Weekend Plans With WNBAer/ESPN Analyst Chiney Ogwumike

CHINEY OGWUMIKE is a woman of many hats, balancing the roles of a WNBA Connecticut Sun Forward, WNBPA VP and a full-time analyst for ESPN, all at just 26 years old. While some players may use their off days during the season to rest and recover, Ogwumike’s starts hers with an hour commute to ESPN’s Bristol campus at 3:30am ET. “I only live my life according to 24 hours, that’s what helps me keep everything straight. It's a challenge, but it's one of those things that I take the same mindset to being an athlete and being prepared and giving it my all.” Ogwumike found time in her busy schedule to talk to THE DAILY about what was on her docket for the NBA All-Star Weekend. 

BIG WEEKEND: Friday morning is the NBA Tech Summit. Then we have the celebrity game, which I’m very excited about, and that's pretty much my ESPN hat, being an analyst for the celebrity game. Saturday morning, I have a Bleacher Report panel that I'm doing in honor of Black History Month. After that, I’m going to the NBA Africa luncheon. I've been on a lot of trips with NBA Africa; I've been to Rwanda with them, Kenya and Nigeria. Then, I will attend the Saturday night festivities with all the fun All-Star competitions. I'm going to use it as a networking opportunity. Then on Sunday, I’m actually not even able to stay for the game. I fly out first thing in the morning at 6:00am and I'm working in the studio as the women's college basketball host with games at 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00. Then at 7:00, when the All-Star Game is, we'll be having our ESPN NBA radio show, and I'll be hosting that.

BALANCING ACT: I'm pretty lucky because both careers happened when I was in Connecticut, playing for the Connecticut Sun and also working for ESPN. I guess you could say it's convenient for me to do both. But I'm not gonna lie: It's a grind and it's really hard. During the WNBA season, I'm with my team and then on my days off, instead of resting, I’ll drive to ESPN and go and be on their shows, covering the NBA, the latest news, all that stuff. They've really allowed me to share my voice, which I'm excited about. I'm so glad that they chose to invest in me, because it's a gamble in a way. I know I'm credible because I know what I bring to the table, but a lot of people question women's roles in sports. Those are stereotypes that I'm really excited to help break down. I just feel blessed and fortunate, which is why I'm trying to grind so hard to show them that, 'Hey, your investment in me is worth it.'

GLOBETROTTER: If I have time, the first thing I did when the season was over was I went back to Nigeria to reconnect with my family. And then I even went to South Africa for my cousin's wedding, hung out in Cape Town for a little bit. If I have weeks on hand or if I need to decompress for real, I love to travel. I'm already trying to plan for next time. I have African heritage, so I try to sort of explore that area. I'm thinking about going to Ghana, but the more I think about it I'm actually going to try to go to Zanzibar, which is probably one of the most beautiful places on earth.

                         

 

Aumnae Playing in Australia, Europe, Asia

Australia:

Brittany's team, the Perth Lynx was eliminated in the semifinals by the Canberra Capitals. Brittany had 10 points and 19 rebounds in the game.

The Perth Lynx Coaches’ award went to Brittany McPhee after her impressive first season in the WNBL, where she averaged 13.61 points, 6.87 rebounds and 1.83 assists per game.

McPhee had her breakout game with 32 points in a win over the Townsville Fire in round 2.

IN CASE YOU MISSED KAYLA'S STORY


Kayla Pedersen Set To Retire

Jayco Rangers import Kayla Pedersen will play her final WNBL game this weekend after announcing her retirement.The 29-year-old, who last season was crowned the WNBL’s Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year, is returning home to America to start the next chapter of her life after getting engaged to partner Nathan last month.

“It’s time for a new adventure. It was perfect timing this summer, I ended up buying a place in Arizona, met an amazing guy Nathan, he came over here and proposed, so we’re going to travel a bit, start a family and I feel like God is calling me to something else now,’’ she said. 

