Top 25 Rankings as of October 2008[1]
Rank	Team	Points	Confederation
1	Spain	1643	UEFA
2	Italy	1365	UEFA
3	Germany	1336	UEFA
4	Brazil	1280	CONMEBOL
5	Netherlands	1258	UEFA
6	Croatia	1223	UEFA
7	Argentina	1200	CONMEBOL
8	Czech Republic	1111	UEFA
9	Russia	1076	UEFA
10	Portugal	1075	UEFA
11	France	1035	UEFA
12	Cameroon	1027	CAF
13	Turkey	1021	UEFA
14	England	982	UEFA
15	Bulgaria	969	UEFA
16	Israel	961	UEFA
17	Greece	945	UEFA
18	Romania	927	UEFA
19	Ukraine	893	UEFA
20	Uruguay	887	CONMEBOL
21	United States	861	CONCACAF
22	Egypt	860	CAF
	Paraguay	860	CONMEBOL
24	Mexico	841	CONCACAF
25	Ghana	839	CAF

The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men’s national teams in Association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), football’s world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest. A point system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of FIFA-recognized international matches. Under the existing system, rankings are based on a team’s performance over the last four years, with more recent results and more significant matches being more heavily weighted to help reflect the current competitive state of a team. The ranking system was most recently revamped after the 2006 World Cup, with the first edition of the new series of rankings issued on July 12, 2006. The most significant change is that the rankings are now based on results over the previous four years instead of the previous eight years. The change is perceived to respond to criticisms that the rankings do not effectively reflect the relative strengths of the national teams. (See section Criticism).

Alternative systems have been devised, such as the World Football Elo Ratings, based on the Elo rating system used in chess, ranking teams on an all time basis. The UFWC (Unofficial Football World Championships) ranks teams on the number of times they have defended the Unofficial Football World Championship, an award devised solely for that purpose.

Dare to dream about the ultimate Team USA matchup

by Charley Rosen

Point guards

It should be remembered that Magic Johnson sat out the 1991-92 NBA season and was therefore not at the top of his game. His alter-ego at this position was John Stockton.

Both Magic and Jason Kidd were slow and relatively defenseless, while Chris Paul and Deron Williams more than matched Stockton’s speed and quickness. If Stockton was the best 3-point shooter of this group, Williams isn’t far behind, and J-Kidd is underrated in this category.

The edge goes to the Beijing team in speed, depth and defense. Passing is just about even. Magic’s overpowering strength offsets Kidd’s and Williams’ considerable muscle. Because of Stockton, the Barcelona team also gets the nod in the shooting department.

Advantage: Redeemers

Shooting guards

Michael Jordan is a tad better than Kobe Bryant in just about every category. Chris Mullin’s defense was as bad as Michael Redd’s, and his long-range bombing was nearly as accurate. Clyde Drexler was the quickest of these guys, but Dwyane Wade is the strongest.

The ‘92 wingmen get a slight edge in shooting (mainly because D-Wade is so erratic from behind the arc) and in individual defense. As a group, the ‘08 trio is somewhat quicker — mainly because Mullin was so lead-footed.

Advantage: Dreamers by a tiny margin.

Small forwards

Obviously, there’s some cross-positioning here, but for argument’s sake the contest is Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen versus LeBron James and Tayshaun Prince.

Prince shoots better than Pippen and is a better half-court scorer, but the latter is a superior defender.

Playing the current Team USA wouldn’t be a laugher for the Dream Team, would it? (Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)

The decision comes down to Bird and LBJ. Give LeBron the nod for strength, quickness and passing (since Bird was really a shoot-first player). Neither was an above-average defensive presence, but James’ speed and hops gives him the edge. Both are streak shooters, with Bird’s streaks tending to come more often and last longer, and Bird had more rebounding responsibilities than James.

Advantage: Even.

Power forwards

Karl Malone and Charles Barkley were board-men extraordinaire, and as such operated at a higher level than Carlos Boozer and Carmelo Anthony. (Christian Laettner was the token amateur in 1992 and doesn’t figure in this reckoning.)

Malone could play bullish defense in the post, but also tended to make far too many unnecessary and unsuccessful gambles. Still, he’s the only one of this foursome who could play at least a modicum of defense.

Melo’s perimeter shooting trumps the limited range of his opposite numbers.

Advantage: A big one for the Dreamers

Centers

Bad defense was the calling card of Patrick Ewing and Dwight Howard. Chris Bosh has some quickness here, but nobody can equal David Robinson’s recognition and quickness to the ball from the weak-side.

