I have to admit this is not my favorite time of the year. No, not basketball season but the time when fans go into full hyperventilation mode anticipating the commitments of a player they likely have never seen play. I've never understood why there is more attention paid to prospects who may or not may land at UConn over those who have led the UConn program to dizzying heights of success.

I've heard all sorts of rumors regarding Kiah Stokes and most border on the absurd especially she is going to commit to Iowa because she is holding a press conference in Iowa. Well, she's from Iowa, she goes to high school in Iowa and is one of the more well publicized high school female athletes from Iowa so why wouldn't she have a press conference. She's hardly the first to make her announcement that way. I would expect that if Hillhouse's Bria Holmes holds a press conference to announce her college decision a year from now, we will be in attendance regardless of what school she is picking. As for UConn fans getting worked up about the location of the ceremony, all I can say is that if she moves it to Sara Hammond's high school, I believe she may commit to Louisville but other than that, they are trying to read the tea leaves when there is nothing to read from them.

Personally, I find it refreshing the way the Stokes family has handled it. They have not turned it into a daily soap opera and today they will divulge the news when there is news to divulge. The Stokes have handled the recruiting process with plenty of grace and dignity and should be commended for not falling for the trap of turning it into a circus which can happen in this "post the story first on the internet" age we live in.

I don't believe for a minute that she is waiting for Elizabeth Williams to pick between Duke or Tennessee before making her announcement. I haven't really been following Williams' recruitment since she dropped UConn from the equation but something tells me that if she has an announcement planned for this afternoon, she either knows what Williams is planning to do or simply does not care.

Finally, the belief that UConn has a recruiting problem if they don't land Stokes is laughable. If they land Breanna Stewart next year, UConn would have secured a commitment from a player ranked No. 1 in at least one recruiting service five times in a six-year span. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis is a big-time talent and Brianna Banks may also be an impact player. Things didn't work out so badly the last time UConn secured a two-player class as Maya Moore and Lorin Dixon have been members of two national-championship teams. All that being said, it would not surprise me in the least if Stokes commits to UConn. I've said many times that recruiting should be viewed in two year increments because every kid UConn missed out on this year merely opened the door for them to get a larger class next year. I understand that "fan" is short for "fanatic" and it's a very small percentage of supporters who go overboard but I feel fairly confident in saying that the UConn women's basketball team does not have a recruitment problem.

For those interested in following the decision live, it will be reported as it happens at the IowaPrepSports site

Thankfully this afternoon, the recruiting part of my job (at least for the high school seniors) will be done and I can focus on what I prefer to concentrate on and that is reporting on the nation's top-ranked women's basketball team.

So there's not much to report regarding the UConn women's basketball program.

Let's see, starting point guard Caroline Doty will have her third surgery to repair the torn ACL in her left knee and Tina Charles, the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, will be officially named the WNBA's Rookie of the Year at a noon press conference.

As for other items, I did some snooping around yesterday regarding recruiting. Regarding the report on Peach State Hoops which lists highly-touted post player Elizabeth Williams' as considering Duke, Virginia and Tennessee with the possibility of taking visits to North Carolina and Penn State, I did reach out to her high school coach to confirm that she did indeed drop UConn from consideration. An e-mail was waiting for me when I got up this morning from Princess Anne HS coach Darnell Dozier stating "UConn is not on her short list."

While it is a little surprising that UConn would not have made her top five, considering the geography was very important to her it seemed like a reach to expect her to come to UConn. Whoever lands her will be getting one heck of a talent and from my brief dealings with her at the U-17 practice sessions, a very nice kid.

I spoke with Debra Walker, the godmother of UConn recruiting target Betnijah Laney yesterday, and she said that Laney's official visits will be finalized after she is finished with her home visits which run from Sept. 16-25. Walker said she will have home visits from Connecticut, Duke, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia.

