Women's Hoops Guru

By Mel Greenberg

If the Los Angeles Spark's Candace Parker is the poster girl of the 2008 WNBA rookie class then Minnesota's Candice Wiggins is right behind her in a supporting role the way she was all season in helping the Lynx off the bench to a major improvement this season.

That performance earned her the league's Sixth Woman honor announced Thursday.

The way the former Stanford star eloquently spoke of her role change from college to the pros makes one think Wiggins might be able to get more done in Washington in a matter of minutes solving the current financial crisis than the politicos currently involved in the process.

The Guru, thanks to his friends in the Lynx public relations department, has a transcript of the call so you can have access to all the answers since the media pursued different angles during the teleconference.

But first, a quick look at the top of the Guru news, which included a fascinating day watching web traffic stream this way courtesy of a WNBA.com media link whose placement wasn't even at the top of the list.

Apparently, though, the use of Sue Bird's name in the headline here based on Guru speculation the scheduled call was going to involve the MVP award sent a bunch of curiosity seekers in our direction.

That continued even when the Guru corrected his course in mid-morning after a reliable league source emailed what was up. Had that source not taken an early shut-eye on Wednesday night, the headline here might have appeared 24 hours ago.

Gone are the days of "Jiggy Up All Night," (an insider aside to the team-level group) though the remark takes nothing away from the excellent work his source provides throughout the year.

Over 1,000 hits came this way, of which 90 percent was directly from WNBA.com.

It was a fascinating number in certain respects. In the past, statistics zoomed off major events bringing people on links from the Rutgers message board when Scarlet Knight items were involved, likewise from UConn nation, and then links coming off ESPN, Women's Hoops, D.C. Basket Cases, other college message boards, and Rebkell, to name a few.

Speaking of Seattle, the Associated Press local site in the Northwest had an interview with Lauren Jackson transmitted discussing her thoughts approaching her first year of free agency availability. Thoughts from Storm officials were also included. The Guru is sure this will appear somewhere off a link.

Meanwhile, the Guru had a brief chat with Olympic gold medalist coach Anne Donovan on a catch-up call since her return from Beijing.

Briefly, her USA Basketball stint is over. There has been no contact from the Washington Mystics involving both the general manager and coaching vacancies, but she would listen to anything coming her way from WNBA cities.

For now, it's just a time to relax and see what's on the horizon. Donovan did not preclude the college rankings if the right opening came along next spring, and we know they always do.

That said, here's the transcript of the Candice Wiggins session. The Guru won't be in New York Friday night but will monitor the game from the home office.

Renee Brown, Chief of Basketball Operations & Player Relations
Opening Statement

Welcome everyone.

As you know, 2008 marks the 12th season of the WNBA. Our tagline this year was "Expect Great." And that is exactly what we have seen on the court across the league. We've seen great rivalries, witnessed the race for playoff spots go down to the wire, watched veteran stars reach milestones, and looked on as the greatest rookie class, and I really mean it, the greatest rookie class in WNBA history make an impact in this league.

Today we want to recognize one of those extraordinary rookie players. So many people have said such wonderful things about this woman, about her athletic ability, about her passion and her drive, about her infectious smile, and her true commitment to the community.

Our president, Donna Orender, summed it up the best when she compared this player to another Stanford product, Tiger Woods. Donna said she's every bit as polished as Tiger. She addresses the sport with the same sense of grace and responsibility that Tiger does. I can't even say it better than that, and truly, she is very, very loving about the game and a very responsible player.

After being the third pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, she provided the spark off the bench that turned the Minnesota Lynx into a playoff contender with 16 wins — the second best total in club history and a six-game improvement over 2007. Most definitely, Candice came in there and made a big difference. She also set the all-time WNBA record for points off the bench, averaging 15.7 per game, and she ranks among the top 20 in scoring throughout the league. But despite coming off the bench in all but one game, she ranks second on the Lynx in scoring and minutes, behind only her teammate, Seimone Augustus.

As voted on by a national media panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, she is the 2008 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year.

I'd like to congratulate Candice, so Candice, congratulations. Candice right now is actually in Palo Alto recovering from her knee surgery and she is also taking classes, which tells you how committed she is. We will formally present this award to Candice at a later date.

Candice Wiggins
Opening Statement

Thank you so much Renee for that wonderful introduction. First of all, I want to thank the WNBA and President Donna Orender for the award, as well as all the media that voted for me. I appreciate it so much. It is such a huge honor.

As someone growing up a product of one girl who watched the players and watched this league and grew up with it, it really does mean a lot. My coaches and teammates, who have been amazing to me, I'd like to thank them for their continued support and for having the confidence in me.

Even though I was coming off the bench, they always let me know that I had a big role on the team. I just want to thank them and all the people who made it possible. My mother and grandmother are here with me right now and I just want to thank them for their continued support my entire life. Thank you everyone.

Q. On coming off the bench for the first time in her career and the impact it had on her season

It was really a difference challenge for me. It was a different experience.

I've never come off the bench. I have come off the bench with the national team a few times, but as part of a team in a full season, I have never done it before. It was different, but at the same time, I saw different advantages that I didn't necessarily see from starting a game.

You can see how the game is going and when you come in, you're fresh and you can bring a lot of energy. It is a role that you cannot shy away from. You have to embrace it and you have to have the same amount of confidence as if you started the game.

