August 16th, 2005: Washington at New York

New York Liberty 72, Washington Mystics 66

Shameka Christon plays in traffic, there are head coaches everywhere, and the Game Notes are surprised at Richie Adubato's disinterest in attacking a Liberty weakness.


There's nothing quite as terrifying as seeing the potential future of your franchise run out into the middle of 33rd Street with traffic, knowing that you've seen some idiot go the wrong way down that street. I don't care if Shameka was in a hurry- if you're the potential future of the franchise, you cross at the corner. Nothing like a portent of doom to start the game for you, huh?

This was my first Mystics game of the season, since I had to miss the first one at the Garden for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". So I didn't know until tonight that Temeka Johnson is the real deal. She's sneaky quick, built enough that you can't just knock her over, knows no fear, and has a rather pretty jump shot. And she's a sweetheart. DC, you've got a winner. There was one play when she boxed out Elena that was quite impressive. Alana Beard is really gonna be a superstar if she can get those ankles healed, because she's gutsy enough without being fully healthy. If she'd spent more time being the one to cover Becky, the game might have had a different result. Charlotte Smith-Taylor and DeLisha Milton-Jones were death from above tonight, or more properly death from outside. Couldn't leave them open. Couldn't let them get the ball. Plus DeLisha was Captain Grabby tonight- not quite dirty, but perhaps a bit grungy. Chasity Melvin needs to learn how to make a post move that doesn't involve extra steps, and when she does that I'll have a lot more respect for her remarkable low post game. The problem with Washington is that their bench was rather unmemorable. Laurie Koehn didn't do anything with the shots she got, the only thing I remember Coco Miller doing is putting up some assists and doing some whining, and Murriel Page was really at her best eating up minutes. Nakia Sanford didn't play, which I think was a tactical error on Ol' Tomato-Head's part; knowing that Ann Wauters was out, that DeTrina White hasn't been effective for a few weeks, that Jennifer Smith has yet to actually do anything other than sit on the bench and look pretty, why wouldn't you pound the ball down low at every opportunity in order to neutralize the Liberty's backcourt advantage? A slightly muted ditto on that for Kaayla Chones. Chucky, however, can keep her ass parked on the bench, and it's all good. Speaking of Ol' Tomato-Head himself, he was in fine form, hitting shades I don't think I've ever seen on him. Very impressive.

Shameka, when not causing Liberty fans everywhere to panic, was awesome tonight. If she could consistently play defense like her senior namesake, we'd be set. Although if she keeps laying those tackles on players, she's going to be starting for the Giants' defensive line before she becomes a Liberty superstar. Becky, though she was getting tired late, rustled up the points we needed for us to win and that she needed to hit the big 2-0-0-0. Elena didn't have it tonight on the offensive end, but if she D's up and rebounds, I shan't complain too much. At least she eventually gets the message that the mojo isn't there and stops shooting. She's gotten better about that. Crystal's offense, while slightly more attractive than it's been as of late, is still mostly absent. But she brings the defense, and everyone knows how awesome the defense is. It's also nice to see Vickie putting it back together again; earlier this season she looked fabulous, then she slumped, but now she's back to putting up that beautiful jumper and those graceful drives on one end and laying the defensive smackdown on the other. Cathrine is a keeper. F'real, I love the screens, the defense is rapidly improving (although she was still giving up too much ground to Chas Melvin), and the offense is just enough to make her very, very handy. She reminds me of the role La'Keshia played this time last year: the temp who played her way into the rotation and into the hearts of Liberty fans across the land. Erin didn't contribute much tonight, though she really didn't need to. Plus, she didn't fuck up in the zone, which is always helpful. (What can I say? I look for little silver linings where I can.) Loree was a well-deserved DNP- I'm sorry, she's a nice kid, but y'all know me and my brutal honesty. Patty didn't quite match Richie on the Red-O-Meter, but what would you expect? She is but the student when it comes to doing tomato impressions.

Did this game set a record for most current and/or former head coaches involved? Besides Patty and Richie, we had the Sting's first head coach assisting Richie in the person of Marynell Meadors, and of course Marianne was on the bench for the Liberty.

Refs sucked, but what would you expect from Bryan Enterline's crew? I swear, Mighty Mouse came thisclose to putting a body-slam on Shameka, no call. Mystics fans can argue the refs sucking too, which I suppose balances things out a touch. Just a little.

Another Sweet Adelines chorus for the anthem. Is this Blaze's secret passion or something?

Kym and Sue sightings. Orange is a slight improvement over lime green, but not much. C'mon, Sue, you have a rep to maintain.

Had a pleasant chat pregame with a Mystics STH who had come down for the game. The only unpleasantness came when he insisted on comparing Sue's game to Mery Andrade's. Dude, don't compare Suuuue to the Queen of Flop in NYC. Just no.