Sacramento Monarchs Weekly Update

Published on May 3, 2005 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Sacramento Monarchs News Release


Training Camp Highlights - Sui Feifei and Miao Lijie
Two of the players invited to the 2005 Monarchs training camp, Sui Feifei and Miao Lijie, have been playing professional basketball in China for the past four years. On Friday, May 6, these two will continue their hunt for a spot on the Monarchs roster as they compete against their former teammates from the Chinese National Team.

Sui Feifei, more commonly known as just "Feifei", is a 6'1" guard from Jinan, China. She has played for Baiyi in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) for the past four seasons, leading her team to four consecutive WCBA Championships and earning MVP honors three of those years. In addition, Feifei is in her eighth season as a member of the Chinese National Team. With this team she won the Asian Basketball Championship in 2002 and 2004 and led the team in scoring during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Also in her eighth year with the Chinese National Team, Miao Lijie followed Feifei as the second-leading scorer during the 2004 Olympics. Nicknamed "Miao Miao", she was named MVP of the team when they won the Asian Basketball Championship in 2004. Miao Miao, a four-year WCBA player, has led the league in three-point shooting for the past two seasons.

The Monarchs will take on the Chinese National team at Memorial Auditorium in downtown Sacramento this Friday, May 6 at 7:00 P.M. Please make all media credential requests with Rebecca Brutlag by Thursday at 5:00 P.M.

Monarchs Recent Transactions
5-3-05: Waived guard Anne O'Neil
4-16-05: Selected guards Kristin Haynie (Hay-knee) (9th overall), Chelsea Newton (22nd overall), Anne O'Neil (30th overall) and center Cisti (Kiss-ti) Greenwalt (35th overall) in the 2005 WNBA Draft.

3-7-05: Signed center Hollie Grima (Grime-a) and guard Carly Wilson, both of Australia as free agents.
3-3-05: Signed guard Miao (rhymes with "how") Lijie (LEE-zjuh) of China as a free agent.
3-3-05: Acquired guard/forward Nicole Powell, center Olympia Scott, and forward/guard Erin Buescher in a trade with the Charlotte Sting for Tangela Smith and the Monarchs second round draft pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft.

2-11-05: Signed guard Sui (Sway) Feifei (Fayfay) of China as a free agent.

Monarchs Preseason Outlook
Friday, May 6 vs Chinese National Team, 7:00 P.M. PDT at Memorial Auditorium in downtown Sacramento

Thursday, May 12 vs Phoenix Mercury, 7:00 P.M. PDT at ARCO Arena

*Date subject to change due to Kings 2005 NBA Playoffs schedule

Saturday, May 14 at Seattle Storm, 7:00 P.M. PDT at KeyArena
**Date subject to change due to Seattle Supersonics 2005 NBA Playoffs schedule

All games can be heard on Sports 1140 KHTK with Jim Kozimor and Krista Blunk calling the action.

Friday, May 6, vs. Chinese National Team
The first Monarchs game of the 2005 season will be on Friday, May 6, 2005 at 7:00 P.M. versus the Chinese National Team. Please note that this special preseason contest will be at Memorial Auditorium and not at ARCO Arena. Memorial Auditorium is located at 1515 J Street in downtown Sacramento.

· Parking for media will be available. Please check with Rebecca Brutlag to confirm the location prior to gameday.

· Media check-in will be located at the Southwest (15th Street side) entrance to the building.

Please remember that all credential requests for this game must be made at least 24 hours in advance of gameday.

This game will be the first-ever match-up between Sacramento and the Chinese National Team. Sui Feifei and Miao Lijie, the second and third Chinese players (respectively) in WNBA history to sign with a franchise, will face their teammates from the 2004 Olympic Games. Feifei was captain of the Chinese Olympic squad and led the team in scoring. Miao was dubbed the "Queen of Points" in the 2004-05 Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) season.

Other Monarchs/China Points of Interest
· Feifei and Miao were members of the Chinese National team that was dominated by the USA and Yolanda Griffith at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Griffith scored a double-double (15 points and 11 rebounds) in the United States 100-62 victory over China.

· Monarchs forward DeMya Walker played in Beijing for Shougang in the 2004-05 offseason. She was named to the WCBA All-Star team where she played alongside Feifei.

· Kara Lawson and Chantelle Anderson were teammates on the USA team in the 2001 World University Games in Beijing. The USA team upset China 87-69 to win the gold medal.

· Monarchs assistant coach Monique Ambers was teammates with Miao in China for Heilongjiang.

