By Mel Greenberg

(Guru's note: Your Guru has become involved in some print coverage for the home office of Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer's induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield, Mass., causing him to withhold some items that were going to appear in these posts. But fear not, you have not wasted keyboard clicks. Another member of her past from her earliest Rutgers days _ Josh Reinitz _ has provided a requested remembrance. Additionally, the Guru is contemplating a combined an all-time 15-player roster from her days at Cheyney, Iowa and Rutgers, and while you and the Guru knows the obvious suspects, the final cuts would still be tough. Feel free to email nominations and if you want opinions made public let the Guru know.)

That said, as the Guru marks his 40th anniversary on Sept. 9 at the paper (time to update the bios), he gives the floor to Josh, who the Guru considers a forerunner to many Rutgers individuals, including current media contact Stacey Brann, who have had the challenge to keep Stringer's beyond-the-court life organized.

Josh Reinitz:

I sat down for my first real job interview with Coach Stringer in September 1995.

I was less than three months out of high school and my most significant basketball honor was backing up Steven Rosenblatt on the New Jersey Jewish Center Basketball League State Champions.

I had spent the summer reading in my local newspaper about this new women’s basketball coach at Rutgers who was paid more money than the football coach and who vowed to make the program a national power.

I expected arrogance, bravado and conceit.

What I encountered was a demure, soft-spoken woman who was genuinely interested in my point of view.

Fortunately, either my point of view impressed or the candidate pool was shallow, either way walking out of the office my life would never be the same.

Coach often talks about character.

She defines character as what you do when nobody is watching.

In her first game as the Head Coach at Rutgers we took on Penn State at the RAC. The Nittany Lions were ranked Seventh in the nation and boasted All America Angie Potthoff (now a Notre Dame assistant coach).

The RAC is a magical place; we won the game on a turnaround jumper in the lane by Jennifer Clemente (my fellow freshman at the time).

Fast forward 12 months.

We brought a top 5 recruiting class to State College for the rematch.

It was clear to all of us that a tough road lay ahead.

Coach was fighting to meld the team she inherited with the team she recruited while losing her most talented recruit to Prop 48.

Penn State was the more experienced team which put them miles ahead of us in preparation.

That coupled with undoubtedly being reminded daily in the month leading to the game by Coach (Rene) Portland of the embarrassing loss the year before set us up for what was surely to be a lopsided defeat.

On that trip one of my assignments was to escort Coach down to the meeting room for meals, video, etc. It was an early game so our pre-game meal that day was breakfast.

Coach is notorious for her coffee drinking (for those interested it cannot be light or sweet enough for her), and when I arrived at the room I noticed two things, on the coffee table in front of the TV was an urn of coffee and in her right hand was a rolled up 30 page scouting report full of freshly scrawled notes.

We arrived at the gym and as the game got further and further out of reach I was struck by the intensity and passion she demonstrated.

What still stays with me is the ferocity with which she called out every play Penn State was going to run as soon as they got in a formation.

Her team was too young and inexperienced to know how to counter the plays but she would not allow herself to put forth anything less than maximum effort.

The night before the game when everyone else involved was sleeping, with knowledge that her work was likely futile she studied like it was the National Championship.

She personified her definition of character.
Coach has been a mentor in many ways, I find myself repeating and incorporating her maxims in my life both as a lawyer and a father on a regular basis.

During our engagement my eventual wife and I separated for a short period of time.

A few weeks later on a road trip after an unexpected loss Coach sought me out in the airport terminal away from the rest of the traveling party.

I figured she wanted to talk about a video breakdown she wanted to show the team before practice the next day but she had heard about the break up.

She quickly turned from boss to concerned parent and gave me prophetic words of wisdom. Her faith and guidance ushered me through a difficult period.

I’m glad that the Naismith Hall of Fame has chosen to recognize her in this remarkable class.

She has dedicated her life to the game and to using the game to make better the world she inherited.

She has fought for the recognition of the female athlete and been a great ambassador for her country.

What she has most in common with her fellow inductees is the reverance she holds for basketball and her single-minded focus to never cheat the game by displaying anything less than constant passion and true character.

(Much more to come)

- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

 On a day in which Los Angeles annnounced a mega farewell celebration for the retiring superstar Lisa Leslie at the Sparks' final regular season home game Friday night against Minnesota, her teammates took steps several hours later to ensure the Olympic multi-gold medalist will quickly return the following week to the Staples Center for an undetermined number of encore performances.

Leslie helped her own cause Tuesday night, scoring 18 points as the Sparks rallied at home to beat the San Antonio, Silver Stars, 76-68, to become the third Western Conference team to secure a playoff berth.

