Hello WBCA Member!

February Frenzy is one of the most suspenseful times of the season as you are in the cadence of your conference schedules, soon to head into the whirl of tournament time. It can also be the toughest time of the season as injuries and fatigue begin to catch up with you and your team. Holidays are a long-past blur and the enthrallment of March Madness is what keeps you going!

Beth falls for Mei Lan at the panda naming ceremony.

I enjoyed my holidays, and immediately started off my new year knee-deep in our important women’s basketball issues. I headed to Orlando, Florida, to the NCAA Convention. They say any kind of press is good press. Well, let’s hope so. The topic of discussion – MALE PRACTICE PLAYERS, MALE PRACTICE PLAYERS AND MALE PRACTICE PLAYERS!

Sue Donohoe (NCAA), Judy Southard (LSU) and Beth mingle at the NCAA Convention.

I am always reporting about the meetings and committees in which I am involved. I was able to go to the Women’s Basketball Issues Committee (our legislative avenue to the NCAA governance cycle) meeting. I also participated in the CEO Summit, where I had the opportunity to mingle with CEO’s from other coaches associations. We had great conversation about male practice players and the prevalence of it in other sports.

It was comforting to know we found an incredible ally in Kathy DeBoer, the new Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Regarding male practice players, she spoke on our behalf to take the adrenaline and emotion out of the issue and let us have due diligence. I think she said it best when she said that this issue is high on emotion with very little research. The vote on the Division III floor to defer the discussion was a huge step in consciousness and a well-timed breather. It was a tremendous effort by Tim Shea (Salem State College Athletic Director and Head Coach), Angela Baumann (Commissioner of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference) and Karen Tessmer (Current WBCA Board Member and Worcester State College Head Coach).

Lacy Lee Baker (NFCA), Rich Ensor (MAAC), Beth and Kathy DeBoer (AVCA) catch up at the NCAA Convention.

Once again, I had the opportunity to host a women’s basketball dinner – what I title as “an excuse to get together and talk women’s basketball”. We informally honored Dr. Christine Grant (Iowa's longtime former director of women's athletics) who was the recipient of the NCAA President's Gerald R. Ford Award, presented by NCAA President Myles Brand. President Brand could not have said it better in his statement, “Christine, you are the giant on whose shoulders stand today’s women student-athletes.”

Back in the Atlanta area, I caught a regional match-up between SEC teams Tennessee and Georgia. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I ran into Debbie Antonelli and Beth Mowins (Basketball Analysts), otherwise known as our very own women’s basketball version of Thelma and Louise. They were passing through Atlanta and we took it upon ourselves to interrupt Katie Meier’s (University of Miami Head Coach) pre-game prep with her staff, prior to hitting the floor for the Georgia Tech vs. Miami game the following day.

Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli entertain Beth Bass, Shannon Reynolds and Betty Jaynes.

The following weekend, I headed to the Russell Athletic Shootout, held at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia. For a cold afternoon, there was a good turnout at the double-header event where Georgia faced Florida State and Vanderbilt played Georgia Tech. This arena will be an excellent facility for the SEC tourney forerunner.

Another regional game on my radar was in Athens, Georgia, between Ole Miss and Georgia. I loved seeing Armintie Price for the first time in person. She reminds me of an older Maya Moore (Collins Hill High School standout) and her defensive game is well above par. I enjoyed the game beside Mike Thibault (Connecticut Sun Head Coach) and we attempted to solve the world’s problems trying to make the WNBA more inclusive of the WBCA and how to utilize and combine our efforts.

The following week was my rookie trip as a member of the Executive Committee for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). I was surprised that whether I was in the fitness room, poolside, meeting room, refreshment area, dinnertime and yes, even in the restroom, the subject of male practice players surfaced. I really enjoyed the

opportunity to sit down with Athletic Directors who would rarely have the chance to relax and discuss pertinent women’s basketball issues.

Beth spends some time with Craig Littlepage (Virginia A.D.).

The highlight of my weekend was flying to Raleigh, North Carolina, to participate in the first ever WBCA “Think Pink” weekend. “Think Pink” was the WBCA’s initiative to build on the “Hoops for Hope” campaign that N.C. State’s Head Coach Kay Yow began. Sometimes in my position, all you do is talk about issues and problems facing women’s basketball. For the last six weeks, I have experienced all of the good aspects as to why I love my job and the coaching profession.

