9-3 and Maroon 9-3, then Neon Green on head-to-head, Maroon, third.

Two-Way 5th Place Tie

Sapphire Blue 6-6 and Black 6-6, then Sapphire Blue on head-to-head, Black sixth.
Sapphire Blue 6-6 and Purple 6-6, then Purple on head-to-head, Sapphire Blue, sixth.

Three-Way 5th Place Tie

Sapphire Blue, 6-6, Black 6-6, Purple 6-6 forces mini-league to themselves.

SB 1-1, Black 1-1, Purple 1-1. Then best win: SB over NG gets fifth, Black head-to-head over Purple gets sixth and Purple is seventh.

Three-Way 6th Place Tie

Black 5-7, Red 5-7, Purple 5-7 forces another mini-league tie-break attempt.

Black 2-0, Red, 1-1, Purple 0-2 makes Black sixth, Red seventh, and Purple eighth.

Four-Way 6th Place Tie

Scenario 1: Black, 5-7, Red, 5-7, Purple 5-7, Ash 5-7 forces mini-league tie-break attempt.

Black 3-0, Purple 1-2, Red 2-1, Ash 0-3. Black sixth, Red seventh, Purple eighth, Ash eliminated.

Scenario 2: Black 5-7, Red 5-7, Purple 5-7, Forest Green 5-7 forces mini-league.

Black 2-1, Purple 1-2, Red 2-1, Forest Green 1-2, Black sixth head-top-head with Red, which is seventh, then Purple eighth on head-top-head win on Forest Green, which is ousted.



Black 5-7, Purple 5-7, Red 5-7, Ash 5-7, Forest Green 5-7 forces mini-league breka.

Black 3-1, Purple 2-2, Red 3-1, Ash 1-3, Forest Green 1-3 eliminates Ash and Forest Green while Black is sixth off head-to-head on Red, which is seventh, then Purple eighth.

Two-Way 7th Place Tie

Black 5-7 and Red 5-7, then Black on head-to-head gets 7th, Red gets eighth and final seed.
Purple 5-7 and Red 5-7, then Red on head to head gets 7th, Purple gets eighth and final seed

Three-Way 7TH Place Tie

Black 5-7, Red 5-7, Ash 5-7 forces mini-league break.
Black 2-0, Red 1-1, Ash 0-2 eliminates Ash and Black seventh, Red eighth.

Black 5-7, Red 5-7, Forest Green 5-7 forces mini-league break.

Black 1-1, Red 1-1, Forest Green 1-1. Forest Green has win over Sapphire Blue for seventh while Black has head-to-head over Red for eighth and Red eliminated.

Two-Way 8th Place Tie

Red 5-7, Ash 5-7 goes to Red on head-to-head.
Red 5-7, Forest Green 5-7 goes to Red on head-to-head.
Three-Way 8th Place Tie

Red 5-7, Ash 5-7, Forest Green 5-7. Mini-league forces tie-break.
Red 2-0, Ash 1-1, Forest Green 0-2. Red takes eighth on record and Ash ninth in final standings.
-- Mel









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Guru's WNBA All-Star Musings: Weekend Was a One-Stop Shop in Women's Pro Hoops

Guru’s Note: The Guru sees how long this post is going that he had added a sidebar (newspaper terminology) below with other connected events including WNBA President Laurel J. Richie’s press session before the game.

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Also for Blue Star Media

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The WNBA All-Star weekend was basically your one-stop shop for everything in women’s professional basketball in the United States and then some.

In terms of a show and talent there was plenty to go around for the second straight year where this time it was the West on Saturday coming out in another high-scoring fireworks attack from both sides, this one 117-112 in regulation by the West.

A year ago it was the East out-gunning the West 125-124 in overtime in Phoenix.

And being in the sport’s capital of America in terms of the ongoing NCAA champion University of Connecticut Huskies and the local WNBA franchise Connecticut Sun, the populace here was rewarded by a nice 23-point effort on the East from third-year pro Alex Bentley, a former Penn State standout who is in her second season here after spending her rookie debut summer with the Atlanta Dream.

“Man, I’ve been dreaming for days like this all my life,” Bentley, a native of Indiana, said afterwards. “I’ve been wanting to play basketball since I was 5 or 6 years old. I used to go to Indiana Fever games and want to be in their shoes. Wanted to be in Tamika Catchings’ shoes.

“It’s pretty surreal for me today to be able to play with the greats, the greats of the game. Just like (NY Liberty center and former UConn great) Tina (Charles) said, you get to see a different side of the players.,

“So it’s an incredible experience, and I’m just very blessed. Like God is really good to me and I’m just happy to be here.”

But if Bentley’s basketball genes are a composite of a lot of places, the masses got one of their own in terms of the Minnesota Lynx’s Maya Moore, the former UConn two-time national player of the year, reigning WNBA player of the year, who set an All-Star 30-point scoring record to also earn MVP game status after eclipsing the 29-point explosion from then-Atlanta rookie Shoni Schimmel set last year on the East.

Moore virtually took care of business herself in the last quarter with an 8-0 run to help the West pull away.

When one wants to think of the gold standard in terms of all-around excellence in the last three decades, then all-timer Lisa Leslie, who is Naismith Hall of Fame bound in September after gaining the Women’s Hall last month, is the name to be uttered.

It’s important to know that because soon after the postgame interviews ended, the a league spokesman informed that Moore, with a WNBA finals MVP on the Lynx, the 2014 season MVP and now the All-Star MVP matched an achievement by one other individual in WNBA history – Leslie, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks.

