Before Geethu... A look at the WNBA

I must admit that, for an avid-NBA addict, I have been pretty blind towards WNBA-related issues. I knew little (and cared little) about who was who in the league, little about who won the championships and who took the MVP awards. But with news that India's legendary center Geethu Anna Jose has became the first from the country to get a tryout with the WNBA, I feel that it is due time to get a brief look at the league that Geethu could potentially join.

Geethu completed tryouts with three WNBA teams - Chicago Sky, Los Angeles Sparks, and San Antonio Silver Stars between April 27 - May 3. You can click on the above link to know how she did, but to recap, her tryouts went very well and she has left the coaches impressed. There is a good chance that she could be picked to play for the world's best woman's basketball league, but even if she doesn't, the experience she has had in the last few days of practicing with the best coaches will help her and help others in India to follow on her footsteps. If not Geethu, someone from India will make it big soon. It's about time.

The WNBA will enter only its 15th season in 2011. There are a total of 12 teams in the league, and the top four of the six from each conference move on to the playoffs. Each team is allowed a roster space of 11 players.

So firstly, let's take a look at the three teams she tried out for, which I will follow by how Geethu could fit into each squad if she makes it. As it was disclosed earlier, Geethu, at 6'2", plays Center in India, but will have to play small or power forward in the WNBA. One thing that stood out about her trials last week was how the coaches tested her on her perimeter skills.

I will reiterate once again that I'm a mere amateur at WNBA issues and have shamelessly stolen most of the information below from Wikipedia. I will welcome any improvements on the notes below from WNBA experts.

Chicago Sky: The Sky are the only Eastern Conference team Geethu tried out with. Sky play at the AllState Arena in Rosemont Illinois. They are led by head coach Pokey Chatman and their best player is dominating Center Sylvia Fowles, who leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks. Fowles was part of the All-WNBA first team as well as the All-WNBA Defensive team. The Sky are one of the newer teams in the league, as they were formed in 2005, and they haven't had a very successful history in the league so far, as they have never made it to the WNBA Playoffs. Last season, they finished with a 14-20 record, and were the worst team in the Eastern Conference.
If Geethu joins this team, I guess she will have to fight for the back-up forward spot with 5'11" Eshaya Murphy. Since this is a weaker team than the others, Geethu has a better chance of getting more playing time with them.

Los Angeles Sparks: One of the most storied franchise of the WNBA, much like the other LA squad, the Lakers. The Sparks are in the Western Conference and are one of the original teams of the WNBA, as they were formed in 1997. Since then, they have gone on to win 2 WNBA championships (2001 and 2002) and 3 Conference titles (2001, 2002, 2003). The Sparks play at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and they are led by head coach Jennifer Gillom. The Sparks have several well-known players on their roster, such as highly touted youngster Candace Parker (who suffered a major injury last season), legendary big Tina Thompson (who led the team in points and rebounds), and point guard Ticha Penicheiro, who led the WNBA in assists last season. But the Sparks didn't do too well as a team, finishing 4th in the West and losing in the first round of the playoffs.
The Sparks are perhaps the most 'attractive' franchise for Geethu in terms of their popularity and success, but with their depth, especially with the return of Candace Parker, there might not be space for Geethu to truly get big minutes and experience. Her best shot would be a back-up forward role, something like what Betty Lennox currently has for the team.

San Antonio Silver Stars: The Silver Stars were formed as the Utah Starz in 1997, and then relocated to San Antonio to become the Silver Stars in 2003. They currently play at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Led by Dan Hughes, the Silver Stars had a slow start to their franchise, but have been better recently, as they represented the Western Conference in the WNBA Finals in 2008. Last season, the Silver Stars ended in third place in the West but were ousted in the first round of the playoffs. They are led in points by power forward Sophia Young, but their best player is perhaps talented point guard Becky Hammon.
This team looks like a good fit for Geethu - they have a balanced offense, with four players averaging in double figures last season, and may have a vulnerability in the back-up forward spot. Geethu could easily fit into the minimal role that was played by Ashley Battle last season, and with improved performances, she could challenge for more minutes.

