Oklahoma To Paris: No Need for Payback

Courtney Paris might as well hang on to her money. Oklahoma doesn't plan to collect on her failed national championship promise any time soon.

Paris had said that she would repay the university for all four years of her scholarship if the Sooners didn't win their first national championship, but Athletic Director Joe Castiglione told the Associated Press yesterday that he doesn't plan to hold her to it.

"It's even more meaningful when someone who committed herself for four years to help her teammates become better, making that kind of symbolic gesture," Castiglione said. "But having said that, I don't know of anyone who has had any expectation whatsoever that we would accept the monetary aspect of that gesture."

The cost of four years at Oklahoma has been estimated conservatively at $64,000, but the number could be even higher since Paris came from California and would have had to establish residence in Oklahoma to pay in-state tuition.

Paris figures to be one of the top picks in tomorrow's WNBA draft, but that doesn't mean a multimillion-dollar contract right away similar to one her male counterparts would receive. She knew that when she made her guarantee on senior night March 4, saying "It might take me the rest of my life, but I will pay back my scholarship because I didn't do what I said I would do."

After the Sooners lost to Louisville in the Final Four on Sunday night, she reiterated that she would make good on her promise.

"The contributions she has already made to this program are enormous and for that we'll always be grateful," Castiglione said. "Most importantly for her to feel like this is a place she always calls one of her home bases is another thing that's important to us."

No Sellout in St. Louis

For the first time since 1992, the women's championship game is not a sellout.

Scalpers waved reams of tickets outside Scottrade Center in St. Louis last night, about an hour before unbeaten Connecticut played Louisville for the title.

"Cheaper here than at the window!" one seller yelled, promising he'd easily beat the official $81 price.

There were plenty of empty seats in the upper bowl for the semifinals, too. The NCAA's take: It's a sign of the country's hard times.

Sue Donohoe, the NCAA's vice president for Division I women's basketball, said attendance of more than 20,000 -- not far off capacity -- was expected as U-Conn. shot for the fifth unbeaten season in women's history. . . .

It's highly unusual for men to be coaching both finalists. Connecticut's Geno Auriemma and Louisville's Jeff Walz are the first such duo to vie for the championship since 1988, when Auburn's Joe Ciampi and Louisiana Tech's Leon Barmore matched wits.

Walz considers it no big deal.

"Our team has just been playing well and I happen to be a man and he's a man and we're playing," Walz said. "I think there's a bunch of great coaches in our game, male and female."