Former UConn star Diana Taurasi had 14 points in a hard-earned 80-61 win over Turkey
in the U.S. Olympic team's final exhibition game before the start of the Olympics.
(Photo courtesy of USA Basketball)

In what was easily the most competitive of the United States Olympic team's five pre-Olympic international friendlies, the U.S. was pushed by host Turkey for three quarters before pulling away for an 80-61 victory in the final exhibition game before the start of the Olympics.

Seimone Augustus led the U.S. with 16 points, former UConn star Diana Taurasi had 14 while Sylvia Fowles added 12 points and Candace Parker finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The other five former UConn stars on the U.S. team combined for just 17 points although Sue Bird and Maya Moore did combined for 10 of the 20 assists for the U.S.

The U.S. will remain in Turkey and practice on Monday and Tuesday before heading to London. The U.S. will open against Croatia on Saturday. The U.S. beat three of the five teams in its Olympic pool during the pre-Olympic preparation.

Here are some quotes from Geno Auriemma and Diana Taurasi


Geno Auriemma
On the game:
I think it’s better for us than last night for sure. We had to make plays. We had to get stops, and they are a really, really good team. They have a lot of weapons, they have a lot of ways they can beat you and they are really smart. We gave them a lot of life. We missed a lot of opportunities that would have made it much easier for us, but maybe in the long run that’s better too. It’s easy to win when you shoot (78.0) percent like we did last night. It’s another thing when you shoot 35.0 percent in the first half and are able to beat a really good team by 19. So yeah, it showed some of our flaws and our warts, like everybody else has, and we’ve got four more practices to fix it and then we are on the big stage.

On the USA’s shooting:
I think when teams don’t shoot the ball very well, you do have to make a decision. Is it good shooters getting wide-open shots that don’t go in, or are they contested shots, or are they wrong players taking the wrong shots? So, I betcha there was a whole bunch of that – all three of those things. We missed some wide-open layups inside. We missed some open shots that we’ve been making, and Turkey is a really good defensive team. They put some pressure on you, and it took us a while. But once we got that little bit of a spurt, when the shots start going in, then it changes the whole complexion of the game. So, it wasn’t just we shot the ball poorly, I think they contributed to that a little bit as well.

On Seimone Augustus:
That’s why you have somebody like that. You bring her in the game because you know offensively; she’s got it going every night. Some players they know what they are good at. They know what their specialty is, and everybody on the team knows, if we go to her, something good is going to happen and she didn’t disappoint, which she rarely does. So, I was happy for her because going into the Olympics, she’s going to be that designated hitter. You are going to bring her off the bench, and you are going to get instant offense from her. So, this is a good send-off for her.

On the six players who have played in Turkey for either Fenerbache or Galatasaray:
Basketball in Europe is kind of like basketball in the United States. There are pockets where it’s great, and there are places where it is ok. This is one of those places where people are rabid about women’s basketball, and they have a right to be. They have two great teams with a tremendous amount of talent that has played her over the years, and they are knowledgeable group of fans as well.

When all of that is said and done, all of that goes out the window when your country is playing. I don’t care how much you hate Fenerbache, it doesn’t matter, when you are (cheering) for your country, you hate the guys they are playing against, so this was Turkey versus the U.S., and I would venture to say that a lot of the people there that love Diana, loved her before the game and loved her after the game and during the game they booed her every time she touched the ball, so it was perfect.

On the fourth quarter as the USA pulled away:
I think the second group that came in at the end of the third quarter, because they play so fast and have so much energy, they really take the legs away from some of the other teams that we play against, and tonight was another example of that. We were able to wear them down. There is not as much of a drop off when we sub as there is on some other teams. The depth that the United States has is one of our biggest strengths, and tonight was a perfect example of that.

On the USA – Turkey rematch in the preliminary round of the Olympics:
The Olympics bring out either the best or the worst in people, and so when we go up there, some people that didn’t play well tonight are going to play great, some people that played well are going to struggle. The pressures of the Olympics get to you one way or another, but I would think we know them; they know us. There aren’t going to be a lot of secrets when we play them. They learned a little bit about us; we learned a little bit about them. They are a good team, and I’m looking forward to playing them again.


Diana Taurasi
On the game:
I think we did some really good things. Obviously, this was a lot tougher team, and that’s what we are going to face in the Olympics, so I think it was a good test for us.

