New York Liberty 60, Detroit Shock 56
"And if you let it germinate/I know that it will be worth the wait/Disputed by the news that it was you/Who tried to instigate, hey, yeah/C'mon girl/Let's get it right/Let's get it right/Let's get it right" The Game Notes of Doom are kicking it Red Hot Chili Peppers style this series.
That was one of the ugliest games of basketball I've ever seen in my life. I'm relieved that it wasn't on ESPN, because that's just the kind of fuel that gets the haters going. But my team came out on top, so how much complaining can I really do?
I broke my pregame routine and had dinner at Play By Play with t6w, sambista, Keira, jersey, mathmaggie, overandback (so nice to meet you at last!) and a coupla other folk. It got boisterous up in there. I loved it! But I am NOT paying $3 for a glass of soda again, WTF.
Wonderful anthem! Always gets me fired up- there's a reason my Liberty playlist starts with a version of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Deanna Nolan is unfreakingbelievable. I know, this is not a revelation and this is not rocket science, but every time I see her, she does something that makes me go, "Holy shit, this woman is absolutely amazing!" In this case, it was the clutch plays at the end… and yes, the block on Davenport. *buries face in hands and despairs* Do you think the Shock understood what they had in 2001 when they drafted her? And Smith came up big when Detroit needed her to step it up. She's a bigtime player. Always has been. I was talking to friends before the game, and I said that stopping Smith would be the key because stopping her means stopping the ball and stagnating Detroit's offense, because while Powell is nominally the starting point guard, she barely played (though, okay, that might have something to do with the foul trouble she got herself into). Taj was shockingly quiet- when she hit a shot or two in the second half, I started to worry that we were really screwed, but then she faded away until she put Cathrine into the stanchion. Taj, please keep your wrestling fantasies to yourself. Don’t share them with your opponents. Braxton started off hot on the offensive end, but was absolutely horrible defensively. It was a sad sight to behold. Hornbuckle's been a great pick for them- like her moves and her knack for getting the ball. Any night that Kelly Schumacher has to play 20 minutes is not a good night for her team, but she knocked down some shots. I might have run Sanni more and Schuey less, but I'm not Bill Laimbeer and I'm grateful for that, thank you very much. How the hell he got away with some of the crap he got away with- I really thought Blauch was going to tech him, and I'm disappointed she didn't. C'mon, Sue, you reffed in the Olympics, you can take on Bill. Be a woman about it.
Sometimes I think to myself that Trudi Lacey is sitting somewhere with a tall glass of something highly alcoholic and saying to anyone within hearing range, "That's why I drafted her #1!" whenever Janel does something utterly ridiculous that works. She took matters into her own hands in the first half, almost to excess. She and Shameka both took a few shots that would have been better off if they'd been passes to open teammates. Sista Christon wasn't so great with the shooting, but the rebounding was impressive, though I'm still not sure how she snared eleven. 11 and 11- a propitious number for a Liberty playoff run if there ever was one. Not one of Loree's strongest nights- I felt Leilani ran the offense better, inasmuch as people actually moved when she was on the floor, while there seemed to be more standing around when Loree was running the point. Essence got burned a few times on D, but there's no real way to stop Deanna Nolan, and she came up with big shots when we needed her to. Cathrine started off fierce, then tapered off, but then her shot showed up. I feel like a broken record here. So many of the kids stepped up in the second half. Erlana was big for us, though. With the complete and utter mass of suck that Jessica was tonight, we were down to one reserve post, and Erlana did yeoman's work subbing for both Janel and Cathrine. Her work on the offensive boards was critical to our comeback. Ashley, though she does tend to do some stupid things, is a firestarter- she comes in, and things happen for us, generally in a good way. She'll hit a shot or get a steal in her first minute of play, and that'll tilt the momentum. There's a reason she's popular, and it's not just because of her awesome personality. Lisa played briefly and was involved in one loose ball play, but her play was brief, and I can't really argue with that. Erin did exactly what she's paid to do- she hit her shots and didn't fuck up with the ball (well, too much), and she tries so hard on defense.
I can't say I had too much of a problem with the refereeing, which I'm sure means that there are calls that I missed on both ends of the floor on both teams that should have been made differently or that should have been made or that should have not been made. I'm honestly surprised more Detroit fans weren't complaining about the differential.
Sue, Kym, Robin Roberts… we had us some old-school going on tonight. A bunch of Knicks, including ones I'd actually heard of. Guy from the Sopranos. Sundry Scarlet Knights. Lots of people. It was a good loud crowd. Seemed younger and blacker than it's been for a while.
I'm exhausted. I can't think of anything else that needs saying other than GO LIBERTY! All we need to do is split in Ypsilanti, and we go to the 'ship.
Friday, September 26, 2008
September 26th, 2008: Detroit at New York
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
September 22nd, 2008: New York at Connecticut
New York Liberty 66, Connecticut Sun 62
Essence Carson and her poofy hair crank up the intensity, Shameka Christon snares a rebound, Mike Thibault misplaces a shooter, and a playoff series is decided in the last minute of the last possible game.
¡Vive la Libertad! What a night! I wouldn't have missed it for the world! HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THESE KIDS? More than is possibly legal, that's how much. They dug down deep and pulled this one out.
Yeah, so I wasn't planning to go to this game, but, um. I kinda find myself at liberty, no pun intended, so I figured, hey, if I don't actually have to be anywhere at any particular time tomorrow, and I'm not doing anything today, why don't I go to the game? It'll make me feel better, win, lose, or draw. And I was the beneficiary of a random act of Sun fan kindness- a guy had two $30 seats that he was trying to give away. Combine that with a fellow fan who needed a seat, and voila! I CAN HAZ BASKITBAW.
That anthem was doing so well until the guy lost the key at the very end and started causing grievous harm to my ears.
