On the Passing of Pat Summitt: The Guru Recalls Years With the Legend, Part I

Guru’s note. Having now seeing how long this may go, this contribution is going to be split into two parts with part one being dealing with watching the decline more from afar, and then part two will be vignettes of the relationship over the years.

Part 1 covers the period from first hearing the news of Summitt's diagnosis through this week. The vignettes will be part 2 coming in the next 24 or 48 hours.

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

It was late August 2011 and your Guru was driving down I-95 to Washington for a WNBA game between the Mystics and the Los Angeles Sparks.

For some reason the cell phone connections were not working well but they straightened for a bit to listen to a voice mail from “Willbill” William Ewart, the Guru’s photo friend in Knoxville, who had been with the women’s athletic department at Tennessee nearly as long as the Guru had become involved in women’s basketball and the creation of what within two years became the AP Women’s Poll.

The call was a little broken up but Willbill sounded in an extremely stressed condition saying  something about Hall of Fame Tennessee women’s coach Pat Summitt diagnosed … 

The connection had been broken but soon the Guru was able to pull into a rest stop and pull up the breaking news that the legend had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Since Notre Dame had broken a goose egg string months earlier that spanned 28 years against Tennessee by upsetting the Lady Vols in the NCAA tournament, the Guru had been constantly quizzed about how bad Summitt seemed to look on the postgame interview.

“Well,” I responded each time, “Considering the magnitude of the loss, and you’re Pat Summitt, how are you supposed to look? And besides, she’s had that nagging shoulder problem since battling the raccoon on her front porch a couple of years ago.”

But this was a shock.

 After years of updating the Guru’s AP women’s basketball poll each week during the season, if at some point Summitt would have to give up coaching, it was going to feel strange for a while not seeing her name at the top of the active list of coaching appearances, let alone cautiously now tracking the Tennessee numbers going forward in combo mindset since her numbers and the overall Lady Vol numbers were no longer going to be the same.

Soon thereafter, a call came from Dave Siegel, the host of the Dish ‘n Swish national podcast, among other things.

“Did you feel the earthquake?”

“Yeah, I just got the news about Pat.”

“No, not that. The earthquake. There was a real earthquake.”

Sure enough, and perhaps, symbolically, on the same day Summitt’s disease is revealed, a major tremor struck the Eastern seaboard.

But within a matter of days, Summitt’s situation quickly outlasted the news of whatever effects had been produced by the tremors.

With Summitt having declared she might coach another three or four years, the inner-self  reaction here was then to calm down and go into business as usual mode.

The only other piece of news in all this from inner circles was that earlier in the summer, having heard the same observations of Summitt that was heard here, UConn coach Geno Auriemma, the longtime perceived arch rival from the wars of the famed series between the two discontinued by Summitt in 2007, made a call.

He didn’t reach her but left a message saying he heard there were some health issues and that he was available for whatever would be needed.

Supposedly, that set up a road to better relations that melted away the anger she had harbored over a host of things.

Meanwhile, Tennessee was not on the Guru’s personal schedule home or away so he never got to see the ensuing months first hand after the season began. But inside news was troubling.

Those close to Pat, guided most everything to keep the public view from being one of major concern.

One time the Guru heard  one day there would be a great conversation on strategy for an upcoming game but an hour afterwards, Summitt inquired when was the meeting going to be held.

First Meeting Months After Summitt's Condition Revealed

That winter saw a host of special awards being given to Summitt for her courageous stance in public to battle the disease.

The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced the women’s part of its most courageous awards would go to Summitt. 

That winter, with yours truly in charge of the women’s basketball section, we began putting names on the postseason awards and we decided that Summitt’s name would go on the hardware for all future handouts of the honor she was to received.

While it would initially seem that the right move would be to put her name on the coaching award, Beth Bass, then head of the WBCA, told me that they had a commitment long before the diagnosis from Summitt allowing her name to eventually go on their coaching award.

And actually, when you think of it, putting her name on our courage award would be more meaningful, and actually led to a special moment later on.

When it came time for the award to be given at the Women’s Final Four in Denver, Debby Jennings, who has been Summitt’s longtime media liason as well as friend of yours truly, informed that Summitt was coming Sunday for the USA Olympic coaches in history salute and then going home.

Then-Associate Head coach Holly Warlick would accept for Summitt the next day.

But Summitt actually came Saturday to watch one of her Tennessee players honored as part of the WBCA All-Americans introductions in the arena in between the practices. She was seated with a bunch of other Tennessee staff in the area used by the bands behind one of the baskets.

The Guru was in the media area underneath the stands when Willbill stuck his head in and said, “Pat’s here.”

“Well, can I say hello or is it like Fort Knox?”

“Yeah, You can go over to her.”

Meanwhile as I was emerging to the area, Summitt had just crossed paths with Auriemma, who gave her a hug, they said a few words, which set off a flurry of newspaper columns since the Connecticut media was there with the Huskies being in the finals.

Then as I made my approach, she saw me, a big smile came over her face, she stood up and uttered, “Hey.”

“I responded likewise, “Hey.”

We then gave each other a hug. Willbill, who was nearby, said, “Let’s get a picture.”

Then, since she wasn’t going to be there, I began telling her a little bit about the award, but I kind of detected she didn’t know my reference.

At the same moment some others in the Tennessee delegation noticed me for the first time and shouted their hellos so I walked over to respond in kind.

Then I walked away to continue in the media room.

But as I left, a video in my mind replayed what just had occurred and I quickly came to the realization, “She knew she knew me. But she didn’t know me.”

The reason is whenever we would see each other for the first time after weeks or months had gone by, she upon sighting would always light up and say, “Hey, Mel. How’s it going.”

