Washington Mystics 78, New York Liberty 75
This team is going to kill me one of these days. I just hope I die happy.
There are only so many times you can write the same intro before you start to notice a trend, or at least get bored with announcing that this team is going to kill you. But I swear, they really are.
It did not help things that I left the house late and then had to go back for my ticket, especially when there was some creepy dude ogling me outside the fruit stand. If he'd been there when I came back down the drive, I'd have been even later for stopping and cursing him out in my vulgar and ungrammatical Spanish. But then, that might have worked out all right.
Or it might not have, because Kate didn't show up and Ali didn't object to me sitting in her seat. If you have not met Kate, and especially Ali, the mayor of MSG, you haven't had the true Garden experience. Oh, yes. I may have mentioned before, but Ali and Kate and their guests sit in the first row behind the Liberty bench. Well, they actually moved the section over slightly, so it's behind the Liberty media people, which isn't the same at all. It's something you should do every season, but just once. I know, for myself, I can't take it as a steady diet. There's so much that I miss because everything's in the way, and that's not including the newfound hazard of... do we call her the Empire State Building now? Instead of the Space Needle?
Nice anthem- instrumental, saxophone. Essence didn't look impressed, but that's because Essence looks like she stores her emotion, personality, and humanity in a box before she goes out onto the court.
Lots of kid stuff, given that it was "Garden of Dreams" night. Kid announcer, kid doing the ceremonial tip, caterwauling girls at halftime, and an auction. I still don't understand the focus on autographed items. Those just don't have the same cachet in the W.
Is it just me, or does it seem that the survivors of the first round of 2004 have turned it up to 11 at the end of last year and through this year? Whalen's fallen off the pace this year, but Taurasi, Powell, Hoffman, Sista Christon, Brunson when she's healthy- and of course, Alana Beard, who went the hell off on us tonight, oh dear God. She left quite an impression on the guy next to me, who started rooting for her quite openly. This should not happen behind the Liberty bench. Monique Currie earned that "Scowl and Foul" nickname a couple of times, but I found the smirk more annoying than the scowl. She's a master at drawing contact, though, I have to give her that, even if some of that contact should be called offensive. Langhorne's "I am one with the basket" Zen routine seems to be working when it comes to the boards. (No, seriously. I was counting Mystics and had to do something like three sweeps of the halfcourt to notice Langhorne pressed up against the stanchion like she was trying to go into it, or communing with it.) Harding wasn't all that last night, but she only needed to be some of that with what she was getting from Currie in the first quarter and Beard all night. Her speed still takes my breath away. Melvin got into foul trouble, but I think I remember a big block and some savvy post play.
Oh, God, Nakia Sanford. Oh, God, make it stop. For whatever reason, Janel just could not defend her, or do anything with her. She killed us dead in the third quarter. Forget the rest of the comeback, forget the shitty foul non-calls, the inability to box out or defend Sanford destroyed us. Coleman still doesn't look like she's all the way back from the injury- I'm thinking it's affected her shot slightly. I had the feeling it was going to be a long night when Kristen Mann hit the three. (She was trying to earn back some brownie points with fans by going the extra mile on photos.) Most of the other bench players didn't get in for very long. That might have disappointed the RU fans who were cheering for Ajavon, but I can't say I'm sad to see her slip to the bottom of the rotation.
Some game by Janel, huh? That's the idea. GO TOWARDS THE HOLE. Her defensive game left something to be desired, but at least she was producing on the offensive end. She was mixing up her shots nicely, too. Shameka waited until the second half, then it was like BAM! and I saw an All-Star. She just kept raining threes like it was going out of style. Tiffany got the start for Cat, which looked really smart when she scored the first points for the Liberty, but I don't know that this was the right team to make the change against. Essence didn't play long enough for me to get any idea of how she was, but I don't think I would peg that as one of That Fucking Moron's bad moves. Loree didn't suck, which is about where my benchmark is for her this season. If she gets herself back together, I'll set it higher.
