Chanel Mokango Premieres in Los Angeles

Last night, Chanel Mokango took the court during Phoenix's visit to Los Angeles. With Phoenix up 67-64 in the third quarter and 1:01 left, Mokango replaced Noelle Quinn on the floor while Delisha Milton-Jones was taking a couple of free throw shots. Milton-Jones hit the first, and missed the second. Both teams attempted a couple of shots, with Brook Smith sinking a 3-pointer for Phoenix, giving Mokango a raw plus/minus of -3.

Mokango's box score line was a "billion" - a number of minutes played followed by a row of zeroes.

However, Mokango had one accomplishment. By earning a brief amount of time on a WNBA court, Mokango allows Molly Creamer to retain her record of being the highest-ranked player never to appear in a WNBA regular season game.

(The above picture is Mokango at the game. You can see some great full-sized pictures over at the They're Playing Basketball blog. Go check it out!)

Linkfest 2010

Planting the seeds of victory?

All kinds of links to talk about.

First, the picture above of Iziane Castro Marques gardening comes from the Atlanta Dream Facebook page. Click the link and catch some pics of the Dream helping out the Atlanta community.

Next, the battle for the MVP might have taken place Tuesday night and the WNBA agrees. Angel McCoughtry and Lauren Jackson were just named Chasing the Title has an interesting post about the value of the various lineups. The most effective lineup during Seattle's game was that of K. Miller-Price-McCoughtry-Leuchanka-Bales. One of those names might spread terror to an opposing team, but probably not more than one.

Q McCall at Swish Appeal finds out why Marynell Meadors cut their first round draft pick in 2010, Chanel Mokango, before the season started:

I think her chances are really good in this league. I think she needs to get some experience and the only reason I cut her is because Allison Bales beat her out. But it was simply because she did not have any experience and she’s only been playing since she was 15 so she’s very young in her game but she’s gonna be pretty good.

Jayda Evans at the Seattle Times has a game thread of Storm-Dream.

Alexis Hornbuckle of the Tulsa Shock was suspended for two games for a DUI that took place last year in Detroit. How come it took so long for anyone to find out?

A brand new jersey sponsorship: the New York Liberty jerseys will be sponsored by the Foxwoods Resort Casino...a casino in Connecticut.

Each of the above links deserves a full post, but neither will get one, at least not right now.

T. Fitz Johnson of the Atlanta Beat and Kathy Betty of the Atlanta Dream form an ownership brain trust.


Finally, Jonathan Landrum Jr. of the Associated Press writes about the Dream's change from chumps to champs. Check it out.

Chanel Mokango Signed by Sparks

Chanel Mokango, the Atlanta Dream's #1 Draft pick in 2010, has been signed by the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks cut Tiffany Stansbury and signed Mokango the same day.

It seemed as if Mokango would never play in the WNBA. Mokango, as the #9 overall draftpick in 2010, would have been the highest ranking draft pick never to play in the WNBA. She still hasn't played yet, but if Mokango steps onto a WNBA court then Molly Creamer's record will remain safe.

Dream Roster Finalized - Holdsclaw In, Mokango Out

The Dream were coming down to the wire - at 3 pm ET today, the Atlanta Dream would have to finalize its roster. Marynell Meadors made her list, checked it twice, and sent it in to the league office.

Here are the members of the Atlanta Dream as of this writing:

#0 - Brittainey Raven, guard. Raven most likely will be playing small forward, replacing Chamique Holdsclaw in camp. Raven was a third-round draft pick for the Dream in the 2010 WNBA Draft. She spent her senior year from the University of Texas. Raven will be the fifth youngest player on a roster in the WNBA this season, at 21.79 metric years.

#1 - Chamique Holdsclaw, forward. Holdsclaw did not appear in training camp, requesting a trade three days before camp started. It appears that Chamique Holdsclaw will remain on the Dream's roster until she's either suspended/released or until another team acquires her.

#2 - Kelly Miller, guard. The identical twin sister of Coco Miller. Kelly Miller played for the Minnesota Lynx last year and was acquired as a free agent. This will be Kelly Miller's first season with the Dream and the first time that both Kelly Miller and Coco Miller have played on the same WNBA team.

#5 - Shalee Lehning, guard. This is Lehning's second year with the Dream and her second year in the WNBA.