 

“I have no clue how it (her final game) is going to feel. I just want to have fun with the girls because that’s what it’s all about and the relationships you’ve built.” “Rachel (Jarry) was like “this week’s for Kayla” and I hate attention but it’s going to make it special. There’s going to be a lot of tears, a lot of thankfulness but it’s time, I’m ready.” 
Pedersen first played for the Rangers in 2013-14 before competing in the WNBA and winning a championship in Italy. She returned for a second stint in season 2017-18.She says Dandenong, and Australia, will always hold a special place in her heart.“Being at Dandenong has been so special. The organisation has taken care of me, they care about the person too, to have that support has been amazing. And being in Melbourne and Australia, I love the culture, the breakfast and coffee is the best thing ever, having church friends and all that it was just kind of perfect that I had a life here as well, so that makes it even harder to say goodbye, but even more special.”

Pedersen says she’s glad the final game of the home-and-away season is at home so she can say goodbye to the Jayco Rangers fans. “One of the best times has been getting to sign autographs after the game and talk to people. The fans never give up on us, I’ve always felt support from them, no criticism, nothing, over the years. It’s really great to have a home game, be on this court again to give my cheers to the fans.” “It’s perfect.”

Europe, Asia, Africa

Erica McCall is playing for Atomorenu in Hungary. Her team is tied for 2nd place and she is averaging 13pts and 6.9rbs per game.

Bri Roberson is playing for Araski in Turkey. Araski is in 7th place and Bri is averaging 7.5pts per game.

 

  

Amber Orrange is playing for Maccabi Raanano in Israel. Her team is in 8th place and Amber is averaging 11.4pts and 4.4 assists per game

Cissy (Alissa) Pierce is still with Goettingen in Germany. Her team is tied for 7th place. Cissy is averaging 8.8 pts and 3.6 rbs per game.

Christin Hedgpeth ('94) Promoted to WNBA COO

Christin Hedgpeth Promoted to WNBA Chief Operating Officer




NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2019 – The WNBA announced today that Christin Hedgpeth has been promoted to WNBA Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.  Hedgpeth had been serving as the league’s interim COO since October 2018 and will continue to oversee WNBA strategy, business development and marketing functions.  She will report directly to WNBA Interim President Mark Tatum.

“Christy is an effective strategic leader and well-deserving of this promotion to COO,” said Tatum.  “With her strong experience in sales and marketing, Christy will continue to play a key role in our efforts to build more corporate partnerships, expand our fan base and grow the WNBA business.”

Hedgpeth previously served as Vice President, Team Marketing and Business Operations (TMBO) for the NBA, consulting with WNBA and NBA teams where she provided strategic support to WNBA teams in ticket sales, sponsorship and marketing, while also helping NBA teams drive their youth basketball and overall branding initiatives at the team level.  During her tenure in this role, WNBA team sponsorships grew nearly 30 percent.

“It has been a true privilege to collaborate with WNBA and NBA teams in TMBO,” said Hedgpeth.  “I am inspired by the extraordinary women who play in the WNBA and by the deep commitment our organization and owners have to the game.  It is incredibly energizing to have the opportunity to continue to evolve the WNBA brand together with our players, teams, and corporate partners.”

Prior to joining the league in 2014, Hedgpeth held a series of leadership roles with Under Armour, Spalding and Russell Athletic, where she was responsible for business strategy, P&L management, and brand marketing initiatives.

Hedgpeth was a starter on Stanford’s 1992 National Championship team before playing three seasons in the American Basketball League (ABL) for the Seattle Reign after she helped launch the league as Director of Player Development. A native of Thomasville, North Carolina, Hedgpeth earned her undergraduate degree at Stanford University and her MBA from Duke University.

