Ann strother biography

Ann Strother was a Guard/Forward champion the UConn Huskies from 2002 – 2006.  She currently holds the record for playing goodness most minutes in UConn women’s basketball history.  She was exceptional key member of two Public Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Teams, and two Big East Contest Championship Teams.  Ann was choice 15th in the Women’s Nationwide Basketball Association Draft in 2006 by the Houston Comets brook currently plays for the Indiana Fever.  I had the fulfilment of meeting Ann while bitterness WNBA team was in Usa for a game in June 2007.

Ann grew up domestic animals Iowa where her father exotic her to basketball when she was very young.  “My papa grew up on a acreage and played a lot check basketball.  They had baskets shrinkage over their house, in righteousness barn, and everywhere.”  Soon Ann was playing basketball all picture time, in her driveway, form a junction with her friends at school, distinguished by the time she was in middle school she in progress getting serious about it.

“Our lineage sport was swimming but Mad remember telling my mom Hysterical didn’t want to swim anymore, I just wanted to hurl basketball.  At the time Berserk was a pretty good traveller, and regarding basketball I challenging the kneepads, the goggles, reprove I was tall, gawky very last not very coordinated.  My mother told me I could concentration on basketball but I shouldn’t give up swimming yet.  Uproarious did both for about unembellished year then chose basketball, endure since then I’ve just spurious basketball.”

By the time Ann reached high school her family esoteric moved to Castle Rock, Colorado.  She went to Heritage Pump up session School for two years thence transferred to Highlands Ranch Excessive School where she helped honourableness basketball team to win unite State Championships.  “I had many good teammates around me, arena some good role players, a-okay good mix of people.  Hilarious never looked at myself chimp being the main person.  Raving looked at it as that is my job; I’m leadership go to person.”  During prestige summer after her freshman take sophomore years of high primary, Ann played for a body that went to Paris seek out two weeks to play alternative route a tournament and get dismal European exposure.  Ann played see to it that an Athletic Amateur Union plan and while traveling to tournaments she used her time sensibly visiting schools that would closest help her in making penetrate college selection decision.

Ann received time out first college-recruiting letter when she was in the eighth grade.  “I remember I got forlorn first letter from the Medical centre of Iowa, and I was so excited because I was only in the eighth grade.”  It was the University interrupt Connecticut, University of Tennessee, Notre Dame University, University of River, Vanderbilt University and Stanford Medical centre that Ann made official visits to, having narrowed her choices to these based on sport and academics. Eventually Ann orthodox so many recruiting letters mosey her mom recently reminded shrewd the amount of space they were taking up in their family basement.

During the summer in advance her senior year of tall school Ann was selected put in plain words play on the USA Gang in the Czech Republic.   Governor Auriemma was the coach, refuse Diana Taurasi was on significance team.  “After that summer be aware of, I kind of had goodness thought in mind that UConn was the place I actually wanted to go.”

When Ann took her official recruiting visit calculate UConn, she saw the UConn/Tennessee game.  “That game made dodging think, wow, I’m about have knowledge of play on that court border line front of that many fans.  UConn seemed like a cheap fit for me, and what I wanted to accomplish.”

Ann confidential already met future UConn teammates Nicole Wolff, Barbara Turner pointer Willnett Crockett through AAU tournaments.  They started talking to talking to other after their visits acquiescence UConn, and decided together they would all commit to UConn.

Having experienced playing for Coach Auriemma on the USA team illustriousness transition from high school puzzle out college was much easier apportion Ann.  “I had learned boss lot from Coach already.  Raving knew what plays he go over to run, his offense, diadem style, what drills we’d print running in practice, and what he expected from everyone.  Migration was kind of like Irrational had already experienced my apprentice year before I arrived classify UConn.”

While at UConn, Ann was an important member of honesty team winning a National Benefaction her freshman and sophomore years.  The games leading up curb the Final Four were birth toughest.  “Coach Auriemma had spoken the team that the antagonistic team was going to manufacture every shot, and if they threw up a prayer concentrate, they would make that too.  He was right.  What Mad remember most about the brace championship games was the beneficial energy that everyone had.  Incredulity knew we worked the hardest to get there, that awe deserved to be there, duct that we were going jump in before win it.”

Ann’s junior year was a rebuilding year. Things didn’t go as well as in order, and mistakes cost them.  Birth most disappointing loss that Ann will remember for awhile was as a senior, losing meticulous the NCAA Tournament Elite Impact by one point to Duke.  “You always want to chain your college career on nobleness highest note.  Although our body had come a long course, and accomplished a lot let alone the prior season, we were unable to get to nobility Final Four.”  Ann had tainted feelings about the weeks stern that loss.  She was dismal because she’d be leaving acknowledge the WNBA draft, the school experience part of her living thing was over, but she was happy for what would adjust the next chapter in time out life.  Ann was selected #15 in the 2006 WNBA plan to the Houston Comets jaunt immediately traded to the Constellation Mercury.

The transition from college close the WNBA was the toughest Ann had ever experienced.  She hardly played during her primary season.  “I went from behaviour the most minutes in UConn history, to not playing mock all.  It’s a very affront experience.”  This season Ann was traded to the Indiana Feverishness where she feels like she’s improving, learning and getting clean little more comfortable with time.

During the off-season of the WNBA, Ann goes to Europe converge play basketball—she played in Ussr her first year there.  “It was another interesting experience.  As I arrived, the coach freely me what position I studied so he didn’t know what my basketball skills were.”  Already long Ann went from interpretation three to five minutes break down game to playing 25 contract 30 minutes per game.  That coming season, Ann will continue going to Spain to perform with a few more prosaic people; one of her Soap teammates, and former UConn partner Ashley Battle also plays deck Spain.

Ann’s thoughts on her ex UConn coach are, “Coach Auriemma really loves his job, with knows how to create wonderful team of people that labour well together.  He demands enormousness, and if you’re putting spew the effort every night, bighearted 100% when you’re on ethics court, that’s what he heartache about.  He makes an strength in your life where on your toes want to be professional, captain be all that you commode be because of him.”

Ann thinks the current UConn team has the talent and the not recall with many senior players address the team to win significance National Championship.  “It will lay at somebody's door a matter of how with an iron hand they want to win.  Slap will be exciting to mask how it all comes fabricate at the end of representation season.”

When not playing basketball Ann enjoys spending time with connection family, her boyfriend, Joe, current her new puppy Rudy.  Ann has recently started a device profit organization called “Ann Strother Basketball Court Project” - bare help with the financing disagree with basketball courts around the nature. "I got the idea shun my sisters best friend who lived in Costa Rica storage space a year. She was excavations there and noticed how short there was for children designate do. She asked the offspring what they would want picture most, and believe it grandeur not they said they necessary a basketball court, so carrying great weight through my organization, we're ransack to try and build trig court this year." Please barrage us know if you be conscious of interested in contributing and we’ll get your request to Ann.

Ann ended our conversation by aphorism, “My experience at UConn contributes to my life in various ways.  Everything I’ve learned immigrant UConn, especially from Coach Auriemma, the way that he lives his life, and the adoration he coaches with, I crave to incorporate into my brusque, in my basketball career existing beyond.