Paris, Parker Finally Collide

Nov. 14, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- It's the national player of the year against the preseason player of the year. The most dominant post presence against the most dazzling all-around athlete in women's basketball.

After two seasons of playing in different worlds, Oklahoma's Courtney Paris and Tennessee's Candace Parker will finally be on the same floor Thursday night when the No. 9 Sooners (0-1) face the top-ranked Lady Vols (1-0) at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, the site of this year's Final Four.

"I think it's women's basketball Mecca,'' Sooners coach Sherri Coale said Tuesday. "It's a chance for that sports fan who maybe hasn't dipped into women's basketball yet to have a reason to turn their television on and have a reason to ... check it out.

"Courtney Paris and Candace Parker will be icons. They already are, but you wait 15, 20 years and you see how their presence is legendary within the sport.''

Coale compared the game, which will be played after No. 10 Duke faces South Florida, to the time Magic Johnson and Larry Bird met in the NCAA championship game in 1979, a preview of their storied NBA rivalry.

"I think everyone has been waiting for this matchup for a long time,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "I am glad that all of the women's basketball fans who have an interest in the matchup will be able to see it.''

Paris set the NCAA rebounding record as a freshman and then came back with an even more impressive sophomore season, averaging 23.5 points and 15.9 rebounds to earn recognition as the AP's player of the year.

Parker gained acclaim for her ability to dunk in games and against a field of male competition at a dunk contest at the McDonald's All-American game, but she showed the wide range of her game in leading Tennessee to the national championship last season. After averaging 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds, she was chosen as this season's preseason player of the year.

Coale called the juniors "two very, very different weapons, but each extraordinary in its own way.''

"Courtney is power and brawn, and there aren't very many women's basketball players who can physically match up to her stature and keep her from owning a piece of real estate that she wants,'' Coale said. "And if she gets that piece of real estate, it's over. She's going to produce and the opponent's going to be in trouble.

"Candace is a little bit more like a wild bird that you're trying to catch, just because she's fleet of foot, she's graceful, she can shoot from the 3, she can take three strong dribbles from half court and dunk it.''

Parker and Paris were teammates this summer on the U.S. team that qualified for the 2008 Olympics. Paris dispelled the notion that the two were somehow rivals.

"She's really down to earth and humble, and it's just cool to be around people like that,'' Paris said. "It's not about Courtney Paris and Candace Parker. We're just normal kids, like we were before all this happened.''

Coale insisted no one player on either team could prevent Paris or Parker from putting up their usual big numbers. That leaves her scheming against Summitt, who's won more Division I games than any other coach.

"It's really not about me and Pat Summitt and it's really not about Courtney Paris and Candace Parker,'' Coale said. "It's about Oklahoma and Tennessee, and the group that's best together for 40 minutes will win the game.''

For Paris and the Sooners, Tennessee will be the second of three straight highly ranked opponents on the schedule to start the season. Oklahoma dropped a 76-66 decision to No. 4 Maryland, the 2006 NCAA champion, on Sunday. Coale called it a learning experience for a young squad that features no seniors.

"One of the reasons we're playing Maryland and Tennessee to start the season is because we want to be one of those teams like Tennessee and Connecticut are right now, where year in and year out they're going to be in the Final Four or people are going to be absolutely shocked,'' Coale said. "We're close to that. We're in the Sweet 16 every year or everybody is completely devastated. That's still a step below being in the Final Four.

"To get there, you know what you've got to do? You've got to beat one of those guys.''

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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