COLUMN: Look out USU — here comes women’s basketball
“My Summer Vacation.”
By Julie Ann Grosshans
I hated this assignment in elementary school. I never did anything too exotic or exciting to write about. This summer was different though.
I was a women’s basketball junkie.
It all started while I was a media relations intern for the Utah Starzz over the summer. Not a bad job.
Before the 2002 WNBA season started, I hated women’s basketball. I thought it was slow, not athletic and I would avoid it at all costs.
One game and my whole opinion changed.
The women have better shot selection than most NBA players, they are athletic and now I can’t wait for the 2003 tip-off.
Not only did I love working with the Starzz and the WNBA, I realized how great it will be for Utah State to finally have a women’s basketball team.
Of the 10 schools in the Big West Conference, USU was the only one not to have a women’s program prior to last May.
After the university reinstated the program, hired a head coach (Raegen Scott-Pebley), an assistant coach (John Bartleson) and inked a few players, the dream of having a team is becoming a reality.
Unfortunately, the team will probably not win the Big West Championships its first year out. If anything, they simply look to surprise some of the schools who have contacted USU to set up a game – probably a guaranteed win in their minds.
The toughest Big West opponent though will be the University of California Santa Barbara, the six-time defending conference
champions.
Former Gaucho and currently a forward for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury Kayte Christensen has high hopes for the new USU squad.
“I think it’s a good conference for them to come into because the Big West isn’t really the strongest conference,” she said. “They’ll be able to compete and hopefully within the next few years they’ll become a really good team.”
She would know.
UCSB is a school rich in women’s basketball. The school has three players currently in the WNBA – Erin Buescher, who transferred to The Master’s College her senior year, plays for the Charlotte Sting and Stacey Clinesmith, a member of the Detroit Shock.
With some time and fan support, the Aggies will hopefully have the same positive output of players.
Julie Ann Grosshans is a junior majoring in print journalism. She is the sports editor of The Utah Statesman. Comments can be sent to JUAG@cc.usu.edu