HEAD They Call Her ‘Meek,’ but She’s Far From It
Almost great.
Just a tick or two away, they say, and she’ll be there--at the top of the women’s game.
Only one WNBA player, Houston’s Cynthia Cooper, has had a more spectacular second half this season than the Los Angeles Sparks rookie her teammates call “Meek,” Tamecka Dixon.
And it was Cooper on Saturday who succinctly summarized what WNBA people are saying about Dixon’s game, a blend of tough defense and soaring, graceful drives.
“Two words--unbelievable talent,” Cooper said after Houston had beaten the Sparks, 72-71.
Since late last month, it has been showtime for Dixon, 21. She has mesmerized opponents and fans with her explosive drives down the key, which usually end with uncontested layups.
It started with a wink July 25.
The 5-foot-9 Dixon began the second half of the Sparks’ game at Phoenix with a three-point shot. Then she froze, turned her gaze slowly to her coach, Julie Rousseau, and winked.
Ever since, she has been a central figure in her team’s drive to overhaul Phoenix for the Western Conference championship. Recent examples:
* At New York last week, she shifted gears and blew right by the Liberty’s Teresa Weatherspoon for two easy second-half layups in a 67-50 Los Angeles victory.
* At Cleveland on Thursday, in crunch time of a double-overtime game, she was given the ball on inbounds plays, even though she was guarded by veteran Lynette Woodard. Dixon led the Sparks to victory, scoring 23 points.
* At Houston on Saturday, she gave her team a six-point lead in the late going with a soaring drive in the paint.
She was getting negligible playing time at season’s start but has become a go-to player. She’s shooting 46% and leads the team with 42 steals.
She averaged 20 points on the recent three-game trip and was named the league’s player of the week.
Dixon began the season, under former coach Linda Sharp, as a wing player and chafed at the assignment, preferring shooting guard, where Rousseau now has her. From Kansas, she was the team’s second draft pick, the league’s 14th overall.
“I saw her when she was a Kansas junior, so I’m not surprised at what she’s done,” Rousseau said.
“A Porsche has what, five gears? You’re talking about a player who has seven.”
Her sudden, change-of-pace bursts put assistant coach Orlando Woolridge, a 13-season NBA player, in mind of a noted pro.
“She reminds me a lot of Vinnie Johnson, when he played for Detroit,” Woolridge said.
“She does a great job of decoying, making it look like she’s about to back up to set something up, then exploding into her drive.”
Dixon says her trademark drives were crafted and honed on the playgrounds of Linden, N.J., about 10 years ago.
“I played mostly with guys, and they were always leaving me behind on their drives, so I started doing it to them,” she said.
Now, she’s doing it to the likes of Weatherspoon, Cooper and Cleveland’s Eva Nemcova.
Her father, Russell Bowers, is still American University’s all-time leading scorer. His rebound shagger and towel carrier in those days was 3-year-old Tamecka.
When his speedy daughter was a fifth-grader, he signed her up for the Linden Police Athletic League, a boys’ league.
“She was the only girl in the league and was one of the best players,” he said. “At that point I began to think this was the start of something big.”
IN BRIEF
The Sparks (10-13) have the week off, playing at Utah Saturday night before their final homestand, against Phoenix, New York and Sacramento. . . . With Western Conference leader Phoenix (10-11) having lost eight of its last 10, the conference championship may be determined in the Sparks’ final game, at Phoenix on Aug. 24.
On Monday night at Charlotte, N.C., Cooper continued her hot run by scoring 39 points in leading the Comets (15-7) to a 72-62 victory over the Charlotte Sting before 6,055. Cooper, averaging more than 22 points, was 15 for 19 from the field, including five for seven from three-point range. Andrea Stinson had 17 points to lead the Sting (11-10). . . . At Salt Lake City, Merlakia Jones scored 19 points to lead the Cleveland Rockers (12-10) to a 74-59 victory over the Utah Starzz (6-16) before 7,319.
The rival American Basketball League has hired television executive Cathy Andruzzi to be general manager of the Philadelphia Rage. . . . The ABL’s Long Beach StingRays held a workout recently, trying to find a roster replacement for Cindi Brown, who has bolted for first a European season and then the WNBA. At the workout were Tara Davis, former Washington standout; Heather Burge, twin sister of the Sparks’ Heidi Burge; Cass Bauer of the Columbus Quest; and Charmin Smith of Stanford.
The StingRays will open training camp Sept. 2, but three of their premier players won’t be there. Yolanda Griffith, Michelle Marciniak and Venus Lacy will be trying out for the U.S. team that will play in the World Championships.