I'm waiting to her back from Greg Stokes, the father of UConn recruiting target Kiah Stokes, but I have no reason to question the accuracy of an internet report that the 6-foot-3 forward/center from Marion, Iowa is down to UConn, Georgia and Tennessee. I guess the biggest surprise is that Maryland is no longer in the running because some of the early scuttlebutt regarding Stokes is that Maryland was going to be a major player. The info I have is that Stokes is planning to take an official visit the weekend of Oct. 15-17 and will be on hand for the First Night fan fest on Oct. 15 and the first practice the following morning.

In between dodging rain drops and watching tennis matches at the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament, I have been doing a little bit of checking up on recruiting.

The dates to remember in terms of visits are Sept. 10-12 and Oct. 15-17.

As previously reported in this blog, Sara Hammond is planning to visit UConn during that first weekend I mentioned (actually from Sept. 9-11 according to her father) and the word I am hearing is that there's an outside chance that the two players who have already committed to UConn (Kalana Mosqueda-Lewis and Brianna Banks) may also come up that weekend. That is already a special time for UConn since rising senior Maya Moore (who in three days I can start referring to simply as senior since the fall session will be starting) as well as ex-Huskies Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery and Asjha Jones will be playing for the Geno Auriemma coach U.S. national team against Australia on Sept. 10 and Spain on Sept. 12 with both games at the XL Center in Hartford.

The availability of former UConn stars Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Diana Taurasi will be determined by how deep their teams go into the WNBA players. Bird and Cash play for Seattle, which holds a 1-0 lead on Los Angeles in the Western Conference semifinals while Taurasi's Phoenix Mercury squad won the first game against San Antonio. Seattle and Phoenix will go for the sweep in the best of three series on Saturday. If Seattle and Phoenix reach the Western Conference finals, the trio of former UConn teammates will have to miss the start of the U.S. training camp which starts on Sept. 3 since the WNBA's conference finals don't start until Sept. 2. However, with the conference finals ending no later than Sept. 8, only those players in the WNBA finals would be unavailable for the Connecticut portion of the training camp.

I was incorrect in reporting that visit will be an official one, it will be an unofficial visit but something tells me Sara Hammond, who the UConn staff really likes, will have a pretty good idea of where she will be headed to college when she returns home from her visit to UConn.

Kiah Stokes, another player very high on UConn's wish list, is looking to visit UConn in the Oct. 15-17 time frame which will be around the time UConn holds its "First Night" Fan Fest followed by its first real practice the following day. I'm not sure if Hammond, Elizabeth Williams and Betnijah Laney will be up that weekend as well but don't be surprised to see some of the players high up on UConn's wish list in the high school Class of 2012 make it up there in mid October.

Speaking of Charles, I received an e-mail from the WNBA and the Connecticut Sun of a major WNBA award being presented at Mohegan Sun Casino on Tuesday. Let's see, Charles was the rookie of the month for May, June, July and August, I wonder what major award will be presented on that day?

I figured it was time for a recruiting update so I reached out to Debra Walker, who is the godmother of Betnijah Laney and Eddie Hammond, the father of Sara Hammond.

The biggest news out of my two conversations is that Laney has cut her list of schools from nine to seven as she eliminated Cincinnati and Louisville. Laney, a 6-foot rising senior wing out of Smyrna (Del.) High.

When I spoke with Laney at the U.S. Under-17 practice session last month, Cincinnati and Louisville were on Laney's list along with UConn, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia.

The plan is for Laney to go through the process of chatting with coaches during upcoming home visits, narrow her list further and take her five official visits.

As for Hammond, a 6-foot-2 rising senior forward for Rockcastle County High in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, she lists Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky, Louisville and UConn as her top schools with Notre Dame and Maryland also in the mix according to her father.

Hammond is planning to visit Louisville on Sept. 1 while Eddie Hammond said that UConn coach Geno Auriemma would like to have Sara up for a visit around the time that Auriemma will be coaching the U.S. in exhibitions against Australia and Spain on Sept. 10 and 12 respectively at the XL Center in Hartford. However, the Hammonds have yet to decide if they'll make it up to Connecticut that weekend.

