The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Stricklen delivers to help lead Sun to win
UNCASVILLE » Just 35 seconds into Thursday night’s nationally-televised WNBA showdown, the normally mild-mannered Shekinna Stricklen uncorked a fist pump and a scream of utter elation.
Stricklen would make three more 3-pointers and one huge baseline jumper to help the host Connecticut Sun snap a two-game losing streak with a 96-89 victory over Seattle before a crowd of 8,668 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Jasmine Thomas would go off for 29 points, six assists and one turnover, Alyssa Thomas contributed 17 points, five rebounds and nine assists while Jonquel Jones had 13 points and 10 rebounds so it was not a case of Stricklen carrying her team to victory. It was, however, a night full of emotion as Stricklen was playing just a day after the one year anniversary of the death of her college coach.
A smile came to Stricklen’s face when discussing her fiery disposi-
tion because legendary former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt was always pushing her to be more emotional on the court during Stricklen’s time with the Lady Vols.
“I know she always yelled at me to quit being so laid back, it is something I am trying not to do this year,” said Stricklen, who had 14 points and four rebounds in 36 minutes as Connecticut improved to 7-7.
“I am always thinking about her. I talk to a lot of my (former Tennessee) teammates, me and Candace (Parker) talked the other night when we played LA about it. We shared memories and were laughing. That would be the best thing she would want us to do is to continue to share our memories and laugh. We know she is in a better place.”
So did Summitt, the NCAA Division I women’s basketball all-time winningest coach, tell Stricklen during their time together in Knoxville?
“Give it all you’ve got on every possession,” Stricklen said. “That is what she was on me about, I would be so laid back at times and she said, ‘Strick, you are going to miss that one moment, that one possession and it is something that is not going to be there one of these days so take advantage of every moment.’”
Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller said no moment was bigger in Thursday’s game than Stricklen’s jumper with 1:06 left to play and Connecticut clinging to a one-point lead.
“The coaching staff said the biggest shot of the game was the Stricklen jumper and we thought we could get her open against (Sami) Whitcomb. Whitcomb is a good defender and that is a huge jump shot and for a player who didn’t sit a second in the entire second half, it is even more impressive. You are not going to find any more confident shooter on our team and she believes if she gets space, she can make the shot.”
The Sun had a 17-point lead, its biggest of the game, after Stricklen drained a pair of 3-pointers in the first 2:47 of the fourth quarter.
Seattle (6-8) made 6 of 7 shots early in the third quarter to cut a 10-point halftime deficit to two points. Former UConn star Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd did most of the damage combining for 13 points in the first 4:15 of the quarter.
Stewart had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Loyd had 21 points, Bird finished with 16 points and five assists while Crystal Langhorne had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Katie Douglas, Rebecca Lobo and Nykesha Sales, teammates on the 2003 Connecticut Sun team, took part in a question and answer session at halftime as part of the festivities as the Sun recognized its 15th season.
The WNBA released the first set of voting results for the WNBA All-Star Game and five former UConn players are currently in position to be starters.
Maya Moore is the No. 1 vote-getter with 19,949 votes, Bird and Diana Taurasi rank first and second among Western Conference guards, Tiffany Hayes is the leader among Eastern Conference guards while Tina Charles is second among Eastern Conference frontcourt players.
Stewart is 1,366 votes behind Sylvia Fowles for the final starting spot among Western Conference frontcourt players.
Jonquel Jones of the Connecticut Sun ranks third among Eastern Conference frontcourt players. The 14th All-Star Game will be played at KeyArena in Seattle at 3:30 p.m. on July 22.