Gearlds Blog: EuroCup Season Ends

Hey y'all! Man, I can't believe it's March already - time is really flying by.

A lot has happened since my last blog both back home and in Greece. Back home, we've had a few signings that I am sure have everyone giddy with anticipation to get the season started. But of course the whole world of women's basketball is waiting on just the one person, right? I am sure you all have your opinions just like we have our opinions, too. In the end, though, we really just want her to be happy. But, come to think of it, won't she be the happiest in Seattle?!?! No, seriously, we all know she'll make the best decision - she owes it to herself.

In my Greek world, my team was able to slide right by the Israeli team without any problems. We were one of the final eight teams in Eurocup contention and had the opportunity to play a Russian team - the trip there was miserable. We left here pretty early in the morning for a three hour flight to Moscow, had an eight-hour layover and then an eight-hour train ride to Kursk. The layover wasn't horrible, but of course we couldn’t do any sightseeing - it was too cold in Moscow for my Greek buddies to be outside. We arrived relatively early in the day, drove around, ate lunch and then watched the opening game of the Spartak vs. Ros Casares match. We stayed until midway through the third period before having to leave to catch the train. I wasn't able to speak to Sue or Lauren, but it was nice being able to watch them play. My teammates were amazed with Sylvia Fowles because of the six blocks she collected in just the first quarter!

The train ride back to Kursk was long, but relatively smooth. We passed the time with a few card games - I recommend Phase 10. The other Americans and I also taught a few of our Greek teammates to play B.S. (don't think I’ll spell that out) and Spoons. We had a great time, but now that seems to be the only game they want to play!

The game in Kursk was awful. The only thing I remember is us turning the ball over on our first five possessions. Before we could catch our breath in the first quarter, they were up by 15 points. No question about it, that was our worst game of the year by far! We ended up losing by 25 points, but honestly felt confident that we could beat them in Athens by 26 to advance to the Final Four. Well, we sure did give a run for the money! We were up by 23 and had the ball with 35 seconds to go, but unfortunately we turned the ball over. There went our chance to advance - it was definitely heart-breaking. We are a little team from Athens (I think I’m the tallest player on the team) going up against a Russian team stacked with players over 6-4 and we nearly pulled it off. Yeah, of course it was great for us to make it to the final eight because no one expected us to even come close, but we knew we were better than them and it hurt. In the end, I think we made a strong statement for Greek basketball and I hope that it will continue.

In the Greek league, we are undefeated with only four games left. I’m confident we’ll be able to take care of business. Even though we only have four game there is about a month and a half of the season left. This weekend is the Greek Cup, but my team didn't qualify after losing the qualifying game early in the season. The game was my second and we were matched-up against the second-best team in Greece. Things hadn’t clicked yet, and even though I was 9-of-12 from three-point range that game, but we could have used a few more - we lost by seven on the our opponent’s court. That was the game that set the tone for the rest of our season - we knew we wanted to go undefeated the rest of the way.

So, with a month and a half left and just four games left I'll be doing a lot of extra work in the weight room and on the court. My plan to is have my body ready for training camp. My mom and brother arrive next week, which will help pass the time. And, of course, it's March which means tone of college basketball!

GO STORM and BOILER UP!

KG

Check out the new 6-Game All-Star and Weekend Ticket Packages as well as all of the great Storm package options!

Storm Posts Advance

A day after the Euroleague Final Four was completed, the EuroCup set its semifinals Thursday, with two-game aggregate scoring quarterfinal series moving to the return leg.

Dynamo Moscow and Storm center Janell Burse returned home Thursday with a very comfortable 27-point advantage over ZKK Hemofarm Vrsac and put it on cruise control, winning 73-65. Despite the safe margin, Dynamo's top players got essentially regular minutes. Burse played 25 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Oxana Zakalyuzhnaya earned game-high honors with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Cras Basket Taranto also held a sizeable lead going into the second leg of the series, but headed out on the road against CB Feve San Jose. The hosts ended up winning the game 63-60, but never threatened making up the entire 23-point difference from the first game as Taranto advanced 126-106 on aggregate. Suzy Batkovic led the way with 17 points, grabbing eight rebounds and adding three steals. Washington wing Shay Murphy tried in vain to lead a San Jose comeback, scoring 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Her teammates, however, combined to shoot 10 of 42 from the field (23.8 percent).