Whenever a team comes out and does a good job and plays well and challenges you, it really shows what kind of resolve we have.

On the USA’s shooting:
I think we got good shots. One night you shoot 70.0 percent, another night you shoot 30 – that’s basketball. You have to find a way to win, and we did that.

On the USA’s depth:
Whenever you have one-through-12 that can go in there and change the game in different ways, I think it gives coach some confidence and it gives everyone a sense of picking each other up.

New WNBA president Laurel Richie took in her first game at Mohegan Sun Arena, watching the Connecticut Sun defeat the Chicago Sky 83-68.

Richie admitted that she had not been to a WNBA game before she was hired as the third president in WNBA history following Val Ackerman and Donna Orender. She said she would like to use that fact to reach out to basketball fans like her who have not taken in a WNBA game.

"I know the press has made a lot on I had not been to a game and I view that as an opportunity," Richie said. "There are a lot of people just like me who are basketball fans, sports fans and think it is very important to have the same opportunity as men.

"I don't remember having an invitation to come to a game. I was aware of it, I don't remember somebody reaching out. One of the things I really want to think about it how do we reach out to people who we think or know would be interested and extend the invitation to get to a game and join us?

One of the issues raised when Richie met with the media during halftime was if they 2012 WNBA schedule would be altered to accomodate for the fact that some foreign players will not be available until after Olympics since they will be staying home to prepare for the event.

"I am sorting through that right now and our goal is to create an opportunity for women to participate in the WNBA and in the Olympics," Richie said.

As for the game, Tina Charles rebounded from an eight-point, four-rebound game in the previous meeting against Chicago to finish with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Kara Lawson, who missed the June 16 game against Washington with a sprained ankle, came off the bench to score 13 points.

Sylvia Fowles came back after a slow start to finish with 23 points and 10 rebounds while Epiphanny Prince had 18 points.

Angel McCoughtry had 17 points, Candice Dupree had 12 points and 16 rebounds and UConn senior Maya Moore had 15 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots as the United States blew past South Korea 106-44 in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Championship in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic on Friday.

Sylvia Fowles had 10 points while former UConn players Swin Cash and Tina Charles also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively and ex Husky Asjha Jones finished with nine points, four rebounds and two steals.

The U.S., the last undefeated team remaining in the tournament, will play the winner of the France/Spain game in the semifinals on Saturday. The game will be played either at 12:30 p.m. or 2:45 p.m. (Eastern time) with the championship game set for Sunday at 2 p.m.

Former UConn star Diana Taurasi is the team's leading scorer with 81 points through seven games and has nine of the 27 3-pointers for the U.S. Dupree, Charles and McCoughtry are next with 75, 74, 73 points and there are four other players in the 56-66 point range.

Moore, the only active college player on the team, is averaging 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 17.7 minutes per game. She is third on the team with both 16 assists and eight blocks but also has a team high 15 turnovers which really is not a shock considering she is the youngest player on the U.S. squad.

Sylvia Fowles, still getting her timing back after undergoing minor knee surgery after the WNBA season, had 15 points (on 5 of 5 shooting) and six rebounds as the United States defeated Belarus 107-61 at the FIBA World Championships on Tuesday. The victory, combined with Australia's hard-fought victory over a scrappy team from France, sets up a showdown for the Group E title on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. when the 5-0 United States team plays 5-0 Australia.

As for the Belarus game, former UConn star Diana Taurasi had 14 points, four rebounds, Candice Dupree had another strong effort with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals. UConn senior Maya Moore and former UConn star Swin Cash had 11 points each, Lindsay Whalen had nine points and four assists, Angel McCoughtry also had nine points while former UConn star Asjha Jones was 4 for 4 from the field and had eight points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. Ten of the 12 UConn players scored at least eight points as the U.S. shot 68 percent the field and outrebounded Belarus 41-21.

Through five games Candice Dupree leads the U.S. with 57 points and 27 rebounds while Angel McCoughtry (10.8 points, team-high 17 steals) and former Huskies Cash (10.6 points), Tina Charles (10.0) and Taurasi (10.0) are averaging double figures in scoring. Moore is averaging 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes per game.