By every other measure — rebounding, scoring, mid-range shooting — the Barcelona bigs were vastly superior.

The Redeem Team would have a hard time banging with Charles Barkley and the other ‘92 big men. (Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)

Advantage: Another significant one for the Dreamers

In the final game of the tournament, the Redeemers proved that they could command clutch situations — something that the Dreamers never had to do. Although it’s unthinkable that Jordan and Bird wouldn’t take over stretch runs.

Other points worth considering:

Xavier Thompson: “WNBA – Expect Great… … Brawls?”

Updated: July 22, 2008, 10:36 PM EST

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) – Candace Parker wanted to focus on all of the good parts of the Los Angeles Sparks‘ win over the Detroit Shock.

Unfortunately, it will be the final 5 seconds that everyone else is going to remember.

Parker was one of three players ejected along with Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn after an ugly scuffle with 4.6 seconds left in Los Angeles’ 84-81 victory.

“To be honest, I don’t recall exactly what happened,” said Parker, who led Los Angeles with 21 points. “I’ll have to watch the tape.”

The skirmish started moments after Parker and Detroit’s Cheryl Ford had to be separated after Ford fouled Parker.

On the next possession, Parker got tangled up with Detroit’s Plenette Pierson and fell to the ground. As she was getting up, Pierson intentionally ran into her, setting off the melee.

Parker threw a punch at Pierson before being tackled by Detroit’s Deanna Nolan. Players and coaches from both teams joined in, and Mahorn knocked Lisa Leslie to the court at one point.

“I was trying to protect the whole game, the integrity of the game,” he said. “The WNBA is very special to me because I have four daughters. I don’t even raise my hand to them, and I would never push a woman. This game, I love this game too much.”

Mahorn was also involved in the 2004 Pistons-Pacers brawl while working as a Detroit broadcaster, going into the crowd to try to pull Ron Artest away from fans.

“Rick Mahorn is known as a peacemaker, from even the brawl we had here with Indiana,” Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said. “He went out there to get people off the pile, and to get people to stop the confrontation. That’s who he is, that’s what he does.”

Leslie did not talk to the media, but Los Angeles coach Michael Cooper also said he felt Mahorn was trying to stop the fight.

“I think Rick was trying to play peacemaker, but he’s just too big,” Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. “I was only trying to grab my players, and I didn’t see exactly what happened, but he apparently gently tried to push Lisa away.”

DeLisha Milton-Jones shoved and punched Mahorn after the incident with Leslie, and was ejected, along with Mahorn, Parker and Pierson. Nolan and Shannon Bobbitt received technicals.

“That was unfortunate, but things like that happen in basketball sometimes,” Milton-Jones said. “The league is going to have to decide what kind of action to take.”

Ford sprained her right knee while trying to restrain Pierson, and left the floor in a wheelchair. Her status is unknown.

“I’m glad that none of our players got hurt, and I hope that Cheryl is OK,” Cooper said.

The brawl marred a key victory for Los Angeles, which came in having lost four of five.

“This was a game we needed badly, and we won it,” said Milton-Jones, who scored 19 points. “That’s the important part, despite what happened at the end.”

Detroit rallied from 21 down but missed a chance to win the game in the final 2 minutes. The Shock have now lost two straight at home after starting the season 10-0 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

“You’re going to be down after losing two games in a row at home, especially emotional, last-minute games, and then throw Ford’s injury on top of that,” Laimbeer said. “I’m sure we’ll get a suspension or two here and there. We can’t get the (Olympic) break fast enough.”

Leslie finished with 10 points for Los Angeles, which swept the two-game season series. Olympic teammate Katie Smith led the Shock with 20 points.

“I haven’t seen something like that, I don’t think, in my whole career,” Smith said. “This is pretty rare.”

The Shock trailed 42-21 in the second quarter, but pulled within 76-75 in the final 90 seconds. Detroit rookie Alexis Hornbuckle then stole the ball from Parker, her former college teammate at Tennessee, but Nolan lost control while going in for what would have been a go-ahead layup.

“We dug ourselves a whole in the first half, because we didn’t come out ready to play,” Smith said. “Two straight games now we’ve given up a lot of points in the first half, and that’s something we’ve got to fix.”

WATCH IT HERE:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pm0VcV9Qwds

OR

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8byDuffK-BY

PICS HERE:

WNBA Fight Night: Sparks-Shock

Just like old times

Detroit Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn, center, pushes Los Angeles Sparks’ Lisa Leslie to the ground during a melee in the closing seconds of their WNBA basketball game. Mahorn, known as one of the NBA’s most physical and dirty players during his playing career, was ejected from the game and the Sparks won 84-81. Mahorn was attempting to keep Leslie from approaching the Shock bench during a bench-clearing fight in which four were ejected.