Whether Los Angeles will be third or fourth behind front-running Phoenix and No. 2 Seattle in the West remains to be seen. The Silverstars own the tie-breaker with the Minnesota Lynx, who will host a probably must-win game Wednesday night against the defending champion Detroit Shock, who will be out to get close to a postseason spot in the Eastern Division.

There was some consequence attached to the Indiana Fever's 69-63 win against the New York Liberty in Madison Square Garden, the only other game on Tuesday's slate.

Indiana caught Phoenix for best overall-record and top seed all the day through the playoffs. But the Fever need to do a little more because if the teams finish with identical records, the Mercury by a landslide own the tiebreaker with a superior record against the East than the Fever has against the West.

Indiana's remaining games will be at Chicago Thursday, and at Connecticut Sunday with both of those teams right now needing wins for playoff life.

Phoenix travels to Seattle Thursday and hosts Los Angeles Sunday in games that Mercury now need more than Los Angeles unless the Sparks are trying to avoid a four slot on the final day of the regular season.

Down in the basement, the Liberty loss dropped New York to just a game ahead of the West's Sacramento for worst record, which gets paid attention to at this time of year because of the small advantage gained with a few more ping pong balls when it comes to determining who gets rights to the No. 1 draft pick.

But unlike two years ago with the Candace Parker prize on the horizon, the Monarchs and Liberty could fill their desires in whatever they land as long as it is among the top two spots. The wild card here is if the Connecticut Sun fall into the lottery because area UConn favorite Tina Charles will be available for selection after her senior season.

Meanwhile as for Leslie's celebration, the night will begin with a presentation including Morningside High, her West Coast alma mater; Southern California, her collegiate alma mater, USA Basketball, the WNBA and Nike, Leslie's long-time sponsor from before she became one of three charter signees to the WNBA prior to the 1997 inaugural season.

A special emcee, not named, will be on hand as will WNBA president Donna Orender and Sparks head coach Michael Cooper, who is also leaving to coach the Southern Cal women.

Orender, chatting with the Guru in Washington last week , was a little chagrined at not checking the season schedule before signing off because the night is putting her in confict, causing her to miss Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer's induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

The Guru, who right now is marking this Sept. 9 as the 40th anniversary of his hire at The Inquirer, recalls a moment when he was able to top Leslie in one of the friendly encounters they've had over the decades.

It was 2003 at the media availability in Detroit prior to the second game of the playoffs.

As the Guru approached Leslie, she smiled and said, "You've been around me for most of my entire career."

The Guru quickly responded, "Actually I was busy covering (Leslie's longtime friend) Dawn Staley and you just happened to be in the same room."

Since there isn't much more to be said off a limited schedule, the Guru's earlier WNBA outlooks this week are in previous posts.

But here's the nightly tracker:

  The Nightly Team-Level Forecaster

Eastern Group:

Atlanta: Road (1): at Washington - Sept. 12.

Home (1) Connecticut- Sept. 11.

Washington: Road (1) at New York - Sept. 13.

Home (1) Atlanta - Sept. 12.

Chicago: Road (0)

Home (2) Indiana - Sept. 10; Detroit - Sept. 12.

Connecticut: Road (1) at Atlanta, Sept. 11.

Home (1) Indiana - Sept. 13.

Detroit: Road (2) at Minnesota - Sept. 9; at Chicago - Sept. 12

Home (1) New York - Sept. 10.

Summary:

Since all the discussion has occurred, the Guru goes straight to the forecast.

Atlanta: (Anything goes): 2-0, 1-1, 0-2

Washington: 1-1 or 2-0 with the Atlanta game the tossup.

Chicago: 0-2 Gotta win both but heavy underdog.

Connecticut: 1-1 but not impossible to be 2-0, which may not be good enough depending on tie-breakers. The Sun could also drop to 0-2 and definitelly be out of the postseason for the first time since moving from Orlando.

Detroit: 3-0, but maybe 2-1.

Western Group (and remember we're talking about qualifying, not placement):

Minnesota: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 11; at Sacramento - Sept. 13.

Home: (1) Detroit - Sept. 9.

San Antonio: Road (1) at Sacramento - Sept. 10.

Home (1) Seattle - Sept. 12.

Los Angeles: Road (1) at Phoenix, Sept. 13.

Home (1) Minnesota, Sept. 11

Summary:

Again, straight to the forecast.

Minnesota: 1-2. Not impossible to go 2-1 but 3-0 would might be what;'s needed now.

