Former UH center gives WNBA a shot
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Christen Roper survived the Sacramento Monarchs' first cuts and wore her No. 14 for both WNBA exhibition games, but did not play. She has no sense of where she stands — "That's not the way it's done here" — and "no idea" when the final cut will come.
But playing professional basketball is a breeze compared to the trauma of finishing University of Hawai'i finals 2,460 miles from Manoa. When she flew to California for training camp, Roper's baggage included four unfinished classes.
She took two finals earlier this week, turned another one in, and had her final test proctored Friday. She remains on track to graduate next semester. What she will do next is still in question.
The Monarchs have given the 6-foot-5 senior little indication of their feelings. Roper, who started her final 66 games as a Rainbow Wahine at center, spent nearly the entire first week playing forward. This past week she shuttled back and forth from forward to center.
"Turns out she likes to dribble," said UH assistant coach Da Houl with a grin. "Who knew?"
Roper, the WAC's career block leader, won't go quite that far. She says she moved to forward only because she is no longer the tallest player. Vanderbilt All-America Chantelle Anderson, the No. 2 pick in the draft, is 6-6 and reserve center Kara Wolters 6-7.
Does Roper really like to dribble? "No, it's kinda scary," she says. "Da was just being nice."
The Monarchs waived three players last week, cutting their training camp roster to 16. There are 11 returning players, three draft picks and two free agents including Roper. The season starts Thursday at Phoenix, and the normal roster size is 11, though teams can expand.
If Roper makes the cut, the minimum rookie salary is $30,000. Right now, she doesn't know when the cut is and hopes it never comes. Two-a-day practices have morphed into three-hour workouts with strict areas of concentration. Roper is comfortable, and happy.
"I'm still just playing hard as I can to get beyond that (the cut)," she says. "I didn't have a lot of expectations coming in except that we'd be run into the ground and that didn't happen."
Roper, who is living in a hotel, says players socialize after practices and games. That part has also been enjoyable, and she'd like to spend more time with her teammates. But, unlike the other Monarchs, final exams called.
"I have enough free time to do things," she says, "but it's been really hard to sit down and study."
OVER AND BACK: The Monarchs first three cuts were two forwards and a center. ... One of the referees for Sacramento's 64-48 exhibition victory over Seattle was Hilo's Shelley Nakasone.
