http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/ en-us Copyright 2008 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:21:39 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss UConn recruit Kelsey Bone had 13 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes Thursday to lead the U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team to a 72-56 victory over Canada in its second game of the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship for Women in Buenos Aires, Argentina. By winning its first two games the U.S. is assured of finishing among the Top 4 teams in the tournament and will earn a berth to the 2009 FIBA U-19 World Championship. UConn-bound recruit Kelly Faris had two rebounds and one steal in 10 scoreless minutes off the bench. Huskies’ recruit Skylar Diggins tallied seven points and two steals in 23 minutes. The U.S. will play Puerto Rico (0-2) today. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/bone_leads_us.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/bone_leads_us.html Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:21:39 -0500 UConn-bound recruit Kelly Faris, a 5-foot-11 guard from Plainfield, Ind., showed off her all-around game Wednesday as the U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team pounded Venezuela 112-49 in its opener in the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship for Women in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She finished with four points (2-of-4 FG), three rebounds, six assists and two steals in 21 minutes off the bench. UConn recruit Kelsey Bone, a 6-5 center from Stafford, Texas, shared team-high scoring honors with 13 points and also added six rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes. Skylar Diggins, a 5-8 guard from South Bend, Ind. who is also being targeted by the Huskies, added 11 points, six assists and three steals in 24 minutes. The U.S. will play Canada (1-0) today. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/faris_does_her_part_in_u18_ope.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/faris_does_her_part_in_u18_ope.html Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:14:04 -0500 What has been known for months finally became official Wednesday when it was announced that the Huskies will meet Penn State in the second game of a doubleheader in the third annual Maggie Dixon Classic Dec. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The start time will be approximately 2:30 p.m., following the conclusion of the opening game between Rutgers and Army (noon). The doubleheader will be televised nationally on ESPNU, but UConn’s matchup can be seen locally on CPTV. Tickets, which start at $15 and include both games, will go on sale to the public Friday at 10 a.m. They can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations, at the Madison Square Garden box office and online at www.thegarden.com. UConn Club Members received a pre-sale opportunity to purchase tickets last month. Interested donors can contact the UConn Ticket Office (1-877-AT-UCONN) to purchase tickets or for more information. Dixon, the former head coach at Army who led the Black Knights to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2006, died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest on April 6 of that year. Over 325,000 Americans die each year from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Madison Square Garden will once again team up with the Dixon family and the Cardiac Arrhythmias Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) Foundation, who will conduct 1,000 free EKG’s during the event, to help heighten awareness of heart related illness and to promote women’s college basketball. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/huskies_in_maggie_dixon_classi.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/huskies_in_maggie_dixon_classi.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:48:36 -0500 The Huskies learned the identity of their final non-conference opponent for the 2008-09 season Tuesday, one that finally fills the four-team field at the Caribbean Classic MTE in Cancun, Mexico in December. Along with Florida State and Washington, UConn will meet Northern Colorado in the three-game, four-day event Dec. 18-21. The Huskies, who are expected to be ranked No. 1 when the national preseason polls are revealed, will host non-conference opponents Oklahoma Nov. 30 (ESPN, 8 p.m.), LSU Jan. 3 (CBS), Georgia Tech, San Diego State, Rhode Island, Holy Cross and Hartford. They will travel to North Carolina Jan. 19 (ESPN or ESPN2), BYU and South Carolina and will meet Penn State in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden Dec. 14 (ESPNU). Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/cancun_field_set.