Fred Williams really expected to have 12-year pro Cindy Brown as his top inside reserve player this season, and her experience will be missed by the Utah Starzz.
After all, nine of the 15 players listed on Utah's preseason training-camp roster are new to the team, and three of the veterans won't be in camp for a week or so as they fulfill obligations to their international teams.
But at least Williams and the Starzz's front office had the foresight to draft a couple of big players and get a couple more posts from the WNBA allocation process, meaning a suitable replacement for Brown should be in camp already. Preseason training camp started Wednesday for all WNBA teams.
"When you're dealing with quite a few contracts that were still open at the time, a couple of weeks ago," said Williams, who like every other coach had to wait until the WNBA signed players to know what his roster would look like, "you have to go into the draft fulfilling needs at every position. You have to cover yourself in case a player doesn't sign.
"We pretty much covered our bases with Naomi (Mulitauaopele, first-round draft choice) and Kristen (Rasmussen, fourth round) and Stacy Frese (guard, third round) and the free agents (guards Alli Bills and Julie Krommenhoek-Christensen and posts Katryna Gaither and Amy Herrig)," Williams said.
So on Wednesday, after learning at 6:30 a.m. that Brown was no longer in the mix, unable to come to terms after negotiating all night with the WNBA, Williams could simply say he wishes Brown all the best in doing what she felt she had to do.
It hurts the Starzz, but Williams has some talent in the bank.
Brown left Utah last fall uncertain about playing again anyway. She and Korie Hlede were obtained in a July 29 trade with Detroit for Wendy Palmer and Olympia Scott-Richardson, and they helped Utah win seven of its last 10 games in 1999 to finish 15-13.
Williams was pumped to start his first full season as head coach. He took over for Frank Layden, who resigned after four games last season, but this is the first time the draftees and training-camp regimen are all his.
He went into Wednesday's first practices happy that players shared his enthusiasm. "I like the chemistry already," he said. "They're ready. They want to get at it. Same with me." He promises hard practices, with a few light ones mixed in, and a running, aggressive style from tipoff to final buzzer. "We won't back off. We will always take it at you," he says.
The Starzz's other Williams, MVP post player Natalie, promises to take it to other teams, too, with new twists to her game — long shots and dribbles. "If I get a long rebound, expect me to bring it upcourt," she said, threatening also to take some 3-pointers. She's been working on both as a member of the U.S. team that will play in September's Olympics. And with outside threats like Jennifer Azzi, Hlede, Kate Starbird and LaTonya Johnson, and maybe a Frese, Bills or Krommenhoek-Christensen, "I love it that people won't be able to key on me anymore," Williams said.
Despite talk to the contrary, Williams and 7-foot-2 Margo Dydek have signed WNBA contracts and meant to all along. Dydek told a friend on Monday she was surprised to learn there were rumors she might not sign; she told her friend she had signed the contract some time ago but hadn't mailed it because the post office never seemed to be on her way as she plays with her Polish team.
Dydek will arrive Sunday from Poland. Hlede and Dalma Ivanyi are also still with their international teams but will arrive soon.
Utah's nine newcomers:
Jennifer Azzi, point guard: Olympic gold medalist is content with a smorgasbord of teammates to pass to. "As a guard, you can't ask for more than that," Azzi says, thinking of options like Hlede, Adrienne Goodson, Natalie Williams, Dydek, Mulitauaopele, Starbird and more. Obtained from Detroit April 24 in a trade for two draft picks.
Kate Starbird, guard: Stanford's career-leading scorer, fourth all-time in the Pac-10, went to four NCAA tourneys, three Final Fours, then seemed forgotten in Sacramento in her first WNBA season, playing nine minutes a game. Why? "I don't really know myself," she says. "I just know it's in the past, it's gone." Picked by Miami in the Dec. 15 expansion draft and traded immediately to Utah for Elena Baranova (the WNBA announced Tuesday that Baranova has retired following a severe knee injury last week playing for her Russian team).
Naomi Mulitauaopele, center: Nature girl who came to Utah a day early because she loves the outdoors and heard that it's a pretty place with lots of mountains. A rugged 6-3 with a partial season of ABL experience at home in Seattle, the Stanford product is happy to have Williams and Dydek ahead of her, allowing her to "relax and get used to the competition." A lefty like Williams.
Stacy Frese, guard: Iowa State product, Utah's third-round pick, outside shooter, a little familiar with Utah because of the Jazz's ISU grad Jeff Hornacek and some friendly competition between the Cyclone men's and women's teams this season. Both were ranked nationally and advanced in the NCAA tournament. The men were coached by former Utah State coach Larry Eustachy. "I like him a lot. He did a lot this year with them," she said.
Kristen Rasmussen, forward: Michigan State grad, fourth-round pick, with a grandmother and several aunts, uncles and cousins in Utah. "My home away from home," she says. She had talked to several WNBA teams but not Utah and was surprised to be drafted by the Starzz. Thinks her Big Ten background prepared her for WNBA play.
Alli Bills, guard: Former Ute ('98) spent last season as BYU assistant coach. Couldn't try out last year because of knee surgery, "but from that point on I was planning on coming, if coach Williams would have me," she says. Brings energy, leadership and control. Played professionally in Switzerland.
Julie Krommenhoek-Christensen, guard: Former Ute ('98) sureshot wasn't sure she wanted to play in the WNBA at first. "I didn't feel like I was 100 percent in it," she said. Now ready after playing in Switzerland (on a rival team to Bills' club). "That helped improve my game, make it more well-rounded," she says.
Katryna Gaither, center: A New Yorker who played for the ABL San Jose Lasers with Azzi. An athletic 6-3. Considers herself "very quick" and a defender first but had career 16.6 collegiate scoring average at Notre Dame ('97), where she was the all-time No. 2 scorer and an AP and Kodak All-American.
Amy Herrig, center: Had a cup of coffee with Sacramento last season, a fourth-round '99 draft pick who was the Monarchs' only rookie until they cut her. "They had a lot of posts," she says. Graduated from Iowa in '99; got her MBA in the off-season while helping coach there.
You can reach Linda Hamilton by e-mail at ham@desnews.com