McMahan, Cain projected to be 100 percent ready

TAMPA, Fla. - As the Tennessee Lady Vols ended one season Tuesday night, they received good news for the next season.

Injured players Cait McMahan and Kelley Cain are both progressing well in rehabilitation, according to Jenny Moshak, the Lady Vols assistant athletic director for sports medicine.

Moshak said orthopedist Dr. Greg Mathien rechecked the players this week and was pleased with their progress.

"The report is they are doing extremely well," Moshak said. "Cait is as good as anybody could expect her to be - an A-plus. Kelley is doing wonderful at four months.

"I'm confident they will be 100 percent (by next season)."

McMahan, an All-American at Heritage High School, sat out this season while recovering from knee surgery. The 5-foot-4 sophomore will compete with incoming freshmen for the starting point guard position.

Cain, a 6-6 freshman, also redshirted this season after undergoing knee surgery. She's expected to replace senior Nicky Anosike as UT's starting center next season.

Before UT decided to redshirt Cain, she had 11 points and 12 rebounds in a preseason game against Carson-Newman.

WNBA Draft: UT's Candace Parker, a two-time national player of the year, is expected to be the first player taken in this afternoon's WNBA draft. The draft will begin at 1 p.m. at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla., about 30 miles from Tampa.

Lady Vols Alexis Hornbuckle and Anosike also are among the 20 college players invited to attend the draft, which will be televised live on ESPN2.

The Los Angeles Sparks will draft first, followed by the Chicago Sky.

Fleser Honored: News Sentinel sportswriter Dan Fleser was honored at the Women's Basketball Coaches Association luncheon Tuesday. He received the Mel Greenberg Media Award for his contributions to the sport.

Fleser has been covering Lady Vols basketball for the News Sentinel for 18 years.

Meanwhile, LSU senior All-American Sylvia Fowles was named the national defensive player of the year at the luncheon. Fowles had 24 points and 20 rebounds in LSU's 47-46 loss to UT in the Final Four semifinals Sunday night.

Riding Again: Lady Vols assistant coaches Holly Warlick and Nikki Caldwell are preparing for their second "Cruisin' for a Cause" motorcycle ride to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

Warlick and Caldwell will ride from Knoxville to Key West, Fla., beginning May 11. The kickoff for the event will be an East Tennessee ride May 10. The one-day tour will begin and end at Wild Wing Cafe in Farragut.

Riders pay $50 ($75 for couples) for the ride, a T-shirt, live music and all-you-can-eat appetizers. Preregistration is required. Log on to cruisinforacause.com for details.

Warlick and Caldwell rode across the country last summer, raising more than $50,000. They made donations to the Wellness Community of East Tennessee, Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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