Women's Hoops Guru

By Mel Greenberg

In most cases, you usually see the end result here and other places of what can be written after a process that, at times, includes other persons whose names are not necessarily part of the news but are enormous help in making it conveyed to the public.

Such is Stacey Brann, who in the fall of 2006 stepped into what became the most momentous season in the Rutgers women's basketball team's history, becoming the Scarlet Knights' spokeswoman for the program.

In the front part of the season, writers on the beat were already poised to give Brann awards for actually reducing the gap time between end-of-game and coach C. Vivian Stringer's appearance in the media room for the postgame press conference -- and that was after wins.

Added to that was the speed in which printed postgame quotes from Stringer's comments were produced -- usually a challenge for both SID interns helping their boss with the transcription as well as those of us trying to get them exactly right from our tape recorders.

The Guru mentions this in passing because as is known by now, Rutgers bolted from a dismal start to the NCAA title game followed immediately by the Imus controversy.

Behind the scenes in all this directing traffic was Brann handling the crush of media interest in both situations and helping set the stage for the famous press conference in which coach and team gave their reactions to the Imus situation.

(If you don't know exactly what the Imus situation was, either go to google or you shouldn't be reading this anyway.)

Well, Wednesday night Brann finally got her reward for her efforts and what follows is the Rutgers press release of the honor to which we add that the Guru hopes AD Bob added some change to her paycheck.

Here's the announcement, which solved the mystery question hours earlier before the email arrival when the Guru, in reading the blog statistic report of the moment, was trying to figure out who in the Rutgers sports information dept. (gotcha Hassim) had accessed the site using the search terms "Brann" and "bio."

Rutgers’ Brann Honored As New Jersey’s Top Public Relations Professional

WEST ORANGE, N.J. (June 4, 2008) – Rutgers Associate Director of Athletic Communications Stacey Brann was recognized as the 2008 Public Relations “Professional of the Year” by the New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Brann was honored for her outstanding work with the Rutgers women’s basketball team during the controversy ignited by insensitive remarks made by national radio host Don Imus.

The organization’s Pyramid Awards annually recognize excellence in public relations and communications. Brann received the award at the organization’s 18th annual awards banquet on Wednesday, June 4, at Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange.

“I am extremely honored and very humbled to be recognized by the New Jersey chapter of the PRSA,” Brann said. “Thanks to a collaborate effort with University public relations, Rutgers Athletics was able to manage the Imus situation with grace and the same dignity exhibited by the 10 young women who were unfairly characterized by the comments.”

Brann led Rutgers’ public relations efforts surrounding the Scarlet Knights women’s basketball program amid the firestorm following the team’s appearance in the 2007 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game. She served as the primary spokesperson for the basketball program during the scandal, interacting with local, regional state and national media journalists, including representatives from print, radio, TV and internet outlets, at all hours of the day and night.

During the controversy, Brann helped to coordinate a press conference with head coach C. Vivian Stringer and team members that was televised nationally and allowed the Scarlet Knights the opportunity to express their views. She also managed numerous interviews and media opportunities and requests with the members of the program, while ensuring the team members’ academic obligations would not suffer due to the distraction.

“Stacey is an outstanding public relations professional who rose to the top of her field during a critical 10-day period, when the nation’s eyes were focused on Rutgers University and its women’s basketball program,” said Rutgers Director of Athletics Bob Mulcahy. “I can think of no one who is more deserving of such recognition. Everyone associated with Rutgers Athletics is proud of Stacey and her outstanding efforts.”

Brann joined the Rutgers Athletic Communications office in November of 2006 as the Associate Director of Communications, working primarily with women’s basketball and Coach Stringer. Prior to joining the staff at Rutgers, Brann served as Assistant Director of Athletics in charge of media relations at Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y. for three years. She began her career in college athletics at the University of Richmond where she served as the Director of Athletic Communications for four years, working primarily with the men’s basketball team.

Brann, a 1994 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a BS in Mass Communications, is a native of Village, Va.

Small World in Big Apple

And so on Tuesday night the Guru was in the media room in Madison Square Garden in New York at halftime of the Liberty-Seattle Storm WNBA game, where a young, tall, blonde woman was having trouble getting her laptop onto the local wifi network.

As the Guru offered advice both of us seemed to notice a familiarity about each other.

"I think I know you," she said, using a line the Guru has heard many times from other young woman on streets near the fabled arena. -- But that's not a story for now.

And the Guru responded, "You look like somebody that used to play for St. Joseph's."

Sure enough, it was former 6-5 Hawks reserve center Zoya Pavlovskaya, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, who graduated after the 2007 season and now is working for a Russian agent who has several WNBA players as clients.

So we had a little conversation that amounted to more time then the Guru has spent talking to her during her career because, well, back then, a bit of a language problem occurred and, also, as a player off the bench late in games that had already been decided, there weren't many reasons to request her presence afterwards.

And with that, the Guru moves on to the hot news of the day on the next post, which you all read before this one considering the way they get assembled.

-- Mel