Coach Yow shuns the spotlight, but does not mind being the platform. I received a phone call from Debbie Antonelli (former N.C. State player, 1983-1986) who on behalf of herself and Kristen Gillespie (former N.C. State player, 1997-1999) asked me to jump on board and promote cancer awareness through the “Think Pink” initiative.

Over the years, you realize that coaching is more than just a profession; it is a community. My Executive Committee allowed my staff and I to run with the “Think Pink” idea. In a very short time frame, coaches rallied and galvanized around the fight to increase cancer awareness and showed incredible support for all coaches battling this vicious disease.

I knew that this was going to be a special event and I tried to prepare myself as I headed to Raleigh, but to have those 7,000 fans in the pink atmosphere, well over 100 cancer survivors and well over 100 former players was an experience that no words can describe. It has been two weeks and I am still not able to verbalize it – as we all know, that is almost impossible for me!

Kay Yow (NC State) receives standing ovation from crowd of 7,000.

Everyone thinks of my Tennessee roots, but I am also so proud of the fact that I came from the Sylvia Hatchell (UNC Head Coach) and Kay Yow coaching legacy tree. I met Sylvia Hatchell when I was 12 in South Carolina and Kay Yow when I was 14. I attended the Kay Yow basketball camps over the years, but was not good enough to make the cut to play for N.C. State. She shipped me off to the farm team to play for sister, Susan Yow, at East Tennessee State University, where I loved my experience playing for the Yow family. Speaking of “Think Pink” and Coach Hatchell, my unofficial best-dressed winner for the cause was Sylvia Hatchell. We appreciate the devotion she has toward her friend and colleague.

Coach Yow’s spirit and faith resonated throughout every single person there. I would be remiss if I did not mention the class and the compassion that Cathy Inglese and her Boston College staff and team displayed as they planned for this game and donated $4,000 to “Hoops for Hope”. In my ten years of being in the footwear business, I’ve gotten a lot of cool swag. Nothing meant so much as to have Jill Pizzotti (Nike) hook me up with the Coach Yow Nike commemorative “Hoops for Hope” shoes.

Beth thinks pink with the ETSU crew at N.C. State’s Hoops for Hope.

The beauty of being in Atlanta is that I get to run into so many of our WBCA members as they travel through the area. I was able to catch up with reigning National Championship Head Coach Brenda Frese over breakfast while she was in town for her ACC face-off with Georgia Tech. I value the opportunity to get inside the coaches’ heads, especially this time of year and plug into what is happening in your world. Let me know when you are coming to town – I would love to chat! (and Lord knows I love to eat!)

I had the privilege of seeing my cronies (Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli) again, as they got lost on their way to Athens for the LSU vs. Georgia game. They were my show and tell for our staff lunch. To say the least, I think our staff was entertained.

My staff is insisting I do a little business before signing off and that is that Division I nominations for elections will not take place during the Division I business meeting in Cleveland. Nominations will be solicited through an email prior to selection Monday (in March). Please take an active role in nominating for the open committee positions!

Good luck to you all as you wind down in conference play and prepare for tournament time! See you in Cleveland for a rockin’ good time!

Until next time…

Your CEO,

Beth Bass

Registration for the WBCA's 2007 National Convention in Cleveland is still open.
Click here to register now!

Officials acknowledge mistakes
The Women's Basketball Officiating Consortium ruled that game officials made a series of mistakes that led to them to count the game-winning basket in South Dakota State's victory over the Minnesota Gophers women's team. The consortium acknowledged that the officiating crew misapplied the ruling concerning when a game has ended and also mishandled the video replay.

Insell embraces big dreams
Rick Insell can do two things as well as anyone in women's college basketball: Coach. And inspire. He did it for 28 years while cementing his legend at nearby Shelbyville Central High School. Now he's doing it at Middle Tennessee State, ranked in the coaches' poll for the first time since 1988, for the first time in the writers' poll and fourth in the nation in scoring.

Turner Thorne gets 100th Pac-10 win
Turner Thorne picked up her 100th Pac-10 Conference victory, becoming the sixth current coach to reach 100 wins. She is 100-92 with the Sun Devils. "This team didn't get to be 20-3 by happenstance. They have tremendous character, tremendous toughness. We've been through a lot this season and they're just a very resilient group of young ladies," Turner Thorne said.

