Asjha Jones scored 19 points, Tina Charles had 14 with five rebounds and the Connecticut Sun throttled the shorthanded Seattle Storm, 88-68, on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Sun (15-15) didn't gain any significant ground toward a playoff spot, however. Fourth-plce Washington, up three games on Connecticut for the East's final postseason berth, rallied past Minnesota, 61-58, to hold their lead in the standings, now with four games to play.
Seattle (25-5) played without MVP candidate Lauren Jackson, who sat with back spasms. With the Western conference's top seed already locked up, Storm coach Brian Agler also chose to play his starters sparingly.
Tan White added 15 points for the Sun, who host Indiana on Sunday.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Dont mind me ...
Funny moment during a timeout in the game.
The Sun staff was in section 14 here at Mohegan Sun Arena to award a prize pack to a fan. But with the spotlight hovering over the section, fans may have noticed a girl pulling a green hood over her head as she ducked behind the seat.
It was none other than Caroline Doty, the UConn junior who dominated headlines around the state yesterday and this morning after the school announced she'd miss the upcoming season with a torn ACL.
Of all places in the arena, right?
Doty was sitting with fellow Huskies Tiffany Hayes and Heather Buck, as well as Sun draft pick Danielle McCray.
The Sun staff was in section 14 here at Mohegan Sun Arena to award a prize pack to a fan. But with the spotlight hovering over the section, fans may have noticed a girl pulling a green hood over her head as she ducked behind the seat.
It was none other than Caroline Doty, the UConn junior who dominated headlines around the state yesterday and this morning after the school announced she'd miss the upcoming season with a torn ACL.
Of all places in the arena, right?
Doty was sitting with fellow Huskies Tiffany Hayes and Heather Buck, as well as Sun draft pick Danielle McCray.
Scoreboard watching
Follow the Washington-Minnesota game here.
Minnesota was up, 40-29, at halftime, but Washington cut it tow, 52-50, by the end of the third quarter.
Update: Washington rallied past Minnesota for a 61-58 victory. Given the Sun hold on to their 30-point lead (75-45 with 8:36 left) here against Seattle, they'll finish tonight still trailing the Mystics by three games with four to play.
Minnesota was up, 40-29, at halftime, but Washington cut it tow, 52-50, by the end of the third quarter.
Update: Washington rallied past Minnesota for a 61-58 victory. Given the Sun hold on to their 30-point lead (75-45 with 8:36 left) here against Seattle, they'll finish tonight still trailing the Mystics by three games with four to play.
Update: Sun up big on Storm at half
Asjha Jones has 15 points, Tina Charles has 10 with four rebounds, and the Sun built a 52-33 halftime lead over shorthanded Seattle here at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Storm are without MVP candidate Lauren Jackson, who's sitting because of back spasms. None of Seattle's starters playing more than nine minutes.
The Sun, meanwhile, have taken advantage. They shot 60 percent in the first half, outrebounded the Storm, 21-12, and went on a 10-2 over the first and second quarters.
Anete Jekabsone-Zogota checked into the game with 7:29 left in the second quarter for her first action since June 27. She has been out after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on July 8. She hit a 3-pointer with 4:01 remaining until the half.
In other news, rookie Allison Hightower didn’t feel well before the game, a Sun spokesperson said, and didn’t dress. She is expected to be reevaluated following the game.
Sun draft pick Danielle McCray, who is sitting out this season as she rehabs from ACL surgery, is in attendance.
The Storm are without MVP candidate Lauren Jackson, who's sitting because of back spasms. None of Seattle's starters playing more than nine minutes.
The Sun, meanwhile, have taken advantage. They shot 60 percent in the first half, outrebounded the Storm, 21-12, and went on a 10-2 over the first and second quarters.
Anete Jekabsone-Zogota checked into the game with 7:29 left in the second quarter for her first action since June 27. She has been out after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on July 8. She hit a 3-pointer with 4:01 remaining until the half.
In other news, rookie Allison Hightower didn’t feel well before the game, a Sun spokesperson said, and didn’t dress. She is expected to be reevaluated following the game.
Sun draft pick Danielle McCray, who is sitting out this season as she rehabs from ACL surgery, is in attendance.
Former UConn teammates feel for Doty
Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery knew since late July that UConn junior Caroline Doty had injured her knee.