Cori Enghusen (2002): From Locker Room to Board Room

From Locker Room to Board Room

 

by Cori Enghusen 
 
I am a former professional basketball player who has recently transitioned to a corporate career. A Washington State native, I was one of the most highly recruited high school graduates nationally in my class, a 4-year scholarship athlete at Stanford, and a draftee to the WNBA’s Houston Comets. But the majority of my 14 year post-college career existed abroad, including 10 years spent in Turkey. I am one of the first players to represent two different countries at the national level, medaling with both. I have played with and against some of the greatest to have ever played the sport. I have won championships, been voted an All-Star, and served as captain, each many times over.

When the time came to make a career shift, I learned quickly that the interest garnered by my experience as an athlete was often enough to get my foot in the door. But, to get to a second interview, I needed to learn how to talk about the relationship of professional athletics to an organized mission. I don’t mean how to spin it to sound good….. well, I don’t only mean that. In my career, I had done hundreds of interviews and countless public speaking engagements… I can spin stories. But I needed to learn the vocabulary to speak intelligently about how my experiences until then had prepared me more than other candidates vying for the same role.
 
During my career, I did more than just compete on the court. I helped start, and continue to be a main contributor of, a fundraising group aimed at defeating ALS. I interned in public relations, corporate relations, and branding. I was a door-to-door salesperson, (of windows, if you can believe that), a caterer, and a bartender. I also earned a master’s degree from a Top 20 business school, and later an associates degree in Project Management. Though I wanted to play as long as I could, I knew that professional athletics can be finicky and that careers can unexpectedly be cut short. I did anything I could to increase the comprehensiveness of my resume, and help me discover what I wanted to be when I grew up. My goal: retire when I chose to, not when I was forced out due to injury, age or obsolescence.
 

For the majority of athletes that continue on to a professional level, our sport has been our job and our main focus since we were children. For those that cannot financially sustain themselves after they retire from their sport without further employment, the transition can be extremely difficult and uncomfortable… and often times it’s an enormous struggle to adjust.


Cori is a Workplace Consultant for Open Square in Seattle. In her words " Creating spaces where people can come together."

Alumnae in Europe - Jillian Player of Week in Italy; Karlie interview from Belgium

Experienced New Zealand Jillian Harmon (185-PF-87, agency: LBM Management) had an amazing evening in the last round for Ragusa and that's her to receive a Interperformances Player of the Week award for round 11.
The 31-year old power forward had a double-double of 28 points and eleven rebounds, while her team crushed Battipaglia (#10, 2-9) with 16-point margin 79-63. Ragusa maintains the 3rd position in Italian Serie A1. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Ragusa will need more victories to improve their 8-3 record. Harmon turned to be Ragusa's top player in her first season with the team. Stanford University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Harmon is in league's top in rebounds (8th best: 9.0rpg) and averages solid 54.2% FGP.

Ragusa is currently 9 - 4 and in 4th place.
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Mithra Castors Braine made a great deal when they signed WNBA player Karlie Samuelson for this season. A California girl found her way to Belgium. Two weeks ago Samuelson joined the team and she immediately made a big impression. With Samuelson, Braine wants to make a big run in the Euroleague this season. And so far, Braine and Samuelson are a perfect match.   You finally played your first games for Braine. How was that? They were fun. It takes time to get used to playing with new people and new coaches. I like how we are getting to know each other.

Your debut in the Euroleague was impressive. 18 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, one steal in 28 minutes. How good did that make you feel? Thank you! It felt really good! I know I put in work in the off season and so it feels good to do well in my first Euroleague game. There will always be ups and downs in a season but it definitely boosted confidence for me and the win most importantly boosted confidence of the team.

You already committed to Braine in April? What convinced you half a year ago Belgium was the place to be? I really wanted to play for a Euroleague team and I heard good things about this club and decided to give it a go! Also, I had heard really good things about the country and so far, I am really liking living here.

You are known as a shooter playing for Stanford as a college player. You were one of college basketball’s top three-point shooters: 47.7 percent. The third best in the country. Where did you learn to shoot like that? My dad taught my sisters and I how to shoot. We spent a lot of time in the gym working on shooting, so I’m thankful to have my dad and my mom be so supportive and invested in me and my growth as a basketball player.