#8 - Iziane Castro Marques, forward-guard. This is Iziane's third year with the Dream.

#9 - Coco Miller, guard. The identical twin sister of Kelly Miler. This is Coco Miller's second season with the Dream.

#14 - Erika de Souza, center. This is Erika's third year with the Dream. She and Iziane are both native Brazilians. Furthermore, they are the only active Brazilian players in the WNBA.

#20 - Sancho Lyttle, forward. Lyttle was acquired through the Houston Comets dispersal draft and played with the Dream during the 2009 season, her first in Atlanta.

#22 - Armintie Price, guard-forward. Price was acquired in a mid-season trade with the Chicago Sky in 2009. This will be the first time that Price has been on the Dream's opening day roster.

#33 - Alison Bales, center. Bales came back to Dream training camp after an extended absence. She played the back half of the 2008 season and was there when the Dream won its very first game. She was let go in 2009 and hooked up with Phoenix, but was cut during training camp. She started taking med school classes at Wright State but was hoping to be picked up by some WNBA team, and without Leuchanka in camp the Dream needed another post. I suspect that Bales will depart when Yelena Leuchanka arrives next week.

At 6'7", Bales is the tallest woman currently on a WNBA roster.

#35 - Angel McCoughtry, forward. McCoughtry was the #1 pick in the WNBA Draft in 2009. She was the WNBA's Rookie of the Year that same year. This is McCoughtry's second year with the Dream.

Team captains have not been named.

What's more interesting is who isn't on the roster. Next week Yelena Leuchanka, a center from Belarus who attended West Virginia, will arrive in Atlanta. Someone up on that above list will probably be booted, so don't laminate your roster just yet.

The most surprising news...today...is that Chanel Mokango did not make the roster - she failed to make the team. Mokango was the team's first round draft pick and the #9 overall pick in the WNBA Draft. If this is the end of Chanel Mokango's career, then Mokango will become the highest-drafted player never to make a WNBA team. The record was formerly held by Molly Creamer, drafted #10 overall by the New York Liberty in 2003. If Mokango catches on with a team, the record will revert back to Creamer.

Despite the fact that the Dream have the highest ranking person in the 2010 Draft that didn't make the team, they have the lowest ranking pick in the 2010 Draft that did make the team. Brittainey Raven was the #33 pick, and when Holdsclaw failed to show up for camp, Raven was asked to play Holdsclaw's position. Raven apparently managed well enough to earn herself a spot. Raven must be the Hardest Working Player in Show Business, and I'm sure that she must be walking on air right now.

As for former Dream players, it looks like both Ivory Latta and Jennifer Lacy were cut by Tulsa and Washington respectively. With both players having at least three years in the WNBA and not catching on with a tame this season, it's likely that we won't see either of them on a WNBA team until 2011...if ever again.

Tomorrow, the Dream's ten players (Holdsclaw ain't coming) will travel to San Antonio to take on the Silver Stars in their first regular season game. But don't worry - on Sunday the Dream return to Atlanta for their home opener at Philips Arena. More on that later.

McCoughtry's Complaint: "No Cream Cheese"

Angel McCoughtry, Shalee Lehning, Brittainey Raven and Chanel Mokango all make appearances in the latest Atlanta Dream video. McCoughtry speaks about taking a leadership role and whipping the rookies into shape, while Lehning plays good cop to McCoughtry's tough cop.

The video link is right here.

The 2010 Atlanta Dream motto: "No cream cheese!"

AJC Article About Chanel Mokango

Pierce W. Huff over at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution speaks with #1 Draft Pick Chanel Mokango:

Mokango led Mississippi State with an average of 7.2 rebounds per game and was third in scoring at 10.8 points per game. She had 174 blocks in 31 games.

The key word to describe Mokango’s game now is “potential.” She thinks she will improve in her shot-blocking and shot-making abilities.

“My basketball is only going to get better,” she said.

Meadors also loved Mokango’s potential.

“I think we filled a tremendous need at that post position,” Meadors said. “I think her upside is just out of sight.”

In addition, we learn about Brigitte Ardossi of Georgia Tech's Draft Day activities:

Ardossi, a 6-2 post player who was selected all-ACC this season, averaged 15.8 points and shot 48.6 percent from the field for the Yellow Jackets.