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/cancun_field_set.html Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:07:30 -0500 The biggest mystery of the summer continues to remain unsolved for the UConn women’s basketball team. The start of the second summer session came and went Monday, and freshman Elena Delle Donne was not in class according to a UConn official. Delle Donne continues to take what she labeled a ``long personal break’’ last month when she went home June 3 after just two days on campus. Fellow freshman and long-time friend Caroline Doty said last week that she hopes to run into Delle Donne at the Jersey Shore this week. At this point there is no telling whether Doty or any other member of the Huskies will run into Delle Donne on campus this fall. ``The only thing I knew about her coming in was she was a really good player,’’ senior Kalana Greene said. ``After she got here, people told me there was a lot of pressure on her. She had some personal dilemmas with basketball, nothing against us. She just had to deal with them. I think she’s bold. I think it takes a lot of courage for someone to step away from basketball being that she was the No. 1 player since she was 12-years-old. Everyone’s on her saying, `You’re the greatest basketball player. You should do this, you should do this.’ So the pressure on her was to play basketball. It took a lot of courage for her to do it, especially coming into college.’’ Speculation has run rampant since Delle Donne, who did not return an e-mail seeking comment, left abruptly. It has been uttered that Delle Donne was displeased after being chastised by teammates for a lack of hustle during a pickup game or that she now wants to play volleyball instead of basketball or that she is simply homesick. Neither Delle Donne, any member of her family nor any member of the UConn program has said publicly what it is that prompted her to leave. Doty told the assembled media that she believes Delle Donne will return in time for the start of the fall semester Aug. 25. Coach Geno Auriemma recently told a local television station in Philadelphia that he, too, expects her to return. In asking Greene, she was not so optimistic. ``There’s a lot of things going around about why she left,’’ Greene said. ``But if it’s what I hear, I don’t think she’s coming back. And I think if she does it’s going to be even tougher than before because she’s going to have to gain the trust from her teammates and the coaching staff. We don’t really trust people. We only trust each other. So when you do something like this, it’s going to be really hard because who knows if you might decide to leave if it gets really tough in the tournament. We don’t know. I think it’s going to be more pressure on her now if she comes back. If she comes back, we’re going to welcome her. But she just has a lot of trust to be gained.’’ The last incoming freshman to leave the program during the summer was point guard Kia Wright in 2003. She arrived on campus three days after graduating from Copiague (N.Y.) High. Her stay lasted only a couple of weeks as she found herself homesick and overwhelmed by the intensity level of the workouts. Wright went on to have a fine career at St. John’s. Should Delle Donne follow the same path, Greene is happy that she chose this time to make her decision. ``I’m happy she did it now,’’ Greene said. ``But we’re not really missing anything because we didn’t have it from the beginning. Coach is a great coach, and he’s going to find a way to win games with or without anyone who’s missing. He found a way to win games without me and Mel (Thomas) the whole entire season. And he always tells us, `Don’t ever depend on freshmen.’ That’s something that we’ve learned to do and that’s something we have to continue to do.’’ Greene was not being malicious in her comments in anyway, just completely honest. She reiterated the fact that the Huskies will support Delle Donne in the direction she eventually chooses to take. Greene did say, however, that Delle Donne would have to apologize to the team and to the coaching staff if she returns and that she would not be pampered in any way. Delle Donne might be regarded as the nation’s top incoming freshman, but what occurred at the high school level has no merit in the minds of the Huskies. It never has and it never will. ``If you don’t want to play, don’t play,’’ Greene said. ``If you want to play and be a part of this, then come. You’ve got to be committed when you come here. If we’re depending on her we need her to show us that we can trust her. If she comes back, it’s probably going to take like a year and a half for everyone to fully trust her. We’re going to be nice to her, but we’re not going to be pampering her like, `Oh, it’s OK if you don’t feel like playing today.’ There’s not going to be any of that. And Coach is the one guy you know that doesn’t pamper anyone. So it’s going to be tough. She’s going to get a lot of hell from us, but from the coaching staff she’s going to get a lot too. If she comes back. I can’t say I hope she comes back... I can’t say that. I don’t know what to expect if she does or she doesn’t. But if she comes back, it’s going to be a lot tougher than if she just stayed the whole time. A lot tougher. It’s not like I’m going to give her ... She has to prove herself because it’s all about trust. We all support each other. Each link in the chain makes you stronger, and she broke away from the chain.’’ Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/kalana_speaks_on_elena.