Sun sign rookie Beatrice Mompremier
Ex-Miami star will help fill void by departure of all-star Jonquel Jones
The Connecticut Sun signed rookie post Beatrice Mompremier on Tuesday as it tries to fill the void left by all-star Jonquel Jones, who has opted to take the 2020 WNBA season off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mompremier, a 6-foot-4 forward, played her first two collegiate seasons at Baylor before transferring home to play her final two seasons at Miami. She was drafted 20th overall (second round) in April by the Los Angeles Sparks, but was waived in late May.
Mompremier averaged 16.7 points and 12.2 rebounds her senior season and was a 2020 Lisa Leslie Award finalist. She had 34 double-doubles during her two years with the Hurricanes and is just one of three players in program history to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in their career.
Belgrade, Serbia — Top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic announced Tuesday he and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus after he played in a series of exhibition matches he organized in Serbia and Croatia with zero social distancing amid the pandemic.
Raising questions about the fullfledged return of tennis, including the U.S. Open, planned for August, Djokovic is the fourth player to come down with COVID-19 after participating in matches held in Belgrade and Zadar, Croatia.
The others were three-time Grand Slam semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki.
“We believed the tournament met all health protocols and the health of our region seemed in good condition to finally unite people for philanthropic reasons,” Djokovic said in a posting on social media Tuesday. “We were wrong and it was too soon.”
The rest of his Adria Tour, which was supposed to head to Bosnia next, was called off.
“Unfortunately, this virus is still present, and it is a new reality that we are still learning to cope and live with. I am hoping things will ease with time so we can all resume lives the way they were,” Djokovic said in a statement released earlier. “I am extremely sorry for each individual case of infection. I hope that it will not complicate anyone's health situation and that everyone will be fine.”
Djokovic, who stands third in the history of men's tennis with 17 Grand Slam singles titles, has been in the news frequently in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak, which led to the suspension of the ATP and WTA professional tennis tours in March. Plans were announced last week for the sport's sanctioned events to return in August.
In April, the player who has won five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments and is 18-0 in 2020 was criticized for saying he would not want to take a vaccine for the virus in order to be able to compete, even if it were mandatory for travel.
In May, when he was staying in Spain, Djokovic broke local lockdown rules by practicing at a tennis club about a week before it was allowed.
More recently, he complained about the U.S. Tennis Association's plans to try to protect people from the virus during the U.S. Open with such measures as limiting the size of players' entourages, going so far as to say he didn't know whether he would go to the tournament in New York.
The U.S. Open is scheduled to begin Aug. 31, without spectators, and the French Open — postponed from May — is supposed to start Sept. 27.
Djokovic found himself defending the lax arrangements of his exhibitions, which were meant to raise money to help those affected by the pandemic. The stands were packed, and players casually interacted with fans and each other off the court. Djokovic and other players were seen hugging each other and partying in night clubs and restaurants.
After Dimitrov said he tested positive over the weekend, the final of the competition in Croatia — in which Djokovic was supposed to play — was canceled.
Djokovic, who is not showing symptoms of COVID-19, said he will remain in self-isolation for 14 days.
“It was all born with a philanthropic idea, to direct all raised funds towards people in need and it warmed my heart to see how everybody strongly responded to this,” Djokovic said. “We organized the tournament at the moment when the virus has weakened, believing that the conditions for hosting the Tour had been met.”
Both countries eased their lockdowns ahead of elections held in Serbia last Sunday and scheduled for July 5 in Croatia, and much of the Balkans is experiencing a spike in new COVID-19 cases since the strictest measures were lifted.
Opposition in Croatia has questioned whether the vote in Croatia should go ahead and whether Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his government should self-isolate after he briefly met with Djokovic in Zadar.
"We are excited to add Beatrice to our Sun roster," Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said in a release. "She is a young and talented post player with a high ceiling. Beatrice is a proven collegiate rebounder and crafty scorer who will have the ability to contribute during her rookie season."
The addition of Mompremier was necessitated after Jones announced Monday that she was sitting this season out. The fouryear veteran has been one of Connecticut's best players and had one of her finest seasons in 2019. She started all 42 games, including the Sun's postseason run to the WNBA Finals, was named to the All-WNBA second-team for a second time and was a WNBA All-Defensive firstteam pick.
Jones scored a team-high 14.6 points last regular season and led the league in both rebounding (9.7) and blocks (2.0). Her absence left the Sun with only veteran reserves Brionna Jones and Theresa Plaisance at post.
The WNBA announced last week its plans to start an abbreviated 22-game season in late July using facilities at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The regular season had been scheduled to start on May 15 but was postponed indefinitely in April due to the pandemic. n.griffen@theday.com
“We are excited to add Beatrice to our Sun roster. She is a young and talented post player with a high ceiling. Beatrice is a proven collegiate rebounder and crafty scorer who will have the ability to contribute during her rookie season.” SUN COACH KURT MILLER