Jayne Appel made her WNBA debut this holiday weekend. The former Stanford star center is finally on the floor after healing the stress fracture in her foot that marred the end of her college career.

Jene' Morris/WNBA photo

Appel played 2:36 Friday night in San Antonio’s 77-71 loss to New York.  She did not take a shot or pull down a rebound, but finished with one assist.

Sunday in a tough loss to Seattle, Appel played more than 13-1/2 minutes, finishing with two points and five rebounds.

Expect Appel’s minutes to increase as she rounds into form. The Silver Stars could use a big, physical body inside.

Morris marks her (roster) spot: Jene Morris came to Cal in 2005 with Alexis Gray-Lawson, Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton as part of a recruiting class that was supposed to turn the Bears program around under new head coach Joanne Boyle.

But Morris decided to transfer after one season and ended up at San Diego State.

And now, while Gray-Lawson, Walker and Hampton were all cut from WNBA rosters at the start of the season, it is Morris who remains.

Morris was the top draft pick of the Indiana Fever, the runners-up for the WNBA title last fall. And she’s making an immediate impact in the backcourt alongside another Pac-10 standout, former ASU star Briann January.

Morris is averaging 12.8 minutes a game off the bench.

Young talent on display: USA Basketball is conducting tryouts for its U18 National team in Colorado Springs from June 8-11 in Colorado Springs and Pac-10 fans will recognize quite a few names. National player of the year and Stanford-bound Chiney Ogwumike is in Colorado Springs along with Cardinal teammate-to-be Sara James. Cal’s new class is represented by Lindsay Sherbert and Afure Jemerigbe and USC-bound Cassie Harberts is in camp as well.

There are a handful of 2011 players in camp as well, including Berkeley High’s Brittany Boyd and Erica Payne of Carondelet HS, as well as Reshanda Gray of Washington Prep in Los Angeles.

The 26 players in camp will battle for 12 roster spots to compete in the FIBA Americas Championship in Colorado Springs from June 23-27.

• 10 Questions with Ashley Walker, the former Cal star who was waived by the Seattle Storm just before the start of… http://bit.ly/aGmKAj #
• WNBA notebook including a chat with Nicole Powell, who is getting settled in New York. http://bit.ly/b0kQsA #

This is a link for tomorrow’s story in the Oregonian about the state of the Oregon State women’s basketball program.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/05/osu_coach_lavonda_wagner_built.html

Kiki Moore, the San Francisco guard who transferred from Washington State after one season in Pullman, has landed at Fresno State.

Kiki Moore/SF Chronicle photo

Fresno State announced Moore’s transfer earlier this week.

Bulldogs coach Adrian Wiggins called her an “impact player” for his program, which has reached the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons.

The 5-foot-8 guard was a starter for the Cougars and was second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.0 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. She led the conference in steals (3.3 per game) and was third in assists (3.6).

Moore played high school basketball at Sacred Heart Prep, winning state championships as a freshman, sophomore and a junior.

Moore will sit out the 2010-2011 season due to NCAA rules. She will take the floor in time to replace star guard Jaleesa Ross of Pinole Valley, the program’s all-time three-point shooter.

Fresno State broke a school record with 27 wins and a 19-game winning streak, winning the WAC regular-season championship.

Ashley Walker/WNBA photo

Ashley Walker, the former Cal star, was the last player waived by the Seattle Storm before the start of the season. Walker, who was drafted by Seattle last season but struggled after breaking her foot, had a strong camp after spending her first overseas season in Israel. The fact that she was cut was a surprise to many.

Walker talked Thursday after what happened since and more.

Q: What is happening with you since you got waived from Seattle?

A: I’m actually getting a chance to enjoy the summer. I’m going to hang out with friends, work out on my own time, stay in shape and really enjoy the summer.

Q: Where are you right now?

A: Right now, I’m hanging out in Oklahoma. My agent is here, so I’m out here working out.

Q: You had a really good camp. Brian Agler said good things about your camp. How disappointed were you to be waived?:

A: Of course, I was really disappointed. My rookie year was so up and down after breaking my foot, which really didn’t help that situation. I had a great overseas season. It was my first time over and I really enjoyed it. But (in Seattle) things didn’t go my way. That happens. Maybe that really wasn’t a fit there. Hopefully, I’ll stay in Oklahoma and maybe something is here. If not, then next year.

Yeah, it was disappointing, but life goes on. It’s part of our careers. And I’ll keep working out and be ready.