San Antonio: 2-0 but not impossible to slip to 1-1. If it's 0-2 some help may be needed.

Los Angeles: Clinched a spot Tuesday night.

-- Mel

By Jonathan Tannenwald
Philly.com

No, the headline does not mean that the WNBA will be coming to Philadelphia.

The Mystics announced this afternoon that they will play their first-round playoff game at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center in College Park, Md., due to a scheduling conflict at their usual home, the Verizon Center in downtown D.C.

There has been much discussion in the press about the Atlanta Dream having to move its playoff game out of the Phillips Arena to a venue that has yet to be determined. But in this case, there won't be much of a downgrade in facilities or atmosphere.

Comcast Center seats 17,950, which is plenty for just about any event, and opened in 2002. So it has all the modern amenities and so forth.

Indeed, the move could Mystics if they can tap into the Terrapins' fan base, which has supported the school's women's basketball team quite well in recent years.

I figure Mel will be back on here later with his views and other musings.

(For those of you who in the D.C. area who don't get the first line of the post: The cable company's headquarters building in Philadelphia has the same title as the basketball arena in College Park.)

By Mel Greenberg

    On Friday night, Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in a prestigious class that also features former NBA stars Michael Jordan, David Robinson, and David Stockton, along with Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.

   While Stringer's story has been well known, chronicled in her autobiography last year, and through her successes at Cheyney, Iowa and with the Scarlet Knights, here are the first of several recollections of those who knew her best.

  In this post, Stringer's classmate Barb Yenchik, who was also a teammate at Slippery Rock College in Western Pennsylvania, recalls their first meeting back in 1966. She also will be part of a delegation from there making the trip to Massachusetts that includes Dr. Anne Griffiths, who was Stringer's basketball coach and remains a friend and mentor to this day; Pat Zimmerman, who was Stringer's field hockey coach, and Linda Argall, who was another classmate.

   The Guru is hoping to speak with Griffiths on Tuesday and provide the interview in the next post when the nightly WNBA playoff tracker continues. There were no games played Monday night in the final week of the regular season.

Meanwhile at the bottom, the Guru has a few words of rememberance from a recent Rutgers star who is now playing in the WNBA.

The Guru now gives the space over to Barb:

 "We came to Slippery Rock just days from our high school graduation, and lived in Harner Hall but on
opposite wings.

"We did not have any classes together. I did not know her.

"Most classes were over by noon and every day I would head over to the field
house to shoot hoops.

"I played basketball in high school and it was my first love in sports.

"This is my earliest remembrance of her:

"The field house was mostly empty and I saw her on the court, shooting baskets.

"It was easy to see she was a very gifted athlete.

"Most girls during that period in time shot set shots. She was shooting a true jump shot

"She was alone so I went over and introduced myself. She said her name was Vivian but all her friends from home called called her V I.

"As we just shot around, we talked about our high school days, families, and would we be good enough to make the basketball team when tryouts began.

"We would play shooting games like H-0-R-S-E and go one on one games. I don't remember winning many of those as I was not much of a challenge for her.

"Some days we went to the pool as we both had an Aquatics class. I was the better swimmer and she was a beginner so we spent alot of time working on her skills.

 "After a good workout, we would head to lunch together and back to the dorm.

"We hung out in her room and became best friends. We were just kids, sharing life experiences on own for the first time, sometimes homesick, talking about our dreams, seeing college life with eyes wide open, sharing worries about grades and our profs.

"Going to the field house every day, she attracted more attention from the guys and the pickup games became more competitive for her. She gained their respect because she could play at their level."

               Recalling The Strength

  WASHINGTON - Down here last week the Guru chatted briefly with former Rutgers star Matee Ajavon of the WNBA Washington Mystics,  asking her what her first impressions of Stringer were the first time she was in her presence.

Ajavon was a key player on the 2007 team that rebounded at midseason to advance to the NCAA title game and a year ago was drafted in the first round by the former Houston Comets. The Mystics selected her in the dispersal draft last winter after the Comets disbanded.

Asked about the first time Ajavon met Stringer, she recalled, "“The first time I think, I was able to meet her was because my high school coach was a season-ticket holder at Rutgers and she took us to a game, and I just enjoyed the way the Rutgers team played.

"After the game, I had the opportunity to meet her and that was the first time," Ajavon said.

"What impressed me most about her was her toughness. Everyone knows the things she’s been through and how strong of a woman she is. Of course I look up to her in that manner," Ajavon added.

And as s a coach, she’s just a remarkable coach. I think we were able to turn things around two years ago because we knew we were a good team and we wanted to show that we were and especially do it for our coaches."