Your older sister Bonnie played for Stanford as well, your younger sister Katie-Lou plays for Connecticut. How was that? Three competitive sisters growing up together? Growing up together and playing the same sport allowed us to spend so much time together as a family. It is the reason we are so close. Yes, it was very competitive and definitely made us all better basketball players. I learned how to hold my own and be physical against my sisters, as they both ended up a good few inches taller than me.

As sisters, you evaluated each other after games. That will be difficult now. How do you keep contact nowadays? I talk to my sisters all the time on FaceTime. My whole family watched that first Euroleague game live on YouTube and they were all very excited for me. My little sister’s season is starting in a week and I always talk with her about how she is playing and feeling. Unfortunately, I have to wait a day or two to stream her games because I am over here in Europe, but I have watched every single one of her college games and I plan on continuing that this year.

Your father was a professional basketball player in England, your mother a netball player. Who gave all three of you their talents? Both my parents taught all of us how to shoot and play basketball. It was always a family affair, growing up going to practices and games together. Every year I think both of them taught each of us something new to add to our games.

Your father is American, your mother is from England. Bonnie chose to play for Great Britain’s national team, Katie-Lou is playing for the United States. This summer you played for the national team of Great Britain for the first time. It was an incredible experience playing for the Great Britain National team for the first time this year. The girls are so nice and we won two big games together.

Was your mother proud? My mom was definitely proud of me. Last year my mom and I visited her sister in England. That was the first time I had ever been there and the first time she had been back in 23 years. She is coming again this November with me. I am proud to represent the country that my mom is from.

It is possible you might have to go against Katie-Lou in the future playing on different national teams. That must be strange? It has always been a dream of mine to play against my sister. I never got the chance to in college, so playing against her and the USA team while on the Great Britain team would be a crazy and really fun experience. And playing with my sister in the future is a dream of mine as well.

This year you played in the WNBA for the LA Sparks. How was that experience? My first WNBA season was quite an experience. I had a lot of fun and learned so much about the game and about myself. And to be part of the LA Sparks was an absolute dream. I learned so much from playing with incredible players like Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray, Nneka Ogwumike and Alana Beard. Being able to play at Staples Center in front of my family and friends is something I am extremely proud of.

In 2017 you played strong in training camp for the Sparks but due to a fractured foot you were not able to complete camp so you didn’t make the team. Was it an extra motivation to make the team this year? I would say that fracturing my foot after playing well in camp definitely motivated me to work as hard as possible and improve my game to try to make the team the next year. I actually kept a WNBA logo that fell off of one of my shorts in my wallet the entire year to remind myself what I was working for.

Katie-Lou will be one of the top picks in the WNBA in 2019. What can you tell her about life as a professional player? I talk to my sister all the time about how to improve her game and how physical professional basketball can be. She has improved so much over her first three years in college and I am proud of how versatile she has become and the kind of leader she is on her team. I tend to learn a thing or two from her nowadays as well. The most important thing though is to be healthy, strong, and feeling good. We love to workout together in the small amount of time we get in the off season.

On Instagram I found a picture of you with Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and your sister. Are you a Hollywood celebrity or where you at the right spot at the right time? Haha definitely not a celebrity. That was right after I fractured my foot. Penny Toler got me tickets for my family and myself for the season opener at Staples Center. Kobe’s daughter’s favorite player is Katie Lou and so we all got to say hi to her and talk with Kobe and Magic. It’s nice having a superstar little sister.

You played for the Sparks this year, played for the GB national team and you played in Italy. And now you have a full season ahead. That’s a heavy workload. How do you keep fresh? Life as a professional basketball player is definitely a lot of work because it is almost a year-round season. I make sure to keep my body feeling healthy with proper workouts and recovery but most importantly I keep my mind right by talking with my family and friends. I try to keep a positive mindset and remind myself to really enjoy these experiences that basketball has given me because playing basketball as my job is not something I can do forever. So I do not want to take it for granted.

