 | | Sacramento Monarchs  Coach: Sonny Allen
Arena: Arco Arena
Team colors: purple, red, silver and black
Top players: Latasha Byears, forward (14.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.0 apg); Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, guard (11.0 pgg, 2.2 rpg, 5 games); Ticha Penicheiro, guard (6.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 7.5 apg); Yolanda Griffith, forward-center (17.2 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, (ABL) Chicago Condors); Kedra Holland-Corn, guard (14.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, (ABL) San Jose Lasers); Kate Starbird, guard (13.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, (ABL) Seattle Reign)
1998 record: 8-22, tied for 4th in West. Did not make playoffs.
Outlook
After winning just 18 games in two seasons, Sacramento fired coach Heidi VanDerveer and replaced her in February with former Old Dominion, USBL and CBA coach Sonny Allen. Known for embracing an up-tempo style of play, Allen who spent six years as an NBA scout before working as an assistant coach with the Detroit Shock last season inherits a franchise that has ranked near the bottom in most WNBA offensive categories. He also must cope with injuries that have hobbled two of his stars: Ruthie Bolton-Holifield has made slow progress from knee surgery, and Ticha Penicheiro continues to be bothered by a fractured thumb and is not at full strength. Allen also lost Molly Goodenbour, who played the past two seasons in the ABL, to a torn ACL on May 21. Because Goodenbour was slated as backup point guard, the Monarchs acquired Cindy Blodgett from Cleveland to shore up that position.
Schedule June 12Orlando 9 14at Minnesota8 17at Houston8:30 19Sacramento9 24at Sacramento4 26Minnesota9 28at Los Angeles10:30 30Houston 10 July 2Cleveland9 6Detroit 9 8at Washington7 10at Orlando7:30 12Phoenix 2 16Houston 9 18at New York4 19at Charlotte7:30 21at Detroit12 24at Cleveland7 26Washington9 27at Phoenix10 30at Los Angeles9 31Sacramento9 August 3New York9 5Los Angeles9 7Minnesota9 9Charlotte9 11at Minnesota8 13Phoenix 9 14at Sacramento10 16at Houston8 20at Phoenix10 21Los Angeles9 © Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company
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