UConn women's basketball

Former UConn All-American and current Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi was suspended two games without pay by the team today for conduct detrimental to the team. The Mercury announced that she will serve her suspension Saturday against the Detroit Shock and July 22 against the Minnesota Lynx.
Taurasi, who leads the WNBA in scoring (20.7 ppg.), is currently facing three drunken driving related charges, including extreme DUI, for a July 2 incident in Phoenix when she was also charged with speeding.
“I am deeply sorry and embarrassed for causing this distraction for my teammates, the Phoenix Mercury, the WNBA, family and fans,’’ Taurasi said in a statement. “While I cannot say more with regards to the specifics of the case, I do want to make sure that everyone knows how much I appreciate their support and that I’ve learned a valuable lesson. I am committed to making sure a lot of good comes from this experience.’’
A police report that was released Tuesday revealed that Taurasi’s blood alcohol level was 0.17 percent, which is more than twice the state’s legal limit of 0.08. She has pleaded not guilty to the DUI charges and not responsible to the speeding citation.
Taurasi is due in court again July 22.
“The WNBA supports the actions taken today by the Mercury and we don’t believe further action by the league will be necessary,’’ read a statement on the league’s website.

Here is a breakdown as to what Taurasi is facing with regards to the charge of Extreme DUI:

Charge: Extreme DUI
Proof: BAC of .15% or more.
Minimum Mandatory Sentence: 30 days jail with 20 days suspended if you complete alcohol education; $250 fine plus 80% surcharge plus $250 assessment fee plus other fees (usually around $750 total); attend an alcohol screening and education; equip your car with an Ignition Interlock Device.
Maximum Sentence: 6 months jail; $2500 fine plus 80% surcharge and other fees; 3 years probation.

Rich

UConn National Player of the Year Maya Moore earned an ESPY Award for Best Female College Athlete at the Nokia Theater L.A. Live Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The show, which was hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, will be televised on ESPN and ESPN HD Sunday at 9 p.m.
Moore averaged team-highs of 19.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals as a sophomore last season. She also averaged 3.3 assists and 1.5 blocks in 31.0 minutes as the Huskies finished 39-0 and won their sixth national championship.

Coach Geno Auriemma was one of 18 current head coaches invited by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball group to participate in a mock women’s basketball tournament selection at the NCAA national office today and tomorrow. The two-day exercise provides participants a glimpse of the nearly week-long process the Committee annually endures when selecting, seeding and bracketing 64 teams for the NCAA tournament.
The mock selection committee had access to all of the necessary tools (game results, RPI calculations, etc.) and followed the same principles and procedures the actual committee follows when it assembles the championship bracket each March. This is the first time the mock committee consisted entirely of coaches and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) administrators.
Melanie Balcomb (Vanderbilt), Doug Bruno (DePaul), Sherri Coale (Oklahoma), Gail Goestenkors (Texas), Sylvia Hatchell (North Carolina), Joanne P. McCallie (Duke), Jennifer Rizzotti (Hartford) and Sharon Versyp (Purdue) were also among the coaches who attended the event.

Rich

Tina Charles has spent the last two seasons playing with National Player of the Year Maya Moore. She has seen her absorb more than her share of bumps and bruises, but each time it seemed as if she just shook off any cobwebs and pain and jumped right back to her feet. That’s how tough Moore is.
During an exhibition game against Australia at the recent World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia, though, Moore did not get up as quickly after sustaining an injury to her right knee. For Charles, this was cause for immediate concern.
“Tiffany (Hayes) and I … We were really concerned,’’ Charles said today at Gampel Pavilion. “A lot of my teammates … we rallied around her. We were praying. I didn’t really think anything happened. I’m used to Maya getting banged up and she holds it in well. She doesn’t really complain if she’s hurting or anything. It just looked like she maybe just tweaked something and she’ll be able to get out there. But she didn’t play again.’’
Moore sat out each of the seven games in the tournament due to what has been diagnosed by the Team USA medical staff as a sprain. She expects to be ready to go once individual workouts begin in September. And Charles is also equally upbeat.
“She’s going to do well,’’ Charles said. “She’s going to rehab well. She’ll be fine. And just the fact that everything’s turning out positive right now, we’re really happy.’’

