Steel City Queens open their home schedule with two games this weekend in Allentown

by Thomas Leturgey Professional basketball returns to the Allentown neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh, just a few months after the Steel City Yellow Jackets brought home their very first National Championship. Now, it’s the Women’s time to shine. The 0-1 Steel City Queens of the Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA) open their home season … Continued The post Steel City Queens open their home schedule with two games this weekend in Allentown appeared first on New Pittsburgh Courier.

Steel City Queens open their home schedule with two games this weekend in Allentown

by Thomas Leturgey

Professional basketball returns to the Allentown neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh, just a few months after the Steel City Yellow Jackets brought home their very first National Championship.

Now, it’s the Women’s time to shine. The 0-1 Steel City Queens of the Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA) open their home season with two games this weekend at A Giving Heart Community Center.

This club, owned, operated and Head Coached by Ace Pippens (who piloted the Yellow Jackets) and Assistant Coach Clyde Manns lead the way. This Saturday, the Queens will take on the Richmond Road Runners at 3 p.m. And on Sunday, the team takes on the Greensboro Kaos. The Kaos took an early, ultimately insurmountable lead against the Queens on July 10, 74-63. Both games tip off at 3 p.m.

Guard Shataya White, who had a high-scoring career at LaRoche College, led the Queens with 21 points while rookie guard Ciara Patterson, a stand-out at Slippery Rock, added 18. 

Rookie Katelyn Fischer, a guard who previously played for Mary Mount University, is a three-point threat, as she had two in the final quarter to help trim the Kaos lead in the season opener. Another rookie, Ciara Patterson from Slippery Rock University, also showed promise in North Carolina. 

The home opener will be the season debut for a number of the Queens. Forward Arianna Rosemond, who was a key member of the Yellow Jackets’ staff, has played three years for the WABA squad, but didn’t play against the Kaos. Rosemond, at 5’10” andforward Emma Stille, at 6’2” is entering just her second season.

Pippens is also hoping for good seasons from forward Sierra Williams, a veteran forward who played her college ball at Penn State Beaver, as well as forwards Ariana Sanders, a rookie, and second-year player Tyra James, both from Point Park College. 

Sabrina McLin, a guard, was the Queen’s lone representative on the 2021 WABA All-Star team.

The Queens only play eight games, four on the road and four at A Giving Heart Community Center. The other two are August 6 when the Virginia Hearts come to town and then August 21 when the DC Cyclones (who were the WABA champions in 2019) travel to the Steel City. All home games tip off at 3 p.m. 

The season concludes on August 28 when the Queens travel to Virginia to play the Hearts. 

The “new” WABA began in 2017. COVID-19 shut down the entire league in 2020, and the Jacksonville Force are the defending champions. 

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