Someone later said when I was mentioning my experience, “I tell people when you are shaking hands it is ok to say your name.”

Several weeks later Summitt announced she was stepping down and an era had ended.

 Needless to say that summer it did feel strange taking Summitt’s name out of the active list to get the AP database ready for the next season.

A Second Meeting Several Months Later Goes Better Until a Third Becomes A Setback

But in between, there was one other experience – Several months later after Denver, I was seated in the hotel lobby in Knoxville on Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame weekend.

The big news was the day before at a golf outing with a few friends in town for the event, Summitt hit a hole in one.

Meanwhile, the WBHOF board was just breaking up from its annual meeting.

Summitt was with them. As they emerged, many of them seeing me for the first time, there were a bunch of “Hi Mel(s)” as they neared.

It seemed that clicked a switch because Summitt  smiled broadly and came running ahead of them to give me a big embrace.

I joked with her about stealing the news headlines with the hole in one.

She said “I hit it and said, `Where’s the ball.’ `It’s in the hole, coach.’”

Across the next season while again Tennessee was not on my schedule, people who had made visits came back with mixed reviews of good days when some of them saw her, and bad when others did likewise.

A few weeks after the end of the 2013 season, I was invited by ESPN to the Greenwich Village Film Festival in NY where a preview of the 30 for 30 film on her was being screened.

Summitt was there and if one had never seen her in person, they would think things are going quite well.

But afterwards, she was standing in a reception area with a small crowd, of which a few were getting autographs. As they cleared, I stepped forward and looked at her and said, “Hi coach. How’s it going.”

She looked at me, with zero recognition and said, “I’m fine, how are you.”

I said, “OK,” then stepped away for others to shake hands. There was nothing more to do.

Summitt's Surprise Visit to Lauren Hill's Big Game

A year went by and in the fall of 2014 I was at Xavier to give out the USBWA Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award at halftime to Lauren Hill, the Division III student with terminal brain cancer who had made it to the season opener and play the game she long desired to be in.

Tough as it was to have it all together, I was in pretty good shape, emotionally for me in terms of the speech and magnitude of the nationally-televised event in a 10,000-seat sellout arena.

I got to the arena in Cincinnati way early because the NFL Bengals had a game to played three hours later across the street from my hotel.

When I got there, my good friend Debbie Antonelli, who was going to do the color, grabbed me and first introduced me to Brad Johansen, the local TV sports/newscaster who had made the nation aware of Lauren’s story and was going to emcee the halftime.

Then Deb said, “I’ve got a secret to tell you. Pat’s coming.”

“What??? Are you serious??”

“ She’s just going to stand with you, not say anything. She wanted to be here. They wilL announce she is here right near the end of the half.”

When the halftime came, as we approached each other from opposite ends, I said something, in part to see how to play things, “Pat. A 40-year friendship and you still love playing surprises on me.”

She said nothing, but gave a little smile.

In a few, reaching to her that way was helpful because off Brad’s generous introduction of me, I used the same sentence to get into the presentation and I was able to craft the moment for all of us.

The End Comes Much Too Soon For All of Us

And that was the last time we were in each other’s company.

Last Friday after a WNBA game a colleague asked if I had heard Summitt had taken a turn For the worse and was in grave condition.

I hadn’t but said, if true, we need to know, because she is a Basketball Head of State and we have to get ready to go to give her final homage.

On Saturday, the social media was silent on any indication and I dropped for the moment any attempt to reach the inner circle.

Then I awoke to get back to New York for another game and saw the news was out.

As a courtesy since my Inquirer departure in 2010 had been on good terms, I sent sports editor John Quinn a note so they wouldn’t be caught by surprise. He thanked me for the heads up.

A few hours later the office sent a request for me to ready the obituary for the paper.

In a way, her last favor – and she did plenty for me over the years – was her hanging on long enough to for me to produce a tribute that would be worthy of the subject.

That was the professional side – doing this becomes the personal side.

 I think you needed to read this to then enjoy the next part which will be a series of vignettes from over the years.

If you got to this point, thanks for staying all the way through. You will be rewarded in Part 2.

 -- Mel   

    

    

On the Passing of Pat Summitt: A Tribute From Lafayette Coach Theresa Grentz

Guru note: All are invited to send remembrances, stories, for postings here as many of you have in the past when we paid tribute on the passing of referee Bonita Spence, longtime pioneering women's sports information director Mary Jo Haverbeck of Penn State, WBCA founder Betty Jaynes, and Richmond associate head coach Ginny Doyle. 

The email is poll416@gmail.com. - Mel Greenberg. 

The rest of this page is all from Theresa Grentz

Editor’s note: Theresa Grentz has known Pat Summitt for over four decades. Grentz and Summitt were teammates and roommates during the 1973 World University Games. Both Grentz and Summitt went on to become Women’s Basketball Head Coaches at the age of 22, and both eventually became United States Olympic Team Head Coaches. Grentz writes this tribute to her colleague, teammate, and friend.

 

​“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” Today is such a day. With a heavy heart there are many tears over the loss of a mother, wife, coach, mentor, colleague, teammate, and friend: Pat Summitt. 

The legacy of Pat Summitt will remain as the standard for all leadership positions in any walk of life. Pat defined the excellence that is necessary to compete in life. Her life was conducted and lived for others. Her leadership was defined by servanthood. There will never be another Pat Summitt. She was and always will be the best. It’s an unfortunate situation that she is no longer with us on earth, but there is no doubt, Pat Summitt left her mark in this life through the countless players, coaches, fans, and people she interacted with during her journey. 

The news of the last several days has been very difficult to make any sense of. Watching a full day of the ESPN Tributes to Pat has not assisted in trying to bring reality into focus with any sense of lucidity. How could this be happening? Women’s basketball needs its leader and biggest advocate to grow the game. This news must be mistaken. The TV shows are just reminding us about her record. 