The timing makes sense since Auriemma will be in the Czech Republic coaching the U.S. in the FIBA World Championships from Sept. 23-Oct. 3 and will have a training camp at a location yet to be announced from Sept. 13-22 so the official visits would need to be either done in the first two weekends of September or after Auriemma returns to Connecticut in early October.

UConn already has commitments from guard/forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis out of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif. and guard Brianna Banks, who plays for Northgate High in Newnan, Ga. Besides Hammond and Laney, other players on UConn's recruiting radar in the Class of 2011 include post players Elizabeth Williams and Kiah Stokes. With nine players on scholarship for next year, UConn could take as many as six players but I'd be surprised to see a class of more than four. If UConn can get a combination of either Williams or Stokes and either Hammond or Laney to go with Mosqueda-Lewis and Banks, the UConn staff would be rather delighted. It would also leave four available scholarships for a talent-rich Class of 2012.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists and UConn recruiting target Elizabeth Williams had 15 points, five rebounds and three blocks as the United States won the FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women with a 92-62 win over host France.

Former UConn recruiting target Ariel Massengale led the U.S. with 20 points and six assists while Breanna Stewart, very much on UConn's recruiting radar, had eight points and eight rebounds despite being sidelined with first-half foul trouble.

UConn recruiting targets Breanna Stewart and Elizabeth Williams each had double-doubles as the U.S. defeated China 97-64 in the semifinals of the FIBA Under-17 Championship for Women on Saturday.

Stewart, a 6-foot-3 rising high school junior forward/center from North Syracuse, N.Y., had 17 points (on 7 of 9 shooting), 11 rebounds, five blocks and two assists while Williams, a 6-3 rising senior forward/center from Virginia Beach, Va., had 14 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

Former UConn recruiting target Ariel Massengale led the U.S. with 22 points and six assists while UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was one of three United States players with nine points.

China, which made 14 3-pointers in the game, pulled within three points with 2:46 left in the third quarter. Massengale had 11 points and UConn recruiting target Jewell Loyd added seven as the U.S. outscored China 30-10 the rest of the way.

The United States will play the winner host France in Sunday's 11:30 a.m. championship game.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 16 points (making 3 of 4 shots from both 2-point and 3-point range) to lead four United States players in double figures in Friday's 86-57 win over Spain in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women.

UConn recruiting targets Elizabeth Williams (11 points) and Jewell Loyd (10 points, three assists, three steals) also scored in double figures as did Tennessee commit Cierra Burdick, who finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

The U.S. will face China in Saturday's semifinals in what figures to be the toughest game to date in the tournament for the undefeated U.S. squad.

China advanced to the semifinals with a 68-59 win over Russia.

UConn recruiting target Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-3 forward/center from North Syracuse, N.Y., continues to show why many recruiting insiders consider her to be the top player in the class of rising high school juniors at the FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women.

Stewart had 30 points on 13 of 15 shooting to go with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks as the U.S. finished a perfect run through the preliminary round with a 133-71 win over Japan on Wednesday. Others on UConn's short list of sought after prospects who starred for the U.S. included Elizabeth Williams (16 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (14 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks), Morgan Tuck (10 points, seven rebounds) and Betnijah Laney (10 points).

The U.S. won Group A with a 5-0 record and earned a spot in Friday's quarterfinals. The U.S. will face Spain in the quarterfinals and barring the upset of the tournament, would advance to face either China or Russia in Saturday's semifinals.

UConn recruiting targets Morgan Tuck (11 points), Jewell Loyd (11 points, five rebounds) and Breanna Stewart (10 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks) all scored in double figures as the U.S. defeated Turkey 84-55 on Tuesday to improve to 4-0 in Group A in the FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women.

The U.S. used a balanced offense as six players scored between 8-11 points as it clinched the top seed out of Group A for the quarterfinals.

The eight players on UConn's recruiting radar on the U.S. team combined for 63 points, 28 rebounds, 8 steals and 6 blocks against Turkey.

Here's a breakdown of how the players being recruited by UConn fared today and are doing in the tournament.

