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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14023901p-14856239c.html
Guys find out she's got game
Former Monarch aiming to return to WNBA plays in men's league in hopes of boosting stock
By Debbie Arrington -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 29, Story appeared in Sports section, Page C1
LOS ANGELES - Against men a foot taller and way stronger, Giuliana Mendiola shows no fear. She scrambles on defense, dives for loose balls, swats away passes.
If the guys leave her open, the 5-foot-11, 179-pound guard shoots with confidence and often makes the men sorry they underestimated her tenacity.
"It's all about respect," Mendiola said. "They're learning to respect me."
As a member of the Los Angeles Aftershock, Mendiola is the only woman playing in the American Basketball Association, a 48-team league packed with college standouts and old pros looking for court time and promotion.
In four-plus seasons, 38 ABA players have jumped to the NBA. Mendiola wants to be the first to jump back to the WNBA.
"That's my career goal," she said. "When I signed up for this, I figured if I could play against guys, I could play in the WNBA."
Last month, the former Sacramento Monarch made history as the first woman to start a game in a men's professional basketball league. She earned a mention in Sports Illustrated for her performance - 12 points, six assists, four steals, three rebounds - against the Tijuana Dragons, Dennis Rodman's latest team.
"They're really in a no-win situation against her," Aftershock coach Andre Smith said of opponents. "If they don't guard her, she'll put up that three-pointer and make them pay. If they do guard her, it opens up our game inside and creates opportunities for other players. We really like having her on the court."
Mendiola, 23, wants to prove her toughness - and a point. If she's quick enough to compete against men, why can't she find a job in the WNBA?
"This will probably cost me any chance of ever coaching in the WNBA, but I don't understand it," Smith said. "The truth is, basketball is basketball, and Giuli can really play."
As always, her family stands behind her.
"She's the best player in America," mom Alicia Mendiola said. "I don't know why she's not in the WNBA. If they'd let her play, she'll make it big."
Family matters most to the tightknit Mendiolas. Giuliana and brother Lucciano are the youngest of nine children. When she decided to stay stateside, Giuliana moved back home to Lake Forest in Orange County.
Her family connections may have cost her as a pro. Mendiola, the 2003 Pacific-10 Player of the Year as a junior at Washington, was projected to be a first-round WNBA prospect in 2004. Instead, she went undrafted. It was an insult added to the tumultuous conclusion of her college career. Shortly before Mendiola's senior season, three of her brothers and a brother-in-law were arrested in a murder-conspiracy plot.
Mendiola almost quit the Huskies so she could support her brothers in court. After a plea agreement and reduced charges for his siblings, Giovanni Mendiola is serving an eight-year-to-life sentence in Idaho.
"We've all heard the stories," said Monarchs coach and general manager John Whisenant, who signed Mendiola as a free agent in May 2004. "I personally never had any problems with her family - they were always fine with me - but they got a reputation. They could be pushy."
According to the WNBA, personnel decisions are strictly up to the individual teams. But with scarce jobs and so much talent available to the women's league, positions are hard to keep.
For the 2006 WNBA season, Mendiola will be an unrestricted free agent. She is willing to listen to all offers.
"I just want to play in the WNBA," she said. "That's why I'm doing this - so somebody will notice."
Four of her brothers and sisters joined her mom and an aunt in the stands for a recent Aftershock game at Los Angeles Southwestern College. Her brother, Fabrizio, joins her daily on the court as an Aftershock teammate.
"We were scouting her brother Fab during summer pro league," explained team owner Shawn Blattenberger, who played against the male Mendiolas in high school. "Giuli came out on the court during halftime of a game and started shooting baskets with her brother. I recognized her and thought, wow, wouldn't it be great to have her on the team, too?"
Blattenberger, 24, hit on a big idea that made his team instantly noteworthy in its inaugural season. The Aftershock (6-5) replaced the defunct Los Angeles Stars in the evolving ABA.
