DOOLEY Observed: WNBA rallies around Lauren Hill

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802: "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies."

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."-- Thomas Jefferson

"When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout." .... jbd

"When once a job you have begun, do no stop till it is done. Whether the task be great or small, do it well, or not at all." .... Anon

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein

Television is one daylong commercial interrupted periodically by inept attempts to fill the airspace in between them.

If you can't start a fire, perhaps your wood is wet ....

When you elect clowns, expect a circus ..............

Friday, October 31, 2014

WNBA rallies around Lauren Hill

"We want to make this woman feel the love from the basketball community," New York Liberty senior VP Kristin Bernert said of Mount St. Joseph freshman Lauren Hill, above, who has inoperable brain cancer.

Elena Delle Donne had chills when she first heard about Lauren Hill. The WNBA star was brought to tears the more she read about the Mount St. Joseph freshman, who has inoperable brain cancer.

Delle Donne will attend Hill's game on Sunday as a fan, moving a speaking engagement to make sure she could be there.

"It's a once in a lifetime thing for her and I want to be there to support her," Delle Donne said.

"She had that much passion for the sport to get one more game in there. It's so amazing to see as an athlete her love of Basketball. To see what she's doing to play that game is really miraculous and so incredible.

"The impact she's going to have on the world is the most important thing. It's very important to continue her legacy and I'm going to do my best to get the WNBA to remember her."

She isn't the only WNBA player who will be at the game. The Indiana Fever will have a contingent at Xavier on Sunday among the 10,000 people expected to attend the game. The Fever honored Hill, who is from Indiana, earlier this month at a Pacers preseason game. The team made her an honorary member of the Fever.

Delle Donne wants to do more. She reached out to her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas to see what they could do for Hill.

A few hours later, Colas was talking with Kristin Bernert, who is the senior vice president of business operations for the New York Liberty. Bernert had read about Hill and was also deeply moved by her story. So the two thought of ideas of what they could do to help.

They came up with a website -- http://www.1more4lauren.com/.

It serves as a chance for people to learn about Hill and offer their support. There are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts from athletes across the sporting world, including Maya Moore, Becky Hammon, Mia Hamm, Richard Sherman and Kyle Singler.

"We want to make this woman feel the love from the basketball community," Bernert said. "We also want to raise awareness for the disease she's fighting. Raise some money. There's a lot of momentum around her right now. How do we remind people the disease is still there eight or nine months from now?"