Jordan Adams 5 points vs. Turkey; averaging 1.8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Betnijah Laney 9 points against Turkey; averaging 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 18 steals
Jewell Loyd 11 points, five rebounds, two steals against Turkey; averaging 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis 5 points, 6 rebounds vs. Turkey; averaging 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2 steals
Imani Stafford 4 points, 3 rebounds against Turkey; averaging 3.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1 steal
Breanna Stewart 10 points, five rebounds, two steals, two blocks on Tuesday; averaging 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.3 blocks
Morgan Tuck 11 points, three rebounds on Tuesday; averaging 8 points, 4.5 rebounds
Elizabeth Williams 8 points, 4 rebounds vs. Turkey; averaging 13 points and 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks

The U.S. wraps up preliminary round play on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. against Japan. The quarterfinals begin on Friday. The opponent will be determined in large part by Wednesday's Spain/China game. If Spain loses, it would get the No. 4 seed out of Group B and draw the U.S. If Spain wins there will be a three-way tie for second with Spain, China and the loser of the Australia/Belgium each finishing 3-2 and a tiebreaker would be needed to decide the order of finish.

Sara Hammond, a versatile 6-foot-2 rising senior forward at Rockcastle County High in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, was offered a scholarship by UConn coach Geno Auriemma on Friday.

Jarrad Parmley, Hammond's coach for the Kentucky Premier AAU program, confirmed that Auriemma made the scholarship offer as the team returned from the Battle in the Boro in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

"He called her and said he'd like for her to play (at UConn)," Parmley said. "Obviously, she was pretty excited."

Hammond, a lefty who Parmley said can play both on the perimeter and in the post, had a quadruple-double with 18 points, 17 rebounds, 12 blocks and 10 steals in a Jan. 29 win over Pulaski County. She had an impressive performance at the Deep South Classic in April and has been on UConn's radar in the last couple of months.

"She's very unselfish and what the coaches like the most about her is her consistency," Parmley said. "She can hit the 3-pointer and can put the ball on the floor and go by people. She is a very well-rounded player."

Parmley said that Hammond had been in the process of narrowing down her list of schools with Louisville being the frontrunner with Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky also very much in the mix. He also said that was "before Friday." Notre Dame has also been pursuing her. Parmley said that Hammond's plan as he understood it was to visit her top schools before making a decision but with UConn in the mix, that could - and likely will - change.

"I know she would like to go up to UConn for a visit," Parmley said.

Kentucky Premier is entered in the Girls' Showtime National Championship in Indianapolis from July 23-25 and the FILA National Championships in Suwanee, Georgia from July 28-31 which will give college coaches more chances to evaluate her game. When she returns home, she will likely set up some campus visits.

With just nine players on scholarship following the graduation of Maya Moore and Lorin Dixon in 2011, UConn can take as many as six players in the next recruiting class. The Huskies already have commitments from guards Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif. and Brianna Banks out of Northgate High in Newnan, Ga. Besides Hammond, UConn has offered scholarships to post players Elizabeth Williams, currently the leading scorer and rebounder on the U.S. Under-17 national team and a star at Princess Anne HS in Virginia Beach and Kiah Stokes from Linn-Mar High in Marion, Iowa as well as Smyrna (Delaware) High wing Betnijah Laney.

Hammond's recruitment could easily follow that of current UConn rising sophomore Kelly Faris. UConn appeared to get serious about Faris well into the process and there was talk that the Huskies would be too late to get in the mix with Faris. Obviously, as much of the recruiting gossip tends to be, the information was incorrect as Faris committed to the Huskies over teams closer to her Indiana home. While it's too early to determine whether Hammond will become a teammate of Faris' at UConn, it was clear in speaking with Parmley that UConn is in game with Hammond.

I found this video of Hammond on youtube featuring game action and an interview with her courtesy of sports anchor Derek Forrest from WYMT in Lexington, Kentucky.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 21 points, five 3-pointers and four steals to lead five players in double figures as the United States improved to 3-0 in Group A by beating Canada 114-57 Sunday at the FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women.