Jerry S. Mendoza – Associated Press

Feeling ejected

Detroit Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn walks off the court after being ejected during a melee with the Los Angeles Sparks toward the end of their WNBA basketball game. Mahorn was attempting to keep Lisa Leslie from approaching the Shock’s bench during a bench-clearing fight in which four were ejected.

Jerry S. Mendoza – Associated Press

No holding back

Detroit Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn, center, grabs the arm of Los Angeles Sparks’ assistant coach Laura Beeman while being hit on the back by Sparks’ DeLisha Milton-Jones, second from right, during a fight in the closing seconds of a WNBA basketball game.

Jerry S. Mendoza – Associated Press

http://msn.foxsports.com/wnba/story/8368564?MSNHPHMA

Known Chemistries

The following is a list of known chemistries as discovered and published by Court Rivals members. Please note that this is not a complete list and it may not be entirely accurate:

1. Inside-Outside (Dunk and 3pt)
2. Twin Towers (Rebound and Block)
3. Second Chance Points (Rebound and Shooting)
4. Catch and Shoot (Passing and Shooting)
5. Shutdown D (Blocking and Defense)
6. Alley Oop (Passing and Dunking)
7. Floor Generals (Passing and Ball Handling)
8. Solid Fundamentals (Ball Handling and Free Throws)
9. Off to the Races (Speed and Speed)
10. Crunch Timers (Leadership and Free Throws)
11. Leading a Fast Break (Leadership and Speed)

Court Rivals is a new type of fantasy sport where YOU assume the role of the player in a simulated basketball league:

• Train your player’s skills and improve his game
• Join a team with friends or create your own team
• Challenge other teams owned by real people like you around the world
• Win individual awards or a championship banner

How to Play Synopsis

Court Rivals is a browser based game. The objective of the game is to have your team win the league championship. You can accomplish this by assembling a team of 10 players and having each member of your team train his or her attributes.

The amount you can train daily is limited by the number of training credits you have. Every day at midnight ET, you receive a fresh set of training credits with which you can train.

Every night at 10 PM ET, if you are on a team then you will play in a simulated game. A box score will be generated for the simulated game so that you can login after the game and determine how your player did.

There is a full tutorial for Court Rivals that is automatically displayed when you first create an account and login to the game. If you are unsure of the details regarding how to play, then please follow the tutorial.

Rules

1. MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS ARE NOT ALLOWED … You are only allowed to create one account per person. If a player is found having multiple accounts then he will be questioned, and he will be at risk of having ALL of his accounts deleted
2. No bots are allowed … Using automated software to train your stats or automate anything in Court Rivals is strictly against the rules
3. No spamming is allowed … If you’re found using the in-game mail system to promote your product without permission, you will be banned
4. No intentional exploiting is allowed … I’m sure there is a bug here and there in the game. If you find one, please bring to the Court Rivals team’s attention immediately and do not exploit it or share it publicly.
5. No harassment is allowed … Do not harass other players via in game mail or on the forums. You will be warned for doing so and if you continue to do so you run the risk of losing your account. Trash talking IS allowed but personal barbs/insults are not.

http://www.courtrivals.com

Eg./Preview

Bullets Team Id : 651 Team Captain : Xavier Thompson Standings Wins : 23 Losses : 3 Conference/Division : Playground Division A Total Points : 3660 Rank : 63 of 695 (in total wins) Roster + Stats (per game) Player Pos Pts Reb Ast matt dean G 12.3 6.3 3.0 Dylan Evans F 13.3 5.3 2.8 Rohan Jacobs F 7.9 5.2 2.0 BronLe James F 10.3 4.6 2.4 Russell Jordan G 12.0 3.1 3.8 Blak Knife F 6.5 5.1 1.3 Baron Nash G 9.3 4.1 3.8 Alexandre Pato G 20.2 5.6 2.4 Xavier Thompson F 10.8 12.0 1.8 Luke Walton F 10.9 9.7 4.8 show detailed stats Team Awards Season Award This team has not won any awards

