WNBA Tuesday Programming Note

By Weinman - ESPN2's first WNBA broadcast of the 2009 season will be tomorrow night's Seattle-Indiana game at Conseco Fieldhouse. The game tips at 6 p.m. CT and will be shown in hi-definition.

The Fever will be looking to rebound from with back-to-back season-opening losses at Atlanta and against Minnesota. According to the schedule on wnba.com, this will be the only ESPN2 game for the Fever and 2009 VU grad Christina Wirth (the team is scheduled to make five appearances on NBA TV this year).

Wirth makes Fever's 2009 roster

By Weinman - Congratulations to Christina Wirth! The Indiana Fever have set their roster for the 2009 season, and the recent Vanderbilt grad was one of two rookies to make the team.

The Fever's 11-woman roster features a contrast of experience and youth, with six players boasting eight-or-more years of WNBA experience and four players in their first or second season. The exception is Ebony Hoffman, who has played five years in the league.

Head Coach Lin Dunn's squad opens the 2009 regular season on Saturday, June 6, in Atlanta against the Dream. The Fever return to Indianapolis the following night for their home opener against Minnesota. Their 34-game schedule runs through Sept. 13.

PR director Kevin Messenger will host a live chat prior to tomorrow night's game at Atlanta on the Indiana Fever web site.

WBB Staff Catches Fan Fever

By Weinman - Last night the Indiana Fever topped the Chicago Sky, 74-67, in an exhibition contest in Indianapolis. In attendance for the game, which pitted former Commodore teammates Christina Wirth (above) and Jennifer Risper against each other, were members of the Vanderbilt coaching staff. Click the picture above for a larger version, and notice who is sitting just to the right of the basketball....

Another big "Thank You!" to the Fever photographer Frank McGrath and P.R. director Kevin Messenger, who have been extremely helpful in sending pictures and information back to Nashville. McGrath also included a shot of Wirth and Fever teammate Katie Douglas playing a little defense in the Fever's photo gallery.

Dore vs. Dore: Fever host Sky Thursday

By Weinman - Former Commodore teammates Jennifer Risper and Christina Wirth will don opposing jerseys this evening as Wirth's Indiana Fever play host to Risper's Chicago Sky tonight in a WNBA preseason contest.

As co-captains for the 2008-09 Vanderbilt women's basketball team, Wirth and Risper led the Commodores to their sixth Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship and the school's 14th appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16.

Thursday night will give both WNBA rookies another opportunity to stand out as coaches prepare their rosters for the upcoming 2009 season. For information on tonight's game, check out the Fever's web site.

You give me fever

By Weinman - WNBA training camps started yesterday, with many teams hosting their "Media Days" this morning. Thanks to P.R. Director Kevin Messenger and photographer Frank McGrath for sending along these first images of Vanderbilt grad and Indiana Fever second-round draft pick Christina Wirth. While meeting with the media, Fever players and staff posed for pictures and signed a set of basketballs (Wirth is pictured with Tamika Catchings in the first image). Click on the pics above to see larger images....

And in honor of Barca, how 'bout a YouTube video of Fever?

Wirth named NCAA postgrad scholar

By Weinman - Graduating senior Christina Wirth added another honor to her long list of postseason accolades Monday as the NCAA awarded educational grants to 58 student-athletes participating in winter sports. Wirth is one of 29 women who will receive a one-time, nonrenewable grant of $7,500 through the NCAA postgraduate scholarship program. See the complete list of award winners at ncaa.org.

Risper and Wirth react to being drafted

Find out what Jennifer Risper and Christina Wirth had to say about being chosen in the 2009 WNBA Draft Thursday.
Click Here

Wirth drafted by Indiana

by Barca Blog - Christina Wirth was just selected by the Indiana Fever with the sixth pick in the second round (19th overall) of the 2009 WNBA Draft.

In her senior season, Wirth averaged 16.6 points per game and 5.7 rebounds for the Commodores. The Mesa, Ariz., native was even more spectacular in the postseason with 22.7 points per game and 6.5 rebounds in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. She was a unanimous All-SEC selection by league coaches and finished in ninth place on Vanderbilt's career scoring list.

The Fever have a history of drafting Commodores including Zuzi Klimesova (2002), Jillian Danker (2002), Ashley McElhiney (2003), and Ashley Earley (2005). Also, Jenni Benningfield signed with Indiana as a free agent in 2004 and Sheri Sam played for the Fever in 2007.

The WNBA Draft is about to enter the third and final round. Fans can watch it on ESPNU and NBA-TV, or follow online at WNBA.com or ESPN360.com.

Texting For CLASS?

Posted by Weinman

Consider this your first reminder of many more to come about voting for the 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Last season, Shan Foster has honored as the men's recipient, and this year Christina Wirth is one of only 10 women's finalist.

In addition to voting online (click here), voting via text message has been added for 2009. In order to vote for Christina, simply text the message WB10 to 839863.

Fans are allowed to vote once daily (one text per cell number, one vote per computer), and voting will remain open through March 22nd.

Wirth gets ahead

Here's another outstanding article from today... this time from The City Paper's David Boclair. Boclair provides us with a superb feature on women's basketball senior Christina Wirth. Take a few minutes to sit down and read this -- click here.