Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Parker to have X-ray on shoulder

Tennessee received an injury scare regarding star player Candace Parker Wednesday afternoon.

The Lady Vols hope that’s all they’re dealing with after the 6-foot-5 redshirt junior walked off the court holding her right shoulder toward the end of the team practice at Pratt Pavilion.

Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols’ assistant athletics director for sports medicine, said after practice that she was uncertain about Parker’s condition. Moshak said Parker would see team physician Dr. Rebecca Morgan today and have an X-ray.

“(Jenny) didn’t seem overly concerned, but we’ll err on the side of caution and go have it checked out,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said.

Three Lady Vols already are on the sidelines. Wing player Alberta Auguste is out with a calf contusion, and center Kelley Cain is out with a concussion. Moshak listed both players as day to day. Guard Cait McMahan is out for the season after undergoing offseason knee surgery.

Parker’s mishap happened at the end of a practice that was much better than Monday’s workout.

“They came ready to practice,’’ Summitt said. “The overall intensity was much better.”

Poll Day: The SEC women’s preseason poll was delayed a day because of some late-arriving votes and will be released today in conjunction with the start of SEC Basketball Media Days in Birmingham, Ala.

The Lady Vols will take part in the annual event this afternoon. As is their custom, the Lady Vols will send two seniors, Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike, as their player representatives.

Upon returning to Knoxville, the team will conduct an evening practice.

U.S. Team Falls: A day after scoring a game-high 20 points, former UT guard Kara Lawson went scoreless, missing all four of her shots in the USA Select team’s 79-76 loss to TEO Vilnius of Lithuania at the FIBA World League tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Vilnius was led by two familiar faces. Former University of Connecticut star Nykesha Sales, who plays for the WNBA’s Connectiuct Sun, scored a game-high 21 points. Kristin Haynie, who played for Michigan State against UT in the 2005 Final Four semifinals and is Lawson’s teammate with the Sacramento Monarchs, scored 15.

Diana Taurasi led the U.S. with 16 points. The U.S. trailed by 13 points in the first half.

“We didn’t start the game with very much intensity at all and we had to play catch-up to come back,’’ U.S. coach Anne Donovan said. “We thought we did that at one point, then we gave up four straight threes. Our intensity ebbed and flowed throughout the whole game and that certainly caught up with us.”

The U.S. (1-1) plays CSKA Moscow today.

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