Pirate Galaxy » Muschamp, needed a trainer to h

In her early days in the United States, Australian basketball player Erin Phillips recalls feeling like maybe she was inadvertently getting away with something. The portions of food served here seemed ... well, out of proportion. At first she would wonder, Shouldnt I have to pay more for this?For the most part, though, Phillips acclimated well to the United States, which has been the case for a lot of the Aussies who have come here to play in the WNBA. And as the league celebrates its 20th anniversary season, we should take time to celebrate the many players who contributed to the success of the league-- even though the United States wasnt their home.The Australians, in particular, have had a significant impact on the WNBA. From the most decorated of the Aussies -- three-time MVP Lauren Jackson -- to even those who spent only a brief time in the league, the contributions from Down Under have made a difference.Twenty-seven native-born Australians have played in the WNBA, along with five others who were born elsewhere but have Aussie citizenship. This season, there are five active Australians in the league: Phillips (Dallas), Penny Taylor (Phoenix), Rebecca Allen (New York), Jenna OHea (Seattle) and Abby Bishop (Seattle). Its an Olympic year, meaning other Aussies are sitting out the WNBA season to train with their national team, the Opals. But some of them will be back in the WNBA next year.Maybe culturally we adapt because its similar, Phillips said of how successfully many of the Australians have adjusted to life in the United States. Having played in Europe, that was harder for me. I think theres probably almost a taste of home in America, a home away from home. I think its a key component of why we feel so comfortable here.There have been some exceptions, including center Liz Cambage, who was drafted No. 2 by Tulsa in 2011 but has played in only 53 WNBA games.The Tulsa Shock are now the Dallas Wings, and Phillips is in her first season with that organization. She already had a home in McKinney, Texas, so it was pretty much a perfect fit for her.But Phillips has been a good fit on all five WNBA teams that she has played on, starting with Connecticut, where she was drafted in 2005 and debuted 2006.Phillips has been on two WNBA championship teams -- Indiana in 2012 and Phoenix in 2014 -- and shell be on this years Australian Olympic team.She recalls that when the Sun first picked her, Phillips -- who is from the Melbourne suburb of Carlton -- went to the atlas to make sure exactly where Connecticut was.I didnt think I would get that kind of opportunity, Phillips said. I just thought America was too far.But like so many of her compatriots, Phillips got used to that. The Aussies in the leagues early years helped pave the way.Phoenix Mercury coach Sandy Brondello was raised on a sugarcane farm outside the coastal town of McKay in Queensland. She learned to play basketball on a grass and dirt court in her yard.Someone taught me a jump shot at the age of 14, and thats what I practiced all the time, Brondello said. I grew up living in the country, but the basketball was good in our area. We had some really talented players and coaches, and they mentored me.She made the Australian national team at 16, and went to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra when she was 17. Shes been a frequent traveler ever since.Brondello came to play in the WNBA in 1998 as part of the first real wave of Aussies. Six of them arrived in the league that year, all following the first Aussie pioneer, Michele Timms, who started with Phoenix when the WNBA launched in 1997.Brondello had been a professional basketball player for well over a decade before joining the then-Detroit Shock in 1998, including a long stay in Germany where she met her husband, fellow coach Olaf Lange.Competing in the WNBA was a new test that Timms, Brondello, and fellow Aussies like Tully Bevilaqua and Kristi Harrower were eager to face. Even if the WNBA was just getting off the ground, the Aussies still believed in it.I felt like Id proven myself over in Europe, said Brondello, who in total would play 18 years professionally. I had visited Michele in Phoenix and was amazed at the support that they had and the level of play. I wanted to challenge myself against the best.In 2001, three Australians were picked in the first round of the WNBA draft, two of whom became major stars in the league: No. 1 overall selection Jackson, and No. 11 pick Taylor.The only thing that ever stopped Jackson was injuries; the accumulation of them finally ended her career this year at age 35. Jackson had not played a full season in the WNBA since 2010, when she led Seattle to its second league championship.This week, Storm fans will get to say a proper thank you to Jackson, who is not just the best Aussie, but on the short list of best womens players in the history of basketball. Seattle will retire Jacksons No. 15 jersey on Friday as the Storm face the Mystics at KeyArena.Jackson, from Albury, Australia, is the daughter of two basketball players and was a standout almost as soon as she first picked up a ball. The 6-foot-5 Jackson played 10 full seasons and parts of two others in the WNBA, averaging 18.