Recent News Archive
STORRS, Conn. (uconnhuskies.com) - Senior Tina Charles (Jamaica, N.Y.) led all players with 26 points and 13 rebounds as the No. 1/1 University of Connecticut women's basketball team opened the 2009-10 regular season with a decisive 105-35 victory over Northeastern on Saturday afternoon in Gampel Pavilion.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The University of Connecticut, the defending NCAA Champion and the three-time defending conference champion, was picked unanimously to win the 2009-10 BIG EAST women’s basketball regular-season title. The undisputed selection was made by the league’s 16 head coaches, who were not permitted to select their own teams. Connecticut has claimed 15 league championships, 17 regular-season titles and has won both titles in the same season 13 times, all during the past 28 years of BIG EAST women’s basketball. Notre Dame earned the other first-place vote.
The rumors began to surface last this spring that Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had committed to play college basketball at UConn. At the time they proved to be just rumors.
Mosqueda-Lewis, a 6-foot junior wing from Anaheim, Calif., told the Connecticut Post in June that she was going to take her time during the recruiting process and would not make a decision until next year. All of that changed during her unofficial visit to UConn this weekend when Mosqueda-Lewis made an oral commitment to play for the Huskies, according to her Tennessee Flight Silver AAU coach Tom Insell.
STORRS - — How many times can one be divided by three? The answer is more complicated than it appears.
It will be the most vexing problem facing the UConn women early in the season as they attempt to repeat as national champions.
The plan calls for a combination of three guards — junior Lorin Dixon and sophomores Caroline Doty and Tiffany Hayes — to fill the void left by All-American Renee Montgomery. And some help might come down the road from freshman Kelly Faris.
You know what, I should be charged with an technical foul for this, perhaps even benched for the St. Rose preseason game, but I don't know I missed one of the great story lines of the USA's win over Ekaterinburg on Sunday in the finals of the exhibition tour.
Did you see who was playing for Ekaterinburg against Geno's team?
Svetlana Abrosimova
Sandrine Gruda, the Connecticut Sun center
Ann Wauters, the San Antonio Silver Stars center
and Asjha Jones, who played the first two games for the USA before being sent over to the other side for Sunday's game.
Before leaving to begin his part-time job as coach of the U.S. women's basketball team, Geno Auriemma reminded Husky Nation that he does not view this UConn season as an attempt to defend the national championship.
"We're not defending anything," UConn's coach said. "No one is going to break in and steal it from us."
So along the way, here are some things to watch:
Tell me how many college kids, even those remarkably grounded, would choose a week of classes over the chance to go to Russia for a week with great friends and two of her all-time favorite coaches?
Any guesses?
Yep, right. UConn's Maya Moore.
Monday evening, a 13-player contingent chosen by USA Basketball will leave for Russia for a three-game exhibition series.
Junior Lorin Dixon spent the summer working out with assistant coach Shea Ralph on campus and she attended Pont Guard College in Maryland in August. She said earlier this week that she fully believes that she has finally put everything together both mentally and physically after two unfulfilling seasons.
With the Huskies’ most glaring hole existing at point guard with the graduation of All-American Renee Montgomery, Dixon will challenge sophomores Caroline Doty and Tiffany Hayes for the starting role this season.
UConn senior center Tina Chalres is expected to be one of the 13 players named to the USA senior national team tomorrow that will play in a three-game exhibition series in Russia.
There are only 14 players eligible to make the team and UConn junior Maya Moore has already said she will return to school Monday night to resume classes.
So if the selection committee carries 13 players, no one will be cut.
The first step in the long process of putting together our next national women's basketball team is slowly coming to an end in Washington.
At some point between Saturday night and Sunday night, USA Basketball's selection committee will sift through its evidence and pick its team from those with able bodies and no academic requirements back home.
But one thing is certain. The coaching staff, led by head coach Geno Auriemma, has had a blast working with some of the best players in the world.
According to a recruiting source, six of the high school seniors on UConn's recruiting radar will be on campus for the "First Night" festivities on Oct. 16 and the Huskies' first official practice on the 17th.
Leading the list of visitors will be the four players who have already committed to UConn:
Stephanie Dolson, a 6-foot-5 center at Minisink Valley High in Slate Hill, N.Y.
Lauren Engeln, a 5-foot-11 guard at Laguna Hills (Calif.) High
Michala Johnson, a 6-foot-2 forward at Montini Catholic High of Lombard, Ill.
In the midst of my telephone interview with Renee Montgomery this afternoon, the former UConn star had a hard time holding in the laughter. It was not from my latest line of questioning but some good-natured ribbing from former Maryland star Crystal Langhorne.
Langhorne was one of the non-UConn products having some fun at the expense of Montgomery, one of six former or current Huskies at the first U.S. national team training camp being run by UConn coach Geno Auriemma.
Connecticut Sun forward Asjha Jones hasn't been in a UConn uniform since the 2002 national championship game, but her ties to the Huskies remain strong.
That's one of the reasons she's enjoying her week at USA Basketball's senior national team tryout in Washington; one of the six former UConn players trying to make a second impression on Geno Auriemma, USA's coach.
But the fun really starts after pracrtice.
It's hard to imagine anyone more comfortable working a captive audience than Geno Auriemma, the master of spontaneity.
Still, there was something different about the group he addressed Tuesday night in Washington.
Auriemma, the winner of six national championships at UConn, has always wanted to coach the United States Olympic women's basketball team.
Well, his time arrived Tuesday. How to inform? How to inspire?
The 2009 adidas All-Rookie Team was announced today by the WNBA, headlined by Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry and Phoenix Mercury guard/forward DeWanna Bonner. They are joined on the team by Detroit Shock guard Shavonte Zellous, Minnesota Lynx guard Renee Montgomery and Washington Mystics guard Marissa Coleman.
The voting panel consisted of the WNBA's 13 head coaches, who were asked to select five players regardless of position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team.
Phoenix Mercury teammates Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter headline the 2009 All-WNBA First Team, it was announced today by the WNBA. Taurasi led all vote-getters with 201 points while Pondexter, who garnered her first All-WNBA selection, received 151 points. Two-time WNBA MVP and Seattle Storm forward/center Lauren Jackson finished second among all players with 179 points.
STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut women's basketball team will enter the 2009-10 season just as it finished its previous campaign, according to the 2009-10 Athlon Women's College Basketball Preseason Poll, which has the Huskies slotted at No. 1.
Almost as soon as we posted the news about Willnett Crockett's appointment as Temple's newest assistant coach, the emails started flooding in asking what happened to the coach she replaced, Brittany Hunter.
It is clear that UConn fans do not forget about anyone or anything.
So I asked Brittany Tuesday night what she's up to and she just sent me back this email, which I am sure will satisfy everyone's curiosity.
Says Britany....
Montgomery named as one of 10 finalists for Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year
STORRS, Conn. - Recently graduated University of Connecticut women's basketball standout Renee Montgomery (St. Albans, W. Va.) has been named as one of 10 finalists for the Women's Sports Foundation's Sportswoman of the Year award.
Maya Moore, Tina Charles and Tiffany Hayes named to 25-player list
STORRS, Conn. - Three members of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team have been named among the 25 players on the 2009-10 State Farm Wade Trophy "Watch" List, which was released on Thursday.
UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is No. 42 on Sporting News’ list of sports’ 50 greatest coaches of all-time, as selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championship coaches and other experts. The 14-page feature is part of the new Sporting News Magazine, which hits newsstands this week.
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