I think I would enjoy watching Whitmore battle in the post more if her defensive bag o' tricks didn't seem to consist entirely of *shove in the back* and *shove in the back*. She was setting some nice screens tonight, though. I love a good screen. Asjha Jones started off red hot, then went ice cold. Again with the good screens, though. Whalen is fearless, and I like the way she communicates on both ends of the floor. It's easy for a point guard to run an offense- few can run a defense, and even fewer to both as well as Whalen does either. She still rubs me the wrong way, but I can't say I don't respect her game. She brought it. She probably wishes her teammates had come with it. Gardin was really a non-factor, though she had a couple of nice defensive plays. Abrosimova was a surprise inasmuch as when she didn't play. I know she's late to the party and all, but I really thought Thibault could use her in the fourth quarter- she's got quick hands on D and a nice stroke on offense, and he was getting nothing out of Holt and Phillips, and he's usually so good at spotting the hot hand and going with it, so… what gives, Mike? For all that Holt was taking bad shots, it was just as bad when she wasn't taking the good shots she had. There was one play where she was so open *I* was screaming for her to shoot just as a fan of the game. I think she let the importance of the game get into her head. Turner was jacking them, but to be fair, she had good shots and a defender who should have known better than to leave her alone like that- after all, Ashley played alongside her for how many years at UConn? I think Thibault had a good plan- I'm just not sure, for a change, whether he used the right personnel to execute it, or whether his personnel could be arsed to execute it at all. They had their chances, and they panicked.
Scarlet R, bitches! Essence more than made up for the dumb foul with her second-half play, and it warmed my heart to see her doing so well against Connecticut. It's karmically pleasing somehow. And I don't think Sista Christon has had a bigger rebound in her life than that o-board in the last minute. She was fierce on offense tonight, but spent way too much time lollygagging on defense. Unacceptable against whoever we face next. Cathrine's best play of the night was when she kept Janel from going after the ref. She was very firm and very physical. Sitting where I was, I also got a closer look at her defense- she's never going to stop her man once she gets caught out on a move, but if she can prevent the move from being made, she's great at keeping the shot from going up. Janel was streaky, but also I think her back was flaring up. (So was Erin's, I think- she was wearing something wrapped around her back before the game- saw her during shootaround, and her jersey was riding up to reveal a pad of some sort.) It would have been nice if Loree could make a goddamn layup- those were some ugly misses. Ditto for Erlana and free throws, but she hit the one we needed. Fluffy little bunny bared her nasty pointy teeth tonight. Don't fuck with the bunny. Ashley was a firestarter- maybe not much statistically, but as soon as she came in, she made something happen, which made other things happen, and y'all know the rest. Lisa had some very dramatic plays, for good and for ill. She does that. She needs ot be a little more consistent if she wants to be in heavy rotation.
The referees were inconsistent and somewhat incompetent, but at least they were evenhandedly so. I know there were a couple of plays where I wanted someone's head, and there were a couple of plays where I said to the people next to me either "Yeah, that was a foul" or "That's a make-up call/non-call."
Great crowd noise when the Sun needed them most, and I think what impressed me most about it was that it was so organic. No PA, no annoying hosts- you know how you could tell? One of the loudest moments of "LET'S GO SUN!" came while the arena folks were trying to do the Bud Light shuffle contest (you know the one- three items, one of which is marked, shuffled around and you have to find the marked one). The place was rocking. Even if it wasn't my team or my energy, it was a wonderful thing for a fan of the game to experience, and I wish ESPN had been able to catch it somehow.
Some of you guys may remember a bit of a ruckus a few years ago when we celebrated in the box office after a win against the Sun. The only thing better than that is gathering with other Liberty fans and welcoming back some of the conquering heroines. We greeted Janel, Erin, Lisa, Ashley, Loree, and Shameka with rousing cheers and hearty congrats. It was a perfect way to end the night.
Sun fans, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You have some very good young pieces to put together, a coach who knows how ot find the pieces and put them together, and an understudy or two on the bench (I'm thinking both his lead assistant and Tamika Raymond) to carry on the tradition when all's said and done. It was a pleasure going to your place this season, and even after what had to be a heart-rending loss, I got more than a few congratulatory remarks from Sun fans who wished the Liberty good luck going forward- and yes, more than a few "beat Detroit!" requests. Other than one woman who thought I was being loud during the game, I had no trouble with Sun fans at all- and in that incident, the guy next to me basically scoffed and said, "Do what you want."
I'll miss Mohegan, that cozy little arena, those fickle slot machines, the smell of the fountain, the paninis at Geno's, and the Usual Suspects NE up by the hotel. See you in May, Uncasville. See you in May.
MSG, on the other hand, I hope I'll be seeing you Friday night.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
September 20th, 2008: New York at Connecticut
Connecticut Sun 73, New York Liberty 70
The Game Notes of Doom have to fight off some nagging urges to smack people upside the head, or possibly kick them in the knee.
Heartbreaker. That's the only word for it. To be honest, that would have been the only word for it no matter which way it went, because if the Sun had lost that game, it would have hurt even more for their fans than it did for those of us who made the trip from the land of Liberty.
And make the trip we did. There were Liberty fans everywhere we looked at Mohegan. While we didn't take advantage of the arrangement the FFO made with the SunFO, we still found ourselves only a few seats away from some very loud and proud Liberty fans, and took great advantage of this fact to make some serious noise in that joint. We probably annoyed the Sun fans near us- there were a couple who got up and left in the second or third quarter- but I'll say this: the people we were sitting near were mostly cool with us being our usual selves. Bear in mind that our usual selves make the call along with Mike W. on every basket. My throat still hurts, but it was worth it.
*checks* Yep, the next morning, my throat still hurts. Just wanted to make that clear, since we got in past two in the morning.
My worst fears came true. We did the reverse of what we did on Thursday- we stopped Whitmore but didn't stop Whalen and Jones, and the two of them did more than Whitmore did on Thursday, ergo we were screwed. It did not help the Liberty that Thibault can actually coach and therefore changed his starting lineup to reflect who was playing well and who was not. Shocking, isn't it? This is why the man gets the big money, and the shiny objects. (Congrats to Coach T for the award, too. He deserved it. We were part of the standing O for him.) So Abrosimova started for Holt, and both players were better for it- Holt brought some key points off the bench, and Abrosimova's quick hands (and uncalled reach-ins) made life a living hell for the Liberty ballhandlers. Whalen was much better than she was on Thursday, which I credit both to two days' worth of improvement on the ankle and the fact that Essence Carson could not get her goddamn shit together, about which there will be more kvetching later. But because Whalen was stronger, faster, and better able to get her passes off- and more willing to take her shots when they were there- the Sun's offense was better all around. Jones also got her shots down, which more than made up for Whitmore's ineffectiveness. (Hmmm. Perhaps whatever curse was placed on the Liberty accidentally included her because of her former ties. Things to think about.) Gardin played sparingly, but starting her allowed for much more power in the beginning, which forced the 'kids to do some stupid things. Strong bench play from the Sun- Turner, Phillips, and Gruda all had key plays. Someone not employed by the casino needs to find Barbara Turner and get her to blow on their dice. Jesus Christ, she's had two unbelievable shots in the last week. Talk about a heartbreaker. I find Thibaults way of playing the matchups interesting- he's such a chessmaster. I'd bet good money that the minute counts for Phillips and Leilani, and Gruda and Jessica, match up within a few seconds. (And I'd only win half that bet- Gruda played four more minutes than Jess, but the only reason Leilani and Phillips don't match to within a second is because Whalen was at the line at one point when Leilani came in.)
