Women's Hoops Guru

By Jonathan Tannenwald
Philly.com

WASHINGTON -- After the Los Angeles Sparks held off a furious Washington Mystics rally in the third quarter for a 70-59 win, it was no surprise to see Candace Parker draw most of the attention in the Verizon Center’s visiting locker room.

But a few reporters lingered at the other side of the room, chatting with a player whose trip to Washington this weekend was also of quite some significance.

DeLisha Milton-Jones was one of the Mystics’ top players in 2006 and 2007, becoming a fan and media favorite for her basketball skills and outgoing personality.

But after last season fell short of expectations in Washington, Milton-Jones requested a trade. The Mystics obliged, sending her back to the city where she spent the first six years of her pro career.

“When I made that decision to come here to D.C., I really believed in my heart that with the team we had back then, we had a great chance to really build and become a championship team,” Milton-Jones said. “But things just took a turn for the worse as the years went by, so I made a decision to say, ‘Please trade me.’ Now that I’m here in L.A. having a second chance, I’m so grateful.”

Milton-Jones returned to the nation’s capital Saturday afternoon for the first time since the trade, and received a warm ovation when introduced during the starting lineups.

“They were teasing me before the game, saying, ‘Oh, they’re going to boo you,’” Milton-Jones said of her teammates. “Well, if they boo me, I’ll just think they’re saying ‘Oooh’ instead of ‘Boo.’”

There was nothing of the sort, and those readers who live in the Philadelphia area will understand it being a bit strange for this reporter’s ears. Perhaps it’s a sign of how long I’ve worked in Philadelphia that I would be surprised to hear an opposing player not be booed.

“The fans in Washington, they’ve been great – I can’t recall them booing a player ever,” Milton-Jones said. “They just like good basketball, and we need more fans like that in the WNBA.”

The loudest cheers were not for Milton-Jones, though, but for Parker. That wasn’t as much of a surprise, and perhaps serves as some confirmation of Parker’s potential to be the transcendent player the WNBA has long been seeking.

“Anywhere we go, she has a vast following,” Milton-Jones said of Parker. “She’s a superstar in a lot of these people’s eyes, and they’ve watched her grow from her days in Tennessee up into her professional career.”

Those cheers continued throughout the game, as Parker tallied 15 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. The crowd was at least a little muted, though, when Parker’s close jumper in the lane gave the Sparks a 54-53 lead with 5:43 left in the game after Washington had erased a 16-point deficit.

Compared to Parker, Milton-Jones had a relatively quiet box score line: 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting, six rebounds, one block, one steal and four fouls committed. Milton-Jones admitted that the Sparks are more than happy to put the ball in the hands of their stars, Parker and Lisa Leslie, as much as they can.

“We’re trying to get them the ball because we know it’s so difficult for teams to handle them, whether it’s on an individual basis or it’s in double- or triple-teams,” Milton-Jones said. “And they’re great passers... Any time we can get the ball into their hands, good things happen.”

Leslie led all scorers with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, and also tallied five rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks.

Even with the two big stars, the Sparks’ title hopes this season rest as much on their depth as on their talent. Just as the old ‘Showtime’ Lakers were built on more than just their stars, so too is this Sparks squad a function of more than just Parker and Leslie.

“We need [Parker and Leslie] to win, but we don’t need them to win for us,” Milton-Jones said. “They don’t need to put up 40 points each for us to win.”

It certainly would not hurt the league, though, if this Sparks team can acquire at least part of the glamorous reputation of that Lakers dynasty.

“They’re coming to see [Parker], and when you can see Candace and a Lisa Leslie and a [Shana] Bobbitt and a [Murriel] Page, all these players on one team, that’s a ticket worth paying,” Milton-Jones said.

Postscript: I should give credit for the ‘Showtime’ reference to the person who first invoked it, Washington Post Mystics beat writer Katie Carrera. And I should also note that the Post’s Mystics blog has three regular contributors, which is quite impressive.

But we’re working on matching that, and let the record show that Inquirer staff writer Kate Fagan’s presence at today’s game made Philadelphia Media Holdings the second-most represented non-television news organization in the arena.

By Jonathan Tannenwald
Philly.com

WASHINGTON – Mel mused on here yesterday that Cappie Pondexter, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker would be named today to USA Basketball’s squad for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

Those four names just became official, along with five others, at a press conference held at the Verizon Center here in D.C. before tipoff of the nationally-televised Sparks-Mystics game (3:30 p.m., ABC).

The five new names are Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles and Lisa Leslie.

Three more players will be named later in the summer.

“We have some of the best talent in the world within these nine players,” women’s national team coach Anne Donovan said. “When we get together on July 28, it’s going to be a pretty formidable group.”

Donovan was effusive in her praise of the players selected, singling out Leslie as the squad’s best. She also praised Parker for settling in quickly to the squad.

“We really threw [Parker] into the hot seat and said, ‘Go play, kid,’” Donovan said.

Parker reflected on what it means to be named to her first ever Olympic squad.

“I can remember sitting on my couch watching the ‘96 Olympics, with tears in my eyes watching them get their medals, and telling my mom and dad I was going to be there one day,” she said.

Leslie acknowledged the significance of being named to her fourth Olympic squad.

I just feel really emotional,” she said. “I don’t know why, maybe it’s because I just had a baby. I feel so blessed to be young enough to play in another Olympics, but old enough to now be the leader of a number of great players.”

Donovan also praised Pondexter, the former Rutgers star, for earning her way onto the team.

She’s been a young, eager player that’s really adjusted to her role with USA Basketball, which is quite different than what it is for Phoenix or what it was for Rutgers,” Donovan said. “She’s worked hard to be there, so I’m proud of her for that.”

Donovan acknowledged that with the arrival of Pondexter, Parker, Augustus and Fowles, a changing of the guard might be beginning within the national team.

“Sue and Diana were the last two in Athens that were new players coming on board,” Donovan said. “I just remember Sue picking Dawn [Staley]’s brain-non stop, and I think the same thing’s happening [now]. . . My hope for this team moving forward is that lal these younger players continue to pass the baton.”

USA Basketball Senior National Team Committee Chair Renee Brown noted that of the three spots remaining on the roster, the committee was looking for “another post player, a guard and a wing.”

That post player could well be Indiana’s Tamika Catchings, who is fighting an injury and hopes to be healthy in time to get on the Olympic team.

“We do want to watch her, and watch her injuries to see how she does,” Brown said. “She’s very important to USA Basketball.”

Donovan described Catchings as “another no-brainer in my mind,” adding that she didn’t have to be as “politically correct” as Brown in describing players.

As for the team’s goals in Beijing, Leslie pulled no punches.

“It’s about gold – we don’t settle for anything less,” she said.

The breakdown of players by WNBA team is as follows:

Los Angeles: 2 (Leslie, Parker)
Phoenix: 2 (Taurasi, Pondexter)
Chicago: 1 (Fowles)
Detroit: 1 (Smith)
Houston: 1 (Thompson)
Minnesota: 1 (Augustus)
Seattle: 1 (Bird)

NOTES: The national team will hold a pre-Olympic training camp at Stanford University’s Maples Pavilion from July 28-30. After that, the team will travel to Haining, China, for the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament, with teams involved including Russia, China and reigning FIBA world champions Australia. . .

Donovan’s assistants include Connecticut Sun head coach Mike Thibodeault, Texas head coach Gael Goestenkors and newly-appointed South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, the former Temple coach and U.S. Olympic team flag-bearer at the Athens opening ceremonies.

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA _ This is a short public service notice to aspirants to succeed Dawn Staley as Temple's next women's basketball coach but may not have yet discussed their interest with either the Guru or Temple officials.

According to a candidate who was tracking their paperwork through Fedex, the address originally listed to send materials was printed wrong at the NCAA and releated web sites.

It was first listed as 300 W. Berks St., then 330. The candidate with knowledge of Philadelphia determined the error, which has since been corrected to 1330.

In fact, the Guru traced the posting through goggle to a web site that contains the official posting and clicking on this posting link will let you look at the particulars.

So if any of you reading this blog that have had interest and mailed your materials prior to last Wednesday and might wonder if you need to re-send them, now you know.

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

Former Rutgers star Cappie Pondexter is likely to be among the USA Olympic women's basketball selectees announced at halftime during Saturday's nationally-televised WNBA game in Washington between the Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks, several source knowledgeable of the choices confirmed Friday afternoon.

The entire squad will not be named, but there are indications through teleconference alerts relayed to members of the media that former Connecticut stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, who played in the Athens games in Greece in 2004, will also be part of Saturday's announcement.

The notice did not mention any specific players in mentioning the USA Basketball officials who will be on the call.

Rookie Candace Parker, the former Tennessee star who has made a record-breaking debut with the Los Angeles Sparks after her selection as the overall No. 1 pick, is also likely to be part of the announcement.

Parker has already played with the USA senior national women's team.

Although Pondexter's aspirations for an NCAA title fell short at Rutgers where she achieved all-American status, the native of Chicago has already gone on to become a WNBA All-Star and last season was the MVP of the playoffs as the Phoenix Mercury won their first WNBA title.

Taurasi also plays for the Mercury. Her future Hall of Fame stature is already ensured, as is Bird's with NCAA, WNBA,and Olympic titles in their resume. Bird's WNBA ring was acquired with the Seattle Storm in 2004.