Schedule/Results Date Opponent Result 7/8/2008 Ortigas Wombats TBD 7/7/2008 Marylanders W 124-55 7/6/2008 Shoot 3s W 102-91 7/5/2008 Pink Town Beavers W 118-66 7/4/2008 Ballas United W 114-62 7/3/2008 BC Rapla W 122-61 7/2/2008 Hoop Maniacs W 119-86 7/1/2008 Buford Jackets W 97-95 6/30/2008 Baltimore Banshees W 99-82 6/29/2008 Kobe stans W 94-72 6/28/2008 East Coast Roids W 123-80 6/27/2008 Gelibolu CAL SUNS W 126-81 6/26/2008 kkbosna W 107-69 6/25/2008 Fibonaci Sequence W 95-69 6/24/2008 Milwaukee Lighting W 109-90 6/23/2008 East Philly Long Schlongs W 106-67 6/22/2008 Racine Jammin’ Salmon W 115-86 6/21/2008 Tuscaloosa Warriors W 109-77 6/20/2008 Lehigh Valley Outlawz W 100-81 6/19/2008 Barstow Blackhawks L 85-88 6/18/2008 New York Stealth W 106-91 6/17/2008 Barstow Blackhawks W 107-91 6/16/2008 DA Brudahood L 87-105 6/15/2008 Team Xtreme W 108-81 6/14/2008 CashMoney Ballaz W 95-83 6/13/2008 Maid Avail L 101-105 6/12/2008 TSS All-Stars W 95-88

Message approved by Xavier Thompson

— DIphoeniX

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Trade deadline needs for each team (Adapted from Msn Foxsports)

Posted by DIphoeniX at 12:09 PM

Candace Parker Has “Magic-al” WNBA Debut

She likes to post-up her defender… when not effortlessly draining 3-pointers. She likes to rebound the ball in traffic… right before she puts it on the floor to start the fast break. She likes to cross-over in either direction… before scoring with either hand. WNBA – Meet Candace Parker. After watching the Los Angeles Sparks’ Parker assert her “5-dimensional” skill in her WNBA debut, only one person came to mind: Magic Johnson.

And it could have also been: the no-look passes, the near triple-double, or the taking the game over in the 4th quarter. In any event, Parker amassed 34 points, 12 boards, and 8 assists in an exciting 99-94 win over the defending champion Phoenix Mercury on a court filled with some of the WNBA’s finest stars. LA center Lisa Leslie — the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer — came back from a year off (pregnancy) to notch 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Scoring machine Diana Taurasi shook off a poor first half to notch 24 points for the game. And lighting quick all-star Cappie Pondexter kept the Mercury in the game with 32 points before missing a game-tying 3-pointer with four seconds left.

Yet despite the other stars on the court there was something different that stood out about Parker’s game: it seemed… effortless. It was just smooooooth. It is what they like to call “feel for the game”. She’s got it. Like Magic, she could play all five positions while probably being the best at all five. An exchange near the end of the second quarter might tell us why. After Cappie Pondexter blew by three LA defenders for a hard-driving lay-up, LA coach Michael Cooper gave out a tongue-lashing:

“Somebody ask me how come we can’t stop the ball? How come we can’t stop the ball!” On the bench, Parker says: “My man”. Cooper responds: “No, it’s not your man CP. It’s everybody!”

What stood out (besides the use of the term “man” to describe women) was Parker’s immediate willingness to accept full responsibility for the defensive lapse… and also why as a rookie — like Magic — is already ready to lead.

There are other “magical” similarities besides the leadership and versatility. Parker was the first pick in the draft after leading her college team to the title. She wears the Los Angeles uniform. She is teaming up with center Lisa Leslie the way a young Magic once did with an older Kareem. She is coming into a league that has suffered from low ratings and stigmas. Magic, along with Larry Bird, used their college rivalry as a springboard to dramatically change the popularity of the NBA upon their arrival. But before they did, television executives feared that the game was ”too black” to prosper and often carried NBA Finals games on tape delay. Today the WNBA is considered well… “too female” or “too lesbian”. Can the woman with Magic’s all around game change that? Like Magic will she immediately co-lead her team in her rookie year to a league championship? We’ll see. But this much is clear. A new WNBA era is upon us.

http://sportsonmymind.com/2008/05/18/wnba-candace-parker-has-magic-al-debut/

Candace Parker’s record breaking WNBA debut

Los Angeles Times:

Parker scored 34 points, the most in a WNBA debut, and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury, 99-94, on Saturday.

I’ve had hundreds of google hits today from people looking for Candace Parker’s salary.