The only difference was Leslie did it all in 2001.

“It’s going to be a toss between Minnesota fans and these fans, both near and dear to my heart,” Moore said about her performance. “If I was going to do it in front of any other fans that weren’t Minnesota, I would want it to be here in Connecticut.

“So had a blast doing it. They also got a great performance from one of their own players with Alex, so I think they double dipped. Is that allowed? Look it up.”

Asked more about Bentley’s game, Moore noted, “Yeah, she played great. She just played aggressive. She’s such an All-Star player. That’s when she shines. She’s one of those players that gets a rhythm, gets the crowd involved.”

Another Leslie All-Star record was dispensed with the veteran Catchings scoring eight points to bring her summer classic total to 108, moving past Leslie’s 102 to the top of the all-time list in that category.

Catchings, of whom we will have more to say in a bit, also topped former WNBA great Tina Thompson with her 10th all-time selection and ninth game participation, having missed the 2006 AlL-Stars with an injury.

The former Tennessee All-American, whose father Harvey played for the Philadelphia 76ers, is also ahead in a slew of other All-Star categories, in what was her last appearance due to her previous announced retirement after next season in which the game is set aside on the league agenda because of the summer Olympics.

There was the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner, who finished with 21 points and beforehand predicting a dunk, blocked shot and three-pointer from her dominant game and then delivering all three in a short span in the third quarter.

“When I’m on the court, I’m not really thinking about it like that, but I’m thinking about it now because everybody mentions it to me,” the former Baylor star and 2013 overall No. 1 draft pick who helped lead Phoenix to last season’s WNBA title, said.

“I’m just trying to bring something exciting to the game, get more people involved, get more people watching and just have fun, honestly. I just love to do it. My teammates feed off of it, so I can get my teammates going. I’ll keep doing it.”

Griner’s coach Sandy Brondello guided the West as a result of getting to the league finals while for the same reason the East was led by the Chicago Sky’s Pokey Chatman.

“It’s like Christmas,” Chatman said about being able to coach some of league’s plentiful and top talent, many of whom will be on the same side next summer headed by UConn’s Geno Auriemma, who will be going for his unprecedented, as a coach, second Olympic gold medal in Brazil.

His staff includes the Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve, the South Jersey native who played at La Salle and has won two WNBA crowns; and local Philly legend Dawn Staley, currently the coach if South Carolina who on Sunday led the USA U-19 team to a Gold medal in Russia.

DePaul’s Doug Bruno rounds out the Auriemma’s formal staff but his UConn assistant Chris Dailey and Hartford coach and former UConn star Jen Rizzotti are part of the overall support group helping to handle scouting and video work.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s Elena Delle Donne out of Delaware in her third year in the league, finally got to play after missing the first two opportunities because of injuries.

“Yeah, I kind of have been in a bubble the last couple days,” she jested at Friday’s practice sessions in terms of avoiding any freak occurrences that would cause another miss.

Delle Donne, who despite a recurrence of Lyme disease and back pain last summer lead Chicago to a rally to the finals, was the overall No. 1 fan vote in her rookie 2013 season when she was the overall No. 2 draft pick, and gained that honor this time again.

If you wanted to speak in terms of baseball and media attention coming and going out of here, Delle Donne, off her league-leading scoring exploits and other stats, arrived in Connecticut with the acclaim of the leading Cy Young pitching candidate and by postgame in the wake of all the other storylines that broke out fell into the role of a heady eighth-inning reliever.

That speaks more to the talent wealth of the league and how fast things can change but Delle Donne certainly was one of the East’s top producers with her 16 points behind Bentley was the second best output, her eight rebounds was two behind Catchings, she hit two of the combined teams array of 81 attempted trays, 42-East, 39-West, which was an All-Star record , and an assist.

“It was awesome,” Delle Donne said of the experience. “It was so much fun playing alongside these awesome players and I feel like we put on a great show. Obviously, we would have liked to win but I had a really good time.”

She also addressed the competitive nature this event has had compared to All-Star events in other sports, especially in the final minutes.

“Yeah, definitely like in the last four minutes I feel like it got real serious. That’s how we are. We’re competitive and that’s in our nature. I knew it was going to get serious if the game was close towards the end.”
Delle Done was the Page One USA Today feature setting up this weekend’s game, another example of the attention being paid to women’s sports in America in the wake of the USA soccer World Cup gold medal and Serena Williams’ exploits in Tennis.

“This is a great time for women’s sports, seeing women’s soccer, Serena Williams. It’s kind of a different time right now. It’s just a great time for the WNBA as well. Being on the front page of USA Today is huge for visibility.”

Connecticut fans got more of their own to embrace in veteran Sue Bird of the Seasttle Storm, a starter in place of the injured Skylar Diggins of the lame-diuck Tulsa Shock (heading to Dallas), who was the overall No. 3 pick in the fabled 2013 draft behind Griner and Delle Donne.

Minnesota’s Seimone August, another voted starter, and Lindsay Whelan, were also sidelined and Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner was another replacement for the tip.

Connecticut also got to cheer for former UConn great Tina Charles, a former Sun star now with the revived New York Liberty who had 13 points for the East, and reserve Stefanie Dolson, a second-year pro with the Washington Mystics who brought her usual bubbling personality to the weekend’s events.

Kelsey Bone of the Sun was a reserve matched Delle Donne’s eight rebounds for second-best in that cagtegory.

