Curry goes pro
The wait is over for former Oregon guard Edniesha Curry. The Palmdale, Calif., native was selected by the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting in the third round (41st overall) on Friday.
Curry was the third player from the Pacific-10 Conference to be chosen, following Oregon State’s Felicia Ragland (28th, Seattle) and Stanford’s Lindsey Yamasaki (29th, Miami).
“I’m just in shock right now,” Curry said. “This has been a dream come true to be in a position to play professional basketball, especially in the United States.”
After spending her first three seasons at Cal State Northridge, where she earned the Big Sky Conference’s Freshman of the Year honor following the 1997-98 season, Curry transferred to Oregon in 2000. Curry averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 assists last season for the Ducks.
“I’m not nervous anymore,” Curry said about waiting for her selection. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s getting later and later and later.’ Charlotte wanted me and its a good spot. I have a good chance of making that team and playing behind Dawn Staley.”
Curry is the third Oregon player to be drafted in the WNBA, joining Jenny Mowe, who played for the Portland Fire after being drafted in the second round last season, and Angelina Wolvert, who was drafted by the Cleveland Rockers with the 43rd pick last year, but currently plays in Italy.
— Hank Hager
Kent hires new assistant
When assistant coach Greg Graham left the Oregon basketball team to accept the head coaching position at Boise State, head coach Ernie Kent worked quickly to fill the vacancy.
Kent plugged the hole left by Graham with John Cooper, a former assistant to Eddie Fogler at South Carolina. Cooper coached at South Carolina for six years.
“In the short time he was here in town (for his interview), we felt like we had known John for the last 10 years,” Kent said. “I think he is going to be a great addition to our staff.”
Cooper, who graduated from Wichita State in 1991, was a star forward for the Shockers and scored 1,153 points over his career. He played in the Continental Basketball Association and in Europe before working as an assistant coach at Division II Fayetteville State in Fayetteville, N.C. From there he was hired by Fogler, who was Cooper’s head coach at Wichita State.
Cooper said he was “elated” to join the Oregon staff.
“Ernie has done a great job with the program, and coming off the year that Oregon had makes it a little more special to have the opportunity to join a staff that has taken a program to the level it is,” Cooper said. “I just hope to come in and add a little bit to it.”
— Peter Hockaday