If the USA wins another gold medal, difficult as the challenge looms in Beijing, China, Pondexter is also likely to be Hall of Fame bound off a projected career stardom in the pros.

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA - Former Tennessee star Candace Parker is well on the way to becoming the first WNBA ringer rookie since former American Basketball League types became WNBA newcomers after the ABL collapsed under bankruptcy in December, 1998.

Parker, who played with WNBA stars on the USA Basketball Senior National Team last summer gave a new meaning to the Big Five, and not the fabled winter competition that exists here in the winter in the college ranks.

The following note was sent down from the WNBA home office about Parker's performance Thursday night in the Los Angeles Sparks' double overtimes loss at Indiana to the Fever, 82-78.

According to the WNBA reporter, Parker produced the first-ever 5x5 in WNBA history .

She recorded at least 5 in each of the following categories: points, rebounds, blocks, assists, steals. (confirmed by Elias Sports Bureau)

Her line: 16 points, 16 rebounds, 6 blocked shots, 5 assists and 5 steals.

This follows her near-triple-double debut on opening day. Parker has played just three games so far as a pro.

In addition, the Fever and Sparks combined for a WNBA-record 27 blocks.

Meanwhile, no hot news on the Temple search for Dawn Staley's successor as the committee is collecting applications from the field.

When the interviewing process begins sometime next week, Connecticut assistant Tonya Cardoza is very likely to be invited to interview, according to a source familiar with the search, which certifies her status as a frontrunner.

Of course, that tag is likely to be put on a few others, but not many, as Temple officials target an end-game to fill a vacancy that has existed nearly a month.

Meanwhile, there will be a blogging fiesta, but not from the Guru himself, who will be in the home office this weekend from Saturday's Los Angeles Sparks-Washington Mystics confrontation in the nation's capital.

Jonathan, who will be on the scene, has noted in conversation the myriad of angles with the first of two encounters between the Sparks and Mystics, including the return of DeLisha Milton-Jones.

Inquirer sports department newcomer Kate Fagan, who will be on assignment for a print feature on Mystics rookie Crystal Langhorne, the former Maryland friom Willingboro, to run a few days later, may also make her debut here with an additional feature.

That's it for now. Thanks for dropping by.

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The Guru took advantage of some open time and a few days of quiet behind-the-scenes activity in the Temple search for Dawn Staley’s successor to come up here and watch the red hot Connecticut Sun get cooled by the Indiana Fever, 75-46, in a WNBA nationally-televised game at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

The game was over before it was hardly underway with Indiana racing to a 28-11 lead in the first quarter and never threatened the rest of the way.

The main attraction was the first confrontation between teams involved in one of the major offseason trades in which Katie Douglas went to the Fever and her home in Indiana while the Sun picked up Tamika Whitmore.

But first a little public service message to anyone reading this and is planning to come up this way, not necessarily for WNBA action, but to take in the entertainment-casino complexes either here at the Mohegan Sun or at the nearby Foxwoods outfit.

Despite the soaring price of gas – the Guru left pump signs in New Jersey at $3.79 per gallon to quickly encounter $4.50 totals for regular gas in New York and here – it was still cheaper to drive and stay overnight at a nearby hotel by over a $100 than doing a same-day roundtrip on Amtrak.

The Guru hasn’t noticed any passenger trains parked in gas station bays but the pricing to New London from Trenton, north of Philadelphia, seems to have mounted faster than the totals for autos getting all the attention.

As to the game, itself, Indiana was without star Tamika Catchings, still sidelined after being treated for a right Achilles heel injury.

It made little difference as Douglas turned aside a small number of boos from the crowd of 5,245 to score 23 points. Tan White added 15 points and Ebony Hoffman grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Paltry Sun effort, that included a franchise-low seven points in the fourth quarter, saw Lindsay Whalen as the only Connecticut in double figures with 13 points.

In terms of the Sun, the game could have been billed as disaster night the way Connecticut set other franchise records for futility: The seven points were one less than any previous here in the Mohegan Sun Arena and the 29-point blowout was the largest deficit in Connecticut history after the franchise’s previous existence as the Orlando Miracle. Indiana’s 17 assists in the first half also became an arena record.

“I’m just glad they welcomed me before the tip-off,” Douglas said of the mixed reception talking to what is probably a record for the number of writers up here in the visitors locker room to a team not possessing former University of Connecticut star Diana Taurasi.

“I don’t have any anger or animosity towards that. They’re cheering for their team and I’m no longer a member of their team. I just got here (to Indiana from overseas) eight-nine days ago. It’s been quite a whirlwind for me,” Douglas said of not having the date circled on her calendar schedule.

“It was a great run that I had here in Connecticut. I have nothing but positive and wonderful memories here.”

As for the other side of deal, Whitmore said, "I still think I got the better end of the deal as far as organization is concerned," the former Memphis star said. "I'm on a team that is not about self and I've never played that way."

Whitmore had been with Indiana two seasons after beginning her WNBA career with the New York Liberty.

Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia the Temple search continues but athletic director Bill Bradshaw has a previously scheduled quick trip to Chicago, where he had been the athletic director of DePaul prior to his present employment.

Temple’s plan is to bring in a small number of candidates for interviews so as not to make contact with aspirants just for the sake of doing so.

“At the same time, we’re not going to be so hasty as to overlook anyone that should be under consideration, plus a diamond in the rough or two could emerge before the search is over.”

-- Mel

(Guru's note: Just like DVDs, this is an enhanced version of the print story from Saturday's editions with extra quotes and comments that were restricted by space.)

By Mel Greenberg
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

PHILADELPHIA _ Former Temple women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, in her first comments in Philadelphia since taking the coaching job at South Carolina on May 7, said Thursday night that she had received well wishes from friends in her native city but that Temple officials probably were still “a little shocked” by her move.

Staley also endorsed Tonya Cardoza, a longtime friend and Connecticut assistant coach, to succeed her. She added, however, that the Owls could do equally well hiring “some high-power WNBA coach who will bring instant credibility.”

“They don’t need a no-name,” Staley said on the question of what would be required to keep Temple at the level she established in eight years after joining the team without any coaching experience.

She accepted the South Carolina position with an initial five-year, $650,000 deal, abandoning the $500,000 package from Temple last season — the first year of a six-year extension. The Gamecocks also are helping Staley pay her $500,000 buyout.

Staley’s comments came after the annual Dawn Staley Foundation black-tie-and-sneakers gala, at the Cescaphe Ballroom in the Northern Liberties section of the city. About 200 people attended.

The former Dobbins Tech star said she would launch a similar community effort in Columbia, S.C., based on the foundation’s work in Philadelphia. The organization aids at-risk schoolchildren living in inner-city neighborhoods such as the one she grew up in around the Raymond Rosen housing project in North Philadelphia.

“We’ll miss you,” Harrison Jay, director of Temple’s Community Education Center, said before hosting the live auction.

Kenny Gamble of Gamble-Huff music, and A. Michael Pratt, chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, received awards for their community involvement.

Of her move and her impression of Temple’s reaction, Staley said: “I’m quite sure if the University of South Carolina came to Bill Bradshaw to be the athletic director, tell me what he would do.

“The same with the president. She left a school to come to Temple. Why? These are life decisions you have to deal with.”

(Bradshaw is Temple’s athletic director. Ann Weaver Hart is the university’s president.)

“Unfortunately, I’m not usually caught up in stuff like this because I’m pretty loyal, but my family comes first in all that.”

Staley also discussed Temple’s needs in making its next hire, noting “unfinished business” in leaving the Owls before taking them deeper into the NCAA tournament. “We were on the brink of that,” she said.

“I think Temple would be going backwards if they didn’t hire somebody that could take the program to another level,” Staley said. “Obviously, the money’s there because they paid me a chunk, so to speak, but that’s dedication to the program, making sure you are taking care of the program — not just taking care of the coach.

“I hope the impression that I left at Temple is it’s a good job and the administrators are going to do a great job supporting the program.”

Cardoza, who played with Staley at Virginia, has expressed interest, but the two sides have not been in contact. That could happen in the next few days as the search committee begins work.
“I hope Tonya gets the job, but I don’t know if me saying that is going to hurt her chances,”
Staley said, mindful that coaches leaving for other jobs rarely have influence on their successors.

Cardoza is also getting support from her current Connecticut boss, Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma, who grew up in Norristown outside Philadelphia and is believed to have phoned Bradshaw recently on her behalf, a source familiar with the Temple search said.

Neither Auriemma nor Bradshaw could be reached for comment Friday night.

“Tonya can bring credibility,” Staley said, adding that “her resume of being with a national champion, of being an intricate part of bringing in highly talented recruits to UConn — yes, I do think that (her being) a minority plays in our players’ favor” in responding to a new coach.

As for the WNBA, it was mentioned to Staley that some observers have suggested Temple might want to pursue New York Liberty coach Patty Coyle, a former West Catholic and Rutgers star.

"She'd be ok," Staley said.

However, Coyle has not commented on the Temple vacancy. She has preferred to concentrate on getting New York off to a good start in the young WNBA season after turning the Liberty around last season as a playoff participant which narrowly missed upsetting the Detroit Shock in the first round.

Atlhough Coyle was perceived on shaky ground in 2006, the improvement has been enough that Coyle's job is not considered in jeopardy. However, given New York's history that has included some turbulence involving front office and player personnel matters, the situation could change on a dime as it did for Nancy Darsch and Richie Adubato, the Liberty's two coaches prior to Coyle.