 ​The tears flowed freely and unashamedly throughout the day.  Pat coached because she was born to coach. She crossed lines of gender; she could have coached males or females in any sport. Leadership traits were plentiful when you mentioned the name of Pat Summitt.  A magnanimous personality that shared love, instruction, and a zest for living life to its fullest. Could the reports really be true? 

​Today, I have no answers to these questions. Pat was a God fearing woman and I must find consul in her faith and belief in her God. Many of the most recent pictures of Pat have her wearing a simple cross around her neck.  

The cross is an outward sign of her faith in a Higher Being for all to see.  Pat was blessed with a great responsibility to teach others how to succeed. She embraced that challenge.  She met each of her own encounters with grace and dignity. 

Many of those tests would have reduced others to a broken spirit. However, we are talking about Pat Summitt. She was the teacher who taught young women to be invincible. She taught her players how to take their proper place in the world after spending four years with her on a basketball court.

 Those life lessons would serve those 161 women for life. Some coaches can impact lives, Pat changed lives for the better. Everyone who watched this process gained an appreciation for Pat’s work and her style. Today we must celebrate Pat and her life choices. 

Today we must face the reality that this great lady is no longer with us. The time Pat was with us was too short, however, we don’t have a say in that timeline. I can only be thankful that during the last four decades I had the distinct pleasure and honor to be a colleague, teammate, and friend with this wonderful woman. I will miss her smile and her friendship terribly, but I will continue to keep her in my prayers and thoughts until we meet again. In Pat’s own words, we must “keep on keeping on.”

Philly Women's Summer League: St. Joe's Star Chelsea Woods' 43 Leads Purple to Five-Way Tie in First

By Mel Greenberg - @womhoopsguru

And Bob Heller

 HATBORO, Pa. – Saint Joseph’s junior Chelsea Woods, who has been hot all season, exploded for 43 points to lead Purple to a 90-81 win over White (2-3) Tuesday night and become part of a five-way tie for first at 4-1 in the Philadelphia/Suburban NCAA Certified Women’s Summer Basketball League 

Pink’s sole possession at the top as the last unbeaten team quickly ended as Gold (4-1) bounced back from last Thursday’s -2-0 forfeit loss to Purple to beat the league leader head on 76-59 on the strength of Alex Smith’s 18 points at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades.

Maroon (4-1) topped Kelly Green 58-47 while Sky Blue (4-1) in one of the more competitive outcomes of the night overcame Red 61-56 to keep pace at the top and become the other parts of the five-way tangle as the third week of action got under way.

It could stay that way for a while since none of the five will meet each other Thursday night and then because of the July 4 holiday on Monday the league, in a rarity, will be dark all next week before action resumes on Tuesday, July 12.

Royal Blue (3-2) got to hold sixth place all by itself as a result of a 55-45 victory of Black (0-5) which, along with Kelly Green (0-5), has yet to hit the win column to date.

Saint Joseph’s senior Amanda Fioravanti made her first appearance of the summer and scored 14 points to lead Royal Blue. Hawks sophomore Michala Clay made her first appearance also, playing for White, which fell into a three-way tie for seventh with the loss to Purple while Red’s loss to Sky Blue and Orange’s 67-42 win over Hunter Green (1-4) placed those two teams into the seventh place deadlock.

Hunter Green’s loss dropped the squad into sole possession of 10th place. Black and Kelly Green, which fell to Maroon, hold the 11th place tie at the bottom with their winless performances.

Tori Smick’s 21 points for Red made her the only other player to reach the individual 20 or more points nightly milestone besides the Woods attack.

With help from Bob Heller, who tracked everything Tuesday night, and longtime Commissioner David Kessler’s scoring recaps sent to the Guru, here’s a look at all the action.

Recaps

Purple 90, White 81 – Woods used five 3-pointers and shot 7-for-7 from the line to fuel her 43-point total for Purple while Symantha Marrero, one of several Penn State-Abington players on Purple and also a Central High grad had 18 points off four treys, while Jaryn Garner, a Saint Joseph’s senior out of Germantown Academy, scored 12 points.

Sierra Taylor, a Kutztown freshman out of Camden Catholic, scored 16 points for White, Karen Lapkiewicz, another Kutztown freshman but out of St. Basil, scored 15, Alexandra Heck, a recent Philadelphia University grad out of Archbishop Wood, scored 14, Gabbi Wright, another Kutztown frosh, this one out of Cheltenham High, shot 7-for-8 for the line on the way to 11 points, and Michala Clay in her summer debut scored 10 points.

Woods’ big night helped push a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter to eight at the half.

White narrowed the deficit to two points in the third before Purple pulled away to become the third team this summer to score 90 or more points.

Gold 76, Pink 59 – In the game that saw Pink fall from the unbeaten column, Alex Smith, a 2014 Holy Cross grad out of the Peddie School, hit three treys to propel her way to her 18 points for the winners, while Adaisha Franklyn, a Saint Joseph’s junior out of Bayard Rustin, scored 14 points and Shira Newman, a 2013 Millersville grad out of Upper Dublin, scored 10 points for Keith Woods’ team.

Coach Steve Flynn got 13 points from Emma Dorshimer, a Gettysburg sophomore out of Jenkintown, shooting 4-for-4 from the line for his Pink squad, while 12 points each were collected by Emily Walls, Moravian Sophomore out of Bayard Rustin, and Lauren Rothfeld, a Salisbury junior out of Upper Dublin, who had a pair of treys and made both her foul shots.

Gold reached a double digit lead late in the first quarter and never trailed. They took an 11-point halftime lead and scored the first seven points of the next period.