Diggins might have been missing but Notre Dame fans from wherever they were observing got to cheer another of their own in replacement Kyla McBride, a second-year pro with the San Antonio Silver Stars who led the first West comeback, nailed four treys and finished with 18 points.

Jantel Lavender, the former Ohio State star with the Los Angeles Sparks, was another injured replacement and she grabbed 12 rebounds for the West while reserve Nneka Ogwumike, whose sister Chiney, a second-year pro and reigning rookie of the year sidelined this season rehabbing an injury, is on the Sun, scored 10.

Both Oguwmike sisters starred at Stanford with Nneka the overall No. 1 draft pick in 2012.

The other replacement was Tulsa’s Riquana Williams, a fourth-year pro out of Miami.

Shoni Schimmel, the star of last year’s game, finished with 13 for the East playing as a starter alongside her Atlanta Dream teammate Angel McCoughtry, the top pick of the 2009 draft when Atlanta was making its debut as an expansion team.

And in terms of finding all the elements as described in the one-stop shop at the top of this was a full dose of nostalgia in terms of Catchings, the Indiana Fever East starter, who had eight points and 10 rebounds.

While next year is her victory lap through the league, the mention of this being the last All-Star started the theme months ahead of when the story of her farewell hits full steam.

So postgame was a time for reflection about coming along in back of the then founding players such as Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, and the Sheryl Swoopes, taking the keys to the joint from them and now passing them to the new generation of stars.

By the way, after all the preseason coverage of angst over Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi and Los Angeles’ Candice Parker deciding to take time off to rest little was made of the duo not being in their usual place among West starters.

Parker recently announced she is returning to action this week while Taurasi is being paid by her Russian winter team a large amount of money to rest her body.

Catchings sounded the mantra of leadership in her first response in the postgame presser.

“One thing I told one of our All-Stars is it doesn’t matter whether you get voted in by the fans, you get voted in by the coaches (six reserves each team no votes for own squad), you get voted in through injury, once you’re an All-Star, you’re an All-Star.”

On how the action played out, Catchings related, “One thing I always tell them is, look, when we come out here we play hard, both sides.

“We need to make sure that our product and what we put on the court is something that people no matter, if they’ve watched us before or never watched us, they’re excited to come back and see the WNBA and the players that played today.”

Besides the trio mentioned in terms of torch passing, Catchings noted that next came Katie Smith (now a Liberty assistant) and Tina Thomspon, then her group with Rutgers grad and Chicago star Cappie Pondexter at the end, and then Parker, Delle Donne, Diggins and Moore as the next recipients.

“We’ve come a long way from the beginning,” she said. “…today is an example of hwo good the WNBA will continue to be, and these players are aspiring.

“There are a lot of players and lots of girls here today that are aspiring to play in the WNBA. This is the reason why, to have an opportunity to play in the WNBA, to have an opportunity to be an All-Star, to have an opportunity to represent your country.”

Catchings got a bit misty-eyed when asked about her thoughts watching the ’96 Olympic team as a young girl.

“I remember, like, oh, my gosh, this would be – what an amazing opportunity if I could play and represent my country, and that was besides the WNBA,” Catchings recalled.

“Then the WNBA comes around and you guys know my story. I wanted to be in the NBA from 7th grade on. I was going to be in the the NBA, and I was determined, and I was going to play with the guys and nobody could tell me no,” she continued.

“When the W came, my goals switched and I wanted to be in the WNBA.

“…Everybody talked about these players. You saw Dawn and you saw Cheryl, and you saw Rebecca Lobo. You saw them everywhere and I just remember saying I want to be like that one day. I want to be where they are.

“I want to be remembered like they’ll be remembered. And so you fast forward and I will be.

“A lot of people doubted the WNBA and how long it would last, and we’ll be celebrating 20 years next year. That’s a heck of a thing to say.I’m just blessed to have been part of it.”







.



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Guru's WNBA All-Star Sidelights: Prez Gives Upbeat Report: WBHOF Class 2016

Guru's Note: Game-Coverage in column above this post

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Also for Blue Star Media

UNCASVILLE, Ct. -- Expansion, transition and double decade were part of the key points on Saturday’s pre All-Star game discussion from WNBA president Laurel J. Richie with the media.

Without putting a timeline on reality for results, Richie said she was launching an expansion committee from representatives of the 12-team league.

“I do feel like based on the calls we’re getting, the expression of interest from owners, potential owners from different geographies and the depth of talent in the league that I think is prime for expansion, we will now formally begin to for a committee to talk about that.”

The league, originally eight teams all partnered with NBA franchises, reached its max-point at 16 following the collapse of the American Basketball League in the winter of 1999 after two seasons and a short of two months that led to a large influx of talent beyond the direct feed from colleges and internationally.

It then began to peel off and dropped as low as 11 while along the way the Chicago Sky entered under independent ownership in 2006 and the Atlanta Dream did likewise in 2008.

The Connecticut Sun, evolving out of the franchise that was the Orlando Miracle arrived in 2003 as the first with no NBA ties and today the ownership dynamic is 50-50 among the ownership groups.

“If there is one thing I’ve learned in my first five seasons with the WNBA, there is no single model,” Richie said. “What it really boils down to is a great ownership team, a fanbase that understands, appreciates and supports us in a community that supports us as well.

“So we have shining examples in our affiliated teams and shining examples in our independent teams.”

Back in the preseason, New York Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer, who has also coached the former Detroit Shock so has a long history with the WNBA, called for growth.