It’s reported to be about $44K for her first season. She’ll easily be worth ten times that, or even 100 times that for the WNBA. She has also signed multi-year deals with Adidas and Gatorade estimated to be worth $3-4 million.

http://www.knoxviews.com/node/7932

Xavier Thompson

“Watching her debut, I was completely blown away. She is definately a completely different class of player than the wnba has ever seen. Simply said, she’s the FUTURE. What Candace Parker does is make Los Angeles SParks a championship contender. I predict the Sparks, Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury are going to battle it out for the top three contenders in the West, hands down. The East isn’t as predictabe but expect the Detroit Shock and Indiana Fever to be in the thick of things.”

Key Players on each team:

Los Angeles Sparks

Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie

Seattle Storm

Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Sheryl Swoopes, Yolanda Griffiths

Phoenix Mercury

Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter

Detroit Shock

Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith, Cheryl Ford

Indiana Fever

Tamika Catchings, Katie Douglas

LETS SEE IF THE SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS CAN PUT UP ANOTHER GOOD SEASON BEHIND BECKY HAMMON.

Parker scores 34, the most ever in a WNBA debut

By ANDREW BAGNATO – May 17, 2008

PHOENIX (AP) — Candace Parker had some jitters in her WNBA debut. It sure didn’t show. Parker scored 34 points, the most in a WNBA debut, and added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury 99-94 on Saturday.

The previous high in a WNBA debut was 25 points by Cynthia Cooper in 1997.

“It obviously was better than I expected,” said the 6-foot-4 Parker, who led Tennessee to back-to-back national titles. “Coming out, I just wanted to play hard. I was a little nervous, and I think my teammates did a good job of just keeping me in it mentally and just not allowing me to get frustrated.”

The game was tied at 79 early in the fourth quarter when Parker took over. She scored 10 straight points to give the Sparks an 89-86 lead with 3:15 to play.

Parker, who made 6-of-7 shots in the final quarter, hit a short hook shot to put the Sparks up 97-94 with 12 seconds to go.

“She’s the money player,” Los Angeles coach Michael Cooper said. “Put the ball in her hands and she did what she’s supposed to do.”

Parker wore a brace on her left shoulder, which she dislocated during the NCAA tournament. It didn’t slow her one bit.

Parker came within two assists of becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double. Only one NBA player did it in his debut — Oscar Robertson, in 1960.

“Honestly, it was just finding the mismatch,” Parker said. “My teammates did a great job of just getting me the ball and just moving afterwards.”

Lisa Leslie, who missed last season on maternity leave, had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks.

Cappie Pondexter, fighting off jet lag, scored 32 points for Phoenix but missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 4 seconds to go.

Pondexter arrived in Phoenix late Friday night after a long flight from Turkey, where she played during the WNBA offseason.

“She’s what you call a trooper,” Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said. “She had 32. I can’t wait until she gets a little sleep.”

Before the game, the Mercury celebrated their 2007 WNBA championship with a ring ceremony and the unveiling of US Airways Center’s lone basketball title banner.

Mercury star Diana Taurasi told the crowd of 13,749 that the Mercury aim to make it two in a row this season. But this is a different team.

Former coach Paul Westhead left after the season to join the Seattle SuperSonics’ staff, although he returned for the ring ceremony. And star forward Penny Taylor is back in her native Australia preparing for the Beijing Olympics.

With Phoenix-area resident Muhammad Ali watching from a baseline seat, the fired-up Mercury broke out to a 15-7 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Sparks answered with a 10-0 run capped by a pair of 3-pointers by Sidney Spencer, who hit 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter.

Taurasi missed her first six shots, showing the effects of a stomach virus she contracted after returning from Russia this week. She was scoreless until she made a 3-pointer late in the first half. Taurasi finished with 24 points.

	Photo 1 of 3
Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker, right, grabs a rebound over Phoenix Mercury forward Le’Coe Willingham, front left, and guard Kelly Mazzante, rear left, in the first quarter of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, May 17, 2008, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Related News

• Despite ad campaign, don’t expect great from WNBA season
  Houston Chronicle – May 19, 2008
• Parker scores 34 in debut
  Boston Globe – May 18, 2008
• Sparks defeat Mercury behind Candace Parker
  Los Angeles Times – May 18, 2008

Full coverage »

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After Dazzling Debut, Parker Sparks New Interest in WNBA