Pink did not go quietly, responding with a 10-1 run to get within nine, but Gold was quickly back up by 11 and built the advantage to as many as 18 points.

Maroon 58, Kelly Green 47 – The  USciences squad on the way to keeping Kelly Green out of the win column, got 13 points from Laura Trisch, a Devils junior out of Arcbishop Wood, while eight points each came from Alyx McKiernan, a Devils sophomore;; Colleen Walsh, a junior out of the Shipley School, and Alex Thomas, a targeted for 2020 graduation.

Trisch sank six foul shots in the final two minutes to secure the win. Maroon used runs of 15-0 and 13-7 around a 12-0 Kelly Green counter to maintain control in the stretch drive.

No one scored in double figures for Kelly Green, as Danielle Skedzielewski, a Delaware Valley sophomore out of Archbishop Ryan, scored nine points, Zoe Hahn, a Stevens Tech freshman out of Kingsway Regional, scored 8, and seven other Kelly Green players got into the scoring column.

Orange 67, Hunter Green 42 – Mackenzie Rule, a Saint Joseph’s senior out of Cardinal O’Hara, got most of her 14 points for Orange out of three 3-pointers, the same number that Allison Chernow, an Emory freshman out of Upper Dublin, shot to go with her perfect two foul shots on the same number of attempts, while Morgan Goldenbaum, an Ursinus freshman out of Neshaminy, scored 12, Lauren Killion, an Albright freshman out of Lower Moreland, scored 10 points on two treys and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, and Kendall Grasela, a Penn freshman out of Germantown Academy, scored 10 points.

Katherine Feehery, a Scranton junior out of Cardinal O’Hara, scored 15 points for Hunter Green, while Karissa Mansure, a Catholic U sophomore out of Shawnee, scored 11 points.

Orange finished the opening quarter with an 8-2 run and then dominated 19-6 in the second to coast to a win.

Sky Blue 61, Red 56 – Recent Saint Joseph’s grad Ciara Andrews out of Cheltenham scored 19 points to help Six Blue get its piece of the league lead while Lily Kuntz, a Middlebury freshman out of Episcopal scored 10 points.

Behind the 21 points from Tori Smick, a West Chester senior out of Woodstown on the predominantly Golden Rams squad this summer, Jenna Widdicombe, a sophomore out of Pope John Paul II, scored 15 points, and Mariah Traywick, a sophomore out of Spring-Ford, scored 11.

There were several ties and lead changes in the closely-fought battle but Stephanie Petery, a Mercyhurst freshman out of John Paul Ii, hit two foul shots while Kristalyn Baisden, a Saint Joseph’s sophomore, sank another in the final 43 seconds to ensure Sky Blue’s place in the standings Penhouse.

Royal Blue 55, Black 45 – After Fioravanti’s 14 points for the winners, Katie Armstrong, a Saint Joseph’s freshman from Perkiomen Valley, scored 12, making all three of her free throw attempts To give Royal Blue sole possession of sixth place a game behind the deadlocked quintet in front.

Caitlyn Cunningham, a Saint Joseph’s freshman from Mount Saint Joseph’s on the predominantly Philadelphia University squad, scored 10 points from two treys and 2-for-2 from the line, Erin Rafter, a Rams junior out of Washington Township, scored nine, and seven each came from Ashley Barber, a Rams freshman from Upper Dublin; Rachel Day, a Rams junior out of Archbishop Wood, and Kelsey Jones, a Saint Joseph’s senior out of Mount Saint Joseph’s.

Royal Blue was down five at the half but erupted on a 21-8 run over the final two quarters to seal the win.

Breaking Ties

Since looking ahead, a normal staple, doesn’t offer clear-cut must-see games based on records Thursday night other than fans cheering for their favorites, especially the underdogs, we took a shot on breaking all the ties for the purpose of standings placement.

There’s no reason yet to officially place seed numbers with an eye to the eight-team playoffs but here’s what was done with the three sets of ties:

In the five-team gridlock at the top, you look at records among them overall, though not all have met yet in the same number.

But for now, out of the mix, Purple and Gold were both 2-1 in the group and Purple has the forfeit win so they go 1-2, then Pink at 1-1 goes into the third slot, and Maroon and Sky Blue at 0-1 get the next two on a coin flip right now since they haven’t mt to use the head-to-head standard.

Royal Blue is alone in sixth place.

In the next group of a three-way tie, White is 1-0, Red  is 1-1, and Orange is 0-1 so that takes care of 7-8-9.

Hunter Green is alone in 10th while Black and Kelly Green are placed through a coin flip. 

Standings

(Thru June 29)

Team,  W-L, Pct., G.B., PF, PA

%-Purple, 4-1, .800, --, 302 200

@-Gold, 4-1, .800, ---, 318 235

Pink, 4-1, 1.000, --, 339 308

Maroon, 4-1, .800, --, 295 293

Sky Blue, 4-1, .800, --, 355 348

Royal Blue, 3-2, .600, 1.0, 317 287

White, 2-3, .400, --,2.0 315 336

%-Red,2-3 ,.400, 2.0 , 244 253

@-Orange, 2-3, .400, 2.0 233 272

Hunter Green, 1-4, .250, 3.0, 280 328

Black, 0-5, .000, 4.0, 233 305

Kelly Green, 0-5, .000, 4.0, 288 344

%-includes forfeit win

@-includes forfeit loss

Schedule

Thursday, June 30

7 p.m.

Kelly Green (0-5) vs. Gold (4-1), Court 1

Purple (4-1) vs. Red (2-3), Court 2

Pink (4-1) vs. Royal Blue (3-2), Court 3

8:15 p.m.

