Monarchs Blog and Q&A

Bee staff writer Melody Gutierrez grew up in Twentynine Palms. At 14-years-old, she decided to combine her two passions -- sports and writing -- when she became a special assignments reporter for the Desert Trail, her hometown weekly newspaper. Melody headed to Northern California in 2000 to attend Chico State and has remained in the region ever since. She earned an internship with The Bee and subsequently became a staff writer in 2004 and has covered virtually every sport, starting with high schools, up through college and then the pros. Melody took over coverage of the Monarchs last season and chronicled the team's pursuit of a second straight league championship -- a quest that fell just short.

Melody welcomes your questions and will answer as many as she can as the season progresses.

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July 30, 2007

Minnesota quietly rebuilding

In the visitor's locker room and past the trainers room is a bathroom, a brown curtain concealing the shower, which Minnesota coach Don Zierden is using as his office.

Zierden welcomes me with a gentle handshake and warm smile. With 45 minutes until tip off Sunday against the Monarchs, Zierden is gathering his thoughts inside his Arco Arena hideout.

His demeanor is patient and kind.

"Everything is a process right now," Zierden said. "We are trying to get better in practices and gain experience."

With five rookies and six players with less than three years experience, the Lynx are being pegged as a team with playoff expectations as early as 2008.

"They should feel positive about their future," Monarchs coach Jenny Boucek said
after Sunday's 78-73 loss to the visiting Minnesota with the help of a career-high 39 points from second-year guard Seimone Augustus.

- Melody Gutierrez

Posted by Bill Bradley, July 30, 2007 07:59 AM

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