May 8, 2008, From TV Guide today:

The WNBA’s 12th season gets underway next weekend, and the league is eager to attract new fans and change perceptions of women’s hoops.

A new marketing campaign, “Expect Great,” launches during tonight’s Celtics/Cavaliers NBA playoff game (7 pm/ET, ESPN). In a series of ads that are clearly aimed at men, three top players — the Detroit Shock’s Cheryl Ford, the Indiana Fever’s Tamika Catchings and celebrated rookie Candace Parker of the L.A. Sparks — repeat the criticisms they’ve heard. The complaints are clearly contradicted by simultaneous game clips.In Ford’s spot, the four-time WNBA All-Star says: “Let’s be honest, your rec league team would smoke us chicks without working up a sweat. I’m afraid of contact, so you can post me up all day long. Plus, the lane will be open, because no girl is gonna take a charge. We want no part of your rec league team. Believe that.” Then the screen goes dark and the words “She wouldn’t say that. Would You?” appear.

Ford and Parker’s spots premiere tonight, while Catchings’ debuts on Sunday during ABC’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs.

Filed under: Entertainment, TV, WNBA by jane
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April 22, 2008 - We knew Candace Parker was a superstar before her great performance in this year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four Tournament, leading the Tennessee Lady Vols to their eighth (and second consecutive) championship.

We knew the moment she started dunking rocks in high school and during college games that she was destined to shine in the WNBA. Earlier this month, she was the first overall pick in the WNBA draft, going to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Now, a week into her pro career, the endorsements are coming through. Gatorade was the first to sign Parker, who is also a member of the U.S. Olympic team,  to an endorsement deal.

“It’s only fitting for me to announce Gatorade as my first partner as I begin my professional basketball career because they have been part of my life since the day I first picked up a basketball,” said Parker. “It still means a lot to me that in high school I was honored as a two-time Gatorade High School Basketball Player of the Year and as a college athlete at the University of Tennessee, Gatorade was always on the sidelines.”

Candace has also signed an endorsement deal with adidas, who was battling with Nike to grab the budding superstar. Young girls relate to her and someday may be able to lace up a pair of Parker basketball shoes. We’re sure these deals are just the first of many so stay tuned!

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April 9, 2008 - It was Candice vs. Candace last night… And today, they start all over.

You’ve heard the hype: Candace Parker, Candice Wiggins and the deepest class in WNBA history.  It’s a given that both will be star players at the next level, in their own special ways.

As anticipated, Parker submitted the appropriate paperwork renouncing her remaining intercollegiate eligibility to be available for selection in today’s WNBA Draft.

The Los Angeles Sparks had the first draft pick and as expected they chose Parker. (Since we’re based in LA, we couldn’t be more excited!) The number two pick went to the Chicago Sky who added LSU’s Sylvia Fowles to their roster. Rounding out the top three was Wiggins who’s heading to the Minnesota Lynx (though there may well be a trade in her future). 

Detroit Shock had the fourth pick and chose Tennesse guard Alexis Hornbuckle. Fifth pick was Houston who selected Rutger’s guard Matee Ajavon. Next up, the Washington Mystics picked Maryland’s Crystal Langhorne who is a local favorite. Congrats to all the picks and you ladies looked great in your glam outfits and high heels - way to show off those pretty tough attributes.

See the full Draft Board here  and get the latest news at WNBA.com

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PHOENIX, Ariz. March 23, 2008 - Diana Taurasi is staying with the Phoenix Mercury, signing a three-year contract Thursday to remain with the defending champions.

“I am thrilled to re-sign with the Mercury,” Taurasi said. “I enjoy playing in Phoenix and am glad they want me back. I am excited for the upcoming season and ready to defend our title.”

“Diana is the backbone of our franchise,” Mercury GM Ann Meyers Drysdale said. “She is a WNBA, Olympic and NCAA champion and is the consummate team player. We understood the importance of bringing her back and are thrilled that she will remain in Phoenix for another three years.”

Taurasi, entering her fifth season in the WNBA, has averaged 19.4 points for the Mercury. The three-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist was the No. 1 overall pick out of Connecticut in the 2004 draft.

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Feb. 20, 2008 -In one of the biggest trades in Women’s National Basketball Association history, the Indiana Fever has announced the trade acquisition of former Perry Meridian High School and Purdue star Katie Douglas, from the Connecticut Sun.

In exchange for Douglas, Indiana has traded 2006 All-Star Tamika Whitmore and its first-round pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, along with rights to shooting guard Jessica Foley (third-round pick in 2005 who has remained in Australia.)

Douglas, 28, was a WNBA MVP candidate during each of the past two seasons, a two-time All-Star and the 2006 All-Star Game MVP. She has been named to the WNBA’s All-Defensive Team every summer since 2005. The six-foot sharpshooter was a first-team All-WNBA selection in 2006 and a second-team pick last summer.

Full story

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SEATTLE Feb. 19 , 2009 - The Seattle Storm announced today the acquisition of two-time WNBA champion and two-time WNBA All Star Swin Cash. Cash was acquired from the Detroit Shock in exchange for the No. 4 pick in the April 9 WNBA Draft.Cash, a 6-1 forward, has averaged 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists during her six-year WNBA career, all as a starter in Detroit. The second overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft out of Connecticut behind new teammate Sue Bird, Cash averaged 11.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists during the 2007 season for the Shock. She was a member of the 2003 and 2006 WNBA champion Detroit Shock teams .