Both only will the winner of the U.S./Australia game win Group E but the loser is guaranteed to finish second. The story is the same in Group F when Spain and Russia will play tomorrow for the group title. Both games will tip at 2:15 Eastern time.

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.

Maya Moore couldn't help but unleash a bit of a chuckle when she thinks about the rude awakening the group of incoming freshmen have been contending with this summer at UConn.

Like she did during the summer before her freshman season with the Huskies, Moore could barely contain her enthusiasm to take part in pick-up games at UConn. That was before the reality set in that playing basketball was only a small part of the indoctrination to being a member of the powerful UConn program.

Coming full circle, Moore remembers how the three healthy incoming freshmen (Stefanie Dolson, Lauren Engeln and Bria Hartley) bounded up and down the court with seemingly endless energy in the first day or two after their arrival. But before long even making their way up and down the court became a bit more challenging after grueling weight training sessions.

"We are just in our summer workout routine with strength and conditioning, lifting, running, playing pick-up (games) almost every night," Moore said before taking part in the first practice of the four-day U.S. senior national team training camp at Connecticut College on Thursday. "We are looking good. First when the freshmen got here before they experienced our strength and conditioning workouts, they were looking good in pick-up. It's a little tough now that they are coming from the workouts but I can see a good core of what they are. I am excited, I see the potential there."

GIVING THANKS
On one of his television shows last season, Geno Auriemma was engaged with bantering with his U.S. senior national team assistant coach Doug Bruno when Auriemma asked Bruno if he could guess which player sent him a thank you note after the conclusion of the U.S. national team training camp in Connecticut in the spring. Without hesitation, Bruno replied "Angel McCoughtry."

Auriemma was pretty stunned to receive the greeting from McCoughtry, who was a fierce rival of UConn's during her time at Louisville and earlier in her career had enough of a sour disposition on the court to draw boos from the UConn faithful during the Big East tournament.

In between conducting interviews for an upcoming ode to all things UConn women's basketball on Thursday, I couldn't help but break from my interviews of past and current UConn greats to ask McCoughtry about sending the note to thanks to Auriemma.

"When I was in college, I would never have done that so I figured that now that I am out of college, I might as well be nice," said McCoughtry with a sly grin as Sylvia Fowles, sitting a couple feet away, burst into laughter. "Just thanks for everything. Sometimes you just have to show your thanks and show your appreciation. It goes a long way."

Twelve players including five with ties to UConn were added to the player pool for the U.S. senior national team meaning seven of the 20 players in the running to represent the U.S. at the FIBA World Championships either attended or are attending UConn.

Current Huskies Tina Charles and Maya Moore are joined by former teammate Renee Montgomery as well as Swin Cash and Asjha Jones, teammates on UConn's 2000 and 2002 national championship teams. Former UConn stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are among the eight previously named as core players.

The other core players are Seimone Augustus, Tamika Catchings, Sylvia Fowles, Kara Lawson, Candace Parker and Cappie Pondexter while the players named to the player pool on Wednesday are Alana Beard, Shameka Christon, Candice Dupree, Lindsey Harding, Angel McCoughtry, Lindsay Whalen and Candice Wiggins.

The 2010 World Championship team as well as the 2012 Olympic squad will be coached by UConn's Geno Auriemma.

Speaking of Auriemma, he did not return with the team after Monday's win at Notre Dame as he headed out to Iowa to watching highly-touted 6-foot-3 junior center Kiah Stokes of Linn-Mar High in Marion, Iowa play in the state tournament. Stokes had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists as Linn-Mar defeated Johnston 60-38 in the Iowa 4A quarterfinals at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Tuesday.

The first time senior center Tina Charles heard chatter that people were using here perceived strained relationship with Geno Auriemma against the UConn Hall of Fame women's basketball coach, she could hardly believe her ears.

Sure, Charles did not like being replaced as a starter by classmate Kaili McLaren in the 2008 NCAA tournament but she was stunned that those outside the program believe there's any friction between her and Auriemma.

"I think it is ridiculous," Charles said. "I know they did that with (UConn incoming freshman) Bria Hartley, they would say that Tina doesn't like it here. I had a talk with Bria Hartley to tell her that I love it here."

Charles knew what she was getting into when she signed with UConn. Her high school coach Bob Mackey, who also coached Sue Bird at New York powerhouse Christ the King, told her as much.