“There has to be expansion,” he said. “There are too many good players not making WNBA rosters sitting out right now. They’re not going to expand roster sizes anytime soon to the way to do it is through expansion.”

The Bay Area seemed ready for a team when the Los Angeles Sparks were suddenly cast adrift before former NBA great Magic Johnson came along with a group to rescue the franchise and keep them operating in tinseltown.

The league has also had games in the preseason in different areas – there was a tourney in Disney World last year, Chicago has had two successful homecomings for Elena Delle Donne at the University of Delaware where, by the way, the Philadelphia 76ers D-League team plays, and there was a doubleheader in Louisville in May that allowed Atlanta to bring second-year pro Shoni Schimmel and Angel McCoughtry to play in front of the fans that cheered them in college.

Backroom talks have been going on about next year giving Indiana’s retiring star Tamika Catchings a homecoming game in Knoxville, either pre-season or in-season on Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction weekend, depending on the availability of the University of Tennessee’s arena to kick things in motion.

Several teams with other Tennessee players have expressed interest and there is an outside chance a doubleheader could even occur as it did in Louisville.

In terms of transition, this week the Tulsa Shock, which has been in Oklahoma five years after moving from the once-successful Detroit market, the last time by the way any WNBA team has uprooted, was approved to move to Dallas next season and will play in the Arlington suburb.

On the business side, Richie cited a four-percent attendance growth to date, new offseason partnership deals with Kaiser Permanente, HARMAN and NIKE, and Pepsi.

Nine of the 12 teams now have marquee partners, the most recent being right here on the Connecticut Sun.

Richie noted an upgrade of the WNBA and team-affiliated websites, though there has been much criticism so far of the functionality so tinkering continues.

Social media engagement is up 52 percent, the key entity in cyberspace being Live Access, which most times with good internet connections is one way to see almost all games not on ESPN, which has a long-running deal with the league and even originated SportsCenter on the Road from here this weekend.

Besides ABC, by game time a decision had been made to add ESPN and several of its other properties to the All-Star broadcast.

Richie said a meeting with the players produced a desire to add to the weekend activities with such things as some form, maybe not quite the way, of the skills competition that used to be held on the day of public practices before the main event.

Next year the focus will be on Year 20, two decades of WNBA seasons, which will fall in the Olympic cycle when many of the top stars of the league play for USA and other national teams.

Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame 2016 Class Called to Order

Though the word got out through some sources ahead of time, during the game the next induction of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame was announced with ceremonies set for June 11 next year.

Headlining the group is longtime Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale who has a record of 420-206 all with the Sooners and three NCAA Women’s Final Fours.

Under the contributor category are longtime and retired referee June Courteau, who is now coordinator for women’s officials in the NCAA, and the late Bill Tipps, a past chairman of AAU Girls Basketball and member of the USA Basketball Games Committee (1988-96).

Players Jackie Stiles, who is the all-time NCAA leading Division I scorer with 3,393 points, and former UCLA great Natalie Williams, who played in the ABL and WNBA as a pro are also in the class as is Texas high school coach Joe Lombard, who has compiled a record with 1165-109 guiding Nazareth and Canyon High to those victories along with 17 state titles in 37 years of coaching.

More here will come Tuesday and earlier elsewhere after an media availability held with the class on Monday afternoon.

The class was voted by the board as each group is every year on the afternoon of the induction ceremony in Knoxville.

There is an initiative under way to perhaps announce finalists, which would be a first for the WBHOF, during the winter, and then the class itself, earlier then now, perhaps at the Women’s Final Four with the ceremony then held its usual time, though even there is a clamor in WNBA circles to move that date since the league season is in progress and many times individuals can’t get to Knoxville to salute one of their own.

Shooting the Breeze

Some leftover soundbites from the Guru chitchatting with players during Friday’s practice session that had yet to be chronicles.

The first, involves former Temple star Candice Dupree, who made her first start through the van vote for the West and won her first WNBA title last summer playing for the Phoenix Mercury.

“Finally, nine years in,” Dupree said of last year’s sweep of Chicago 3-0 to take the title.

Talking of the success of her former Temple coach Dawn Staley, who led South Carolina to the Women’s Final Four, Dupree said, “I actually left the team I play with overseas to get to see her since I’m from Tampa, so that made it easy.”

Dupree said she has been approached several times from the Philadelphia Big 5 about being honored in the Hall of Fame, to which she said, “They keep asking me every year but it’s hard to accept right now since I’m usually in the middle of the other season playing overseas.

“I’ll do it one of these years after I’m done but hopefully that isn’t going to be for a while.”

Touting Natasha

Second-year pro Emma Meessemen of the Washington Mystics was asked to talk about rookie Natasha Cloud of Saint Joseph;’s, who was moved into the starting lineup last weekend as the Mystics then went 3-0 into the break after Mike Thibault changed the lineup.

“I could not say she’s a rookie, the way she plays,” the Belgian national said. “She’s really knows the game. Sometimes she has to learn something and you only have to tell her once.

“It’s like I’ve known her more than just a couple of months. She’s so open and warm. I’m happy she’s on my team so I don’t have to play against her.”

Pokey’s Fun

Going into the game, Pokey Chatman, coach of the Chicago Sky, noted, “It’s great. I get to be with the greatest players in the world and I don’t even have to coach them – just sit back and watch them go.

“And the amazing thing is they have so much respect for each other. During the season they may be battling each other on the court, but now they’re sitting down, having a cup of coffee with each other, talking about interesting things.”