Bolla To Take Medical Leave
Jim Bolla, head coach of the University of Hawai`i women's basketball team, will undergo a medical procedure and will be taking a leave of absence to recuperate. Associate coach Pat Charity will serve as interim head coach. "This is something that came up unexpectedly and, on the advice of doctors, I'm choosing to take care of it immediately," Bolla said.

Players leave program after suspension for bomb prank
Two Colorado State University women's basketball players who were suspended for setting off a chemical bomb in a prank outside a teammate's apartment last month have left the team. Freshman starter Kelly Jo Mullaney and reserve Raysha Ritter told coach Jen Warden that they won't return to the team. They were suspended along with two other players on Jan. 12. The other two, freshmen guards Emily Neal, a starter, and Brittney Stirling, returned to the team. Mullaney is from Minneapolis and Ritter is from Grand Junction, Colo. No injuries or structural damage resulted when the bomb, made of chemicals that create an explosive acid, went off Jan. 8 outside Kally Rae Finley's residence, police said.

Yow Earns 700th Win
Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow earned her 700th career win when she led North Carolina State to a 68-51 victory over Florida State. Yow, who returned to the bench after two months away to fight breast cancer, became the sixth women's coach to reach 700 wins. She has spent 32 of her 36 seasons as the Wolfpack's coach, averaging 20 victories per season at N.C. State. Her career record is 700-321. "The players stepped onto the court tonight really ready to play. I'm really proud of the way they played," Yow said to an enthusiastic crowd moments after the win.

Ex-Penn State Player Settles Discrimination Complaint
A former Penn State women's basketball player settled a discrimination lawsuit filed against longtime Lady Lions coach Rene Portland and the university. Jennifer Harris said in the December 2005 lawsuit that Portland discriminated against her because the coach perceived her to be a lesbian. The suit alleged Portland tried to force Harris, who says she is not gay, to leave the team. Harris, Portland and Penn State athletics director Tim Curley, another defendant, said in a joint statement that they had reached "an amicable settlement."

Bonvicini gets win No. 600
Joy Hollingsworth scored 20 points as Arizona rallied to beat Oregon State 65-61 and give coach Joan Bonvicini her 600th career victory. Bonvicini, in her 27th year, has a 600-270 record which makes her the 18th winningest all-time coach in NCAA women's basketball.

Randolph-Macon to Retire Silva’s Number 11 on February 16th
The Randolph-Macon College athletic department announced it plans to retire former women’s basketball standout Megan Silva’s number 11 Friday, February 16 prior to the Yellow Jackets game with Lynchburg College.

Rowe Earns win No. 200
The setting was perfect. Lee University women's basketball coach Marty Rowe was going for his 200th career coaching win. He was pitted against one of the most successful coaches (Auburn Montgomery's Steve Crotz) in NAIA basketball and his Lady Flames could take a two-game lead in the SSAC with a victory.

February 16, 2007:
Deadline for ALL WBCA AWARDS

February 23, 2007:
Ballots for Kodak/WBCA All-America Team Online

Ballots for RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Online Noon ET

February 28, 2007:
WBCA National Convention Pre-Registration Deadline

March 5, 2007:
All RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Victory Club Nominations Due

Kodak/WBCA All-America Team Ballots Due
RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Ballots Due Deadline 5:00PM ET

March 6, 2007:
Nominations for Division I Elections go online

March 13, 2007:
NAIA Division II Championship

March 17, 2007:
NCAA Division III Championship

NJCAA Division II and III Championship

March 20, 2007:
NAIA Division I Championship

March 24, 2007:
NCAA Division II Championship

NJCAA Division I Championship

March 30, 2007:
2007 WBCA National Convention On-Site Registration Begins at Noon

March 30 - April 3, 2007:
2007 WBCA National Convention

Attention! Remember, you must be a current WBCA member to participate in the WBCA Awards Programs. Please check to make sure your membership is up-to-date!

The WBCA will announce the 2007 WBCA High School All-America Team presented by Nike on February 16. Check out who made the team that day! Congratulations to these 20 outstanding players and Honorable Mention candidates.

For information regarding these dates, the WBCA, or any of the WBCA programs,
please contact:
WBCA
4646 Lawrenceville Highway
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 279-8027 :: Office
(770) 279-8473 :: Fax
wbca@wbca.org