| Maya Moore Up for the Honda-Broderick Cup |
| The Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards today announced the “Top Three” finalists for the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup, its annual top honor designating The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. This year’s finalists are, in alphabetical order: Blair Brown, Penn State University (volleyball), Maya Moore, University of Connecticut (basketball) and Sheila Reid, Villanova University (cross-country, track and field). The winner of the 2011 Honda-Broderick Cup will be revealed at a special press conference on June 27th at Columbia University in New York. The “Top Three” finalists were chosen from previously announced Honda Sports Award winners in 12 different NCAAsanctioned sports, by a vote from among more than 1,000 NCAA-member institutions.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE "TOP THREE"
Blair Brown (senior, volleyball) – A native of Purcellville, VA, Brown led the Penn State University Lions to their fourth straight NCAA championship title as team captain in her senior year, scoring a match-high 18 kills in the national title game. A three-time AVCA All-American, she was named Big Ten Player of the Year, as well as the University Park Regional Most Outstanding Player. In addition to guiding the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Championship, Brown earned a spot on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team. Brown started all 37 matches during her senior year and led her team with 521 kills (4.24 kills average per set on .320 hitting). She closed out her college career with 1,295 kills, graduating in December 2010 with an English and Political Science major. In the summer of 2010, Brown trained with the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team.
Maya Moore (senior, basketball) – Moore, a native of Jefferson City, Missouri who grew up in Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been nominated for the Honda Sports Award for basketball all four years of her college career and won the honor last year. Notably, because she won the Honda-Broderick Cup last year, she now has a shot at making history as only the second athlete to be named as Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year twice. (Tracy Caulkins won in ‘82 and ‘84). Moore led the UConn team to four Final Four appearances, two national titles and a 150-4 record. She is the fourth-leading scorer in NCAA history, with 3,036 points. Honored as the Capital One University Division Academic All-American of the Year and BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2010 and 2011, Moore was also selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2009. A three-time WBCA Wade Trophy honoree and four-time WBCA State Farm First Team All-American, she won the Naismith Trophy, the Associated Press Player of the Year Award and the USBWA Player of the Year Award in 2009 and 2011. She was also the John R. Wooden Award honoree in 2009 and 2011. Moore held a 3.669 GPA in sports media and promotion. She was the #1 draft pick for the WNBA this year and is currently playing with the Minnesota Lynx.
Sheila Reid (senior, cross-country, track and field)– Reid, a native of Newmarket, Ontario, recently capped a great year when she was crowned the NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter races – the first woman in history to win both events in the same year. She was also the Indoor National Champion in the distance medley. She was selected All-American in the 3,000-meter. She finished her season as the Big East Indoor champion in the 1,000-meter, 4x800-meter relay, distance medley relay and outdoor titlist in the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter. The indoor and outdoor Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year is a12-time Big East Champion, a nine-time All-American selection and NCAA individual cross country titlist. Like many Honda Sports Award winners, Reid is an academic standout in addition to her excellence in athletics. The four-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star was selected to the Academic All-District first team and holds a GPA of 3.408 with a major in English.
The other eight individual Honda Sports Award winners who were nominated to become “Top Three” finalists this year include: Kelsey Bruder of the University of Florida (softball), Melissa Henderson from Notre Dame (soccer), Kayla Hoffman from the University of Alabama (gymnastics), Katinka Hosszu from the University of Southern California (swimming & diving), Jana Juricova of the University of California, Berkeley (tennis), Katie O’Donnell from the University of Maryland (field hockey), Shannon Smith of Northwestern University (lacrosse) and Marta Silva Zamora from the University of Georgia (golf). |
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| Pirate's Booty and Diana Taurasi Team Up to Score Points for After-School All-Stars |
| Pirate’s Booty, leader and manufacturer of all-natural snacks, is pleased to announce its participation with Diana Taurasi of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in Hoop Heroes, a fundraising initiative that benefits After-School All-Stars (ASAS), a 501(c)3 charity that provides free after-school programs to disadvantaged youth across the nation.
Pirate’s Booty will donate $10 for every point WNBA All-Star Guard, Taurasi scores during the 2011 WNBA season. Taurasi is a two-time WNBA champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and named to the All-WNBA First Team six years in a row. She is the first WNBA player to become a Hoop Hero – joining the likes of Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul among other marquee players.