After leading Tennessee to NCAA titles, Candace Parker has been an overnight superstar and the WNBA’s biggest draw just weeks after arriving in L.A. to play for the Sparks. (Darron Cummings – AP) if (typeof hideElementIfImageDoesntExist == “function”) hideElementIfImageDoesntExist(“wrapper228″,”http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2008/05/30/PH2008053003162.jpg”) TOOLBOX Resize Text Save/Share + var yahooBuzzOnLoad = function () { var self = this; // this.style.background = ‘#00f’; this.onmouseover = function () { self.style.background = ‘#fff’; changebg(‘yahoobuzz’); }; this.onmouseout = function () { self.style.background = ‘none’; resetbg(‘yahoobuzz’); }; }; Digg Newsvine del.icio.us Stumble It! Reddit Facebook myspace washington_po284:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/30/AR2008053003064.htmlYahoo! Buzz Print This E-mail This <!– if ( show_doubleclick_ad && ( adTemplate & TOOLBOX_LEFT_180X31 ) == TOOLBOX_LEFT_180X31 ) { document.write(‘<div style=”margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:4px;clear:left;”>’) ; document.writeln (‘<div style=”padding-top:7px;margin:0px;float:left;”><img src=”http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/article/images/advert.gif” alt=”ad_icon” width=”12″ height=”17″ border=”0″/></div>’ ); } // –> if ( show_doubleclick_ad && ( adTemplate & TOOLBOX_LEFT_180X31 ) == TOOLBOX_LEFT_180X31 ) { placeAd(‘ARTICLE’,commercialNode,28,”,true) ; } <!– if ( show_doubleclick_ad && ( adTemplate & TOOLBOX_LEFT_180X31 ) == TOOLBOX_LEFT_180X31 ) { document.write(‘</div>’) ; } // –> <!– var COMMENTS_ALLOWED = false ; var COMMENTS_ACTIVE = false ; var comments_period = ( typeof wp_article != “undefined” && typeof wp_article.comments_period != “undefined” && ( wp_article.comments_period != “” || wp_article.comments_period == “0″ ) && wp_article.comments_period >= 0 ) ? wp_article.comments_period : 3 ; if ( typeof thisNode == ‘undefined’ ) thisNode = ‘admin’ ; // (wp_article.allow_comments) && !(black list) && (white list) of ancestors and sections goes here if ( SITELIFE_ENABLED && ( typeof wp_article != “undefined” && typeof wp_article.allow_comments != “undefined” && wp_article.allow_comments != “no” ) && !( thisNode.match(/\/wires$/) || thisNode.match(/^artsandliving\/(entertainmentguide|entertainmentnews|travel\/index)($|\/)/) || thisNode.match(/^business\/(portfolio)($|\/)/) || thisNode.match(/^metro\/(obituaries)($|\/)/) ) && ( thisNode.match(/^(artsandliving|business|cars|education|health|jobs|liveonline|metro|nation|opinions?|realestate|religion|politics|sports|technology|world|kidspost|media)($|\/)/) || thisNode.match(/^print\/(washpostmagazine|style|sundayarts|sundaysource)($|\/)/) )) { COMMENTS_ALLOWED = true ; document.write(“<style>#ArticleCommentsWrapper {display:block};</style>”); if(! checkDaysOld(comments_period) ) { COMMENTS_ACTIVE = true ; } else { COMMENTS_ACTIVE = false ; } } else { document.write(”); } // –> <!– if (SITELIFE_ENABLED) { // Include the WPNI functions to display SiteLife content on the page. document.write(“<scr” + “ipt type=\”text/javascript\” src=\”" + “/wp-srv/javascript/community/sldisplay_new.js” + “\”></scr” + “ipt>\n”); } // –> COMMENT washingtonpost.com readers have posted 3 comments about this item. View All Comments » if( COMMENTS_ACTIVE) { document.write(‘<strong>POST A COMMENT</strong><br>’); document.write( getDisplayUserName()+’<br>’) } POST A COMMENT You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register Why Do I Have to Log In Again? Log In Again? CLOSE We’ve made some updates to washingtonpost.com’s Groups, MyPost and comment pages. We need you to verify your MyPost ID by logging in before you can post to the new pages. We apologize for the inconvenience. Discussion Policy Discussion Policy CLOSE Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain “signatures” by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post. <!– function findPosY(obj){ var curtop = 0; if(obj.offsetParent){ while(obj.offsetParent){ curtop += obj.offsetTop obj = obj.offsetParent; } } else if(obj.y){ curtop += obj.y; } return curtop; } function findPosX(obj){ var curleft = 0; if(obj.offsetParent){ while(obj.offsetParent){ curleft += obj.offsetLeft obj = obj.offsetParent; } } else if(obj.x){ curleft += obj.x; } return curleft; } // –> Who’s Blogging » Links to this article

By Katie Carrera

Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 31, 2008; Page E03

The Candace Parker Express hits Washington today. Parker, the first overall selection in this year’s WNBA draft and quite possibly the most hyped player the 12-year-old league has seen, seems to set records with each game or provide fresh intrigue while attracting fans to arenas around the country.