-- Mel 

(Guru's note: This holds until very late Tuesday night since no games will be played Monday. The Guru will use the Labor Day break to bring the first set of memories for Rutgers' coach C. Vivian Stringer's road to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, which will begin in Springfield, Mass., later this week.)

By Mel Greenberg

Those WNBA regular-season losses in games at mid-summer that seem like just another night at the time and on to the next game have a way of coming back to haunt when races for playoff spots come down to the final days in early September.

By the time the usually playoff-berth reliable Connecticut Sun takes the floor Friday night in Atlanta, the coaching staff might be caught in a mode of getting the best draft pick  having more meaning than the final two games on the schedule.

And one reason, if the scenario occurs,  will be all those franchise record number of overtime games that turned into losses.

The Sun are alive at the moment for the postseason but are in a very narrow place because of the Eastern gridlock

When the final day of the regular season dawns on Sunday, Connecticut may be in position to do more for former UConn star Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury then it can do for itself when the Sun hosts Indiana.

But first a look back at this past Sunday night's two result.

The fantasy posted here 24 hours earlier of a potential five-way 17-17 tie for second place in the East succumbed quickly.

The defending champion Detroit Shock, continuing its hot pace, dispatched Chicago, 84-75, to go over .500 for the first time this season at 16-15 and continue to solidify a shot at returning to the postseason.

Indiana righted its ship, doing damage to the Washington Mystics, 72-61, to stay in the race with Phoenix for overall best record and home court advantage if the Fever and Mercury advance to the WNBA best-of-five championship series.

Meanwhile, because of the many ways Connecticut loses out on tie-breakers, here are the dynamics for watching the scoreboard until the Sun plays again.

First, it is essential that Connecticut win both the Atlanta and Indiana games to finish 17-17.

Although the Sun has a tie-break with Detroit, it may be better to cheer for the Shock to offer some help than lcheering for them to lose their final three games which would put the Shock behind Connecticut in the standings.

A Shock win over Chicago means the Sky, which owns the season tie-break with the Sun, could finish behind Connecticut, although Indiana could also deliver that 18th loss to the Windy City crew.

A Washington loss to Atlanta gets the Mystics out of the way. The Dream, on the other hand, falling back to 17-17 theoretically could result in a tie for fourth with Connecticut. It is unclear at the moment without some extra math work to figure out who owns the third tie-break between the two in terms of record against teams of .500 or better, because it could come to that.

So that is where it stands for the group in Casino-land. Jumping ahead of the line-item schedule at the bottom the Guru has been running, here are the key games in the final week, although everything is essential to the playoff hopefuls.

Tues: San Antonio at Los Angeles. Visiting Silver Stars catch Sparks in the standings with a win while Sparks with a win help guarantee an extension to Lisa Leslie's final days in the WNBA.

Wed: Detroit at Minnesota.The visiting Shock get quite close to the postseason with a win while the Lynx stays alive in the West. Minnesota, incidentally, loses out to San Antonio in a tie-break.

Thurs: New York at Detroit -- Shock win could definitely clinch a berth.

          Indiana at Chicago -- Fever need win in best overall record hunt while host Sky must win to stay alive.

         San Antonio at Sacramento -- Silver Stars needs the win over the host Monarchs, who with each loss moves closer to worst-over record and best shot at the No. 1 draft pick.

       Phoenix at Seattle: Visiting Mercury, with West top spot locked up, looking for best overall record.

Fri: Connecticut at Atlanta. Both sides are in a must-win situation.Host dream could clinch a spot with a win.

      Minnesota at Los Angeles. Visiting Lynx definitely need the win if not already eliminated. And if not, Sparks will have to produce a "W" before things get desperate.

Sat: Atlanta at Washington. Definitely a must-win for the Mystics and might also be that way for Atlanta.

  Seattle at San Antonio: Could be academic or the host Silver Stars will be in a must-win situation.

  Detroit at Chicago: Could be meaningless in terms of a playoff spot. Host Sky at this hour would definitely need the win, which Detroit would be in a must win scenario if the Shock lose their two previous games.

Sun: Los Angeles at Phoenix:  Visiting Sparks may need it for berth or placement, while the host Mercury are motivated by the overall record hunt.

      Washngton at New York: Mystics may need it or could be already eliminated while a host Liberty loss could mean worst overall record, depending on Sacramento's finish.

      Minnesota at Sacramento: Could be meaningless or visiting Lynx needful to grab a last-minute berth. Monarchs are in a ping-pong mode.

         Others' Best-Case Needs

     After discussing Connecticut, here is what the other teams in the hunt have on their wish list.