UConn recruiting targets Jewell Loyd (19 points), Morgan Tuck (12 points, seven rebounds, two assists) and Elizabeth Williams (12 points) also scored in double figures as did Bria Smith. Others on UConn's recruiting radar who contributed to the win were Breanna Stewart (eight points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks), Betnijah Laney (eight points), Imani Stafford (four points, 12 rebounds, three steals) and Jordan Adams (two points, four assists).

The U.S. will wrap up play in the preliminary round with games against Turkey Tuesday and Japan on Wednesday with both games set to tip at 11:30 a.m.

The FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women is quickly turning into a showcase for much sought after post players Elizabeth Williams and Breanna Stewart.

Williams, a 6-foot-3 forward/center from Virginia Beach, Va., followed up her double-double in Friday's win over host France by lighting up a talented Russia squad to the tune of 20 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks in an 82-38 win on Saturday. Stewart, a 6-foot-3 forward/center from North Syracuse, N.Y., had 12 points and nine rebounds. The two UConn recruiting targets also combined for 10 of the United States' 27 offensive rebounds.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had a rough shooting game, missing 10 of her 11 shots but she did lead the U.S. with four steals.

The U.S., the only undefeated team in Group A, will continue pool play with a 9 a.m. game against Canada on Sunday.

Four UConn recruiting targets scored in double figures as the United States defeated host France 70-45 in its first game in the FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women on Friday at the L'Amphitheatre in Rodez.

Breanna Stewart of North Syracuse, N.Y. had 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks and Elizabeth Williams of Virginia Beach, Va. had 12 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, one of two rising high school seniors who has committed to UConn, had 10 points, five rebounds and two of the U.S. team's five 3-pointers while Betnijah Laney has 10 points and two steals. Former UConn recruiting target Ariel Massengale also had 10 points for the U.S., which outscored France 39-17 in the second half.

The U.S. continues pool play on Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. game against Russia. Russia opened with a 93-68 win over Japan behind Ksenia Tikhonenko's 22 points and 16 rebounds.

The XL Center will host two exhibition games in September. On Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. the U.S. national team will play Australia and on Sept. 12 at a time yet to be announced, the U.S. will play Spain. Tickets will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Spain and Australia will play at 2 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the University of Hartford.

Tickets will be available online at www.ticketmaster.com, through Ticketmaster charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and in person at the XL Center box office. Ticket prices range from $10-75.

The U.S. will also hold a training camp beginning Sept. 3 although since the WNBA playoffs will still be going on, the availability of players will be determined by when their WNBA teams are eliminated. No site has been announced for the training camp.

At the risk of a little self promotion, I wanted to mention that my story about UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis ran in today's paper. Look for the accompanying video I did to be put up on the website shortly.

Speaking of videos, I would like to thank those people who checked out the videos I took of UConn recruiting targets Elizabeth Williams and Betnijah Laney. They are the fifth and sixth most viewed viedos even though they have been up less than a week and the videos ahead of them have been on the website for months. That should help my cause when I pitch future trips to catch up with UConn recruits.

A little scheduling update, I checked around a bit to see if I could confirm some dates other than the ones previously reported (Baylor on Nov. 16, Sacred Heart on Dec. 5, Holy Cross on Nov. 14) and I was able to confirm that the game at Pacific will be on Dec. 28 at 10 p.m. It will be part of a two-game California swing with a game at Stanford to follow. It's likely that one of those two games could be for win No. 88 in a row, matching the Division I men's basketball record set by UCLA in the 1970s.

UConn recruiting target Breanna Stewart had 14 points, eight rebounds and six blocks as the U.S. defeated Spain 61-50 to finish 2-1 in its three exhibition games in Spain. Using tiebreakers, the U.S. was declared the winner in the round robin event and UConn recruiting target Elizabeth Williams, who had 10 points and seven rebounds, was named the tournament's MVP. UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis also had 10 points as did former UConn recruiting target Ariel Massengale.

The U.S. now heads to France for the FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women as it opens with host France on Friday.

