Charlotte Sting Weekly Update
May 2, 2005 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Charlotte Sting News Release
STING NEWS AND NOTES
Sting on Sports Roundtable
Janel McCarville, Trudi Lacey and Dawn Staley will join Sting radio announcer Sam Smith on Time Warner's Sports Roundtable on Wednesday, May 4. Fans are invited to come to Jillian's SouthEnd to watch the taping. Those wishing to attend should arrive by 5:30 p.m. Taping begins at 6 p.m.
Sting Make McCarville #1 Pick
All eyes were on Charlotte on April 16 as the Sting made Janel McCarville the #1 pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft. The 6-2 center from the University of Minnesota joins an illustrious list of #1 picks that includes Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson and LaToya Thomas.
In the second round of the draft the Sting selected Jessica Moore from the University of Connecticut with the 24th overall pick.
College Reunion
As the Sting travel to Connecticut to take on the Sun in a preseason match-up on Sunday, May 8, it will be a reunion for two Sting rookies. Janel McCarville will face former Minnesota teammate Lindsey Whalen for the first time in the WNBA while Jessica Moore will return to the familiar territory after playing her college basketball at the University of Connecticut and helping the Huskies win three NCAA National Championships.
Dawn Staley Honored
On April 28, point guard Dawn Staley was honored with the 2005 Woman One Award. The award was created in 2003 by the Drexel University College of Medicine's Institute for Women's Health and Leadership and goes to a woman whose leadership has provided extraordinary value to the health and well-being of the community.
New Faces, New Places
The Sting opened their ninth annual training camp last week with 10 new faces on the roster. The new faces include WNBA veterans Sheri Sam, Tangela Smith and Helen Darling who were all acquired by the Sting in the offseason. Also in camp are the Sting's two 2005 draft selections, Janel McCarville and Jessica Moore. Rounding out the new additions are free agent signees Leigh Aziz, Linda Frohlich, Andrea Bills, Natasha Brackett and Caity Matter.
UPCOMING STING EVENTS
May 4: Trudi Lacey, Janel McCarville and Dawn Staley will participate in the Sports Roundtable at Jillian's SouthEnd at 6:15 p.m. The event is open to the public and will be shown throughout the month of May on Time-Warner Cable.
May 12: Be Fit, Be Smart, Be Yourself Tipoff Event
Bobcats Basketball Center
3-4 p.m Basketball Clinic for high school students
6 p.m. Preseason Game vs. Los Angeles Sparks
8 p.m. Post-game Event featuring Dawn Staley and Lisa Leslie
THE WEEK AHEAD
Mon., May 2 â vs. Washington
12 noon â Bobcats Basketball Center
Washington comes to Charlotte for a training camp scrimmage. The Mystics are led by Duke graduate Alana Beard who averaged 16.7 points per game in 2004 as a rookie. Joining Beard on the Mystics roster are recently acquired WNBA veterans DeLisha Milton-Jones and Charlotte Smith-Taylor.
Sun., May 8 - at Connecticut
4 p.m. â Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport
The Sting travel to Connecticut for their first preseason game in 2005. In 2004, Connecticut emerged as the Eastern Conference Champion before falling to the Seattle Storm in three games in the WNBA Finals. The Sun roster features Lindsey Whalen, who returns after having a standout rookie season, as well as WNBA All-Star Nykesha Sales. A new face on the Sun this season is 7-2 WNBA veteran Margo Dydek who was acquired in a trade with San Antonio.
Key WNBA Dates
May 3 â Training Camp Rosters cut-down to 15
May 20 â Final Roster cut-down
May 21 â Opening Night â Sting vs. Mystics â 6 p.m.
July 9 â WNBA All-Star Game âMohegan Sun Arena
August 1 â Trading Deadline
2004 Recap
· The Sting finished the 2004 season in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 16-18 record.
· The Sting led the WNBA in defense holding their opponents to just 63.8 points per game.
· Dawn Staley recorded her 1,000th career WNBA assist and became just the third player in league history to reach that plateau.
· Tammy Sutton-Brown set several records in the blocked shot category. She set a career and franchise record by rejecting six shots on June 28 vs. Indiana. She also became the franchise's all-time leader in the category with 196 career blocks.
Catch the Sting on TV
The Sting will play five games this season on C-SET. The Sting at Washington game on August 2 will be televised nationally on ESPN 2. The television schedule is as follows:
Date Opponent Time Station
Thu., May 26 vs. Phoenix 7 p.m. C-SET
Sun., June 12 vs. Seattle 4 p.m. C-SET
Thu., June 30 at Washington 7 p.m. C-SET
Fri., July 22 at Connecticut 7:30 p.m. C-SET
Tue., August 2 at Washington 8 p.m. ESPN 2
Thu., August 25 at New York 7:30 p.m. C-SET
Over the Airwaves
All 34 regular season games can be heard live on WNMX 106.1 FM.
Sting Tickets
Sting tickets are on sale now. All seats are located in the lower bowl and start as low as $10. Fans can purchase tickets at the Charlotte Coliseum ticket office, any Ticketmaster location, by calling 1-877-WNBA-TIX or by logging onto www.charlottesting.com. For information on season tickets, Weekend Plans, Flex Plans or group tickets please a ticket representative at 704-424-WNBA.
WNBA Offseason News
-Chicago was awarded a WNBA franchise on February 8, 2005. The team, which has not yet been named, will begin play in the summer of 2006.
-Donna Orender was hired as the successor to Val Ackerman as WNBA President.
Bobcats Hold Second Most Picks In Lottery
The Charlotte Bobcats, who capped their first year
with an 18-64 record, will have the second most
combinations in the 2005 NBA Draft Lottery which will
be held on May 24, 2005. Charlotte will have a total of
183 out of 1,000 chances with two lottery selections.
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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from May 2, 2005
- Mystics Messenger - Washington Mystics
- Silver Stars Forward Lindsey Yamasaki Tears Right Achiiles Tendon - San Antonio Stars
- Charlotte Sting Weekly Update - Charlotte Sting
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