Outside those three teams, the other teams to watch in the WNBA are last year's finalists Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream, as well as the winners of the two previous years, the Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock. If Geethu qualifies, some of the best players that she will face will include Diana Taurasi (Mercury), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), and Geethu's opponent from the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Australian legend Lauren Jackson (Storm).

So that is the scenery with the WNBA... Don't want to get too far ahead of myself here - but even if Geethu fails to qualify, at least finding out more about the league was a good learning experience!

Geethu Anna Jose completes tryouts with 3 WNBA teams

Former captain of the Indian Women’s Senior Basketball team Geethu Anna Jose has become the first Indian basketball player to be invited for a tryout with any NBA/WNBA teams: Between April 27 – May 4, Jose traveled the breadth of the USA to complete tryouts with three WNBA teams – Chicago Sky (April 27-28), Los Angeles Sparks (April 30-May 1), and San Antonio Silver Stars (May 3-4).

Jose reported back to the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), saying that she felt positive about her trials. “I feel like I have done well,” she wrote, “The coaches of all the three teams liked my fundamentals – it is good for Indian basketball.”

“I've given my everything,” said Jose, “I hope the coaches of all the three teams were impressed with my skills.”

In Chicago, Jose first worked out with Bill Harris, the former coach of the Indian Men’s national team, before heading for a two-day, one-on-one tryout with the Chicago Sky and their coaching team.

In the Los Angeles trials, Jose was amongst 60 talented basketball players fighting for a spot on the roster of the Sparks’ squad. Local media reported that “Despite her reserved demeanor, Jose was one of the players who stood out” at the trials.

Here are some quotes from Sparks’ coach Jennifer Gillom from FoxSportsWest:

"I noticed her the first day," Gillom said, "I thought she was definitely fundamentally sound and she just lacked the aggressiveness, being a little bit more assertive, not being as soft, because if she had that, there'd be a lot of players in trouble. That's for sure.”
"She has a beautiful shot, those types of things. But you get a little bit skeptical when she has to defend someone else and those types of things, or being physical in the post or on the wings. She has to bring it out in herself."

Jose’s final tryout was with the San Antonio Silver Stars, where she worked out with the team’s coach and GM Dan Hughes on May 3-4. You can find a short video of Jose’s tryout and Hughes’ positive comments on her here:

According to MySanAntonio.com, Jose left a “good impression” on the Silver Stars:

“What was amazing to me working her out was her listening ability was tremendous,” Hughes said. “That was really pleasing, really exciting to see an athlete that cares that much about getting better.
“She's been in Chicago, L.A. and now here in San Antonio, and she's going through every drill with an intensity. I enjoyed working with her. It was a favorable impression she left on me.”

Troy Justice, the Director of Basketball Operations of NBA in India, assisted Jose a lot in securing the tryouts and worked-out with her in Chennai before her departure to the USA. He reports that he has been in contact with all the coaches of the WNBA teams who worked with Jose.

"The coaches were impressed with her," says Justice, "They commended her on two things: firstly as a person and a representative of India to the WNBA, and secondly, for her talents on court: her skill-set, her athletic ability, and her basketball IQ were all greatly appreciated."

Justice added: "Jose is a quick learner and she improved drastically during the course of her time in the USA."

Jose was greeted warmly by the Indian community in the USA. A felicitation and media interaction session was held for her in Chicago after her tryouts with the Sky. In San Antonio, she got a another special welcome by the city’s Indian community, and she got the honour of meeting the city’s Mayor Julian Castro with the city’s council members in City Hall on May 5th.

She will now return to India and hear about the results of her tryouts in a few weeks.

Hailing from Kottayam, Kerala, the 6 foot 2 Jose has been the biggest Indian basketball star for several years: she has captained the Indian Women’s side at the FIBA Asia Women’s Basketball Championship in 2009, where she was leading scorer in Asia. She has represented India in several major tournaments, including the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia and the 2010 Asian Games basketball championship in Guangzhou (China). Jose, who stands at 6 feet and 2 inches, is currently working for Southern Railway in Chennai, and, representing Indian Railways, has won seven consecutive National Basketball Championship titles. She was also the first Indian women to play professionally in Australia, when she represented the Ringwood Hawks, a lower division team in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2008.