But neither they nor Doty knew how severe the injury was until doctors confirmed the guard had torn the ACL in her left knee, the third ACL injury of her young career. UConn said Thursday she will miss the entire 2010-11 season.
On Friday, Charles and Montgomery's hearts went out to Doty, who is expected to attend tonight's Connecticut Sun-Seattle Storm game here at Mohegan Sun Arena. Neither of the Sun players had spoken to Doty in depth since UConn confirmed her injury Thursday, though she sent out a mass text to the "UConn family," Charles said, to let everyone know about the situation.
"I feel sorry for her just because of the process to get back," Montgomery said. "You see how hard someone works to get back in the beginning and everything they go through just to get back to where they were. And now having to do everything all over ... it’s just a sad situation."
Montgomery said Doty suffered the injury "just working out," and that she had suffered a 75 percent tear of the ligament. Charles said that Doty didn't initially think she had torn it because "it didn’t feel like it felt the same way it had the second time."
Doty first suffered an ACL tear while playing varsity soccer as a senior in high school. She then tore the ligament in the opposite knee 17 games into her freshman season on Jan. 17, 2009.
"That’s the thing, too, usually when somebody’s torn it once, they know what the feeling is," Montgomery said. "She did tear it 75 percent so it’s not all the way. But that’s just rough, especially because if you didn’t think it was (torn) and then you go to the doctor and they’re like, ‘Yeah, it is,’ it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness.’"
Both Charles and Montgomery, however, feel Doty has the kind of mindset to make a full recovery -- again.
"If she has the same mindset that she had the year before last, then I think she’ll be fine," Charles said. "(Her focus back then was) just get back on the court. Right at that time, she was just peaking from that, you know, freshman mindset that you don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. I think around that time that she tore it against Syracuse, it was kind of hard for her.
"She’ll be fine. She has that kind of mindset that you need just to be at UConn anyway. She has that kind of mentality, that determination to get back on the court for her teammates."
Charles added that she thinks Doty will be a "great vocal leader" for UConn this season, just as she was after her second injury.
"It’s easy to be selfish when something like that happens," Montgomery said. "You feel sorry for yourself and pout around all the time and bring everyone else down around you. But she was our No. 1 fan, cheering during the games. I think she really took a selfless approach.
But neither they nor Doty knew how severe the injury was until doctors confirmed the guard had torn the ACL in her left knee, the third ACL injury of her young career. UConn said Thursday she will miss the entire 2010-11 season.
On Friday, Charles and Montgomery's hearts went out to Doty, who is expected to attend tonight's Connecticut Sun-Seattle Storm game here at Mohegan Sun Arena. Neither of the Sun players had spoken to Doty in depth since UConn confirmed her injury Thursday, though she sent out a mass text to the "UConn family," Charles said, to let everyone know about the situation.
"I feel sorry for her just because of the process to get back," Montgomery said. "You see how hard someone works to get back in the beginning and everything they go through just to get back to where they were. And now having to do everything all over ... it’s just a sad situation."
Montgomery said Doty suffered the injury "just working out," and that she had suffered a 75 percent tear of the ligament. Charles said that Doty didn't initially think she had torn it because "it didn’t feel like it felt the same way it had the second time."
Doty first suffered an ACL tear while playing varsity soccer as a senior in high school. She then tore the ligament in the opposite knee 17 games into her freshman season on Jan. 17, 2009.
"That’s the thing, too, usually when somebody’s torn it once, they know what the feeling is," Montgomery said. "She did tear it 75 percent so it’s not all the way. But that’s just rough, especially because if you didn’t think it was (torn) and then you go to the doctor and they’re like, ‘Yeah, it is,’ it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness.’"
Both Charles and Montgomery, however, feel Doty has the kind of mindset to make a full recovery -- again.
"If she has the same mindset that she had the year before last, then I think she’ll be fine," Charles said. "(Her focus back then was) just get back on the court. Right at that time, she was just peaking from that, you know, freshman mindset that you don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. I think around that time that she tore it against Syracuse, it was kind of hard for her.
"She’ll be fine. She has that kind of mindset that you need just to be at UConn anyway. She has that kind of mentality, that determination to get back on the court for her teammates."