Loree finally came to play. Good of her to show up. Now, if she could go back and find Cathrine, Essence, and Jessica, that would be really fucking helpful. Yes, Cathrine hit the big threes in the second half. She also committed two incredibly stupid fouls at the end of the game and seems to have forgotten six-four and broad-shouldered. Essence acted like she had some sort of paranoid fear of the state of Connecticut most of the game. Jessica was half-asleep. A few good whacks upside the head might cure what ails them. Just a frustrating performance all around until the kids got down and started climbing out of the hole. Well, okay, not all around. Erlana played hard and played tough. Loree brought it in the second half. Ashley makes things happen, statistically or not. And Erin Thorn is a fuckin' gamer, man. She stepped it up today. And you know team solidarity is on when our maybe-possibly-kinda-sorta Mormon has a temporary tattoo. I am desperately trying to remember if Lisa did anything out there, but I can't.
Is there any particular reason they managed to miss Erin wide open in the corner twice? The first was on the 24-second violation, and you could actually see her mime a jumpshot with a puzzled look on her face as she came back up the floor on defense. The second was the very end of the game, the last shot that ended up going to Janel for three, which, no.
Fucking idiotic incompetent asshole refs. No, we were not attacking as aggressively. That's fair. However, I'm pretty damn certain- though I could be wrong- that the third foul called on Janel (who wears #4) was supposed to be called on Lisa (who wears #40) and the second hand never went up. That led to Janel's real third being her fourth, and her real fourth being her fifth, and things going all to hell and back again. And the over and back (oops, almost forgot the spaces there!) on Cathrine was fourteen kinds of bullshit. 26-5 is fucking ridiculous. What bugs me about some of those calls is that it took a repetition of the same event in the same play to trigger a call. I'm thinking specifically of the charge on Whalen- she ran into Janel once, no call, continued the play, and ran into Janel again. You'd think she, of all the players, would know that that's grounds for a Darwin Award, not just an offensive foul. Gah. I can take incompetence. I can take inconsistency. I'd just like it to be even-handed incompetence and inconsistency. Is that really too much to ask?
So frustrating. Just. So frustrating. Come on, Libkids, you can do this on Monday. Just everyone take a deep breath, sip some of Ashley's Red Bull, smack a few of the underachievers upside the head, and DO THIS THING. Force the foul calls, play D, play smart. You can do this. We believe.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
September 18th, 2008: Connecticut at New York
New York Liberty 72, Connecticut Sun 65
Liberty basketball, firing on most cylinders. Have I mentioned lately that Ashley Battle is awesome?
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Liberty basketball- perhaps not quite at its finest, but right up there. A couple of great performances, a bunch of good performances, and you're left wondering what the hell happened to at least two major players from the opposing team. Offense and defense, balanced. That makes me a happy Libkid. Plus, y'know, Thriller.
Getting to this game early was of paramount importance- no one wants to miss an episode of the Ashley and Tamika Happy Funtime Hour. This was the Very Special Guest Star edition, with cameos by Svetlana Abrosimova, Barbara Turner, and Jessica Davenport. (If you're wondering which one of these things is not like the others, Jess was one of Raymond's pupils while Raymond was an assistant at Ohio State.) A few people got pictures of the sundry Huskies posed together. Asjha Jones did not make herself available for the photo op, and Swanier wasn't dressed, so the complete set was not available. Tamika Whitmore wandered around with someone's kid for a while, which was absolutely adorable, don't get me wrong, but I did wonder if she was going to forget to give the kid back. (She remembered.) Cathrine showed remarkable patience. Loree revealed the lack of 'fro. Mind you, I was never as hard on the 'fro as most folks, but I like her better as Spoon Junior. Also as regards Libkid appearance, they seem to have taken a page from the Olympics- a few of them seemed to have little Liberty temporary tattoos on their arms.
So in case no one got the memo, Tamika Whitmore does in fact have an outside shot, and she does enjoy using it, and if it starts going in, then she feels more like going inside, and she starts seriously scoring. But if leaving her open is the price we pay for controlling both Whalen and Jones, I will pay that price in a heartbeat, believe me- that allowed the posts to double on Jones, who was very much unprepared for the pressure. Whalen was very much out of her element- whether she was trying to force things through her teammates, or because the Liberty defense was giving her hell, she just wasn't making things happen at her usual level of excellence. I'll let someone else run the plus-minus, because I'm not sure that the Sun were technically better with her in the game than they were with Phillips in. Holt's got a good nose for the ball- that's one thing I like about her, and I suspect one thing that Thibault likes about her- but there was a good reason Turner played more of her minutes than she did. Turner was much more prepared mentally and physically, and was better able to handle the pressure. Gardin's another garbage collector, more athletic and less scoring-inclined than Raymond, but still a duplication of skills that I'm not so sure I would have gone with. Lots of time for Abrosimova, and while she was more aggressive offensively than she was the last time I saw her, she wasn't as active defensively, except for one gorgeous pickpocketing moment. Phillips is… well, she's crazy. That's really the best single word for it. The extended mix might be "it's like someone took Debbie Black's soul and stuffed it in Michele Timms's body!" Crazy, intense, physical, dangerously close to dirty, and ridiculously strong- anyone who can knock Ashley Battle over and leave her lying on the floor in slight confusion for several seconds is seriously badass, as is someone who can bounce of Loree Moore like nothing happened.