Q: Do you feel like you did everything you could in camp to make the Storm roster, left it all on the table, so to speak?

A: I definitely went in with open eyes. I worked my butt off. Some of the things (coach Brian Agler) wanted me to improve on, he wanted me to come in lighter. He wanted me to shoot the ball better and I went overseas and did those things. It just didn’t work out. They are really a veteran team. I don’t think he’s really kept a draft pick in two years. It’s hard to find a spot on that team. Going from the ‘four’ to the ‘three’ was a big adjustment, but I was working hard at that. He went with a vet and that’s OK.

Q: Are you preparing your game to be a ’3′? Is that where you think you will ultimately fit?

A: I wouldn’t say I’m preparing to be a ’3′. I can play the ’4′. There are a lot of small forwards in the league. Amber Hold plays the ’4′ and she’s smaller than I am. I think it’s a matter of being able to play more than one position. That’s what it’s going to come down to. I need to play to my strengths and definitely prepare to be a multi-faceted player.

Q: Can you talk about your first season overseas?

A: I loved it. I had a great, great time. I had really good teammates and it was an amazing culture. I enjoyed making new friends and learning the language. Everyone there was a pro. The players are older and they’ve played a lot longer. The overseas game is rougher. You just kind of grow up as a basketball player there. I went in hurt and I had a chance to heal. But that experience taught me to be a pro and that’s why I came to came so ready.

Q: Devanei Hampton was with you in camp. Lexi was in Washington. How much opportunity did you all have to compare your experiences?

A: Dev stayed with me the majority of the time (in Seattle). I’ve talked to Lexi and she’s already left to go play in the ‘D’ league. She had a great time in Washington and I think she had a great camp.

Q: Did you go into camp with your hopes up or practical about how difficult it would be to make the roster?

A: I definitely went in knowing that I could potentially get cut. I went in knowing I had a great season in Israel. I was a little surprised that I got cut, but a lot of people were, I think. But it wasn’t like smack in the face. They were looking in a different direction.

I told Brian that I want to be one of the better players in the league and if it’s not here, then maybe it will be somewhere else. Everybody had seen my in college. When I got there, I was not a leading scorer or a leader and people know how that turned out. I think I am one of those players who develops over time. Maybe I need more time to develop, or a spot to call home.

Q: What are you doing in Oklahoma?

A: I’ve been here for a week or two. My agent is here because she has Marion Jones as one of her clients. I needed to talk to her, figure out what to try to do for the summer. And it’s easy because she’s right around the corner. I’ve found places to work out. I will go home this weekend and visit with my family for a while. My home is still Modesto. I’m looking to buy a house, but I haven’t found one that I liked yet.

Q: Do you still have hope that you will get back on a WNBA roster? Perhaps this season?

A: I’m talking to my agent, I will keep working out. My agent is telling me, ‘We’ll find something.’ I’m waiting for a call and if I get one, I get one. I will keep working hard and sew what happens. I definitely see myself finding a spot. Everybody changes rosters, people get hurt. You never know.

Nicole Powell, WNBA photo

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/05/24/wnba-notebook-nicole-powell-settling-into-new-home/

• 10 Questions with Candice Wiggins of the Minnesota Lynx http://bit.ly/9G53QO #

Nikki Caldwell is back from her bike ride and ready to get to work.

Nikki Caldwell and Holly Warlick/UT photo

The UCLA coach capped her “Cruisin’ for a Cause” fundraiser with an appearance on “Good Morning America” with Tennessee assistant coach Holly Warlick.

Caldwell and Warlick founded the long-haul motorcycle ride to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer four years ago. This year, they rode from Knoxville to Niagara Falls, New York and back And they raised about $50,000.

“We’re just excited that everybody got back safely,” Caldwell said earlier this week.

Now it’s back to work for the UCLA head coach, who has almost everybody back from a team that reached the second-round of the NCAA Tournament this year after 25-9 record and a strong second-place finish in the Pac-10.

A few weeks’ distance has allowed the second-year head coach to appreciate what her team accomplished.

“I look back and watch film and I’m pleased with the effort. We played really hard,” Caldwell said. “I didn’t see a lazy team. We had good practices and preparations for games. We are going in the right direction.”

The Bruins got an injection of leadership and talent from newcomers Jasmine Dixon and Markel Walker.

Caldwell said she credits her team for embracing Dixon — who played her first game in December after sitting out one year after transferring from Rutgers.

“The biggest difference in being a better team was that we were better teammates,” Caldwell said.