Race for the Cure
On Saturday, May 7, the entire Sacramento Monarchs team will participate in the 9th Annual Komen Sacramento Race for the Cure. This will be the fourth year the Monarchs and the Maloof Sports & Entertainment family has participated in the event as part of their commitment to Breast Health Awareness.

Monarchs players will be at the 5K run starting line at 7:45am as well as at the Monarchs Experience area at the post-race expo. The Monarchs mascot, Monty, and entertainers the Hip Hop Crew and 2Krayze will also be performing. As in past years, thousands of race participants are expected to stop by the Monarchs Experience to take shots on the sport court, meet the Monarchs family, make Mothers Day cards and have their faces painted.


Monarchs 2004 Season Recap
The Monarchs can look back at the 2004 season as a building block. Finally overcoming the Los Angeles Sparks in the playoffs was undoubtedly constructive. Also, after taking the newly crowned 2004 WNBA Champion Seattle Storm to a decisive game three in the Western Conference Finals, the Monarchs have learned that their collective game can only get better.

Near the end of the regular season, both the Monarchs and their fans were hopeful that the team would make the playoffs. Showing their toughness, Sacramento won their final three games of the regular season to slip neatly into the fourth place spot of the Western Conference and the 2004 WNBA Playoffs; thus earning the Monarchs their fifth playoff berth in the past six seasons.

2005 Monarchs Training Camp Roster

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College/Country WNBA Exp.
7 Chantelle Anderson C 6-6 192 01/22/81 Vanderbilt ‘03 2
6 Ruthie Bolton G 5-9 150 05/25/67 Auburn '89 8
32 Rebekkah Brunson F 6-3 175 12/11/81 Georgetown ‘04 1
11 Erin Buescher G/F 6-2 181 06/05/79 The Masters College ‘01 3
10 Sui Feifei G 6-1 162 01/29/79 China R
31 Cisti Greenwalt C 6-5 183 04/04/83 Texas Tech '05 R
33 Yolanda Griffith* F 6-4 175 03/01/70 Florida Atlantic ‘93 6
15 Hollie Grima C 6-3 181 12/16/83 Australia R
4 Kristin Haynie G 5-8 147 06/17/83 Michigan State ‘05 R
20 Kara Lawson G 5-8 172 02/14/81 Tennessee ‘03 2
8 Miao Lijie G 5-11 153 06/03/81 China R
9 Hamchétou Maïga G/F 6-1 160 04/25/78 Old Dominion ‘01 3
13 Giuliana Mendiola G 5-10 179 01/08/82 Washington ‘04 1
2 Chelsea Newton G 5-11 150 02/17/83 Rutgers ‘05 R
21 Ticha Penicheiro G 5-11 149 09/18/74 Old Dominion ‘98 7
14 Nicole Powell G/F 6-2 170 06/22/82 Stanford ‘04 1
0 Olympia Scott C 6-2 191 08/05/76 Stanford ‘98 6
22 DeMya Walker F 6-4 168 11/28/77 Virginia ‘99 5
5 Carly Wilson G 5-11 164 07/08/82 Australia R

NUMERICAL ROSTER COACHING STAFF
No. Player HEAD COACH/GENERAL MANAGER

0 Olympia Scott John Whisenant (wiz-NIT)
2 Chelsea Newton (New Mexico State ‘66)
4 Kristin Haynie (HAY-knee)
5 Carly Wilson ASSISTANT COACHES
6 Ruthie Bolton Tom Abatemarco (Dowling ‘77)
7 Chantelle (shawn-TELL) Anderson Steve Shuman (CSU, Sacramento '89)

8 Miao (Mhow) Lijie (LEE-zjuh) Monique Ambers (Arizona State '93)
9 Hamchétou (HAUM-shay-two) Maïga (MY-ga)
10 Sui (Sway) Feifei (FayFay) HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER
11 Erin Buescher (BUSH-er) Jill Jackson (CSU, Sacramento '87)
13 Giuliana (Julie-ON-a) Mendiola (Mend-e-OLA)
14 Nicole Powell
15 Hollie Grima (Grime-a)
20 Kara Lawson
21 Ticha (TEE-sha) Penicheiro (Pen-a-CHAIR-o)
22 DeMya (de-MY-a) Walker
31 Cisti (KISS-tea) Greenwalt
32 Rebekkah Brunson
33 Yolanda Griffith



*Denotes players expected to join the team, but have not yet signed an agreement at the time of publication.

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Check out your Sacramento Monarchs in a special WNBA preseason event when they take on the Chinese National Team at Memorial Auditorium. Tip-off is Friday, May 6th at 7:00pm. Tickets are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased by calling (916) 766-2277 or by visiting www.SacramentoMonarchs.com!

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