Charlotte Sting Re-Sign Staley & Sutton-Brown
May 3, 2004 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Charlotte Sting News Release
The Charlotte Sting announced today that they have re-signed veteran standouts Dawn Staley and Tammy Sutton-Brown. Staley signed a oneâyear deal while Sutton-Brown's contract keeps her in a Sting uniform for the next two seasons. Per team policy, further details were not disclosed.
"Signing Dawn and Tammy has been at the top of our priority list this offseason. Everyone is excited to get the paperwork out of the way and focus on playing basketball," said General Manager and Head Coach Trudi Lacey. "Both players were very busy this winter â Tammy in Korea and Dawn with Temple and USA Basketball. It is crucial to our team's success to now have them join us in training camp to prepare for the 2004 season."
Staley, 33, has been a member of the Sting for the past five seasons after being selected with the ninth overall selection in the 1999 WNBA Draft. A three-time All-Star, Staley is among WNBA career leaders in assists per game (4th), free throw percentage (7th), minutes per game (9th), minutes (17th), assists (3rd) and assists per turnover (9th). Staley has posted 9.4 points and 5.5 assists per game during her time with the Sting, which includes starting all 162 games of her career.
"Dawn ranks as one of the greatest players in women's basketball history," said Lacey. "She is the best floor general in the WNBA and will again be a key figure in the success of this team. Dawn is the leader of this team and the younger players will no doubt learn from her infinite wisdom on the court."
A 1992 graduate of the University of Virginia, Staley led her Cavaliers to four NCAA Tournaments, three Final Fours and one championship game. She was twice named the national player of the year and received numerous ACC awards along the way, including rookie of the year in 1989 and player of the year in 1991 and 1992.
To begin her professional career, Staley played in Spain, Italy, France and Brazil before signing on with the Richmond Rage of the now-defunct American Basketball League (ABL). A two-time Olympian and gold medalist, Staley will attempt to win a third gold this August in Athens as a member of the U.S. Women's Senior National Team.
In addition to her playing duties with the Charlotte Sting, Staley heads the Dawn Staley Foundation for underprivileged youth in her hometown of Philadelphia and serves as head coach of the Temple University Women's Basketball Team. This past season, Temple won the Atlantic 10 title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, with Staley picking up A-10 Coach of the Year honors along the way.
Sutton-Brown, 26, was drafted by the Sting with the 18th overall in the 2001 WNBA Draft. Over her three-year pro career, Sutton-Brown has started 83 games and posted averages of 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. As a rookie in 2001, Sutton-Brown helped the team advance to the WNBA Championships vs. the Los Angeles Sparks. In 2002, she was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team.
"Tammy is a very talented young player," remarked Lacey. "She possesses the size, skills and ability to be a dominant player in the post and we look for her to return to the All-Star she was in 2002. She has the potential to be one of the best rebounders in the WNBA."
Sutton-Brown, a native of Ontario, Canada, played her collegiate basketball at Rutgers University. A member of the Canadian National Team for the past five years, Sutton-Brown has also played internationally in Russia and Korea. This past winter, she helped her Kumho Life Falcons win the WKBL Title in Korea.
The Charlotte Sting opened training camp last week and will play a three-game pre-season schedule leading up to the season-opener on Friday, May 21 against the four-time WNBA champion Houston Comets. Practice sessions are held at the Bobcats Basketball Center in Ft. Mill, SC with the last 30 minutes of each practice open to the media. For more information, please call the Sting Public Relations Department.
Staley and Sutton-Brown, who missed Sting Media Day due to other commitments, are now in camp and available to the media. The team will practice this week as follows:
Monday, May 3 (5- 7 pm)
Tuesday, May 4 (10 am-1 pm & 5- 7 pm)
Wednesday, May 5 (10 am â 1 pm)
Thursday, May 6 (scrimmage at Washington Mystics)
Friday, May 7 (10 am - 1 pm)
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- Charlotte Sting Re-Sign Staley & Sutton-Brown - Charlotte Sting
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