Maroon (4-1) vs. White (2-3), Court 1

Hunter Green (1-4) vs. Black (0-5), Court 2

Sky Blue (4-1) vs. Orange (2-3), Court 3

Tuesday, July 5, Thursday, July 7

No Games

Tuesday, July 12

7 p.m.

Purple vs. Black, Court 1

Royal Blue vs. Orange, Court 2

White vs. Kelly Green, Court 3

8:15  p.m.

Red vs. Pink, Court 1

Sky Blue vs. Maroon, Court 2

Hunter Green vs. Gold, Court 3 

Thursday, July 14

7 p.m.

Hunter Green vs. Red, Court 1

Pink vs. Maroon, Court 2

Sky Blue, vs. White, Court 3

8:15 p.m.

Orange vs. Black, Court 1

Royal Blue vs. Gold, Court 2

Purple vs. Kelly Green, Court 3

Results

Tuesday, June 28

Purple 90, White 81

Gold 76, Pink 59

Maroon 58, Kelly Green 47

Royal Blue 55, Black 45

Orange 67, Hunter Green 42

Sky Blue 61, Red 56

Thursday, June 23

Sky Blue 78, Royal Blue 71

Orange 71,  Kelly Green 65

Purple 2,  Gold 0, forfeit

Maroon 64, Black 41

White 67, Red 64, OT

Pink 70, Hunter Green 66, OT

Tuesday, June 21

Purple 57, Maroon 52

Royal Blue 80, Hunter Green 58

Red 69, Kelly Green 66

White 60, Black 44

Gold 89, Sky Blue 59

Pink 75, Orange 50

Thursday, June 16

Sky Blue 67, Hunter Green 66

Pink 63, Black 51

Maroon 59, Red 53, overtime

Purple 88, Orange 45

Gold 90, White 63

Royal Blue 56, Kelly Green 44

Wednesday, June 15

Hunter Green 48, White 44

Sky Blue 90, Kelly Green 66

Pink 72, Purple 65

Gold 63. Black 52

Maroon 62, Royal Blue 55

Red 2, Orange 0, forfeit

Individual Scoring 20 Or More Points

43-Chelsea Woods, Purple, W, vs. White, June 28

33-Chelsea Woods, Purple, W, vs. Maroon, June 22

32-Chelsea Woods, Purple, L, vs. Pink, June 15

28-Alex Smith, Gold, W, vs. Sky Blue, June 22

28-Alex Smith, Gold, W, vs. White, June 16

26-Alexix Roman, Hunter Green, L, vs. Sky Blue, June 16

25-Ciara Andrews, Sky Blue, W, vs. Hunter Green, June 16

25-Ciara Andrews, Sky Blue, W, vs. Kelly Green, June 15

23-Alynna Williams, Black, L, vs. Pink, June 23

23-Kelsey Watson, White, L, vs. Gold, June 16

23-Chelsea Woods, Purple, W, vs. Orange, June 16

22-Mia Hopkins, Gold, W, vs. Sky Blue, June 22

22-Adaisha Franklyn, Gold, W, vs. White, June 16

21-Tori Smick, Red, L, vs. Sky Blue, June 28

21-Julia Glantz, Hunter Green, W, vs. White, June 15

21-Jessica Gerber, Sky Blue, W, vs. Kelly Green, June 15

21-K.T. (Katie) Armstrong, Royal Blue, L, vs. Maroon, June 15

20-Ciara Andrews, Sky Blue, W, vs. Royal Blue, June 23

20-Lauren Rothfeld, Pink, W-OT, vs. Hunter Green, June 23

20-Mackenzie Rule, Orange, L, vs. vs. Pink, June 22

20-Micah Morgan, Maroon, W-OT, vs. Red, June 16

Seed Tracker (not yet in order)

Purple (4-1) vs. Pink (L), vs. Org (W), vs. M(W), vs. Gold (W-%), vs. White (W), 

Gold (4-1) vs. Blk (W), vs. White (W), vs. SB (W), vs. Purp (L-@), vs. Pink (W), 

Pink (4-1) vs. Purp (W), vs. Blk (W), vs. Orange, (W), vs. H.G. (W-OT), Gold (L),

Maroon (4-1) vs. RB (W), vs. Red (W-OT), vs. Purple (L), vs. Black (W), KG (W),

Sky Blue (4-1) vs. KG (W), vs. HG (W), vs. Gold (L), vs. RB (W), vs. Red (W),

Royal Blue (3-2) vs. M (L), vs. KG (W), vs. HG (W), vs, SB (L), vs. Black (W),

White (2-3) vs. HG (L), vs. Gold (L), vs. Black (W), vs. Red (W-OT), vs. Purp (L),

Red (2-3) vs. Org (%-W), vs. M (L-OT), vs. Kelly Green (W), vs. White (L-OT), vs. SB (L),

Orange (2-3) vs. Red (@-L), vs. Purp (L), vs. Pink (L), vs. KG (W), vs. HG (W),

Hunter Green (1-4) vs. White (W), vs. SB (L), vs RB (L), vs. Pink (L-OT), vs. Orange (L),

Black (0-5) vs. Gold (L), vs. Pk (L), vs. White (L), vs. M (L), vs. R.B. (L),

Kelly Green (0-5) vs. SB (L), vs. RB (L), vs Red (L), vs. Orange (L), vs. M(L),

%-forfeit win

@-forfeit loss

On the Passing of Pat Summitt: Reflections of a Ride Begun at the Lady Vol Creation

By Mike Siroky

 I’ve had a long time to think of this because of its inevitability, but it did not make the writing easier.

There is only one start to a legend. I was there to record the start of women’s basketball and, more, in at the start of the Pat Head legend.

We came together in the1970s of Upper East Tennessee. 