Now as Charles is on the cusp of becoming the sixth UConn player to score 2,000 points, will graduate with honors, is in line to be the No. 1 pick in April's WNBA draft and has a bright future with the U.S. national team, she has no regrets. Neither does Auriemma.

"You'd be surprised how many people use it against us in recruiting about Tina Charles hates (Auriemma), she hates it up there," Auriemma said. "I said 'well, she looks pretty happy for a kid who hates it. They have this impression that I don't like her, it is just the opposite. I wish I didn't like her, I like her a lot. I wish she is the kind of kid you didn't like because 'nobody likes you, play your (butt) off.' But she is such a nice kid, she and Sylvia Fowles are identical. Her, Sylvia Fowles, Rebecca Lobo are the same kind of personalities."

Auriemma didn't name any names but I don't think you have to be at the top of the Yale graduating class to take a look at which AAU program Bria Hartley played for to surmise where some of that stuff came from. Enough said.

Changing gears, I spoke to Mackey on Wednesday as part of my advance focusing on Charles getting ready to join Nykesha Sales, Kerry Bascom, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi and Kara Wolters as the only 2,000-point scorers in UConn history.

I also talked to him about highly-touted Christ the King junior guard Bria Smith. He said Bria has been to a couple of UConn games including the Dec. 23 one against Stanford and to a UConn practice but she is nowhere near making any sort of decision. He's like her to start considering where she wants to take some unofficial visits but it sounds as if this is one recruitment process which will take some time.

I will leave you with this. I hate anonymous comments, rarely respond to them on my blog. Personally, if you aren't going to leave your name (even if it is a fake one) don't expect a response from me. But I did chuckle at an anonymous comment saying that breaking a record with five games to spare does not constitute "shattering." Well, in my eyes breaking Kerry Bascom's mark for being the quickest UConn player to 2,000 points by five games if that is the way it plays out would go down as shattering the mark in my eyes. If Albert Pujols broke the single-season home-run record in 155 games (which would be the same pace as Moore is on in quest of Bascom's program record) I'd be willing to be it would be viewed as Pujols shattering the record. Since this blog is my opinion, I love forward to Maya Moore doing some shattering in early March.

With five players injured and unable to take part in the U.S. senior national team training camp, which starts Wednesday at American University in Washington, D.C., and four others not being able to compete because they are involved in the WNBA finals, USA Basketball added former UConn star Renee Montgomery to the roster of players at the training camp.

She becomes the seventh either current or former UConn who has accepted an invitation to the training camp. Injuries will sideline Jayne Appel, Seimone Augustus, Alana Beard, Kara Lawson and Lindsay Whalen. Tamika Catchings and Ebony Hoffman of the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury duo of Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi will leading their teams into the WNBA finals. Doing the math, six of the 14 players planning to take part in the trials played or play for UConn. Montgomery is joined by Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird and Swin Cash as well as Asjha Jones, Tina Charles and Maya Moore.

With Charles and Moore unable to accompany the U.S. squad when it heads to Russia next month for three exhibition games, it's likely that the other 12 players will represent the U.S. for UConn coach Geno Auriemma's first games as the U.S. head coach.

HEADED TO ELM CITY
There will be a Doty playing at the Yale Bowl on Saturday but it will not be UConn sophomore guard Caroline Doty. Her twin brother Kevin is a sophomore tight end for Lafayette, which will play at Yale on Saturday at noon.

Kevin Doty has played in all three games for Lafayette and has two receptions for 19 yards.

Former UConn stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, members of the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic gold-medal winning basketball teams, were among eight players named to the Senior National team.

Tamika Catchings, Cappie Pondexter, Seimone Augustus, Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles and Kara Lawson - all former gold medalists - were also named to the team.

With a conference call in about four hours, more on the selection of the eight core players and likely an update on plans to hold a training camp in the fall will emerge.

There will be a conference call tomorrow where USA Basketball will announce the players who figure to form the nucleus of the 2012 Olympic team. The key word here is "figure."

The bottom line is the powers that be in USA Basketball want to hold a training camp somewhere between the end of the WNBA season and the time where the players head overseas and tomorrow's announcement will be a beginning of that process.

