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Sacramento Monarchs Weekly Update

June 22, 2004 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Sacramento Monarchs News Release


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."

WHAT ABOUT SWOOPES OR THOMPSON?

Houston forward Sheryl Swoopes has led the Comets in points in eight of the team's 26 meetings with Sacramento. When Swoopes is the high-scorer for Houston during a contest with the Monarchs, Sacramento possesses a 1-7 record, 0-3 at home and 1-4 on the road.

Comets forward Tina Thompson has led Houston in points in nine of the team's 26 meetings with the Monarchs. When Thompson is the high-scorer for the Comets during a contest with Sacramento the Monarchs are 4-5 overall, 4-0 at home and 0-5 on the road.

MONARCHS/COMETS CONNECTIONS

* Sacramento's guard Ticha Penicheiro and Houston's forward Sheryl Swoopes both played for UMMC in Ekaterinburg, Russia during the 2003 FIBA Women's World Cup.

* 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.

QUOTABLES

Phoenix Mercury Guard Diana Taurasi, May 10 preseason at Phoenix: "I think we got out-rebounded again, but we are playing teams that are huge on the boards."

Phoenix Mercury Head Coach Carrie Graf, May 20 at Phoenix: "We got smashed on the glass and couldn't compete there. When you don't rebound against a team like that (the Monarchs), you get in trouble."

2004 vs. PHOENIX:

May 20 Won, 72-66 at America West Arena

June 27 Sunday Sacramento vs. Phoenix, 7:00 p.m. PDT

July 22 Thursday Sacramento vs. Phoenix, 7:00 p.m. PDT

HOW ABOUT GRIFFITH?

In Griffith's five seasons with Sacramento she has been the high-scorer in 12 of the Monarchs 18 games with Phoenix. When Griffith is the high-scorer in games versus the Mercury the Monarchs are 11-1 overall, 6-0 at home and 5-1 in Phoenix.

MONARCHS/MERCURY CONNECTIONS

* Monarchs guard Kara Lawson (Tennessee '03) and Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi (UConn '04) faced off two years in a row at the NCAA Tournament. In 2002 during the National Semifinal UConn defeated Tennessee, 79-56 and in 2003 in the National Championship UConn won, 73-68.

* Mercury center Ashley Robinson ('04), guard Nikki McCray ('95), and assistant coach Lisa Harrison ('93) all graduated from Tennessee, while Monarchs guard Kara Lawson graduated from Tennessee in 2003. Both Lawson and Robinson played on the same team for three years (2000-2003).

* Monarchs assistant coach Monique Ambers was drafted by Phoenix Mercury in the fourth round of the 1997 WNBA Draft. In 1997, Ambers averaged .444 field goal percentage, .400 free throw percentage and 1.2 rebounds per game in 19 games played.

* Mercury forward Edwina Brown graduated from Texas in 2000, while nine years earlier (1991) Monarchs guard Edna Campbell graduated from Texas.

* Monarchs guard Edna Campbell was selected by Phoenix Mercury in the first round (10th overall) of the 1999 WNBA Draft. Campbell averaged .364 field goal percentage, .714 free throw percentage and 9.6 points per game in 28 games played. Campbell was then drafted by Seattle in the 1999 WNBA expansion draft.

Monarchs Most Recent Game Recap

June 19, 2004 vs Detroit -L, 84-74 (ARCO Arena) The Monarchs lost their first game to the Sock in Sacramento since 1998, an 84-74 defeat in ARCO Arena. Detroit led by 10 points on six occasions during the first half, before the Monarchs went on a 9-3 run to close the half, trailing 38-84 at intermission.

Detroit jumped to an early lead to begin the second half with a 30-15 run (70-49), which ended with 7:34 left in the game. Sacramento later answered with a 15-5 run during the final four minutes of regulation, but it wasn't enough.

Swin Cash finished the night with a career-high 29 points, including 10-of-15 from the floor and also became the Shock's all-time leading scorer. Detroit shot an impressive 50 percent as a team and scored 14 fast break points to Sacramento's four.

Tanglea Smith led Sacramento with a season-high 21 points, totaling 14 in the first half. Yolanda Griffith added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while reserve guard Lady Grooms tallied a season-high 10 points and a team-high five assists. The Monarchs outrebounded the Shock 42-39 and held the points in the paint advantage 40-34.

Griffith Selected for 2004 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team

Yolanda Griffith has been named to the 2004 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team, which is expected to represent the United States in the Athens Olympics in August.

A veteran to Olympic play, Griffith will be reunited with 2000 Olympic gold medallist teammates Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Katie Smith, Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes on the 2004 Olympic team. Additional members of the team include 2002 World Champions Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and Shannon Johnson, 2000 U.S. Olympic Team alternate Tina Thompson as well as Swin Cash and Diana Taurasi.

During the 2000 Olympics, Griffith led the team in total rebounds (70), field goal percentage (68.5%), and was second in free throw shooting (75.0%). Her eight steals placed her in a four-way tie with Leslie, Swoopes and Monarchs teammate Ruthie Bolton. Griffith was third in total points scored (92) and averaged 11.5 points per game.

Smith Hits 200

Tangela Smith will play in her 200th career game in the WNBA and with Sacramento when the Monarchs take on the Houston Comets on Friday, June 25th.

Penicheiro WNBA's All-Time Assist Leader

On June 17th at Minnesota, Ticha Penicheiro became the WNBA's all-time assist leader. She currently has 1,322 assists (as of 6/21/04), while Los Angeles Sparks guard Teresa Weatherspoon trails with 1,317 (as of 6/21/04).

First to Score

In 2004 the Monarchs are 2-1 when they are first to score. When their opponent scores first they are 1-6.



Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 22, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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