by Steve Bradley
Pro basketball star Bria Hartley of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics visited the Hoosick area over the weekend, giving clinics at Hoosac School on Saturday November 5 and HFCS on Sunday November 6. [private]Hartley is a relative of 1982 HFCS graduate Noordin Said, who made the arrangements for her to visit the area.
Hartley was drafted seventh by the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and was immediately traded to the Washington Mystics. She made a name for herself during a stellar career at the University of Connecticut (UConn) where she started as a freshman. She started on four Final Four teams with her teams winning the NCAA National Championship two consecutive years. In her four years of being the starting point guard at UConn, the team went 144-11. She ended her college career with 1,994 points, 259 three-pointers, and 559 assists.
She brought two other players, Tyrone Gilmore, Jr. and Prentice Williams, to give more instruction to the kids and they were great teachers.
The EC Fund and DePaula Chevrolet / Maserati helped sponsor her visit. Mike Ryan at Hoosac School and Lori Kempf organized the event.[/private]