The last Storm player in the EuroCup quarters, Katie Gearlds, saw her team enter today's game with a 25-point deficit to make up against Dynamo Kursk. Athinaikos made things interesting, leading to maybe the most dramatic 20-point victory ever. Athinaikos had a 24-point lead and the ball inside the final minute, but a turnover ended the threat. Athinaikos won the game 89-69, but lost 146-141 on aggregate. Gearlds was one of three Athinaikos players to score double-figures, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds. LaToya Davis also had 26 for Athinaikos, which made a strong run after having to play in the qualifying round just to participate in EuroCup.

After a week off, the two-game semifinal series begin March 12. The two remaining teams with Storm players, Dynamo Moscow and Taranto, play in one semifinal. The other matches Dynamo Kursk with Turkish squad Galatasaray.

Gearlds Blog: Travel Troubles and a Big Win

I hope this finds everyone starting their New Year off exactly as they envisioned. My time at home for Christmas was very short. I think I had four or five days there, but at least I was able to make it home. I would have had more time, but I was stuck in Rome's airport for almost 28 hours. I flew from Athens to Rome on Alitalia Airlines at six in the morning with no problems, but when I got to Rome the flight was supposed to leave at 10 a.m. and it was delayed until noon. Again, no problem. I found a corner, cuddled up in it and did what I do best ... sleep! I woke up to find a group of about 40 people around the check-in counter screaming only God knows what. I asked around only to find out that the airline's grounds crew members had gone on strike and our flight was to be delayed another two hours. Again, no problem - I'll grab something to eat and by then it will be time to board the plane. Wrong again. I came back to the counter to find about 75 people screaming at the same woman. To make a long story short, the airline kept delaying the flight every two hours and would never flat-out cancel it because they didn't want to be responsible for accommodating passengers with food and hotels.

I met a group of about seven other Americans and we learned that the flight wasn't going to take off at all that day or any time in the next three days. My new friends decided to stand in line and get reimbursed for everything. I assumed that if I did that I would never make it home. I was able to purchase a ticket on a different airline scheduled to fly out the next morning.

With about 14 hours to waste in Rome, I figured I would wander around and check out the sites. Bad idea - everything was closed. No tourist spots were open, and there was nothing for me to do but find another corner, curl up and go to sleep. The group of Americans I met was just getting to the front of the line of the Alitalia line when I boarded my plane the next morning. I hope they all made it home safely! I never in my life have been so happy to be on American soil. I drove straight to Taco Bell, showered and slept until the next day. I had a great time at home, but of course my bags didn't arrive in the U.S. until after I had already left to go back to Athens.

Anyways, I can't believe it's the end of January already! Soon enough we'll all be back in the Key starting a new season. I was so excited when I talked to T and she said she was coming back to Seattle. She was a huge part of our success last season and I am sure she'll be even better this summer. I talked to Shy after she had signed with Chicago and told her that while I was very sad she was leaving, I was happy for her because it sounds like a good fit. I am sure she'll be a huge success there and it's only about three hours to Nap-town!

My team here in Athens is playing some pretty good ball right now. After returning from a very short Christmas break we had two tough games in the Greek league. I don't think there was any way we could have played worse in that first game, but fortunately we were able to sneak by and win by a point. The second, the one that probably determined whether or not we would win the Greek championship, was against last season's champs. My team was down by three at the half, but was able to hold them to only four points in the third quarter and take over the game. We were never threatened during the final period. Everyone on my team is on Cloud 9 and hopeful that we are able to run the table the rest of the Greek league season.

In Eurocup, we are still alive and kicking and play a team from Israel this coming week. They are seeded higher than us, so we will play at home first. I am not sure on where the second game will be played, because even though the war has calmed down in Gaza we are still cautious to fly anywhere near there. Adia was on that team, but they recently released all their American players for financial reasons. I'm currently trying to talk Adia into giving me some tips on her former team - I think she might be willing to help. ;)

Outside of basketball, life is good here. I spend a lot of time with my teammates - they are really great people. I had a friend come visit for almost two weeks and that was fun. My mom and brother are coming over here in March, so I am counting down the days until then. The majority of my time is spent playing PlayStation - I recently won the World Series with the Cubs. Yes, it's just a video game, but one of these days (in real life) they are going to win it all. Now I am finishing up a season in NCAA 09. My team is Davidson because Stephen Curry is just flat out nasty! Lastly, here's my Super Bowl prediction: Steelers over Cardinals (... and yes, that really hurt to say T)!

Until next time,
KG

RIP Coach Yow

Big Win for Athinaikos

Katie Gearlds and her Athinaikos squad passed one of their biggest tests in Greek A1 league play Wednesday, defeating second-place Esperides Ravenna 74-63 in Athens. The win is the second for Athinaikos head-to-head between the two teams, who have not lost to any other Greek team. As a result, 15-0 Athinaikos holds a two-game lead in the standings over Esperides Ravenna with the season series complete.

