Tag Archives: Alison Bales

Duke Women’s Basketball All-Decade Teams

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While we’ve been busy compiling our own All-Decade teams, the Duke Athletics department has unveiled its own set of All-Decade teams, starting with women’s basketball.

The Duke Women’s Basketball program had a decade to remember in the 2000s, winning five consecutive ACC championships from 2000-2004 and six ACC regular season titles, and advancing to three Final Fours. Five Blue Devils won All-America honors, three were named ACC Player of the Year, and two (Alana Beard and Lindsey Harding) were National Players of the Year. Duke played in perhaps the most memorable game of the decade as well, ending up on the losing end of the 2006 National Championship to Maryland.

Here are Duke’s picks for its All-Decade team:

FIRST TEAM:

  • Alana Beard, 2001-2004 (2003 and 2004 National Player of the Year, Duke’s all-time leading scorer)
  • Monique Currie, 2002-2006 (2005 and 2006 All-America)
  • Lindsey Harding, 2003-2007 (2007 National and Defensive POY, Duke’s all-time assist leader)
  • Iciss Tillis, 2001-2004 (2003 All-America, 2003 and 2004 ACC Tournament MVP)
  • Georgia Schweitzer, 1998-2001 (2001 All-America)

SECOND TEAM:

  • Chante Black, 2005-2009 (2009 ACC Defensive POY)
  • Alison Bales, 2004-2007 (all-time ACC blocked shots leader)
  • Mistie Bass, 2003-2006 (three-time all-ACC)
  • Wanisha Smith, 2005-2008 (2005 all-ACC freshman)
  • Abby Waner, 2006-2009 (two-time Honorable Mention All-America)

THIRD TEAM:

  • Sheana Mosch, 2000-2003 (2001 all-ACC freshman)
  • Jessica Foley, 2003-2006 (2005 third team all-ACC)
  • Vicki Krapohl, 2001-2004 (2003 third team all-ACC)
  • Michele Matyasovsky, 2000-2003 (2000 all-ACC freshman)
  • Rochelle Parent, 1998-2001 (Duke’s all-time leader in charges taken)

What do you think about the program’s picks for this decade?

Black, Waner Selected in WNBA Draft

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Photo Courtesy of the WNBA

It was a disappointing finish to the season for Duke, as the Blue Devils were upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, prematurely ending the careers of Chante Black, Abby Waner and Carrem Gay.

But Black took the next step in her basketball career as she was selected 10th overall in the WNBA Draft Thursday by the Connecticut Sun. At least one Blue Devil has now been taken in the first round in three of the last four years, including Lindsey Harding and Alison Bales in 2007 and Monique Currie in 2006. Harding was the No. 1 overall pick in 2007 after earning National Player of the Year honors.

With the Duke center at the draft in Secaucus, N.J. were head coach Joanne P. McCallie, assistant coach Al Brown, friends and Black’s number one fan–her mother. Mazie Black is a teacher in Saudi Arabia and had not seen her daughter since last summer.

But she was on hand to witness the opening act of what hopes to a be long and successful professional career for Chante.

Black joins a Connecticut team that finished 21-13 and made the WNBA playoffs, only to be upset by the New York Liberty in the first round. She was the third ACC player to be selected, behind Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver of Maryland, who went No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Angel McCoughtry, who led Louisville to its first Final Four and national championship game, was the first overall pick.

UPDATE 4:53 p.m.: Waner was picked with the 21st overall pick in the second round by the New York Liberty. The Liberty also drafted Duke guard Wanisha Smith in 2008, but Smith only appeared in one game for the Detroit Shock last season.

Waner has previously expressed interest in pursuing a career in sports media after completing an internship with ESPN over the summer and was not present in New Jersey for the draft. The WNBA cut its roster size from 13 to 11 during the offseason because of the economy, so it will be even more difficult than usual for second and third round picks to make a team.

UPDATE 5:19 p.m.: The third round of the draft just concluded and Carrem Gay was not picked. In all, nine players from the ACC were drafted, including three from Florida State.

Ballin’ with Barack

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While Johnny Dawkins was contemplating leaving Durham for greener pastures out west, former Blue Devil Alison Bales was on Presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s team in the “3-on-3 Challenge for Change” at Maple Crest Middle School in Kokomo, Ind. Bales, who plays for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, teamed up Obama, who is hoping a win in the Hoosier state can put away fellow democrat Hillary Clinton. Maybe a 15-5 victory over the opposition on the hardwood is a harbinger for the Illinois native’s chances in the state’s voting booths on May 6.

—by Meredith Shiner