WNBA teams waive Oha, Joens

Former GW women’s basketball players Ugo Oha and Cathy Joens were both cut by their respective WNBA teams May 19. The Connecticut Sun selected Oha with the No. 24 pick in the draft and the New York Liberty picked Joens with the No. 30 selection, but neither player made final cuts.

“I was disappointed that they both got cut,” head coach Joe McKeown said. “They had a great opportunity but fell victim to the numbers game that is the salary cap and player limit.”

Despite getting cut from the Sun, Oha will continue to hone her basketball skills this summer. She was recently selected as a member of the 2004 Nigerian National Women’s Team that will compete at the Olympics in August.

GW hires Abraham-Ngongba as assistant coach

Former GW standout Tajama Abraham-Ngongba will join the women’s basketball staff, McKeown said last week.

Abraham-Ngongba will fill one of the spots left open when assistant coach Kathy Wilson departed last month. Assistant Torri Harrison also left last month to take the head coaching position at Rider University, leaving one position still open and Lisa Cermignano as the only returning assistant.

“Just getting (Abraham-Ngongba) back to GW is great for us,” McKeown said. “She loves the game.”

He added that her playing career will help her in recruiting because “everything she tells a recruit, she’s actually been through it.”

Abraham-Ngongba played four years in the WNBA and was named to the Kodak All-American First Team in 1997.

Smith Center to host 2005 A-10 Tournament

GW Director of Athletics Jack Kvancz confirmed last week that the A-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held at the Smith Center next season. The tournament was held at St. Joseph’s last season.