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Tag: women’s basketball

  • Stefanie Dolson Leads UConn to NCAA National Title

    17 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists – Stefanie Dolson’s stat-line from Tuesday night’s Women’s NCAA National Championship game screams of the pro-potential she will bring to the WNBA next season. Dolson’s impressive performance against Notre Dame helped lead the University of Connecticut past the Fighting Irish to captures its ninth NCAA title – more than any other women’s program in Division One history.

    If one was to ask Dolson if she would have found herself in such a position four years ago, however, the answer most likely would have been no.

    In telling her favorite story concerning her relation with coach Geno Auriemma the afternoon before the title game tipped-off, Dolson gave the world a bit of an insight as to her struggles to get to where she currently is – at the top of collegiate women’s basketball. During the middle of a practice her freshman year at UConn, Coach Auriemma stopped the session to share some crucial information with the 6’5″ center:

    “He took out a piece of paper and put it on the floor and said, ‘You just jumped over that to get the rebound,” Dolson said. “At the time I was thinking ‘Dang, man!’ It was blunt and I was little thrown off. At the same time, Coach has a way of throwing in humor to get you to laugh things off. But I remember what the message meant and I grew from that moment. I started thinking, ‘Okay, I am not the best rebounder and I can’t jump that high but I am going to work to a point where I am now with my body.”‘

    And work Dolson did. Not only was she able to lead UConn to its second consecutive national title by helping the Huskies dominate the paint (52-22 point advantage in the paint and a 54-31 rebounding margin), but Dolson also racked-up numerous personal awards in recognition of her outstanding senior year.

    Dolson was named to the All-American second-team by Associated Press and to the WBCA’s All-American team for the second consecutive year. She was also named to the American Athletic Conference’s first team, was announced as its Defensive Player of the Year, and also won the AAC sportsmanship award. On Friday, Dolson was also awarded the 2013-14 Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School (CLASS) award.

    “I’m extremely honored and I know my family will be so proud and excited. This award is special because it recognizes more than just basketball and celebrates what student-athletes also do in the classroom and in the community. I take a lot of pride in being a leader on this team, so I’m very happy to be recognized,” stated Dolson.

    In post-game interviews following their victory against Notre Dame, Dolson displayed her enduring confidence and comedienne demeanor:

    “We knew we were going to win tonight.Right from the beginning we went into it so excited and so pumped. Everyone said we had a lot of pressure on our backs, but we didn’t. We went in there having fun, we were loose and playing great. We knew it right at the beginning.”

    Dolson continued her interview by pleading with Jimmy Fallon to invite her to the show, stating, “Oh, Jimmy Fallon, please hit me up,” after which she challenged President Obama to a personal battle:

    Fortunately for Dolson, her future does not depend on whether she wins her dance-off against President Obama or not. As of now, Dolson is slated to be the top-pick in this year’s WNBA draft.

    Image via Facebook

  • Natalie Achonwa Dominates in NCAA Game

    Natalie Achonwa Dominates in NCAA Game

    Natalie Achonwa led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a victory against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in an NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal game on Saturday in South Bend. This 89-72 win brings the team’s record this year to 35-0.

    The Fighting Irish dominated the game right from the start, scoring the first 14 points of the match and preventing the Cowgirls from getting any closer than within 10 points of their lead.

    The 21-year-old Achonwa scored an impressive 23 points, along with a career-high five blocked shots, six assists, and two steals. Her efforts, along with the rest of the squad’s, has put them in the position of only three wins away from an NCAA national title, and one from a Final Four spot.

    Achonwa wasn’t the only player with an outstanding performance – Jewel Lloyd had 20 points, while Kayla McBride added 18 to the score.

    Watch some of Achonwa’s skills, here:

    The Fighting Irish team has made it to three consecutive Final Fours without a championship, which has made Achonwa and her team even more determined to win this year.

    “We’ve always been the bridesmaids, but we want the big ring this year,” said Achonwa in an interview. “You have some great programs in Tennessee and UConn [Connecticut] who keep winning, but we want one now.”

