WNBA
Notes
by
Mystics4Ever
May 11, 2003 (Posted May 15, 2003)
JACKIE STILES
The WNBA's 2001 rookie of the year, Los Angeles Sparks Guard
Jackie Stiles, will not be able to play this year because she
will be having surgery to correct bursitis in her right heel.
Stiles was the NCAA's career scoring leader in women's basketball
and was selected by the Portland Fire in the 1st round (4th
overall) of the 2001 WNBA collegiate draft. The Sparks obtained
Stiles this month in the dispersal draft from the now-defunct
Fire. Stiles missed 11 games last year because of bursitis,
but Sparks General Manager Penny Toler has stated that Stiles
should be "100 percent ready to go" after this surgery.
CYNTHIA COOPER
At the age of 40, Guard Cynthia Cooper has come out of retirement
to return to the Houston Comets as a player. She spent most
of the past 2 seasons as Head Coach of the Phoenix Mercury.
During her 4 seasons playing for Houston (1997-2000), Cooper
was twice named WNBA Most Valuble Player (1997 & 1998).
Although she desperately wanted to play in the May 10th preseason
game against the NY Liberty (Houston won, 69-68), the training
staff held her out as a precaution, not wanting to risk a possible
injury by having her play too soon after coming out of retirement.
REBECCA LOBO
Forward Rebecca Lobo, 29, has been traded to the Connecticut
Sun by the Houston Comets. The Sun's aquisition of this former
UCONN star ('95) will give UCONN fans even more reason to attend
the Sun's games as she joins another UCONN ('98) standout Nykesha
Sales on the roster. Besides moving from Texas to Connecticut,
Lobo made yet another big change when, on April 12th, she married
Sports Illustrated columnist Steve Rushin.
SUE WICKS
Sue Wicks, 36, has announced her retirement from the New York
Liberty. Sue was the first Liberty player to be drafted (6th
overall) in the 1997 inaugural WNBA draft. She spent 6 years
in the WNBA but had an international career of more than 15
years. Sue will be missed not only for her "give-it-your-all" attitude
but for her out-spokenness on "sensitive" WNBA issues.
The following paragraph is from an August 2000 article by Alisa
Solomon in the Village Voice:
Wicks is one of the
few players willing to discuss the league's squeamishness about
lesbians. "I can't say how many players
are gay," notes Wicks, "but it would be easier to count
the straight ones." She finds it "annoying" that
the league almost exclusively promotes those who are moms. "I
like it when they give insight into athletes, and I think it's
great when they say, 'Here's a player and her husband and baby.'
But I'd love to see a couple of women profiled too, especially
if they had a great, solid relationship, just to show that in
a positive light." On the other hand, Wicks is quick to
add, "America probably isn't ready. Not every place is New
York and San Francisco, and you can't sell people something they
don't want to buy. Not to say that gay people aren't everywhere,
and definitely we don't cater to those fans enough, but a lot
of sports people just don't want to know."
NANCY DARSCH
Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Suzie McConnell Serio has hired former
Mystics Head Coach Nancy Darsch as an Assistant Coach. Darsch
coached the Mystics in 1999 and for half of the 2000 season.
I thought Darsch left the Mystics at that point but she was
Head Scout for the Mystics for the past 2 years (2001 and 2002)!
Who knew!?! Darsch led the college scouting for the Lynx prior
to the 2003 WNBA draft.
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