StevenHW
Starter
From the NewsStar.com, a website in Northeast Louisiana, where Chelsea was born and raised:
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LOCAL ATHLETES MAKE BIG SPLASH ON NATIONAL SCENE IN '05
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
It may be football season but we also have other reasons to be celebrating tremendous achievements by local athletes.
Chelsea Newton:A former all-state basketball star at Carroll [Carroll High School, in Phoenix, AZ] says, Newton has just capped an amazing year by helping the Sacramento Monarchs capture the WNBA championship.
Prior to that she completed a solid career at Rutgers University this past spring and graduated in four years.
Chelsea played for legendary women's coach Vivian Stringer at Rutgers and said, "I learned a lot of basketball from her, particularly her emphasis on details.
"I've always believed defense was important, but I learned it even more under her. Defense is what earned me a chance to make a WNBA team," Newton told me a couple of days ago.
"Coach John Whisenant (Monarchs head coach) came to Rutgers to scout one of our other players but told me he left knowing that he wanted to draft me because of the way I played defense," recalled Newton.
Sure enough, Sacramento took Newton in the second round and she immediately won a spot in the team's starting lineup.
She also made the WNBA All-Rookie team and helped Sacramento beat Connecticut for the WNBA championship.
Asked about the biggest differences between college and the WNBA, Newton said, "Adjusting to the travel.
"There were times when we played back-to-back, flying after a game and playing later that day. It's tough and it takes experience to handle it."
Newton felt there were two keys for Sacramento. "Our defense was excellent and that carried us in a lot of games.
"Also, we had great team chemistry. We became each other's best friends and enjoyed being with each other every day. That is really important when you are together so much," she said.
Newton, who had been Carroll's Homecoming Queen as a senior, returned to her alma mater prior to this year's Homecoming two weeks ago. "It was great to have her home. We all can be very proud of Chelsea. She represents her school and her community with a lot of class," said her Carroll coach Sheryl Madison.
* * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * *
LOCAL ATHLETES MAKE BIG SPLASH ON NATIONAL SCENE IN '05
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
It may be football season but we also have other reasons to be celebrating tremendous achievements by local athletes.
Chelsea Newton:A former all-state basketball star at Carroll [Carroll High School, in Phoenix, AZ] says, Newton has just capped an amazing year by helping the Sacramento Monarchs capture the WNBA championship.
Prior to that she completed a solid career at Rutgers University this past spring and graduated in four years.
Chelsea played for legendary women's coach Vivian Stringer at Rutgers and said, "I learned a lot of basketball from her, particularly her emphasis on details.
"I've always believed defense was important, but I learned it even more under her. Defense is what earned me a chance to make a WNBA team," Newton told me a couple of days ago.
"Coach John Whisenant (Monarchs head coach) came to Rutgers to scout one of our other players but told me he left knowing that he wanted to draft me because of the way I played defense," recalled Newton.
Sure enough, Sacramento took Newton in the second round and she immediately won a spot in the team's starting lineup.
She also made the WNBA All-Rookie team and helped Sacramento beat Connecticut for the WNBA championship.
Asked about the biggest differences between college and the WNBA, Newton said, "Adjusting to the travel.
"There were times when we played back-to-back, flying after a game and playing later that day. It's tough and it takes experience to handle it."
Newton felt there were two keys for Sacramento. "Our defense was excellent and that carried us in a lot of games.
"Also, we had great team chemistry. We became each other's best friends and enjoyed being with each other every day. That is really important when you are together so much," she said.
Newton, who had been Carroll's Homecoming Queen as a senior, returned to her alma mater prior to this year's Homecoming two weeks ago. "It was great to have her home. We all can be very proud of Chelsea. She represents her school and her community with a lot of class," said her Carroll coach Sheryl Madison.
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