    The Fighting Irish co-captain was the youngest member of the 2012 Canadian Olympic team. She is the first international player to ever play for Notre Dame. She chose the Fighting Irish over many other prestigious programs, including Louisville, Michigan State, and Kentucky.

    These final games of the 2014 season will be Achonwa’s last playing for Notre Dame, as she is expected to be chosen high in April’s WNBA draft.

    Achonwa plans to continue to play internationally, but is now focused on helping her team win a championship.

    Image via YouTube

  • Randy Moss’ Daughter Scores 63 Points In Division III Baskteball Game

    While Randy Moss was a star player for many years in the NFL, his daughter has chosen the life of an athlete as well, and scored a record number of points in a game last night.

    Sydney Moss scored 63 points in an epic performance for Thomas More College. She set the NCAA Division III record for single-game scoring with her performance, beating the previous record of 61 points, which was held by Ann Gilbert.

    The record of 61 points was set by Gilbert when she was a player for Oberlin College, in a game against Allegheny College, on Feb. 6, 1991.

    Randy Moss was a big star in the NFL, and enjoyed a highly successful career, while playing for an extended period of time for both the Minnesota VIkings and the New England Patriots.

    Following in her father’s footsteps, Sydney may become a star too. She scored 63 points in the 106-88 win over Waynesburg University, and she is a former prep basketball star from Kentucky. While she is playing in Division III now, she began her college career at the University of Florida, where she played for her freshman season.

    Moss is a 5’11 sophomore, and a guard for the small school in Crestview Hills, a suburb southwest of Cincinnati. She averaged 22.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in her junior year at Boone County High School.

    While Moss broke the record for Division III, the Division 1 record is held by Cindy Brown, who scored 60 points for Long Beach State against San Jose State on Feb. 16, 1987.

    Randy Moss’ career in the NFL lasted from 1998 until his recent retirement in 2012, and although she has chosen the path of an athlete, he has had little interaction with his daughter Sydney throughout her life.

    Following Sydney Moss’ performance on Friday night, Thomas More improved to 27-0 and advanced to Saturday’s championship game against Washington & Jefferson College.

    Image via Youtube

  • Elena Delle Donne: Gorgeous Amazon Wins Rookie Of The Year at WNBA

    Elena Delle Donne may not be the tallest WNBA player ever, but her place in basketball history was immortalized this past Friday when she won the 2013 rookie of the year award.

    Donne secured all the 39 first place votes and was presented with the glittering coveted trophy by WNBA president Laurel J. Ritchie before Chicago Sky vs Indiana Fever playoff opener.

    ”I had the pleasure of watching Elena Delle Donne compete in her first WNBA game…and in my very, very humble estimation it seemed to have taken her maybe 10 minutes to make the transition from the college game to the professional game,” an excited Richie exclaimed.

    The gorgeous 6-foot-5 Amazon averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and shot 93 percent from the free throw line to help the team from Illinois make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. What’s more, Chicago Sky earned the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

    Delle Donne, who has struggled with emotional and psychological burn-outs during her young mercurial career had this to say, ”I’m definitely humbled to be receiving this award among such a talented rookie class this season.”

    In her earlier years while playing college basketball Donne was facing emotional problems due to separation from her family. Donne has a deep unwavering bond with her older sister Lizzie, who is deaf, blind and has cerebral palsy. Eventually, she bounced back from the turmoil and performed better than ever. Watch Elena describing her relationship with her sister http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3BHHoBv8kc

    At the award ceremony, Delle Donne was joined by two of her teammates, center Sylvia Fowles and forward Swin Cash who were also honored by WNBA. Here is what Elena tweeted later:

    Not content with the award, she is pretty much raring to win the next game. Delle Donne also had some nice things to say about team mates which will certainly boost the team spirit and camaraderie – ”Truthfully, I talk about them because the individual accolades and the individual success doesn’t come without them…’They’ve helped me rise to the occasion game after game, practice after practice…I owe them a ton.”

    So will Elena help Chicago Sky win the WNBA championship this season? We will be watching closely.

    [image from twitter]