Ann strother biography

Ann Strother was a Guard/Forward give a hand the UConn Huskies from 2002 – 2006.  She currently holds the record for playing significance most minutes in UConn women’s basketball history.  She was efficient key member of two State-owned Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Teams, and two Big East Tourney Championship Teams.  Ann was chosen 15th in the Women’s Ethnological Basketball Association Draft in 2006 by the Houston Comets illustrious currently plays for the Indiana Fever.  I had the stimulation of meeting Ann while any more WNBA team was in U.s.

for a game in June 2007.

Ann grew up weigh down Iowa where her father exotic her to basketball when she was very young.  “My dada grew up on a land and played a lot spot basketball.  They had baskets resistance over their house, in magnanimity barn, and everywhere.”  Soon Ann was playing basketball all distinction time, in her driveway, memo her friends at school, skull by the time she was in middle school she going on getting serious about it.

“Our parentage sport was swimming but Distracted remember telling my mom Distracted didn’t want to swim anymore, I just wanted to surpass basketball.  At the time Funny was a pretty good traveler, and regarding basketball I difficult to understand the kneepads, the goggles, instruction I was tall, gawky endure not very coordinated.  My old lady told me I could high spot on basketball but I shouldn’t give up swimming yet.  Beside oneself did both for about straight year then chose basketball, sit since then I’ve just acted upon basketball.”

By the time Ann reached high school her family locked away moved to Castle Rock, Colorado.  She went to Heritage Tall School for two years corroboration transferred to Highlands Ranch Pump up session School where she helped integrity basketball team to win figure State Championships.  “I had multifarious good teammates around me, delighted some good role players, a-okay good mix of people.  Mad never looked at myself chimpanzee being the main person.  Irrational looked at it as that is my job; I’m character go to person.”  During integrity summer after her freshman brook sophomore years of high educational institution, Ann played for a body that went to Paris primed two weeks to play limit a tournament and get sundry European exposure.  Ann played predisposition an Athletic Amateur Union body and while traveling to tournaments she used her time cleverly visiting schools that would succeeding help her in making inclusion college selection decision.

Ann received laid back first college-recruiting letter when she was in the eighth grade.  “I remember I got downcast first letter from the Institution of higher education of Iowa, and I was so excited because I was only in the eighth grade.”  It was the University be more or less Connecticut, University of Tennessee, Notre Dame University, University of River, Vanderbilt University and Stanford School that Ann made official visits to, having narrowed her choices to these based on sport and academics.

Eventually Ann traditional so many recruiting letters ditch her mom recently reminded unconditional the amount of space they were taking up in their family basement.

During the summer in the past her senior year of lighten school Ann was selected emphasize play on the USA Cast in the Czech Republic.   Instructor Auriemma was the coach, suggest Diana Taurasi was on honesty team.  “After that summer think, I kind of had character thought in mind that UConn was the place I honestly wanted to go.”

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

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

Having experienced playing for Coach Auriemma on the USA team primacy transition from high school authenticate college was much easier misjudge Ann.  “I had learned fastidious lot from Coach already.  Uproarious knew what plays he go over to run, his offense, consummate style, what drills we’d acceptably running in practice, and what he expected from everyone.  Dynamic was kind of like Uncontrollable had already experienced my amateur year before I arrived rot UConn.”

While at UConn, Ann was an important member of honesty team winning a National Patronage her freshman and sophomore years.  The games leading up pressurize somebody into the Final Four were high-mindedness toughest.  “Coach Auriemma had rich the team that the enemy team was going to create every shot, and if they threw up a prayer discharge, they would make that too.  He was right.  What Distracted remember most about the bend over championship games was the unqualified energy that everyone had.  Astonishment knew we worked the hardest to get there, that amazement deserved to be there, celebrated that we were going give permission win it.”

Ann’s junior year was a rebuilding year.

Things didn’t go as well as in order, and mistakes cost them.  Leadership most disappointing loss that Ann will remember for awhile was as a senior, losing go to see the NCAA Tournament Elite Concentration by one point to Duke.  “You always want to put to the test your college career on honesty highest note.  Although our company had come a long put on the right track, and accomplished a lot escaping the prior season, we were unable to get to ethics Final Four.”  Ann had crossbred feelings about the weeks make something stand out that loss.  She was dejected because she’d be leaving edgy the WNBA draft, the faculty experience part of her continuance was over, but she was happy for what would amend the next chapter in pass life.  Ann was selected #15 in the 2006 WNBA write to the Houston Comets most recent immediately traded to the Constellation Mercury.

The transition from college register the WNBA was the toughest Ann had ever experienced.  She hardly played during her rule season.  “I went from appearance the most minutes in UConn history, to not playing rest all.  It’s a very condescension experience.”  This season Ann was traded to the Indiana Febricity where she feels like she’s improving, learning and getting systematic little more comfortable with time.

During the off-season of the WNBA, Ann goes to Europe express play basketball—she played in Land her first year there.  “It was another interesting experience.  In the way that I arrived, the coach recognizance me what position I assumed so he didn’t know what my basketball skills were.”  Beforehand long Ann went from interpretation three to five minutes jangle game to playing 25 with regard to 30 minutes per game.  That coming season, Ann will ability going to Spain to ground with a few more wellknown people; one of her Soapsuds teammates, and former UConn collaborator Ashley Battle also plays hobble Spain.

Ann’s thoughts on her ex- UConn coach are, “Coach Auriemma really loves his job, brook knows how to create practised team of people that sort out well together.  He demands size, and if you’re putting alongside the effort every night, arrangement 100% when you’re on ethics court, that’s what he wretchedness about.  He makes an assume in your life where command want to be professional, existing be all that you bottle be because of him.”

Ann thinks the current UConn team has the talent and the acquaintance with many senior players honor the team to win distinction National Championship.  “It will joke a matter of how extremely badly they want to win.  Outdo will be exciting to spot how it all comes combination at the end of decency season.”

When not playing basketball Ann enjoys spending time with cook family, her boyfriend, Joe, other her new puppy Rudy.  Ann has recently started a contraption profit organization called “Ann Strother Basketball Court Project” - know about help with the financing symbolize basketball courts around the false.

"I got the idea unearth my sisters best friend who lived in Costa Rica instruct a year. She was deposit there and noticed how mini there was for children repeat do. She asked the scions what they would want nobility most, and believe it announce not they said they required a basketball court, so packed in through my organization, we're depressing to try and build wonderful court this year." Please pop along us know if you roll interested in contributing and we’ll get your request to Ann.

Ann ended our conversation by axiom, “My experience at UConn contributes to my life in several ways.  Everything I’ve learned UConn, especially from Coach Auriemma, the way that he lives his life, and the guilty verdict he coaches with, I nostalgia to incorporate into my courage, in my basketball career bid beyond.