The buzz surrounding Tennessee forward Candace Parker’s dunk prompted a flood of questions at LSU’s press conference before the team’s second round game against Washington this past Monday.
Media members from around the United States focused their attention on another possible women’s basketball dunk candidate – six-foot-six-inch sophomore center Sylvia Fowles.
Senior guard Seimone Augustus said Fowles will not force a dunk because of Parker’s recent play.
“I think if she gets the opportunity to [dunk], she will,” Augustus said. “But it’s not a forced issue for us.”
Augustus said she enjoys watching Fowles dunk in practice, and Fowles’ power leaves her awe-struck.
“They’re powerful dunks for a woman,” Augustus said. “I think when you see her come and do a reverse dunk from one side to another and actually hang off the rim, it’s amazing. To see her make the rim shake like a man would, that’s amazing.”
Coach Pokey Chatman said she does not mind Fowles showing her talent in a dunk contest or in practice but would not set up a specific play for Fowles to dunk in a game.
“Sylvia is so unique in where she plays the game for us,” Chatman said. “She’s not a post player that’s coming in and trailing and so some of the opportunities to get that wide open dunk is not available for her.”
 
AUGUSTUS, CHATMAN UP FOR NATIONAL HONORS
Both Augustus and Chatman were named finalists for Naismith Awards, the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s board of selectors announced Wednesday.
The board is comprised of basketball writers, coaches and administrators from around the country.
Augustus, the nation’s leading scorer, is a finalist for the National Player of the Year award just one year after receiving the same award.
She is in the running for the award along with North Carolina’s Ivory Latta, Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris and Rutgers’ Cappie Pondexter.
Chatman is a final candidate for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year award.
Chatman won the same award last year after guiding the team to a 33-3 record, a Southeastern Conference regular season championship and a Final Four appearance.
Ohio State’s Jim Foster, Maryland’s Brenda Frese and North Carolina’s Sylvia Hatchell are Chatman’s competition for the honor.
The winner will be announced April 7 at the Naismith Awards banquet in Atlanta.
 
LADY TIGERS INJURY UPDATE
Senior guard Scholanda Hoston had to leave the floor twice during the Washington game Monday because of cramps.
Hoston will start Saturday’s game in San Antonio against DePaul University.
The senior averages 8.7 points per game and leads the team in steals with 61.
 
UC RIVERSIDE BAGPIPE BAND
The UC Riverside Lady Highlanders brought their own flavor to the team’s first round game against No. 1-seed North Carolina this past Saturday.
A squad of about 20 bagpipe members served as the team’s pep band during pregame, timeouts and halftime.
Mark Dodson, assistant director of athletic media relations, said the group is made of faculty, staff, students and alumni affiliated with UC Riverside.
“They normally don’t perform inside,” Dodson said. “They perform outside in a walk-up area as [fans] enter.”
Dodson said because the band played for all the team’s home games, the University allowed members of the band to accompany the Lady Highlanders to the tournament.
 
TOURNAMENT ATTENDANCE
The Lady Tigers played in front of two of the smaller crowds they’ve seen this season during the first round of the tournament in Nashville, Tenn.
The attendance for the first game against No. 16-seed Florida Atlantic drew 3,352.
The game against No. 9-seed Washington drew 5,051.
“It really doesn’t make a difference,” Fowles said. “Our fans are wonderful. It could be 20 of them, and it would sound like 2,000 of them.”
The smallest home crowd LSU played in front of this season was Dec. 20 against Tulane, which drew 2,328 fans.
 
Contact Kyle Whitfield at [email protected]