It's good to have Janel back, it really is. She makes things happen. Granted, occasionally those things look rather like she thinks she's back in Minnesota, like when she pulls off a snazzy pass right to Lindsay Whalen, but in general, they are good things, including a repeat of the infamous Chicago shot. It was obvious that her back was bothering her, given the short spurts in which she played, so that makes her game even more impressive. Good thing Erlana was there to step up. Solid game off the bench for her. Loree found the braids and found her inner Spoon- 7/4/7 is nothing to complain about, but I'm worried about that hit she took late in the game- she was hurting bad (though I kinda liked that Ashley came over to check on her immediately, and looked like she was ready to smite as necessary). Shameka was hitting big shots- that four-point play was awesome. Cathrine seemed to be slacking off after she got her double-double, but she was part of the defensive scheme that kept Jones quiet, so I shan't complain, and she did have that ridiculously deep three early in the game. Essence barely played- which is too bad, because her missed shots were mostly victims of the rim and she was rebounding something fierce- but Ashley was also awesome. (However, Ashley, plz to be thinking before you take threes early in the clock. Not necessarily necessary.) I'd like for That Moron to have more faith in Essence in the second half, but it's not as if I mind AB out there. I keep thinking Leilani played more than she actually did- she matched up with Phillips, which was interesting, to say the least. Why Erin? Just… why? Either run plays for her, use her as a decoy, or let her coach. Lisa's the more versatile player. And as soon as Jess made a mistake, forget about it. She was parked on the bench even when Erlana was in foul trouble and Janel's back was really obviously acting up. We do not approve.
Things that did not rock. Yes, there were a couple, despite the general rockitude of the Libkids tonight. Gimme back my Donna Summer, MSG! This new video isn't as good, and the song sounds like something out of a porn movie. "Stamp Your Feet" is so damn cool and so appropriate that it's a sin to give it up. Also, the anthem singer… I hope she sticks to piano, that's all I'll say.
Oh, and the refs. The "aw, shit" that came out of my mouth as soon as Michael Price was announced was drowned out by the "aw, shit" as our venerable PA announcer added Roy Gulbeyan's name to the list. Yeah, they were pretty much what you'd expect. Sun fans and Liberty fans may differ on the precise nature of the suckitude- for me, the nadir was when Lindsay Whalen ran into a screen like she was throwing a check for the North Stars… and drew an offensive foul. The calling style varied wildly. It was some crazy shit. Denise Brooks (possibly no longer –Clauser?) must be wondering who she pissed off at home office to get these two nimrods.
Best mistake of the night- "Now entering the game for the Liberty, #50, Lindsay Davenport." Entire sections were lost to hysteria. Jessica Davenport is many things. A tennis player is not one of them. Nor do I want to imagine what she would look like on that particular court. I think Mike W.'s started drinking before games. He's made some pretty spectacular mistakes this year, though this was certainly the best.
Libkids are love. I think it'll be sweep or weep for them- so let's go Liberty and I'll see you Saturday.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
September 14th, 2008: Detroit at New York
Detroit Shock 61, New York Liberty 59
Meaningless game is meaningless, but Ashley Battle in "Thriller" is worth the price of admission.
Well, that was dull. The word ennui keeps floating through my head when I think about this game, and gee, I can't think why. ;)
*Love* the I-design shirt. You know what made it even better? The feather that Ashley wore behind her ear during shootaround. It was the precise shade of peacock blue that surrounded the ball in the design. Mr. daspoon was kind enough to snag a picture from an equally kind bystander of AB modeling her feather.
I like Taj. I like her a lot. She seems like a good person who knows how to work a room. I didn't realize she and Kym Hampton had history, though I suppose with as long as the two of them have been around, they have to have crossed paths repeatedly. But after Kym did the anthem, Taj came over and hugged her, and it was very sweet.
Speaking of musical accompaniment, no just no to Karina and the high notes that almost blew out my eardrums. More training is necessary ,young lady; you're only 16, so you certainly have time to fine-tune your vocal skills, cut down on the shrieking, learn how to hold a note, things like that. Kym, on the other hand, had one of her strongest anthems yet, and Lord have mercy, did she nail it down at the end. I do love the tradition of the team surrounding her- for that matter, I kinda miss standing under the basket instead of at the free throw line the way every other team does.
Fair warning: in terms of actual analysis, these are going to be right down there among my worst ever, because there was so little to analyze and because I've been fucking around on the Internet trying to avoid writing the notes.
Hornbuckle's got good hands on defense. I like Sanni doing work on the inside. Sam's still got a little something left in the tank, just enough to do damage to a young team. I do not like Pierson. Going over the top to Braxton is a good play when she's awake enough to catch the ball. Do not leave Shields open for three- the number she wears should give you a hint about what she does. Where was that shot when Schumacher played for us? Very aggressive team defensively, especially in the passing lanes.
Why were they force-feeding Janel early? The offense only started to flow better when Janel stopped shooting. She's clearly hurting, and 16 minutes was about ten minutes too much. Essence's shots were good, just not falling, and I would have put her back in in the fourth quarter sometime before the three-second mark. Solid game by Loree, except for some of the passing. Fun as it is to watch Cathrine shoot threes, I'd much rather she tried to work inside more. An old complaint, I know, but very valid today. Granted, she did the best job of following her shot of any of them. Didn't need a lot from Shameka today, wasn't expecting a lot from her today. Erlana kicked ass. (If there are any Tar Heel fans out there, can you please state for the record if she pronounces it Er-lay-na or Er-lah-na? Our usual PA announcer goes with the lay-na, but the sub today went with the lah-na, and she didn't haul off and slug either of them, so that doesn't narrow it down.) Jess kicked slightly less ass, and goddamnit, woman, I'm tired of saying this already, HOLD ON TO THE REBOUND, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, HOLD ON TO THE REBOUND. Love Lisa's shooting, and apparently I missed her cross-checking someone at midcourt. She's improving fast, and I like that, but she needs to be a little faster with her decision-making- then again, the whole damn team does. Erin had such an unmemorable game that I had to look up whether she played or not. Fluffy little bunny did what she had to do, and then actually got to wear nasty pointy teeth at one point, which just made me happy because it seemed so appropriate.
I think we've all established that the Thriller video was the highlight of the night. Ashley played the role to the hilt. Shameka makes a great straightman (straightwoman?), and I really want a still from the part where she's cowering behind the ball rack so I can caption it "Aaaaaaaaaaaah, not the '80s!"
