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May 18, 2004 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Sacramento Monarchs News Release


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 the 2003 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.

QUOTABLES

Minnesota Lynx head coach Suzie McConnell Serio, May 24, Sacramento at Minnesota: "We put so much energy into stopping Yolanda Griffith that we kind of forgot about Tangela Smith..."

Minnesota Lynx head coach Suzie McConnell Serio, August 9, Sacramento vs. Minnesota: "The crowd (ARCO Arena) was incredible; the intensity on the floor, there's nothing like it. This game really had a playoff atmosphere."

2004 vs. MINNESOTA:

May 22 Saturday Sacramento vs. Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. PDT
June 17 Thursday Sacramento at Minnesota, 5:00 p.m. PDT
July 11 Sunday Sacramento at Minnesota, 4:00 p.m. PDT
Sept.19 Sunday Sacramento vs. Minnesota, 7:00 p.m. PDT

MONARCHS/LYNX CONNECTIONS

* Minnesota guard Teresa Edwards was a 1986 graduate of Georgia, while Monarchs guard Lady Grooms graduated from Georgia in 1992.

* Katie Smith played with Ruthie Bolton and Yolanda Griffith on the gold medal-winning 2000 U.S. National Team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

* Minnesota rookie, Tasha Butts and Monarchs guard Kara Lawson played on the same team for three seasons (2000-03) with the Lady Vols.

* Lynx forward Svetlana Abrosimova and Monarchs players, forward Yolanda Griffith and Ticha Penicheiro, were teammates during the 2003-04 off-season. All three played for UMMC in Ekaterinburg, Russia and helped their team place second in the Russian Championships.

Monarchs Season Opener Records

The Monarchs are 4-3 overall in season openers, 2-2 at home and 2-1 on the road. Sacramento is 1-1 against Phoenix in season openers as they won in Phoenix 65-56, on May 22, 2003.

Last Year's Season Opener

In their 2003 Season Opener against the Phoenix Mercury the Monarchs won, 65-56, in Phoenix. Yolanda Griffith led all players in scoring and rebounding (27 points, 11 rebounds). Edna Campbell contributed 13 points shooting 50% from beyond the arc. The Monarchs posted a 39.6 field goal percentage, (40% 3FG and 76%FT).

Monarchs Game #2 Records

The Monarchs are 3-4 in regular season game #2, 2-1 at home and 1-3 on the road. Sacramento is 0-1 against the Lynx in game #2 as they lost at Minnesota 72-71 on May 24, 2003.

Last Year's Game #2

Last year in Game #2 the Monarchs lost, 72-71, to the Minnesota Lynx beginning the 2003 season with a 1-1 record. Tangela Smith led all scorers with 24 points, on 2-of-2 shooting from three-point land, and tied for game-high eight rebounds with Yolanda Griffith who added 15 points in the loss. The Monarchs posted a .451 field goal percentage, (35.7% 3FG, and 28.6 % FT).

Monarchs Most Recent Game Recap

May 14, 2004 vs Seattle - W, 59-56 (ARCO Arena) The Monarchs won their final game of the preseason 59-56 over the Seattle Storm at ARCO Arena. Sacramento outscored Seattle 40-28 in the second half and finished the night shooting 49 percent.

Seattle jumped to an early lead in the first half with a 16-4 run, leading 20-8, with less than 10 minutes left in the half. The Monarchs answered with an 11-3 run, to bring them within four points with two minutes remaining. The Storm had a 5-0 burst to close out the half for the 28-19 lead at intermission. In the second half the Storm led by as many as 13 (44-31) before the Monrachs went on a 26-10 run in the final 10 minutes for the win.

Sacramento held the points in the paint advantage 44-26, while Seattle was the leader on the boards grabbing 43 rebounds to the Monarchs 41.

Five Monarchs players scored in double figures including forward Yolanda Griffith who was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and ended the night with a game-high 14 points. Rookie Rebekkah Brunson, guard Kara Lawson and forwards Tangela Smith and DeMya Walker all added 10 points each in the win.

Leading the Storm was center Kamila Vodichkova with 12 points followed by Lauren Jackson with 11 points. Seattle forward Sheri Sam was the rebound leader of the night pulling down eight total rebounds, five offensive and three defensive.

Monarchs Regular

Tangela Smith will play in her 160th consecutive career-game against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, May 20, at Phoenix.



Women's National Basketball Association Stories from May 18, 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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