    The East

   Washington: The Mystics need to win its two games over Atlanta and New York and hope Atlanta loses to Connecticut, which might result in a move to tie-breaker No. 3 in a comparison with Atlanta. On the other hand, a Connecticut loss to Atlanta and Chicago's next loss also gets the job done.

  Atlanta: A Dream win Friday night probably means a berth and definitely means one if extending to a win in Washington the next night for a sweep.

  Detroit: The Shock are knocking on the door and wins over Minnesota and New York will do the job.

Chicago: Must win everything because, while maybe it's still on the radar, it does not appear there will be 16-18 records tied for fourth leading to a spot for someone.

The West

San Antonio: Winning takes care of business, but if the Silver Stars slip at Los Angeles, they could still get to a worst-case win over Seattle and win over Sacramento that might give them the upper hand in a tie-break with Minnesota.

Los Angeles: a win over San Antonio does trick perhaps if Minnesota takes a loss. There is a head-to-head with the Lynx on Friday night that could settle the issue if it is still unresolved.

Minnesota: Must win all agaist Detroit, Los Angeles and Sacramento.

          Indiana-Phoenix Battle For Best Overall Record

   This one is pretty simple. If Indiana and Phoenix, which split their season series to eliminate tie-breaker No. 1, finish with identical won-loss records, Phoenix will prevail if the Guru is reading the tie-breaker system correctly.

Indiana's record against the West is 5-7 while Phoenix is 10-4 against the East. And while the makeup of divisions gave the Mercury more games out of conference than Indiana, subtract two wins and Phoenix still prevails.

   The Nightly Team-Level Forecaster

  Eastern Group:

Atlanta: Road (1): at Washington - Sept. 12.

Home (1) Connecticut- Sept. 11.

Washington: Road (1) at New York - Sept. 13.

Home (1) Atlanta - Sept. 12.

Chicago: Road (0) 

Home (2) Indiana - Sept. 10; Detroit - Sept. 12.

Connecticut: Road (1) at Atlanta, Sept. 11.

Home (1) Indiana - Sept. 13.

Detroit: Road (2) at Minnesota - Sept. 9; at Chicago - Sept. 12

Home (1)  New York - Sept. 10.

Summary:

Since all the discussion has occurred, the Guru goes straight to the forecast.

Atlanta: (Anything goes): 2-0, 1-1, 0-2

Washington: 1-1 or 2-0 with the Atlanta game the tossup.

Chicago: 0-2 Gotta win both but heavy underdog.

Connecticut: 1-1 but not impossible to be 2-0, which may not be good enough depending on tie-breakers. The Sun could also drop to 0-2 and definitelly be out of the postseason for the first time since moving from Orlando.

Detroit: 3-0, but maybe 2-1.

Western Group (and remember we're talking about qualifying, not placement):

Minnesota: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 11; at Sacramento - Sept. 13.

Home: (1) Detroit - Sept. 9.

San Antonio: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 8; at Sacramento - Sept. 10.

Home (1) Seattle - Sept. 12.

Los Angeles: Road (1) at Phoenix, Sept. 13.

Home (2) San Antonio, Sept. 8; Minnesota, Sept. 11

Summary:

Again, straight to the forecast.

Minnesota: 1-2. Not impossible to go 2-1 but 3-0 would be ideal for the Lynx.

San Antonio: 2-1 and not impossible to be 3-0. Could go the other, way, also though not likely.

Los Angeles: 2-1 but could be 3-0 or 1-2 and so much for our Kansas City colleague calling them collapse proof.

-- Mel

By Mel Greenberg

 The Guru interrupts the daily chronicle of the hunt for the WNBA playoff berths to present something really bizzare that probably couldn't happen but as daylight breaks through on the first of the final eight days of the WNBA regular season is mathematically alive.

Dispensing with the ongoing forecast of each team's finish, watch the result if the following occurs among those crazy teams in the East.

Atlanta loses to Washington and Connecticut for a final record of 17-17.

Detroit beats Minnesota and New York but loses both games to Chicago for a final record of 17-17.

Chicago sweeps Detroit but loses to Indiana for a final record of 17-17.

Washington beats Indiana and Atlanta but loses to New York for a final record of 17-17.

Connecticut beats Atlanta and Indiana for a final record of 17-17.

That's right, if all the preceding occurs, which will be alive for the moment, five East teams will finish tied for second at 17-17.

Perhaps the WNBA could then get a marketing with the Avis rental car people -- Remember the old marketing slogan? We're No. 2 but we try harder.