Expect many familiar names including ex-UConn stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi to top the list. However bear in mind that in 2006, 26 players appeared in games for the U.S. Senior National Team. None were named Lisa Leslie, who started all eight games in the 2008 Olympics. Of the top eight scorers on the team in 2006, only four were members of the Olympic squad two years later. What I'm trying to say is that the best players in 2009 and 2010 may not be the best players when the Olympic team takes the court in London in 2012. Exhibit A is Cappie Pondexter. The former Rutgers star was 23rd in minutes played in 22nd in points scored with the national team in 2006 but played a key, if a bit of an understated, role on the Olympic squad two years later.

The program has to start preparing for the 2010 World Championships at some point and that is what tomorrow afternoon's call (including UConn and U.S. Senior National team coach Geno Auriemma, USA Basketball executive director Jim Tooley and
women’s national team director Carol Callan and select national-team players) is about.

Auriemma didn't win six national titles by taking unnecessary risks with the health of his players so don't look for reigning national collegiate player of the year Maya Moore to be on the initial list nor should she be. Moore's time on the national team will come, whether that comes in 2010, 2011 or 2012 still remains to be seen. Her priorities should be on making sure she is 100 percent physically heading into her junior season and trust me, that is what she has been focusing on since returning to campus after not playing in the World University Games because of a sprained knee.

With Bird, Taurasi, Fowles (the leading scorer on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team who played 25 minutes in two games with the squad in 2006), Candace Parker, Cappie Pondexter, Tamika Catchings and Seimone Augustus (who is currently sidelined with a knee injury which should keep her off the court for the national team training camp in the fall), the core players the U.S. will be calling on in the quest for another run at Olympic gold are among the best players in the world. The challenge will be meshing some new blood with the impressive nucleus of returning players.

With Asjha Jones of the Connecticut Sun being named as an Eastern Conference reserve and Charde Houston (Minnesota) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix) selected as reserves for the Western Conference, there will be five former UConn players in Saturday's WNBA All-Star Game at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Seattle Storm teammates Sue Bird and Swin Cash, members of UConn's 2000 and 2002 national championship teams, were voted as Western Conference starters.

Here's the list of players selected to play in the 3:30 p.m. game

EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE
STARTERS STARTERS
F Tamika Catchings (Indiana) F Swin Cash (Seattle)
F Candice Dupree (Chicago) F Lauren Jackson (Seattle)
C Sylvia Fowles (Chicago) C Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles)
G Katie Douglas (Indiana) G Sue Bird (Seattle)
G Alana Beard (Washington) G Becky Hammon (San Antonio)
RESERVES RESERVES
F/G Shameka Christon (New York) F/C Nicky Anosike (Minnesota)
F/C Erika de Souza (Atlanta) F Charde Houston (Minnesota)
F Asjha Jones (Connecticut) G Cappie Pondexter (Phoenix)
F Sancho Lyttle (Atlanta) G/F Diana Taurasi (Phoenix)
G Jia Perkins (Chicago) F Tina Thompson (Los Angeles)
G/F Katie Smith (Detroit) F Sophia Young (San Antonio)

Bear in mind, Leslie and Jackson are dealing with injuries so it's likely two players will be added to the Western Conference squad to replace them. Douglas and de Souza are former members of the Connecticut Sun so there will be no lack of Connecticut connections even if the Sun, currently in second place in the Eastern Conference with an 8-6 record, have just one representative.

My first question is can I really call one day with no games the "All-Star break?"

Well, that is the deal with the WNBA this year since the schedule was already put together before the All-Star game details were finalized.

There are three games on July 23, although fortunately two of the three are held on the East Coast. After the July 25 All-Star game, there will be two games the following day as Phoenix plays at New York and Sacramento playing at Washington.

Now back to the all-star game, I wonder how many of the 10 players voted into the starting lineup will actually be able to play.

Sylvia Fowles, the starting center for the Eastern Conference, missed Chicago's last game with a shoulder injury. Lisa Leslie, the Western Conference's starting center, has missed the last seven games with a sprained right knee while Seattle forward Lauren Jackson, voted as one of the West's starting forwards, didn't even make the trip to Sacramento because of a strained Achilles tendon.

It should be an interesting weekend at Mohegan Sun Arena.

A COACH NO MORE?
When the Connecticut media caught up with Brittany Hunter during the NCAA tournament, the former UConn forward/center made it clear that coaching was not a part of her future plans. I guess she wasn't kidding as her name no longer appears among head coach Tonya Cardoza's assistants on the Temple website.

