June 22nd, 2007: San Antonio at New York

San Antonio Silver Stars 70, New York Liberty 63

Things fall apart, Cathrine Kraayeveld does not wear dresses, and Patty Coyle's substitution patterns are beyond human comprehension.


With a team this young, invariably there are times when my head becomes intimately acquainted with the nearest surface, whether it be the railing, the seat in front of me, the desk, the wall, or even my hand. Mistakes are made that seem obvious from my seats in the upper deck, and decisions puzzle me to the point where nothing makes any sense any more.

Today's game day experience started out pretty much normally: got to the Garden at a little before five, to be informed that the new girl, Lisa Willis, had just arrived. She was the last arrival via that entrance, so it was just me, the Usual Suspects, and a few of the Used-To-Be-Usual Suspects who now only seem to show up whenever there's an attractive blonde on the opposing team. As always, we talked about a little of everything: the proper etiquette for having a midseason pickup sign the media guide, why we like or dislike players, the win against Washington and the lessons that could have been (and, as it turns out, should have been) learned from the Mystics' comeback, predictions for the game, discussion of the chalk talk for season ticket holders, shiny objects for the kids, roster updates, things like that. Chica (a fellow fan whose name I never did properly get, and who I usually address as "'ey, chica") was woefully out of date on her cards, so I let her go through my spares for what she needed.

As soon as the gates opened, I was running for the door. Got my roster card set neatly into place, set up my cards on top of it. Got out my friend's stuff, tried to get a good spot on the railing- not easy, since a lot more folks than usual were down there in order to get Becky's autograph or a picture with her. It was fun seeing VJ and Shanna Zolman ordering from the courtside service menu- don't they feed these women? Since Ruth Riley wasn't on the court for San Antonio during shootaround, I got to trick a friend of mine into playing "Spot the Olympian" (the answer, of course, was San Antonio assistant coach Sandy Brondello, who was on the Australian national team, as well as an All-Star with the Shock and a champion with the Storm). It looked like they'd done most of their stretching before the public was even allowed into the building. Anyone who was out there for the Silver Stars stopped and signed, and Becky was gracious to all who asked.

We were treated to a pipe and drum performance by a troop from the NYFD, which got me thinking about that poor firefighter who died in Brooklyn, so it was quieter than usual. Also, I was trying not to be confused or amused at the sight of an Asian bagpiper in a kilt. There was also a dance troupe, but I was busy trying to get to my seat, so I didn't see them.

Both "God Bless America" and the national anthem were performed tonight, both done admirably, the first by a gentleman from EMS who had a deep, powerful voice, the second by a female firefighter with nice range.

So with the return of the prodigal daughter(s), there was a vast amount of applause for San Antonio. I was quite irked, but I had expected it. Becky, while slowed down by solid Liberty defense in the first, got hot late in the game when her defenders started getting lackadaisical, and came up big when San Antonio needed her. VJ spent part of the game looking every minute of her 35 years, but when push came to shove, she kept San Antonio in the game. I do think this is her last season, next to last at the very most. Sophia Young was quiet- foul trouble, and Brian Agler doesn't take fouls into consideration very often when making his substitutions. She is awfully pretty to watch, though. Ruth Riley… I don't think I've ever seen a player quite so invisible. The only plays I recall from her are jump balls, and I'm fairly certain she lost one that she ought to have won. San Antonio got a lot of rebounds and a lot of second chance points, but most of them weren't out of their post players. Erin Buescher was, I think, a bit rattled by the Liberty's front line, but she also returned the favor. Very quick hands, she has. Off the bench, foul trouble in the post continued- Sandora Irvin didn't do much other than foul, and by going with the big starting lineup, Agler sacrificed depth on the bench. It should have come back to bite him. Shanna Crossley, both arms in black sleeves, sank the daggers in the fourth- must be a Tennessee thing. Camille Little also strutted her stuff late in the game.

Does anyone know what the story is with Kendra Wecker? I saw that she changed her uniform number, and she didn't play tonight at all. I was impressed with her last year, and thus I am confused as to why she can't crack the rotation.

So, New York. Things started out on a note of confusion when Shay and Lindsay were announced as our starting guards, because not only would neither of them be starting normally, it threw the announcements out of whack, since Loree is usually the last player announced but the guards went first this time. Shay started, hit her first shot, and was promptly benched. I'm not really seeing a lot of logic there. Lindsay played quite a bit, and while her shot looked interesting, she runs the offense through mud- very slow, very hesitant, and although I'm not sure how much of that was her and how much was the fact that the Liberty didn't seem to recognize each other out on the floor, I don't think I want her running the offense. Loree and Ashley both came in at the first opportunity- they were both terribly late to the game, and thus were punished. Up in our seats, we wondered if Loree was 100%, because she looked like she was overcompensating for not being able to use a finger on her shooting hand, and her passes were not quite as crisp as usual. Ashley was stupendous- the Battle-bot was fully activated and eager to prove herself. Would that the rest of her team had followed her example. Cathrine, I am starting to wonder if we're seeing a replay of a legendarily awful Star Trek episode and aliens stole her brain. She's making uncharacteristically bad decisions with the ball and not taking it as strongly as we know she can. I think Shameka was a little rattled by seeing Becky on the opposing team, especially considering that Becky got a home player's applause. She was very hesitant on offense- this from a player whose least appealing quality is her habit of taking contested shots that make no sense. Jess, who I was hoping would have a monster game in order to prove that she was worth trading Becky in order to acquire… no, not such a great game, although there were a couple of moments. Her glass ability reminds me so much of Tim Duncan. All we need to do is get her willing to bang inside a little more. Didn't see nearly enough of the bench- I think Janel could have kept the energy level up in the third quarter, when we really started letting San Antonio back into the game, and since Lisa wasn't using her size advantage on anybody, we might as well have played Shay- at least Shay knows the plays and her teammates. I really didn't understand Patty's substitution patterns tonight, not at all. They were beyond human comprehension. It ws almost as if she looked to see what would make the least sense, then did it.

Tonight's in-game activities included guessing which Lib was in the adorable baby pictures posted. Ashley Battle was an adorable kid. Cathrine… okay, not the most flattering shot, but then, that scrunched-up facial expression of extreme displeasure and total misery is what I would expect if someone crammed Cathrine into a dress, no matter what age she were at the time. I hope they run this more often, 'cause there's nothing quite as cute as Libkids.

We also had game-show themed activities: a Showcase Showdown with overpriced Liberty merchandise, a round of Tic-Tac-Toe, a round of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (the contestant wasn't, but I was on par with the kid). A lot of the ladies seemed to be into The Price Is Right and Deal Or No Deal.

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue Wicks and T-Spoon were in the house, as was Jody Conradt, the legendary Texas coach. It was nice to see Sue again. We've missed her.

Didn't hang out afterwards, as is often my wont- hadn't yet eaten dinner, and I had to get myself together to write coherent and non-profane game notes. I'm afraid these aren't quite up to my usual standard. Way too terse.

Sleep now. Shower, bus tomorrow.

If you were at the game, leave a note or summat, and I hope to see you Sunday!