Pondexter Just Happy to be Here

When the fans vote was announced for the starters, Chicago’s Cappie Pondexter, the former Rutgers great who was traded to her hometown in the offseason from the New York Liberty, seemed to have lost a ton of votes from when she was picked out of the New York market as opposed to now.

“Did I lose that many votes?” she asked when a suggestion was made before being told, it’s tough to tell the actual falloff.

“Hey, what difference does it make, I’m here, right?” she smiled on being one of six East reserves picked by the Division coaches.

“I think this should be in Chicago. We should make a bid. I’m going to start campaigning for 2017,” Pondexter smiled.











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Philly Summer League: Neon Green Upset of Gold Sets Up Wild Finish

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

There will be lots of suspense going into the final night of the regular season Tuesday as to the final standings, including back at the top, thanks to a stunning 55-48 upset by Neon Green (9-2) over first-place and previously unbeaten Gold (10-1), the defending champion of the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s NCAA Summer League.

It’s the second straight year that no team will finish with a perfect record and jockeying for seedings and inclusion in the eight-team playoffs in the 13-team women’s league got tighter beginning with a tie again at the top after Pink (10-1), also known as predominantly Division III Scranton, handled Maroon, also known as Division II West Chester, 97-57, at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades in Hatboro, Pa., in lower Bucks County.

Gold, off Tuesday’s win over Pink, could still finish with the No. 1 seed via tiebreaker by either beating Sapphire Blue (6-5), also known as Division II East Stroudsburg, Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Court 3, or if Pink suffers a loss to Kelly Green (3-8) on the same court with an 8:15 p.m. tip.

Neon Green, which survived a mediocre 7-for-18 effort at the foul line, separated itself out of a running third-place tie with Maroon ti hold the slot which is the worst coach Ted Hagedorn’s group can finish.

Eight different players scored for Neon Green scored with the Villanova duo of Megan Quinn, a junio out of Episcopal Academy, leading the way with 18 points while sophomore Alex Louin out of Mount St. Joseph’s scored 12 points aided by three 3-pointers.

Gold coach Keith Wood, who was missing two key players in Lauren Crisler and leading scorer Jasmine Elum, got 15 points from Saint Joseph’s sophomore Adashia Franklyn, the daughter of former Temple great Marilyn Stephens, and 11 from his daughter Ashley, a 2014 Division II Kutztown grad out of Spring-Ford High.

Additionally, Taylor Bryant, a Penn senior out of Upper Dublin, was sidelined for Gold after suffering a knee injury Tuesday, whose status is still undetermined in terms of getting a response as to its severity.

Meanwhile, mathematically, there could be a three-way tie for first if both Pink and Gold lose Tuesday and Neon Green beats Black (5-6), also known as Division II Philadelphia University, on Court 2 at 7 p.m.

Neon Green would also have the tie-break over Gold if both finished for second.

Incidentally, the Guru is writing this from remote up in New London, Connecticut, where he is on the scene for the WNBA’s All-Star weekend at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday afternoon, which will air on ABC.

And while he later Wednesday went back into the previous summer league blog to update with the penalties resulting from the Ash Grey/Maroon (Division II Millersvile-Ash/West Chester) fight Tuesday, he also would like to repeat here an inclusion of a scorer that was accidentally omitted from longtime Commissioner David Kessler’s postgame email that gives the Guru the breakdown for each game. Because the Guru has to pull an all-nighter to get these done for your morning read, there might be a time he misses a detail on the sheet, but the commish took responsibility for this one after a spectator at Tuesday’s game noted it to him.

Maggie Locke, a Holy Cross freshman out of Spring-Ford, scored 16 for winless Royal Blue, also known predominantly as Penn State-Abington, which had a bye on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in Pink’s win, Saint Joseph’s senior Sarah Fairbanks scored 23 points while Johanna McMillan, a UNC Wilmington junior out of the Sanford School in Delaware, scored 21, hitting five long-range three-balls, and Saint Joseph’s freshman Alyssa Monaghan out of Bonner/Prendie nailed four treys and finished with 16 points.

Pink has outscored opponents by 177 points in its 11 games.

Maroon, which was missing Kendall Benovy and Brittany Sicinski, both Golden Rams senior, got 18 points from Dallas Ely, a recent Golden Rams grad, 13 from Mariah Powell, a West Chester senior out of Bayard Rustin, and 10 from Tori Smick, a WCU junior out of Woodstown High.

Despite the loss, Maroon clinched the fourth seed for the playoffs, whose quarterfinals begin next Thursday followed the next week by semifinals on Tuesday and the championship on Thursday.

The commissioner noted the tightness of all three nightcaps in the 8:15 games (Sapphire Blue/Kelly Green, Gold/Neon Green, Black/Purple) in which at one stretch of the third quarter, all scores were either deadlocked or just two points apart.

In an absolute must-win situation for Red (5-7), which was becoming the first team to wrap up since it serves the last bye on Tuesday, this time the performance of Saint Joseph’s sophomore did not go to waste.

The league’s leading scorer, who has the best night of the season earlier with 32 points, poured down 27 to earn Red a 69-38 win over Ash Grey (4-7) and a playoff spot since despite holding the eighth and final spot for the moment by just a half-game over ninth place Ash Grey and Forest Green, who Red has beaten.

Red, which has outscored opponents by just 17 points despite having a losing record, projects to win all potential tie-breakers.

