July Bits and Pieces
Lots of activity in mid-July, so here are a few notes to share from said events
HOOPLA 2022: Former South Salem basketball star Jaden Nielsen-Skinner teamed up with his father Ryan and some other “street ballin’” friends to win the 6-foot and under Men’s Division (1) at Hoopla over the weekend. Nielsen-Skinner, who played last season at Division II St. Martin’s of Lacey, Washington, was part of the five member squad known as Keeping Flies Off the Watermelon. They defeated the team Size Matters 37-25 in the title game on Sunday afternoon.
WESTBROOK STICKS: Her playing time has been limited at best, but former South Salem and UConn hoopster Evina Westbrook is going to remain on the roster of the WNBA’S Washington Mystics until the end of the season. The team announced the signing of Westbrook to the contract extension on Monday. Westbrook, in her rookie season, was initially drafted and then cut by Seattle, played a handful of games for Minnesota, and then was signed by the Mystics. Evina has only appeared in three games so far for Washington. The team is currently in fifth place in the WNBA standings with a 16-11 record. The next Mystics game is at home this Thursday (11:30 am ET) against the New York Liberty and former Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu.
JAMES JUMPS IN EUGENE: After having the best long jump leap of the day Saturday at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, former West Salem star Tristan James had to settle for a 24th place finish in the event at Hayward Field. James finished with a top mark of 22 feet, 4 inches (7.72 meters)—tying his personal record set in 2018 at a meet in Torrance, California. James won the 2019 Pac-12 Long Jump Title.