August 1st, 2003: Shock at the NBA Store, Detroit at New York

Detroit Shock 62, New York Liberty 60

The Game Notes plot to kidnap a large Lego Tony Parker, Crystal Robinson and Deanna Nolan throw down, and Ruth Riley is left open way too often.


Okay, these notes are gonna be extra long 'cause I was at the NBA Store today.

I swear, they change the rules at the NBA Store on an event-by-event basis. Now I can’t stand in my usual observation post. I’m currently seated on a painful, uncomfortable bench, surrounded by guys I honestly don’t think give a FUCK about the WNBA. There aren’t a lot of people here; I’m surprised, because I thought the UConn faithful would flock to see Swin Cash and perhaps throw things at Ruth Riley. (Cheryl Ford and the Shock’s coach Bill Laimbeer are also scheduled to show up.) There’s a little girl in a Tamika Catchings jersey here. If that’s not gonna start a fight, I don’t know what will. Oh, and if you need me, I’ll be kidnapping the little Tony Parker Lego dude.

Well, I’m impressed. They’re only running ten minutes late. Coach is in khakis and a Shock polo, Swin in white pans and a black shirt, Cheryl is in a Shock t, shorts, and boots, and Ruth is in a nice black top with blue jeans. Miss Ford looks like she’d rather be at the gym. Far too many people need far too much explanation of who everyone is. So far the Ford/Malone thing hasn’t come up, for which I am extremely grateful. I can hardly hear over the music, but Swin was keeping up a constant line of chatter. Cheryl and Ruth are keeping busy, though it’s hard to tell through the sheer mass of Coach Laimbeer.

It’s gonna be a long day. The mikes on the far side aren’t working, and there’s so much racket I can barely hear the people on the near side. I’m going to strangle someone soon. Coach thinks Detroit is starting to realize they have a basketball team. From what beancounter on the Storm boards said, he’s an optimist. They all think the chemistry is faboo, Ford can’t stop gushing. They just embarrassed Swin by suggesting that she’s not under the basket rebounding with Ruth and Cheryl. Heh. Freudian slip- Coach had to correct himself when discussing the roster. And Cash has a look on her face like she wants to hit the next person who makes the “cash/money” pun. Now they’re talking about the matchups- how the Shock can’t beat the Sting, how the Shock have handled the Liberty, yadda-doo.

Player mentality and changing thereof; Laimbeer’s practical answer was that he changed a lot of players. When they talked about Ruth Riley’s 2001 NCAA title, Swin just got a look on her face and bit her lip. Next up is education; I’m surprised they’re not mentioning that all three players there are college graduates. Oooh, offcourt hobbies. Swin likes to be involved with young kids. (Swin, sweetie, get out sometime.) Laimbeer golfed, now he hunts and does TV work for the Pistons. Cheryl shops. Ruth watches sports, goes to the beach, and hangs out.

Questions. What’s it like to coach women? The same as coaching men, only the women listen better. What are the key features of the team game going to be when they hit the playoffs? The same as always- rebound and play defense. Apparently they don’t practice rebounding specifically. Oooh, question for Ruth- was there a problem going from one coaching style to another? Answer- nope. The contest was play-by-play on Deanna Nolan’s game-winning shot in Indiana. They did all right. I could have done better. :-)

They’re a nice bunch of gals. I guess it’s sorta like D-Nasty/Sunshine, only not quite as extreme. I’m eating lunch now and typing up some last fragments of thoughts before finishing my drink and entering the Garden for my usual stakeout. And one major thought is this- WHERE THE FUCK was everyone?! Granted lousy timing, but there still weren’t a lot of people there and most of them were curious bystanders. Maybe Monday will be better. Maybe.

Game notes below.

Again with the dance rs? Oy. And this group was even less inspired than the last. Anyway. Sue’s already been spotted ignoring various pleas to stay in hiding. There was a small child in her vicinity. I don’t know if it was hers.

The Shock is one nice team. If you ever run into a hyperkinetic dancer named Sammy, and you have a pen of some variety, follow her. She’s an autograph magnet. Ruth Riley was messing with Ayana Walker whilst Walker was signing for us, asking her for her ‘graph. The little Diattas are fine. I asked.

Becky! Keep your hands off Sue’s butt! She’s got a girlfriend! Good Lord. Not to be rude or anythang, but Becky couldn’t look more… you know… if she tried. Black tee-shirt and belted pants- khakis? I can’t tell from 210. In any case, she’s walking without aid. Go her. Sue’s in the front row with flowers, the girlfriend, a a guy in a Sue Wicks shirt, and and a small child. I think it’s the same small child. I’m confused now. Oh, BTW, K.B. is garbed in a cute little white skirt and a blue top. Must be fair, after all. She seems to be keeping Tamika amused.