This is the second year that NBA players have pledged to make donations to benefit ASAS based on their on-court performance (players donate based on points, assists or rebounds). The funding allows ASAS to continue to support after-school programs for 81,000 children across the country that encompass academics, enrichment and health and fitness. To learn more, visit www.hoopheroes.org.
Taurasi and Pirate’s Booty will also team-up to visit ASAS school sites to challenge and educate children through fun fitness activities and “eat this, not that” nutrition coaching (e.g. swapping greasy fried potato chips for Pirate’s Booty since it has half the fat and less calories).
Pirate’s Booty Vice President of Marketing, Eric Berniker said, “Diana is a great addition to the Hoop Heroes program and Pirate’s Booty is proud to team up with her to help at risk youth. She’s a great example of how to achieve your goals through leadership, drive and living a healthy, active lifestyle.”
“This is going to be an exciting season – I’ve been training hard and continue to make healthy meal and snack choices – Pirate’s Booty is one of my favorites, so I’m proud to partner with them to help create opportunities for kids with After-School All-Stars,” stated Taurasi.
“We are thrilled to have Diana and Pirate’s Booty partner up to support Hoop Heroes, and help promote the important message of a healthy lifestyle. Nearly one third of U.S. children are overweight or obese by the third grade, so our programs encourage at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day along with all-natural snacks like Pirate’s Booty,” said Mae Tuck, After-School All-Stars Executive Vice President.
Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar is a deliciously baked, all-natural snack made from puffed rice corn and blended with real aged white cheddar cheese. Pirate’s Booty is also trans-fat and gluten free with only 130 calories for a 1 oz. serving. |
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| Seattle Storm to visit White House |
| President Barack Obama will honor the WNBA champion Seattle Storm at the White House next week. The White House says team members will also hold a basketball clinic for local kids during their June 29 visit and join the president in a service project. The Storm beat the Atlanta Dream in September to become 2010 champions with a three-game sweep of the WNBA finals. |
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| WNBA Unveils 30 Official Nominees for Voting of Top 15 Players of All Time |
| In celebration of its historic 15th season, the WNBA is honoring the most influential players since its inception in 1997, and announced today the 30 official nominees for the Top 15 Players of all time. The nominees were selected by a panel comprised of media members and basketball experts, with consideration given to such factors as on-court performance and ability, leadership, sportsmanship and community service, as well as to contributions to team success and the overall growth of women’s basketball.
“We are extremely proud to recognize and honor the greatest players in the 15-year history of the WNBA,” said WNBA President Laurel Richie. “The women who comprise the list of nominees are an extraordinary combination of ground-breaking pioneers and present-day stars. Each has made a unique contribution to the game, but all share an unsurpassed passion for women's basketball and for the WNBA. It is through their efforts, collectively, that the WNBA has become – and will continue to be – the destination point for the most talented female basketball players in the world.”
Voting for the league’s Top 15 Players of all time will be conducted among fans and select national and WNBA-market media, as well as current players and coaches. Fans are encouraged to vote by logging onto WNBA.com, which will highlight each of the 30 nominees, complete with biographical information and a photo gallery. In addition, the history section will serve as an informational resource for fans and media to browse through career statistical leaders, league milestones, previous award winners and more.
Fans can cast a vote for their Top 15 Players of all time once per day by going online to http://www.wnba.com/top15players starting Thursday at noon ET and ending at midnight on July 14.
The WNBA’s Top 15 Players will be unveiled and honored at the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game, where the San Antonio Silver Stars will host the midseason classic for the first time in franchise history. ABC will nationally broadcast the game on Saturday, July 23, at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT).
Individual tickets for the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game are available to the general public at all San Antonio Ticketmaster locations, including by phone at (210) 225-TEAM, or online at ticketmaster.com or sasilverstars.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the AT&T Center Southeast Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or on weekend event days starting at 10 a.m. or by calling (210) 444-5090.