“Having Swin on our roster is a huge boost going into this season,” said Storm Head Coach Brian Agler. “She brings great scoring ability, but also tremendous experience. Her playoff experience and championships are exactly the kind of attributes we’re looking for. We’re excited about camp opening this spring with Swin in a Storm uniform.”

A member of the 2004 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, Cash also was a two-time NCAA Champion in 2000 and 2002 at the University of Connecticut, and was named to the Kodak All-American first team in 2002.

“I’m really happy to be in Seattle and I look forward to the upcoming season,” Cash said. “Playing with Sue and Lauren (Jackson) is going to be exciting for me. I’m also looking forward to playing for Coach Agler. He brings a lot of experience to the women’s game, and I’m happy to be playing for him in Seattle.”

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Feb. 15, 2008 - If you waited too long to get tickets to tonight’s sold-out NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and Sunday’s sold-out 57th NBA All-Star Game, there’s no need to feel left out. You can catch the action on ESPN and TNT.

If you’re lucky enough to be in New Orleans for All Star Weekend, here’s a run-down of events.

Rookies vs. Sophomores - The best first and second year players compete against each other for Bayou bragging rights. This year the second overall draft pick Kevin Durant hopes to lead the Rookie team to victory. A win for them would be the first time ever the Rookies notch a W.

All-Star Celebrity Game. - 2008 Grammy Award winners Ne-Yo and Common, “Rush Hour 3″ star Chris Tucker, “Friday Night Lights” star Zach Gilford, 2006 “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks, and two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders are among 20 celebrities who will battle it out in the McDonald’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

The Celebrity Game features WNBA All-Stars Ruth Riley (San Antonio Silver Stars) and Swin Cash (Detroit Shock). Former all-star high school point guard and actress Gabrielle Union and actress and Touch fashion designer Alyssa Milano, will serve as head coaches for the squads. Hip hop star Lupe Fiasco will perform during the exciting halftime show. The game will air live on ESPN, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile at 7 p.m.

(more…)

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ATLANTA, Jan. 23, 2008 – Atlanta’s new WNBA team officially arrived today as Team Owner Ron Terwilliger and the franchise unveiled the Atlanta Dream team name, logo and colors in front of a large crowd at the East Lake YMCA. WNBA President Donna Orender and Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders were joined by hundreds of supporters at the special community event.

The Atlanta Dream’s color scheme is red and sky blue. In the logo, Atlanta is spelled out in red capital letters above Dream which is penned in sky blue capital letters and shadowed with a red and white. Three light blue stars surround the A of Dream with one star in the middle and a basketball propelled out of the star.

“The support in Atlanta has been tremendous and we look forward to seeing the Dream grow and prosper throughout the Inaugural 2008 Season and beyond.” said WNBA President Donna Orender.

The Atlanta WNBA team will begin play in 2008 at Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta. The team will tip-off in its first regular season home game on Friday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. against defending Eastern Conference Champions the Detroit Shock. For information and to purchase season tickets for Atlanta’s 2008 season, fans can call (404) 604-2626 or visit www.AtlantaDream.net. E-mail inquiries should be sent to tickets@atlantadream.net.

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SEATTLE, Wa. Jan. 9 2008 - A group of Seattle Storm season ticket-holders, with the financial means to be taken seriously, is making sure the Storm isn’t leaving Seattle.  Force 10 Hoops (great name for the group of women who have obtained an option to purchase the team), along with the stepped up support of the fans, corporate partners and the city, bring a vision and enthusiasm to the championship team.

And on the same day as the purchase announcement come reports that the team’s new coach will be Brian Agler. An assistant coach with the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars, Angler succeeds Anne Donovan who resigned Nov. 30.

So who, or what, is Force 10? On the historic Beaufort scale, Force 10 is the point at which bad weather officially becomes a storm. Force 10 Hoops, LLC was created to ensure that the WNBA’s Storm continues in Seattle. 

Political dynamo Anne Levinson brought the new ownership group together and led the $10M deal. Levinson has served as a judge, chairwoman of the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission and deputy mayor of Seattle. She is also a Storm season-ticket holder, and by the time the deal closes at the end of February, she and three well-heeled friends will own the team they spend summers rooting for.

Force 10 also includes Ginny Gilder, who owns an investment business, is president of a family philanthropy and won a silver medal at the L.A. Olympics in rowing; Lisa Brummel, senior vice president of human resources at Microsoft and a Yale athlete named to the Ivy League Women’s Hall of Fame for Softball and Dawn Trudeau, who formerly headed Microsoft’s database division and now works with nonprofits.

The sale, which needs to be approved by the WNBA board of governors, would make the Storm the seventh independently owned WNBA team, joining Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, Houston, Los Angeles and Washington. It’s the third team with a majority female ownership, along with Washington and Los Angeles.

The group expects the team, led by players such as Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson, will continue to play at the KeyArena, located at the Seattle Center.

Get ready for storm watch!

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Dec. 16, 2007 - Having conquered college basketball, Candace Parker is ready for a new challenge: saving the WNBA. Probably with the Los Angeles Sparks.

The most dominant player in college basketball, the 6-foot-4 Parker is so superbly multidimensional that she is listed as a forward/center/guard for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. During the 2006 NCAA Tournament she became the first woman to dunk in a championship college game.

At her college games in Knoxville, Parker plays in front of sellout crowds. She is in magazines and on national TV, and wherever she goes, people turn, gape or walk up and wish her well. She is the kind of transcendent player who just might be able to change the fortunes of the Sparks — and their league — all at once.

Read full story at LA Times

Filed under: Basketball, College Basketball, General, News Bytes, WNBA by jane
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