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/kalana_speaks_on_elena.html Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:22:52 -0500 UConn freshman point guard Caroline Doty has been playing phone tag with Elena Delle Donne recently. That has been the extent of the contact between the two long-time friends. With Delle Donne at home in Delaware sorting out some personal issues, Doty and the rest of the Huskies have given her some space to get herself together. ``She went home to be with her family and I just wanted to respect that,’’ Doty said. ``I just want her to relax at home and have her summer. I think she’s doing well from what I’ve heard. I know she’s going to be fine. I have faith in her and everything’s going to work out in the long run.’’ Doty, who was cleared to play in mid-June and hopes to see Delle Donne next week while vacationing at the Jersey Shore, admitted that she was surprised by the sudden departure of her former roommate. Though, Doty was not shocked. She has seen students in her English and psychology classes this summer fail to attend because of matters that have surfaced at home. ``Things pop up,’’ Doty said. ``You just don’t know. There’s reasons for everything. I’m surprised, but I’m not really worried because I know there’s a reasonable reason. She’s a great person and she does things for herself.’’ Delle Donne, a 6-foot-5 guard and the nation’s top ranked recruit, arrived on campus June 1 before returning home just two days later. She is not expected to attend the second session of summer school, which begins Monday. The fall semester begins Aug. 25. Doty said today that she expects Delle Donne to return to UConn. ``I believe that she’s going to come back,’’ Doty said. ``I have faith. Anything can really happen. So you never really know, but she’s still assigned here. She’s still part of the team. We still think of her as a teammate.’’ Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/thinking_of_elena.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/thinking_of_elena.html Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:53:24 -0500 UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has not had to fill a vacancy in his coaching staff since Jamelle Elliott was hired in 1997. In the wake of seeing Tonya Cardoza move on to become the head coach at Temple last week, it did not take him long to find a qualified candidate to join his staff. And it’s another former player that is returning. Former Huskies All-American Shea Ralph has been hired as the new assistant coach at UConn, joining associate head coach Chris Dailey and Elliott on Auriemma’s staff. Auriemma contacted Ralph last Thursday. She was interviewed for the position in Storrs Monday and she will begin her recruiting duties Wednesday. ``I am really excited about the opportunity to return to my home and to further my career at the University of Connecticut,’’ Ralph said in a statement. ``As a player and a student, I invested everything I had into the program and I am honored to have the chance to continue that as a member of the coaching staff.’’ Since the opening was made public potential applicants besieged the Huskies. On the first day, alone, they had roughly 200 resumes overnighted to them. Ralph, 30, had spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at Big East rival Pittsburgh, where she primarily worked with the guards and also played a large role in developing the Panthers into a Top 25 program. ``When you lose someone like Tonya, who has been here for 14 years and has meant so much to our players, staff and program, it is not an easy role to fill,’’ Auriemma said in a statement. ``I know that Shea is the one person who can come in that will know exactly what UConn basketball is, what the expectation is, what type of player we want to recruit and how to coach and treat them once they are here. ``I am excited for our players and program, but most of all for Shea. I am thrilled and looking forward to her bringing the same passion to the coaching staff that she brought as a player. Her intensity is unmatched. I can’t wait to get started.’’ The Panthers were a combined 70-31 over the last three seasons, reaching the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2008 (Sweet 16). They had never been to the NCAA tournament before 2007. Pittsburgh rising senior Shavonte Zellous was named to the All-Big East first team in each of the last two seasons and was the conference Most Improved Player in 2006-07 under Ralph’s tutelage. Point guard Mallorie Winn earned all-conference second team honors in each of the last two seasons, while point guard Jania Sims was named to the conference All-Freshman Team in 2006-07. ``Surely I knew that Shea would move on, absolutely,’’ Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato said. ``Your goal as a head coach is to have your assistants move on to be head coaches. Shea had a real opportunity to be a head coach and she turned it down. So I feel like the only place Shea would leave us for was Connecticut.’’ The hiring of Ralph brings her back to the place where she became a national star as a player. She is currently ranked eighth all-time in UConn history in scoring (1,678), ninth in assists (456), fifth in steals (252) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.579). Ralph enjoyed her finest season as a junior in 1999-00 when she served as a captain in leading the Huskies to the national championship in Philadelphia. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four that season, a Kodak and Associated Press first team All-American, the Big East Player of the Year and was the recipient of the Honda Award. ``It makes perfect sense,’’ said Kara Wolters, a former UConn All-American and a teammate of Ralph in 1996-97. ``She’s tough as nails. She’s brings an attitude that not many people have and a work ethic that not many people have. She’s just going to be awesome. I just think it couldn’t be any more perfect of a fit.’’ Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/shea_returning_to_uconn.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/shea_returning_to_uconn.html Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:06:43 -0500 The opportunities presented themselves almost annually. It seemed once a head coaching position opened up Tonya Cardoza was on that school’s list. Cardoza had entertained offers in the past. In the end, though, they just weren’t appealing enough for her to leave UConn, a perennial national championship contender and a place where Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma regularly put her in situations that helped her grow as a coach. Once the vacancy at Temple surfaced last month things changed. Here was a school that was rich in academics, had a fine campus located in Philadelphia and featured a program that longtime friend and former Virginia teammate Dawn Staley had put on the national landscape. Temple was the place Cardoza could envision herself as a head coach for the first time. ``When you’re at UConn and you’re winning the way that we win sometimes it’s hard,’’ Cardoza said. ``The grass is not always greener they always say and sometimes you get comfortable with that. But I just felt like it was time for me to move on, and this opportunity just presented itself. Maybe if it wasn’t Temple I might still be there. But when Temple opened up I was just excited about it and so honored that they chose me to be their next head coach.’’ Cardoza, 39, was officially introduced as Temple’s head coach during a press conference this afternoon in the Fox-Gittis Room at the Licourias Center. Among those on hand were Auriemma, who was in Tampa, Fla. Monday to witness Rebecca Lobo’s induction into the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America Hall of Fame, and UConn assistant coach Jamelle Elliott. The search for a new coach spanned 56 days since Staley phoned Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw May 6 to inform him that she had accepted the same position at South Carolina. The day that the news reached Cardoza she contacted Staley, whom she spoke with often during the process, to be certain that it was true and then she asked Staley to put in a good word for her. Auriemma also contacted Bradshaw on behalf of Cardoza. But once she interviewed for the job she became an instant favorite. ``When we met her she told us how much she wanted to be the head coach at Temple University,’’ Bradshaw said. ``But her eyes and smile were even more convincing that she wanted to be the head coach at Temple. And then we knew this was the right place, the right fit for Temple University and for Tonya Cardoza.’’ Cardoza spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach at UConn. The Huskies were a combined 465-41 with five national championships, eight Final Four appearances, 12 Big East regular season championships and 11 conference tournament championships during her tenure. Cardoza, a confidant for the UConn players, worked primarily with the guards and was a keen, effective recruiter. She played a key role in the development of Olympians and former UConn National Player of the Year award winners Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi and current State Farm/WBCA All-American Renee Montgomery. She also had a knack for molding less heralded players, such as 2008 first round pick Ketia Swanier and Maria Conlon, into steady contributors. ``I have always said that we have the best staff in the country and Tonya has been a big part of that,’’ Auriemma said. ``Tonya has been here 14 years, long enough to have contributed to all the championships and to develop some of the best players ever to play at this level. Tonya will be a great head coach and the staff at Temple are going to love her.’’ Cardoza said she told the UConn players of her decision last Wednesday, calling it ``one of the hardest things that I probably had to do.’’ She said she hopes to have a coaching staff in place by the end of this week. She has already spoken to the prospective recruits, with two visiting campus today. Cardoza will bring an uptempo style to Temple. She, too, hopes to bring success. The Owls made six NCAA tournament appearances and won four Atlantic 10 championships in eight seasons under Staley. ``At Connecticut we strive to be the best and I’m trying to do it right away,’’ Cardoza said. ``I know that there’s a foundation there. The players are willing to work. I’m willing to work and we’re going to try to do this as quickly as possible. Dawn has done some great things here at Temple and I’m just looking to run with it.’’ Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/tonya_has_her_day.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/07/tonya_has_her_day.