Last question. After growing up in California and a full year in Italy. How do you like rainy Belgium? I have been spoiled growing up in the California weather! I am cold! But I just put on three jackets, a rain coat, scarf and a hat and I am good to go.

Castors Braine is 12 -1 and in 1st place. Karlie is averaging 16.1 ppg averaging approximately 26 minutes per game. She is shooting 55% on 3 pointers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonnie Shares Her Top 7 Moments From First Year

My Top 7 Moments From First Year

 

Peer Advisers are upperclassmen who are trained to assist incoming students make the transition into professional grad school. One of the way they assist is through the Peer Advisor Blog. Here is an example of such a blog article that may even be helpful to you as a pre-optometry student as you go forward…

By Peer Adviser, Bonnie Samuelson, SCCO Class of 2020

Everyone goes into grad school expecting it to be a grind and worrying about how to survive the coursework while maintaining good grades.  We worry about how stressful it’s going to be and whether we’ve made the right choice.  Well I’m here to tell you that, while this past year was stressful and challenging at times, the good moment far outweighed the bad.  I met so many wonderful people and had a ton of fun and new experiences.  With that being said, here are my top 7 moments from first year:
Vision Expo: During the first couple months of school everyone in the class is getting to know each other and making new friends so what better way to do that than with a road trip to this awesome optometry conference in Vegas?!  Vision Expo was such an eye-opening experience (pun intended) and showed me just how many different career paths there are in optometry.  The sheer amount of vendors, exhibits, and fellow optometrists and students there was overwhelming.  It was a great opportunity to network as well.  The whole experience was a blast and I got to bond and have fun with my classmates in a non-school setting.
White Coat Ceremony: At MBKU we (optometry) are fortunate to have our White Coat Ceremony early in our first year in October.  Needless to say, once I put on my white coat, I truly felt like a doctor, and in the midst of my first quarter and exams as an optometry student, it helped me realize the ends justify the means.  It was great to see our entire class go through this occasion together and we all looked pretty good in our white coats if I do say so myself. 

Passing Any Proficiency: As any SCCO student will tell you, proficiencies are pretty nerve-wrecking going in, but there’s no greater feeling of triumph than completing a new clinical skill and successfully performing it on a patient.  This is the reason we are all here and, I’ll tell you right now, nobody will complete every proficiency perfect the first time.  All you can do is continue to practice and try again.  The best part is that everyone in your class is going through the same thing and are willing to help.  The more you practice, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be when it comes time to perform.

Care Harbor: This is a huge Los Angeles volunteer event that many different health care professionals attend from all over the area.  Our school sends students every year to which to participate and provide free eye exams to anyone who wishes to attend.  After learning some clinical skills in fall and winter quarter, it was very exciting to go and use these on real patients in a real-world setting.  It was a very rewarding experience and all of our patients were very kind and appreciative.  In the middle of a year full of lectures and labs, this was a good reminder of why it’s all worth it.
Optometry’s Meeting in DC: Technically this occurred the month after first year finished but it was so much fun it had to make the list!  Similar to Vision Expo, Optometry’s Meeting had so many great opportunities to network and learn about advocating for our profession on both a state and national level.  At this conference I was able to meet a ton of students from different schools and spend time with them.  There were so many events geared specifically for students and I felt like I really learned a lot.  Also, there are so many fun things to see and do while in DC.  I highly suggest doing the rent-a-bike service and biking around the monuments and along the Potomac River.
Tijuana SVOSH Trip: Near the end of the year, I decided to go on one of our school’s SVOSH day trips to Tijuana with five other students from our school (and Dr. Van de Pol).  We volunteered at a local church to give free eye exams and provide free glasses.  Similar to Care Harbor, this was a very rewarding experience and a great opportunity to practice and hone the clinical skills I’d learned throughout the past year.  We got to work with and help young kids as well as some adults who had been struggling to see.  The whole day was a ton of fun and we also stopped for some tacos before we crossed the border on the way back.
Any and All Fun Random Moments with My Classmates: My absolute favorite parts of this year we’re making new friends with the people in my class.  There are so many hilarious moments we’ve had together, whether it’s late-night delirious studying sessions, going out to try ramen and boba for the first time, or having last-minute bonfires and s’mores at the pool.  We always have fun together and have all bonded through certain tough exams or proficiencies we’ve had.  My last piece of advice is to put yourself out there when you get here this fall.  Go to the class mixers, run for class board, go on hikes and explore the area, or form a workout squad!  I guarantee you’ll meet some pretty great people in the process and truly thrive as a student. 