"A friend told me I really hit on a great marketing ploy," Blattenberger said, "but this wasn't a stunt. Giuli earned her spot. She had to try out. Bottom line, she can play."
Few women have ventured onto the pro court with men and none in the United States since the WNBA's debut in 1997, according to the WNBA.
Lynette Woodard recorded a milestone when she joined the Harlem Globetrotters in 1985. Nancy Lieberman became the first female to play in a men's pro league as a reserve in 1986 for the Springfield Fame in the United States Basketball League.
Mendiola learned to play basketball against her brothers, so working with Fab is a natural.
"Giuli is tough," mother Alicia said. "She's been playing against her brothers since she was 5. They're always competing."
She's probably the only player ever to team with a brother and a sister. At Washington, she was teammates with older sister Gioconda.
"I've been very blessed," Mendiola said. "We have a special family. I wouldn't be here without them."
To a man, the Aftershock supports Giuliana.
"It's really no big deal," said guard/forward Ramal "Rock" Lloyd, a standout at Long Beach State. "We treat her like every teammate. She really is just one of the guys."
Instead of dressing in the women's restroom, Mendiola has her own separate locker room to herself at home games. But otherwise, she feels a normal part of her team.
"I go against these guys three hours a day in practice," she said. "Men are just tougher. They're faster and stronger. But it's nice having 7-footers like (center) Nick Sheppard on my side. They look out for me."
Mendiola lasted only one season in the WNBA. Listed with a lumbar strain in 2004, she rotated off Sacramento's injured list. But the spunky guard never got playing time to make a real impression with 39 minutes spread over six games. Her career totals: 10 points (while shooting 50 percent) and five rebounds.
She spent last winter in the Greek League, starting for Acadimia 75 in the Athens suburbs and piling up 20-point games. But when she returned to Sacramento, Mendiola lost her Monarchs job to guard Miao Lijie.
"I've always really admired Giuli," Whisenant said. "But I felt she just wasn't fast enough for our defense. She's always been able to shoot; that wasn't the problem. I thought she should slim down, get leaner and get faster. If she did, she could be like (guard) Ticha Penicheiro."
Said Mendiola of her former coach: "We just didn't see things the same way. I can't argue with his decisions - the Monarchs won a championship. But I was shocked that I didn't make the team."
Mendiola admits she was disappointed and surprised when no WNBA team picked her up last season. Instead of returning to Europe, she decided to take her case to the ABA's court.
"I'm definitely improving my game," she said. "Out on the court, guys don't care if you're male or female. They see me more and more as just another basketball player."
Trying to move up to another league.
ABA at a glance
• What: American Basketball Association.
• Origin: Reborn four years ago, it is linked in name only to the original ABA, which merged with the NBA in 1976.
• Size: 48 teams. Although seven teams have suspended operations this season, another 15 have signed on for expansion in 2006-07.
• California franchises: Fresno Heatwave, Inglewood Cobras, Los Angeles Aftershock, Orange County Buzz, San Francisco Pilots, San Jose SkyRockets and SoCal Legends.
• Season: 30 games, from November through March 9.
• Pay range: From minimum wage to $2,000 a week - or more for NBA veterans.
• Crowd size: Average in the low hundreds for most contests, although the champion Arkansas RimRockers drew nearly 15,000 for their title game last year.
• Former NorCal college players: Pacific center Jason Williams and University of San Francisco's LyRyan Russell and Jovan Harris for the S.F. Pilots; Pacific center Tyler Newton and Nevada guard Todd Okeson for the S.J. SkyRockets; and Chico State center Matt Houser and Nevada guard Robin Kennedy for the O.C. Buzz.
• The "3-D" rule: Teams earn a bonus point for converting a basket off a turnover in the backcourt.
• Web site: www.abalive.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a photo in the paper, but I couldn't find it on the sacbee.com site.