 
Woods this season in the 12 games, has scored 30 or more points three times, three times she collected 28, once she scored 26 and once she scored 21. Two of the remaining three were not played since Red forfeited one and was the recipient of a forfeit win in the other.
Woods and the previous mentions of Pink’s Fairbanks and McMillan were the only three to hit the Guru’s running exceptional 20-or-more points listings.

In the game with Ash Grey, besides Wood’s contribution, Michele McCaughern, a 2012 La Salle grad from West Chester East, scored 14 points while four treys from Devin Gold, a recent Caldwell grad from Council Rock North, accounted for all 12 of her points. 

Ash Grey, which fell into the ninth-place deadlock and finishes against dangerous Orange (3-8) on Court 1 at 8:15 p.m., got 14 points from Kenyon freshman Jessica Gerber out of Council Rock North, and 10 from Alex Stam, a Millersville senior out of Cardinal O’Hara.

Sapphire Blue (6-5) got a big 62-58 win over Kelly Green (3-8) to leap into sole possession of fifth place as the team also known predominantly as Division II East Stroudsburg, got 13 points from Emily O’Donnell, an Albright senior out of William Tennent, and 12 from Rachel Falkowski, an ESU junior out of Central Bucks South.

The team finishes Tuesday as mentioned meeting Gold at 7 p.m. on Court 3.

Kelly Green got 12 from Kaitlyn Kelly, a DeSales sophomore out of Pennsbury High, while Christine Verrelle, a recent Dowling grad out of Archbishop Wood, scored 11, Jenna Swope, a recent Gettysburg grad out of Archbishop Wood, scored 10 and Mary Ellen McCollum, a 2014 Holy Family graduate out of St. Basil, scored eight points.

There were no one in double figures in a big game with Black, also known as Philadelphia U., meeting Purple, also known as USciences – the two are winter rivals locally in the Division II Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference – but nine players helped Black to a narrow low-scoring 43-34 triumph that resulted in the two teams tied for sixth a half-game ahead of Red.

Black’s leading scorers were Mary Newell, a Rams senior out of Villa Jos. Marie, and Alex Heck, a Rams senior out of Archbishop Wood, with seven points each, while Jacqueline McCarron, a Rams senior out of Lansdale Catholic, and Alynne Williams, a 2021 targeted senior out of Plymouth Whitemarsh, each scored six.

Purple also had nine players enter the scoring with Colleen Wash, a sophomore out of the Shipley School, and Marissa Sylvester, a freshman out of Nazareth Academy, each scoring nine points.

Despite a losing record, Purple has outscored opponents by just 33 points.

Black holds the fifth-place tie break if the two remained deadlock, though they could become involved with others in a tie-breaking scenario. The team finishes Tuesday with Neon Green at 7 p.m. on Court two while Purple gets Royal Blue, a squad outscored by 236 points, at 7 p.m. on Court 1.

Since basically the entire recap information has been given here for each game, in the only other one still to mention, another upset for Orange (3-8), which took down Forest Green 83-61 as nine different players scored.

Emma Dorsheimer, a Gettysburg freshman out of Jenkintown, scored 16 points added by four treys, while Orange also got 15 from Mackenzie Carroll, a Colgate freshman from Central Bucks West, and 14 from Brianna Spector, an Oneonta State junior from Upper Dublin, who had three 3-pointers.

Forest Green, the predominantly Holy Family group which dropped to the ninth-place tie with Ash Grey, got 19 from Michala Clay, a Saint Joseph’s freshman, 17 from Erin Fenningham, a Holy Family senior from St. Basil, including three treys, and 10 from Pallavi Juneja, a Haverford recent squad from the Peddie school.

Breaking Ties for the Moment

There are four deadlocks in the standings after Tuesday, and each get solved simply off head-to-head games.

Gold holds the No. 1 seed off its win over Pink, which is part of the tie at the top.

Black’s Thursday win over Purple gives it the sixth seed while down below an Ash Grey win over Forest Green gives it the ninth seed, and a Kelly Green win over Orange gives it the 11th seed, though the playoff group is only the top eight.

Because the sun is rising the Guru will dispense for the moment to get this out there all the tie-breaking scenarios Tuesday if they happen and advance the finish in a blog at the end of the weekend.

Standings

Team W-L G.B. PF PA Pct.
(Thru Mon., July 27)

*-1-%%-Gold 10-1 -- 608 517 .909
*-1-Pink 10-1 -- 687 510 .909
*-3-%-Neon Green 9-2 1.0 695 584 .818
*-4-Maroon 8-3 2.0 732 700 .727
*-5-Sapphire Blue 6-5 4.0 642 627 .545
6--%-Black 5-6 5.0 504 519 .455
6-Purple 5-6 5.0 603 570 .455
*-8-%@-Red 5-7 5.5 674 657 .417
^-9-&-Ash 4-7 6.0 462 508 .364
9--@-Forest Green 4-7 6.0 608 689 .364
!-11-Kelly Green 3-8 7.0 674 753 .273
!—11-Orange 3-8 7.0 679 699 .273
!-13-@-Royal Blue 0-11 10.0 507 743 .000

%%-Includes 2 forfeit 2-0 wins
%-includes 1 forfeit 2-0 win
&-includes 2 forfeit 0-2 losses
@-includes 1 forfeit 0-2 loss

*-Clinched playoff berth
!-eliminated from playoff contention
^-regular season completed