Washington Mystics officials acknowledge that Parker is a significant reason why they’re expecting a crowd at least 10,000 at Verizon Center, where the Mystics play the Los Angeles Sparks at 3:30 p.m. Women’s basketball supporters hope Parker won’t just bring people to games but also provide the bridge the WNBA has long sought to bring its game to the average sports fan.

“Her charismatic presence and the originality of who she is has captivated this country,” WNBA President Donna Orender said. “We’re all waiting to see what happens. It’s about time that women can play the game of basketball with style, with the highest level of skills . . . and have it be fully celebrated and appreciated.”

By all accounts, men’s or women’s basketball hasn’t seen many athletes quite like Parker — and the WNBA certainly hasn’t. The 6-foot-4 Parker excels at every position and can turn just about any defender inside out at each of them.

She broke the league record for most points in a debut with 34 in the Sparks’ 99-94 victory over defending champion Phoenix on May 17 and nearly became the first WNBA player to record a triple-double, finishing with 12 rebounds and eight assists. In Thursday’s double-overtime loss to Indiana, she recorded 16 points, 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 steals and 5 assists. And this is three games into her first professional season.

“She’s singly the most physically gifted player I’ve ever seen,” longtime ESPN analyst Doris Burke said. “If you like basketball, I don’t think you could watch Candace Parker play and not appreciate her skill level and what she brings to the table as a basketball player, regardless of gender.”

Parker’s career at Tennessee under Coach Pat Summitt included consecutive national championships, but she stepped into the spotlight before arriving in Knoxville when she beat five boys in a national dunk contest as a high school senior. She’s part of a new generation of players who grew up with the WNBA, something that Orender hopes signals another step forward in the league’s development.

“When we started this league it was just around one in 27 who played women’s basketball,” Orender said. “There’s been an exponential growth in the sport in the number of athletes, the families involved. Every single one of the pioneering stars has contributed to this base that has allowed Candace to come along at this time.”

So far this season, Los Angeles’s season ticket sales more than doubled, and its individual game sales increase fourfold. WNBAstore.com sold more of Parker’s jerseys than any other rookie in league history since the draft. Television ratings also are up across the league, with games on ESPN2 experiencing a 44 percent jump and Parker’s debut on ABC in the season opener registering a 60 percent increase.

Perhaps more impressive, though, is that the Sparks are having an impact on attendance at their road games. It remains to be seen whether those numbers will hold up or whether interest in Parker will translate into broader interest in the league.

“For a whole host of reasons, the league 10 years ago wasn’t where it is today,” Burke said. “I hope people give this league a chance at this point because there are much better athletes, who are far better coached and more highly skilled. Maybe Candace is the perfect storm, with the right timing, combined with the right skills and right personality to help.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/30/ST2008053003216.html

Youtube:

YouTube – Candace Parker Has the Best Rookie Debut in WNBA History

YouTube – Candace Parker’s WNBA debut (5.17.08)

17 May 2008 … Candace Parker scored 34 points, the most ever in a WNBA debut, and added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending …
youtube.com/watch?v=1J3oxCe8js8