Among other season-long initiatives, the WNBA will offer fans a special opportunity to determine the Top 15 Moments in league history. That initiative, set to tip off in late July, will enable fans to rank – from No. 15 through No. 1 – the greatest games, plays, milestones, and inspirational moments in the history of the WNBA. The rankings will be unveiled during the second half of the season through the Playoffs and into the Finals. WNBA teams will also be hosting specially-themed game nights to commemorate the 15th season milestone, along with creative fan promotions, interactive events and presentations to long-time season ticket holders.
Seimone Augustus Minnesota Lynx (2006-Current)
Sue Bird Seattle Storm (2002-Current)
Ruthie Bolton* Sacramento Monarchs (1997-2004)
Swin Cash Seattle Storm (2008-Current) Detroit Shock (2002-2007)
Tamika Catchings Indiana Fever (2002-Current)
Cynthia Cooper* Houston Comets (1997-2000, 2003)
Katie Douglas Indiana Fever (2008-Current) Orlando Miracle (2001-2002) Connecticut Sun (2003-2007)
Cheryl Ford Detroit Shock (2003-2009)
Yolanda Griffith* Indiana Fever (2009) Sacramento Monarchs (1999-2007) Seattle Storm (2008)
Becky Hammon San Antonio Silver Stars (2007-Current) New York Liberty (1999-2006)
Chamique Holdsclaw San Antonio Silver Stars (2010) Washington Mystics (1999-2004) Los Angeles Sparks (2005-2007) Atlanta Dream (2009-2010)
Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm (2001-Current)
Shannon Johnson* Seattle Storm (2009) Orlando Miracle (1999-2002) Connecticut Sun (2003) San Antonio Silver Stars (2004-2006) Detroit Shock (2007) Houston Comets (2008)
Lisa Leslie* Los Angeles Sparks (1997-2006, 2008-2009)
Taj McWilliams-Franklin Minnesota Lynx (Current) Orlando Miracle (1999-2002) Connecticut Sun (2003-2006) Los Angeles Sparks (2007) Washington Mystics (2008) Detroit Shock (2008-2009) New York Liberty (2010)
Delisha Milton-Jones Los Angeles Sparks (1999-2004, 2008-Current) Washington Mystics (2005-2007)
Deanna Nolan Detroit Shock (2001-2009)
Candace Parker Los Angeles Sparks (2008-Current)
Ticha Penicheiro Los Angeles Sparks (2010-Current) Sacramento Monarchs (1998-2009)
Cappie Pondexter New York Liberty (2010-Current) Phoenix Mercury (2006-2009)
Nykesha Sales* Connecticut Sun (2003-2007) Orlando Miracle (1999-2002)
Katie Smith Seattle Storm (Current) Minnesota Lynx (1999-2005)Washington Mystics (2010)
Tangela Smith Indiana Fever (Current) Sacramento Monarchs (1998-2004) Charlotte Sting (2005-2006) Phoenix Mercury (2007-2010)
Dawn Staley* Houston Comets (2006-2006) Charlotte Sting (1999-2005)
Sheryl Swoopes Tulsa Shock (Current) Houston Comets (1997-2000, 2002-2007) Seattle Storm (2008)
Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury (2004-Current)
Penny Taylor Phoenix Mercury (2004-2007, 2009-Current) (Cleveland Rockers (2001-2003)
Tina Thompson Los Angeles Sparks (2009-Current) Houston Comets (1997-2008)
Teresa Weatherspoon* Los Angeles Sparks (2004) New York Liberty (1997-2003)
Natalie Williams* Indiana Fever (2003-2005) Utah Starzz (1999-2002)
*Retired |
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| Former WNBA players serving as college head coaches |
| Jennifer Azzi, San Francisco
Tricia Binford, Montana State
Itoro Coleman, Clemson
Cara Consuegra, Charlotte
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, North Carolina-Wilmington
Sylvia Crawley, Boston College
Beth Cunningham, VCU
Kellie Harper, N.C. State
Amber Jacobs, Baptist Bible College
Suzie McConnell-Serio, Duquesne
Wendy Palmer, North Carolina-Greensboro
Raegan Pebley, Utah State
Semeka Randall, Ohio
Jennifer Rizzotti, Hartford
Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Coquese Washington, Penn State
Teresa Weatherspoon, Louisiana Tech |
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