Cathrine looked so awkward with the bench players! She didn't know the traditions or anything. It was quite endearing. Benching her seems to have lit a fire under her, but I don't know that it was completely performance related, given that she always seems to be the player on the floor who doesn't get a call in her favor- she had the heating pad on a couple of times. Kia played well- brought power to move Sanford out of her comfort zone. Spencer was in, but I don't remember if she did anything. Ashley Battle makes things happen. She was a big part of the comeback with shots and rebounds and steals. Leilani wasn't bad, and that's all I ask of her. And- OMG, you guys, we had an Erlana Larkins sighting! And she played with spirit and heart and went to the basket! WHAT THE FUCK TOOK SO LONG?! And then she got benched again and that was the last we ever saw of her, because That Fucking Moron's rotation involves waiting for a player to do something smart and then taking her out.
This is the move that I will swear on my honor as a former Girl Scout finally got Coyle the pink slip. Specifics of time and fouler are based on the play by play, but the generalities of the play are etched in my memory. 7:11 left in the fourth, Chasity Melvin fouls Loree Moore in the act for two free throws. Loree hits the first. Coyle calls timeout. Let me repeat myself. Coyle calls timeout between her own player's free throws. Loree comes back to the bench with a look on her face like she genuinely thinks Coyle's lost her marbles. The timeout concludes. Loree, successfully iced, misses the second free throw. Basic coaching fail. You call a timeout between the opponent's free throws, not your own!
Michael Price sighting, oh, joy. Cathrine is really going to have to do some Mery Andrade/DeMya Walker shit to get some respect from the refs, isn't she? Yeesh. I don't- I just- I don't care anymore. Fine. Fine, refs. Suck as much as you want. You're not going to change and I'm not gonna be able to change you.
It was a hell of a comeback. At least we've improved, sort of. We put the third quarter first this time, giving us more time to get out of the hole. Now, if we could just get to playing a full forty minutes...
Friday, July 31, 2009
July 30th, 2009: Washington at New York
Monday, July 27, 2009
July 26th, 2009: Phoenix at New York
Phoenix Mercury 94, New York Liberty 88
Diana Taurasi puts on a show, and the Liberty once again forget how long a game lasts.
And once again things started off so well and then went to hell in a handbasket without even making a pit stop. There are four quarters, guys, please to be playing all of them?
One of my mom's friends arranged for a few folks to come watch the early shootaround two hours before tip, and since some of their buddies would be late, they let me come in with them, so that was cool. Mom tried to get Janel to give her her big diamond earrings, but Janel wasn't having with that. The kid who did the intros today kept screwing up Cathrine Kraayeveld's last name in practice, and we corrected him each time. The second time, Ashley looked at us like she thought we thought she was Cathrine, and seemed very puzzled. I can't say I blame her. I'd be puzzled if someone mistook me for someone who looked nothing like me. Ashley went off to talk to Diana and Cappie for a while. I'd give my eyeteeth to know what went on there, given that any time with AB is the Happy Funtime Hour. Pettis went off to dance with the Lil Torches as they practiced their routine. Penny Taylor and Nicole Ohlde were both running dribbling drills, just up and down, not in regular warm-ups.
Large crowd, very mixed in terms of loyalty. A lot of the people near me were cheering when Phoenix did good things. Of course, the Cagers were in the house... which confused me, given that we ALWAYS have two Rutgers players in attendance, but wtfever. Lots of tall blonde people there, too. Taylor knew one of them, but the other didn't ring any bells, and she was daaaaamn tall, something like 6'6" in flip-flops. Spotted a few current RU players- Sykes, Ray (I think?), someone else. Spoon, of course. And some woman who looked like Mazzante trying to do a Taurasi impersonation, or maybe like Taurasi trying to do a Mazzante impersonation.
The anthem did not suck, and the power was great. Better than the last time I heard this guy do it.