After the game, we were hanging out by the Detroit bus (I still lack a bunch of the Detroit rookies), and Taj once again worked the room, and once again Kym wandered by. The two of them were going back and forth over the fencing, and Katie Smith looked rather like "…no, I don't know these people. Really, I don't." Detroit fans, please let us know if Tweety arrived safely- the last I saw of her, she was walking around the side of the bus that did NOT have the passenger door and never emerged from behind the bus. I'm not real fond of your team, but I'm even less fond of amazing players disappearing into the Twilight Zone.
And that's really about it. FFO, if you're out there, somewhere, Thriller needs to be re-shown during the playoffs- if nothing else, it might make the Sun think that Cat and Leilani will try to eat their brains, and they'll back off them. Or worse- they'll think Ashley's trying to inflict the '80s on them and they'll run for the hills.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
September 13th, 2008: Washington at Connecticut
Connecticut Sun 87, Washington Mystics 81
The Sun bench comes up big, while the Mystics make some questionable decisions in regards to personal grooming.
In case anyone needed the obvious belabored, Connecticut is a very good team, and very strong with the additions of Abrosimova and Phillips. Granted, the opponent was Washington, but the Sun elected not to dress Whalen and Jones- considering the injury situation, and Washington's regrettable tendency to break the Sun, and the fact that the seeds are locked, I think this was the best move for Thibault- and they still won. I shudder to think what the score would have been with one or both of the two. The entire fourth quarter probably would have been Danielle Page time.
I'd like to state for the record, and especially for FFO's benefit, that the Sun do Fan Appreciation Day right. I recognize that the Sun's casino affiliation gives them access to lots of cool things that most teams can't pull together. That being said, the t-shirts are sharp, the glossy photos were very snazzy, some of those prizes were very, VERY nifty (I can haz retro jersey naow?), and the messages were on point (though I doubt LA or NY would have appreciated Whitmore's comment about there being no drama in Connecticut). Also? Big Red was back behind the mic, though with a roster that was almost entirely new to him. I love the way he does intros- we recognized him as soon as he did a promo involving Whalen and Jones's names, because the sing-song he gives Whalen and the way he draws out Asjha is unmistakable. I don't know how long he's going to be back, but I hope it's a long time.
Not so great? Anthem. Seriously, if that shit's charting, anyone can get a record deal. Also- please do not screw up the lyrics when they are being played directly above your head. This is not rocket science.
For the Mystics- honestly, I think the most valuable folks might have been the few, the proud, and the certifiable who made the trip up to Connecticut. We were a couple of sections over from them, and their enthusiasm was awesome. Fans like that deserve a better team than the dysfunction junction the Mystics seem mired in. I keep forgetting how little I like most of the individual Mystic players until it's actually game time and Nakia Sanford does something stupid or Monique Currie starts whining. Sanford was really mixing it up inside with Whitmore, and I honestly thought there was going to be a throwdown by the end of the game. Currie hit some unbelievable shots (and got some questionable calls in her favor, but I'm trying to accent some of the positive here)- when she's on and she's got her head together, she reminds me a little bit of Taurasi or Janel in the way she finds room to take and often make a shot that no one in their right mind should ever try at home. But she's got a chip on her shoulder the size of a redwood, and no good reason for it to be there, so far as I can tell. Beard started really slow, then started heating up, then started getting heated, and eventually fouled out of the game. She also appears to be rocking the fauxhawk, though I didn't get close enough to be certain. If such is the case, then shine on, you crazy Mystic- but Janel's is still better. Humphrey looked the best out of all of them- nice range, nice touch, nice size; she just needs to learn how to use everything she's got a little more smartly. Laimbeer probably would have been better for that than anyone in Washington, but you never know. Blue did not impress me. If anything, the reserve guard who stuck out most for me was Crystal Smith, and the one who kept the offense the steadiest seemed to be Coco Miller. Langhorne played well off the bench, I thought- I like the way she gets inside and finds the ball. Appropriately enough given today's game, she reminds me a little of Tamika Raymond. I suppose the questions there are 1) is there still a place for a pure garbage collector in this league, and 2) if there is, should you be using the 6th overall pick on one? (Oh, hello. I just realized a parallel between Raymond and Langhorne.) Mosby I mostly saw as an offensive switch, which really confused me, because she was switching with Currie, who's a genius at creating (or simulating) contact. Gardner set a very nice screen, and that's really all I remember about her on the court- off the court, she seemed to be constantly stretching- what's up with that? Does she have the tightest muscles known to man, woman, or physical trainer, or something?
Jessie. Seriously. What the fuck was that outfit? You are not a swashbuckling pirate queen, you're the coach of a sinking ship. And if you are a swashbuckling pirate queen, get a cutlass and cut some lasses.
Great balance for the Sun. I never thought they'd take second with this roster, I admit it, but Thibault just knows how to pull the best from every player he has. Of course, picking up a couple of Olympians after the break probably helped too. ;) Starters were Carey for Whalen, Raymond for Jones, Gardin, Holt, and Whitmore. Raymond started off on fire- she even hit a jump shot from right near the free throw line, and I was all "when did she learn to do that?" Carey started, but didn't play much- good move by Thibault, I'd be worried about someone kicking the shit out of her for no good reason if she was in near the end. Likewise Holt, who appears to have found the rookie wall and is applying herself diligently to running repeatedly into it. She'll be right, though. She seems to have a good head for the game. Gardin was shaky- I still like her style, though. Whitmore had a rough day- a lot of BS calls, and she had to match up with some of Washington's… ah, most charming, shall we say… players. (Personally, I'd have put her on Humphrey and let Raymond or whoever was out there at any given time take Sanford or Langhorne- Whitmore's the most perimeter oriented of the posts not named Asjha Jones. But I am not Mike Thibault and the Sun came away with the win.) The bench was crucial, critical, key, clutch, and many other words. Phillips is fucking awesome. That is one of the most unconventional releases I've ever seen in terms of footwork, but considering she only missed one shot, I'd venture to say it works. I love her moxie. And when did Abrosimova grow the brass ones? She played some dazzling defense and on one play went toe-to-toe with Sanford. I just wish she'd shot more- not only would my fantasy score have been much improved, some of those Connecticut turnovers would not have happened. Turner was the clutchest of the clutch- I knew she scored big in the fourth, but somehow it didn't click that all of her points were in the fourth. She turned the tide. Gruda seemed a little… not slow, not necessarily uncomfortable, but out of place a bit? I think she's still a little disconcerted by sudden random Aussie and Russian. Page hustles. Page has really bad hands. Page gets called for bullshit fouls. But she seems like a nice kid.