Riley must have been disappointed in the anthem; it was instrumental, and y’all know how she loves to sing along. It was nice, though, according to my friend the jazz freak.

Elena, honey, you need to lighten up. It’s the first TV timeout, and Linda was doing her usual hyperactive celebration thing, slapping everyone a high five. She tried to get Elena to do one, and Elena wouldn’t, so Linda draped the towel over her neck. Elena promptly removed said towel.

We look good so far. Tari’s been on fire, so has VJ. I approve. Oh, wait, I knew there was a problem. ONLY THREE PLAYERS HAVE SCORED! Oh, and the next time I pick Swin Cash over Cheryl Ford, slap me. Hard. (On postgame thought, don't.) Erin’s playing the role of K.B. tonight. And here comes Fro! Frooooooooo! We had, what, four chances, and we botched it. For the love of GOD, score already!

The girls in the Torch Patrol are all wearing Sue Wicks jerseys. It’s cute. Oh, and Erin just hit her third three pointer. Think she wants to keep her job? Oh.my.squee. Erin the steal, pass to Tari, incredible bounce pass to Crystal, lay-up.

4:39 left, Tari got flattened, Richie got T’d. The one problem I have with this game is that we have way more fouls than they do. Oh, and they’re outrebounding us royally, 16-9. Only threes are keeping us in this one, and those are fickle friends.

So much for Elena’s first start at the Garden. She’s been in foul trouble and her shots just haven’t fallen. She’s been defending well enough, though. Tamika’s been rebounding all right.

Halftime and the Sue lurve. They showed a montage of clips, then Kym sang. Tari and Tamika were grooving in the background. Doris Burke is singing her praises, and Sue looks like she wants to hide. Of course she got a standing O. She’s also been given a gift certificate, a floor tile, and a really neat photo montage of her palying days in NY. I want one. She’s all overcome. And funny, of course. “I haven’t heard anyone scream my name in a while.” Though I would like to know what a ‘push-pull’ day is. They ran a bunch of Sue facts and cited that as her favorite saying. It was cute. Spoon and VJ talked about her and were generally very goopy.

HOLY FUCK! Deanna Nolan and C-Rob just got into a tussle! I didn’t catch the whole thing, but the next thing I saw, Crystal had swung at Nolan’s head and people were holding them back. Mom and our amiga say that Nolan instigated it with the offensive foul, but I didn’t catch it. Both of them were ejected and Richie came close to getting the second T. It has not been a pretty game, except for the part where the Liberty have the lead. Erin’s been playing a lot of minutes because of the lack of other perimeter players.

Detroit’s creeping back. Strong post play, some bad calls, and Swin Cash on the fast break have all been helping them in that cause. And so has Elena’s shot selection. How do you say “QUIT IT WITH THE JUMP SHOTS!” in Russian?

Spoon just got trampled by Kedra Holland-Corn… no call. Guys, with the agita going on here, you might want to call it fair.

Finally! August and they get the brilliant idea to have someone in the aisle between purple and green throw up freebies to those of us in the green seats! The dudette next to me got one- was a barbeque apron.

Detroit’s made it all the way back. They had the lead with twenty seconds left, but Tari tied it in the lane. 7.7 left now, tied at 60. Thank God I’m young and my heart can stand it. Maybe this’ll be the way we get our coaching change, Richie’s heart will give out after one of these. Swin finally showed up in all senses of the word. Good for my VGM, bad for my Liberty. I hate split loyalties.

What a heartbreaker. So close yet so far. If we could play that well against cellar-dwellers, we’d have a few more wins. Unfortunately we didn’t get the win. It was painful. There were signs of life, but there were long stretches of “WHAT WAS THAT?!” Tamika and Elena both floated around the perimeter too much, while the Shock had their way in the paint and with the rebounds.

*kicks Ruth Riley’s defender in the shins repeatedly* Riley is famous for hitting a free throw. Who in their right mind leaves her open not once, but twice, for a jumper from the free throw line? What was Tari thinking when she shot with seven seconds left? What was VJ thinking when she threw up that stupid shot with three and change left? How DARE they play this way in front of Sue? How dare they give up so easily in front of the ultimate hustle player? How dare Elena play so shittily in front of the Liberty’s first backup and spot starting power forward? How dare they allow open shots in front of one of the team’s greatest defenders? It’s a slap in the face to Sue that overshadows all the pretty words and the freebies and the applause. It’s the ultimate proof that the Liberty have ceased to play by the precepts put forth by its original players, of defense and hustle and heart. It is a sign that though we say Sue will never be forgotten, our team is already forgetting her and Kym and Rebecca and even the younger Spoon.