Zykera Rice Invited to Seattle Storm Training Camp

[TerpZag]

Zykera Rice Invited to Seattle Storm Training Camp

Camp set for Sunday, May 5 in Seattle


SPOKANE, Wash. – Zykera Rice has been invited to participate in the 2019 Seattle Storm training camp Sunday, May 5 in Seattle. Rice becomes just the ninth player in program history to either be drafted or invited to a WNBA training camp.

Rice started the last 66 games at forward for the Bulldogs, finishing with 111 total appearances. The senior became the 23rd Zag in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points, and with 1,061 career points she ranks 20th all-time. This season, she led the Zags and ranked eighth in the West Coast Conference at 15.0 points per game, and she also led the Bulldogs and ranked 15th in the conference in rebounding with 5.8 per game. Rice also ranks fifth all-time in career field goal percentage at 50.6 percent. This season, she led the Bulldogs in points, rebounds and blocks with 26, and she ranked second in field goal percentage at 52.3.

"Zykera has developed into an extremely physical and effective player," head women's basketball coach Lisa Fortier said. "Her athleticism and explosiveness are among the nation's elite, and she has worked hard to develop a complete game. She has been tested versus the best teams in the country, and she has always found a way to score and rebound the ball. She joins a long list of former Zags to compete at the WNBA level, and I am really looking forward to watching her continue her career as a pro."

The Tacoma, Wash., native is a two-time All-WCC performer earning First Team All-WCC for the first time in her career this season. Rice was also tabbed WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention this season and is currently wrapping up her master's in organizational leadership after having earned her bachelor's in international relations a year ago.

"I feel amazing, and just blessed to have the opportunity to attend a camp back home on the west side," Rice said. "I used to go watch the Storm play when I was younger, so I feel like things are kind of coming full circle."

Rice joins former Zags Courtney Vandersloot, Vivian Frieson, Heather Bowman, Kayla Standish, Katelan Redmon, Haiden Palmer, Shelby Chelsek and Jill Barta on the list of Bulldogs that have either been drafted or invited to WNBA training camps.

The Storm are the reigning WNBA Champions and open the 2019 season with a preseason matchup against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash.

Gonzaga Article Link

[seacatfan]

Great opportunity for her to go to camp. Such an uphill battle making a roster, even for 2nd and 3rd round draft picks, let alone undrafted players. There was an article in the Seattle Times today, there is MAYBE one roster spot available with the Storm. They aren't expecting their first round pick to join the team until 2020.

[Zaglaw]

Really happy for Z! Go get em, girl.

[sittingon50]

Good Luck Z!!

[ZagDad84]

Great opportunity Zee.

A chance to spend a week or two practicing, playing and being coached by some of the best players and coaches in the world is a well earned bonus.

Adding some WNBA experience certainly adds a little luster to the resume.

Good Luck, we are cheering for you.

ZagDad

[CG3Dad]

Congrats!

She's there with our So cal native Jordin Canada!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ZagDad84]

From ESPNW:

WNBA MVP Stewart injured in EuroLeague game
3:21 PM PT
Mechelle Voepel
espnW.com

Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP, exited the EuroLeague Final Four championship game with an apparent foot injury on Sunday in Sopron, Hungary.
Stewart, playing for Dynamo Kursk, left in the first half and did not return to the game, a 91-67 loss to UMMC Ekaterinburg.

The 6-foot-4 Stewart came down in considerable pain as she went up for a jump shot, holding the back of her foot.

Stewart led Connecticut to four NCAA tournament titles and was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 WNBA draft. She was rookie of the year in 2016. Last year, she averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 blocked shots for the Storm in the regular season. Her scoring went up during the playoffs, when she averaged 24.6 points and was named WNBA Finals MVP.

UMMC Ekaterinburg and Dynamo Kursk, both based in Russia, will face each other in a three-game series for the Russian League championship starting April 20.

Article Link: http://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/...t-4-team-trade

Possible opportunity for Zee, not so much for Seattle. No idea how severe the injury is.

Courtney Vandersloot plays point guard for UMMC Ekaterinburg as a replacement point guard for Diana Taurasi who is not playing overseas this year.

In game 1 of the finals UMMC beat Dynamo Kursk 91-67. CV had 18 points, (7-10 overall and 1-1 from 3), 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals in 26 minutes. Game 2 of the finals is scheduled for April 20 and game 3 is scheduled for April 22, 2019.

ZagDad

[sylean]

all Zee needs is a foot in the door.....sorry for Stewart.....

[ZagDad84]

The Seattle Storm played their first pre-season game today in Phoenix against the Phoenix Mercury. The Storm came out on the short end of a final score of 87-84.