“She has so much fire and passion for playing the game, and that’s what the Atlanta Dream is all about,” Meadors said. “Not only that, but she’s very talented. She’s got great footwork. She’s got a face-up jump shot, and she does a lot of really good things.”

Ardossi said she was eating cheeseburgers and watching the draft with her teammates when her name was called.

“The whole table got up and started cheering,” she said.

Wow. I guess the WNBA doesn't call you when they're drafting you.

Dream Pick up Mokango, Ardossi and Raven in 2010 WNBA Draft

Mokango's moment in the sun.

The 2010 WNBA Draft is in the history books, and the newest prospective members of the Dream have been chosen. Let's introduce them.

First Round, 9th Pick: Chanel Mokango, Mississippi State.

“Chanel had a terrific year and her upside is just out of sight,” said Dream General Manager and Head Coach Marynell Meadors. “She has only been playing basketball since she was 15. She is a shot blocker, a terrific defender and she runs the floor extremely well. She’s just going to continue to get better.”

Mokango, a native of Kinshasa, Congo, played two years for Mississippi State after beginning her collegiate career at Southeastern Illinois College. As a senior, Mokango led the Lady Bulldogs to a 21-13 record and the program’s first Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament. She averaged 10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the 2009-10 season. The two-time Southeastern Conference All-Defensive Team selection also set the Mississippi State record with 180 career blocked shots.

Only playing basketball since she was 15? Maybe Meadors thinks she's getting another Sancho Lyttle, who is also a play who picked up basketball later in life than most girls. Makongo scored a pitiful 84th on the Senior Prospects Metric - as a junior, she only had 190 rebounds and the SPM wasn't happy with her rebounding as a 6'5" forward. But as a senior, she picked up an extra thirty rebounds. She is an incredible shot blocker. She blocked 2.5 shots per game in her senior season...and 2.9 in her junior year. She finished 88th among all players from BCS teams in boxscore values.

It's going to be interesting to see if Chanel Mokango develops the way that Marynell Meadors thinks she will. It will certainly be interesting to watch her blossom, and hopefully she won't fade from the challenge of the WNBA.

Second round, 21st pick: Brigitte Ardossi, Georgia Tech.



The Dream selected Ardossi in the second round with the No. 21 overall pick. Ardossi, a 6-2 forward, was a four-year starter and appeared in all 130 games in her Georgia Tech career. The Melbourne, Australia native led the Yellow Jackets in points and rebounds during the 2009-10 season, posting career-high averages of 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. An Atlantic Coast Conference second team selection, Ardossi scored in double figures 29 times this season. She was part of a senior class that finished with four straight 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament bids. Ardossi was named the Georgia Women’s Basketball Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

“Brigitte has so much fire and passion for playing the game and that’s what the Atlanta Dream is about,” said Meadors. “She’s a really talented player and her versatility is a huge asset.”

I followed Brigitte Ardossi's career at Georgia Tech all year. Generally, everyone expected Alex Montgomery to carry the team this year, but when she couldn't, Brigitte Ardossi stepped up to the challenge. I didn't even have her listed on the Senior Prospects Metric.

However, in terms of Boxscore Values, Ardossi is 14th out of all BCS players, all classes concluded. She's seventh out of all seniors with 6.22 out of Georgia Tech's 23 wins. Georgia Tech's performances on the big stage - the post-season - have been somewhat lacking. The team made it to the semifinals of the ACC tournament and lost in the opening round of the tournament this year, upset by Arkansas-Little Rock.

Ardossi might be a steal. We remember the last player that Marynell Meadors got with a second round pick - Shalee Lehning. No one thought that Lehning would even start. Could Ardossi make it into the rotation? We'll find out.

Third round, 33rd pick: Brittainey Raven, Texas.



In the third round, the Dream added Raven with the No. 33 pick. Raven, a 6-0 guard from the University of Texas, was a three-time All-Big 12 second team honoree. Raven led the Longhorns in scoring, averaging 14.6 points as a senior. She also contributed 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

I didn't even have Raven listed on the SPM and in terms of Boxscore Values, Raven is 114th. Oddly enough, Raven is a shooting guard and not a point guard. I guess the message is that it's going to be either Lehning or Kelly Miller at the point.

In any event, welcome to the Dream! Hope to see you at training camp on April 25th!