Regan Freuen Drew - a Spokane Connection

The Spokane Regional Tournament inspired an update on a member of the Cardinal team that went to three Final Fours in the 1990s. Regan Freuen Drew now lives in the Spokane area, teaching and coaching the girls basketball team at her alma mater, Mead High School. She provided some strong local support for our current team as they pursued the regional title last weekend, as reported in the local media.

Katy Steding to Atlanta Dream

Katy Steding has been named assistant coach for the WNBA's newest franchise, the Atlanta Dream, in an announcement by head coach Marynell Meadors. Since 2001, Katy has coached the Warner Pacific College Knights, in Portland, Oregon, after a career in both the ABL and WNBA, leading them to their first conference championship in 2005/06. The Dream play their first home game on May 23rd against the Detroit Shock.

Clare and Jillian May Play in the Olympic Games

Clare Bodensteiner and current player Jillian Harmon may join the New Zealand Olympic team for this summer's Olympics in China, according to news reports in the New Zealand press. Check out the article in FBC's Stories of the Season or go direct to stuff.co.nz for the whole story.

Brooke To Join Kristin in Phoenix

A second Cardinal alum is going to train with the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA reports that Brooke Smith has signed a training camp contract with the Mercury and will join Kristin Newlin in Phoenix this spring.

Four More Years for Nicole

Good news for Nicole Powell fans! Nicole has signed a 4-year contract with the Sacramento Monarchs, according to the WNBA, promising many opportunities to watch her hit 3 point shots and help the Monarchs win another championship.

Krista Back in Sweden

Krista Rappahahn returned to Sweden in January, to play for the Brahe team. Her first Swedish stint was with Stockholm, helping that team win the national championship in 2007. This time, Krista will be playing half the season, before she returns to the U.S. to attend medical school. In an interview with the local newspaper, Jnytt, Krista talks about her love for Sweden, and how much she enjoys living in the small town of Huskvarna, which is similar to the environment she grew up in in rural Connecticut. Although the interview is in Swedish, World Lingo offers a delightfully idiosyncratic translation into English. Krista's blog also relates her adventures abroad.

Chico State Wildcats and Molly Goodenbour win CCAA Title

The CSU Chico Wildcats, led by second-year coach Molly Goodenbour, beat Cal State LA last Friday to clinch the California Collegiate Athletic Association title. The Wildcats have earned a 23-5, 16-3 CCAA record this year, including an early season exhibition game loss to Stanford at Maples. In an article in the Chico Enterprise-Record, Coach Goodenbour commented that "I like the idea of us winning the conference over the course of the season, getting better all along to be the best team at the end of the year."

Kristin Newlin Signed by Phoenix Mercury

The Phoenix Mercury signed Kristin Newlin to a training camp contract last week, as reported on the WNBA website. Kristin has been playing great basketball in Turkey. Currently, she is averaging 18.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and played in the Turkish All-Stars game. Kristin would add strength to the Mercury lineup, which lost Jennifer Lacy in the expansion draft. Two other big Phoenix players, Kelly Schumacher and Olympia Scott, have not yet been re-signed.

Alumnae Day at Maples

February 2nd was Alumnae Day at Maples Pavilion. It was a great day to see former players. Jennifer Azzi was the featured speaker at the Women in Sports luncheon prior to the UCLA game. Several other grads attended the luncheon and all basketball alumnae at the game were recognized at center court during half-time. Here are photos of that ceremony. The players in the group photo are (from left to right) Nancy Lovvold Guerland, Kathy Levinson, an alum we are still trying to identify, Mary McCready, Mary Ann Somerville, Jennifer Azzi, Ann Enthoven, Emily Wagner Gallagher, Kim Kupferer, Fran Liu, Anita Kaplan Fiedel, Heather Owen and Stephanie Erickess Caluya. Sarah Dimson, shown below, was also present but missed the group photo.

Val Whiting Becomes a Marathoner

Last November, Val Whiting finished the Philadelphia Marathon, her first distance race, according to an article in the 1/23/08 Wilmington, Delaware, News Journal. Val is now retired from the WNBA and, with her husband, Jay Raymond, operates GameShape, the Athlete's Performance Center, in Wilmington. Last spring, Val decided to take on a new challenge and started to train for the marathon. In the article, she reports that despite the cold, rainy day, finishing the race felt like a great accomplishment, and she might try another marathon. If she does, she "would do it to make a time, not just to finish." Go to the News Journal article to read Val's entire interview.