Leslie, Sparks teammate Parker among nine placed on U.S. Olympic team

function fbs_click(){u=”ht WASHINGTON — Lisa Leslie will have help from Los Angeles Sparks teammate Candace Parker when the U.S. women’s basketball team tries to win a fourth straight Olympic gold medal. They were two of the nine players placed on the team Saturday. The announcement came before Los Angeles played Washington in a WNBA game. “I feel a mixture of emotions,” Leslie said. “I feel young enough to play, but old enough to be a leader. When I put on the red, white and blue it’s all about the gold. I know what it takes to win gold.” Leslie won gold medals at the last three Olympics. Former U.S. star Teresa Edwards won four Olympic titles, but a bronze in 1992 interrupted her run from 1984-2000. Also on the team for Beijing are Olympic veterans Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. This will be Smith’s third Olympics. Cappie Pondexter, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles will make their Olympic debuts. “These nine players are no-brainers,” U.S. Olympic coach Anne Donovan said. “It’s so exciting to have these nine players officially named to the team. It’s such a great mixture of Olympic gold medalists with some really tremendous young talent.” The other three members will be announced by July 1 from the remaining pool of 20 players. Possible candidates include Kara Lawson, Swin Cash, Lindsey Harding and Lindsay Whalen. “We’re hoping to add a tough defensive stopper on the perimeter who can also score for us, as well as at least another post player,” said Renee Brown, the USA Basketball vice president for senior women and chair of the selection committee. One player the committee would love to have is Tamika Catchings, who has recovered slowly from a right Achilles’ tendon tear last September. Catchings was part of the Athens team in 2004. “We’ll wait and see when Catchings gets back on the floor,” Brown said. “She’s very important to USA Basketball.” Another possibility is three-time Olympic star Sheryl Swoopes, who is still recovering from a back injury. “I’m sure if she’s 100 percent we wouldn’t leave her at home,” Leslie said of her former Olympic teammate. The U.S. team lost in the 2006 world championship semifinals to Russia and had to qualify for the Olympics by winning the FIBA Americas tournament last September. The Americans begin Olympic pool play Aug. 9 against a qualifier that is still to be determined. They will then face host China on Aug. 11. The Chinese beat a short-handed American team in the gold-medal game of the Olympic test event in April. That U.S. team was missing Bird, Taurasi, Thompson, Augustus and Pondexter — who were all playing abroad. “I think China’s on a high after beating the USA team,” Pondexter said. “Also being the home team will help them.” “No surprises in terms of picks, though I would have liked to see Becky Hammon change her mind and decide to play for the US. In terms of the last three spots, Deanna Nolan and Tameka Catchings being left off this team would be a complete SHOCKER!” said Xavier Thompson. “Cheryl Ford and Katie Douglas are also very good options.” The Associated Press News Service Copyright 2007-2008, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

http://www.sportsline.com/wnba/stats

Xavier Thompson gives us his formula for THE PERFECT TEAM:

STARTERS:
#C – DEFENSIVE, but with offensive capabilites and who is quick (can run the floor) – eg. Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, Andris Biedrins
*PF – VERSATILE,with an array of offensive ways to score – eg. Chris Bosh/Carlos Boozer
#*SF – DRIVER-SHOOTER WITH DEFENSE, someone who is mainly a driver but can knock down the outside shot and has GREAT defense – eg. Gerald Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Manu Ginobli, Caron Butler, Ron Artest, Josh Smith
SG – OVERLOOKED THREAT, someone who is overlooked due to the stars at the PF, SF AND PG positions and who can easily and consistenly hit open jumpers – eg. Bonzi Wells, Deshawn Stevenson
#*PG – ASSISTING SCORER, a guard who has a pass-first mentality but who isn;t afraid to take over a game offensively (driving AND shooting) if needs be and who can also play defense – eg. Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich, T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon

BENCH – in order of their roles(places of the bench – eg. the first name would be the SIXTH MAN)

*SG – flat-out shooter with lots of range – eg. Kyle Korver, Cuttino Mobley
#C – very defensive, with different (bulkier) body type than the starting C – eg. Erick Dampier …. this ensures that if the oppsoing Centre is too big for the starter, you will have size on the bench.
#SF – defense-minded swingman who can hit open jumpers and 3-balls and who is POSSIBLY a better defender than the starting SF – eg. Bruce Bowen, James Posey…this ensures that if both the SF and SG of a team (eg. Boston Celtics with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) need to be marked heavily, the back-up SF can fill in.
PG – experienced back up for the youthful starting PG to help guide and mold him, with decent defense – eg. Anthony Johnson, Sam Cassell, Brevin Knight, Derek Fisher
*PF – though a “TENTH MAN” when put on the court should be a main source of offense and also should be a player able to play SF if needs be – eg. Al Harrington, Lamar Odom

11th and 12th man should be a tall, oversized backup C and a SF/SG rookie.

* – Meant to be the main sources of offense
# – Meant to be great defenders

Additional talents that should be taught to players:

STARTERS:
C – should be taught/train to be able to guard all the way down to a tall SF (eg. Peja)
SF – should be able to guard all the way down to a PG
PG – should be able to guard SG’s and SF’s and VERY lacklustre offensive PF’s/C’s

BENCH:
SG – should be able to shoot from just below halfcourt WITH EASE
MINUTES ALLOCATION AND IDEAL HEIGHTS:

Starters:

C – 28-30 mins 6′11/7′0

PF – 35-40 mins 6′9/6′10

SF – 35-40 mins 6′5-6′7

SG – 20-25 mins 6′5

PG – 35-40 mins 6′3/6′4

Bench

SG – 20-25 mins 6′5

C – 15-20 mins 7′0

SF – 15-20 mins 6′8

PG – 10-15 mins 6′3/6′4

PF – 10-20 mins 6′8-6′10

With a line up like this you will have a VERY GOOD balance of offense and defense.