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Show TheSaltLake Tribune SPORTS Saturday, When Starzz Try to Annoy A Team, They PaintIt Black THESA KE TI Agassi Has Good Reasonto Kiss the Sky BY STEVE WILSTEIN THE her, I knew I couldn't bringa rebound down. I had to keep the BY LYA WODRASKA NE The Utah Starzz love having Debbie Black on their team, be- cause theyneverwill haveto play against her in a game. Facing her in practice is bad enough. Black, Utah's second-round draft pick, has made a career of being the most irritating player on the basketball court. She's listed generouslyat 5-foot-3, but her lack of height doesn't matter, because she’s everywhereat once. Utah fansgettheir first look at Black and the 1999 squadtonight (7 p.m.) when the Starzz entertain the Washington Mystics in an ex- hibition gameat the Delta Center. Washington is led by Olympian Nikki McCray and first-round pick Chamique Holdsclaw Holdselaw can expectan inter- esting response after saying she prayed she didn’t go to Utah in the draft. Black surelywill become a fan favorite with her hustling style at point guard. Her first Utah fan was Starzz Coach Frank Layden, who knew he wanted heronhis team when hespied her at the pre-draft camp. “She gives you the feeling she loves to play the game,” Layden said. ‘She goes for every loose ball, every rebound, with such great effort.” Black celebrated her draft se- lection by talking her brothers season in the ABL. Ratherthansit on the sidelines, Black had her back numbed with eight shots besive Player of the Year award and wasselected to the All-Star team. She repeated as an All-Starlast year, leading the ABLin steals and ranking second in assists. “I dive on concrete or on the floor: nothing seems to hurt me,” Black said. “I’m small, so 1 have to use my aggressiveness as a weapon.’ Black's favorite moment in a game is when she sees her opponent start to cave in or get frustrated. In a recent scrimmage against a men’s team, Black exasperated the point guard so much he almost swunghis elbowat her, stopping himself as he probably realized that taking out the Starzz’s point guard wasn’t a good to the post players, Black crouch- es low, springing into their faces andtrying to snatch the ball away. 's the only to describe her,” said Utah’s Natalie Williams, who played against Black in the ABL. “She bothers everyone on: the court when you're playingagainst her. Whenever I played against Steve C. Wilson’The Associated Press Utah Starzz rookie guard Debbie Black makes up for her lackofsize with lots of hustle. sports magazinelisted her as 6-3 The mistake prompted a team from Australia to call her. Luck- ily, the Tasmanian Islanders also needed a point guard Black talked the team into flying her to Australia for a workout She played with the Islanders for eight years, guiding them to the Australian National Championship game for two years before The youngest of four children, she said. “Now, we're very close and weall had this high energy No one can handle being in the room with all of us together.” Her first introduction into sports was in soccer at age 7. Al- though she didn’t pursue the sport, Black credits it for helping her basketballskills. Black lettered in field hockey, basketball and softball at St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia. She still is the school’sall-time career leader for assists and steals. However, she thought her playing days were overafter she graduated, until a bounces andnet cords have gone his way with uncanny regularity will resume today before women’sfinal between No. 1M tina Hingis andfive-time chan onSteffi Graf. Whoever wins the Agas Hrbaty matchwill find an op nent on Sunday whocan't beli his own goodluck. At No.100, lowest-ranked French finalis! the open era, Medvedevbeat B zil’s Fernando Meligeni 7-5, : 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) to reach the f Grand Slam final of his rol As they prepared to duel for the fourth set, Agassi looked up at the milky sky, squinting through thelight, persistent rain. That was his best hope, perhaps the only thing that could break Hrbaty’s momentum. coaster career. “It's a minor miracle,” Med devsaid, referring to his ser dipitous trip the past two wee “On the other hand, it doesn’t from the sky. You have to w for it. You have to wait for Like a prayer answered, the ter time for that downpour. rain came down harderand hard- Agassi made his own fortune in the first two sets, playing his best er as Hrbaty took a 2-1 lead on serve in the fourth set. Agassi signaled to the umpire that he'd had enough, and began packing up. and mostintensetennisso far. to take them both, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). He led the third set 3-2 when Hrbaty began cracking a steady stream of winners, Suddenly. Agassi ap- peared vulnerable, and Hrbaty. a fearless Slovakian, swept the rest of theset to win it 6-3. the Southern National Champion- ship in 1995 Nowoneof the game's estab- When you get an opportun you've gotto take it.” Medvedev, a 25-year-old Uk nian who was ranked No. 4 1994 beforea fastlifestyle and Hrbaty looked asif he wanted to juries took their toll, strugg puddle if he could, but Agassi got through cramps and dizziness the last twosets. go on all evening, play in a mud his way ~All] thoughtwastofight lik dog, and that’s what I did,” M vedevsaid. It was the first rain-postponed match of the tournament, and it Quick. lished veterans, Black hopes to reminding Black of the Islanders, who were 0-24 before she joined see them start to break. 5 vhen I know I have them. It's aneat thing to watch, and then the kindest of draws. and where FRENCH OPEN PARIS — Resals Fray from the $10.6 malas Preach Opes nm cham at sade Roland Garror ‘Mea Sages Seaifinais Andre Medvedes. Ukraane. def Fernando Mebigen: Braz 7 536647888) Women Desbies Sraifcals Marina Hings Switerand, and Anna Kournikova (2, Russa et Alesandra Pus and Nathabe Taunt (4), Prance. 6.3.3.6 6. 4 Mixed Doubles Katanma Sebo Slovenia and Pet Nora South Africa 4c Lansa Nedand. Lata, and Rick Leach (6 (ail 63.36.63 winningit in 1991. They also won help the Starzz turn around. The Starzz are 15-43 over two years, says with a twisted grin. “You can In a tournament where the 29- year-old Agassi wasblessed with he couldn't have asked for a bet “I love getting into a game and wearing out an opponent,’ Black Black learned her competitive spirit from twoolderbrothers. ‘They beat meupall the time,” point guards, jabbing at the ball and bodying up. Oncethe ball gets in the final idea. Black just laughed, then turned up the pressure have to do something with it.” In the offseason, that means running 10 miles a day, in addition to weight workouts. Once the seasonstarts. Black uses all her games before rain rescued him Friday. preserving a two sets-toone lead over young Dominik Hrbaty, while Andrei Medvedev waited to see who would face him fracturing three ribs in her first take advantageof.” energy to torment her opponents She's constantly working the Agassilost six of the last seven Even playing so aggressively. Black has suffered only oneseri- ousinjuryin her 10-yearcareer, fore each game. She played well enough to earn the ABL Defen- ASSOCIATED PRESS PARIS — Andre Agassi gazed skyward and the heavens obeyed his command in a moment of peril at the French Open. ball over my head. because if I didn't. she'd get it.” into playing a pickup game. “T have to be active.” she said “T havea lot of high energy. so I June 5, 1999 the team. “Having the ABLfoldin midseason was like a death in the Borrow the checkhook. family,” Black said. “It was hard, and feel like I'm starting all over again here. This is going to be a challenge and we're going to have to work hard.” No one will work harder than Black Starzz Notes: Black, Dena Head. Wendy Palmer, Adrienne Goodson and Williams will start for the Starzz tonight as Layden solidifies his starting lineup. New mother ‘Olympia Scott-Richard- son will dress, but isn’t expected to play. Palmer practiced Friday after missing the last two days with a cold. 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