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:26:37 -0500 The contract has been finalized and longtime UConn assistant coach Tonya Cardoza has officially become a head coach. She will be introduced as the new Temple women’s basketball coach Tuesday during a press conference in the Fox-Gittis Room at the Liacouras Center at 2 p.m. Live video streaming will be available at www.owlsports.com. Cardoza, 39, fills the void that was created when longtime friend and former Virginia teammate Dawn Staley left the program to take the same position at South Carolina May 7. Cardoza spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach under Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma. The Huskies were a combined 465-41 with five national championships, eight Final Four appearances, 12 Big East regular season championships and 11 conference tournament championships during her tenure. Cardoza worked primarily with the UConn guards and has developed into a strong recruiter. She played a key role in the development of Olympians and former Huskies All-Americans Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi and current UConn State Farm/WBCA All-American Renee Montgomery. She also served as a confidant for the players. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/tonyas_day_has_arrived.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/tonyas_day_has_arrived.html Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:53:16 -0500 UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma never had any doubt that a new contract would not get done. Neither did UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway. It was only a matter of time before Auriemma’s Hall of Fame tenure was extended. Tuesday, such a deal was finalized. Auriemma has agreed to a five-year, $8 million contract extension that runs through April 15, 2013. The new deal goes into effect July 1. ``I want to thank President Michael Hogan and Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway for all their support,’’ Auriemma said. ``The people of Connecticut have been very supportive of our program for over 20 years now. This new contract is a direct reflection of the university’s commitment to me and the commitment that my family and I have to the university.’’ Auriemma, 54, will earn $1.4 million this season. The figure will increase $100,000 annually until reaching a maximum of $1.8 million in 2012-13. This new deal makes him the highest paid coach in the history of the sport. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt is currently the highest paid coach in women’s basketball. She agreed to a six-year deal May 22, 2006, one that averages $1.3 million per year, that runs through the 2011-12 season. Her salary will top out at 1.5 million in the final year of her contract. Auriemma was in the fourth year of a five-year, $4.875 million deal that was set to expire June 30, 2009. Under his previous contract, he was due to earn $1.125 million beginning July 1. Auriemma’s base salary of $300,000 in the first year of the new contract will increase $25,000 annually. He will also receive $1.1 million in the first year of the contract for speaking and media appearances. That sum will increase $75,000 annually. The contract will also pay Auriemma one month’s base salary if the Huskies reach the NCAA tournament, two months if they reach the Final Four and three months of they win the national championship. Auriemma will receive the greater of half a month’s base salary if he is named the national Coach of the Year or one-quarter of a month’s base salary if he is named the Big East Coach of the Year. ``The University of Connecticut is very pleased to announce this new contract,’’ Hathaway said. ``We believe that Geno Auriemma is the finest women’s basketball coach in the country. He has brought great pride and honor to our institution for over two decades. Geno’s teams have achieved greatness on the court while also serving as some of the finest ambassadors in the history of the University.’’ Auriemma, who was inducted into the Women’s Basketball and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, has led UConn to a record of 657-122 in 23 seasons. He is a five-time Associated Press National Coach of the Year, a four-time Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year and a seven-time Big East Coach of the Year. He has also coached eight Olympians, six National Player of the Year recipients and 11 first-team All-Americans. The Huskies have won five national championships under Auriemma, made nine Final Four appearances and have won 16 Big East regular season championships and 14 conference tournament championships. UConn has also made 20 straight trips to the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 in each of the past 15 seasons. ``Like all of our other UConn coaches, Geno is an outstanding leader and educator for the young people in our program,’’ Hathaway said. ``In addition, he has become a very active and respected member of our Connecticut community.’’ Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/new_deal_for_geno.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/new_deal_for_geno.