Staley said once she agreed to South Carolina’s offer, she became committed to the Gamecocks, but Philadelphia is still where her heart will reside
.
“I’m Philadelphia through and through,” Staley said despite being elsewhere at times as when she carried the American flag to lead the United States olympic delegation into the stadium in Athens, Greece, in 2004.

“It’s where my roots are,” Staley said. “Although I’m leaving, I’ve left Philadelphia before. I’ve left for college, I’ve left to play professionally -- somehow I always find my way back.

“I don’t know what capacity, but this is my home. Other places I don’t think I’ll be able to call home like I call Philadelphia.”

Although Staley’s comments about her move to the Southeastern Conference wars is perceived as a step to more rugged competition, some observers point out that she was leaving a program that was no longer the small potatoes outfit that existed in 2000 when she took the job.

Temple rewarded her growth from a rookie coach with no prior experience by increasing her contract along the way to among the top 10 in the nation in Division I women’s basketball coaching ranks.

The pay was such that a school such as UCLA was unable to lure her away. The Bruins also failed to land football coach Al Golden after last season.

Stanford was also unable to attract men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy, although it is not known if the Cardinals made an offer.

Furthermore, despite the tradition of the Southeastern Conference led by Tennessee, these days the Big East, which houses Connecticut and Rutgers, has become higher regarded.

But Staley sees it as a new challenge to build the Gamecocks from the ground up.

“This is very similar to taking the Temple situation,” Staley noted. “They’re not one of the best teams in the SEC. They’re one of the bottom teams and it’s going to take some work. Part of it is changing the mentality a little bit.”

Staley admitted to not being familiar with her new personnel, saying her Temple staff had recruited three of the remaining Gamecocks, “but that was three, four years ago.

“I haven’t watched film yet. I have to start developing relationships with them off the court. The basketball is going to be easy. We have to somehow gain trust with them as players we never had in the recruiting process to get to know one another,” Staley said.

“We have to have faith a little bit so we can get this done as quickly as possible.”
In that regard Staley’s staff will be accentuated by two former Olympic teammates — Carla McGhee and Nikki McCray who played for Tennessee, an arch rival of Virginia when she played for the Cavaliers in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

“They’re the No. 1 team in the conference so I’m going to see if I can get some secrets of (Tennessee coach Pat Summitt’s) success,” Staley smiled.

McGhee was an assistant to Staley one year at Temple, but prefers to live in the South. McCray had been at Western Kentucky.

Lisa Boyer was Staley’s assistant at Temple and coached her in the former American Basketball League. on the Richmond and Philadelphia Rage.

“I think it’s a good fit,” Staley said. “I’ve never worked with all women before. It’s going to be a different challenge but I know them. We’ve been to war together -- all three of them.

“I’ve been to war in some capacity (with each) and its’ going to be a war trying to compete and win the SEC championship and get into the NCAA tournament.”

Cynthia Jordan, a graduate student who was Staley’s first recruit, is likely to join her as a video coordinator. She might also try to lure La Salle assistant Stacey Smalls, one of her first players at Temple, if she can get Smalls into some graduate program in Columbia.

"If our kids want to get into coaching, we have to provde ways to make them learn," Staley said. "And I think it would be a great experience for (Smalls) and C.J. to get in at the bottom level and work their way up"

Staley called the decision to leave the most difficult since she jumped from the ABL to the WNBA several months before the ABL folded in bankruptcy.

“That was a business decision that allowed me to play as long as I played,” Staley said of making a move at the time when it was not known how long the ABL would survive. “The season was just too long. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. I’m not afraid to. Sometimes decisions are not the popular ones, but they’re the right ones.”

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA _ In greeting the crowd of several hundred that attended the annual Dawn Staley Foundation black tie and sneakers gala Thursday night, new South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who had been Temple's mentor the past eight seasons, called her move away from Philadelphia to Columbia, "borrowed time."

"I've always come back after going away before," Staley said after the formal program concluded.

Staley also said in her welcoming remarks she would take the work achieved by the foundation in aiding inner city children at-risk and use it as a model to establish a similar organization in the South Carolina community.

The former Dobbins Tech star, who later excelled at the University of Virginia, as well as in the pros and Olympics, was given a standing ovation before she spoke.

A picture of Staley leading the United States delegation carrying the American flag into the opening ceremonies of the 2004 Olympics went for $1,000, a successful bid at the annual auction by made Kenny Gamble and his wife. Staley signed the photo afterwards.

Gamble, co-founder and chairman of Gamble-Huff music, which created the Philadelphia Sound, was cited for his work in the community as was A. Michael Pratt, Esq., the chanceoor of the Philadelphia Bar in the annual awards portion of the program.

Health Partners, one of the sponsors of the foundation, as is Philadelphia Electric Company, made a successful bid of $500 for a ball autographed by Staley and former Temple men's coach John Chaney, a Hall of Famer.

PECO recently donated 10 computers to the organization, said foundation director Angelia Nelson.

Noting her recent hires of former Tennessee stars Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee, along with her formerTemple assistant Lisa Boyer, Staley said it was the first time her staff would include just women.

"But we've all gone to war with each other and maybe competing in the Southeastern Conference, we'll learn a few of `her' secrets," Staley quipped about competing against Hall of Fame Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.

Cynthia Jordan, who was Staley's first recruit, will join the Gamecocks ;probably in working involving video operation as a way of getting started in coaching, Staley said.

Staley had a few more things to say about leaving Temple and the type of candidate she'd like to see succeed her, but the Guru promised the home office he'd save the good stuff for the print edition on the next cycle, which will be available late Friday evening and enhanced here.

Meanwhile, Detroit Shock assistant Cheryl Reeve, a former La Salle star with the WNBA organization, checked in the other day to clarify a statement she previously made on a somewhat technologically mangled cell phone call at the Guru's end to say she was not going after the Temple job, still calling it a good opportunity for someone.

However, she did note she would be willing to hear what Temple officials had to say if they called.

Contact has yet to be made between Temple and Connecticut assistant Tonya Cardoza, but that is expected to happen in the next several days.

On a social note, the Guru brought as his guest recently-hired Inquirer sports staffer Kate Fagan, a former Colorado women's hoops star, to the evening to gala to offer her first (and last, for a while) chance to meet Staley.

She'll be reviving her game this summer, by the way, competing in the rugged Department of Recreation NCAA Women''s Summer League, in which many Big Five players of past and present as well as other local athletes participate.

Some of her early work in her first few weeks here can be found by searching her name in the main Philly.com area, although Jonathan, upon reading this, may chime in here and insert a link or two.

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA - Months ago when Dawn Staley scheduled her annual Black Tie & Sneakers Gala for Thursday night, little did she realize that as much focus would be on her as the success of her Dawn Staley Staley foundation which has aided urban youngsters since she established the nonprofit entity as a way of giving back after she won her first Olympic gold medal in 1996.

It was viewed as a comfortable spot on the calendar between her concluded collegiate season and her forthcoming activity as an assistant coach this summer with the United States senior national women's basketball team that will compete in Beijing, China, in August at the Olympics.

Through the years, the gala has been a fun event with comedian Bill Cosby usually dropping by to help run the auction, and such good friends and athletic celebrities as track star Jack Joyner Kersee and a slew of WNBA folks in attendance.

Essentially, however, in the wake of her leaving Temple earlier this month as the Owls women's basketball coach for a similar position at South Carolina, Thursday's event will inherently become her formal goodbye.

Staley intends to continue to operate the foundation here because "her heart remains in Philadelphia," according to Angelia Nelson, who runs the day-to-day activity of the organization as its main director.

However, it is hard to imagine how much Staley will be able to shuttle back and forth the way she could integrate Temple and the foundation into a seamless two-way setup in which the Owls could help the foundation and thus give time to the community, while foundation folks from the school kids up to the coorperate sponsors who have been so generous could bring enthusiasm to Temple games in the winter.

The Guru will be on the scene as a guest and will provide some account to you all, hopefully in print, and in this space in the next 24-to-48 hours.

Meanwhile, South Carolina's colors may be on the red side but Staley's staff with the Gamecocks will be accented with a heavy splash of Orange.

While Lisa Boyer is making the move with Staley, her two other assistants will be former Tennessee stars Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee, who were Olympic teammates.

McGhee also spent a year at Temple on Staley's staff before moving on to Auburn as an assistant to Nell Fortner and then to the WNBA as director of player personnel.

Cynthia Jordan, who was Staley's first recruit, is still deciding whether to head to Columbia while she also concentrates on advancing her education. She had been set to move up to full assistant coach at Temple to fill the vacancy left by Darius Taylor before South Carolina athletic officials were able to produce enough greenery to attract the former WNBA All-Star.

As for the Temple search for Staley's successor, the ultimate winning candidate may not be known until early June, according to a high athletic department official.

"It's not that we couldn't normally get everything done quickly but people in the department had been previously scheduled for meetings elsewhere around this time, so we're not all going to be on campus together a lot over the next several weeks," the official said.

Athletic director Bill Bradshaw, for example, just returned from Atlantic Ten meetings and he will be absent for several days next week at another set of meetings, although associate athletic director Kristen Foley will oversee the committee as it begins to accept applications and determines who to schedule for interviews.

