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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sting set to start season sans Stinson

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Charlotte Sting opened training camp Monday with a new shooting guard for the first time in franchise history.

Gone is 37-year-old Andrea Stinson, the only player in WNBA history to start all 273 regular season games. A Charlotte native and an All-American at North Carolina State, Stinson was not offered a contract with the Sting this season.

Coach Trudi Lacey will likely slide Allison Feaster from small forward into the backcourt with three-time Olympian Dawn Staley. Sheri Sam, acquired from the WNBA champion Seattle Storm in the offseason, may move into Feaster’s old spot.

“It was not an easy decision at all (to release Stinson),” Lacey said. “But I made a decision last fall after we didn’t make the playoffs that we had to get younger and more athletic. That’s the direction the league is headed in.”

That meant there was no room in Charlotte’s backcourt for Stinson, even though she’s the third-leading scorer (3,329 points) in WNBA history. A three-time All-Star, Stinson led the Sting in scoring in her first six seasons.