Kara Lawson News

How about one game? That's all Alex Chambers ever asks of any his male counterparts who scoff at his dedication to watching the WNBA.

Who is the best female American basketball player? Right now, that is. Lauren Jackson is a two-time MVP of the WNBA and has long been the world's best female player.

Lauren Jackson scored 25 points Sunday and led Seattle to a victory over Sacramento for the second straight night 80-70. Jackson, a two-time WNBA MVP, had the Storm's first eight points as Seattle swept the home-and-home series to open the season.

Geography isn't the only thing that will make Courtney Paris' transition to the WNBA a little easier.

Fresh from leading unbeaten Connecticut to the NCAA championship, Geno Auriemma is set to become coach of the U.S. women's basketball team through the 2012 Olympics.

Whoever or wherever doesn't matter. If someone encounters Kara Lawson and starts a conversation, she knows what they'll be discussing.

Jayne Appel of Stanford and Tina Charles of Connecticut walked off the stage after Saturday's State Farm All-American ceremony arm in arm.

Job security is weakening around the country, and the WNBA is no different. The panic gripping so many workers nationwide has its hold on hundreds of blue-collar WNBA players.

Last week's bad economic news included fresh evidence that the Women's National Basketball Association is taking on water.

Her next game is Monday night at second-ranked Oklahoma. 35 :Seasons she has coached at Tennessee.

Back when Pat Summitt was 22 years old, driving the van to road games, doing the team laundry and guiding her Lady Vols in front of a few dozen fans, her ambition was just to make a career in coaching.

Amy Acuff Track and field The Isleton resident won the U.S. Indoor high jump title with a 6-foot, 3 1/2-inch effort.

BY MIKE STRANGE strangem@knoxnews.com Originally published 07:07 p.m., December 27, 2008 Updated 07:32 p.m., December 27, 2008 There were medals awarded in Beijing, nets cut down in Tampa and a No.

So it is that time of year again to rundown the Top 5 Local Sports Moments of 2008.

With not nearly enough fanfare, the best women's basketball franchise the game has ever seen has been put to bed. The Houston Comets, a four-time champion and one of the WNBA's original teams, essentially expired this week. You want to know how the crippled economy is affecting sports? The league shut down the team after it couldn't find a new owner for the Comets, who almost certainly were the most important franchise in the history of women's professional sports.

Artistically, the league and supporters of women's basketball will point to teams in San Antonio and Los Angeles and the arrival of talented young players such as Candace Parker and Candice Wiggins as evidence that the sport will keep on keeping on. But economically, one has to wonder about the future of the WNBA and whether the NBA will be the source of ongoing bailouts. The Houston Chronicle, in remembering the Comets earlier this week, editorialized, 'One wonders what is in store for the rest of the league if a franchise with the Comets' history -- in a huge market that has displayed as much interest in women's basketball as Houston did -- can't survive.'