-- Mel

(Guru's quick alert: The headline reflects two different topics and are not related.)

By Mel Greenberg

Because interest appears to be growing here daily on the Temple search to find Dawn Staley's successor as the next Owls' women's coach, based on our site traffic indicators, here is the latest or lack of anything substantial in the last 24 hours.

Athletic director Bill Bradshaw is still in Florida at Atlantic Ten meetings and will return Wednesday night. There are no new names to hit the mix since the Guru's last offerings.

He has another set of meetings to attend sometime in the next week, previously scheduled, that will somewhat also delay the ongoing overall activity.

Associate athletic director Kristen Foley said Monday the search committee is organized and will begin its work. The Guru will attempt to pass along those individuals in the process.

Using the way the Guru has observed coverage in major sports such as football and baseball in searches for managers and coaches, here is how the news might be handled here and, when necessary, in print,

Some candidates after interviews might comment on the experience and their impressions of Temple and the program. Others may simply acknowledge or outside sources might acknowledge their appearance on the list of invitees. And there could be others whose names will not be public and may be preliminarily interviewed ahead of time but are under contracts in existing jobs and may want to remain anonymous at this time. However, if any of those move forward in the eyes of the search groups, the Guru will do his best to report the news.

WNBA Openers Attract Strong Interest in the Stands, on TV, and on the Web.

Here is the release received Monday from the WNBA home office reporting the impact of Los Angeles Sparks rookie Candace Parker and other items of interest from the WNBA's launch of Season 12 last weekend.

Driven by record setting performances and the debut of its most heralded rookie class, the WNBA tipped off its 12th season with one of its strongest opening weekends in history.

Candace Parker, the 2008 number-one draft pick and Los Angeles Sparks rookie, shattered the scoring record for a WNBA debut with her 34-point performance. She was just short of becoming only the second player in WNBA or NBA history to notch a triple-double in her or his first game (Oscar Robertson, 1960) with 12 rebounds and eight assists.

The Detroit Shock’s rookie guard Alexis Hornbuckle set a Shock single-game record with seven steals, while a trio of rookies led the Minnesota Lynx past the Shock on Sunday as Charde Houston, Candice Wiggins and Nicky Anosike scored 21, 15 and 11 points, respectively.

Average attendance for the weekend increased 14% over 2007 and six of the eight games were sellouts. In addition, ABC’s overnight ratings for the Los Angeles Sparks game against defending WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury on Saturday May 17 saw a 50% increase while WNBA.com’s weekend traffic set an all-time high.

Among the WNBA opening weekend highlights:

Attendance:

• Average opening weekend attendance up 14%: 11,783 (2008) vs. 10,314
(2007).

• Opening weekend featured six sellouts - The Seattle Storm, Shock,
Indiana Fever, Lynx, New York Liberty and the Mercury all played to
sold-out crowds. The Storm played before its largest home-opening crowd in
team history, the Fever and Lynx posted their best opening day attendance
since 2003 and the Shock saw their biggest home-opening crowd since their
inaugural season in 1998.

Ratings:

• ABC’s sixth season of WNBA coverage tipped off with a 0.9 rating for
Los Angeles-Phoenix game, a 50% increase over last season’s opening
broadcast between the Sacramento Monarchs and the Detroit Shock (0.6
rating).

WNBA.com:

• WNBA.com had its best weekend in history (May 17-18), with more than
465 thousand visits. The new mark more than tripled last year’s opening
weekend total and doubled the previous all-time best weekend for visits
established last season on August 25-26.

Merchandise:

• For the week leading up to the start of the season, WNBA merchandise
sales at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue and at WNBAStore.com more than
doubled versus the same time last year.

-- Mel reporting in Philly

(Guru's Note: Since many of you are dropping by daily with interest in, ahem, other news, here's the AP account, with some Guru reference inserts, of former Tennessee star Candace Parker's debut in the Los Angeles Sparks'd season-opening win over Phoenix, Saturday afternoon).

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOENIX — Candace Parker had some jitters in her WNBA debut. It sure didn’t show.
Parker scored 34 points, the most in a WNBA debut, and added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury 99-94 on Saturday.

The previous high in a WNBA debut was 25 points by Cynthia Cooper in 1997.

“It obviously was better than I expected,” said the 6-foot-4 Parker, who led Tennessee to back-to-back national titles. “Coming out, I just wanted to play hard. I was a little nervous, and I think my teammates did a good job of just keeping me in it mentally and just not allowing me to get frustrated.”

The game was tied at 79 early in the fourth quarter when Parker took over. She scored 10 straight points to give the Sparks an 89-86 lead with 3:15 to play.

Parker, who made 6-of-7 shots in the final quarter, hit a short hook shot to put the Sparks up 97-94 with 12 seconds to go.

“She’s the money player,” Los Angeles coach Michael Cooper said. “Put the ball in her hands and she did what she’s supposed to do.”

Parker wore a brace on her left shoulder, which she dislocated during the NCAA tournament. It didn’t slow her one bit.

Parker came within two assists of becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double. Only one NBA player did it in his debut — Oscar Robertson, in 1960.

“Honestly, it was just finding the mismatch,” Parker said. “My teammates did a great job of just getting me the ball and just moving afterwards.”

Lisa Leslie, who missed last season on maternity leave, had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks.

Former Rutgers star Cappie Pondexter, fighting off jet lag, scored 32 points for Phoenix but missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 4 seconds to go.

Pondexter arrived in Phoenix late Friday night after a long flight from Turkey, where she played during the WNBA offseason.

“She’s what you call a trooper,” Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said of last season's playoffs MVP. “She had 32. I can’t wait until she gets a little sleep.”

Before the game, the Mercury celebrated their 2007 WNBA championship with a ring ceremony and the unveiling of US Airways Center’s lone basketball title banner.

Mercury star Diana Taurasi told the crowd of 13,749 that the Mercury aim to make it two in a row this season. But this is a different team.

Former coach Paul Westhead left after the season to join the Seattle SuperSonics’ staff, although he returned for the ring ceremony. And star forward Penny Taylor is back in her native Australia preparing for the Beijing Olympics.

With Phoenix-area resident Muhammad Ali watching from a baseline seat, the fired-up Mercury broke out to a 15-7 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Sparks answered with a 10-0 run capped by a pair of 3-pointers by Sidney Spencer, who hit 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter.

Taurasi, a former University of Connecticut star, missed her first six shots, showing the effects of a stomach virus she contracted after returning from Russia this week. She was scoreless until she made a 3-pointer late in the first half. Taurasi finished with 24 points.

(Updating before the Guru's Connecticut friends send emails reflecting the WNBA portion and adding Swin Cash to the list of formers. The Guru is still adjusting to seeing her name on a Seattle roster. )

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA -- As the Temple search for the successor to Dawn Staley as the next women's coach nears the end of its first week, Connecticut's Tonya Cardoza is on the high list in the category of young, but seasoned assistant coaches who may be ready to take run their own program.

Unlike eight years ago when Staley took the head coaching job and unsuccesfully tried to lure her former Virginia teammate away from the Huskies to join her staff, Cardoza's phone won't be off the hook if Temple athletic officials make an inquiry in her direction.

"I'll definitely want to hear what they have to say if they call," Cardoza said Friday.

"Because of Dawn I feel like already know a lot about Temple and their players and definitely have followed their progress," Cardoza added. "Because of our friendship, she usually phoned or text messaged me pretty quickly after some of her big wins and even right after some disappointing losses.

"I think what they have been able to achieve in Big Five competition with all those titles under Dawn is pretty remarkable because I've always been aware of how intense those local rivalries are in Philly."

Several calls are believed to have been made on Cardoza's behalf. However, Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw and associate athletic director Kristen Foley are at Atlantic Ten Conference meetings this weekend and were unavailable for comment.

Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma was also unavailable to commernt on his thoughts.

Huskies assistant coach Jamelle Elliott would also be a good catch.

The Hartford Courant recently noted that the close friendship of Cardoza and Elliott, the two are not likely to go after the same vacancies against each other so they might have already determined between themselves who has the better opportunity to move to tfhe area not far where Auriemma spent his youth growing up in Norristown.

If Bradshaw and Foley need additional references during the hunt, they could contact former Atlantic Ten commissioner Linda Bruno, who is following the Temple activity even though she left her former post several weeks ago.

Bruno previously was in the Big East and was also a former chair of the NCAA women;'s basketball tournament committee. In the latter role, she was instrumental in helping Philadelphia land the Women's Final Four for 2000.

"There seems to several quality candidates already out there among both head coaches and assistant coaches, based on the names I've seen floated," Bruno said.

"It appears that Temple will ultimately make an outstanding choice when the interviews are over and they decide which way to go."

Locally Connected to the WNBA

The WNBA rosters were finalized for Saturday's openers and once again the rosters of the 14 teams are accented with players of interest to the Philadelphia area among the rookies and veterans.

As reported off the draft, the newcomer group includes Willingboro's Crystal Langhorne (Washington), Cheltenham's Laura Harper (Sacramento) and the Rutgers tandem of Essence Carson (New York) and Matee Ajavon (Houston).

"People have been talking about the marketing advantage with Essence because of Rutgers being nearby and her having grown up across the (Hudson) river, but we as staff were excited just about what she brings to the basketball," New York Liberty coach Patty Coyle said.

