How long will Lieberman’s latest gambit last?

As a human being I try to avoid questioning the motives of other fellow members of my species. But one of the most publicity-hungry individuals in the women’s hoops tribe truly knows how to steer attention her way. On a certain level, it is to be admired.

Especially with a headline that asks this question.

Nancy Lieberman wasn’t a WNBA coach for very long, and left the Detroit Shock in such disastrous shape for Bill Laimbeer to clean up and turn into a champion.

I’m all for having second chances, since I’m reordering my career; perhaps Lieberman has gained some perspective on what a new coaching opportunity might mean.

But intriguing as this overture from Donnie Nelson is, I honestly have to wonder how long Lieberman will stick with it. And not just because of the fleeting nature of the D-League.

Her television work for ESPN and other outlets has been her one constant, and I have to admit Lieberman can be a sharp analyst when she wants to be. Especially when she makes very economic use of the word “I.” Which is not very often.

The AP story asserts that this is “no publicity stunt.” I want to believe that too, because for all of her overt self-promotion, Lieberman truly does love the game. I take her to be serious about this D-League gig, which doesn’t begin for another year. It appears to be a great chance to teach the game to players who could learn a lot from a Hall of Famer.

So I’ll be eager to see how Lieberman proceeds with this new duty — and a familiar place in the spotlight — over the next 12 months.

And speaking of publicity stunts, there’s apparently no word yet from the White House on whether an invitation is forthcoming.

Eastern Illinois mourns Moore

Jacqueline Moore was remembered as “the glue that held this team together” by a former player on Thursday, a day after the 28-year-old Eastern Illinois assistant coach collapsed following a workout and later died at a hospital in Charleston, Ill.

An athletics department spokesman said Moore’s heart “just stopped.” A memorial service at EIU will be held on Sunday; all sporting events involving the school’s teams have been cancelled.

No other medical details have been made available and funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Minnesota Lynx wins WNBA draft lottery

The Minnesota Lynx have had high draft picks before, which have been used to snare Seimone Augustus, a previous No. 1 pick, among other notables.

Thanks to a previous trade with the New York Liberty, the Lynx’ chances of winning the 2010 lottery improved, and on Thursday, Minnesota prevailed again, and nailed down the No. 4 pick as well. Sacramento, Connecticut and Chicago will pick with the second, third and fifth selections.

So if UConn’s Tina Charles is the first pick to Minnesota and Stanford’s Jayne Appel stays close to home at No. 2, how might the rest of the lottery phase shape up?

And who might the Lynx choose with No. 4? This is a team with Augustus, who went down with a knee injury six gams into the season; Nicky Anosike in the post; Candice Wiggins, Charde Houston, Roneeka Hodges and Rashanda McCants on the wings; and point guards Renee Montgomery and Kelly Miller.

There’s a lot of talent here, and it finished 14-20. Jennifer Gillom’s got some big decisions to make, and this is probably a draft that she and the Lynx organization really need to get right.

Whoa there, that wasn’t supposed to happen

The Syracuse men’s team losing an exhibition game to LeMoyne must have triggered an infection that’s catching on the women’s side.

Minnesota, with some lofty ambitions in the Big 10, got bitten by Winona State.

Alabama, generally picked to finish last in the SEC, fell victim to North Alabama.

Packin’ in the preseason crowds

It helps to have ballyhooed freshmen debuting for teams with serious Final Four aspirations, but the exhibition crowds at Notre Dame (Skylar Diggins) and Baylor (Brittney Griner) are worth noting.

The Irish have sold out all their home games, and the Lady Bears will be one of the biggest draws wherever they play because of Griner, whose first official college game is next Sunday at Tennessee.

How’s that for a debut setting?

A little stressful in Seattle

Washington athletics director Scott Woodward is clarifying comments he made in September about the future of Tia Jackson. The embattled Huskies coach, entering her third season, doesn’t have a team that is likely to do much in the Pac 10, but at least needs to show some improvement. Woodward yesterday:

“I’ve told everyone that we’re not going to accept mediocrity around here. We’re going to be good, and we’re going to be excellent in all we do.

“When I told them at the round-table that we had 19 of our 23 sports make it to postseason play, that’s where we need to be — that’s a minimum. Now, does that mean that Tia has to make it to postseason play this season? No, of course not. What I have to see from Tia and all of our coaches is marked progress.”

The definition of “marked” is the key here. FWIW, Woodward blames his predecessor for creating an environment that hampered Jackson from the outset, and predicts “she’s going to be a great coach.”

In another part of town, new Seattle U. coach Joan Bonvicini is pledging to take a program relatively new to the Division I scene into the national rankings in three years.

What will become of Spartak Moscow?

While authorities in Moscow investigate the apparent contract murder of Lithuanian-Israeli business mogul Shabtai Kalmanovich, players for his Spartak Moscow team were reeling from the news.

No less from Lauren Jackson, perhaps the best-known female player in the world.

Jayda Evans of the Seattle Times rounds up the reaction, and examines the possibility that Kalmanovich’s basketball activities that might have led to him getting gunned down.

Will the roster of what may be the best women’s team in the world — Jackson, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles — be broken up as a result?

 

Unanimous All-American honor for Moore

Instead of rattling off the rest of the Associated Press’ first team preseason All-American team, I’ll let you read them here.

What’s really interesting is that Maya Moore and Tina Charles are the third duo from UConn to earn this distinction, and that five sets of teammates overall have been bestowed in such a manner.

Only six other players have gotten this nod in unanimous fashion, as Moore has.

A recruiting coup for Coop, through the back door

What happens when a young player really, really wants to play at a certain school, but hears a constant message from parents, coaches and others who really, really think she should go elsewhere?

She occasionally makes a decision that she later regrets.

Cassie Harberts, the No. 11 HoopGurlz senior (and No. 22 for Blue Star) recently told Arizona State coach Charli Turner-Thorne she would become a Sun Devil.

But the 6-foot-2 forward from San Clemente, Calif., really, really had her heart set on USC, even after Mark Trakh resigned, and even while the Trojans were awaiting Michael Cooper to finish out with the L.A. Sparks.

So Harberts called Turner-Thorne again over the weekend to say she had changed her mind and would be going to USC after all. Says Russ Davis, her AAU coach:

“I support her but I don’t understand what happened. I was totally shocked and feel bad for Charli who went through the process and thought she had a commitment.”

Perhaps a little more understanding for the plight of the kid, and just not the prospective college coach, would have helped Harberts all along.

Recruits renege on verbals all the time, and while it’s an unhappy circumstance for the jilted suitor, this is a life-changing decision for a teenager to make, even without the pressure to go against what she might have in mind.

I hope I’m not trying to read too much into what Davis has said, but shouldn’t what the player wants be the prevailing issue here?

Really turning out to see the kids play

My eyes popped out when I saw this attendance figure from Iowa State’s exhibition win Sunday afternoon over the University of Dubuque:

9,552.

Did I mention this was an exhibition game? Coach Bill Fennelly tossed his many freshmen into the fray, and they got a heavy dose of the fan mania that comes with being a Cyclone:

“We have a lot of new faces, but I hope the fans that came leave here feeling like, hey, it’s the same kind of Iowa State team. They play hard; they play the game the right way. New faces, new numbers, but the same approach.”