Q. On the recovery from her knee surgery, which was Monday

I am rehabbing. I am getting back and taking classes. I am working on getting back (to full health). It was a very simple procedure, so I think will be good soon.

Q. On offseason timetable

This fall, I am taking classes. My course load isn't too strenuous so I hope to be close to finishing up in December. And in terms of playing overseas, I am just going to see how it goes. Right now I am just focusing on school. Obviously I would love to play, but I haven't thought that far ahead yet.

Q. On 2008 Rookie Class giving a lift to the WNBA

Every class is special, but I think our class has an extra something. We've grown up together.
Since we were in the Eighth and Ninth Grade, we have all known each other and have been playing with and against each other competitively. The biggest thing is we all have confidence in our game and we know that we can bring a lot to a team.

We grew up watching these players. We were 10 or 11 years old when the WNBA started. It is the generation that grew up watching WNBA basketball therefore our approach to basketball is a little bit different. I know my class has done so well and has been so supportive of each other, and it is a very fun class of players to watch and to be a part of.

Q. On being in a different role, watching instead of playing for Stanford

I think they are going to be so good. I have watched them in a few of their workouts already. They have the perfect mindset (going into this season). They have seen it happen and have experienced it.

They went to the Final Four last year. Obviously I am not part of the team now, but I think they all have confidence and know what they are capable of. Because they have been there, they get it and they know what it is going to take now. All of the things that we had at the end of last season, they are starting this season with that, so I think they are going to be great.

(Sophomore forward) Kayla (Pedersen) is going to be incredible. (Junior center) Jayne (Appel), I think, will have an amazing season. And (freshman forward) Nneka (Ogwumike) is unreal, so it is going to be fun to watch.

Guru's Q: On playing with the U.S. National Team and how it helped make the transition to the WNBA

Playing with the National Team, hands down, was so beneficial to me because you have that moment of awe (when you become a professional). It's different because when you come to college, it's all within four years.

But in the WNBA, you have eight- and 10-year vets, five-year vets — players across the whole spectrum.

These are people you grew up watching. I think it is intimidating. You just have to have confidence in yourself. I think that is the biggest thing.

When you come and play with great players, you still have to know that you're good enough. And playing with the National Team, that really helped me in terms of knowing that I can legitimately play in this league.

Q. On moving from college to the pros

To me it is reminiscent of going from high school to college in terms of everybody going to college was the best at their high school and they are going to a place where everyone was the best at their high school.

It's the same in the league. It's like everyone was the best player at their college and now they are going to the WNBA but it is at an even higher level.

The biggest thing is being confident in the player you are and staying true to who you are as a player. No matter what your role is, you can always be the same player you were in college.

It is obviously easy to say that and harder to execute, but it is the same game. You just have to treat it like that. It is the same basketball game, just different players. You just have to be mentally tough.

Q. On the difficulty when your role changes

I don't feel like I was any different from the player that I was in college to the player I was in the WNBA. My role was just a little bit different. I think I was still able to play my game and be the player that I am. I think it is possible, you just have to have the mental toughness and the confidence to be like that person every day. Your role can change and you can still stay the same.

Q. On her thoughts about her role with the Lynx in 2009

Those roles, starting or coming off the bench, I have learned over the years that you cannot predetermine that. Those are the kind of roles that you can just fall into when the season starts.

I can't say, based on this year, what next year is going to look like. Obviously for me, I just want to be in a position where I can help the team the most. Whether Coach Z (Don Zierden) sees me as starting or coming off the bench, whatever role I am in I just want to make the best of it.

It is hard to say. I know that sounds cliché, but it really is. You have so many factors that happen during a season that are important to a starting lineup. Obviously I am going to work hard to get there, but if not, whatever my role is, I am ready for it.

Q. On her on- and off-court experience in her first year as a professional athlete

Looking back, the best part of the season was the fact that I was in a very prominent role. The WNBA is expanding. It is getting better and bigger and more influential each year. Just to be a part of that process is great.

The off-the-court appearances are what I love the most. Going to People Serving People or going to the Ronald McDonald House, by making those appearances, you are touching people's lives. It really does make a difference.

That was probably the best part of my first year in the WNBA because you feel like what you are doing is serving a higher purpose.

Especially with my work with different charities like Until There's a Cure, those are the things that I am really proud of because you can use basketball, especially women's basketball, as a tool to inspire and lift people in ways that I don't know if I would be able to do if I didn't play basketball. The basketball part was amazing too. You're playing in a professional women's league. It doesn't get much better than that.

Q. On growing up with the WNBA and what inspired her to be in the WNBA

I can sit here and say that it meant everything to me. I started playing basketball at a really young age and there wasn't the WNBA.

There wasn't really that big stage for women's basketball. I loved the game and played it. My mom said to me that maybe one day there would be a professional league that I could play in.

By the time I was 10 years old, even 9 years old, the 1996 Olympics was the first American stage where women's basketball was very high, with Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes and all those guys. When they announced that there was going to be a league, it changed everything for me.

I went from wanting to aspire to do these other things to knowing that I wanted to be a professional basketball player. It was a lifelong dream of mine. A lot of players in my class can attest to that too. It affects you differently because you know that there is somewhere for you to play in the country. I can't even explain how impactful the creation of the league was for me. As soon as it started, I knew I wanted to be in the WNBA. That was my career goal.

More to Come

-- Mel