UCLA is likely going to begin the season in the Top 25. The Bruins are worthy after winning 20 of their last 25 games to close the season and knocking out North Carolina State in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament.

Next year, Caldwell wants to see more contributions from her guards — including seniors Darxia Morris and Doreena Campbell.

“I’ve already told them, ‘You’ve got one more shot at the Pac-10 title, one more shot at going deep in the NCAA Tournament,” Caldwell said. “It’s going to be a challenge. In our spring workouts, they’ve been great. As a team they are saying ‘We’ve got to get better’ and they are committed to getting better.”

Caldwell acknowledged that it will again be difficult to unseat Stanford, who will return four starters and add national player of the year Chiney Ogwumike.

“The thing that Stanford does so well is their ability to keep you from scoring in the paint,” Caldwell said. “Their size makes them long and they can pack it in. That’s where we’ve got to be able to have our guards step up. And we’ve got to be able to score on 10 or 12-foot jumpers. We have to be able to knock down mid-range shots, because they don’t give you a lot in the paint.”

Been wanting to write for a while a story about the quick turn that the top players make going from the NCAA Tournament to the WNBA grind. Jayne captured it so well…http://my.wnba.com/cms/119159/catching_up_with_jayne_appel

Jayne Appel/SLAM online

Didn’t quite get to 10 questions with Candice Wiggins on Wednesday while she was on the bus between shoot-around and the hotel with the Minnesota Lynx. The former Stanford star is getting a late start on her third WNBA season after having knee surgery to repair a meniscus tear on April 27.

Candice Wiggins/WNBA Photo

She is expected back in the next week or two, but no timetable has been given for her return.

In the meantime, the Minnesota team has gone through many changes and has designs on the playoffs. There’s a new head coach in Cheryl Reeve and a new starter in all-star guard Linsday Whalen.

Wiggins is sidelined along with guard Seimone Augustus, who had surgery last months on ovarian tumors and is not expected back until the first couple weeks of June.

Wiggins had a strong season overseas, leading Athanaikos to the Greek League title and was named the EuroCup Player of the Year.

Q: Can you talk about where you are in your rehab process?

A: I’m healing. Not really rehabbing. I’m in more of a transition phase, back on the court. I’m not cleared yet. There’s not really a set time (for a return). It’s going to be soon.

Q: Is there a specific date or gain you are aiming for?

A: No, not right now, it’s not forseeable right now.

Q: Were you hurting while you were playing in Europe?

A: I don’t think I’ve been playing 100 percent for a while. If you asked a lot of people who are playing in the WNBA or any professional sport, almost everyone could have something done (surgically). I had a decision to make. It was really starting to impact my play and I wanted to come back 100 percent again. With all the wear and tear I had, I needed to do something. It wasn’t like a had a huge thing. It wasn’t reconstructive or anything like that.

Q: When was the last time you had any kind of a break from basketball?

A: I can’t tell you that. There hasn’t been one, since the last surgery I had in 2008. But absolutely, I can’t really complain. It’s the life we chose and it kind of comes with  the territory.

Q: Were you hoping to put this procedure off until later?

A: It was kind of, like, necessary. It wasn’t something I was necessarily excited about. I was in denial about it for a long time. I didn’t want to do anything. I don’t really think I had an option. Originally, I wanted to wait until I had time. In my mind, I was thinking I’d wait until after the season before the overseas season. But I really couldn’t.

Q: What is your view of the Lynx this year with all the changes (new players, new coach)?

A: It’s exciting. It’s new and different, a different kind of pulse, a different year. It’s a different mood and obviously, I can’t be on the floor right now, but I think there’s been a little jolt of energy injected into the team and sometimes you need that, you need that change of pace.

Q: How was your season in Greece this year?

A: I feel like I graduated from college, from basketball school. It was such a good test for me. Every day we practiced twice a day. I was working on my decision-making, that was my biggest focus. I had a coach that really worked with me. It was a little frustrating at first. It was a lot of change.

Q: What kind of change?

A: My decision-making. We didn’t run the pick-and-roll at Stanford and the pick-and-roll is a big part of the professional game. I needed to adjust to being in the pick-and-roll all the time. I needed to understand how that works. I needed to work on being a leader on the team again. And we helped them make history in their country.

Q: How much different an experience did you have overseas compared to your first season last year?

A: Absolutely night and day. I feel like I have grown-up as a player, I really have. And I have a lot of confidence in that.”