Fast breaks

A look ahead to 2008-09 women's hoops

ESPN.com women's basketball analyst Charlie Creme came out with his pre-preseason Top 25 this week, and although TCU isn't ranked, several of its upcoming opponents are high on the list -- very high. The Lady Frogs will play four of Creme's top 13 teams before opening Mountain West Conference play next season, including the season opener at HOME against No. 2 Maryland. TCU also will play an ESPN2 game at No. 11 Texas A&M. The other two opponents are No. 7 California and No. 13 Oklahoma State, and both games will be played on the road. And oh, by the way, they'll do it without the five departing seniors whose names are all over the school record books. Coach Jeff Mittie has solid young talent and three skilled transfers to work with, but they'll have to come together quickly.

Other Big 12 teams ranked in the poll are No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 15 Texas and No. 19 Baylor. It's no surprise who Creme is picking to win it all -- Connecticut. He has national champion Tennessee falling to No. 8 after losing its entire starting lineup. Here's a look at the entire list.

-- Lori Dann

Lady Frogs' Ross not drafted

TCU Lady Frogs guard Adrianne Ross was not selected in the three-round WNBA draft today, but as TCU coach Jeff Mittie said in today's Star-Telegram, if she wasn't taken by the second round her best prospect was probably to sign as a free agent with a team that needed her specific skills.

Natasha Lacy, who transferred to play for the UT-El Paso Miners after three seasons with TCU, was drafted in the second round, 28th overall, by the Detroit Shock, and Texas A&M Aggies point guard A'Quonesia Franklin was drafted 38th overall by the Sacramento Monarchs.

-- Vince Langford

WNBA draft: Parker No. 1

The Los Angeles Sparks took Candace Parker of Tennessee as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft today. Sylvia Fowles of LSU went second to the Chicago Sky, and Candice Wiggins of Stanford was chosen third by the Minnesota Lynx. Follow the three-round draft. Morenike Atunrase of the Texas A&M Aggies was taken in the second round, 24th overall, by the Atlanta Dream.

Lady Vols' Parker OK'd to play

Tennessee All-American Candace Parker has been cleared by team doctors to play against LSU in the Final Four after dislocating her shoulder.

Lady Vols trainer Jenny Moshak said in a statement Thursday that Parker has good range of motion and strength. Parker will wear a shoulder brace when Tennessee faces LSU on Sunday.

Parker dislocated her shoulder twice during the Lady Vols win Tuesday over Texas A&M in the Oklahoma City Regional final. She returned to game and finished with 26 points.

-- The Associated Press

Finalists for the women's Wooden Award

Tennessee star Candace Parker and Connecticut freshman Maya Moore are among the five finalists for the women’s John R. Wooden Award, given to college basketball’s top player.

Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, LSU’s Sylvia Fowles and Stanford’s Candice Wiggins are the other finalists.

The men’s and women’s winners will be announced April 11 in Los Angeles. Tennessee’s Pat Summitt will receive the Legends of Coaching award.

UConn women are back in the Final Four

Connecticut’s Maya Moore struggled to get open all night against Rutgers’ smothering defense. Then, given a rare open look from long range, the fabulous freshman shot the Huskies back into the Final Four.

Moore hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than 3 minutes left to propel top-seeded UConn past the No. 2-seeded Scarlet Knights 66-56 on Tuesday night in the Greensboro Regional championship.

Renee Montgomery and Ketia Swanier each scored 15 points to lead the Huskies (36-1), who rallied from a 14-point deficit to win their 15th straight game and reach their ninth Final Four — but first since winning the 2004 national championship.

“I would say maybe it’s our turn,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Also, I think the price some of these kids have paid, the last four years and this year in particular, they were destined and due. They’ve risen to every challenge they’ve faced and I couldn’t be prouder.”

-- The Associated Press

Lady Vols defeat Aggies in regional final

Candace Parker, playing with a brace on her dislocated left shoulder, scored 26 points to lead Tennessee past the Texas A&M Aggies 53-45 in the final of the Oklahoma City Regional and into the women's Final Four.

A 3-point shot by Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle as the shot clock was winding down and as Tennessee appeared ready to turn the ball over gave the Lady Vols a 48-43 lead and proved to be a backbreaker for the Aggies.

Tennessee's Parker returns

Candace Parker returned to the bench with 14:19 remaining and checked back into the game at the 10:39 mark with the game tied at 36 after dislocating her left shoulder.

A two-time All-American, Parker hurt her right shoulder in Tennessee’s second round game against Purdue but she had not previously injured the left shoulder.

Texas A&M led 40-36 with 7:36 to play. A spot in the Final Four is at stake.

-- The Associated Press

Tennessee star leaves game vs. A&M

Candace Parker dislocated her left shoulder in the first half of Tennessee’s regional final against Texas A&M on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-4 All-American had just stolen the ball and was dribbling up court in transition when she curled to the side and stopped.

A team trainer met her on the court and escorted her to the locker room with 3:50 remaining in the first half. She returned to the bench a minute later and checked in at the first chance she got, but then clutched it again while trying to deflect a pass by Texas A&M’s La Toya Micheaux and went back to the locker room with 15.6 seconds left.

She was not with her team when it came out of the locker room after halftime, and team spokesman Debby Jennings said trainers were trying to restore strength to the shoulder.

Prior to the injury, she had scored Tennessee’s previous 16 points.

Tennessee led 29-27 at halftime and with 10:39 to play in the game, the score was tied 36-36.

-- The Associated Press

Wiggins, Stanford women beat Maryland

Candice Wiggins checked off the one accomplishment missing in her career at Stanford — getting the Cardinal back to the Final Four.

The three-time Pac-10 player of the year, Wiggins scored 41 points, and got some help from unlikely sources as the second-seeded Cardinal pulled away from No. 1-seed Maryland 98-87 on Monday night in the Spokane Regional final.

Playing with a swagger and confidence bred from Stanford being denied a No. 1 seed in the tournament, the Cardinal are back in the Final Four for the first time in 11 years. They will face either Connecticut or Rutgers in the national semifinals in Tampa.

“We knew coming in we were the underdogs,” Wiggins said through tears as her teammates jumped up-and-down on the NCAA logo as “All Right Now” was played by the Stanford band. “We stayed tough and did the things that got us here and we’re going to keep it going.

“It’s amazing. It’s the most incredible feeling.”

With a young supporting cast, Stanford took its cue from Wiggins, its senior star who failed in two previous regional finals as a freshman and sophomore. She bounced all over the court, providing problems for the Terrapins, whether hitting step-back 3-pointers or rising between defenders in the lane.

Maryland made one final charge. Toliver scored nine straight points to pull Maryland within single digits at 79-72 following a 3 with 6:19 to play. Wiggins answered with a 3 from the top of the arc moments later.

-- The Associated Press