Season Results

Thurs., July 23

Neon Green 55, Gold 48
Pink 97, Maroon 57
Orange 83, Forest Green 61
Sapphire Blue 62, Kelly Green 58
Black 43, Purple 34
Red 69, Ash 38
Bye: Royal Blue

Tues., July 21

Gold 56, Pink 47
Neon Green 68, Royal Blue 53
Sapphire Blue 49, Black 33
Orange 69, Red 67, ovt.
Maroon 51, Ash 47, ovt.
Forest Green 85, Kelly Green 84, ovt.
Bye: Purple

Thurs., July 16

Gold 65, Purple 60
Pink 69, Orange 48
Neon Green 72, Kelly Green 48
Maroon 74, Sapphire Blue 65
Red 2, Forest Green 0, forfeit
Black 2, Royal Blue 0, forfeit
Bye: Ash Grey

Tues., July 14

Neon Green 72, Orange 66, ovt.
Gold 61, Black 55
Pink 56, Ash Grey 38
Sapphire Blue 70, Red 65
Maroon 68, Purple 63
Kelly Green 73, Royal Blue 52
Bye: Forest Green

Thurs., July 9

Sapphire Blue 70, Neon Green, 2 ovt.
Gold 2, Red 0, forfeit
Pink 34, Purple 31
Forest Green 79, Royal Blue 54
Black 54, Ash 43
Kelly Green 67, Orange 62
Bye: Maroon

Tues., July 7

Pink 52, Black 42
Gold 72, Forest Green 56
Neon Green 72, Purple 60
Maroon 68, Red 63
Ash Grey 74, Kelly Green 68
Sapphire Blue 58, Royal Blue 41
Bye: Orange

Thurs., July 2
Maroon 67, Royal Blue 51
Ash 56, Sapphire Blue 59
Pink 60, Forest Green 56
Kelly Green 68, Black 51
Neon Green 75, Red 73
Purple 63, Orange 56
Bye: Gold

Tues., June 30

Red 60, Purple 47
Orange 89, Royal Blue 43
Gold 76, Kelly Green 60
Maroon 67, Black 48
Forest Green 60, Sapphire Blue 54
Neon Green 2, Ash 0, forfeit
Bye: Pink

Thurs, June 25

Maroon 77, Orange 56
Purple 59, Sapphire Blue 54
Red 94 , Kelly Green 64
Gold 2, Ash 0, forfeit
Pink 87, Royal Blue 31
Bye: Neon Green

Tues., June 23

Black 49, Orange 47
Neon Green 91, Forest Green 42
Purple 59, Ash 31
Red 89, Royal Blue 84
Gold 87, Maroon 84
Pink 54, Sapphire Blue 49
Bye: Kelly Green

Thurs, June 18
Gold 70, Royal Blue 57
Ash 74, Forest Green 67
Sapphire Blue 62, Orange 60
Neon Green 69, Maroon 60
Pink 67, Red 50
Purple 66, Kelly Green 40
Bye: Black

Tues, June 16
Maroon 59, Kelly Green 54
Gold 69, Orange 43
Black 73, Red 42
Pink 64, Neon Green 52
Purple 61, Forest Green 47
Ash 61, Royal Blue 41
Bye: Sapphire Blue

Looking Ahead

Tues., July 28

7 p.m.

Royal Blue (0-11) vs. Purple (5-6), Court 1
Neon Green (9-2) vs. Black (5-6), Court 2
Gold (10-1) vs. Sapphire Blue (6-5), Court 3

8:15 p.m.

Ash (4-7) vs. Orange (3-8), Court 1
Forest Green (4-7) vs. Maroon (8-3), Court 2
Pink (10-1) vs. Kelly Green (3-8), Court 3

Bye: Red (5-7)

Regular Season Ends

Playoffs

Quarterfinals

Thurs., July 30

7 p.m.

Seed 8 vs. Seed 1, Court 1
Seed 6 vs. Seed 3, Court 2

8:15 p.m.

Seed 7 vs. Seed 2, Court 1
Seed 5 vs. Seed 4, Court 2

Tues., Aug. 4

Semifinals

Court 1

7 p.m.

Highest Quarterfinal Seed Survivor vs. Lowest Quarterfinal Seed Survivor

8:15 p.m.

Remaining Quarterfinal Survivors vs. Each Other

Thurs., Aug. 6

Championship

Court 1

7 p.m.

Semifinals Survivors vs. Each Other


Scoring 20 Points or More

32-Chelsea Woods, Red (L) vs. Maroon (W) – July 7
31-Dallas Ely, Maroon (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 2
31-Chelsea Woods, Red (W) vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 25
30 Chelsea Wood, Red (L-Ovt) vs. Orange, (W) – July 21
30 Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 21
30- Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) - June 23
30-Maureen Leahy, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) –June 23
29-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (L-2ovt) vs. Sapphire Blue (W), July 9
28-Chelsea Woods, Red (L), vs. Neon Green (W) – July 2
28- Chelsea Woods, Red (W), vs. vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
28-Chelsea Woods, Red (L), vs. Pink (W) – June 18
27-Chelsea Woods, Red (W), vs. Ash (L) – July 23
26-Chelsea Woods, Red (L) vs. Sapphire Blue (W) – July 14
26-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W-ovt.) vs. Orange (L) – July 14