Diana fucking Taurasi. Diana fucking Taurasi. Holy shit, you see Diana fucking Taurasi? She plays with such ease that it's unnerving. It's like she flips a switch and goes into another gear. We were lucky she only scored 34 points. If Gaines had left her in longer, or her teammates had found her the other times she was open, she might have hit 50. And the way she went up for some of those rebounds was unbelievable. Cappie was off- her shots didn't look right and she seemed a step slow. Tangela Smith was mostly a non-factor, though she hit a big shot late in the game- she was playing more out on the perimeter than I would have expected. Le'Coe Willingham will never be the star of her own team, but she is the perfect complement to a team with a big star or two. She's good enough and determined enough to make things happen while defenses aren't paying attention to her. She killed us on the inside yesterday. Killed us dead. Temeka Johnson has incredible vertical- she gets up amazingly well for a woman of her size. Her shot seemed off, but again, Phoenix didn't really need her to score.
Ketia Swanier is fast. Holy crap, is she ever fast. There was one fast break where a layup was almost guaranteed and she got back and broke up the play. Kelly Mazzante continues to be a non-factor. DeWanna Bonner has a very nifty knack for squeezing herself into tight spaces for rebounds. I think most of her boards were offensive off her own misses, but she just kept going back up until she got it in or got fouled. Brooke Smith looked awkward out there, but after the first two times Kia Vaughn went around her, she figured her out and was able to get in position to change Kia's shots- not by blocking them, but by forcing Kia to shoot differently.
That particular shade of pink is very flattering to a woman of Nicole Ohlde's coloring. Penny, of course, looks fabulous in anything she wears, but that black and white thing works especially well for her.
Look, guys. Y'all do know Shameka's been going non-stop since Wednesday, right? You could maybe give her a little help? 'Cause Essence wasn't exactly lighting it up, and occasionally making some really dumb plays. At least Janel and Loree were both rebounding, even if they couldn't throw it in the ocean. I spent a lot of time crossing myself because Janel was going to the line. Cathrine set some nice screens- not Screens of Death, but acceptable screens. It's really frustrating how she can't hit a layup, though. Loree either needs to fess up that she's hurt or get her ass in gear, because she has no sense of urgency at all. One of these days she's going to actually cost us a game, and that'll be the end of it.
Tiffany looked really good. Kia started off well, but she kept trying to do the same thing, and when your defender is from Stanford, she will eventually figure out that you're doing the same thing. Leilani would probably have had a better game if That Moron hadn't kept taking her out whenever she got both herself and the team into a groove- you think I'm joking, but I'm not. Ashley barely played, which was confusing. Spencer got into the game, but I can't remember a damn thing she did because I'm too wrapped up in her ritual of getting ready to check into a game. She wears entirely too much.
The refs were bad, but they were bad on both sides. Poor Willingham almost got her head torn off near the end of the game with no call. For the most part, they let them play, but we didn't take advantage of that.
It was Kids Day, but they really didn't go deep into that- they just had one of the Lil Torches do the intros, a couple of baby photos (OMG Essence was so cute!), and one timeout event with fathers and daughters. Does that mean the team has gotten cheaper?
For as frustrating as it was, though, this was a better game than the All-Star Game. I had a lot more fun.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
July 25th, 2009: All-Star Game
West 130, East 118
Eh. It is what it is.
I know it's going to be one of the more popular games because oooh there was so much offense and oooh it was so high scoring and ooh Fowles dunked. Big fucking shit. This was the least interesting All-Star game I've ever been to, and by far the most disappointing.
Of course, it didn't help that we got caught in an extra hour of traffic and therefore missed the Skills Challenge and Three-Point Shootout. :( It was so nice to have a Lib actually be involved in these events that I was pissed that I missed them.
Awful anthem. That must have been a thin crop of American Idol contestants.
Charde Houston is the best dancer in the West. Had some nifty moves to the basket. Anosike made her average in steals. She's got some vertical. She also looks damn good in a dress. (Spotted her after the game. That is a lot of fine woman.) Powell will not miss if you leave her open. Like, ever. Taurasi is quite the entertainer. I hope Cappie's tired. Sophia Young couldn't hit water if you threw her out of a boat.