"We were looking at both Essence and Matee and would have loved to have the two of them, but we were pretty confident we were going to land one of them," added Coyle, a former star at Rutgers and West Catholic with her twin sister Mary.

Coyle's name has been tossed around early in the Temple search because of her extensive coaching experience, her ties to Philadelphia, and the fact that she is very much in touch with the collegiate scene because of her blanketing the country during the winter evaluating talent.

"I'm just excited about how we finished last year and the team we have assembled," Coyle said recently without addressing the Temple vacancy when asked if she had interest.

San Antonio Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes likes New York's potential in the Eastern Conference wars.

"Over there in the East, they already have an advantage in that most of them have already played together," Hughes said.

Meanwhile, among the WNBA veterans with Rutgers backgrounds are Tammy Sutton-Brown (Indiana), Chelsea Newton (Sacramento), and Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix), the MVP of the Mercury's title run in the playoffs last September.

Four former Penn State stars are also on rosters: Rookie Kam Gissendanner, who signed with Los Angeles as a free agent; Helen Darling (Sacramento), Kelly Mezzante (Phoenix), and Tanisha Wright (Seattle).

Detroit assistant Cheryl Reeve, who is has declared herself as a candidate for Temple, is from South Jersey.

Temple has two former stars who went successively in first-round choices in 2006 and 2007: Candice Dupree (Chicago) and Kamisha Hairston (Connecticut).

Rookie Marcedes Walker, the former Pittsburgh star from University City, signed as a free agent with Houston.

New Los Angeles assistant Marianne Stanley was recently a Rutgers assistant and is a former Immaculata star.

Washington's Taj McWilliams Franklin played for the Philadelphia Rage in the former American Basketball League as did Chicago's Chasity Melvin..

Other former ABL stars, now a dwindling group in the WNBA's 12th season, are Stacey Lovelace (Atlanta), Dominique Canty (Chicago), Sheri Sam (Detroit), Katie Smith (Detroit), Shannon Johnson (Houston), Barbara Farris (Phoenix), Muriel Page (Los Angeles), Yolanda Griffith (Sacramento), Tangela Smith (Phoenix), DeLisha Milton-Jones (Washington) and Washington assistant Crystal Robinson.

The also-dwindling list of WNBA originals from the inaugral season of 1997 are San Antonio's Vickie Johnson, who has played all 12 but spent most of her career in New York; Lisa Leslie, who has gone wire-to-wire in Los Angeles but missed last season due to pregnancy; Sheryl Swoopes, who missed time because of pregnancy and injury in Houston and is now with a new team in Seattle. Houston's Tamecka Dixon, who played originally in Los Angeles, and teammates Mwadi Mabikia, who spent her first 11 seasons in Los Angeles, and the Comets' Tina Thompson, who has gone the distance in Houston but also missed time due to pregancy and injury.

When it comes to draftees suriviving training camp, first-round picks are all on opening day rosters, but four second-round casualties who aren't are UCLA's Lindsey Pluimer (Washington -- 20), Georgia Tech's Chionas Nnamkae (San Antonio - 21), Duke's Wanisha Smith (New York - 27), and UTEP's Natasha Lacy (Detroit - 28).

Third-round survivors include Connecticut's Charde Houston (Minnesota - 30), Virginia Commonwealth's Krystal Vaughn (Washington - 34), George Washington's Kimberly Beck (Seattle - 36), Texas A&M's A'Quonesia Franklin (Sacramento - 38), and Notre Dame's Charel Allen (Sacramento - 43), who was the last overall pick courtesy of an extra choice given in the round to the Monarchs.

As for Connecticut alums vs. Tennessee alums, the Huskies crowd includes Atlanta's Ann Strother; the Connecticut Sun's Asjha Jones, Tamika Raymond, Ketia Swanier, and Barbara Turner (Nykesha Sales is not playing this summer); Los Angeles' Jessica Moore; Minnesota's Charde Houston (Svetlana Abrosimova is not playing this summer); New York's Ashley Battle; Phoenix's Willnett Crockett and Diana Taurasi; and Seattle's Sue Bird and Swin Cash for a total of 12 plus two absentees.

The Vols' group includes Detroit's Alexis Hornbuckle; Houston's Michelle Snow; Indiana's Tamika Catchings, who is currently injured; Los Angeles' Shannon Bobbitt, Sidney Spencer, and Candace Parker; Minnesota; Nicky Anosike, New York's Loree Moore; Sacramento's Kara Lawson; San Antonio's Shanna Crossley, who is out for the season with an injury; and Seattle's Ashley Robinson for a total of 11, that includes two sidelined players.

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA _ Dawn Staley may have departed for South Carolina, but is it possible the next Temple women's coach who will succeed her will also have a national reputation as a past All-Star point guard in the WNBA?

An individual who fits that description and also has local ties to Philadelphia is one Debbie Black, the former St. Joseph's and WNBA defensive specialist and playmaker who is currently an assistant to her Hawks coach Jim Foster at Ohio State.

"Since the word got out about Dawn, I've been getting a lot of calls from friends in Philadelphia asking if I'd be interested," Black said Wednesday.

"I'm really happy working with Jim at Ohio State, but I also think I'm ready to take that next step and be a head coach," the former Archbishop Wood star added.

"Is Temple that situation? I can't say either way right now, but it's intriguing and I'll have to learn more about where they're heading and what their expectations are," Black continued.

"But I think it's a tremendous opportunity for someone while at the same time it will definitely be a challenge to follow Dawn after all she did to raise the program's profile."

Temple athletic department officials are wrapping up details of the job internally with Temple's human resources department personnel and are expected to formally advertise the vacant position some time Thursday.

They are also completing spots on the search committee, which will be diverse in representation, said Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw. He has also been an AD at DePaul in Chicago and at La Salle.

This is the third time in the last several years Bradshaw has had to fill a major coaching position. The other two involved the hiring of Al Golden to succeed Bobby Wallace in football as well as former Penn coach Fran Dunphy to succeed Hall of Famer and legend John Chaney in men's basketball.

"Each of those spots were different in terms of how we had to make the hire," Bradshaw said, noting Dunphy's success as a head coach of the Quakers and Golden's rising reputation while serving as a youthful assistant at the University of Virginia.

In the early going, Temple officials do not have a particular candidate targeted considering that Staley's exit caught most by surprise because of South Carolina's ability in Columbia to top Staley's substantial Temple salary by $150,000 to $650,000.

Susan Walvius, the Gamecocks' previous women's coach in the Southeastern Conference, was estimated to be making around $280,000, which was well below Staley's Temple deal that was in the first of a six-year extension agreed to in April a year ago. That contract also had a $500,000 buyout, which South Carolina officials said they will help Staley pay.

Two members of Staley's former staff remain -- assistant Fred Chmiel and operations director Mary Wooley, who was scheduled to depart sometime this summer, without regard to Staley's move, to pursue her post-graduate education.

It's not known if Chmiel has interest in the job himself -- he was away for a few days this week and couldn't be reached for comment -- but as an individual popular with the Temple players, he might be kept by the new coach to provide continuity from the Staley era.

Many schools and new coaches have gone that direction in the past, especially in situations of sudden exits by the previous head coach.

When it comes to offering the best type of candidate for the Temple vacancy, there is not a clear consensus among the Temple faithful, as well as coaches elsewhere, in terms of the qualities needed to succeed Staley. The three-time Olympic gold medalist recently turned 38 but was only 30 when she joined the Owls.

Given the recent public revelation of Temple's available financial resources to pay Staley, a salary considered to be in the top ten of Division I women's coaches, some believe that a head coach with extensive experience would be best to fill the spot.

But that person should also be able to relate to today's youth, that even Staley, herself, conceded at times is quite different than in her collegiate days when she starred at Virginia in the early 1990s.

In that regard, others, noting the ties after Staley that have to be rebuilt within the community and among the Temple alumni base, believe an assistant from a national program with a record of recruiting success could quickly generate the same excitment Staley brought with her hire in April, 2000.

However, it is also conceded that a first-time head coach, even with that aforementioned background, would be in a different situation than recruiting for an existing top 10 power such as Connecticut, Tennessee, or Rutgers, for example.

Rhode Island assistant Ervin Monier, a former Temple assistant who plans to apply and landed all-American Candice Dupree in 2002, said he already has experience in the Temple dynamic, "because I already have done all of it under Dawn."

Although Temple officials will be attending Atlantic Ten Conference annual spring meetings this weekend, it's possible Bradshaw, while away, could begin preliminary talks with key candidates who are known to be interested or others who have been suggested.

Bradshaw and associate athletic director Kristen Foley are likely to hear other suggestions from Atlantic Ten colleagues, if they haven't already done so.,

The Temple AD noted that in his past experience involving hires, such as those at Temple, e, the search doesn't really narrow until the interviews get under way.

Bradshaw mentioned how frontrunners have fallen by the wayside after meeting with the committee.

"I've seen it both ways over the years," Bradshaw said. "There are candidates that might be real high on different lists but then go through the motions during their interviews.

"On the other hand, there have been candidates that you initially might consider strongly, but maybe not ranked as high on the list as other candidates. Then those individuals come in and really express a strong passion about wanting the job and being part of the university community."

-- Mel

(Guru's note: This is an enhanced version of a Tuesday print edition noteboook in the Inquirer sports section area of philly.com)

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA — With the Dawn Staley era over, Temple is about to begin a new one as it searches for her replacement as women’s basketball coach.