Some Clarity Prevails

With that lttile exercise out of the way, it's time to get back closer to reality where some of the fog over the playoff picture began to lift Saturday night.

We first go to Phoenix, where the Mercury clinched the West title outright and top spot in the West with a 100-82 win over the surprising Atlanta team as rookie DeWanna Bonner scored 20 points in the desert.

The Mercury now has a shot to pass the Eastern regular season champion Indiana Fever to finish with the overall best record. 

Now there is a perk for fans looking to mix some vacation time and finals in their October plans. If the Mercury wins the overall top seed, Phoenix starts on the road but returns home for one or two games in an enlongated finals schedule that makes it possible to breakaway for a quick trip to enjoy the rocks of Sedona or even a quick sneak peak at the Grand Canyon.

Meanwhile, also in the West down in the Alamo country where two oldtimers in Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie and San Antonio's Vicky Johnson -- two WNBA orginals -- matched up in the process of making their last stands, VJ showed she still had some juice tying a career-high with 27 points, shooting 11-of-14 as the Silver Stars beat the Sparks of Tinseltown, 89-72.

"It's second wind," San Antonio coach Dan Hughes joked about the effort of the former Louisiana Tech star.

Leslie finished with 21 points for Los Angeles, which could actually slide right out of the playoff picture after a late-season rally had made the Sparks look solid.

Los Angeles' final three games are against San Antonio, Minnesota and Phoenix, all of which have reasons to be motivated.

San Antonio's win also basically delivered a knockout to idle Sacramento's last hopes. However, the Monarchs do have an edge at the moment over New York, which was eliminated Friday night, for worst overall record, meaning more ping pong ball opportunities to land the rights to the No. 1 pick in the next draft.

Back up North in the West, Minnesota gave Seattle a second-straight setback, as the Lynx kept playoff hopes alive with a  76-68 win. The Storm, whose Lauren Jackson missed her fourth straight game with a stress fracture, has already locked up the No. 2 slot in the West, though the loss helped Phoenix claim the West crown.

Fueling Minnesota's win was Charde Houston's 22 points, showing one can eventually recover from the media abuse she earned from time to time at UConn when Geno Auriemma was not quite happy with her performance.

So all that said, let's bring up the slate, which is now a little shaky in terms of forecast ability.

 Eastern Group:

Atlanta: Road (1): at Washington - Sept. 12.

Home (1) Connecticut- Sept. 11.

Washington: Road (2) at Indiana - Sept. 6; at New York - Sept. 13.

Home (1) Atlanta - Sept. 12.

Chicago: Road (1) ar Detroit - Sept. 6.

Home (2) Indiana - Sept. 10; Detroit - Sept. 12.

Connecticut: Road (1) at Atlanta, Sept. 11.

Home (1) Indiana - Sept. 13.

Detroit: Road (2) at Minnesota - Sept. 9; at Chicago - Sept. 12

Home (2) Chicago - Sept. 6; New York - Sept. 10.

Summary: We'll, at the top the Guru said how  crazy things could really become. 

Here are best-case scenaio forecasts without regard to upsets. Wild card has become Indiana finishing out with Katie Douglas sidelined in terms of affecting other Eastern teams. Also, remember that while each is looked at as team's best hope, those that success will be costly to others' best hopes.

Atlanta: (Anything goes): 2-0, 1-1, 0-2

Washington: 1-2 or 2-1 but a win at Indiana Sunday would be big for many reasons. And the Mystics better win at New York next week.

Chicago: 0-3 but maybe 1-2 or longshot 2-1.

Connecticut: 1-1 but not impossible to be 2-0, which may not be good enough depending on tie-breakers. The Sun could also drop to 0-2 and definitelly be out of the postseason for the first time since moving from Orlando.

Detroit: 4-0, but maybe 3-1 although the Shock have been winning some by narrow margins.

Western Group (and remember we're talking about qualifying, not placement):

Minnesota: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 11; at Sacramento - Sept. 13.

Home: (1) Detroit - Sept. 9.

San Antonio: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 8; at Sacramento - Sept. 10.

Home (1) Seattle - Sept. 12.

Los Angeles: Road (1) at Phoenix, Sept. 13.

Home (2) San Antonio, Sept. 8; Minnesota, Sept. 11

Sacramento: Road (0)

Home (2) San Antonio - Sept. 10; Minnesota - Sept. 13.

Summary: The Guru is now forced to drop Los Angeles into this mix. Sacramento appears to be dead because the Monarchs can't pass or catch San Antonio. And for the Silver Stars to lose, Minnesota might have a win to also causes dismay in the California state capital..

