ANON12
Years ago
Erin Phillips 'suspended' by Suns
As the article below says 'not as sinister as it appears', but still interesting.
Phillips is 'suspended'
By ARTHUR SHERMAN
Norwich Bulletin
MOHEGAN -- Sounding worse than it is, the Connecticut Sun announced Tuesday that Erin Phillips has been suspended for the 2007 season. The action comes because she failed to report to training camp, per the WNBA collective bargaining agreement.
But anyone confusing the term "suspended" for Phillips, who will not play this season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, being a negative on how the team feels would be quite wrong.
"We're not upset," Sun general manager Chris Sienko said. "We kind of expected this would happen and we're excited for her to come back next year. We obviously want her to recoup appropriately, so we don't want to rush anything."
The suspension actually helps Connecticut because it won't have to pay her or count her on the roster, which cannot hold more than 13. The Sun still retain Phillips' rights, but she will be in the third year of her contract next season instead of her second.
The Sun do have an option for the 2009 season.
Had Phillips' contract counted toward the cap, Connecticut wouldn't have been able to afford a 13th player -- only 11 are on the active roster -- until midway through the season. The Sun won't have to wait anymore, although Sienko indicated the team might only keep 12 after training camp.
"One of the players that we're interested in may report a couple of weeks late," he said, choosing to withhold any other information, "which might make it a little bit easier."