Staley resigned last week to become the coach at South Carolina. Owls athletic director Bill Bradshaw is forming a search committee to go through the list of candidates.

"We're still in the process and not all of the members of the search group have been chosen," Bradshaw said Monday night.

He added that associate athletic director Kristen Foley, who preceded Staley as the Temple women's coach, would most likely be in charge of the day-to-day activities.

Assistant coach Fred Chemiel and operations director Mary Wooley have remained and will probably run the basketball office," said Bradshaw, who met with the Temple players Monday afternoon before they complete final exams in the classroom and head home for summer vacation.

As of now, everyone, including the previously committed recruits for this fall, plan to remain on the team, Bradshaw indicated.

Temple will be posting the address for applicants interested in becomig the next Temple coach and once it is known, the same address will be posted in the blog.

It could take up to a month to name the next coach, Bradshaw said, only because his schedule includes the annual Atlantic Ten spring meetings in a few weeks.

"We'll see how it goes," Bradshaw said.

The conference, incidentally, is still seeking a successor to former Atlantic Ten commissioner Linda Bruno.

Meanwhile, a few Temple hopefuls stated their intent Monday to apply.

Cheryl Reeve, a former La Salle star who is an assistant to Bill Laimbeer with the WNBA’s Detroit Shock, said Monday she would apply for the job. The South Jersey native also was an assistant with the Charlotte Sting, head coach at Indiana State, and an assistant at George Washington.

Holy Family coach Mike McLaughlin, whose Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II women’s tournament, said Monday he also intended to apply.

Former La Salle women’s coach John Miller, who led the Mount St. Joseph’s girls to a state title last season, has been mentioned as a candidate as well.

"I just had my best year in coaching," said Miller, who was named the Associated Press’ girls’ coach of the year in Pennsylvania. "But given my friendships (with Bradshaw and Temple men’s coach Fran Dunphy), I would certainly listen to what they had to say."

Former St. Joseph’s coach Stephanie V. Gaitley is not a candidate. The former Long Island coach was named Monday as the coach at Monmouth, where her son, Dutch, plays for the men’s team.

ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck, a former coach of Florida and 1999 NCAA champion Purdue, as well as the former WNBA Orlando Miracle, said she is not seeking a return to the profession, for now.

"I'm just busy getting ready for the start of the WNBA," Peck said Monday of Saturday's season openers.

California coach Joanne Boyle, who previously coached Richmond in the Atlantic Ten before rebuilding the Bears into prominence, said she intended to remain in the Bay Area, noting she turned down Duke a year ago when the job opened. The native of Philadelphia had been a Blue Devils assistant under former coach Gail Goestenkors, now at Texas, prior to moving to Richmond.

Some other names, several of which were noted in the Guru's blog when Staley talks with South Carolina intensified a week ago, have also been mentioned by head coaches in side conversations as potential candidates worthy of the Temple position.

Army's Dave Magarity, a native Philadelphian who has moved the Black Knights forward after the tragic death of Maggie Dixon after the 2006 season ended, was mentioned.

"You can't tell me Temple can't top Army with a package,"quipped one coach.

It's not known if Ohio State assistant coach Debbie Black has interest in returning to her native city.

A feisty point guard who became nationally known in the WNBA and former American Basketball League is a native of the Philadelphia area who starred at St. Joseph's.

Black couldn't be reached for comment on Monday.

Another well-known coach familiar with the Atlantic Ten mentioned South Jersey native Lisa Cermingnano, a former George Washington assistant now an aide at Vanderbilt.

"Coming from GW and Vanderbilt, and the recruiting success she's had would make her a good candidate," the source noted.

Connecticut assistant Tonya Cardoza is believed interested, according to several sources, but has yet to be reached for comment.

The former Virginia star was a teammate of Staley's in the Cavaliers' Final Four-era in the early 1990s and is a lifelong friend of the three-time gold medalist who decided to stay with the Huskies in 2000 when Staley wanted to bring her aboard on Staley's first staff.

Because of the friendship, Cardoza has known much about Temple over the years Staley was building the Owls into prominence, although the closest the two schools came to meeting each other was last November when UConn and Temple were in the Paradise Jam tournament in Puerto Rico.

Honoring Perretta.

On Saturday night, about 200 friends, former players and past assistants attended a salute to Villanova women’s coach Harry Perretta, who has completed 30 seasons with the Wildcats.

Villanova men’s coach Jay Wright and former Wildcats coach Rollie Massimino were among the speakers and the guests included Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese and former Atlantic Ten commissioner Linda Bruno, who was once in charge of the Big East women before moving to the Atlantic Ten.

Former 76ers and Comcast-Specator executive Dave Coskey, who was once the women's sports information director for Perretta, also attended.

Perretta, who is found of handicapping horses, jokingly recalled the time he coached a Big East summer all-star team in Toronto and when he learned the team was being housed across the street from a race track Perretta said, he immediately exclaimed, "I love you Linda."

Assistant Shanette Lee, who played for Perretta, offered a humorous impersonation of the coach talking to his team during a time-out.

Lynn Tighe, a former player who is ‘Nova’s women’s athletic director, also spoke, as did Drexel coach Denise Dillon and former players Trish Juhline and Lisa Angelotti Gedaka.

Dillon recalled Perretta’s recruiting pitch to her in a parking lot after a high school game: "You’ll never learn to play unless you come to Villanova."

Wright humorously noted that Perretta actually has coached for 120 years considering that "he coaches his own team, of course he coaches my team, he's coached John Beilen's men's teams at West Virginia and he coaches the Tennessee women."

The latter was a reference to Perretta's friendship with Vols Hall of Famer Pat Summitt.

The Wildcats' men's coach recalled a time when George Washington coach Karl Hobbs was visiting Wright and Perretta had barged right into the office, a trait that is common to most everyone Perretta deals with at the Main Lline school.

"`You know, you're zone is terrible,'" Wright said Perretta said to Hobbs after being introduced.

Between the jabs, however, each speaker professed a love for Perretta and some recalled how the famous upset of Connecticut in the Big East title game in 2003, ending the Huskies' NCAA-record 70-game win streak enabled the graduate of Bonner High and Lycoming College to become appreciated nationally.

Perretta offered a 25-minute retrospective of his life, from his boyhood days in West Philadelphia as a Monsignor Bonner student to the present. Virtually everyone from managers to assistant coaches to players to PR directors got a mentioned.

He remembered the time early in his era when "we once played three games in three days and drove the vans almost a 1,000 miles. We won the first two before we got tired from the travel."

Guests were given Perretta bobblehead dolls, which will also be a give-away at a Villanova women's game next season.

Afterwards, all the former players, including some who pre-dated Perretta's arrival, posed for a group shot.

As the Guru looked at the dias, he mentioned how it had just struck him that each of them had once been covered by the Guru as undergraduates. The exception was Maria Caramanico, who was one of the founding members of the Villanova women as a nursing student.

"I covered here, also," the Guru said, "but as a parent of a famous player."

Diana Carmanico became Penn's all-time scorer as a senior in 2001 when the Quakers won their first Ivy League title.

-- Mel

(Guru's note: This is an enhanced version of the print story in the Inquirer Sunday sports section area of Philly.com with added information. Quotes are from the South Carolina web site which has more detail of the press conference.)

By Mel Greenberg

Dawn Staley’s transition from Temple University to South Carolina, as the Gamecocks’ new women’s basketball coach, became official Saturday when her $650,000 annual package was approved in the morning by the board of trustees.

Soon after, the Dobbins Tech graduate was introduced at a news conference in Columbia.
The deal, which gives Staley an increase from her $500,000 Temple package last year, was completed Tuesday, and both schools announced the three-time Olympic gold medalist’s departure the next day.

“It was a very difficult decision, but sometimes things happen,” Staley said of her decision to leave the Owls after making them a six-time NCAA participant in her eight seasons at
Temple.

“I think professionally I like to be challenged just to reassure myself as a coach. I thank Temple University for giving me the opportunity to hone my skills as a coach. This opportunity fits me.”

Staley joins a school that competes in the Southeastern Conference against such schools as Tennessee, which has won seven NCAA titles, including the last two.

"Some people say, `Why USC?' I say why not?" Staley said of her decision. "They have the commitment, facilities and coaches; it's a great time to be part of the movement at USC. I'm so happy because this is the first time I can speak on it now that everything has been approved.

“We’re going to work extremely hard at everything we do,” she said. “We’re going to work at turning this program around. I know [South Carolina athletic director] Eric Hyman said it’s going to take some time. I’m patient, but I’m not that patient.”

When Hyman introduced Staley, he referenced a conversation with an Atlantic Ten rival coach of Temple, whom he did not name.

"When we were researching Dawn, I talked to one of her coaching counterparts in the Atlantic 10, and he prayed that we hired her," Hyman said. "He said for the benefit of his coaching career, we needed to hire her out of that conference."

It was a remark, with some perceived humor, that appeared to come out of the nation's capital, the home of George Washington, which had dominated the conference prior to Staley's arrival.

The Colonials have continued to do well, but the Owls won four Atlantic Ten crowns in Staley's eight seasons at Temple.

Staley, the Gamecocks’ first female African American head coach, met with five members of her team before the news conference. They were as giddy as the Temple players that day in April 2000 when she took over a program that had not had a winning record in a decade.

