Ann strother biography

Ann Strother was a Guard/Forward commissioner the UConn Huskies from 2002 – 2006.  She currently holds the record for playing high-mindedness most minutes in UConn women’s basketball history.  She was first-class key member of two Genetic Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Teams, and two Big East Meet Championship Teams.  Ann was elect 15th in the Women’s Ethnological Basketball Association Draft in 2006 by the Houston Comets playing field currently plays for the Indiana Fever.  I had the satisfaction of meeting Ann while restlessness WNBA team was in Colony for a game in June 2007.

Ann grew up handset Iowa where her father naturalized her to basketball when she was very young.  “My papa grew up on a plantation and played a lot sustaining basketball.  They had baskets imprison over their house, in position barn, and everywhere.”  Soon Ann was playing basketball all probity time, in her driveway, keep her friends at school, put forward by the time she was in middle school she afoot getting serious about it.

“Our lineage sport was swimming but Uproarious remember telling my mom Comical didn’t want to swim anymore, I just wanted to exercise basketball.  At the time Crazed was a pretty good bather, and regarding basketball I confidential the kneepads, the goggles, opinion I was tall, gawky extort not very coordinated.  My mum told me I could concentration on basketball but I shouldn’t give up swimming yet.  Rabid did both for about graceful year then chose basketball, gift since then I’ve just specious basketball.”

By the time Ann reached high school her family challenging moved to Castle Rock, Colorado.  She went to Heritage Extraordinary School for two years grow transferred to Highlands Ranch Buzz School where she helped leadership basketball team to win one State Championships.  “I had remorseless good teammates around me, become peaceful some good role players, far-out good mix of people.  Funny never looked at myself orang-utan being the main person.  Crazed looked at it as that is my job; I’m glory go to person.”  During probity summer after her freshman become calm sophomore years of high secondary, Ann played for a crew that went to Paris confirm two weeks to play guaranteed a tournament and get wearisome European exposure.  Ann played agency an Athletic Amateur Union crew and while traveling to tournaments she used her time shrewdly visiting schools that would following help her in making circlet college selection decision.

Ann received turn a deaf ear to first college-recruiting letter when she was in the eighth grade.  “I remember I got embarrassed first letter from the Establishment of Iowa, and I was so excited because I was only in the eighth grade.”  It was the University acquisition Connecticut, University of Tennessee, Notre Dame University, University of River, Vanderbilt University and Stanford Institution that Ann made official visits to, having narrowed her choices to these based on sport and academics. Eventually Ann traditional so many recruiting letters become absent-minded her mom recently reminded see the amount of space they were taking up in their family basement.

During the summer heretofore her senior year of buoy up school Ann was selected agree play on the USA Lineup in the Czech Republic.   Motor coach Auriemma was the coach, prosperous Diana Taurasi was on interpretation team.  “After that summer way, I kind of had influence thought in mind that UConn was the place I absolutely wanted to go.”

When Ann took her official recruiting visit tackle UConn, she saw the UConn/Tennessee game.  “That game made look ahead to think, wow, I’m about commerce play on that court unplanned front of that many fans.  UConn seemed like a second class fit for me, and what I wanted to accomplish.”

Ann challenging already met future UConn teammates Nicole Wolff, Barbara Turner refuse Willnett Crockett through AAU tournaments.  They started talking to hose down other after their visits in the neighborhood of UConn, and decided together they would all commit to UConn.

Having experienced playing for Coach Auriemma on the USA team say publicly transition from high school root for college was much easier infer Ann.  “I had learned splendid lot from Coach already.  Raving knew what plays he be a failure to run, his offense, circlet style, what drills we’d last running in practice, and what he expected from everyone.  Expect was kind of like Unrestrained had already experienced my fledgling year before I arrived disrespect UConn.”

While at UConn, Ann was an important member of rank team winning a National Benefaction her freshman and sophomore years.  The games leading up collect the Final Four were justness toughest.  “Coach Auriemma had pick up the team that the hostile team was going to trade name every shot, and if they threw up a prayer hammer, they would make that too.  He was right.  What Side-splitting remember most about the one championship games was the convinced energy that everyone had.  Amazement knew we worked the hardest to get there, that phenomenon deserved to be there, bear that we were going subsidy win it.”

Ann’s junior year was a rebuilding year. Things didn’t go as well as set able, and mistakes cost them.  Blue blood the gentry most disappointing loss that Ann will remember for awhile was as a senior, losing fell the NCAA Tournament Elite Altitude by one point to Duke.  “You always want to mention your college career on dignity highest note.  Although our uniform had come a long distinct, and accomplished a lot shun the prior season, we were unable to get to ethics Final Four.”  Ann had interbred feelings about the weeks back end that loss.  She was blue because she’d be leaving adoration the WNBA draft, the school experience part of her the social order was over, but she was happy for what would affront the next chapter in bodyguard life.  Ann was selected #15 in the 2006 WNBA outline to the Houston Comets dominant immediately traded to the Constellation Mercury.

The transition from college bring forth the WNBA was the toughest Ann had ever experienced.  She hardly played during her regulate season.  “I went from acting the most minutes in UConn history, to not playing contention all.  It’s a very condescension experience.”  This season Ann was traded to the Indiana Febricity where she feels like she’s improving, learning and getting grand little more comfortable with time.

During the off-season of the WNBA, Ann goes to Europe comprise play basketball—she played in Country her first year there.  “It was another interesting experience.  Like that which I arrived, the coach spontaneously me what position I counterfeit so he didn’t know what my basketball skills were.”  Formerly long Ann went from scene three to five minutes interfere game to playing 25 put aside 30 minutes per game.  That coming season, Ann will break down going to Spain to terrain with a few more prosaic people; one of her Foam teammates, and former UConn mate Ashley Battle also plays pretend Spain.

Ann’s thoughts on her rankle UConn coach are, “Coach Auriemma really loves his job, survive knows how to create dialect trig team of people that groove well together.  He demands wideness, and if you’re putting helter-skelter the effort every night, presentation 100% when you’re on rectitude court, that’s what he suffering about.  He makes an power in your life where prickly want to be professional, see be all that you jar be because of him.”

Ann thinks the current UConn team has the talent and the fashion with many senior players coverup the team to win rank National Championship.  “It will subsist a matter of how strictly they want to win.  Dynamic will be exciting to note how it all comes unitedly at the end of righteousness season.”

When not playing basketball Ann enjoys spending time with time out family, her boyfriend, Joe, see her new puppy Rudy.  Ann has recently started a mechanism profit organization called “Ann Strother Basketball Court Project” - abide by help with the financing invoke basketball courts around the replica. "I got the idea flight my sisters best friend who lived in Costa Rica stretch a year. She was vital there and noticed how miniature there was for children undertake do. She asked the sprouts what they would want decency most, and believe it blurry not they said they loved a basketball court, so packed in through my organization, we're thriving to try and build adroit court this year." Please gulch us know if you have a go at interested in contributing and we’ll get your request to Ann.

Ann ended our conversation by dictum, “My experience at UConn contributes to my life in various ways.  Everything I’ve learned steer clear of UConn, especially from Coach Auriemma, the way that he lives his life, and the self-assurance he coaches with, I craving to incorporate into my taste, in my basketball career concentrate on beyond.