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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 16 Volume IV, Issue V June 15, 2001 Starzz Update Jen Beasley Student Reporter I called up a friend of mine a few days ago and asked her if she would like to come with me to the Utah Starzz game. Her response shocked me: “The who?” Wow. Here is a girl who is a big basketball fan, and she didn’t even know who the Starzz are. I decided to spread the word, because in this case, ignorance certainly isn’t bliss. The Starzz are Utah’s WNBA team, and are considered to be one of the most vibrant and dangerous clubs in the league. They have the most size of all the teams in the WNBA, due largely to their 7’ 2” center Margo Dydek from Poland. That’s right, she’s taller than Tim Duncan. Utah also has one of the biggest superstars in the league in Jennifer Azzi. Last season the Starzz missed the playoffs by only a few games, despite Azzi’s seventeen-game absence caused by an injury suffered in the preseason. With Azzi healthy this season, the Starzz are expected not only to make the playoffs, but to go deep into them. With their number eight draft pick this year, Utah acquired guard Marie Ferdinand who averaged 21 ppg and 51% from the field in her senior year. What should be a bigger factor however, is Ferdinand’s defense, as she averaged 4 steals per game throughout her illustrious college career. The big guns don’t stop there. Forward Natalie Williams is a native of Utah and won a gold medal with the USA Women’s Basketball Team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Margo Dydek also played in those Olympics, but for her motherland Poland. So what should you expect at a Starzz game? It’s pretty different from the NBA, but that doesn’t equate to bad. The WNBA plays a much more physical game than that of their brothers, and it is extremely common to see players getting knocked to the floor in scrambles for rebounds and loose balls. It’s similar to having a bunch of Allen Iversons on the court, except there’s more passing. All this physical play results in more foul calling, and I must say that the WNBA officials are typically very bad. Players can be mugged and get nothing, but if they’re breathed on wrong there’s a free throw . . . Come to think of it, that doesn’t seem so different from the NBA! What you won’t see is a lot of dunking. It’s not that a lot of these ladies can’t slam the ball when they want to; it’s just that they don’t. It happens, but not every fifth play like in the NBA. The WNBA, and the Starzz especially, have re-invented the mid-range jump shot and the three-pointer, creating a fast-paced, high-energy game that’s overall more exciting and a lot more pure than most men’s basketball. Think the speed of the Kings mixed with the deadliness of the Bucks. The size of the Spurs with the experience of the Jazz. Not too shabby, huh? So I say, give it a chance. The WNBA has been around for five years, and it would be a fair bet that the majority of you have never seen a game. Most of you will agree that neither league is better, they just have different styles of play and different rules. But for you folks who love roundball, a Starzz game will give you ten times the entertainment you pay for, and will probably have you coming back for more. 25% OFF Buy 3 Bagels Loaf of Bread 392-8801 Get 3 FREE Limit 2 loaves Expires 7/15/01 FIVE POINTS SHOPPING CENTER Expires 7/15/01 (Next to Key Bank and Harmons) WE IMPORT CARS $10OFF Complete Brake Service Most Vehicles. Mag wheels might be slightly higher. Not valid with any other special. Participating stores only. Expires 7/15/01 SH $24.95 $56.95 DOMESTIC CARS P155/80R-13 P165/80R-13 P175/80R-13 P185/75R-14 P195/75R-14 P205/75R-14 P205/75R-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Participating stores only. Expires 6/15/01 BRAND TIRES Expires 7/15/01 No Carry Outs. Pricing Exludes Mount and Balance. Ogden Valley Communities Plan Clean-up and Work Day An Ogden Valley Community Service Day has been scheduled for Saturday, June 13. Eden, Huntsville, and Liberty all have projects planned, giving Valley residents an opportunity to pitch in, and “clean-up the town.” Individuals and families are encouraged to participate. Huntsville Town has identified many projects that need to be accomplished throughout the community, including within Huntsville Park. Volunteers are needed. Please meet at the park at 8:00 a.m. Dress in work clothes, and bring work gloves along with you. In conjunction with the service day, there will also be a great community party later that evening at 7:00 p.m. in the Huntsville Park. The town will provide hot dogs and hamburgers, and families are invited to bring a favorite side dish. For more information, contact LuDean Robson at 745-3348. Also on June 23, Liberty residents are asked to gather at the Liberty Park at 7:00 a.m. Wear work clothes, and bring shovels and crowbars. For more information, contact Dale Carter at 745-2819. Eden residents are asked to meet at the Eden Park bowery at 7:00 a.m. on June 23. Volunteers are needed to clean-up the park, and provide community service on local Forest Service projects. Volunteers are, again, being asked to wear appropriate clothing, including gloves. If available, please bring weed eaters, shovels, rakes, and other implements. Juice, milk, and muffins will be provided for volunteers. For more information, contact Shanna Francis. The Eden Park arena is also in need of being disked. If anyone has access to a tractor with a disk attachment, please contact Linda Gillespie at 745-6807. County orange garbage bags are also available for local clean-up projects. If you are interested in a project picking up litter on the roadsides, contact Dale Carter at 7452819. EVERGREEN YARD CARE Weekly Mowing, Edging, Trimming, Fertilizing, etc. FREE ESTIMATES Call 644-5831 or 612-9513 |