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:07:13 -0500 A source familiar with the process Wednesday confirmed that UConn assistant coach Tonya Cardoza will be named the new head women’s basketball coach at Temple. The two sides are currently ironing out the final details of her contract. A formal announcement is expected to be made Friday. Cardoza, 39, was ultimately chosen over Wake Forest associate head coach Natasha Adair. Cardoza, who was in her UConn office Wednesday, would not comment on the situation until it becomes official. The job has been vacant since former head coach Dawn Staley accepted the same position at South Carolina May 7 after a successful eight-year run at Temple that included six NCAA tournament appearances and four Atlantic 10 championships. Staley has endorsed Cardoza, a long-time friend and a former teammate at Virginia, since her departure. The two played on the Cavaliers’ 1991 Final Four team that defeated UConn in the national semifinals in New Orleans. Cardoza’s first task as head coach will be to construct an entire coaching staff. Lisa Boyer and Cynthia Jordan have joined Staley at South Carolina. Fred Schmiel is now an assistant at San Diego State and Mary Wooley has left the profession in order to return to school. Cardoza, who joined the UConn staff in 1994-95, spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach under Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma. The Huskies were a combined 465-41 with five national championships, eight Final Four appearances, 12 Big East regular season championships and 11 conference tournament championships during her tenure. Cardoza worked primarily with the UConn guards and provided a powerful recruiting presence with a deft ability to identify talent. She played a key role in the development of Olympians and National Player of the Year honorees Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, and most recently State Farm/WBCA All-American Renee Montgomery and Ketia Swanier. She also had a knack for molding less heralded players, such as Maria Conlon, into steady contributors and has served as a confidant for the players. There is currently no timetable for a replacement to be named. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/temples_choice_is_tonya.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/temples_choice_is_tonya.html Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:06:51 -0500 Despite being a finalist for both the Northwestern and George Washington head coaching positions in recent weeks Huskies assistant coach Jamelle Elliott will be returning to UConn for her 12th season. Former GW coach Joe McKeown was hired at Northwestern earlier this month and Colonials assistant Mike Bozeman was officially elevated to the head man there Tuesday. The status of fellow long-time assistant Tonya Cardoza remains very much up in the air. She is a finalist for the opening at Temple, which was vacated by her friend and former Virginia teammate Dawn Staley. Staley left to become the head coach at South Carolina May 7. A decision at Temple is expected to be made by the end of this week. Hall of Famer and women’s basketball guru Mel Greenberg reported that Wake Forest associate head coach Natasha Adair is also a finalist. Staley has endorsed Cardoza, who has spent the last 14 seasons at UConn. ``If they hire Tonya, I will be thrilled for her and Temple will be getting a great addition,’’ Staley told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/tonya_still_in_the_mix_at_temp.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/tonya_still_in_the_mix_at_temp.html Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:53:41 -0500 UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has seen the toll that the recruiting process can take on a player. He’s been involved in this relentless, often cutthroat, process since he was an assistant coach at Virginia in the early 1980’s. Auriemma has also been involved in the process as a parent, with his son, Michael, headed for St. Joseph’s. The experience has made it easy for him to relate to what prized recruit Elena Delle Donne, a 6-foot-5 guard from Wilmington Del., is going through at the present time. Delle Donne left summer school at UConn and returned home June 3 just two days after her arrival. The timetable for her return remains unknown at this point. Auriemma, who competed in the Travelers Championship Celebrity Pro-Am today at the Tournament Players Club, said Delle Donne is not expected to enroll in the second summer session, which begins July 14. ``Everybody’s different, obviously,’’ Auriemma said. ``If every single kid that you coach was identical that’d be an absolute miracle. Kids all have their own timetables. So I think in Elena’s case it’s just she’s not ready yet, and for whatever reason. So all you can do is just hope that she gets those issues resolved – whatever they be – and get a chance to move on from there.’’ Auriemma said that he continues to stay in touch with Delle Donne to ensure that she knows that nothing has changed from his perspective. With the likelihood that she will not attend summer school, the next target date for a potential return is the start of the fall semester Aug. 25. Freshman point guard Caroline Doty is currently on campus. Incoming freshman Tiffany Hayes is due to arrive Sunday and incoming freshman center Heather Buck will attend the second summer session. This is the second hiatus Delle Donne has taken in as many years. She declined to play for USA Basketball and shut down the recruiting process early last July before making an oral commitment to attend UConn late last August. ``I think there’s not a person in the world that doesn’t go through some sort of apprehension some times, especially when you’ve been the center of attention since you were 12,’’ Auriemma said. ``Sometimes you just say, `Hey, look, I think it would be pretty good to just kind of lay low for a while.’’’ Delle Donne, who was competing at the varsity level at Ursuline Academy when she was in eighth grade, averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds in 15 games last season in leading the Raiders to their fourth state championship in five years. She finished her career with a state record – male or female – 2,818 points. Auriemma also made it a point today to dispel any notion that Delle Donne’s departure had anything to do with an incident in which she was chastised by her teammates during a pick-up game or anything involving the coaching staff or the university. ``You get the dopes out there,’’ Auriemma said. ``I had this one woman asking me, `Were you nice to Elena?’ I said, `No. You know what? I took the best player in the country. She came up here and in two days I managed to throw her off the team.’ People are just stupid sometimes. It’s an individual thing. It’s got nothing to do with UConn, the players, the coaches. Basketball itself. So all the speculation in the world and all the questions in the world doesn’t change the fact that when she’s ready she’ll make the necessary moves. But until then she’s home and doing the things that kids do during the summer after they graduate.’’ Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/status_quo_with_elena.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/status_quo_with_elena.html Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:25:32 -0500 UConn-bound recruit Kelly Faris, a 5-11 guard from Plainfield, Ind., was one of 12 players named to the 2008 USA Basketball Women’s U-18 National Team this morning. She was one of 35 players that attended the three-day trials this week in Colorado Springs, Colo. Faris will be joined by current UConn recruits Kelsey Bone, a 6-5 center from Stafford, Texas, and Skylar Diggins, a 5-9 guard from South Bend, Ind. Rutgers incoming freshman guard Nikki Speed was also chosen. ``It’s a great honor to be invited to come here and be a part of the trials, but to hear your named called to be on that final 12 is a great feeling and I’m very excited,’’ Faris said. ``It’s going to be fun playing with all of these girls. It’s everything. I’m speechless. It’s a great honor. We are representing everyone. It’s not just us as individuals or our school. It’s the entire United States, which is going to be an experience that we will never forget.’’ UConn incoming freshman Heather Buck and current Huskies recruit Tayler Hill, 5-foot-10 guard from Minneapolis, Minn., were not selected. The U-18 National Team will train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs July 10-16 and in Washington, D.C. July 17-20 before departing for the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship for Women in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The zone qualifier will be held July 23-27, with the top four teams qualifying for the 2009 FIBA U-19 World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand next July 23-Aug. 2. ``It’s an indescribable feeling,’’ Diggins said. ``Out of all the girls in the country, only 12 of us could make the team and they chose me to be one of them. I’m very happy. A lot of people dream of this. It is an amazing opportunity and we will take advantage of it and bring back the gold.’’ The U.S. is 28-2 all-time in the U-18/Junior Qualifiers and has won four gold medals (1988, 2000, 2004, 2006) and two silver medals (1992 and 1996). ``I kind of came in and was positive, but I can tell you that I have not slept in two days,’’ Bone said. ``It was a sigh of relief and pure emotion. There’s nothing better than wearing these three letters across your chest at any level.’’ Former UConn National Player of the Year Kara Wolters will conduct the Kara Wolters Dream Big Basketball Camp for girls ages 8-15 July 21-25 at Staples High in Westport. The registration fee is $225 and the camp will be held daily from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Log on to www.karawolters.com for more information. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/faris_makes_the_cutkaras_camp.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/faris_makes_the_cutkaras_camp.html Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:25:21 -0500 The pressure of being regarded as the No. 1 rated player in the Class of 2009 has not posed a problem for Kelsey Bone. She just won’t allow it to be a distraction. Bone, a 6-foot-5 center from Sugar Land, Texas, has continued to fortify her spot at the top by working hard. And nothing has changed this week as she find herself competing for a spot on the 12-member U-18 National Team in Colorado Springs, Colo. There are 34 other players, including incoming UConn freshman Heather Buck and UConn-bound recruit Kelly Faris, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center with the same goal in mind. ``I totally understand that it’s all hype and that it can go away at any moment whenever a new kid on the block steps up,’’ Bone said. ``So you have to work like you’re at the bottom, like you’re No. 2001 and not No. 1. It’s a total humbling experience (being at the trials). You’re not able to just dominate everyone out here. You have to put in work because you’re going against the best at every position and everybody’s shining.’’ UConn recruit Skylar Diggins, a 5-8 guard from South Bend, Ind. and a close friend of Bone, is also competing at the trials. The four-day event concludes Thursday with the formal announcement of the team. The eight-team zone-qualifying tournament will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 23-27. The USA Basketball event is the start of what will be a busy summer for Bone. She will compete for Mike Flynn’s Blue Star Select National Team in France later this month and hopes to narrow her list of schools to between 7 and 10 by month’s end. ``(The process has) had its moments,’’ Bone said. ``I think it’s very flattering to start out with, but as the days go by and the more you’re into it the less flattering it is. Right now I’ve totally been focused on getting ready for USA Basketball and trying to finish up school. Once I’m done with USA Basketball I’ll go to France with my summer team and play, and once I get back I’ll be looking to start a narrowing things down.’ Bone said she is ``very interested’’ in UConn and Tennessee at this point. She also has interest in Maryland, Texas, Rutgers, Oklahoma, Illinois, South Carolina and North Carolina. Bone averaged 18.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in leading Dulles High to a 34-5 record and a trip to the state Class 5A Region III semifinals last season. ``I’m aiming to make my decision in November with the (NCAA) early signing period, but if I’m not ready then then I won’t make it,’’ Bone said. ``It’s totally the biggest decision that I’ve made in my life to date so I’m going to take my time and make sure I don’t make any irrational decisions and that everything goes according to plan.’’ What could be in that plan is a package deal with Diggins. Since serving as roommates at the Youth Developmental Festival in Colorado Springs last June the two have become great friends. Diggins, who is rated No. 4 in the Class of 2009 by HoopGurlz.com, said she is eyeing Stanford, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, Maryland, Illinois, Penn State and UCLA – ``just to name the bulk of them.’’ She admitted that she has talked with members of the UConn coaching staff and said that UConn is also on her list of schools. A package deal with Bone is far from a certainty, but the two are relishing the fact that they are enduring the process together. ``We keep in touch a lot,’’ Diggins said. ``She’s an easy person to get along with, a real nice person. Her mom’s a real nice person. So if we both happen to choose the same school that’s great. But I think most of all we’re just supporting each other through this recruiting time because it can be hard. It can be heavy sometimes. But I think having to go through the same experience with another person then that’s helpful.’’ Skylar Diggins lives five minutes away from Notre Dame. There is little doubt where the folks in South Bend, Ind. want her to play college basketball. But as Diggins, a 5-foot-8 point guard who is ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2009 by HoopGurlz.com, gets deeper into the recruiting process she is not feeling any pressure to stay home. She has her list of schools and she is keeping an open mind. ``That’s everybody’s favorite,’’ Diggins said. ``So they’re like, `Just stay at Notre Dame.’ The pressure from my mom is really not that heavy. It’s pretty much like, `what’s best for you.’ I think it’s just understanding where you are and what you want and what’s best for you. You have to be totally selfish, if you will, with this decision because it is about yourself.’’ Diggins, who is currently competing at the U-18 National Team trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., averaged 29.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.9 steals and 1.7 blocks to lead Washington High to a 23-3 record and an appearance in the Class 4A championship game last season. She also has a 3.87 grade point average and is looking to pursue a career in orthopedics and sports medicine. Among the list of schools Diggins is currently weighing is Stanford, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, Maryland, Illinois, Penn State and UCLA. She did not mention UConn, but that does not mean she is not interested in the Huskies. ``UConn is UConn and I have spoken with them,’’ Diggins said. ``UConn’s on everybody’s list. I don’t care what anybody says. UConn is on anybody’s list.’’ Diggins plans to make her decision during the NCAA early signing period in November. Rich http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/bone_working_hardno_pressure_f.html http://forum.connpost.com/uconnwomen/2008/06/bone_working_hardno_pressure_f.html Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:19:45 -0500