The win showcased Athinaikos' impressive depth. With 10 points, Gearlds was one of of five Athinaikos players to score double-figures. On the other side, Esperides Ravenna had just three players contribute more than two points. Still, Athinaikos trailed 45-42 at the half before outscoring the opposition 17-4 in the third quarter. Esperides Ravenna was held to 1-of-11 shooting in the period.

Gearlds added nine rebounds and a pair each of assists and steals in 37 minutes of action in the win.

Gearlds Blog: I'm Safe from Riots

Let me start this off by first saying that I am safe! The riots that are going down here in Athens are not too close from where I live, but they aren't really that far away either. I could probably drive and be there in less than 10 minutes - part of me wants to go to get a first-hand look, but the smarter part of me is saying to stay away!!!! I haven't seen any riots in person, only those that have been on CNN. Everything is taking place mostly in the center of Athens, but it has began to spread to other parts of the city and country as well.

You all probably know that the riots started because of the 15 year old being shot and killed last week. Well, here, my teammates tell me that the boy being shot was kind of like the tip of the iceberg that set everything off. The rioting is actually rather normal here, but never has it gotten this out of control. It's unbelievable what these people are doing - shops being burned down, cars set on fire ... it really is crazy here!

The basketball side of being here is going great! We are undefeated in the Greek league - our next tough games will be in January. In EuroCup, we advanced with the 11th seed in the Round of 32 and we played Cesis in Latvia on Wednesday. We were able to sneak out of there with a win by 11 points, so hopefully we can take care of business next week at home and advance again. This is my team's first experience at playing in Europe and we are doing pretty well (knock on wood)!!!!

But when we travel as a team on the plane, we have to wear these three-piece suits - yep, the pants, the jacket, and a scarf! We get a million looks wherever we go - we look straight up like British Airways flight attendants (pictured at right) and the things are so uncomfortable! During our last trip, we were in Frankfurt and a woman asked Toya Davis (Texas Tech '06) if she worked there because she needed help finding her flight!

Outside of basketball and riots, everything is pretty cool here. But I did get a parking ticket here and I have no idea how!!!! If you have ever been to Athens, you know there are no parking rules! People just park wherever they want. As long as you aren't blocking someone in, it's a good parking spot! I drive a little smart car (it's funny to watch people's faces when three 6-feet-tall girls get out of this tiny thing!) and usually it's relatively easy to find a spot or make my own spot like the Greeks. This one time, I thought I had a done a great job of making my own spot and the next morning I come out to find an 80 Euro ticket on the windshield! 80 Euros!?!? For a parking ticket?!?! In this country?!?! Oh well, I still park in that very same spot almost every day and nothing since - I guess cops have bad days here, too!

I wish everyone Happy Holidays and may your New Year be all that you want it to be!

KG

Gearlds Blog: Hello From Athens

Hey Storm fans! I hope this blog finds everyone doing well and getting ready for the holidays. I can't believe it's almost that time of the year again. Before we all know it, we'll be back in KeyArena ready to start another season. Since the end of the season, things have been kind of crazy on this end. I had about four days to get packed up in Seattle, head home to see my family and friends, and then head over to Athens. Needless to say, I didn't quite get the amount of time I wanted with all the people I love. But, the job calls and this is what pays the bills, so ... .

My team is currently undefeated in the Greek league and in our EuroCup pool. We've got a pretty solid team and I like our chances in the Greek championship. We've kind of lucked out because our pool in EuroCup isn't the greatest, but we are gladly taking advantage of it and hoping to move on to the next round. We've been pretty lucky because all of our games have been here in Athens; next week starts the traveling, so I'll have more stories later on the countries we visit! I get along very well with everyone on my team, but it would surely take a lot for me not to get along with anyone because I am pretty easy going, as if you didn't know that!

Outside of basketball, life is okay here. Almost everyone speaks English here, so the communication barrier is not a problem. I know a few Greek words - mostly the bad ones, of course! :) The pace of Europe is just so much slower than the USA. I went three weeks with no Internet and no phone line!!!! I was miserable. It just seemed like the people who were supposed to take care of that for me were in no hurry to get it done. Thank God I had my PlayStation with me to pass the time, but my cell phone bill was getting ridiculous.

On top of all that, I couldn't even take a shower in my own apartment because it was shocking the you-know-what out of me. Something was wrong with the water heater and the wires, so after about two weeks of showering in other places, besides my own home, it got fixed and now I can shower at my own place without any fear. Things like that just irritate me because I know in the States something as serious as those issues would be taken care of the next day!