Geethu Anna Jose – Q&A: WNBA Dreams

Two weeks ago, the dreams of lakhs of Indian basketball players and fans came one step closer to realisation, as word got out that India’s superstar Center Geethu Anna Jose is set to be offered tryouts by several professional teams in the Womens’ National Basketball Association (WNBA), the most competitive and prestigious Women’s basketball league in the world. It has been learnt that Geethu (26) will be trying out for the Los Angeles Sparks (two-time WNBA Championship winners), the San Antonio Silver Stars (2008 Finalists), and the Chicago Sky from April 23 – May 8.

The opportunity couldn’t have come for a more deserving player – Jose has been the biggest Indian basketball star for several years: she has captained the Indian Women’s side at the FIBA Asia Women’s Basketball Championship in 2009, where she was leading scorer in Asia. She has represented India in several major tournaments, including the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia and the 2010 Asian Games basketball championship in Guangzhou (China). Jose, who stands at 6 feet and 2 inches, is currently working for Southern Railway in Chennai, and, representing Indian Railways, has won seven consecutive National Basketball Championship titles. She was also the first Indian women to play professionally in Australia, when she represented the Ringwood Hawks, a lower division team in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2008.

I got a chance to speak to Jose about her historic bid to complete the WNBA dream

Hoopistani: When did you first hear the news that your WNBA trials have been finalised?

Geethu Anna Jose [GAJ]: Troy Justice [Director of Basketball Operations, NBA India] emailed me and told me the news. I had handed him CDs of my game tapes, which he had taken with him to the USA, and he had been trying to set up meetings for me for a long time. In the first week of April I heard about my trials finally being confirmed.

Hoopistani: How does it feel to be given this incredible opportunity?

GAJ: There are few words left for me to express my happiness. Two years ago, I had gotten a similar offer, but back then, I refused to go: I didn’t feel confident in my own fitness to go for this kind of test. Ever since then, I felt a lot of regret about letting an opportunity like that slip by. I thought I would never get my chance again. But here it is: I’ve been very excited since I heard this news!

Hoopistani: So this time around, are you ready?

GAJ: Yes, I think I am.

Hoopistani: The WNBA is the ultimate dream for basketball players around the world. Was this your ambition too when you first started playing the game?

GAJ: When I first entered the basketball world, I dreamt of one day becoming the captain of the Indian basketball team. I achieved that dream in 2009 when I captained the Indian side at FIBA Women’s ABC. After that, I thought to myself, “What now?” And I knew that the WNBA should be the next step. In most cases, my age (26) might be a little too late to try for that next step, but my fate has been good because American coaches like Troy Justice and Tamika Raymond have come to India and helped me.

Hoopistani: Speaking of Raymond [Indian Women coach for the 2010 Asian Games], how has she helped your development?

GAJ: Coach Raymond encouraged me a lot – she always told me that she liked my game and compared my style of play to her own. In India, I play the Center position, but for the WNBA, I will have to play at Power Forward. Coach Raymond was behind me to help me make that switch when necessary.

Hoopistani: Talk about the competition that you faced during your time in Australia.

GAJ: The competition was very rough in Australia, but it also helped my game a lot. In India, I’m used to being double or tripled team in every offensive possession. In Australia, where there are more girls my size, I was usually defended one-on-one, which added a different perspective to my game.

Hoopistani: At this point, how much do you know about the process of your tryouts with the three teams?

GAJ: I know that, in Chicago, I will be joining the Sky for a training and tryout session. I will also be helped by Bill Harris [Indian Men’s coach for the 2010 Asian Games] over there. Troy Justice has told me not to worry too much about the process – I know that it’s not going to be about the number of baskets I score, but more about my basketball IQ.

Hoopistani: How much do you know about the teams that you will be trying out for?