Very inconsistent refs, very incompetent refs. Twardoski is shooting up the list of "names to swear at really fast". I do think Turner would actually have gone batshit on the crew if she'd been called for a charge on the one play they were especially unsure on- they eventually got it right and assessed Beard with the foul, but it was a close thing and Turner was righteously indignant. Whitmore was peeved for much of the game as well. I think that's the real reason Page came in with fourteen seconds to play- not to get her in, but to get Whitmore out before she lost her cool.
Much love for the other brunette in the Rebecca Lobo Liberty jersey (and, for that matter, I suppose, the original brunette in the Rebecca Lobo Liberty jersey ;)). And for the woman in the Miracle shirt. And again for the crapload of Mystics fans who came up to watch their team lose… again.
See you next week, Connecticut!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
September 9th, 2008: San Antonio at New York
San Antonio Silver Stars 82, New York Liberty 76
Libkids are big young love, but age and treachery win out again.
Loss in the standings, but a moral victory. We played very well without Janel and Tiffany, and Jessica and Erlana proved themselves on the court.
Way too many San Antonio jerseys for my liking. I did see a Sophia Young jersey, which made me feel better, and there seemed to be a contingent sponsored by a San Antonio radio station, so it was nice to know there were actual Silver Star fans in the building instead of just Hammon fans or Johnson fans who changed teams when they did. Just don't ever tell me you're a Liberty fan while you're wearing enemy colors unless you're Carrie and you do it as part of your collecting schtick.
Hammon turned it on late. I'll give her credit for stepping up and stretching the gap when her team needed her, and for hitting the free throws late. And those deep shots are pretty damn impressive (although, dear Loree, you played with her for two years, you should have passed the word to Leilani and Essence that she has that range). VJ is still VJ, and she came up big late. (also, dear Loree and Shameka, you played with VJ for a year or two, you should have remembered she's lefthanded). Watching Wauters in the paint, I thought she was having a better game than she was having- she got into position, though, I'll give her that. Sophia Young, IMO, was the one who really killed us- we really didn't have anyone who could guard her effectively without leaving a glaring mismatch somewhere else on the court. Buescher started hot, but I don't remember her doing much in the second half other than annoying Liberty players. Who did Darling piss off to fall behind Lawson-Wade in the rotation? Seriously? Also, whoever left Ruth Riley open at the free throw line, I will beat you with a thunderstick, and then run like hell because you're probably a post player and I'm just an average-sized fan.
How much love do I have for baby bigs? Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much. Jess started the game off on the right note. I'm still pissed she let Wauters steal that rebound from her, because if she'd just held on, she'd be the one with the double-double, not the Waffle. I think Ashley's been sharing the Red Bull. Now if it would give her wiiiings, or at least a little more vertical, maybe everyone would shut the fuck up. Cathrine is back to the extremes- her shot's not falling, but she's crashing the boards. Didn't she go through a phase like this a couple of years ago before swinging back towards shooting and not rebounding? Damn Libras. ;) Loree had some spectacularly boneheaded passes, and she was given way too much leeway. Shorten the leash, Patty; that might encourage her to get her shit together. Essence heated up in the second half, starting to find her stroke. Shameka shouldn't have played. Not that we didn't need her, but she was still hurt, and it was really obvious, and we're in, and we'll need her later. Loved Erlana's aggressiveness early in the game and in the third quarter- gee, more of that in the fourth might have come in really handy. Along with some more offense. Say, from one of the best three-point shooters in the league? O HAI DERE LISA WILLIS. So easy a LOLcat could do it. Or if we needed defense, how about running with Ashley Battle? AB had one dumb play early, got sat down, and disappeared from the face of the earth. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Leilani I'll give a pass tonight, because she spent a lot of time chasing Hammon around screens, and that couldn't have left her a lot of energy to play at the other end.
Coyle only changed players seven times in the entire second half. Gee, you think we might have run out of gas or something? Erlana was kicking ass in the first half. Lisa could have helped. Ashley could have helped. Even though we were playing shorthanded, a versatile and trustworthy bench is one of our strengths, and going away from that is stupider than a stupid thing.
The other thing that killed us was the end of the third quarter. Blown lay-up, Cathrine. Bricked free throws, Erlana. Blown lay-up, Jessica. 1/2 from the line, Erlana. Seven points right there that we could have had and should have had. We lost 82-76. 76 + 7 is 83.
I felt the refs were extremely one-sided. San Antonio got away with a lot of shit on the inside that the Liberty were not allowed to get away with at the other end. Call it both ways, okay? Is that too damn much to ask?
Sue Wicks sighting. How refreshing.
For the record- the season subscriber of the game was supposed to be my mom- it's her birthday, and a round one at that- but even after I told her before the season, "Whatever you do, DO NOT miss the game on your birthday", she had a hip replacement surgery that knocked her out for the rest of the regular season. She missed the awesome of being on the court and shaking hands with a real live Liberty player, but at least she was honored (though they effed up her name- it's Helene [like Cat's middle name] not Helen [like the Headless Chicken]). It's very cool to be down there. And I still have Vinnie's Sharpie. FFO, is he going to need that back or can I keep it?
Tiffany might set a record for Garden-to-street speed. I passed her in the underpass at Penn Station. She looked even better up close. Janel was very sharp.
Who was that frizzy-haired lass by the railing that several of the Libkids chatted with before the second half? She looked a little like Jordin Sparks, but I'd figure that would have been announced.
We played well, all things considered. But we could have been better. And two on the road, back-to-back? Ick.
Monday, September 8, 2008
September 7th, 2008: Chicago at New York
New York Liberty 69, Chicago Sky 61
Cathrine Kraayeveld rebounds and the Magic Corner saves the day, but what of Janel McCarville?
Okay, so Cathrine finally learned to rebound again. Okay, so Erin found her shot again. Okay, so we won. But is Janel going to be okay? That's the important question here.
I've almost given up whinging about the crowd, although today I'm not really surprised, given that there were Jets and Mets and tennis matches, oh my. But it was pathetic. Like, seriously, people.
The anthem did not suck, although the anthem singer was apparently late, which was why the gates opened late, for anyone who's into that kind of thing.