Rich

Tina Charles assembled another performance in the finale of the World University Games today that emphatically reinforces her status as an All-American. She finished with game-highs of 28 points (11-of-16 FG) and 18 rebounds in 21 minutes to lead the U.S. to an 83-64 victory over Russia in the gold medal game in Belgrade, Serbia.
“I just wanted to go out and play the way I know how to play,’’ Charles said. “I treated this like it was a national championship game or a Big East conference championship game. I know everybody worked hard, everybody wanted to win, and that’s what was always on my mind. I’m just happy. Hopefully, I can continue this and go undefeated my senior year.’’
It was the third double-double in seven games in the tournament for Charles. She was also the team’s leading scorer – or shared top scoring honors – in six games.
“I thought she picked up where she left off in the NCAA Tournament as the MVP of the national championship game,’’ Team USA/Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “We had a `go to’ team and she was our `go to’ player on this `go to’ team. She really got us off to a strong start offensively and continued to make big plays when we needed it. It’s hard to single people out on a team like this because everybody really contributed a lot throughout the whole tournament. She was the `go to’ player of the `go to’ team.’’
Tiffany Hayes added three points and two rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench against Russia.
Charles averaged team-highs of 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 19.0 minutes as the U.S. won its third straight gold medal and its seventh overall. Hayes, who made a team-high nine 3-pointers, averaged 8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 18.9 minutes.
“It feels really good (to win the gold medal), especially with these teammates that I have,’’ Hayes said. “It’s just a wonderful feeling and I wouldn’t want to do it with any other teammates.’’

Rich

Fans can watch the World University Games gold medal game against Russia on-line tonight at 7 pm. The site is www.sportzu.tv. The broadcast, which is being presented by Fox College Sports, will loop three times.

Rich

Tina Charles had 12 points and 10 rebounds – her second double-double of the tournament –
in 20 minutes to lead the U.S. to an 81-66 win over Australia in the medal semifinals today at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. Tiffany Hayes added four points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
The U.S. (6-0) will meet Russia (6-0), who routed the Czech Republic 107-64 in the other semifinal, in the gold medal game Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.

Rich

UConn rising freshman guard Kelly Faris was officially named to the 12-member USA U-19 World Championship team today. The U.S. will be looking to win its third straight gold medal at the World Championships July 23-Aug. 2 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Faris is joined on the team by South Carolina’s Kelsey Bone, Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, Stanford’s Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Ohio State’s Samantha Prahalis, LSU’s LaSondra Barrett, California’s Layshia Clarendon, Miami’s Shenise Johnson, Arkansas’ C’eira Ricketts, North Carolina’s Chay Shegog, Tennessee’s Taber Spani and Illinois’ Destiny Williams.
Stanford’s Sarah Boothe and Pittsburgh’s Shawnice (Pepper) Wilson, who were named finalists for the team May 17, were forced to withdraw due to injury.
“I think this team offers multiple offensive weapons and has a lot of versatility,’’ Team USA and Northern Illinois University head coach Carol Owens said. “They are a great group of young ladies that will represent our country with class. I am extremely excited. I am really looking forward to seeing the staff and the team and get going. We have a special group and I am can’t wait to work with them.’’
Team U.S. will open training camp Thursday at 5 p.m. MDT. It will workout twice a day at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The team has one practice scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. before resuming two-a-days at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. July 13-16.
The U.S. will train in Bangkok July 18-22 prior to the start of the tournament.

The 16 teams have been placed in four preliminary round pools of four teams each, with the U.S. placed into Group D with China, Mali and Spain. It will open preliminary round play against Spain July 23, followed by games against China July 24 and Mali July 25. The top three  teams in each preliminary round group will advance to the second round July 27-29. The quarterfinals will be July 31. The semifinals are Aug. 1 and the gold medal game is Aug. 2.

Rich

Tina Charles led five players in double figures with a game-high 20 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes as the U.S. rolled to an 115-78 win over the Czech Republic in its final game of the second round today at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. Tiffany Hayes added 16 points (4-of-6 3-pointers) and two rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
“It feels really good right now to be in the position we’re in,’’ Hayes said. “Especially knowing all the hard work that all of us have been through, starting in Colorado with the training camp. It’s good for us to be in this position because we know as a team how hard we worked.’’
The U.S. (5-0) will meet Australia (4-1) in the medal semifinals Thursday at 11:30 a.m. EST. The medal finals will be held Saturday at 6:30 a.m. EST (Bronze medal) and 9 a.m. EST (Gold).

Rich