Thompson committed a lot of fouls for an All-Star game. Jackson couldn't miss a three. Bird was slick. Swin looked like old Swin. Hammon started off hot and got cold.
Shameka was firing from deep- hitting some, but leaving shots short because Dunn wouldn't take her out of the game. Perkins did a great job playing the passing lanes and I love her instinct for the ball. DeSouza took the game more seriously than anyone, and I love her for it. Lyttle didn't get in much. Jones was there but mostly used as a pick. Smith looked like crap.
Douglas has some stroke. Beard couldn't hit a damn layup. Fowles was strong in the middle, but that dunk was some bullshit. Dupree looks real pretty out there. Catchings has nice lines.
Game notes are short, aren't they? Yeah, I put the same amount of effort into them that the players put into the game. Half-speed and half-assed. I'd rather have seen half the scoring and twice the defense. Go to the floor without tripping over your own feet. Bring it all or don't bring it at all.
Trying to get swag was just as hard. My mom was lucky because I was able to snag a returned XXL I-design tee. They sold out initially before the game even started. With only five tees, and only two players, available, I imagine there were a lot of frustrated fans.
The halftime show was annoying. Would someone tell the blonde lady she forgot to put her pants on?
Fans sighted: Atlanta (in surprising force), Chicago, Connecticut, Houston (not just folks flying the flag- one lady told me she was from Houston), Indiana (not gear, but a sign), Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, Seattle (provisionally), and Washington. Detroit, Minnesota, Sacramento, if you were in the house, holla back. Loved the blinged-out Dream shirt at the practice yesterday, the Dawn Staley jersey, the team-autoed Sparks jersey, and the Shameka Christon cheering section. Shoutout to the family that repped three different teams: mom in a Swoopes shirt, older girl in a Griffith jersey, younger girl in a Toliver jersey.
Dinner with Board Junkies was very nice. That was the high point of the day.
Friday, July 24, 2009
July 23rd, 2009: Sacramento at New York
Sacramento Monarchs 88, New York Liberty 73
The Game Notes of Doom have a headache from headdesking. Nicole Powell, however, is awesome.
So how was your day? It probably wasn't worse than mine!
Whiz runs a really weird shootaround where most of his young players are either in before the fans are allowed into the building or don't come out at all, while his veterans shoot around the way most teams do. Not great news if you're an autograph seeker who's after young players, though.
The anthem-in-harmony was a good idea in theory, but the practice should have involved two people of roughly equal ability. She wasn't bad- she didn't need a microphone. He wasn't good- he didn't need a microphone. She overwhelmed him in the harmony portions. A mess all around, which really sums up the game experience when you think about it.
I'll say this for Whiz- he's probably a pretty good chess player, which makes him a pretty good coach, even if he's been a crappy GM. He saw matchups that could be exploited and exploited the living fuck out of them. If he'd given himself some players to work with, this team might be better than 5-13.
DeMya, get off the floor. No, seriously, her flopping got really annoying after a while. For a while, she was a very effective double agent for the Liberty, fucking up any possession she could get her hands on, whether it was with a fumble, a foul, a travel, or a ridiculously long hold of the ball that resulted in a shot clock violation. Paris got the start, but her stamina's not to the point it needs to be yet. She had to come out pretty quickly, maybe two or three minutes after she came in each time. I like her instincts, though. She just needs to work on her conditioning. Robinson started, and I wasn't impressed. Ticha still makes things happen, but you know your team's defense is shit when Ticha Penicheiro drives through like a knife through hot butter. I'm not digging the blonde highlights. I know it's a little late now, but would someone please guard Nicole Powell? What frightens me most is that she was working on her interior moves before the game, so she knows the weaknesses in her game and is willing to work on them. Beautiful shot. And she works the boards too. She definitely proved she belonged on the All-Star team.
