August 19th, 2007: Chicago at New York

New York Liberty 58, Chicago Sky 52

Where there is Liberty, there must be Maalox Moments- but the Libkids are ready for the pressure.


Right now I don't care about the repercussions of making the playoffs. I don't care that we don't have a lottery pick, and I can even make myself not care that this probably means we'll be stuck with Coyle next year. Right now I am just happy and proud and excited for the Libkids and their heart and determination, and I believe in them wholeheartedly, completely, and without reservation. Goddess, how I love this team!

We watched the Washington-Connecticut game at Café 31 beforehand, and you could tell the tankers from the playoffers by the cheering, since 'most everyone there was a Liberty fan who had some stake in the game. The air went out of the place when Currie hit the three to keep the Mystics alive, since most of the fans there were thinking playoffs and a pressure-free game. But where there is Liberty, there must be Maalox Moments, and so Currie hit the three and the pressure was on.

The shirts actually seem to fit this year! Always a plus. I can display my Liberty love with a little extra pride.

Kym, as is tradition, performed the national anthem for Fan Appreciation Day. She still has a beautiful voice, but it doesn't sound like she's been keeping it up; I swear she cracks more every year, and I inherited my dad's distaste for warbling- if a note needs to be held, hold it.

Thank all the gods Dupree was off her game today. She just wasn't moving as smoothly as she usually does, which meant that she was more easily stopped, which meant that we had a fighting chance. Her foul trouble also definitely helped. Brooke Wyckoff… man, I used to like her hustle and her play, but these days she just seems to push the envelope right off the table. So many extra little pushes, so much rough stuff that just doesn't get called but is flat out reckless and unnecessary- has she degraded that much in a few short years, did Cowens get her into bad habits, or was it always this bad and I just always never noticed? Dales took a lot of long shots- not just threes, but NBA threes. She's big for a guard; is she too scared to go inside and use that size to her advantage? Price- jeez, that girl is fast, and pretty smooth, but she's still out of control both physically and- I think- emotionally. I doubt she's still unhinged from the Melvin incident, but she just hasn't matured y et in her decision-making. Canty works very smoothly in that lineup, both because she's a solid passer and because she can drive the lane. The boy and I were wrangling over whether Perkins should be a starter for that team over Canty, but if she starts, it'll be Dales's spot she takes, because the scorers in that lineup need someone who can swallow her pride and distribute, and I don't think that's Stacey Dales. It took me the longest time to realize that Chicago was shorthanded, probably because the last time they came to the Garden they hadn't made the deal yet, and yet I've gotten used to Currie as a Mystic. Off the bench, I thought Joens came with a bit of an edge, like she had something to prove- I suppose she does, to this front office. I didn't say I didn't like it- I think it's good. Perkins made us hold our breath whenever she came in, for fear that she was about to do something that would get Chicago back in the game. Thomas is tough, and physical, and that's a woman I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley- but precisely who told her she had a jumper? Don't rightly remember much about Moeggenberg, except that I thought she and Janel made an interesting matchup. I think that if I were in Overton's position, I might have gone deeper into my bench, just to see what I've got for next year, but that's my personal inclination, and I understand why he wouldn't.

The funny thing about winning this game is that no one really stands out in my mind other than Shameka for that last three. Erin was awful offensively- at least she kept the ball moving, although I don't even want to think about how many turnovers she had. She was pissed at herself after the game, as well she should have been- let's hope she takes the right lessons away from that and comes back revved up to take on that dangerous Detroit backcourt. Janel… I don't know where her head was at at the beginning of the game- maybe it's because she forgot her headband- but she just was not with it until late in the game. Good for us she showed up, though. I like that Cathrine is going inside again, because it always bothers me when she stays outside, but this aversion to defense must stop. I don't know where she got into the habit, but it's not acceptable. Whatever happened to the Screens of Death? Loree seemed to fade into the background too much for my liking, but that might just be my perception moreso than the rest of this is. Tiffany came in out of control, but she settled herself down in the second half, which gave Shameka enough time to gather herself and hit those clutch shots. Not only that, she and Jessica gave Janel (and, to a lesser extent, Cathrine) time to get their acts together while keeping the team in the game. While that's not a role I'd like to see them get used to, it's a good role for them for now. Ashley's got this notion in her head that she's a shooter, but she did change the defense when she came in, and that's her most important role on this team. I would have liked to see a little of Barb in the first half, if only because this was before either Tiffany or Janel had really gotten it together and we were starting to get all sputtery. Things did work out, so I can't complain too much, though.

Bohemian Rhapsody is so for the fucking win. This time around, Ashley was watching it during the timeout, and I'd swear that her facial expression said, "Wow, okay, how drunk was I when I thought that was a good idea?" On the other hand, I'd forgotten just how fetching Janel looks with long blonde hair. It's quite disconcerting.

If the refs were biased, they were biased in our favor. I ain't fussin'. There were some counting mishaps, and a whole bushel of late whistles. I think they let the game get away from them a little bit, but not too much. I don't think there was much the crew could have done about the pure ugly of that game.

See y'all on Friday. That's really the conclusion.