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Sacramento Monarchs weekly update

May 25, 2004 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Sacramento Monarchs News Release


MONARCHS/SILVER STARS CONNECTIONS

* Silver Stars guard Tai Dillard ('03) and assistant coach Shell Dailey ('86) both graduated from Texas, while Monarchs guard Edna Campbell graduated from Texas in 1991.

* San Antonio forward Gwen Jackson ('03) and guard Semeka Randall ('01) are both graduates of Tennessee, and Monarchs guard Kara Lawson also graduated in 2003. All three played on the same team for two seasons from 1999-2001, while Jackson and Lawson played an extra two years together (2001-03).

* Silver Stars guard Adrienne Goodson is a 1988 graduate of Old Dominion University, while Sacramento has two former ODU graduates, guards Ticha Penicheiro ('98) and Tanty Maïga ('01).

* Monarchs guard Ruthie Bolton graduated from Auburn in 1989, while San Antonio center Mandisa Stevenson graduated in 2004.

QUOTABLES

Houston Comets head coach Van Chancellor, June 10 at Houston: "This is a team that's actually better, it's got DeMya Walker, Tangela Smith, Yolanda Griffith and Ticha Penicheiro...they're about as deep a team as I've seen in awhile."

Houston Comets head coach Van Chancellor, July 19 vs. Houston: "Our strategy was to try and keep Ticha from getting the ball and hold her assists. You can't let Penicheiro run up and down the court controlling the play."

Houston Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes, August 31 at Houston, playoffs round 1 game 2: "It's really tough when you have Tangela (Smith) and Yo (Yolanda Griffith) playing inside. They're killing us on the boards, they're scoring and pretty much doing whatever they want to do."

MONARCHS/COMETS CONNECTIONS

* Centers for the Houston Comets Tiffani Johnson ('98) and Michelle Snow ('02) both graduated from Tennessee, while Monarchs guard Kara Lawson graduated in 2003. Both Lawson and Snow played on the same team for three years (1999-02). Lawson and Snow were also teammates on the 2003 WNBA Select Team that participated in the FIBA Women's World Cup.

* Kedra Holland-Corn, a former Monarchs player (1999-2002), graduated from Georgia in 1997, while Monarchs guard Lady Grooms graduated in 1992.

* Monarchs guards, Ticha Penicheiro ('98) and Hamchétou Maïga ('01) and Comet forward/center Lucienne Berthieu ('02) are all alumni of Old Dominion University. Maïga and Berthieu were teammates at ODU and both drafted in the 1999 WNBA Draft.

* Houston's center Michelle Snow and Sacramento's center Chantelle Anderson were teammates on the 2000 Gold Medal winning USA R. William Jones Cup Team.

* Monarchs guard Ticha Penicheiro and Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes and forward Tina Thompson were all starters for the 2000 WNBA All-Star Game for the Western Conference.

* Monarchs guard Ruthie Bolton joined Sheryl Swoopes of the Comets on the gold medal-winning 1996 U.S. Olympic team.

* Bolton and Swoopes again teamed up with Monarchs forward Yolanda Griffith on the 2000 U.S. Olympic gold medal team.

* Monarchs guard Ruthie Bolton teamed up with Comet forward Sheryl Swoopes on the 1994 USA Basketball team that placed third in the 1994 World Championships.

Monarchs Most Recent Game Recap

May 22, 2004 vs Minnesota - L, 69-61 (ARCO Arena) Sacramento lost their 2004 home opener, 69-61, before a sold-out crow of 17,317 to Minnesota at ARCO Arena, bringing the Monarchs all-time series record to 9-9 with the Lynx. This was the third straight Opening Night the Monarchs have sold-out.

The two teams battled back and forth to begin the first half. With a little more than five minutes until the break the Monarchs went on a 16-8 run to close the half, leading 38-29. Sacramento's forward DeMya Walker led the team, scoring 11 points (4-of-5 from the floor, 3-of-3 from the charity stripe). Minnesota forward Amanda Lassiter was the leading scorer of the half with 13 points.

Five minutes into the second half Minnesota went on a 13-2 run for a 47-46 lead. The two teams evened the score three more times before the Lynx had an 8-0 burst to finish the game. Minnesota's guard Katie Smith tallied 20 points in the second half as the Monarchs held her to only two first half points.

Minnesota outrebounded the Monarchs 40-37 and finished the night shooting 46.0% compared to Sacramento's 41.3%. The Monarchs held the points in the paint advantage, 46-36 and totaled 20 second chance points to the Lynx six.

Walker led the Monarchs with 19 points, followed by forward Yolanda Griffith with 13 points. Rookie forward Rebekkah Brunson was the team leader on the boards grabbing seven rebounds.

Katie Smith led all scorers with 22 points. Lassiter chipped in 15 points, while forward Tamika Williams added nine points and was the rebound leader of the night with 10 total boards.

Monarchs Regular

Tangela Smith will play in her 162nd consecutive career-game, when the Monarchs face the San Antonio Silver Stars on Friday, May 28, at San Antonio.

Monarchs Home and Away

The Monarchs all-time home record is 70-41, while their all-time away record is 42-69.

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from May 25, 2004


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