Steel City Yellow Jackets Journal

 by Thomas Leturgey The Steel City Queens looked ready to redeem themselves against the Greensboro Kaos Sunday afternoon on their home court, but ultimately it didn't happen that way. Before the game at A Giving Heart Community Center, Assistant Coach Clyde Manns and the team talked about how they needed to slow down Shatrina Smalls' team. When they met in the Queens' season opener, the Kaos broke out early and amassed a 27-point lead that ended up being insurmountable. And the early strategy worked, with Sierra Williams scoring first and Shatayla White landing a well-time 3D opportunity to extend an early lead to 6-2. Tymesha Melton and Jolene Tamboue proved formidable and quickly tied the game up 6-6. The two teams traded buckets throughout much of the first half. Amber Cook tied the score at 10-10 with 3:41 to go in the first 10 minutes, but Katelyn Fischer hit a jumper to make it 12-10. Fischer was a last-minute addition to the starting lineup because of an ankle injury...

  The Steel City Queens huddle up Saturday afternoon. Photo courtesy of the team's Facebook page. By Thomas Leturgey The Steel City Queens simply couldn't get enough momentum in their home opening loss to the Richmond Road Runners Saturday afternoon, 77-64. The Roadrunners took a commanding lead, starting with the tip-off. The visiting team's Jasalyn Denkins started the scoring with a three pointer, and they never looked back. Shataya White was the first of the Queens to score, trimming the lead to 5-2. Unfortunately, the Queens would never be that close again. At the end of the first quarter, the Queens were losing 30-4. Brittany Jackson-Lowe turned in the other scoring shot in the first 10 minutes. The Ace Pippens and Clyde Manns-led squad had a better second-half. Ariana Sanders put the team on the board, and Katelyn Fischer hit a couple of free throws and nailed a three-pointer to get the team into double-digits. The Queens were down 32-11 with about seven minutes to go...

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...

by Thomas Leturgey The Steel City Queens opened their Women's American Basketball Association (WABA) season by traveling to Greensboro, North Carolina but came up on the losing end of the opening contest, 74-63. The Kaos came out on all cylinders, with 23 in the first quarter, with the Queens scoring 7. Third-year veteran Shataya White scored two buckets for the visitors, and rookie Ciara Patterson had a three-pointer. The Shatrina Smalls-owned Kaos continued to extend the lead in the second half by scoring 16 to the Queens' 9 points. Second-year veteran Tyra James had a triple, while rookie Ariana Sanders and White scored for the Queens. The Kaos had what was a dominate, 39-15 lead. Things were starting to pick up for the final two quarters.  Owner/Head Coach Ace Pippens and Coach Clyde Manns-led Queens really came to life in the second half. The Queens outscored the home team 31-20. White lead the way with 11 points. Sierra Williams and Patterson also pumped in a lot of scori...