Zee got an opportunity to play just over 13 minutes and had a decent, but not dominating game. She played better than a couple of the forwards and not as good as some others. Here is a quick summary of each of the forwards and how they played in tonight's game.

Anriel Howard (SF) - Rookie - Starter - 19:20 mpg, 1-5 (FGM-A), 20% (FG%), 0-1 (3PM-A), 0-0 (FTM-A), 1 (RPG), 1 (APG), 1 (SPG), 0 (BPG), 0 (T/O), 2 (PTS)
Natasha Howard (PF) - 4th Yr - Starter - 22.08 mpg, 6-12 (FGM-A), 50% (FG%), 0-3 (3PM-A), 3-3 (FTM-A), 3 (RPG), 1 (APG), 2 (SPG), 1 (BPG), 1 (T/O), 15 (PTS)
Teana Muldrow (F) - Rookie - Reserve - 20.28 mpg, 2-2 (FGM-A), 100% (FG%), 0-0 (3PM-A), 1-1 (FTM-A), 2 (RPG), 1 (APG), 1 (SPG), 1 (BPG), 1 (T/O), 5 (PTS)
Courtney Paris (C/F) - 8th Yr - Reserve - 7.10 mpg, 1-2 (FGM-A), 50% (FG%), 0-0 (3PM-A), 0-0 (FTM-A), 1 (RPG), 1 (APG), 0 (SPG), 0 (BPG), 0 (T/O), 2 (PTS)
Zykera Rice (F) - Rookie - Reserve - 13.19 mpg, 1-3 (FGM-A), 33% (FG%), 0-0 (3PM-A), 0-0 (FTM-A), 3 (RPG), 1 (APG), 2 (SPG), 0 (BPG), 1 (T/O), 2 (PTS)

Other than Breanna Stewart who is out, I think all of the forwards played tonight. The Storm have a couple of players still playing overseas but I think they are both guards and Sue Bird (also a guard) did not play tonight. I think Zee outplayed the drafted Anriel Howard and Courtney Paris and was essentially equal to Teana Muldrow in only 2/3's of the minutes. Let's hope she gets a chance in the Storm's second pre-season game.

Great start Zee, you got this,

ZagDad

[sylean]

if she can hang with the team, and I don't know why she wouldn't because she's a superior talent and athlete, I am defiantly going to catch some of her games in Seattle.

[sylean]

I didn't see Zee listed on the box score from yesterdays game....anyone know why not?

[seacatfan]

I noticed that too sylean. Can't be a good sign. That was the last pre season game. It's always a long shot for rookies to make a team other than first round draft picks.

[ZagDad84]

According to the WNBA waiver wire, ZR was waived by Seattle, May 16, 2019.

Nice game Zee, you should have had a chance to play the 2nd pre-season game. Good luck in Europe or Australia if that is your choice.

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

From the Swishappeal, concerning the Seattle-Phoenix game. Look under the title for "Seattle’s cuts could be other teams’ big gains" for a mention of Zee:

5 things we learned from the Mercury-Storm preseason matchup
Phoenix picked up the 87-84 victory, but for two teams in similar positions — from missing a star player to having difficult cuts on the horizon — getting to play each other greatly benefited them both.
By Christine M. Hopkins@hoptine May 16, 2019, 8:00am EDT

Although the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm’s first meeting of the season came with both teams at much less than full strength, the payoff of a close game was still there, as the Mercury escaped with the 87-84 preseason victory.

With Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi the most notable absences of the evening, this matchup was a good opportunity to see how each of these top-tier teams is beginning to figure out how to play without their biggest stars. Several rookies shone on both sides as well, a bittersweet thing to see for two teams without much room for new players.

Here are our five main takeaways from last night’s contest:

Storm get first glimpse of life without Breanna Stewart
The two main areas of concern for the Storm with Stewart out for the year — areas where she led the team last season — are points and rebounds. So naturally, anyone looking to replace Stewart should be consistently proficient in those areas.

Last night, Crystal Langhorne and Mercedes Russell both made their cases for a starting job in the Storm’s frontcourt. Langhorne got the start at center and finished with seven points and seven rebounds. But it was Russell who stole the show off the bench, contributing 15 points as well as seven rebounds of her own.

That said, the starkest difference between Langhorne and Russell was experience, namely in personal fouls: While the veteran Langhorne didn’t pick up a foul in her 14 minutes of play, Russell’s 18 minutes saw her accrue four of them.

Both players will have an impact in the frontcourt this season, but no matter what, it’s going to be a tall order to try to do what Stewart could.

Likewise, the Mercury are still experimenting at Diana Taurasi’s position
Though Taurasi won’t be out for the entire season, finding a player to fill the hole she’ll leave in the backcourt is going to be a similarly difficult task for another elite team. The good news? Both options so far are familiar faces.

