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The Monarchs to Meet the President
Your 2005 WNBA Champion Sacramento Monarchs are heading to the White House on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 to be honored by President George W. Bush. WNBA President Donna Orender will also be honored on behalf of the WNBA for its 10th Anniversary.

Monarchs Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, May 20, 2006, Monarchs vs. Phoenix Mercury at ARCO Arena. 12:15 P.M. PDT Ring Ceremony and Championship Banner Raising, 1:00 P.M. PDT Tip-off. Game to be broadcast on ABC.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006, Monarchs at Chicago Sky at 5:00 P.M PDT at UIC Pavilion. Game to be broadcast on Comcast Sports Net.

Thursday, May 25, 2006 Monarchs vs. Houston Comets at ARCO Arena 7:00 P.M. PDT.

**All games can be heard on Sports 1140 KHTK with Jim Kozimor and Krista Blunk calling the action.

Upcoming Opponents
Monarchs vs. Phoenix Mercury
- The Monarchs are 6-3 overall in season openers, 2-2 at home and 4-1 on the road.
- Sacramento is 3-1 against Phoenix in season openers with their most recent win last season at Phoenix, 77-72, on May 21, 2005.
- In their 2005 Season Opener against the Phoenix Mercury the Monarchs won, 77-72, at Phoenix. Nicole Powell and DeMya Walker led the Monarchs with 13 points each.

Monarchs/Mercury Connections
- Monarchs assistant coach Monique Ambers was drafted by Phoenix Mercury in the fourth round of the 1997 WNBA Draft. In 1997, Ambers averaged .444 field goal percentage, .400 free throw percentage and 1.2 rebounds per game in 19 games played.
- Monarchs guard Kara Lawson (Tennessee '03) and Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi (UConn '04) faced off two years in a row at the NCAA Tournament. In 2002 during the National Semifinal UConn defeated Tennessee, 79-56 and in 2003 in the National Championship UConn won, 73-68.

All-Decade Team
Yolanda Griffith, Ticha Penicheiro and Ruthie Bolton were all chosen as nominees for the 2006 WNBA All-Decade Team. All together there were 30 nominees chosen from a panel of national media members and WNBA coaches on the basis of their overall contribution to the League. To vote for our Monarchs players, please visit SacramentoMonarchs.com. Voting will conclude on May 31, 2006 and ten players will be chosen in June to be honored at an All-Star celebration in July.

Stork Visits Monarchs
Congratulations to Monarchs forward DeMya Walker on the birth of her first child, a beautiful baby girl. Zachara Catherine came into the world on April 11, 2006 at 8:34 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 19 inches long. Mother and child are doing well. Walker is currently living in Houston where she will spend the rest of her maternity leave. She is expected to rejoin the Monarchs in June.

Monarchs Opening Day Ring Ceremony and the 2006 Season
- On Saturday, May 20, the Monarchs will begin their regular season with a home opener against the Phoenix Mercury. The game will be nationally televised on ABC at 1:00 P.M. PDT with the Championship Ring Ceremony beginning at 12:15 P.M. PDT. Fans and members of the media are advised to arrive early to witness the Ring Ceremony as well as the raising of the Championship banner.
- The 2006 Monarchs season marks the 10th Anniversary season for the WNBA as well as for the Monarchs who were an inaugural team in 1997.