Tina Thompson has two lasting impressions of Tulsa: the normally suffocating summer heat and downtown dining.
Yokozuna, a restaurant specializing in sushi and Asian cuisine, "is one of the best places in the WNBA to eat," she said. "I go there every time."
The Seattle Storm forward should know. She has been in the league longer than anybody. She's winding down a 17-year career, and Friday's game against the Shock will be her last in Tulsa.
Thompson announced her retirement in May. She's the last active player from the WNBA's inaugural season of 1997, and the No. 1 overall pick in the first draft.
"I absolutely never dreamed that it would last this long. My plan was to play in the league for a few years," she said in a phone interview last week.
Tulsa (11-21) plays its final home game before the Shock and Storm end the regular season in Seattle on Saturday night.
Growing up, Thompson's plan was to get an education, go to law school, become an attorney and, later, a judge. But things took a slight detour.
"The WNBA was an opportunity to make a little money so I wouldn't be riddled with student loans later," she said. "It looked like the opportunity of a lifetime. It goes to show that the plan we have for ourselves isn't always the plan God has for us."
The former University of Southern California standout went to the Houston Comets in that first draft and helped them win the league's first four championships.
"The luckiest day of my life," former Comets coach Van Chancellor said, "was when Tina Thompson declared for the WNBA draft at 5 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon and the draft was due to take place at 9 o'clock the next morning.
"She put five championship rings on my finger - four in the WNBA and one in the Olympics. She's just a great player, more like a coach on the floor. As a rookie, she just understood the game," Chancellor added.
Thompson won Olympic gold in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. She is a nine-time All-WNBA selection and played in eight all-star games.
And she will finish as the league's all-time scoring leader. She has 7,446 points - more than 1,000 more than second-place Katie Smith of the New York Liberty.
Thompson also leads the league in career field goals (2,618) and minutes played (16,028), ranks second in rebounds (3,052) and is near the top in various other categories.
"She's one of the originals. I always wish her well," said Shock assistant Stacey Lovelace, a former University of Louisville standout who played against Thompson in parts of seven WNBA seasons.
"She's done everything you can do in this league. She's been a star and she's been a role player. She's been the face of the league and the face of a franchise.
"She's done it all."
Thompson's current role is leading a team that many expected not to make the playoffs after losing all-stars Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird to knee injuries.
With Seattle locked into the final Western Conference playoff spot, Thursday's game is largely meaningless - except to the Shock.
Tulsa coach Gary Kloppenburg and his players want to finish strong and continue their season-long dominance of the Storm. The Shock has won the three previous meetings.
Thompson said the Shock is "a good, young team" that gives the Storm matchup fits.
"It's kind of like us and Phoenix. We swept the season series from them, and not many teams can say that. We are not a good matchup for Phoenix and Tulsa is not a good matchup for us," she said.
Shock guard Riquna Williams will try to continue her recent scoring surge. She averaged 17 points in the six games before breaking the league record with 51 in Sunday's win at the San Antonio Silver Stars.
WNBA
Storm at Shock
7 p.m. Thursday
BOK Center
Seattle (15-16)
|
|
Ht. |
Pt. |
Rb. |
| F |
Little |
6-2 |
10.9 |
4.7 |
| F |
Stricklen |
6-2 |
9.6 |
2.7 |
| F |
Thompson |
6-2 |
13.7 |
5.6 |
| G |
Johnson |
5-3 |
10.4 |
4.0* |
| G |
Wright |
5-11 |
11.9 |
3.9* |
Tulsa (11-21)
|
|
Ht. |
Pt. |
Rb. |
| F |
Jacksn-Jones |
6-3 |
4.8 |
4.3 |
| F |
Johnson |
6-3 |
15.0 |
8.9 |
| G |
Diggins |
5-9 |
8.5 |
3.9* |
| G |
Goodrich |
5-4 |
4.2 |
3.0* |
| G |
Williams |
5-7 |
15.8 |
2.0 |
*assists per game
Notes: Tulsa leads the season series 3-0, winning twice in Seattle. ... Sunday's win at San Antonio was Gary Kloppenburg's 20th in two seasons as Shock head coach. ... Riquna Williams is sixth in the league in 3-point shooting (.396). ... Angel Good rich's 11 assists at San Antonio were a career high. ... Skylar Diggins' 20 points were two shy of matching her career high.
Mike Brown 918-581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Final stop for Thompson
Pro W Basketball (WNBA)
9 p.m. Saturday
Basketball Australia manager Tamara Sheppard was in town to meet with Shock officials Thursday and discuss the responsibilities of Australian national players in international competition the next three years.
