Bee: Monarchs Notes....

#1
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/monarchs/story/10610812p-11529506c.html

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Monarchs notes: Five-game road trip will play critical role



By Debbie Arrington -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, September 3, 2004

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Now comes the tough part.



"It's a good thing my team likes to play on the road," Monarchs coach John Whisenant said.

Because the Monarchs will be seeing plenty of other arenas the next two weeks.

After hosting the last-place San Antonio Silver Stars on Thursday night, the Monarchs head to Texas for a Saturday rematch. Then they jet to Washington, D.C., for the Mystics, bounce over to Charlotte, N.C., to play the Sting, and then head to Los Angeles for a Sept. 12 game with the Sparks.

After returning home briefly for practice, the Monarchs head back to Texas for a nationally televised game Sept. 16 against the Houston Comets.

The regular season wraps up with back-to-back home games Sept. 18-19 against the Comets and Minnesota Lynx.

"I honestly think it could come down to that last home game with Minnesota, whether we get into the playoffs or not," Whisenant said. "As I see it, Minnesota, Phoenix, Houston and us are all fighting for the last two spots. At least the road doesn't seem to be that big a factor for us this year. But that's true of the whole league."

Golden tribute - Past local Olympians welcomed home Monarchs forward/center Yolanda Griffith, Sacramento's latest gold-medal winner, before Thursday's game at Arco Arena.

Among several medalists who gathered at center court were Monarchs team doctor Eric Heiden, who won five golds in speedskating at the 1980 Games, plus Molly Botkin (swimming), Barbara Higgins (fencing), Marilyn King (pentathlon) and Starr Walton-Hurley (skiing).

Monarchs guard Ruthie Bolton, herself a two-time gold medalist with Team USA, introduced Griffith to a roaring ovation and presented her longtime teammate with flowers. The crowd also warmly cheered Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson, a San Antonio guard and Griffith's United States teammate.

Most of the Monarchs watched Griffith win her second gold medal during a 6 a.m. team party last Saturday at Riverside Clubhouse with about 125 fans, who turned out for the early-morning breakfast of champions.

Et cetera - To make room for guard Edna Campbell on the active roster, the Monarchs placed Giuliana Mendiola on injured reserve. The rookie guard has been bothered by a back strain off and on all summer. • More than 4,000 books donated by Monarchs fans during weekend home games became the core of a new Monarchs Reading and Learning Center at Valley-Hi North Laguna Library. Just in time for the start of school, the team recently dedicated the new center, which also includes 15 computer workstations.
 
#2
We need to avoid drama and injuries. ::knock on wood::


Mabika limped off the floor with a knee injury, the Sparks also lost their two Italian players who either will not be back at all the remainder of the season or would rejoin them come the opening of the playoffs.

Seattle is without LJ for at least 3 games, Sheri Sam still is misfiring and it quietly causing a rancor by her decision to forgo the training camp month of august to attend the Olympic games in Athens.

Minny, well, no Katie Smith

Houston is struggling to regain form in their backcourt with the sudden departure of Kedra Holland-Corn from the team. She's been granted her release.

M's just need to find their soul. I've seen parts of it these last two games, but Walker said last night (and we've been saying the last 5 years or so) they need to find that killer instict. And maybe the win last night catapulted them closer to finding their soul. It seemed to work wonders when at nearly a similar juncture of the season the M's drew up a last second play against San Antonio and executed it to win a game. They gotta take advantage of things and get the momentum going. They have no margin of error - which seems to be the other thing (besides a coaching change) that gets them motivated.

Let' Go! Get it Done!