Good for her to get on with playing.......
Guys find out she's got game
Former Monarch aiming to return to WNBA plays in men's league in hopes of boosting stock
By Debbie Arrington -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 29, Story appeared in Sports section, Page C1
LOS ANGELES - Against men a foot taller and way stronger, Giuliana Mendiola shows no fear. She scrambles on defense, dives for loose balls, swats away passes.
If the guys leave her open, the 5-foot-11, 179-pound guard shoots with confidence and often makes the men sorry they underestimated her tenacity.
"It's all about respect," Mendiola said. "They're learning to respect me."
As a member of the Los Angeles Aftershock, Mendiola is the only woman playing in the American Basketball Association, a 48-team league packed with college standouts and old pros looking for court time and promotion.
In four-plus seasons, 38 ABA players have jumped to the NBA. Mendiola wants to be the first to jump back to the WNBA.
"That's my career goal," she said. "When I signed up for this, I figured if I could play against guys, I could play in the WNBA."
Last month, the former Sacramento Monarch made history as the first woman to start a game in a men's professional basketball league. She earned a mention in Sports Illustrated for her performance - 12 points, six assists, four steals, three rebounds - against the Tijuana Dragons, Dennis Rodman's latest team.
"They're really in a no-win situation against her," Aftershock coach Andre Smith said of opponents. "If they don't guard her, she'll put up that three-pointer and make them pay. If they do guard her, it opens up our game inside and creates opportunities for other players. We really like having her on the court."
Mendiola, 23, wants to prove her toughness - and a point. If she's quick enough to compete against men, why can't she find a job in the WNBA?
"This will probably cost me any chance of ever coaching in the WNBA, but I don't understand it," Smith said. "The truth is, basketball is basketball, and Giuli can really play."
As always, her family stands behind her.
"She's the best player in America," mom Alicia Mendiola said. "I don't know why she's not in the WNBA. If they'd let her play, she'll make it big."
Family matters most to the tightknit Mendiolas. Giuliana and brother Lucciano are the youngest of nine children. When she decided to stay stateside, Giuliana moved back home to Lake Forest in Orange County.
Her family connections may have cost her as a pro. Mendiola, the 2003 Pacific-10 Player of the Year as a junior at Washington, was projected to be a first-round WNBA prospect in 2004. Instead, she went undrafted. It was an insult added to the tumultuous conclusion of her college career. Shortly before Mendiola's senior season, three of her brothers and a brother-in-law were arrested in a murder-conspiracy plot.
Mendiola almost quit the Huskies so she could support her brothers in court. After a plea agreement and reduced charges for his siblings, Giovanni Mendiola is serving an eight-year-to-life sentence in Idaho.
"We've all heard the stories," said Monarchs coach and general manager John Whisenant, who signed Mendiola as a free agent in May 2004. "I personally never had any problems with her family - they were always fine with me - but they got a reputation. They could be pushy."
According to the WNBA, personnel decisions are strictly up to the individual teams. But with scarce jobs and so much talent available to the women's league, positions are hard to keep.
For the 2006 WNBA season, Mendiola will be an unrestricted free agent. She is willing to listen to all offers.
"I just want to play in the WNBA," she said. "That's why I'm doing this - so somebody will notice."
Four of her brothers and sisters joined her mom and an aunt in the stands for a recent Aftershock game at Los Angeles Southwestern College. Her brother, Fabrizio, joins her daily on the court as an Aftershock teammate.
"We were scouting her brother Fab during summer pro league," explained team owner Shawn Blattenberger, who played against the male Mendiolas in high school. "Giuli came out on the court during halftime of a game and started shooting baskets with her brother. I recognized her and thought, wow, wouldn't it be great to have her on the team, too?"
Blattenberger, 24, hit on a big idea that made his team instantly noteworthy in its inaugural season. The Aftershock (6-5) replaced the defunct Los Angeles Stars in the evolving ABA.