I came to that job having just covered Bob Knight in my previous job.

 That is important because Trish was the female reflection of Knight, coaching style, teaching methods and incredible two-way lifetime loyalty if you survived the crucible. And I was not intimidated, which she liked.

There are so many examples. 

One hot summer workout I strolled into the practice session toward the end. 

Here was a Final Four caliber team running suicides. They were past dry heaves. The only way the session ended was for someone to make a free throw.

The Coach had tried them all, the best and the fluke shooters, and no one could hit.

 As one of the adults in the room, she came to me in true panic. What to do. The tradition had to be maintained, the job completed.

I advised they had to play it out. They did of course and The Coach and I made  happy eye contact. 

She maintained part of the legend.

Another time, I asked what would she do if one of her All-Americans simply stood up to her, even in a private practice session. 

The Coach looked truly alarmed and said I dare not suggest it because she had no answer. 

These examples merely showed she was human which was often overlooked once she became a national brand and a living legend.

I would get phone calls at all hours if she had a question. 

In those days, not every score even made the national news wire. She could not very well call one of the other coaches. So it was up to me, a reporter calling a reporter. And I did it.

We had become friends in those days when she would drive one van and ace assistant Nancy Darsch the other to nearly empty gyms across the South.

 I’d drive my own car but we’d share food stops. I was usually working on my own time, so I had an unlimited schedule.

Once, coming back from a terrible loss to Clemson, where the opposing coach was no more than a glorified high school gym coach, the parade did not stop until the home campus.

The Coach ordered the well-worn uniforms be put back on because it was practice time at 1 a.m. Had I not been included in the trip, I would not have had that story.

I found out decades later she would use my stories as recruiting tools in the pre-internet era. Recruits would get copies. No other newspaper covered women’s basketball like we did, she and I.

So The Coach would send them promises of look what kind of coverage you’d get.

As the famous poet said, she used me and I used her and neither of us cared.

 We had become friends. She was amazed when she realized I really had no rooting interest. Truly amazed. 

My job started when the game ended. Her job ended then.

She introduced me to her dad, an amazingly stoic hill folk. She did not warn me. But she laughed when I came away somewhat confused.

She sorta liked the idea we could be friends. 

I eventually was doing some of the radiocasts, second chair, because my best friend in the world was doing the first chair for free and occasionally needed to catch his breath.

One of her All-Americans, against the orders of the Coach, played intramural softball, a left-handed third baseman.

She severely tweaked an ankle. 

The players asked me to deliver the news, because she could not take it out on me.

I did and she more or less put the information in her pocket, saving  it for a time when she needed to get the player’s attention, always thinking ahead.

We had fun because of our association with The Coach. 

She took us along for the ride of her life and we were grateful for it. 

Final Fours, coast-to-coast small gyms to mammoth arenas. 

Once when at a nondescript four-team tournament in Detroit she was so happy I was there she introduced me as “my reporter.”

 Then she realized how it sounded and apologized. Did  not faze me. She was in my writing DNA by then.

She invited me on a recruiting trip. 

As we let the restaurant she said don’t look back but a lot of people were staring. 

Those that knew her, she said, didn’t know me and she almost grabbed my hand as if we were on a date to give them something to talk about.

That was her sense of humor.

I could keep her off-balance, though. 

We were in Maryland and she had heard of this wonderful seafood joint. We all ate. And here was Lefty Driesell, another legendary coach by us, having dinner with his mom.

The Coach wanted to meet him. I knew it. 

So I asked and we walked over to his table.

 I said excuse me, Lefty, but this here is Pat Head and she wanted to meet you.

 His eyes lit up and he certainly knew who she was. I walked back to my table as they talked.

Later, her eyes twinkling, she said I didn’t know Lefty, did I. 

But I knew my friend  knew I knew she wanted to meet him. She loved it.

She once offered to let me in the locker room because other papers would send women reporters in as if the players would give them anything and not save it for me.

 I told her there were just some things about her girls I did not want to know. 

Still she talked me in once just to end that kind of discrimination. 

Her mind never stopped.

I became the first reporter to cover the women’s national championship and the next night, cover the men’s. She was happier for me than was I.

The game grew, of course. 

She and Knight swept the Olympics in Los Angeles. The women had arrived with that first Gold. The first NCAA women’s Final Four  had 37 writers. 

It is now sold out with hundreds of writers and broadcasters. I attended a Regional Final with 800 total attendance. Those games now draw thousands across America.

She and her original athletic director, Gloria Ray, invented the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame because they had the guts to do it. 

The Coach offered to put me in because legends can do things like that. 

As I am old school, I declined. 

I am still but a writer.

 I suggested the first journalist needed to be the co ordinator of the national poll, which he single handedly kept alive. 

Then again, he and I are the only ones of the original 37 from the first NCAA tournament still writing. 

She is in my life hall of fame and she made sure I knew I was in hers and that is more important.

The growth of the women’s game meant no reporters could ever get that close to a coach again.

 I was in the right place at the right time. I am blessed. We remained friends.

Pat Head Summitt did not create women’s college basketball. But she elevated it, defined it. 

She originated  the idea of  a national coach for the international competitions and then declined the honor of being that person.

She made sure male coaches would get a shot at those spots by including them in.

She did not create the Southeastern Conference, the best of all in its sport. 

But she and Gloria hosted the first two conference championships a a monetary loss once the NCAA welcomed the women’s game. 

She has won more than any other conference team, even though the record number of SEC games coached  has been surpassed. 

It is fitting no other SEC team has won a national title and yet she won eight. Other league teams have made the Final Four and not any one of them is free to win it all.

You could have your back to the door of a big room and yet you would know someone arrived as soon as she slipped in. 

She had it. 

