PORTLAND — The Utah Starzz just seem destined to struggle at point guard. They spent months engineering a trade for one of the best point guards in the world, Jennifer Azzi, to strengthen a habitual Starzz need. That move gave this perennial cellar dweller thoughts of a championship run.
But less than five minutes into the second half of the Starzz's second exhibition game of the 2000 season, Azzi fell to the floor and broke the third metacarpal bone on her right hand Sunday night at the Rose Quarter against the expansion Portland Fire.
The Fire went on to win the first game in franchise history 84-74, outscoring Utah 23-10 down the stretch.
Azzi was injured committing an offensive foul on a driving field-goal attempt — against the same basket where she suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 1997 when she was playing in the American Basketball League for the San Jose Lasers.
Azzi was immediately taken across the street to the Rose Garden and X-rayed there by Fire/Blazers' orthopedist Dr. Don Roberts, who determined the break and said it was the same injury suffered early in the NBA season by Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant.
Starzz coach Fred Williams said Azzi would see Starzz/Jazz orthopedist Dr. Lyle Mason Monday to find out how long the injury might take to heal, but Williams guessed four to six weeks. That could get Azzi back halfway through the short WNBA season.
Williams said he doesn't plan to make any moves to acquire another point guard for now. The injury could help former Ute Alli Bills make the club. Shooting guard Korie Hlede and Bills finished out the game at the point.
A team spokesman said Azzi told the team in the locker room after the game that, even though she's been with the Starzz only two weeks, it's the best team she's been with and she knows things will come together.
Sunday's was a game that Utah led 13-0 to start behind eight points from LaTonya Johnson. They were Johnson's only points of the game. The Starzz lead went to 15-1 before Portland recovered and got back to within two at 29-27 and 31-29 and eventually took a 41-39 lead into halftime. The half produced 34 fouls, and for the game, the Fire outshot Utah at the free-throw line 34-for-46 to 24-for-31.
With two other point guards absent — draftee Stacy Frese at home in Utah resting a sore back and veteran Dalma Ivanyi still playing for her Hungarian team — Utah's game slipped away on fouls and turnovers (24 Utah turnovers led to 31 Fire points) and Fire offensive rebounding. The Starzz's last lead was 69-68 on a Margo Dydek layup.
Small forward Adrienne Goodson led all scorers with 17 points, followed by 15 from the Fire's Vanessa Nygaard, who also had seven rebounds, and 13 from Fire rookie Lynn Pride. Utah's Natalie Williams scored 11 with eight rebounds before fouling out, and Dydek had nine points and seven blocked shots before fouling out. Azzi, injured with 15:50 left in the game, had eight points and nine assists.
Utah lost last year's point guards Debbie Black and Chantel Tremitiere to the December expansion draft and Krystyna Lara to a torn ACL while she was playing in Poland in February. Point guard was a problem during Utah's first two years of existence, too, as the Starzz went through Tammi Reiss, Kim Williams, Dena Head and Lady Hardmon.
Fred Williams planned to make some roster cuts early this week. He said the fact that Katryna Gaither and ex-Ute Julie Krommenhoek-Christensen did not play Sunday is not an indication of what might happen, noting he couldn't play everybody and others sat out Saturday night's exhibition-season-opening win at expansion Seattle.
Utah is idle until Saturday night when it hosts Seattle at St. George.