This was what I was expecting more of from Fowles- a lot more low post play, a lot more aggressive rebounding- what I think makes her such a dangerous opponent is that she's long, and has long arms, and knows how to use them. In addition to the offensive goaltending call (which, thank you for not fucking up your knee again, Sylvia), there was one play on the boards where she tapped it off the bottom of the backboard to herself. Very cool. There was little we could do against her, especially without Tiffany. Dupree seemed off- it's almost as if she's regressed under Key and gotten more tentative on the offense and rougher on the defense. It looked like they were having trouble finding Perkins early, but then they started finding her- I think if Chicago had stuck with the hot hands, they would have pulled this one out. (Except, of course, that we had the magic corner. ) Canty's been hanging out with Price too long- she's getting a bit reckless out there. We do not leave Brooke Wyckoff open for threes. We DO NOT. Is that understood? Okay, then. Price needs to be more disciplined. She's the Tamikaze on speed. One of the fouls called on Jessica was actually Price fouling Dupree. Sheesh. Chicago reminds me a lot of Indiana, except in fast forward- you won't be able to get into your offense against them, because they will make your life hell and get their hands on every ball, but they're not going to beat you with their offense unless they get lucky and one of their major players gets hot, whether it's Perkins from the outside or Fowles and Dupree on the inside. Also, if they want to get anywhere, not making boneheaded mistakes would help them. Canty committed a couple of pointless fouls, but the single dumbest play I have ever seen a basketball player of any ilk- including my high school gym class- make came from Fowles early in the game. The rebound came loose, and two players went into the seats for it (I remember at least one Afro, so Canty and/or Loree). The ball squirted out to Fowles, who just stood there and held it. In the backcourt. The eight-second violation was called, and the Liberty regained possession.
Whoever this pod person is in Cathrine Kraayeveld's uniform, I like her. Can we keep this one? I'd rather sacrifice the scoring than the rebounding- we can get scoring if we need to, but especially given how injury-plagued our frontcourt is, I'd rather have the rebounding. Especially late in the game, after Janel went boom, Cat just kicked it up into a higher gear. Very clutch. Janel was hitting big buckets, too- her footwork amazes me, especially for someone with her… proportions, shall we say. Lisa… not so much what we needed from her. I hope she's saving it. Essence quietly put up 10 and had some great steals- we'll need more of that against Quietly Do Everything Liberty Shooting Guard, version 1.0, on Tuesday. Loree played a solid all-around game. We got a lot of good minutes from Ashley (who is going to get herself hurt one of these days, considering that today she not-quite-chest-bumped-because-chests-were-not-involved-but-that's-the-closest-word both Cathrine and Janel, and just makes me tired looking at her sometimes). Once Erin found the magic corner in the fourth quarter, that was it. Game, set, match, let's go Liberty- Erin hit back to back, then Janel hit her shot, then Ashley from the Magic Corner, and O HAI WE HAZ 10-PT LEED. We're going to need Leilani to bring the awesome on Tuesday, because the awesome was not brought tonight, though the awesome was not needed. (I mean it, Leilani. You and Lisa better be saving the awesome for Tuesday.) Jess learned the hard way that Sylvia Fowles is in another class from Katie Feenstra. For the record, though? Two of those fouls were flat bullshit. Jess gets a lot of bullshit calls. Though I might be biased. Just a touch. *looks at Lobo jersey* *looks at Davenport tee* Erlana was more effective, and more aggressive, though I'm worried about the fact that she had her ribs wrapped at one point during the game.
Much better, Sista Christon. Stylish, colorful, and not looking like you were working 8th Avenue before the game. Tiffany was also very well put together. *applause* Shameka is easily distracted by, um, just about everything. She wasn't even pretending to pay attention to the huddle, though her interest in the singing bee game was explained when she was supposed to be singing the line. You could see her facepalm from the upper deck as the scene played out on Gardenvision.
There is something soul-numbingly horrifying at "Pee-Wee Cowboy Cheerleaders". Their only saving grace was that they were so unenthusiastic that their moves were nonexistent. Still, little girls in cheerleading outfits make me throw up in my mouth a little. Worse, they were in the section in front of ours, though they left rather quickly. I can't imagine why. We weren't even yelling cusses!
I will not get started on the referees. My family has a history of high blood pressure and I'm not allowed to nick my mom's medication. Suffice it to say that there were a lot of boos, and one egregious call was actually overturned. I know Shock fans will disagree, but Brooks-Clauser has a good handle on the game. (Also, excellent fashion sense- we saw her after the game in a crisp pale blue suit. Stylin'!)
You know who else came out the side entrance? Libkids. They haven't done that all season, but suddenly there's Tiffany, and then there's Lisa, and oh, hi, Jess, and Erlana had an entire posse waiting out there for her. Maybe the word will spread that we don't bite, especially after wins.
If the game on Tuesday were against any Western team but San Antonio, I'd say, don't stress it, I'd rather not get Indiana in the first round anyway, tank it and play it safe with Janel and Tiff and Shameka. But it's San Antonio. If we lie down and die in that game, we'll never hear the end of it about the trade. So we have to fight and scrap more than usual.
Be okay, Janel. We need you to be okay. *sends vast quantities of good vibes towards the Liberty, lots, like whoa lots, so many*
Saturday, September 6, 2008
September 5th, 2008: Atlanta at New York
New York Liberty 82, Atlanta Dream 71
Betty Lennox is a helluva gunner and the Dream can rebound, but the bigs from the Big Ten bring it for the Libkids.
I think the most pressing question today is not McCain or Obama, or what terminology is appropriate to describe Sarah Palin, or even who has which unsavory connections, but quite simply this: HOW AWESOME IS JANEL MCCARVILLE?
Gotta say, tonight got off to an interesting start. I got to the Garden 'round quarter to six, and was going "OMGWTF there's a giant hole where Cosby's used to be" when I noticed a whole passel of people coming at me… in Dream colors. "Cool," I thought to myself. "Dream fans on the road!" And then it occurred to me that one of the women in Atlanta blue was awfully tall, and looked suspiciously like Katie Feenstra. I have no idea what happened, but the entire Atlanta squad came trooping through the front entrance of Madison Square Garden, dressed out (though not in their sneakers- is there any particular reason Érika DeSouza wraps her feet so heavily?). Not SOP, in case you were wondering. I felt it would be in bad taste to bother them then, but let the record show that they were very nice during the standard autograph-garnering period, and I don't think Katy Steding expected so many people to recognize her. (Hey, it's an Olympic year. These things tend to come back to light.)