"A friend told me I really hit on a great marketing ploy," Blattenberger said, "but this wasn't a stunt. Giuli earned her spot. She had to try out. Bottom line, she can play."
Few women have ventured onto the pro court with men and none in the United States since the WNBA's debut in 1997, according to the WNBA.
Lynette Woodard recorded a milestone when she joined the Harlem Globetrotters in 1985. Nancy Lieberman became the first female to play in a men's pro league as a reserve in 1986 for the Springfield Fame in the United States Basketball League.
Mendiola learned to play basketball against her brothers, so working with Fab is a natural.
"Giuli is tough," mother Alicia said. "She's been playing against her brothers since she was 5. They're always competing."
She's probably the only player ever to team with a brother and a sister. At Washington, she was teammates with older sister Gioconda.
"I've been very blessed," Mendiola said. "We have a special family. I wouldn't be here without them."
To a man, the Aftershock supports Giuliana.
"It's really no big deal," said guard/forward Ramal "Rock" Lloyd, a standout at Long Beach State. "We treat her like every teammate. She really is just one of the guys."
Instead of dressing in the women's restroom, Mendiola has her own separate locker room to herself at home games. But otherwise, she feels a normal part of her team.
"I go against these guys three hours a day in practice," she said. "Men are just tougher. They're faster and stronger. But it's nice having 7-footers like (center) Nick Sheppard on my side. They look out for me."
Mendiola lasted only one season in the WNBA. Listed with a lumbar strain in 2004, she rotated off Sacramento's injured list. But the spunky guard never got playing time to make a real impression with 39 minutes spread over six games. Her career totals: 10 points (while shooting 50 percent) and five rebounds.
She spent last winter in the Greek League, starting for Acadimia 75 in the Athens suburbs and piling up 20-point games. But when she returned to Sacramento, Mendiola lost her Monarchs job to guard Miao Lijie.
"I've always really admired Giuli," Whisenant said. "But I felt she just wasn't fast enough for our defense. She's always been able to shoot; that wasn't the problem. I thought she should slim down, get leaner and get faster. If she did, she could be like (guard) Ticha Penicheiro."
Said Mendiola of her former coach: "We just didn't see things the same way. I can't argue with his decisions - the Monarchs won a championship. But I was shocked that I didn't make the team."
Mendiola admits she was disappointed and surprised when no WNBA team picked her up last season. Instead of returning to Europe, she decided to take her case to the ABA's court.
"I'm definitely improving my game," she said. "Out on the court, guys don't care if you're male or female. They see me more and more as just another basketball player."
Trying to move up to another league.
ABA at a glance
• What: American Basketball Association.
• Origin: Reborn four years ago, it is linked in name only to the original ABA, which merged with the NBA in 1976.
• Size: 48 teams. Although seven teams have suspended operations this season, another 15 have signed on for expansion in 2006-07.
• California franchises: Fresno Heatwave, Inglewood Cobras, Los Angeles Aftershock, Orange County Buzz, San Francisco Pilots, San Jose SkyRockets and SoCal Legends.
• Season: 30 games, from November through March 9.
• Pay range: From minimum wage to $2,000 a week - or more for NBA veterans.
• Crowd size: Average in the low hundreds for most contests, although the champion Arkansas RimRockers drew nearly 15,000 for their title game last year.
• Former NorCal college players: Pacific center Jason Williams and University of San Francisco's LyRyan Russell and Jovan Harris for the S.F. Pilots; Pacific center Tyler Newton and Nevada guard Todd Okeson for the S.J. SkyRockets; and Chico State center Matt Houser and Nevada guard Robin Kennedy for the O.C. Buzz.
• The "3-D" rule: Teams earn a bonus point for converting a basket off a turnover in the backcourt.
• Web site: www.abalive.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a photo in the paper, but I couldn't find it on the sacbee.com site.
Good for her to get on with playing.......
