Summer league for women's basketball set

Area women's basketball players will have a summer league of their own next year.

The Sisterhood Summer Classic will debut June 15 at Catholic High School and run for three weeks. The championship game will be July 2.

The Classic will be patterned after the successful men's Pilot Rocky Top League at Bearden High and run parallel to it with games on Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Admission will be free for the games.

The women's league will consist of six 10-player teams comprised of collegiate players, graduated collegians, professionals and incoming college freshmen.

"It felt like the timing was right," said Habibi Andre, one of the Classic's organizers. "We got the right people involved, the right sponsors."

Andre is with Adidas Team Hustle, a local AAU program that fields boys' and girls' teams. Rob Wampler, an assistant coach with KGC Lady Pride who helps with Team Hustle, also has assisted with the Sisterhood start-up.

"The folks I've talked to - AAU coaches, players and parents - have been thrilled to hear of the league,'' Wampler said. "I don't think I've had a single negative reaction from anyone. The pieces on this fell into place so quickly and easily. It felt right from the very start."

The featured attraction will be the Tennessee Lady Vols. The Classic coincides with Tennessee's camp schedule, meaning UT players will be here.

"I'm excited about it; the guys have been at it for awhile,'' UT coach Pat Summitt said. "It gives a lot of young players in this area an opportunity to be on an organized team. It's opportunities to compete."

UT also expects to have two incoming freshmen: guards Lauren Avant of Memphis and Meighan Simmons from Cibolo, Texas. Their availability is yet to be determined. Both players are expected to sign letters of intent with Tennessee next week, when the fall signing period begins.

While the summer schedule precludes any involvement by WNBA players, Andre is confident about filling the rosters.

"We've had great, great responses,'' she said, "and we haven't even communicated with all the (area) colleges."

Andre said three team sponsors - DeRoyal, AAU Girls Basketball and Duncan Automotives - are on board. Classic organizers are looking for three more sponsors.

Four coaches have been lined up as well. Andre said Webb School coach Shelley Collier and Catholic coach David Ball will direct teams, along with former major league pitcher Atlee Hammaker and Summitt's son, Tyler.

There will be community involvement with Mission of Hope staging school backpack and food can drives. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame will name a nightly most valuable player, and local high school students will announce the games.

"We saw that there was a need,'' Andre said of starting the league. "We saw what Andre (Whitehead) was doing on the men's side (with the PRTL). We thought: Let's do this for the women."