My dear, if one fucks up the lyrics to one's national anthem, one does not admit it by restarting the word. One brazens through it and makes sure not to fuck up the rest of the song.
Loved the cut of Tiffany's dress, but either the pink or the plaid needed to go. Pink is a lovely color for her, and she can pull off plaid, but pink plaid is an abomination unto the fashion gods. And Shameka. Oh, dear Lord. Whatever that top was… I shouldn't be looking at our svelte small forward and wondering if she got knocked up during the break. Or, given the cut of the top and the disarray of her hair, if she came through the 8th Avenue side of the Garden, ifyouknowwhatimean. Pretty fabric, though.
I don't know what Atlanta would have done without Betty Lennox tonight, I really don't. She was their best scorer and one of their best rebounders. I know she scored because she dominated the ball, but was anyone else really going to step up? I doubt it. She found a relatively weak spot in the Liberty's lineup and exploited it to hell and back again. Latta still has the on-court 'tude (seriously, plz to suck it up after Screens of Death) and the quick, flashy hands to back up at least part of the talk, but she doesn't seem to have her offensive moxie back, and without tthat second shooter… okay, so maybe that didn't cause our defense to close on Lennox, but it should have. Izi is still fast, and her shot is still pretty, and she burned Erin so badly on one play I thought ET was going to call timeout for aloe vera and maybe a skin graft. Great ball distribution by her- she meshes well with the team she has. Bales and DeSouza kicked our asses, and I think getting them in foul trouble was critical to the Liberty's success, because that meant Atlanta had to go to their bench. This is not necessarily a good thing for Atlanta. Feenstra was good at getting position inside (which, um, she ought to be, seeing as she's built like a freakin' oak tree), but… I don't know what she did to Jess- maybe our Ohioan just instinctively sensed she was from Michigan and reacted accordingly- but the two of them were going at it hammer and tongs. That kept her off the boards, which kinda forced Meadors to go with Lacy and Terry. When Terry came into the game, I thought I heard a sound like a thousand Dream fans crying in protest before being… well, not silenced, because the first thing she did was get a rebound, and that was really the only thing she did of any relevance. Which is about as much as Lacy can say. Or Haynie, really. Or Strother. At least Tamera Young tried to play defense. Granted, this was by kinda accidentally taking Janel's legs out from under her, but hey, at least it's slightly more memorable than nothing. (Strother's best move of the night was before the game, when she accidentally set a brilliant screen to let Haynie get onto the court without being asked for an autograph.)
Janel, as the Libertine once said: leave some awesome for the other girls! When this game got close, she just looked like she'd decided "like hell are we losing this game, get on board, everyone!" and started attacking the lane. I think there was one pass that went directly to a Dream player, but she had some very nifty dimes to Loree and Ashley. Awesome Janel is awesome. And while speaking LOLcat, it seems appropriate to segue to Cathrine, who very quietly put up 18 points, most of them at well-timed junctures to regain the momentum. Lisa came on late, too, and was introduced to the world of pain by DeSouza on her back. OW. OW OW OW. Loree- the three meets with our approval, as does the rebounding, but you still need to get your shit together. Essence barely played- I think that horrid airball sealed her fate for the game. That, and Ashley partook of some of Janel's awesome, or at least some of Janel's showmanship, but mostly the awesome. That three, those rebounds, and that loose ball play that ended with her going all Nastia Liukin on the scorer's table… Ashley Battle is so awesome. You know who else brought the kickass tonight? Jessica. Hell to the yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Boxing out, hitting those shots off the glass, setting not just Screens of Death, but Motherfucking Screens of Death- the most priceless moment of the night was when she bodied up on Feenstra, the whistle blew, and the foul was called… on a very confused Feenstra. That's the Jessica Davenport who was drafted second, that's the Jessica Davenport who was in the pool. If she can work on her footwork and her flexibility, and accept that it is perfectly okay to kick someone's ass, I think we've got a winner. Not Leilani's best night- she had a couple of 'um, wut?' passes that were very uncharacteristic, but I'd rather attribute that to the Dream's ability to get in the passing lane than our inability to notice those rather shameful Dream uniforms that do not go with our color scheme. A few uninspired minutes for Erlana- I'm starting to feel this "go with the hot hand" thing with the young posts. I'm sure they're not, but we didn't really crack the game until the fourth quarter (though I felt she should have put Erlana in with Megan) and Jess was doing rather well- no need to risk discovering that Erlana couldn't deal with Feenstra's size.
The only way that crew could have been worse is if either Enterline had wandered in as scorer or if the scoring crew from the Seattle game was in the house. Oh dear God the jump balls that were no such thing. No, Érika, you no can haz piggyback ride from a shooting guard. No, Alison, you cannot tackle people just to get the ball. No, Tamera, it is not encouraged that you undercut an opponent. (For that matter, Janel, it is not encouraged that you undercut a smaller opponent, what the fuck, that is completely unchivalrous and we were not amused.) I'd say both sides benefited, but while the calls in our favor tended to be matters of violations, the calls that were more favorable to Atlanta had to do with out-of-bounds and with fouls that were not called. So yeah. Fun times were not had by all. And again, I don't mind my refs being incompetent so long as they're not inconsistent as well. But the combination is absolutely deadly. Then again, Michael Price.
Instead of Liberty Ad-Libs, we had a dance-off with Loree, Cathrine, and Lisa. Loree danced very woodenly- the moves were all right, but the enthusiasm was completely lacking. Cathrine was more enthusiastic, but not so much with the moves. Lisa had both. Lisa won by acclamation. Lisa popped her warmup shirt and kinda smirked at Cathrine when she won.
Disappointingly sparse crowd, but with a Mets-Phils game and the US Open, plus a new team that the shine kind of has worn off of (that has no stars that anyone really knows about and has neither a New York connection or a Liberty connection), I can't say I'm very surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. I just can't shake the feeling that this isn't the same town it used to be.
It was good to clinch. It was even better to do it and then win on top of it instead of relying on the Chicago loss to put us in. Now we have to work for homecourt- it's not over yet, Patty, so don't let the ladies rest completely on their laurels.