Lynx star Brittany McPhee shares sunny Christmas with twin Jordan



Athletic twins, basketballer Brittany McPhee with her sister Jordan, who is a track and field champion.Picture: Sharon Smith The West Australian





Twins Brittany and Jordan McPhee have lived in each other’s pockets for most of their lives.

But tomorrow will be one of the rare times when Jordan has watched Brittany playing basketball from the grandstand.

Raised in Seattle, the McPhees were inseparable as children.

They shared a bedroom, went to girl scouts and played basketball, tennis and soccer while growing up. 

But after graduating from Mount Ranier High School, the pair went to college almost 1400km apart.

Brittany’s outstanding basketball performances at Stanford University led to her being recruited by the Perth Lynx. 

Jordan switched colleges and sports this year, focusing on athletics while studying for her masters in business administration at Gonzaga University. 

A 1500m runner, Jordan flew to Australia last week and will spend the next month in Perth.

“It’s exciting to just be hanging out again,” Brittany said.

“We only saw each other for a couple of weeks per year at college. We’re used to being apart now and we still talk a lot but it will be good to get a solid month together. It’s super nice. 

“I haven’t been lumped in as a twin for a while. I’d like to get back to that. I miss it.”

Having come from America’s winter, Jordan is relishing Perth’s sunshine. 

The Lynx play and practise just 500m from the WA Athletics Stadium, which provides Jordan with the opportunity to watch her sister while still training. The 22-year-olds are eagerly anticipating their first summer Christmas and intend to soak up the beach while their family are shivering in America.

But Christmas pales in comparison to Jordan’s excitement at finally getting to see Brittany playing for Perth. She said tomorrow’s match against the Sydney Uni Flames would be a special moment.

“Watching her play is one of my favourite things,” she said.

“I haven’t played with her since high school and that was so much fun. Watching her play is the next best thing. I could never beat her at basketball. I was always better at running.”

Christina Bastastini (2000) returns to High School coaching

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WOONSOCKET – The two newest additions to the Mount Saint Charles Academy coaching staff don’t have much in common, but one thing’s for certain:


