By Mel Greenberg
An email late Monday night popped into the Guru's in-box late Monday night from the Seattle Storm announcing a press conference Tuesday featuring Storm executive Karen Byrant and WNBA president Donna Orender.
A search a few hours later after getting up for air found our Seattle Times colleague Jayda Evans reporting that the WNBA franchise is going to local, unidentified owners.
The future of the franchise, which won the 2004 WNBA title, has been murky with the current owner having made noise about moving the team and the NBA Seattle Supersonics out of town, potentially to Oklahoma where he is from, because of an arena controversy.
But there also was much activity in the Northwest to find a way to retain the popular WNBA team.
If reports become true, Seattle would join Connecticut, the new Atlanta franchise, Washington, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, as teams not affiliated with a local NBA operation. The total would become 50 percent of the current 14 franchises.
Seattle is still looking for a coach after the recent resignation of Anne Donovan, the coach of the Olympic team.
Also, top stars Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson are currently free agents, although both seem likely to remain in the Emerald City.
The Collegiate Scene
Top-ranked Connecticut and its coach Geno Auriemma made it 300 appearances in team and coaching categories in the AP poll Monday when the Huskies were an unanimous choice this week.
George Washington earned its 100th appearance.
Willingboro's Crystal Langhorne is 38 points away from breaking Maryland's all-time scoring record.
Texas is No. 15 in the AP poll, enabling the Longhorns to continue to add to its appearance stature near the top of the list, as well as continue to appearance streak of former Duke coach Gail Goestenkors.
But in the weekly wire-released Collegiate Basketball News RPI report, Texas was ranked 43rd Monday with a strength-of-schedule ranking of 183.
Speaking of Duke, the Blue Devils will retire recently-graduated Lindsey Harding's number on Jan. 20 when North Carolina State visits.
We'll be at Villanova Tuesday night for a Big East clash in which the Pirates are riding a six-game win-streak and the Wildcats will again try to bounce from a loss -- the current one being last week's slaughter by Connecticut.
-- Mel
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