In Phoenix’s May 11 game against Los Angeles, Leilani Mitchell got the start at point guard, with Briann January starting alongside her. Last night, it was January who took the reins while Mitchell started on the bench. Both seasoned veterans, January was a starter for the Mercury last season, while Mitchell had the distinction of being the starting point guard during Taurasi’s 2015 absence.

As expanded upon below, Phoenix also needs another scorer with Taurasi out. Mitchell stayed consistent, scoring-wise, with seven points on Saturday and eight points last night. Meanwhile, January didn’t take a single shot from the field on Saturday and was held scoreless last night. Head coach Sandy Brondello will eventually need to decide which aspects of Taurasi’s game she needs most on the floor in the All-Star’s absence.

The Brittney Griner-DeWanna Bonner tandem still works
Last season, the Mercury were known for their deadly trio of scorers: Taurasi, Griner and Bonner. Taurasi remains out of the picture for another several weeks, but Griner and Bonner have maintained their scoring contributions.

With two players on each team hitting the 15-point mark last night, it should have been no surprise to see that Phoenix’s two top scorers were Griner and Bonner. It’s a good sign at this stage to see the team’s mainstays combining for big numbers, even if the two are still working up to their 37.8-point combined average from last season.

Seattle’s cuts could be other teams’ big gains
It’s widely accepted that the Storm will be the most difficult team for rookies to make this season, as the defending champions are returning 10 players from last year’s squad and acquired Shavonte Zellous from the Liberty. But with only six of those players in the game last night, the rookies got a chance to show their stuff — perhaps more so to other teams that might be interested in claiming them off waivers.

Receé Caldwell led the charge off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting and dishing four assists. Presley Hudson added nine points, all coming off three-pointers. Meanwhile, Teana Muldrow added five points and two rebounds, while Zykera Rice had two points, three rebounds and two steals.

No. 24 draft pick Anriel Howard had a tough debut, getting the starting nod but only managing two points in 19 minutes while racking up three personal fouls.

Stay hot, Alanna Smith and Sophie Cunningham
Smith’s first career outing on May 11 was an impressively well-rounded one: five points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocked shots. Last night, in about five fewer minutes, Smith scored 11 points while still getting on the board in every other category, adding four rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks.

Cunningham, on the other hand, stayed consistent in her scoring, with nine points last night compared to 10 in her debut. Like Smith, she found herself in the box score in four other areas, grabbing a rebound, an assist, a steal and a block. Importantly, though, in five fewer minutes, Cunningham lowered her foul total from Saturday from five to just one.

Although Phoenix doesn’t have much roster space themselves, both Smith and Cunningham are continuing to make a strong case to stay in the hunt for a spot on the team.

Link: https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/201...dewanna-bonner

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

To wrap this topic up:

In the power forward position, the Seattle Storm kept Anriel Howard (5'11"-2019 2nd round pick), Courtney Paris (6'4"-8th Yr - Reserve) and Natasha Howard (6'2"-4th Yr - Starter) over rookie Zee (6'1") and Teana Muldrow (6'1"-cut by the Storm last year).

Despite Zee significantly outplaying Paris and Anriel Howard and playing about even with Teana Muldrow (Zee better overall, Teana better scorer), immediately after the 1st preseason game, Zee was waived. Teana Muldrow made it to the 2nd preseason game, but despite playing significantly better than Anriel Howard and Paris, Muldrow was waived. . As expected, Natasha Howard was by far the best of the power forwards.

Here are the figures for Anriel Howard and Courtney Paris after the first five (5) regular season games:

Courtney Paris: Played in 3/5 games for a total of about 14 minutes (6.54 min was the most PT in any one game) resulting in 0 pts, 4 reb, 0 stl, 1 t/o, 1 b/s & 1 ast.
Anriel Howard: Played in 3/5 games for a total of about 18 minutes (10 min was the most PT in any one game) resulting in 5 pts (2-5), 2 reb, 1 stl, 2 t/o, 0 b/s & 0 ast.

I think that with her height (and size) Courtney Paris is more of a center than power forward, so you understand why she was kept as a back-up on the roster.

Today, Anriel Howard was waived by the Seattle Storm in lieu of a new point guard they brought in to help cover the loss of Sue Bird.

So the Storm did not bring in their first round selection, cut their 2nd and 3rd round selections this year, their 2nd round selection last year and all of the players they brought in on pre-season camp tryouts. The reality was exactly as it was written in the article in the Swish Appeal above.

It was going to be very difficult to make the roster of the Seattle Storm this year.

I wish they would have given Zee at least until the 2nd pre-season game, but it is what it is.

Good Luck Zee,

ZagDad