GAJ: I haven’t followed the WNBA too much in recent years – I do know that the LA Sparks are very talented and have some of the best players in the league. But I’m not concerned about where I go because I think I can fit in with any of the teams.

Hoopistani: Where do you see yourself in the near future?

GAJ: I see myself as a WNBA player. But also, I want to see that my tryout is able to be a great opening for other young players in India to make the leap to the highest level.

Hoopistani: Do you think, then, that more Indian players will follow in your footsteps?

GAJ: Yes. We have a lot of talent here in India, but unfortunately, the exposure is less for them. There are currently very few club teams for women in India – once this number is increased, or if we see a pro league launched in the country, we will see many more talented youngsters come up the ranks.

Jose thanked the efforts of everyone who helped make her tryouts and her trip to the USA possible, including Troy Justice, Jayasankar Menon, the BFI’s Harish Sharma, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), and the Hindustan Group.

Indian Basketball star Geethu Anna Jose invited for tryouts with two WNBA teams

Geethu Anna Jose, the legendary Indian Center, has finally been given a shot at her WNBA dream. The superstar who captained Indian Women’s team at the FIBA Women’s Asia Basketball Championship (ABC) in Chennai (2009), has been given the rare honour as she was invited to a tryouts with two WNBA teams in the USA – the Chicago Sky and the Los Angeles Sparks.

Jose (25), who was the leading scorer at the Chennai ABC, become the first Indian player to get the top scorer honour at any ABC. She has represented India in several major tournaments, including the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia and the 2010 Asian Games basketball championship in Guangzhou (China).

Jose is currently working for Southern Railway in Chennai, and, representing Indian Railways, has won seven consecutive National Basketball Championship titles. She was also the first Indian women to play professionally in Australia, when she represented the Ringwood Hawks, a lower division team in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2008.

“I have waited a long time for this opportunity – I can’t believe that it’s finally here.” said Jose, “It has been my dream to play at the highest level – the WNBA. It does not matter which team gives me the opportunity there – I just want to compete.”

The six-foot tall Jose has admitted that she will have to adapt to the power forward position when trying out with taller women in the US. She will travel to Chicago and Los Angeles to try out with the Sky and the Sparks – the Sparks have been one of the most successful teams in the WNBA, winning two championships and three conference titles in the last 10 years.

Jose has conveyed her sincere thanks to her employer Southern Railway, Mr. Harish Sharma of the BFI, and Troy Justice, the Director, NBA India Operations, for all their whole hearted support. She also thanked the Hindustan Group of Institutions, who have come forward to sponsor the tour for Jose to USA. “I will try my best to give a good performance in the tryouts,” she added.

The BFI's Harish Sharma said, “This is an incredible opportunity for Geethu Anna Jose. We are delighted for her and everyone who supports basketball in India will hope and pray for her success with the tryouts. She was offered the same opportunity last year, but due to complications she couldn’t make it – we are glad that this time, her dream is one step closer to realisation.”

“This has been one major step for us at BFI at promoting Indian players throughout the world,” Sharma added, “We will be looking to support such opportunities for other basketball players in India as well – the more players that proper outside of India, the more prosperity they will be bringing to the game of basketball in India.”

Anand Jacob Verghese, the CEO of Hindustan Group and Pro Chancellor, Hindustan University expressed his happiness in supporting Geethu. "The Indian cricket team has made all of us proud by winning the World Cup," said Verghese, "Now it is the turn of Geethu: she will be a role model for students. I wish that she gets the ultimate honour: a WNBA selection."

Jose will leave for the USA in about two weeks. She will participate in the Ramu Memorial Basketball Tournament in Mumbai before that.

UPDATE: Along with tryouts scheduled with the WNBA teams Chicago Sky and LA Sparks which were announced over a week ago, Indian Basketball star has now been invited to tryout and practice with a third WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) team during her USA trip: the San Antonio Silver Stars. Jose will be in America from April 23 – May 8, during which time she will be the first ever Indian basketball player to get an opportunity to try out for the WNBA.