I just want to say a few words about Lauren Jackson. I find myself chuckling every time I hear someone go off about how she is “hi-jacking”, or ‘holding the league hostage.” That just cracks me up. Is the league only as big as ONE PLAYER?

Granted, we are talking about Lauren Elizabeth Jackson, Albury, NSW, Austrailia’s own. But, in spite of the fact that she is regarded as arguably the best player in the women’s game at this time, can one player really hold an entire league, and its fans, “hostage”?

Those of you who know me, know that I am an LJ fan. If you came to my house, you would find further evidence of that fact. I could watch her play basketball for hours, and thankfully have a few recorded games from over the years to watch so I can get my fix. But, if she never graced the basketball shores of the USofA, I would hope we would all get along just fine. In spite of her “excellence”, (there’s that word again), one would hope the rest of the players in the pro league would be able to carry the banner, and bring us entertaining, and fundamentally sound basketball to enjoy.

As a fan, I want her to first be healthy. Lauren has been playing a lot of basketball over the last two years…more than any other stretch in her career, I believe. And, while we have been blessed to watch her play since she was 19 years of age, her body has toiled well beyond her 28 chronological years. I also have to think she misses her family and home-town friends, who have been very difficult to keep up with over the last couple of years.

One impression I have of Miss Jackson is that she is very loyal. And that character trait has to make her a bit home sick, even though she is now a much more savvy world traveler than she was first gracing our American shores. I would think she can pretty much make herself at home whatever continent she lands on…and put a basketball in her hands, and she is home…her turf any where on the face of this globe.

This issue of loyalty is one that makes the discussion of her leaving Seattle to play in any other city in the U.S. a bit puzzling to me. Call me crazy, but I just can’t wrap my mind around her leaving Sue in Seattle right now…just can’t fathom it. But, we will see, won’t we?

I am just grateful she has decided to play in the States this summer. I really don’t care if it is one month, two months, or the entire season. She is, after all, L to the J, and we may as well enjoy her talent for as long as she can run the floor, and shoot that fade-away jumper.

Cheers…

Tammy

Hello Renee, Reality Check on Line One!

What a week to be Renee Montgomery! First team All-American on everyone’s team. Voted the nation’s best point guard. Cap off an undefeated regular season with a strong performance in winning the national championship. And most likely, the number one selection in this year’s WNBA draft.

But wait a second, Renee, you are about to get the rudest awakening of your life unfortunately. The private planes to games? Gone. The first class hotels and restaurants on the road? Gone. Playing before 10,000 people every night? Most likely gone too.

Welcome to the WNBA, Renee. Where meager paychecks and hero worship are often replaced by the reality of a first time employee’s experiences. No one will tell you when to study, when to go to class, where to be, when to be there. You are on your own. You will be flying coach, and you will be sharing hotel rooms with new teammates. And in some cities, you’ll be playing before an empty house.

But before you go running away screaming about what have you done in graduating, let’s look at the bright side. A little over a decade ago, you couldn’t even do this. You would be looking at a “real job” or playing only overseas. Now you get to see the country, and eventually the world, playing a game you love and hopefully building a sport up for those that come after you.

It’s Not Just the Stars That Make a Championship Team

So did you see the Final Four last night? Watch those semi-final games? Great offensive performances by Louisville’s Angel McCoughtry, Courtney Paris of OU, Jayne Appel of Stanford, and UConn’s Renee Montgomery and Maya Moore! Unreal banging and defense by Tina Charles on Appel! All showed why they were chosen All-Americans by just about everyone, and why they are worthy of all the praise they get.

I hope you also saw the other things that I saw. Prior to the Louisville-OU game, we heard about McCoughtry and Candice Bingham of Louisville. True to form, they were the only two Cardinals to finish in double figures. But what I saw was Becky Burke absolutely shut down Big 12 freshman of the year Whitney Hand in the second half. I saw Burke nail two HUGE three pointers during the Louisville run. I saw converted Point Guard Deseree’ Byrd handle the pressure of this game and the quickness of the Sooners, while making the right play time after time. Under her steady hand, Louisville committed 9 turnovers, the entire game, compared to OU’s 17. And most importantly, I saw Keshia Hines and Monique Reid control Paris, limiting her to 10 shot attempts for the game. The headlines will rightly go to Angel and perhaps Bingham, but Louisville is playing Tuesday night because of these other ladies.

In the second game, I saw Husky Kalana Greene play Stanford’s Kayla Pedersen dead even, matching Stanford’s third team All-Pac 10 forward, with both scoring 10 points and getting 6 rebounds. The same Kayla Pedersen, with Greene out injured last season, torched the Huskies in the semifinals for 17 points, second only to the incredible performance of Candice Wiggins. I saw Tiffany Hayes, the freshman who started the year on the bench and went through a horrendous three-point shooting streak mid-season, hit a game opening three pointer from well beyond the line, setting the tone for the entire game. And then there was Lorin Dixon and Kaili McLaren, both buried on the bench at different times by Coach Geno Auriemma contributing double-figure minutes each, contributing assists, rebounds and defense, while the stars did their thing at the hoop. And without those contributions, UConn doesn’t roll through Stanford like they did.

So when you sit down to watch the championship game on Tuesday night, the commentators will be talking about Angel and Candice, and Renee, Maya and Tina, but try to look past them too. Try to see these other magnificent players that sacrifice the headlines for the greater good, and try to see that that without those contributions, maybe, just maybe, those teams would also be watching Tuesday night.

David Siegel