“At first, there was that wow factor,” said Jordan Jones, a guard who will be a junior this fall. “She’s a superstar, but she is really a down-to-earth person, real genuine. She’s all into working hard, so if we work hard there isn’t going to be any problem. She’s had success everywhere she’s been — at Virginia, the Olympics, and hopefully that will carry over into here.”

Temple will begin formulating its "nationwide search," as promised by athletic director Bill Bradshaw, early this week.

He had been away all last week at football meetings in Phoenix when the Staley talks with South Carolina intensified, but he was in constant touch with developments back home.

While Temple will want to move quickly, especially with most of Staley's staff also departed, the search committee, once organized, will begin with a large list of candidates. That situation is unlike eight years ago when Staley was hired at a time there was not much interest in the vacancy.

Not every candidate will be publicly acknowledge because of some who have interest would rather not create problems for themselves with their current employers.

With no NCAA rule requiring schools with vacancies to ask permission to talk to targeted candidates currently under contract, elsewhere, Temple is free to make direct approaches to persons of whom the search committee may have an interest.

One person, not previously mentioned in the Guru's blog, who may be interested is former La Salle star Cheryl Reeve. a native of South Jersey who is one of Bill Laimbeer's key assistants with the Detroit Shock.

"I think Temple is a great opportunity for all the right reasons," Reeve said in discussing the position. "Bill Bradshaw, (Temple men's coach) Fran Dunphy, Big Five, Atlantic Ten. Dawn did a great job getting great kids to the program"

Bradshaw was the La Salle athletic director when Reeve was an undergraduate and Dunphy also has La Salle roots. She also was an assistant to Joe McKeown at George Washington and ran her own program for several years at Indiana State, besides holding an assistant WNBA position with the Charlotte Sting, coaching Staley at the time.

Olympic coach Anne Donovan will be job hunting once the Beijing Games end in China in August. Staley is an assistant on Donovan's staff.

When Staley was hired at Temple, she was away initially for her first several months playing in the WNBA and with the 2000 Olympic team in Sydney, Australia.

Former St. Joseph's star Debbie Black's name has been tossed around in recent days by persons who have followed Temple closely.

Currently an assistant coach at Ohio State, Black used to go head-to-head with Staley in a duel of All-Star point guards in the WNBA.

One name that won't be on the list is Long Island coach Stephanie Gaitley, who formerly coached St. Joseph's.

Several sources, including some at Villanova's salute dinner Saturday night to Harry Perretta for 30 years of coaching, indicated the former Wildcats star will be named the new coach of Monmouth in the next 24-to-48 hours.

Because of Staley's previous salary at Temple, which is said to be in the top 10 of Division I women's basketball coaches, and the return from her $500,000 buyout, Temple officials have the financial flexibility to either pay well an individual with extensive head coaching experience or scale back somewhat to a marquee assistant and then put the differential into building a strong staff of assistants.

Although departed from her hometown, Staley plans to continue to be involved in local affairs.

"Dawn wants to continue here," said Angelia Nelson, who heads Staley's foundation that aids urban youngsters. "Her heart remains in Philadelphia. Once she's finished with her first week or so getting situated, we will sit down and talk about how to proceed."

Staley's annual Black Tie & Sneakers Gala is still set to be held May 22.

She also has a one percent stake in the proposed Foxwoods casino project in center city.

Staley has refrained commenting on her involvement, but reports covering the bids for casino rights have said she plans to use her investment to aid the foundation by buillding playgrounds and other places in North Philadelphia to house after-school activities.

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA _ The Guru, after continuing to execute a little journalism, had a late-night philly cheesesteak in the neighborhood of the home office with the South Carolina coach-select and one of her longtime assistants Wednesday, who is also heading to Columbia, as Dawn Staley took a brief break from packing up her current Temple office.

Watching all the mementos being assembled for transfer reminded the Guru of those scenes in Washington when the presidency undergoes a change and movement day arrives at the White House.

"Enjoy this," Staley grinned to Lisa Boyer. "These kind of places won't be open at this hour in Columbia, nor will several others on Sundays."

Why is the Guru even bothering to note this?

Because he realized the main reporting of Wednesday's news is all on the Inquirer sports print-side of Philly.com and he was looking for a way to detour all that wonderful record web traffic that has been flowing through here the last several days.

Philly.com gave the Guru a count of about 5,000 hits off of Tuesday's initial reporting of Staley's accelerated negotiations with South Carolina at the time.

Meanwhile, although the Guru's alma mater, Staley's lame-duck employers, are not paying the Guru to be a way station for those interested in becoming the next Temple women's head coach, more names are floating in this direction since the Guru first created a long list of possibilities earlier this week.

Since that posting, some additional names either whispered in our direction directly or through intermediates, some of which have yet to be confirmed, and especially those with Philly ties are Loyola of Maryland coach Joe Logan, a former St. Joseph's assistant to Cindy Griffin; Rhode Island assistant Ervin Monier, who was one of Staley's early Temple assistants responsible for the finding of one Candice Dupree; former Temple star Marilyn Stephens, who is coaching in Florida and is a graduate of Gratz; Connecticut assistant Tonya Cardoza, Baylor assistant Rich Barron, who previously was in this area as the head coach of Princeton; and former Illinois coach Theresa Grentz who is back in the area as assistant to the president at Grentz's alma mater of Immaculata.

The Guru will be on that phase of the Temple story once athletic director Bill Bradshaw returns from football meetings in Phoenix and the search team is assembled. The names heading in this direction is quite a different story than in 2000 when the last vacancy existed before Staley's hire.

If he catches the right train, the Guru will be making a quick trip to Manhattan for the late morning WNBA exhibition game in Madison Square Garden between the host New York Liberty and Washington Mystics.

On Saturday, it's off to the 30th anniversary salute to Villanova coach Harry Perretta on the Wildcats' campus for his three decades of coaching the women.

Penn State coach Coquese Washington will be in the area as part of the Nittany Lions' annual statewide tour of alumni groups that will also include football coach Joe Paterno and men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis.

Incidentally, Philly.com is undergoing a move to a new platform this weekend but our own Jonathan Tannenwald, who is deeply involved in the transition, informs the Guru site will be handled with care if involved this weekend.

-- Mel

by Jonathan Tannenwald
Philly.com

Temple women's basketball coach Dawn Staley is officially leaving for South Carolina, Mel reported over on the main Philly.com site this afternoon.

You can read Mel's story, including details of Staley's new contract, by clicking here.

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA _ Talks have accelerated between Temple women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and University of South Carolina officials over the vacant Gamecocks coaching position, several sources familiar with the negotiations said late Monday night.

When noted that the annual Black Tie & Sneakers gala on behalf of Staley’s Foundation is several weeks away (May 22) and which Temple is very involved because of its high-profile women’s coach, one of the sources noted that if a deal is made it could be completed well before then.

“It’s very active,” the source said of the negotiations although it is not known if South Carolina has actually made Staley an offer.

Citing the different estimates of Staley’s Temple lucrative salary that have been recently reported, though none of the numbers have been confirmed, the same source acknowledged that South Carolina may have figured out how to tap Fort Knox to pry the three-time Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA all-star from her comfortable surroundings in her native Philadelphia.

On Friday, the Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee estimated Staley’s annual salary at $400,000, not counting income from camps and other incentives, which would be double the pay of former South Carolina coach Susan Walvius, who resigned under pressure April 14, after 11 seasons.

Walvus, incidentally, previously coached at Virginia Commonwealth in Richmond.

The Tennessee publication is pursuing the story because of the candidacy of longtime Vols assistant and former Tennessee star Holly Warlick, who had a second interview Friday, according to the News Sentinel.

South Carolina officials are not commenting on their search, but The State in Columbia reported on April 28 that officials were planning to interview Staley, who was in China at the time as an assistant with the United States women’s senior national team at a tournament in Beijing.

Staley has since been interviewed, the News Sentinel reported, and another source confirmed.

A year ago, Staley’s name was on most everyone’s shopping list when an array of high-profile jobs became vacant, but Temple officials were able to sign the fabled coach to a six-year extension.

That deal includes a sizeable buyout, although the numbers haven’t been reported or confirmed.

North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, who has South Carolina roots, was briefly involved and interviewed by South Carolina, but withdrew Thursday, the News Sentinel reported.

Besides the buyout and keeping Staley’s salary at a high value, South Carolina would have to accommodate her current staff of assistants, all of which she could be expected to want to bring to Columbia if she becomes the new coach.

Another person thought to be a potential candidate is Chattanooga coach Wes Moore, who has led his team to seven Southern Conference titles in the last eight seasons.

But a source in the Southeastern Conference believes that South Carolina, which was 11th in the SEC last season, has made it a priority to hire a minority female as its new coach.

Click here to keep reading

(Guru's Note: Updating late night Saturday while working the desk in the home office, here are the Associated Press accounts of Candace Parker's exhibition debut followed by an advance on her WNBA impact, which moved earlier this weekend for editions. The advance story may not make print versions in many areas and may not have been seen by the friendly nation sites -- whoever you think you are -- that link back and forth to the Guru's blog.).)

By GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA — Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie gave the WNBA its first glimpse of just how dangerous the Los Angeles Sparks could be this season.

Parker, the league’s No. 1 pick, had 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in Los Angeles’ 86-80 exhibition victory over the expansion Atlanta Dream on Saturday night.