There is not a coach in America who has not been influenced by  her. There are no others that can say that.

She became a living legend and her own brand in the process, retiring with the most wins and the most national titles. 

Those records will be surpassed because now the game is important and it is important because of The Coach.

She has launched 168 of her “young ladies” into the world.

 Every one of them who completed the program graduated, another link with Knight.

 The players have families, so the expanding circle of her direct impact continues.

She married and had a son and she lived long enough to see him rise to a Division 1 coach. He is out of it now.

The Coach lived long enough to see herself honored with statues on her campus. 

A Foundation exists  in her name. 

Various national awards are named in her honor.

 I hope the SEC names its tournament championship trophy after her. 

 She is the defining women’s coach of the originating era. 

There is only one first and she is that.

Then came early onset Alzheimer’s. We are relatively the same age so that is scary to me.

I twice was a primary witness to two other women in my life who had Alzheimer’s, a witness to the end.

The Coach followed the path.

A year of being able to fool everyone, knowing something is happening as the darkness closes in.

Then a year of being escorted, happy to see folks who were happy to see you but not knowing any of them.

Then the months of just existing, Then hospice.

The Coach had left us by then. Her body lived on.

When she ascended, it rained quite a lot that day across the Great American Prairie. 

I think the angels were crying. 

Driving home that twilight, the sun set as a big orange ball.

The wisps of color among the clouds were orange as well, an endless stretch. Even fools such as I took the meaning. 

She was now  influencing the heavens.

This special friend of mine completed her death endgame. 

I see her in the next place now, coaching games and arguing with the angel referees.

As one of her original friends, I started writing down thoughts for the expected tribute.

One of those ideas is not original.

A lot of people will die today. We all will reach that day.

In her particular last group, many will die in a convalescent home, of Alzheimer’s, and many will be more alone and less-remembered.

The human experiment teaches us so much. 

We mourn more for the famous yet everyone is someone’s child.

The lesson for those of us still on the ride is to help those we can who share the air with us. 

My friend is one of those who ultimately will be honored for the lives she touched and the pace she set.

She reminds me of the line: I have dined with kings and queens and I have dined on pork and beans.

A Tennessee country girl rose to an international impact-maker. 

She met Presidents and world rulers. 

She will be laid to rest back in Henrietta, next to her dad, where it all started.

The remembrance for me is it is not how she died but how she lived.

 

WNBA Notebook: Former Tennessee Stars Reflect Playing for Pat Summitt

By Rob Knox @knoxrob1

Candace Parker, Glory Johnson and countless other University of Tennessee women’s basketball players have survived Pat Summitt’s legendary stare from her crystal-blue eyes – a steely gaze that could melt ice, make volcanos erupt and trees shake. 

 Using tough love, a sparkling spirit, passionate persistence and being dedicated her every player who has worm a Tennessee uniform, Summitt has inspired many and helped them thrive as professional basketball players, mothers, teachers, coaches and productive members of society. 

 What separated Summitt is she wasn’t afraid to discipline one of the best players to ever wear a Tennessee uniform. There was the time she benched Parker for an entire half for a much anticipated road game against DePaul, a game that was hyped as her homecoming. Tough love. 

 “I missed curfew,” admitted Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker Monday during a WNBA teleconference previewing their game against the Dallas Wings on Tuesday at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.

 “She was put in a bind. Normally, when you missed curfew, you are suspended for an entire game. This game was different.

 “She suspended me for the entire first half of the game. It was a lesson I learned. Both of us were being stubborn, but it enabled us to win a championship that year.”

 Summitt announced in August of 2011 that she had early onset Alzheimer's disease. She coached the 2011-12 season before leaving the program.

 Since being diagnosed, Summitt has played a leading role in Alzheimer’s advocacy, launching the Pat Summitt Foundation. The Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Clinic will also open at the University of Tennessee medical center at the end of the year.  

 Unfortunately, several sources indicated over the weekend that the disease has progressed and friends and family are "preparing for the worst."

  Since news spread over the weekend of Summitt’s declining condition, many fans have left flowers and basketballs at her statue in Knoxville while countless others, including this reporter, have flooded social media with photos, well-wishes and touching stories. 

 “Outside of the Lady Vol family, everybody knows that she’s a legend who has touched lives and grown the game of basketball,” Parker said. “She changed the nature of women’s basketball. I am looking at it from a personal aspect, she changes the individuals. She changed the way I look at life. Everything she did was to make me a better individual.”

 Summitt’s reputation on growing the game of women’s basketball is cemented. She distinguished herself with 1,098 victories, 16 Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles and eight national titles. However, that’s only a small part of her impact. 

 As a testament to her commitment to developing the total student-athlete, all 122 players under her watch who completed their eligibility at UT graduated.

 Ten of her players earned a combined 13 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors through the years, two were named CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and one was selected to the CoSIDA All-Time Academic All-America Team.

 Coaching has always been about people and relationships. She said a few years ago that you “win in life with people.” 

The wins and national championships were just a bonus for Summitt, who always enjoyed teaching, holding babies, cooking her legendary jalapeno corn and dispensing life lessons along with a pinch of tough love. 

 “It's been emotional,” Johnson said. “When I go home and I sit and think about all of the stuff that Pat's done for me and all of the stuff that I went through at the University of Tennessee. I wouldn't go through that for anybody. 

"I went there specifically for Pat because I knew that was the best thing for me in college and that's who I wanted to be coached by. I knew I wasn't going to be leaving and I was going to go through whatever I had to go through to play for that lady.”

 Johnson had an opportunity to visit Summitt before training camp started in April.

 “I saw Pat the day before I left for training camp,” Johnson said. “I took the babies to see her and (Summitt) held them in her arms. It was great seeing her awake and interacting with the babies. She knew exactly what to do when a baby is placed there and rocked them to sleep. I really appreciated it. I am glad that the babies were able to experience that.”