They have a strong admiration for the school that they will serve as head coaches.
For Christina Batastini, who will take over this winter as the girls’ basketball coach, her admiration began last winter, when during her daughter Ryanne’s Catholic Athletic League game in the Mounties’ gymnasium, she took a good look at the facility and the rest of the campus and was impressed with what she encountered.
For Drew Brissette, who will take the field next spring as the softball coach, he admired the school from afar, when as a teenager in North Smithfield, he privately “envied” the school and his friends who attended it. He wore the Northmen’s Green & Gold as a baseball player during his freshman and sophomore years, but now he’s anxious to don the Mounties’ Red, White, & Blue.
When it comes to high school girls’ basketball in Rhode Island, Batastini is one of the all-time legends. One of the greatest players to take the court in this state, the 1996 graduate of Classical High, who was a Parade Magazine and a Nike All-American) continued her hoop career at Stanford University, where she starred on three Pac-10 championship teams, and played professionally for four seasons in Europe (in Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland).
After finishing her career as a practice player for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, she turned her attention to coaching. She started out as an assistant coach at Brown University, before spending seven seasons as the head coach of the Lincoln School. Under her guidance, the Lynx went from a winless team to a four-time Southeastern New England champion. She stepped down after the 2012 season and focused on coaching her daughter’s hoop teams, which ranged from ages 5-9, as well as operating her Batastini School of Basketball, which offers state-wide camps, team clinic, and individual instruction.
She didn’t think she’d be coaching on the high school level again, but when she visited the campus again, as well as met with the school’s president, Alan Tenreiro, and athletic director Ray Leveille, who was last season’s head coach before stepping down to take over as Mount’s full-time A.D., she knew she really wanted the job.
“It really sounded like they had a sustainable plan for the future of their students,” she recalled. “It was exciting and it was something I wanted to be a part of. And my daughter is in fourth grade, so the timing was really important to me that I coach at a school that she could possibly attend someday.
“She visited the school and loved it, and it really felt like a good fit, not only for our family, but in terms of their vision for what they want their athletic programs to look like.”
“Christina has succeeded as a player and coach at every level: professional, college, high school, and scholastic,” Tenreiro said in a press release. “Between her athletic and academic accomplishments, she embodies the student-athlete ideal we encourage at Mount Saint Charles. Our girls team has a strong winning tradition, and we’re confident they’ll have even more success under Christina’s leadership.”
Bastastini, who also works for the state’s Department of Health, inherits a team that went 7-11 and returned to the Division II playoffs last season, and with some of the top players from that squad expected to return to the team this season, the new head coach hopes to be competitive.
“I took a brief look at our schedule and most of those teams that we’ll be playing, at least when I played and was involved coaching high school basketball, were once Division I programs,” Bastastini added, “so it seems like there’s a really strong group of teams in this division.”
As for her long-term goals?
“Each year, I’d like to grow on the past year’s success,” she noted, “potentially move up to the top level if it’s feasible, and then ultimately grow the program to where it becomes an absolute ‘have-to’ – in terms of if you are a middle school kid or a student-athlete and you want to play college basketball, that you feel compelled to look at Mount Saint Charles because of the program that we built in the course of time that I’ll be there.”
While Bastastini was officially named the head coach last Thursday, it wasn’t long before Brissette got the nod to lead the Mounties’ softball program, which will be returning to the Division I ranks after spending the past two seasons in D-II and reaching the finals in 2017.
Note: Mount Saint Charles is off to a 3-0 start


 
 

Sarah, Kayla and Brittany down under

Stanford alumnae Sarah Boothe, Kayla Pedersen, and Brittany McPhee  are playing in the WNBL in Australia. Brittany's Perth team leads the league with a record of 9 and 3. She is averaging 16pts and 7 rebounds per game. Sarah's Melbourne team is 2nd with a 9-5 record; she is averaging 5pts and 3 rbs per game in 14 minutes per game. Kayla's team Dadenong  has a 5-6 record, but in their last game upset Brittany's team and Kayla received some props for her performance. https://twitter.com/JaycoRangers/status/1072356994185617411 Kayla, last years defensive player of the year, averages 10.7 pts and 7.5 rbs per game.

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Sarah was interviewed at the start of the season about her expectations for the year.  http://wnbl.com.au/melbourne/news/boomers-courtside-chat-sarah-boothe/

Roger Pelletier, aka mb.red, FBC Feature Writer

Karlie Samuelson completed a EuroBasket Qualifier

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Karlie just completed play in the EuroBasket Qualifier with the British Women's Team during a break in play in the European Leagues. Karlie was a major contributor as the team went 5-1 and successfully qualified  for the 2019 EuroBasket event.

EuroBasket Women is a bi-annual international basketball competition held between the nations of Europe (including Israel) for women's national basketball team. Eurobasket Women is also used as a qualifying tournament for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and also for Olympic Games.

Attached is link to video of Karlie highlights in game versus Greece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoI8qW2Qp9E