Leslie played her first game since missing all of 2007 on maternity leave, but the three-time league MVP still finished with 18 points and seven rebounds.

After leading Tennessee to a second straight NCAA title last month, Parker is eager to help the Sparks win their third championship under coach Michael Cooper.

“I pulled Coop aside and said, ’Man, I love having someone to run the floor with me,” Parker said as she smiled at Leslie. “It’s like, ’Pick your poison.’ I mean if you stop the layup, I’m going to hit her, and she’s going to make a move, cut back or whatever. I was on the floor and just had pinch myself, honestly.”

Cooper, whose team led 70-49 at the end of the third quarter, pulled Parker out of the game with three minutes left in the period. Leslie was already resting on the bench, her night finished after less than 20 minutes.

“Tonight I was in ecstasy,” said Cooper, a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers. “It was truly a pleasure to watch these ladies play.”

Carla Thomas and Tamera Young each scored 15 points to lead the Dream, who were outscored 18-6 on the fast break and 38-18 in the paint.

An announced crowd of 7,932 watched at Philips Arena, which hosted the Atlanta Hawks’ Game 6 playoff win over Boston the night before.

It wasn’t the first time Thomas tried to defend Parker. At Vanderbilt, Thomas faced Parker and the Lady Volunteers many times.

“She showed what she’s capable of doing,” Thomas said. “She can hurt you in so many ways on the floor.”

Parker’s problematic left shoulder was iced after the game, a customary procedure after getting injured in the NCAA tournament. She wasn’t concerned about irritating the shoulder after missing a fastbreak dunk early in the third.

“I was not warm, so I probably should’ve just laid it up,” Parker said. “Lisa made a little behind-the-head pass, so something came out of it.”

After the Sparks went 10-24 last season, Cooper feels rejuvenated. Los Angeles opens the regular season May 17 at Phoenix in the first of four straight road games.

Leslie’s return only reaffirmed Cooper’s belief that the Sparks have a chance to go deep into the playoffs.

“You kind of take her greatness for granted,” Cooper said before nodding at Parker, “and it is a true joy to watch (Parker) play and the way she plays. The exciting thing about it is she plays the game above the rim. Both of these do, so it’s fun to watch and it’s fun to coach.”

Leslie had no trouble with any aspects of her game.

“I felt pretty good,” she said. “We started out the game pretty strong. It’s just really exciting basketball to be out on the floor and obviously to have Candace as a teammate. I can’t stop smiling. I don’t know how we got the No. 1 pick.”

Cooper, sitting to her left, quickly interrupted.

“We were losing,” he said with a grin.

Leslie’s response was immediately.

“Well, I didn’t lose, so I was just used to winning and then we got her as the No. 1 pick,” she said. “I’m happy, and we have so many other great teammates around her.”

Parker Impacting WNBA Way Ahead of Season Oepeners
By VIN A. CHERWOO
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK — Kathy Goodman admits she was wary of the hype about the impact Candace Parker would have on the Los Angeles Sparks if they selected her with the No. 1 overall pick in last month’s WNBA draft.

“I am the cynic of the group,” the Sparks’ co-owner said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. “I’m the one that’s like ’Yes I know there’s a lot of hype and let’s not believe our own hype. This is still going to take some work.’ And I have to admit, that even I was pleasantly surprised by the response.”

Although Parker has yet to make her debut with the Sparks, the former Tennessee Lady Vols star is already boosting the team and the rest of the league at the box office, in merchandise sales and on the Web.

Los Angeles sold seven times the number of season tickets during the first week after the April 9 draft compared to the same period last year. Also, individual game ticket sales for the first eight days after the draft increased nearly threefold.

No doubt, the Sparks’ ticket sales are also being fueled by the return of Lisa Leslie. The perennial All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist is back after a one-year absence following the birth of her daughter last June.

“It has been really overwhelming to see,” Goodman said. “The combination of Candace joining the team and Lisa Leslie being back on the team, both of those things have been a matter of a lot of buzz in the community.”

And that buzz hasn’t been limited to Los Angeles. According to the WNBA, teams around the league are selling three times as many individual game tickets for when the Sparks are scheduled to visit compared to their overall average.

“I feel like it’s a huge responsibility,” Parker said. “Obviously we’ve gotten people to buy tickets to the games, but it’s a matter of getting them to come back. I guess a little bit of added pressure to perform when we play ... not to take any nights off because there’s always going to be somebody watching you for the first time.”

Being a draw isn’t new for Parker. Tennessee is usually among the attendance leaders in women’s college basketball — at home and on the road. The Lady Vols averaged a school-record 15,796 at home this past season en route to their second straight NCAA championship, and eighth overall.

“It’s something I am used to in a way, coming from a storybook program at Tennessee,” Parker said. “We had a lot of sold-out away games this year, a lot of people wanted to see us play. I’m used to it, but it’s something you can’t take lightly.”

A few more numbers to quantify Parker’s impact:

—The league sold more Parker jerseys on WNBAStore.com in the first two weeks after the draft than any other rookie in league history during a similar time period.

—Parker’s page on WNBA.com received 70,000 page views in the week of the draft (April 6-12), trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul when compared to NBA players.

—The Sparks’ Web site has already set all-time monthly traffic records during April for page views, and set a single-day record on the day of the draft with more than 40,000 visits.

“Obviously she’s a spectacular player and she’s also an incredibly charismatic personality. People are really drawn to her,” Goodman said. “She can be a gateway player where people get hooked on her but they realize ’Look at all these other great players we didn’t know about.’ This is not like this is a league that has nobody in it except for her. People will come to see her and stay to see the rest of the teams and the rest of the players.”

Parker knows she doesn’t have the pressure that usually falls on a No. 1 pick, of being the focal player for a struggling franchise. Although the Sparks were 10-24 last season, they had to contend with Leslie’s absence, injuries to key players like point guard Temeka Johnson, and the sudden retirement of six-time All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw five games into the season.

Not only is Leslie back this year, Los Angeles also reaquired two-time Olympian DeLisha Milton-Jones, who was on the Sparks’ championship teams in 2001 and 2002, from Washington last month.

“The team went 10-24 last year, but this year’s team isn’t a 10-24 team,” Parker said.

The Naperville, Ill., native admits she is looking forward to the Sparks’ visit to Chicago on June 3. And an added bonus to her rookie season is a likely trip to Beijing for the Olympics this summer as part of U.S. national team.

“The opportunity to represent my country is something I’ve wanted to do from the time I picked up a basketball,” she said. “It’s a neat experience that very few people get.”

The Sparks’ season-opener is on the road against defending champion Phoenix on May 17. Parker still has some unfinished business back in Tennessee before that.

“I’m trying to see if I can go back for graduation (on May 9),” she said. “I haven’t got that situated yet.”

By Mel Greenberg

There's one program up in New England the Guru and the rest of the media crowd comments much about of which there's a belief next season's contingent could be coached blindfolded.

Now there's another program in the same general locale where its new head coach has already achieved one blindfold stunt.

The news earlier this week that former North Carolina star Sylvia Crawley had become the head coach at Boston College recalls an act she performed at halftime of the All-Star in the former American Basketball League during the 197-98 season at Disney in Florida in which she successfully dunked the ball blindfolded.

However, considering the competition in the Atlantic Coast Conference in which she once went up against on the court, Crawley could be counted upon this time around to coach the Eagles with her eyes wide open.

Meanwhile, as Crawley was taking over the helm in Beantown, several days later former Boston College associate head coach Erik Johnson was named Wednesday as the new head coach in Denver.

Calling It 30 for Perretta

In the newspaper business before email and contact information signoffs became the vogue in the modern era, reporters usually placed a "30" or an "endit" at the bottom of their copy to let editors at the next stop know that the file had been concluded.

The Guru mentions this only to note that the number 30 will loom large on the Villanova campus a week from Saturday when Harry Perretta is honored for his three decades running the Wildcats.

Unlike the denotation of the number in our copy, Perretta is not considered likely to be leaving the Main Line anytime soon.

There may be some roasting, but for the most part the event will be tributary from former players, associates and others who have enjoyed the pleasure of Perretta's relationships over the years.

And no, don't look for any "Spirit of Camp Perretta" accords to be signed by Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.

Although the two Hall of Famers are at odds over Summitt's accusations to the NCAA through the Southeastern Conference of recruiting violations by Auriemma, the two both enjoy Perretta's friendship.

Neither, however, is expected to be in attendance.

Coast-to-Coast Bonding With the Sparks

While checking out a rumor, which proved unfounded, over the weekend, the trail led the Guru, initially, to send an email inquiry to Kathy Goodman, one of the two women who became owners of the Los Angeles Sparks last season.

A response came back within the hour in which the Guru, who had included some introductory paragraphs, was told by Ms. Goodman, she had his blog in her internet favorites bookmarks long before she became part of the Sparks hierarchy.

Since the Guru is known to conduct late-night calls from the East to still-early-night calls to the Pacific Time Zone, as the general manager of the WNBA-champion Phoenix Mercury can verify, a marathon conversation later ensued Sunday evening.

The Guru will simply state for now, there certainly seems to be has much energy in the front office as the Sparks are expected to produce in the Staples Center this season with the post-attack tandem of Lisa Leslie, returning from missing last season due to pregnancy, and first-round draft pick Candace Parker.

-- Mel