While we are talking about UConn's recruiting targets, UConn coach Geno Auriemma will leave for Chicago after taking part in tomorrow's press conference announcing a national team training camp in Hartford. He will be in attendance for the final day of the Nike Summer Showcase in Elgin, Ill. before heading to Murfreesboro, Tenn. for the Battle in the Boro.

With most of the players on UConn's recruiting radar (Mosqueda-Lewis, Williams and Betnijah Laney in the Class of 2011 and 2012ers Stewart, Morgan Tuck, Jordan Adams, Imani Stafford and Jewell Loyd in France for the U-17 championships) it will give Auriemma to check out some different players. A recruiting source told me that the Huskies won't be going after post players in the Class of 2011 just for the sake of bringing in a post player. UConn is very much in the mix with Williams and Kiah Stokes and as is their custom, they focus on a select few players with the belief that they will land the type of classes which keeps them a dominant force in collefe womens basketball. Unless somebody else jumps out at them, they would focus on the available post players in the Class of 2012 as the players among the group of rising high school seniors UConn is looking at is led by committed players Mosqueda-Lewis and Brianna Banks and includes Laney, Williams and Stokes.

Just some observations from the USA Basketball squad's 99-72 win over the WNBA stars in Saturday's all-star game at Mohegan Sun.

First, when Sylvia Fowles gets it going, there's not much anybody can do and she certainly had it going on Saturday. She was a no-brainer pick for MVP of the game with 23 points and eight rebounds.

Second, Katie Douglas gets it going, there's not much anybody can do. Her performance in the 3-pointer shooting contest was extraordinary. She had a score of 24 (out of 30) to run away with things in the preliminary round and followed it up with a 23 in the finals to win the competition.

"It felt good to finally get that one off my back," Douglas said. "I have been competing in those for a few years and not been able to come through."

Former UConn star Sue Bird was eliminated after managing just 10 points.

"That was my plan actually, trying to save the shooting arm," Bird said with a laugh. "You hope they go in but I am not really worried about it."

Renee Montgomery won the skills competition.

Next, it was interesting seeing Maya Moore playing point guard late in the game. She didn't look out of place even though she did not play the point during any of the practices leading up to Saturday's game.

"You put me on the floor and I will do my best to do whatever he wants me to do," Moore said of her UConn and U.S. national team coach Geno Auriemma. "I know what we are running so it is not that foreign. We were running the plays that we always do and I was just trying to make the right decisions to the right people and being strong with the ball. It wasn't a huge shock but it was fun."

Moore had all 12 of her points in the second half as she looked a bit overanxious in the first half. It's understandable since she is a college player taking the court with many of the world's top players.

Now for a few news items coming out of the day.

Auriemma said Baylor's Brittney Griner was invited to take part in the U.S. training camp but declined. He also said he wouldn't mind to have another big kid for the world championships with Candace Parker out of commission because of shoulder surgery.

Anete Jekabsone-Zogota was on hand just two days after undergoing surgery on her right knee. I spoke to the second-year Connecticut Sun guard and she was in good spirits.

"That is the hardest when your team in playing and seeing it on TV. You want to play and it is hard to look from the (out)side," Jekabsone-Zogota said. "You can only hope that the time goes fast and I'll be ready soon."

Douglas, who has been rumored as joining Greece's national team for this fall's world championships, said she hasn't received a passport yet and that is holding up the process of her gaining Greek citizenship.

Tina Charles attempted - and missed - two 3-pointers. According to Auriemma, Diana Taurasi was the cause for Charles hoisted up the treys even if neither attempt made it into the final box score.

"D (Taurasi) said she'd give her $100 if she took a 3 so knucklehead took two of them and I yanked her," Auriemma said.

Now for non-Stars at the Sun or WNBA news:

Former WNBA president Val Ackerman, former U.S. Olympian Ruthie Bolton and Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw are among the six players who will be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2011.

