Candice vs Jeanette

Although neither Candice nor Jeanette is a star player in the WNBA, each has played a significant role in her team's contention for the league championship.

Candice has been a spark off the bench for the Minnesota Lynx all season. She's played about 22 minutes per game, and averaged 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals. On or off the court, she contributes her unmatchable "Where there's a Wiggins, there's a way!" spirit to her team's success.

Jeanette has been a role player for the Indiana Fever — their 3-point specialist. In game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jeanette was one of those who stepped up to the challenge of beating the Connecticut Sun after Katie Douglas went down with an ankle injury five minutes into the game. She stepped up big, hitting 100% of her five shots, four of them from beyond the arc.

So it's Candice vs Jeanette as Minnesota faces Indiana in the first game of the finals tonight.

GO CARDINAL[ALUM]!!

Nneka is Rookie of the Year

What's been predicted all season was confirmed today as Nneka was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year. It was a near-unanimous opinion—she received 38 or 39 of 41 or 42 votes (reports vary)

This report from the WNBA includes all the statistics that earned Nneka the honor. In this story by Michelle Smith, Nneka says that it wasn't all that hard.

Sparks coach Carol Ross was named WNBA Coach of the Year.

The day didn't end happily for the Sparks—they lost their second conference playoff game to the Minnnesota Lynx 79-80.

Nneka helped lead Sparks to WNBA Playoffs

By Beth Harris (Associated Press):

"Nneka Ogwumike is poised to take her stellar rookie season to the big stage. The Los Angeles Sparks forward, who was leading Stanford to the Final Four just a few months ago, will get even more exposure when the Sparks return to the WNBA playoffs starting Thursday." Read more...

The Sparks will play the San Antonio Silver Stars (the team Jayne is on) in the WNBA Semifinals. The schedule is:

Game 1: Thu, Sept. 27 @ LA, 7PT, ESPN2
Game 2: Sat, Sept. 29 @ SAN, 3ET, NBATV
Game 3 (if necessary): Mon, Oct. 1 @ LA, 7:30PT, NBATV

Here is the complete schedule. (Click tab "Conference Semifinals".)

Kayla's sophomore season in the WNBA

By Eric Woodyard (MLive Media Group):

Kayla Pedersen's sophomore season in the Women's National Basketball Association has been a learning experience.

The Tulsa Shock has slightly improved from her rookie year, but there's still a massive amount of work that needs to be done in order to mold the franchise into a winning organization.

"I think I've learned more of what it takes mentally to compete at this level," said Pedersen. Read more...

On the court with Bobbie Kelsey

Bobbie is looking to bring her winning record to Madison in her second season.

Tara is sure that Bobbie will maximize her opportunity as head coach at the University of Wisconsin, but, “It always will take a little time. I just hope that people are patient.”

Read more in this article by Tamira Madsen in the Madison Magazine.

Nneka's seamless path to the pros

Nneka continues to excel on the court. She was named the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week this week for the second time in her brief professional career. She leads all rookies in scoring (13.8 ppg), rebounds (7.4 rpg), and blocks (.94 bpg),and is second in field goal percentage (.526).

Joseph D'Hippolito, in an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle, writes that the best indication of her impact on the Los Angeles Sparks might not lie on a basketball court or in statistics. Read more...

Kate Starbird honored as a Woman of Inspiration

Kate Starbird (Stanford '97) was honored by the Seattle Storm at last week's game as part of their 2012 Women of Inspiration Awards. Starbird was one of four women chosen by the Storm for their remarkable achievements.

As part of their coverage of the 2012 Women of Inspiration Awards, the Seattle Storm profiled and interviewed Starbird on their website.

Sebnem returns to basketball

Sebnem Kimyacioglu (Stanford '05) has returned to Turkey to play professional basketball for Galatasaray this season.

She played pro ball in Turkey for three seasons after graduating from Stanford, then returned to the Bay Area where she has been studying law at Santa Clara University and working in various law offices since 2009.

Kristen's jersey to be retired

Kristen Newlin (Stanford '07) was a standout athlete at Riverton High School – a two-time Gatorade Wyoming basketball player of the year, a two-time state champion swimmer and state record holder, and a top-four state finisher and school record holder in the shot put.

She will be honored by having her No. 43 basketball jersey retired during a ceremony next Tuesday evening. She is the first Riverton High School girl to have her number retired, and only the second person in the school's history to be so honored.

Read more in this report from the Fremont County Ranger. (Note that you can access that report just once without subscribing to the Ranger's eNews service.)

Michelle will start pro career in Switzerland

Posted by Eurobasket News:

Uni Basel Basket strengthened their roster. They agreed on terms of contract with Michelle Harrison (190-F-87, college: Utah). The forward will start her pro career in Switzerland. Michell Harrison graduated from the University of Utah in 2011. The forward notched 4.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in her senior season. She was MWC Tournament winner with the Utes. Previously Michelle Harrison studied and played for Stanford University. She played in NCAA Final Four in 2009. In 2010 Michelle Harrison made it into NCAA Final with the Cardinal. She was PAC-10 Tournament Winner in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.