 Following the Sparks’ 94-76 win over the Lynx Friday night, Parker visited Summitt in Knoxville. She chose to keep details of that visit private out of respect for the wishes of Summitt’s family. 

 “I was able to play against (the Connecticut Sun's) Shekinna Strickland (Sunday afternoon), Parker said. “We just gave each other a hug and were like, 'We're praying for coach and praying for the family.' 

"Obviously, I spoke to Catch (former Lady Vol and Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings) and to Vicki Baugh along with just past and present Lady Vols just being there for each other. That's what we are. We're a family. That's what coach wants. She wants us to be there to lean on each other. That’s the biggest thing she’s done for us is created family.”

Johnson did mention one regret she had.

 “My favorite memory was when we had a team meal at her house and Pat would make her spicy jalapeno corn,” Johnson said. “I never tried it because I didn’t like spicy food. 

"Then my senior year, I finally tried it. It was absolutely amazing. I missed out on that experience because I didn’t want to try it. 

"I love that jalapeno corn. I haven’t tried making it myself because I don’t want to embarrass myself. Nobody could imitate it no matter how hard we tried.”

 Summitt’s accomplishments transcend statistics. Words don’t do her legacy proper justice.

 Instead of using the world as a place to live in; Summitt used it as a giant canvas to create change, open minds and breakthrough barriers. With an enthusiasm for life, Summitt was a courageous pioneer who made a difference. 

 In addition to teaching life lessons on a consistent basis to her student-athletes, what has made her a treasure of excellence is her resolute and unflinching strength in the face of adversity. 

 “She doesn’t just talk the talk; she walks the walk,” Parker said. “She does exactly what she says she’s going to do. She’s been exactly how she lived -- and that’s strong. We need to be strong now. My thoughts and prayers are definitely with the Lady Vol family, with (her son) Tyler and with coach Summitt. She means a lot to a lot of different people.” 

 Big Week For Delle Donne and Cloud

Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud had memorable performances on Friday night in setbacks. 

Delle Donne, the Ursuline Academy graduate out of Wilmington, Del., dropped a game-high 31 points in a tough 80-79 road loss to the New York Liberty. Shewas 10-of-17 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range.

 A Broomall native and Saint Joseph’s graduate, Cloud scored a career-high 18 points in a 91-79 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.She was 6-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 coming from three-point range.

 “It's kind of a catch 22,” Cloud said. “Those 18 points don't mean anything if we don't get a win. My teammates found me when I was open and I shot. We are just going to continue doing what we do offensively. I'm going to shoot if I'm open and if not I'm going to draw the defense in and kick it.”

 Taurasi Milestone

Three-time WNBA Champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist, seven-time WNBA All-Star and five-time WNBA scoring champion, Diana Taurasi, added another achievement to her already storied career, becoming just the third player in WNBA history to reach the 7,000-point mar​k, joining Tina Thompson (retired) and Tamika Catchings (active), Friday night during the Mercury’s victory over the Mystics at the Verizon Center. 

 “Considering two other people have done it, I think it's pretty special,” Taurasi said. “I just feel lucky to be on really good teams with some really great teammates and coaches. You don't score that many points by yourself.

" I've been lucky to be on one team my whole career, I've been lucky to be around Penny [Taylor], DB [DeWanna Bonner], even the people that were here way before us. They kind of gave me that platform to be able to do it. It's pretty special, now that I think about it.”

 Even more impressive, by doing so tonight in Washington in only her 348^th career game, Taurasi became by far the fastest player in league history to the 7,000-career point barrier (Thompson-460 games, Catchings-428 games). Taurasi’s 7,000th-career point came on a 30-foot three-pointer with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter. 

 Now at 7,030 career points, Taurasi sits just 458 points shy of surpassing Tina Thompson (7,488) to become the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history.  At her current 2016 scoring rate, she could potentially pass Thompson early in 2017.

 Mystics Rolling

Remember when the Mystics started the season by dropping their first five home games? Those are a distant memory now as Washington has won three of four during a five-game homestand that concludes Wednesday morning against San Antonio. 

Washington rode Emma Meesseman’s sterling 20-point effort to a surprisingly easy 87-63 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday afternoon. 

Meesseman was 9-of-12 shooting. Continuing her awesome season, Tayler Hill, who is a strong candidate for the league’s Most Improved Award, added 17 points, five assists and four steals. Tianna Hawkins had 11 points, including three 3-pointers, for Washington (8-8). 

The Mystics have won four of their last five games. They never trailed and sprinted to a 33-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes, marking the second largest scoring margin the Lynx had ever faced after one quarter.

“We knew that we could beat them,” Meesseman said. “They didn't change a lot from last year and we beat them twice. We knew before the game that we definitely can beat them because of the last game and it feels great now knowing that we can beat that kind of team. It's difficult to explain because we know we could beat everybody in this league easily if we just play our game. It's something that's really hard to do but when we do its great.”

Meanwhile, Hill’s improved play is being noticed as Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve had some great things to say about her following the game. 

“I'm not on the inside, so I don't know if I can really answer with great justice, but obviously she's kind of grown into a comfort level in this league after kind of a slower start,” Reeve said.

 “I think the off-season that she had, just from talking to [Washington head coach] Mike [Thibault], he felt really good about her direction.

" Again, I'm not on the inside, but I suspect she works really hard. She's a challenge on both ends of the floor. She's somebody that's worked really hard to be able to shoot it and because you can shoot it, you get people in the position where they're out of position. She attacks the rim really well. I'll give her a lot of credit. I think she really found her way in this league and she's become a very good player.”