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots for her career.She raised the bar, Phillips said. And just the way she played, with so much aggression and passion. I dont think Ive ever seen anybody who just wanted to win so badly every time they stepped on the court. What shes done for basketball in Australia is unmeasurable.Taylor, though, is actually the Aussie who has the most WNBA titles, with three in her 13-season career. A Melbourne native, Taylor started in Cleveland, but is now in her 10th year in Phoenix, where she is beloved by the X-Factor, the Mercurys fan base.In some ways, Taylor best exemplifies the more difficult personal sacrifices that the Aussie players have faced in their global basketball pursuits. During her years playing in the WNBA, both of her parents have passed away. Shes had to make the most of family time back in her home country in relatively short periods.You wont hear the Australians complain about this, because they tend not to complain about much. They brought their national team spirit to the WNBA, a get-it-done-for-each-other sense of purpose that has defined Australian basketball.The Ausies take a certain satisfaction in knowing that the WNBAs 20th anniversary would not be the same story without their contributions. They all will say, as Brondello did, that they wanted to play at the highest level. But the reality is, theyve helped make the WNBA the highest level.Thats ingrained in us right from the beginning, Phillips said. If you look at the first ones in the league, those players set the standard of, This is what youre going to get from Australians in the WNBA.We have a lot of pride in that. Our reputation is something that we want to keep strong. That competitive spirit leads us to leave home, and come over here and sort of fly the Australian flag. DeAaron Fox Kings Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Harry Giles Jersey . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. http://www.nbakingsonline.com/Authentic-Jason-Williams-Kings-Jersey/ .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. Yogi Ferrell Kings Jersey . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Mike Bibby Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Georgia linebacker Davin Bellamy had a simple pregame message for his teammates eager to bounce back from an awful two weeks.Everyone in there has aspirations of playing on Sundays. Its Sunday, its time to play ball, Bellamy said.The Bulldogs did just that, rushing for a season-high 326 yards and snapping a two-game losing streak with a 28-14 victory over South Carolina on Sunday in a game pushed back a day because of Hurricane Matthew.Nick Chubb, back from a sprained left ankle, ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns and Sony Michel had 133 yards -- Georgias first game with two 100-yard backs since Chubb and Todd Gurley did it against Auburn in 2014.Chubb ran for 18 yards the first time he touched the ball. He ended the series with a 15-yard TD run to put the Bulldogs (4-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) ahead for good.I think that got everyone going, the whole team, Chubb said. To come out there, first play of the game getting something going.Georgia didnt stop -- except when attempting to pass. Freshman Jacob Eason finished 5 of 17 for 29 yards with a TD and an interception.Weve got to improve our ability to throw and catch the ball, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said.It didnt matter much against South Carolina (2-4, 1-4), which came in next to last in the SEC at stopping the run.We knew they were going to come out and run the ball. We couldnt stop them, South Carolina linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams said. Its frustrating.Georgia came in hoping to turn around a miserable stretch where it was pounded by Ole Miss (45-14), then beaten by Tennessee on a Hail Ma ry after taking the lead seconds earlier.We needed this win, Bellamy said.It felt good to know we are, Michel said. Georgia football, were going to run the football.Chubb , who had just one carry the past two games with a left-ankle sprain, was on his game from the start. He scampered 18 yards on his first carry and ended the sequence with 15-yard TD run.Chubb added a 1-yard touchdown as the Bulldogs moved in front 14-0. The Gamecocks (2-4, 1-4) could not keep up in losing their third straight game.I dont know why youre all so surprised, Chubb said. We run the ball.It was the first time since a 2014 win over Auburn that Georgia had a pair of 100-yard rushers. Chubb was part of that, too,, gaining 144 yards while Los Angeles Rams tailback Todd Gurley ran for 138.ddddddddddddThe Gamecocks cut it to 21-14 on Rico Dowdles 1-yard TD run with 1:40 left. But Terry Godwin picked up South Carolinas on-side kick attempt and took it 43 yards for a clinching score.THE TAKEAWAYGeorgia: The Bulldogs are a different team when Chubb is healthy. His powerful running makes Georgias other tailbacks in Sony Michel and Brian Herrien even more effective. The Bulldogs need help to contend in the SEC Eastern Division, but wont go anywhere without Chubb in the lineup.South Carolina: The Gamecocks once more struggled on offense, gaining only 108 yards in the opening half to fall into a hole they couldnt climb out from. The three turnovers, including an interception from starting quarterback Perry Orth, did not help either.POLL IMPLICATIONSThis game had the ultimate impact on the AP Poll -- the new rankings were delayed until Monday because this game was moved. While Georgias run game was impressive, it wasnt a surprise particularly with Chubb in the lineup. Georgia may not get enough votes to re-enter the poll after this one.MUSCHAMPS BLOODY LIPThe South Carolina coach, Will Muschamp, needed a trainer to help his bloody lip. After the game, Muschamp did not know how it happened. I got cut somewhere on the sideline, he said.MATTHEWS EFFECTSThere were few effects left over from the storm Sunday, although some letters on the stadiums highest level were removed because a few had blown off and others were loosened by the high wins. The crowd, announced at 77,221, was not close to that number, but traffic was smooth without state troopers (they were deployed to help with recovery and cleanup) on hand to help.FAST FRIENDSFormer Georgia teammates and longtime friends in Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp squared off for the first time as head coaches, although the two have coached against each other on opposing staffs.UP NEXTGeorgia: The Bulldogs return home next week to face struggling Vanderbilt.South Carolina: The Gamecocks get the week off, then step out of the SEC when they return against Massachusetts on Oct. 22. ' ' '