June 14th, 2008: Minnesota at New York

New York Liberty 77, Minnesota Lynx 76

Dueling morons at the Garden, and the Game Notes are not as amused as they should be.


We cannot afford to keep blowing leads. Do you really think we're going to have just enough in the tank next time? Does anyone here really think that Cappie and Diana are only going to combine for 20-something points ever again? Right, I didn't think so.

I'm starting to understand why there are people who don't like Candice Wiggins. Maybe it's just the vantage point I have, but I don't like her attitude on the floor. She comes off as a newly crowned Pretty Pretty Princess, sure that every defender who breathes on her has committed a foul and just as sure that she's never committed a foul in her life. That being said, she's money in the clutch and Zierden uses her the way I always advocated using Hammon- more than a catalyst, more than a sixth woman, but as a way to completely demoralize the opposition beyond all hope. "Okay, we've held them, we've forced them to bring in their bench… aw shit, we're fucked." Seimone started off fast, got slowed up, and then got started again in the second half. She absolutely humiliated Essence on one play. Has Anna DeForge always been this good a rebounder? She was outrebounding our frontcourt players for most of the game, and while that's not necessarily hard, that's reasonably impressive for a guard of average build. I can see why they keep her in the starting lineup. Quinn was very quiet, and we saw an awful lot of Wiggins at the point. Seriously, what is it with WNBA coaches trying to turn shooting guards into point guards? DO NOT WANT. Ohlde was- well, for one thing, I was very confused when she was introduced as Nikki, although that was corrected when she scored her first bucket deep into the second half. Says something that her name wasn't spoken until the fourth quarter. Anosike had one of those rookie nights. We all have them. Oh, God, do we all have them. I think Janel managed to get into her head a little bit- she looked very disconcerted by Janel. I don't understand why Zierden doesn't play more of his posts, such as they are. The only constant I have found about Kristen Rasmussen is one I learned from sportsfanswhine back in the Sun days- if Rasmussen comes in the game, boneheaded mistakes are bound to occur. Not that she doesn't hustle, and not that she can't hit a shot or two, but it always seems that things go wrong when she's on the court. We had a brief and unmemorable Navonda Moore sighting. Houston was aggressive, perhaps a little too much so, and it's very disconcerting to see Lynx players wearing #20 and #30 who aren't Williams and Smith. Also, any lineup that has Charde Houston playing the 4 in a WNBA game is made of 100% organic fail.

Balance was the word. Balance and That Moron not knowing what to do with the pieces she has on her bench. We need defense because Minnesota's top two shooters are their starting three and their sixth woman? Sure, only give Ashley Battle two minutes and bring in Lisa and Megan. Granted, Lisa seems to have taken a page from Sherill Baker's book- her hands have been very active these last couple of games. Need offense in the fourth quarter? Well, of course you ignore the shooting guard who's been shooting and go with the shooting guard who's got the back and neck injury that's causing her to use a thermal thingy on her neck. That's what frustrates me most about That Moron- the pieces are there, whether they're offense-shaped, defense-shaped, energy-shaped, or go-out-there-and-make-people-cry-uncle-shaped, but she doesn't use them properly.

It's nice to see Cathrine rebounding, but defensively that was a mess. Solid, quiet game from Janel. Solid all-around game from Sista Christon. Essence had her hands full on the defensive end, but she still put in her points. Leilani also had the difficult task of checking the veteran DeForge. Not fun for a lil bit like her. Much love for Miss Jackson, who's either taking over Ashley's firestarter role or angling for Cathrine or Janel's starting spot. Also much love for Lisa and the four-point play- all the more reason to either use Erin as the third point instead of Megan or to just sit her until and unless she becomes necessary again. And… again, please do not kick, kill, drown, or eat That Moron's puppy. That's the only reason I can think of for AB, and now Erlana, to be on disturbingly short leashes. Also, clock management tonight sucked. Two shot clock violations, that unspeakably fucked up eight-second call, the general inability to get off a shot faster than the average Scarlet Knight- seriously, I saw enough of this offense at Rutgers, dear God, why must I suffer through it again?

Excellent anthem tonight. Well done, you with the strange combination onf names.

So much love for the Golden Maddie. I love when the ladies get into their roles. But is it just me or are they doing fewer of the silly things than they used to? Used to be they'd have the Golden Maddie *and* the Ad-Libs; now it looks like a choice.

Thank you, MSG, for not shoving the fucking Arthur Ashe game in our faces until the fourth quarter. Please to be advertising the rest of the season so the crowds don't look so sad.

To the two dimwitted demonspawn sitting behind us- no, it is not cute that you chant the advertisers' names during play. Actually, it's kinda creepy, and your dad encouraging you sucks even more.

So exactly what was going on with Cathrine and Rasmussen? They were going it at it something fierce for a couple of plays. I realize Rasmussen has backstory with every team in the league, but this seemed personal, and unless Rasmussen is defending Jamie Carey's honor after the Screen Of Death two seasons ago, it was out of place.

The refs sucked. At one point I was fairly convinced that one or more of them had Wiggins in Pick One. But the refs always suck. Can't keep complaining about that unless I get the ear of someone who can fix them.

The longer we win, the longer That Moron stays employed. But I don't want to see them lose. Oh, the dilemma.