The U.S. Under-17 national team lost to Australia 64-58 in the second of three exhibitions before they start play in th FIBA Under-17 Championship for Women.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was just 2 of 16 from the floor and finished with seven points and six rebounds. UConn recruiting target Elizabeth Williams led the U.S. with 13 points while Tennessee commit Cierra Burdick had 12 points. Highly-touted 6-foot-3 Australian teen Gretel Tippett with 16 points.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 17 points (on 7 of 10 shooting), three 3-pointers, two rebounds and two steals to lead the U.S. U-17 national team to a 93-47 win over Canada on Friday in the first of three exhibition games in Spain before the squad heads to France for the FIBA U-17 World Championship for Women.

UConn recruiting targets Breanna Stewart (13 points, 5 rebounds, three steals) and Elizabeth Williams (11 points, four rebounds and two blocks) also scored in double figures for the U.S.

The first of my stories off the U.S. Under-17 national team practice sessions at Flint Hill School ran in today's Register. The focus was on Elizabeth Williams and Betnijah Laney, two of the top uncommitted rising high school seniors on UConn's recruiting radar. There is also video of an interview with Williams as well as an interview and action of Laney hitting a jumper. The stories on Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and the players from the Class of 2012 on UConn's recruiting wish list will be running soon.

Speaking of the U-17 team, the first of three tune-ups for the FIBA U-17 World Championship for Women will be Friday when the U.S. faces Canada in Alagon, Spain. Exhibitions against Australia on Saturday and Spain on Sunday will follow before the team heads by bus to France for the tournament.

The chance to meet up with an old friend brought me to the D.C. area earlier this week and while I was there, I decided to make my way over the Flint Hill School for Monday's evening and Tuesday's morning U.S. Under-17 national team practice.

I'll save most of the good stuff - especially regarding recruiting - for the three stories I wrote on the train ride back from D.C. yesterday but thought I would at least provide a scouting report on what I saw. It should be noted that the majority of the drills were spent focusing on defense and how to best utilize playing off screens so it is probably not the most accurate gauge of the offensive potential of the players I saw but I will proceed anyways. Naturally my attention was focused on the eight players on UConn's recruiting radar so the other four players will not be included in my report.

CLASS OF 2011

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis: The first player from the class of rising high school seniors, Mosqueda-Lewis is as good as advertised offensively. While she seemingly has unlimited range on her jumper, it is her ability to score off the dribble that impressed me to most. There is a video that will go with my story on Kaleena that displays that. The fact that she is willing to take the ball into the lane and can score in so many ways once she is in there makes her more than just a one-dimensional shooter. The only thing more impressive than her array of offensive moves is her personality. She is a fun-loving, mercurial kid. She's similar to Diana Taurasi, another California sensation who did pretty well for herself at UConn but doesn't seem to have as hard an edge to her as Taurasi. Personality wise, I would think she'd fall closer to a Kalana Greene than Taurasi but on the court, I see no reason why she couldn't become the latest in a long line of impact offensive players to suit up for UConn. It should be noted that she was in a group of four players watching a drill and when the drill ended with a basket, she was singled out by U.S. U-17 coach Barbara Nelson for applauding the basket and the other three players needed to do five pushups as punishment. She was also encouraging on her teammates as they were in between wind sprints before Tuesday's practice.

Betnijah Laney: Another player who can create her own shot off the dribble, Laney has a silky smooth offensive game. But she first caught my eye with her defense. On the first day of drills the team was struggling during a defensive drill until Laney had steals on back to back possessions. It was just what her teammates needed to bounce back from a rough start to practice. A recruiting source said that the UConn coaches like Laney as much if not more for her personality as for her game and I can see why. She is clearly a leader on the court as she was one of more vocal players out on the court and like Mosqueda-Lewis, has a persona that draws people to her. It was evident to me that she has developed a close bond with Mosqueda-Lewis. After Laney made one play on Monday, an exuberant Mosqueda-Lewis lept into Laney's arms. That doesn't mean that she'll land at UConn because I've been to USA Basketball trials and practices before and often times the closest bonds can be formed on players on different college teams. However, if my eyes did not deceive me, I could have sworn that the lefty was shooting right-handed during free-throw drills.

