SPORTS
Wisconsin women’s basketball players recruited to the WNBA
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Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Tamara Moore and Jessie Stomski accomplished a first for the Badgerball program Friday. The two senior women’s basketball players were the first Badgers ever drafted into the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Moore was a first-round pick, going to the Miami Sol with the 15th overall pick of the draft.
“I just wanted my name to come up really fast,” Moore said of watching the draft.
Stomski had to wait a bit longer than her teammate to hear her name, as the Charlotte Sting drafted her in the fourth round.
But the wait didn’t affect Stomski, as she wasn’t even aware of what was going on in the draft until after it was over. In the airport at the time of the draft, Stomski said she had to call someone to find out if she was selected by a team or not.
When she did find out that she was in fact headed to the WNBA, Stomski’s reaction was subtle.
“Oh, I almost didn?t get drafted,” is what Stomski admitted as being her initial reaction.
But according to the UW senior, that feeling lasted for only about a minute. After that she was thrilled to be given the opportunity to play at the next level.
With the initial reactions and excitements out of the way, Moore and Stomski are now ready to take a serious look at their new teams, as well as their roles with them.
The Sol told Moore, the 2001 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, said that she would see the most playing time at either point guard or shooting guard, and then play a little bit at the small forward position. However, Moore will focus her attention on backing up starting point guard Debbie Black.
This move from starter to backup doesn’t bother Moore.
“[I have the] mindset to go in and work hard everyday,” Moore said. “I’m just ready to get started.”
For Stomski, the situation is a little different. Knowing that being drafted doesn’t secure you a spot on the roster, the senior forward just wanted to go to a team that had an opening at her position.
The Sting should offer her that opportunity.
Charlotte told Stomski that it is in need of a forward who can help them with rebounding, as well as score from both the inside and outside. Stomski will use her averages of 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds a game last season to try to fill the Sting’s needs.
Before the two Badgers travel to their respective WNBA teams, they plan on closing all of their loose ends at UW first.
Moore is going to figure out what she needs to take care of academically before she leaves for Miami permanently, ensuring that she will still graduate this spring. The Badger guard said the Sol left it up to her as to when she would join her new team, and she would make that decision after her degree requirements were met.
However, both Moore and Stomski will join their respective teams on April 29 for the WNBA’s rookie orientation.
The two seniors are only the third and fourth Wisconsin players to play in the WNBA, joining Keisha Anderson, who played with the Washinton Mystiques and Charlotte Sting, and Robin Threatt of the Seattle Storm.
