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By Mel Greenberg
UNCASVILLE, Conn. - For those who thought they'd never ever see any women's basketball player with current or past affilations with the University of Tennessee, junior Candace Parker broke ground Wednesday night when she was introduced as part of the lineup for the USA Basketball Senior National Women's Team against Australia at the Mohegan Sun Arena -- the home of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun.
Parker then dominated with 23 points and USA completed a two-game sweep of the exhibition series with a 70-66 victory.
"We know who to cheer for and when as long as they aren't wearing Orange," jested Swin Cash, the former UConn and current WNBA Detroit star who quickly arrived here to catch up with the USA group. On Sunday, unlike a year ago, Cash was on the losing side as the Phoenix Mercury completed a comeback from a 2-1 deficit to take the best-of-five WNBA championship series in Auburn Hills, Mich.
With the media contingent known as the horde in abundance, much coverage of Wednesday's action exists around the internet. This is about someone who couldn't make it to the house but will catch up with the USA in Chile as they attempt to win the FIBA Americas Tournament and an automatic berth in next summer's Olympcis in Bejing, China.
That would be former Rutgers star Cappie Pondexter, he No. 2 overall pick by Phoenix in the 2006 draft who went on to become the MVP of the finals as the Mercury toppled the former champion Shock.
Temple coach Dawn Staley, who retiired from the WNBA last summer after an All-Star career and also earned three Olympic gold medals, was asked if she had seen Pondexter during the playoffs.
Three years ago, the native of Chicago ruined Temple's attempt to get to the Owls' arena in Philadelphia for the NCAA regional semifinals and last summer Staley, a prolific point guard for the Houston Comets, had to play opposite Pondexter in the Western Conference.
"Cappie's ready," Staley said Wednesday night of Pondexter's worth to the top level of USA Basketball competition."She's been chomping at the bit to be a part of USA Basketball.
Staley is now an assistant coach on the USA squad to Anne Donovan of the WNBA's Seattle Storm.
``She's a young player, a hungry player. You can see her passion through her play everytime she steps on the floor," Staley continued. "I mean, my hat goes off to her. She didn't win a national championship but a WNBA championship is a pretty good consolation.
"She deserved it," Staley said of gaining a title and becoming MVP. "She had some incredible moments for the Mercury. It probably couldn't happen to a better person because she attacks the game. She plays with such passion, you want her to win."
-- Mel
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