Charles added that she thinks Doty will be a "great vocal leader" for UConn this season, just as she was after her second injury.
"It’s easy to be selfish when something like that happens," Montgomery said. "You feel sorry for yourself and pout around all the time and bring everyone else down around you. But she was our No. 1 fan, cheering during the games. I think she really took a selfless approach.
Jackson to not start
Lauren Jackson is not among the Seattle Storm's starters for tonight's game against Connecticut, a break for the Sun as they try to stay mathematically eligible for a playoff berth.
Jackson could be seen trying to stretch her back during pre-game exercises. The Storm have already clinched the top seed in the West, so they have nothing left to gain from a victory tonight.
Former Sun forward Le'Coe Willingham will start in Jackson's place.
The rest of the starters remain the same from previous games. Renee Montgomery, Kara Lawson, Kelsey Griffin, Asjha Jones and Tina Charles will start for the Sun. Sue Bird, Tanisha Wright, Swin Cash and Camille Little make up the rest of Seattle's first five.
The Sun trail fourth-place Washington by three games with five to play for the East's final playoff spot. Washington hosts Minnesota tonight, starting at 7 p.m.
Jackson could be seen trying to stretch her back during pre-game exercises. The Storm have already clinched the top seed in the West, so they have nothing left to gain from a victory tonight.
Former Sun forward Le'Coe Willingham will start in Jackson's place.
The rest of the starters remain the same from previous games. Renee Montgomery, Kara Lawson, Kelsey Griffin, Asjha Jones and Tina Charles will start for the Sun. Sue Bird, Tanisha Wright, Swin Cash and Camille Little make up the rest of Seattle's first five.
The Sun trail fourth-place Washington by three games with five to play for the East's final playoff spot. Washington hosts Minnesota tonight, starting at 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Jekabsone-Zogota may play against Storm
Anete Jekabsone-Zogota, who is recovering from July 8 arthroscopic knee surgery, participated in a full practice with the Connecticut Sun for the first time Thursday, and may see her first game action since June 27 on Friday against the Seattle Storm.
But Jekabsone-Zogota admits she is still far from 100 percent, and said it "depends on how the game goes" if she plays, adding if the score is tight, she may not come off the bench.
"Right now I need to be mentally stronger," the guard/forward said. "It’s really hard for me to understand that maybe nothing will happen and push myself more. But when I come to the court to practice, I’m really slow and thinking about my knee. When I’m at home, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m ready, let’s go,’ and I work hard.
"It is hard. When you don’t have injury, some things you don’t understand. But when it happens to you, you understand how hard it is to come back."
Asked if the Sun had to use her, in case of fouls for example, Jekabsone-Zogota said, "Then of course, I would play." But she said she needs more time practicing before she feels fully confident in her ability to contribute.
"Even you can go do the same speed," Jekabsone-Zogota said to a reporter. "In defense, I was really, really bad. I just need more practice with the team, just to use the leg."
The Sun (14-15) are three games behind fourth-place Washington for the final playoff spot in the East with five games to play. They were 9-4 before Jekabsone-Zogota, their best perimeter scorer, injured her knee at the New York Liberty and are 5-11 since.
But Jekabsone-Zogota admits she is still far from 100 percent, and said it "depends on how the game goes" if she plays, adding if the score is tight, she may not come off the bench.
"Right now I need to be mentally stronger," the guard/forward said. "It’s really hard for me to understand that maybe nothing will happen and push myself more. But when I come to the court to practice, I’m really slow and thinking about my knee. When I’m at home, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m ready, let’s go,’ and I work hard.
"It is hard. When you don’t have injury, some things you don’t understand. But when it happens to you, you understand how hard it is to come back."
Asked if the Sun had to use her, in case of fouls for example, Jekabsone-Zogota said, "Then of course, I would play." But she said she needs more time practicing before she feels fully confident in her ability to contribute.
"Even you can go do the same speed," Jekabsone-Zogota said to a reporter. "In defense, I was really, really bad. I just need more practice with the team, just to use the leg."
The Sun (14-15) are three games behind fourth-place Washington for the final playoff spot in the East with five games to play. They were 9-4 before Jekabsone-Zogota, their best perimeter scorer, injured her knee at the New York Liberty and are 5-11 since.
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