IS 11 ENOUGH?
The Indiana Fever brings its 11-game winning streak into Mohegan Sun Arena Sunday for a 3 p.m. game. A win will allow the Fever to equal Connecticut's 12-game streak in 2006 for the second longest in WNBA history behind Los Angeles' 18 straight wins in 2001.

There have been no lack of news to report since UConn cut down the nets in St. Louis following the program's sixth national championship.

But in my mind, one of the most intriguing moves was the Big East's decision to end the annual home-and-home series between UConn and Rutgers. Now Notre Dame will be the conference opponent to face UConn twice during the regular season. The UConn/Rutgers has certainly been good for the Big East (most of the time) but obviously those entrusted in the future of the league view Notre Dame as the latest challenger to UConn's Big East dominance. There was a time when the Fighting Irish managed to find itself on equal footing with the Huskies. Back in the 2000-01 season Notre Dame defeated UConn 92-76 at home and after losing a thriller in the Big East tournament final to the Huskies, Notre Dame won the rubber match with a stirring rally in the national semifinals.

Despite wins in 2004 and 2005 over UConn, the Fighting Irish were never able to build on creating a true rivalry with the Huskies. With the teams playing twice now, maybe that will change.

When the San Antonio Silver Stars were in town, I took the opportunity to sit down with its starting center Ruth Riley, the star of that 2000-01 Notre Dame team.

"It is a great matchup," Riley said. "In college basketball, you live for the great matchups. Just a lot of fun and great competition and a lot of history between the two teams. I am sure the girls will be were excited to play in those games and it is great for your home crowd to see UConn play both at Notre Dame and here as well.

"We are going to have a good team. I think Coach (Muffet McGraw) has had to deal with some injuries, that is tough when you lose two girls to ACLs in the same year. With those girls coming back and (national high school player of the year Skylar Diggins) coming in, they are going to be exciting to watch. I wish them the best."

Despite her busy schedule in the WNBA and playing professionally overseas, Riley tries to keep tabs on her alma mater.

"Well I still talk to Niele (Ivey, the starting point guard on Notre Dame's national championship team), she is an assistant coach (at Notre Dame). Also, I am from Indiana so when I go home to see my family I am only an hour away from Notre Dame so I am able to stay in touch."

I asked Riley of her best memories from the UConn/Notre Dame games, prefacing the request with a "other than obviously winning the national championship."

Here's what she had to say.

"Without a doubt winning at home senior year and that assured that we got our first No. 1 ranking and that was the landmark with how we are able to play together as a team."

SELECT COMPANY
While having three teammates on the U.S. squad heading to the World University Games is an impressive achievement, UConn's trio of Tina Charles, Tiffany Hayes and Maya Moore have some company.

Here's a list of trios from the same schools playing together in the World University Games

Wayland Baptist 1973: Janice Beach, Brenda Moeller and Cherri Rapp.
North Carolina State 1979: Genia Beasley, Debbie Groover and Ginger Rouse.
Tennessee 1983: Shelia Collins, Lea Henry and Mary Ostrowski
Southern Caifornia 1987: Karon Howell, Monica Lamb and Rhonda Windham
Auburn 1991: Ruthie Bolton, Linda Godby and Carolyn Jones.

Charles, Hayes and Moore become the foruth, fifth and sixth UConn players to play for the U.S. in the World University Games.

Kerry Bascom was the first in 1991
Kara Wolters was on the 1995 squad and also made the 1997 team as did Nykesha Sales. All three are still in the U.S. record book.

Bascom's 58.8 3-point percentage in 1991 in a mark for U.S. players that still stands. Wolters' 13 blocked shots is a U.S. record and her five blocks in an Aug. 21, 1997 game against Latvia tied Cindy Brown's mark set in 1985. She also set a record with a 70.7 field-goal percentage in 1997 which was broken by Sylvia Fowles in 2005. Sales had 32 points in an Aug. 29, 1997 game against Cuba, the third highest for a U.S. player in the event and her field-goal percentage of 68.2 is fifth in the U.S. record books.

Since Hayes just completed her freshman year, she could make the WUG squad again following her junior season. Wolters is the only other UConn player to accomplish that feat.