Elizabeth Williams: I did not get back on the UConn beat until Tina Charles was starting her freshman year at UConn but if I had seen Charles in action in the summer between her junior and senior years of high school, I have a hunch her skill set would have reminded me quite a bit of Williams. Like many of her teammates, she got off to a slow start when practice began on Monday but on Tuesday, she was a dominant inside force. In one stretch, she blocked a Breanna Stewart shot, made a tough catch in the post and hit a layup and then swatted away a Bria Smith shot in the lane. Williams spent as much time at the high post and while she is pretty much unstoppable in the low blocks, she looks comfortable away from the basket as well.

CLASS OF 2012
Jordan Adams/Morgan Tuck: I grouped them together because I was impressed by many of the same qualities. Tuck was the author of the sweet pass for a backdoor layup to a cutting Stewart (which I was able to capture on video) while both she and Adams are extremely cerebral players. I hate to use the term a "UConn type of player" because it infers that players who don't go to UConn don't know how to think the game and that is simply not the case. But I could see Adams and/or Tuck fitting in quite nicely at any of the elite schools - UConn included. Neither player found their offensive groove when I was there but as I mentioned, it was hard for any of the players not named Mosqueda-Lewis or Laney to get going offensively with the focus on defense.

Breanna Stewart: I absolutely love her game. She's the type of kid who can dominate a game without taking a shot. Although not built exactly the same, I see a lot of Kelsey Griffin in Stewart especially the aggressive way she goes after rebounds. Stewart, like Griffin, also understands how the game is supposed to be played and can score with either her left or right hand inside. Her passing was exquisite especially when she was on the low blocks. I see her as being more of a power forward than a true center at the next level but certainly is not afraid to go inside.

Imani Stafford: Not only is she 6-foot-7 but she has an impressive wingspan. I do think she is not as refined offensively as fellow posts like Williams and Stewart and didn't make as much of an impact defensively as I think she could considering her height and wingspan but I saw flashes of the potential that will earn her plenty of attention from coaches at the big-time programs.

Jewell Loyd: A late addition to the U-17 team, Loyd is a speedy lead guard who at times was playing too fast. I chalked some of that up to the fact that she was added to the team late and is still getting used to her teammates. I've been out to Colorado Springs for national team trials each year from 2006-09 and have found that point guards have a hard time standing out especially on the younger teams. That was definitely that case this week as neither Loyd nor former UConn recruiting target Ariel Massengale seemed to be comfortable. I did see Loyd hit a couple of perimeter jumpers so I can see the potential.

Now a few parting thoughts. First, no commitments will be coming out of this group any time in the near future. Second, there's no truth to the rumor that Tennessee coach Pat Summitt believes UConn gained a recruiting advantage because the nickname of the Flint Hill School is the Huskies and finally, if UConn gets commitments from Williams and Laney to go with Mosqueda-Lewis and guard Brianna Banks, UConn coach Geno Auriemma will have to answer more questions whether his team's dominance is bad for the sport of women's basketball.

,UConn incoming freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley were among 16 finalists selected for the U.S. Under-18 national team after three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. UConn freshman to be Samarie Walker did not make the cut which could aid Walker in the long run as she can return to UConn to continue getting treatment on her knee.

UConn recruiting targets Ally Malott, Malina Howard and Diamond DeShields also made the cut.

The 16 finalists will remain in Colorado for training and four players will be cut by June 14 with that 12-member squad representing the U.S. at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women being held from June 23-27 in Colorado Springs.

UConn commit Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis along with UConn recruiting targets Betnijah Laney, Elizabeth Williams, Breanna Stewart, Jordan Adams, Imani Stafford and Morgan Tuck were selected to the U-17 national team. The squad will play in the U17 World Championship July 16-25 in Rodez and Toulouse, France.

Kiah Stokes, on a short list of post players UConn is looking at in the current crop of rising high school seniors, was selected to represent the U.S. in the World Youth Olympic Games, a 3 on 3 tournament. The team will make a stop in Springfield, Mass. from Aug. 6-9 for training before leaving for the event in Singapore.