Minnesota: 1-2 but stole one Saturday. Not impossible to go 2-1 but 3-0 would be ideal for the Lynx.

San Antonio: 2-1 got a big one but needs to keep going.

Los Angeles: 2-1 but could be 3-0 or 1-2 and so much for are Kansas City colleague calling them collapse proof.

Sacramento: 1-1 but, as said, must go 2-0 and that could be not enough. More likely, the Monarchs can begin planning travel to nearby Stanford or UConn this winter to start looking for prospects. Other plane tickets will come into play depending on the pick.

-- Mel

(Guru's note: This is the third of three blog posts for Saturday being separated due to unrelated content. It appears, though, the two right beneath this one posted in reverse order to what the precede says, but you get the idea.)

By Mel Greenberg

Well, it was quite the night Friday, in the logjam race for playoff spots that will end next weekend.

The Connecticut Sun saved themselves from a near-fatal fall but in the process dispatched the New York Liberty 88-85 in overtime to the draft lottery, which should result in a good  placement for either selection or trade value.

The Detroit Shock took a huge step, also in overtime, beating the Indiana Fever at home, 70-62, as the Fever have yet to clinch an outright East crown, though they own the top playoff seed in the conference. Their slide, however, could cost them overall home court advantage since they are now tied in the loss column with Phoenix.

The Atlanta Dream continued to make the all-time jump from rookie status (4-30 last year) to clinching a .500 record (17-14) with a 98-90 win at Sacramento that left the Monarchs hanging by a fingernail.

This is how it stands for the folks in an area once known for panning gold. If Minnesota drops out of the equation, Sacramento needs San Antonio to lose all four remaining games and the Monarchs must win their remaining two games including one next week with San Antonio. In that tie, the Monarchs would go at 3-1 over the Silver Stars on the season. They also need Minnesota lose all four remaining games, though the Guru will update this all after Saturday's games in terms of Sacramento.

And Chicago at home made a slight step forward while Washington stumbled backwards with the Sky winning in the Midwest, 91-86.

So let's go to the board.

Eastern Group:

Atlanta: Road (2): at Phoenix - Sept. 5; at Washington - Sept. 12.

Home (1) Connecticut- Sept. 11.

Washington: Road (2) at Indiana - Sept. 5; at New York - Sept. 13.

Home (1) Atlanta - Sept. 12.

Chicago: Road (1) ar Detroit - Sept. 6.

Home (2) Indiana - Sept. 10; Detroit - Sept. 12.

Connecticut: Road (1) at Atlanta, Sept. 11.

Home (1) Indiana - Sept. 13.

Detroit: Road (2) at Minnesota - Sept. 9; at Chicago - Sept. 12

Home (2) Chicago - Sept. 6; New York - Sept. 10.

New York: eliminated

Summary: Basically everyone must keep winning, although Detroit may have a margin of error.

Here are best-case scenaio forecasts without regard to upsets. Wild card has become Indiana finishing out with Katie Douglas sidelined in terms of affecting other Eastern teams. Also, remember that while each is looked at as team's best hope, those that success will be costly to others' best hopes.

Atlanta: 2-1 or 1-2. We'll update after Saturday to look at tie-break situation.

Washington: 1-2 or 2-1 but a win at Indiana Sunday would be big for many reasons. And the Mystics better win at New York next week.

Chicago: 0-3 but the Sky grabbed one on Friday against Washington. Nothing easy with Indiana plus a home-and-home with Detroit left.

Connecticut: lost a forecasted win and now could be either 2-1 or 1-2 with help needed. Being right behind a bunched ground of Washington, Detroit, and Chicago, the Sun may have to go 3-0 because Detroit does not appear likely to take a deep slide and Connecticut needs to minimize tie-breakers for the last spot.

Detroit: 3-1 picked up another steal and is in great shape. Could even go 4-0.

Western Group (and remember we're talking about qualifying, not placement):

Minnesota: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 11; at Sacramento - Sept. 13.

Home: (2) Seattle - Sept. 5; Detroit - Sept. 9.

San Antonio: Road (2) at Los Angeles - Sept. 8; at Sacramento - Sept. 10.

Home (2) Los Angeles - Sept. 5; Seattle - Sept. 12.

Sacramento: Road (0)

Home (2) San Antonio - Sept. 10; Minnesota - Sept. 13.

Summary: San Antonio must win Saturday in Los Angeles to get some breathing space. 

Minnesota: 1-3 but could lose all 4. The Lynx really needed to beat San Antonio.