25-Megan Quinn, Neon Green (W), vs. Red (L) – July 2
25-Tori Smick, Maroon (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 23
25-Ashley Wood, Gold (W) vs Orange (L) – June 16
25-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W) vs Maroon (L) – June 18
24-Mary Ellen McCollum, Kelly Green (L-ovt.) vs. Forest Green (W) – July 21
24-Amanda Fioravanti, Kelly Green (W) vs. Orange (L) – July 9
24-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W) vs. Forest Green (L) – July 7
24-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W) vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 30
24-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Red (L) – June 18
24-Tyniqua Henderson, Royal Blue (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 18

23-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Maroon (L) – July 23
23-Katie O’Hare, Forest Green (W-ovt), vs. Kelly Green (L) – July 21
23-Dallas Ely, Maroon (W), vs. Sapphire Blue – July 16
23-Amanda Fioravanti, Kelly Green (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – July 14
23-Mackenzie Carroll, Orange (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 25
23-Lauren Crisler, Gold (W) vs. Maroon (L) – June 23
22-Jenna Swope, Kelly Green (L-ovt.) vs. Forest Green (W) – July 21
22-Sarah Fairbanks, Pink (W) vs. Forest Green (L) – July 2
22-Alex Thomas, Purple (W) vs. Sapphire Blue (L) – June 25
22-Micah Morgan, Purple (W), vs. Kelly Green (L) – June 18
21-Johanna McMillan, Pink (W), vs. Maroon (L) – July 23
21-Jasmine Elum, Gold (W), vs. Purple (L) – July 17
21-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W), vs. Purple (L) – July 7
21-Aunjel Van Brakle, Ash (W), vs. Kelly Green (W) – July 7
21-Chelsea Woods, Red (W) vs. Purple (L) – June 25
21 – Sarah Payonk, Pink (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 25
21-Natalya Lee, Red (W), vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
21-Alex Louin, Neon Green (W), vs. Forest Green (L) –June 23
21-Lauren Crisler, Gold (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 18

20-Emily O’Donnell, Sapphire Blue (L), vs. Maroon (W) – July 16
20-Emily O’Donnell, Sapphire Blue (W) vs. Red (L) – July 14
20-Micah Morgan 20, Purple (L) vs. Maroon (W) – July 14
20-Samantha Stipa, Neon Green (W), vs. Red (L) – July 2
20-Maggie Locke, Royal Blue (L) vs. Orange (W) – June 25
20-Mary Ellen McCollum, Kelly Green (L) vs, Red (L) – June 25
20-Margaret Melham, Red (W) vs. Royal Blue (L) – June 23
20-Brittany Sicinski, Maroon (L) vs. Gold (W) – June 23

Tie-Break Tracker

#-Gold (10-1) vs. O (W), RB (W), vs. M (W), Ash (W-*F), KG(W), FG(W), Red (W-*F), Black (W), Pur(W), PK (W) NG (L), Remain: SB
Pink (10-1) vs. NG (W), Red (W), SB (W), RB(W), FG(W), Black (W), Purple (W), A(W), O (W), Gold (L), M(W) Remain: KG.

Neon Green (9-2) vs. Pnk(L), M(W), FG (W), Ash (W-*F), Red(W), Purp (L), SB(L-2ovt.), O (W-ovt.), KG(W), RB (W), Gold (W) Remain: Black

Maroon (8-3) vs. KG (W), NG (L), G(L).O(W), Black (W), RB(W), Red(W), Purple (W), SB (W), Ash (W-ovt.), Pink (L) Remain: FG

Sapphire Blue (6-5) vs. O(W), Pink(L),Purple(L), FG(L), Ash(L), RB(W), NG (W-2ovt.), Red(W), M(L), Black (W), KG (W) Remain: Gold

$-Black (5-6) vs. Red (W), O (W), FG(L), M(L), KG(L), Pink (L), Ash (W), Gold (L), RB (W-*F), SB (L), Purple (W) : Remain: NG

Purple (5-6) vs. FG (W), KG (W), A(W), SB(W), Red (L), O(W), NG(L), Pink (L), M(L), Gold (L), Black (L) Remain: RB.

Red (5-7) vs. Blk (L), Pink (L), RB(W), KG(W), Purp(W), NG(L), M(L), Gold (L-*F), SB(L), FG(W-*F), O(L-ovt.), Ash. Remain: Bye-regular season ends

%-Ash (4-7) vs. RB (W), FG (W), Purple (L), Gold (L-*F), NG(L-*F), SB(W), KG(W), Black (L), Pnk(L), M(L), Red (L) Remain: Orange
Forest Green (4-7) vs. Purp (L), Ash (L), NG(L),B(W), SB(W),Pink(L),Gold (L), RB(W), Red (L-*F), KG(W-ovt.), Or (L) Remain: M.

^-Kelly Green (3-8) vs. M (L), Purp (L),Red(L), Gold(L),Black(W), Ash (L), O(W), RB(W), NG (L), FG (L-ovt.), SB (L) Remain: Pink.
Orange (3-8) vs. Gold (L), SB (L), B(L),M(L), RB(W),Purple(L), KG(L), NG(L), Pink (L), Red (W-ovt.), FG (W) Remain: FG, Ash

Royal Blue (0-11) vs. Ash (L), Gold (L), Red (L),Pink(L), O(L),M(L), SB(L), FG(L), KG(L), Black(L-*F), NG(L). Remain: Purple.

*-Forfeit win or loss

#-Gold holds first on head to head win over Pink.

$-Black holds sixth on head-to-head win over Purple.
%-Ash holds ninth on head to head win over Forest Green

^-Kelly Green holds ninth on head to head win over Orange

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