I miss my family and friends more and more each day, but I think I have talked a few people into coming over to visit - I mean, it is Athens! Back home, just this past Thursday, we had to put my golden retriever, Peyton, down. She would have turned two years old this Christmas day, but in September she was diagnosed with Stage 5 cancer. We were going through chemo with her and she had been in remission. She was the same free-spirited dog we came to know and love, but over the past weekend, the cancer took over her whole body and there was nothing more we could do besides let her go peacefully and remember all the good times we had with her. We were only able to have her for a short amount of time, but she gave my family and me some wonderful memories and she's someone we will never forget - she was definitely our little Peyty-Pie!!!!

Until next time, KG

Cash, Gearlds Looking to Shoot Way Out of Slumps

The Storm's two primary small forwards, Swin Cash and Katie Gearlds, are both vital parts of the team's offense - Cash with her ability to score in a variety of fashions and Gearlds in large part because of her perimeter shooting. Both have endured shooting slumps in the month of June, but Storm Head Coach Brian Agler believes they're ready to turn things around.

After starting the season playing some of the best basketball of her career, Cash has seen her shooting drop off. She shot 52.3 percent from the field over the Storm's first six games, five of them wins. Since then, she has seen her shooting percentage slump to 26.8 percent over the last seven games, five of those losses. Cash has scored double-figures just twice in that span.

"I have to really focus back in and hit some easy shots," said Cash. "I'm a perfectionist, and when I miss easy shots, sometimes I carry that with me."

Cash has experienced some trouble with her back, getting treatment on it last week before the Storm played Phoenix (the win over the Mercury was Cash's best game in the month of June, as she scored 17 points). While Cash's movement hasn't appeared to be inhibited and she has been active on defense, blocking a career-high five shots last Saturday in Houston, Agler feels the injury has had an impact in combining with the Storm's busy schedule to limit Cash's practice time.

"This is the first time she's practiced - of course, we haven't had many practices - since we played Detroit here (on June 7)," Agler said. "After we played Detroit here, then she had some things done with her back and she sat out the practice we had going into Phoenix. Then, after Phoenix, we never practiced until today. think that has a lot to do with her shooting more so than anything else. Shooting is a skill - you have to practice skills."

Cash's play has been a key indicator for the Storm. While she's played an identical 32 minutes per game in wins and losses, her scoring average leaps from 8.3 points per game in losses to 15.3 in wins. Cash has shot 45.2 percent in wins as compared to 29.2 percent in losses, and her rebounding average (6.6 rpg in wins vs. 4.2 in losses) is also much better.

Gearlds started off the season well, coming off the bench to knock down three triples in the fourth quarter of a come-from-behind win over Sacramento on May 20. She followed that with eight points at Phoenix in the Storm's next game, but since then her playing time and her shooting percentage have waned. Over the Storm's first five games in June, she totaled two points on 1-of-10 shooting. Gearlds has scored a field goal in the Storm's last three games, and hitting a crucial three-pointer in the fourth quarter Monday against Connecticut seemed to energize her. Moments later, Gearlds used the threat of her shot to drive the lane and find Lauren Jackson for a layup.

"I think Katie's sort of on a little upswing now," Agler said. "I think you'll see her start playing well. I thought she did some good things the other night. She played well in Houston and even in San Antonio, even though they weren't huge minutes, they were good minutes. I just sort of see her confidence coming back. We're going to give her some opportunities to play."

Before Monday's game, Agler took Gearlds aside and chatted with her courtside, encouraging her to stay with it by using an example from the NBA Finals.

"I sort of referred to Ray Allen," Agler related. "You remember in the playoffs, Ray Allen didn't have it going. He struggled for a period of time, but now you watch him play, it's like he never went through that back against Detroit."

Indeed, the former Sonics guard scored 26 points and made seven three-pointers as the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship by beating the L.A. Lakers in yesterday's Game 6 of the Finals.

After Gearlds' early scoring spree, she found her name on opposing scouting reports, and that will force her and the Storm to adjust.

"Defenses understand what she can do, so they don't give her a lot of room," said Agler. "We have to work harder and she has to work harder to get her some looks."

- Storm center Yolanda Griffith remains day-to-day with a left knee sprain, but is making progress in her recovery.

"She did a little bit today," said Agler. "Tomorrow, she'll be very active in practice. As far as Friday? We'll see how we get through tomorrow."

Griffith participated as the Storm ran through its quarter-court offense early in practice, testing out a brace that she may use when she returns. Later, she rode an exercise bike to keep up her conditioning. The Storm hopes to have Griffith available Friday, when the Indiana Fever visits KeyArena (7:00 p.m., 1150 AM KKNW, TIX).