12/30/2006

Shimek is new No. 1 for Spartans

Ex-Glen Lake star enters WNBA after making MSU mark

By MARK URBAN

murban@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — It would be tough for Liz (Shimek) Moeggenberg to pack any more into a calendar year.

But don't put it past her either.

The former Miss Basketball award winner from Glen Lake High School concluded her basketball career at Michigan State University as the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, got drafted in the WNBA, was traded twice on the same day, played her first season of professional basketball, married, is building a house and is in the process of making a decision on where to play overseas.

Now she's even working as a volunteer assistant coach for Sue Flowers with the Glen Lake volleyball team.

Whew.

Moeggenberg, a 2002 graduate of Glen Lake, started and played in 131 games at Michigan State, putting her first in games started and played with teammate Lindsay Bowen.

Moeggenberg finished with 1,780 points as a Spartan — 41 more than Bowen — and 719 rebounds. The number of boards the 6-foot-1 forward grabbed are 166 ahead of second place.

"I look back at it as a great experience,” Moeggenberg said of her four years at MSU, which included a national runner-up finish in 2005. "I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

The Spartans probably won't either, enjoying unprecedented success during her time on the East Lansing campus.

In addition to her scoring and rebounding, Moeggenberg is also third in blocks (108), first in field goals made (719) and fifth in free throws attempted (392) and made (297).

On April 5, Moeggenberg was a second-round selection in the WNBA Draft, going 18th overall to the Phoenix Mercury. That same day she was traded to the Houston Comets and then eventually to the expansion Chicago Sky.

"It's part of the business,” Moeggenberg said. "You never know where you're going to end up. It's a business and you're part of it.

"You have to expect the unexpected all the time. You may think you're settled in one place, but you're not.”

Chicago had the worst record in the WNBA last season, finishing 5-29.

"My season in the WNBA was definitely a learning experience,” Moeggenberg said. "We might have only won five games, but we had a lot of fun. I also learned a lot about myself.”

Moeggenberg played in 27 games for Chicago, starting one. She averaged 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

While waiting to make the transition to playing overseas, Moeggenberg has been working with the Glen Lake volleyball team for Flowers, her former coach.

"She's been a tremendous help,” Flowers said.

Moeggenberg coached the Lakers for nearly two weeks while Flowers left on Nov. 29 to be with her ailing father, Cliff Ridenour, downstate. When her father died on Dec. 3, Flowers stayed downstate while Moeggenberg coached the Lakers at the season-opening Traverse City Central Invitational.

"It was huge,” Flowers said. "Once I called her and said I was out, she said, 'No problem.' I left and didn't look back and I didn't worry about it because I knew the kids were in good hands.

"They just kept going. She knew how I ran things from when she played for me and plus she's been there from day one.”