Sacramento Monarchs
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| Sacramento Monarchs | |
| Image:SacramentoMonarchs 100.png | |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Home court | ARCO Arena |
| Colors | Dark purple, gray |
| WNBA Championships | 1 (2005) |
| Conference Championships | 1 (2005) |
| Playoff Appearances | 2 (1999–2001, 2003–2005) |
| Head coach | John Whisenant |
| General manager | John Whisenant |
| Owner | Maloof family |
| Mascot | Monty [1] |
While the Monarchs have been one of the more successful WNBA franchises, they have often trailed behind perennial Western Conference champions the Houston Comets and the Los Angeles Sparks. However, in 2005, the team brought Sacramento its first major championship in a professional sport, winning the WNBA Finals for the first time.
The team is named after the Monarch butterfly and the type of ruler. As the name "Monarchs" suggests, they are the sister team of the Sacramento Kings.
Uniform:
White and dark purple at home with the word "Monarchs" inscribed in gray. Purple and white on the road with the word "Monarchs" in gray.
Contents |
History
The Monarchs made an impact in the WNBA almost immediately. With the hiring of Portuguese national team player Ticha Penicheiro, popular player Ruthie Bolton and prolific scorer Yolanda Griffith, all of whom have been WNBA All-Stars, the Monarchs have been able to make the playoffs almost every year so far, but were normally eliminated before reaching the WNBA Finals.
After losing to the Seattle Storm in the 2004 WNBA Western Conference Championship, the Monarchs made major roster moves to improve the team, by way of obtaining younger players and emphasizing Head Coach John Whisenant's defense-oriented system. Bolton, one of the team's original players, became a free agent and the Monarchs made the difficult decision not to keep her on the active playing roster, though they did offer her a position in their front office. Edna Campbell, a breast cancer survivor and another fan favorite, was not signed by the Monarchs and later signed with the San Antonio Silver Stars.
On March 3, 2005, the Monarchs traded Tangela Smith and a 2006 second round draft pick to the Charlotte Sting in exchange for former Stanford University standout Nicole Powell, Olympia Scott-Richardson, and Erin Buescher. After signing two Chinese players, Miao Lijie and Sui Feifei, the Monarchs traded Chantelle Anderson to the San Antonio Silver Stars for a 2006 draft pick. During the 2005 WNBA Draft, the Monarchs drafted point guard Kristin Haynie from Michigan State University and Chelsea Newton from Rutgers University. The Monarchs did sign Ruthie Bolton as a free agent for the purpose of her trying to win a spot on team's roster during its pre-season training camp, but eventually waived her. Bolton later joined the Monarchs to work in their promotions and public relations department.
The offseason moves immediately paid off for the Monarchs as the team finished with a franchise-best 25-9 win/loss record. Whisenant was later named the WNBA Coach of the Year, and Powell received the WNBA Most Improved Player Award. After previous seasons of being eliminated from the WNBA Playoffs by either the Houston Comets or the Los Angeles Sparks, the Monarchs finally defeated both teams during the 2005 WNBA Playoffs to earn their first appearance in the WNBA Finals against the Connecticut Sun. The Monarchs won their first ever WNBA Finals by defeating the Sun, three games to one in a best-of-five playoff series, which brought Sacramento its first major championship in a professional sport.
Players of note
Retired numbers
- Ruthie Bolton (#6)
- Jerry Reynolds, the Monarchs' first General Manager, has a retired jersey marked "GM", that was hung onto the Arco Arena's rafters in 2004.
Hall of Famers
Not to be forgotten
- Chantelle Anderson
- Cindy Blodgett, now an Assistant Coach at Brown University
- Linda Burgess
- Latasha Byears
- Edna Campbell
- Stacy Clinesmith
- La'Keshia Frett
- Bridgette Gordon, now an Assistant Coach for the women's basketball team at Stetson University
- Kedra Holland-Corn
- Tangela Smith
- Kara Wolters
- Chantel Tremitiere
Current roster
Note: Monarchs player Lady Grooms served as a scout during the 2005 season while on maternity leave
Coaches and others
Head Coaches
- Mary Murphy (1997), now a color commentator for Pac-10 women's basketball games on Fox Sports Net in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Heidi VanDerveer (1997-1998), now an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm
- Sonny Allen (1999-2000)
- Maura McHugh (2001-2003), now the Head Coach at State University of New York at Stony Brook
- John Whisenant (2003-Present), also serves as the Monarchs' General Manager
General Managers
- Jerry Reynolds
- John Whisenant
Trivia
- First professional women sports team to appear on cover of Wheaties box.