San Antonio: 3-1 is not out of question but more likely 2-2 although nothing is a lock in projected wins.

Sacramento: 1-1 but, as said, must go 2-0.

-- Mel

(Guru's note: The first of three blogs for Saturday to separate content which do not relate to each other)

By Mel Greenberg

Defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Drexel released its women's schedule Thursday while the Guru was traveling. The biggest surprise is that the Dragons' announced slate is the first complete one in terms of dates among area schools. Of course, the other five D-1 area schools are at the mercy of the finishing touches of their respective conferences in the Atlantic 10, Big East and Ivy League.

Coach Denise Dillon had some dread of what lies ahead because her squad will  now be a top target, which is what happens when the only CAA member with a mascot breathing firepower actually begins to deliver heat.

Then again, Drexel's roster is led by the high-scoring senior Gabriella Marginean, the reigning CAA player of the year.

So that said, the Guru's hears you: "Cut to the chase. When do they play?"

The home-and-home games with CAA rival Delaware, featuring highly touted Blue Hens rookie Elena Delle Donne, will in Newark on Sunday, Jan. 17, and then at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on Sunday, Jan. 31.

Perhaps the two games can be built on a new theme reversing an old song , "Always on Sunday."

In fact, every Sunday appears to be a challenge once play gets under way.

Besides the Delaware matchups, there's much more like a visit to nationally-regarded Maryland, Sunday, Nov. 29 (see what the Guru means?), a visit from Penn State in the season opener Friday the 13 (lucky or unlucky), as well as game at Richmond, one of the top A-10 teams,  and a home game against La Salle and a visit to St. Joseph's in December.

Those that get confused between Penn State and Penn, don't. Right after the season opener, the Dragons head down the block to meet host the Quakers and new coach Mike McLaughlin on Sunday, Nov. 15. That's a game that has been played usually around the Christmas break in the past.

(Thanks to the alert reader who pointed out that the Penn-Drexel game is at the DAC, not the Palestra - J.T.)

Drexel will be in Villanova's holiday tournament Dec. 28-29, which means Dillon has a chance to go against her former coach Harry Perretta in public as opposed to those preseason private scrums under NCAA rules in recent seasons.

In the CAA world outside of the Delle Donne encounter , the Dragons get to the mean and nasty quick when James Madison opens the league slate here on Jan. 3. Drexel had to beat JMU on its court in March in the title game to advance to the NCAA tournament, which marked a first-ever win in Harrisonburg, Va., which, incidentally, where the CAA playoffs will be held again this season. Drexel can practice for that repeat experience when the Dragons return the home-and-home on Feb. 7.

The Duchesses are not the only CAA school targeting Drexel for revenge. There's Old Dominion, whose long postseason reign over the conference was ended by the Dragons in the semifinals, a first-ever loss for the Norfolk, Va., crew. The Dragons will visit ODU on Sun, Jan. 10. Speaking of the so-called day of rest, Virginia Commonwealth, the team the Dragons beat out in the regular season CAA, will visit here on Sunday, Nov. 24, while Drexel visits VCU on Feb. 14, yet another Sunday and Valentine's Day at that.

Here are the complete list of dates:

Fri. Nov, 13 vs. Penn State

Sun. Nov. 15 at vs. Penn

Fri. Nov. 20 at Richmond

Sun. Nov. 29 at Maryland

Wed. Dec. 2 vs. American

Sat. Dec. 5 vs. La Salle

Sun. Dec. 13 at St. Joseph's

Thu. Dec. 17 vs. Princeton

Mon. Dec. 21 vs. Bucknell

Mon-Tues. Dec. 28-29: Villanova tournament.

CAA Portion

Sun. Jan. 3 vs. James Madison

Thurs. Jan. 7 vs. William & Mary

Sun. Jan. 10 at Old Dominion

Sun. Jan. 14 at Hofstra

Sun. Jan. 17 at Delaware

Thurs. Jan. 21 vs. George Mason

Sun. 24  vs. Va. Commonwealth

Thurs. Jan. 28 at Northeastern

Sun. Jan. 31 vs. Delaware

Thurs. Feb. 4 at Towson

Sun. Feb. 7 at James Madison

Thurs. Feb. 11 vs. Northeastern

Sun. Feb. 14 at Va. Commonwealth

Thurs. Feb. 18 vs. Towson

Sun. Feb. 21 vs. Hofstra

Thurs. Feb. 25 at Georgia State

Sun Feb. 28 vs. N.C. Wilmington

Wed. Mar. 3 at William & Mary

Mar 10-13 CAA tournament at Harrisonburg, Va.

-- Mel