SIBENIK, Croatia — While she and LSU women’s basketball teammate Seimone Augustus represent the United States, LSU’s All-America guard Temeka Johnson has kept a diary of events from her adventures with the team. Here’s the third installment of the diary, from Boston and now Croatia.
Tuesday – July 8
As the plane was landing in Colorado Springs, I started to get excited.
A month ago when I was here it was different. There were about 60 players or so trying out for the team but now I am one of 12 that is going to be representing my country.
Before I left, Coach Gunter had me in her office to tell me what to expect with the travel and practices and everything. She finished by telling me that it would be an experience that I would remember for the rest of my life. I listened to her carefully — after all she has as much international experience as any coach in basketball and was the Olympic head coach in 1980. I plan on doing my country and LSU proud.
July 9 – Wednesday
Wow! Today was hectic. Because I was a late addition to the team, I reported a couple of days later than the rest of the team so today was all about me learning some of the plays that the team has already put in. We practice twice a day with a team meeting in between.
I felt like a lot of things were thrown at me today but I think I handled them well. Practice is different. In college, you have over a month to get ready for your first exhibition game so you can add things at a slow pace: Not Here! We start playing next week so we have to get as much in as soon as possible.
Seimone (Augustus) is doing just fine. Of course she was here from the first day so she has been helping me catch up. All in all it was a good first day. The team finished out the day by going to the movies together.
July 10 – Thursday
The practice sessions were even more intense today. Coach Foster brought in some guys (men) for us to scrimmage against tonight and we got after it. It’s hard to breath out here because of the altitude but that will help us prepare for our future games.
I like playing for Coach Foster. He used to be the head coach at Vanderbilt and today when he put in the 1-2-2 zone defense, I could remember it and some of the slides.
The rest of the week is going to be hectic. We practice tomorrow morning and then head for New York City. We are going to stay and practice at the Athletic Club, which is where they give the Heisman Trophy. We also get to watch the WNBA All-Star game, which means I will get to see Marie (Ferdinand). I will give you some details on our New York City trip next week.
July 11 – Friday
Today was an easy day in that we had a practice this morning and then went to the airport to fly to New York. It was my first visit to New York so I am pretty excited about seeing the city as well as watching the WNBA All-Star Game. Practice continues to be fun because of the level of talent. Our practices our as competitive as some games that I’ve played — it makes for a great opportunity to improve.
July 12 – Saturday
Today we got to attend the WNBA All-Star Game in Madison Square Garden! To be able to see the best players in women’s basketball playing in one of the most famous arenas was awesome. The game was very exciting. The East gave the West a run for the money before losing in a close game, 84-75. It was also a thrill to see Marie (Ferdinand) play in the game. It was her second-consecutive year playing in the All-Star game. She had two steals and six points in helping the West to the win. Seimone and I were hoping to see her after the game but it was a madhouse. I had to settle for talking to her later in the evening on the cell phone. All in all, it was a very special day.
July 13 – Sunday
We have been staying at the New York Athletic Club, which is a hotel and athletic facility all wrapped up in one. Many know of this building because it is where they present the Heisman Trophy. It’s a really different kind of place. You have to be in dress clothes at all times in order to use the elevators or go to many parts of the Club. If you are wearing shorts or basketball shoes, you have to walk the stairs. Our team used the stairs quite a bit (smile). We also got to go to Times Square and do some shopping, which was really neat. On the way back to our hotel we met Angelina Jolie, who lives in an apartment building across from our hotel.
July 14 – Monday
Today, we had a practice in the Club and then boarded a plane for Boston. Even though they are both big cities in the East, they seem different. New York was a very fast paced city where Boston seems a lot more laid back. Tomorrow, we open up out schedule of play against Brazil.
July 15 – Tuesday
We defeated Brazil today, 82-61. We started out slowly with a sub-par first half but played pretty well from that point on. I didn’t score any points but was pleased with how I played. I think I ran our team well, which is what Coach (Jim) Foster wants from me. I saw the floor well and had five assists.
The important thing is that we won, and that we find a way to improve on our effort. After the game we went to a special dinner at Harvard University with the Brazilian team and the Australian team. It will be a short turnaround as we play Australia tomorrow.
July 16 – Wednesday
Today, we played a tough game against a good Australia team. We started the game slow but played well in the second quarter. In that quarter, we outscored Australia 22-8. They rallied but we held them off for a 61-56 win. I thought I would update you on Seimone (Augustus). She is playing well. She is working hard on defense and you can see this part of her game improving. The only thing she is not doing is shooting the ball well. It doesn’t bother me because I know what a great shooter she is and I know that she will probably catch fire at the right time.
July 17 – Thursday
Today we finally had a day off from play but we went to watch Brazil play Australia. Brazil won the game, 89-81, and it was a good game with both teams really getting up and down the floor. After the game we had some time on our own to go out and look around Boston. One of the great things is how well our team has come together. I guess some so-called all-star teams don’t mesh and it causes problems but that has not been the case with us.
We all enjoy hanging out with each other off the court and it makes for an unselfish team on the court. Some of the players I have either played against or will play against are Kristen Mann, who was the outstanding player for UC-Santa Barbara that we had to go triple overtime last year to beat. Shawntinice Polk is a big 6-5 post player that scored around 28 points against us last year and we needed an overtime to beat her and Arizona.
They come to the PMAC next year with their entire team back. Another 6-5 post player is Christi Thomas from Georgia. We beat them in a close game this past year and have to go to Georgia next season. Tanisha Wright is a very athletic wing from Penn State, another team we beat last year and have to visit this year. Finally, there is Cappie Poindexter who is the point guard from Rutgers. We share the same position and have become really good friends. If you haven’t seen her play, make sure you come out this year when her Rutgers team comes to the PMAC. I think the game is Dec. 2. They have a good squad and it will be a great game.
July 19 – Friday
We played Brazil again today and they played us a little tougher. Earlier in the week we beat them by 21. Today we entered the fourth quarter up only by two points before finally taking control of the game and winning, 74-62. Coach (Jim) Foster wasn’t pleased with our performance today and challenged us for our game tomorrow with Australia.
July 20 – Saturday
Today we had no problems starting well (or finishing well). We really came out played very well in beating Australia, 81-57. It reminded me of our LSU team last year. Coach (Sue) Gunter always spoke of how important it was when we substituted that those subs played well and extended the lead. That’s what happened today. Everyone played well regardless of their role. Another nice part of the game for Seimone and myself was that Coach Gunter and Pokey (Chatman) were in the stands today to watch us. They had taken some time off from recruiting and flew into Boston just to watch us play. So I’m glad that we played well today — for several reasons (smile).
July 23 – Wednesday
Sorry about the delay between entries but we have been on a busy schedule with practicing, team meetings and of course traveling. We are currently in Croatia and it is really different from Louisiana. The one similarity is the heat. It is actually warmer here than in Baton Rouge. Even worse is that the gyms here don’t seem to have air conditioning or at the very best it’s not strong enough to make a difference.
The hotel we are staying at is extremely nice. The only down side is that to us the phone is extremely expensive so we have been walking into town (about two miles) and using the pay phones to call family. The food is OK. The best part is that they serve French fries with everything — I mean everything. They also have a lot of chicken though it doesn’t look like our chicken. Near our hotel they have a huge lake and the locals go down there and swim. The majority of them swim topless. Please don’t worry — TEAM USA is keeping their tops on and their minds on basketball. We open up with our first game on Friday against France.