Lawson was a matchup nightmare. Ate Leilani Mitchell for lunch. So did Chelsea Newton on the defensive end. Harper and Kelly both banged hard, Harper not as effectively as Kelly. Harper's the one who kept getting called for fouls and committing turnovers. Maïga-Ba's learned a few tricks.
My notes are getting shorter because I'm tired, I'm frustrated, and no one for Sacramento was eye-poppingly good other than Powell.
WTF, Janel. All of those turnovers must have happened at once, because I remember concentrated stretches of fail. I think the sheer physicality of the Monarchs posts must have overwhelmed her, since she's evolved into more of a finesse post. Sacramento did a really great job on Shameka, too, unless it was just a matter of our guards not being able to find her, but she just couldn't get space to get open. Loree still has no sense of urgency, which isn't good when she's the point guard that our coach trusts in tight situations. If we're down big in the fourth quarter, this is not the time to stroll the ball up and stand there dithering. At least she's being more aggressive offensively. Essence was defensive fail, and a lot of her offense came when it really was too late. GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT HOLE, people.
Kia played a lot more tha I was used to, in order to bang with Harper and Kelly, and she wasn't bad at it, though I would have liked to see her a little more involved in the offense. Spencer played a lot of minutes on the heels of Chicago, but either Sacramento wasn't letting her get to her spots, or her utility in the Chicago game was unremarked and unremembered, because she wasn't getting the ball, or at least wasn't getting it somewhere where she could make use of it, which makes having her in the game pointless, bcause she can't defend and she can't do much on the floor other than shoot. Leilani, while she was a liability on defense (because Kara Lawson is an Olympian) and on offense (because Chelsea Newton is hell on wheels if you're a tiny ballhandler), seemed more into things than Loree was. Ashley, other than a play here and there, really didn't stand out, except that for the love of God would someone either work on her ballhandling skills or just not let her dribble on a basketball court anymore? Because this is getting painful to watch, especially against a team like Sacramento that likes to fuck with the ballhandler.
I feel like I'm missing something, though that might just be the two hours of my life I spent at that game. I don't know anymore. We gave up a 16-3 run in the fourth quarter, you guys. We are not supposed to be doing this shit.
And enough with the Timeless Torches and fat dancing Christon guy. I'm scarred for life now, thanks. Traumatized. I swear to God.
The guest DJ was cool, but she didn't bleep out curse words, so that feature's going to go out the window soon.
Winning the shuffle game might actually have been the high point of the Garden experience for me. You think I'm joking. I bet you think I'm joking.
The ball cannon was broken again. Proof once more, this team has no balls. They keep giving me the straight line, I'll keep taking it.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
July 19th, 2009: Atlanta at New York
New York Liberty 89, Atlanta Dream 86
Shameka Christon and the Game Notes of Doom both hit milestones, but Sista Christon is more awesome than the Game Notes of Doom.
What a game. It shouldn't have been as dramatic as it was, but it was a hell of a game.
Thanks to everyone on Atlanta for stopping and signing for us. Y'all were really nice. Coco did a double-take at the card, but she didn't say anything, so now I have all possible autograph permutations of the Miller twins' rookie cards. The one fun thing about the league's habit of recycling coaches is how '98 or '01 veterans react when they see their cards. They're so startled.
The anthem would have been great except for the nonstop v-v-i-i-b-b-r-r-a-a-t-t-o-o the guy had going on. Dude, I can hold a note better than that, and I can't actually sing.
Disappointingly small crowd, but they got loud when we needed them. There was a random group of Sancho Lyttle fans in the section below us. They were socute. Note to the tourists behind me: no shoes, no service. I don't want to turn around and see your stocking feet perched on a chair next to me, all right? Your kids were cute and you really got into the spirit of things, so I have to give you that.
Does Meadors actually know what a point guard is? Really, I'm serious. It seems like she's doing her best to fuck with all of their heads. Lehning got the start in this game, but she didn't get the minutes down the stretch, even though she was playing pretty well and making things happen. It was a very sore spot that for most of the game, she was outrebounding Janel McCarville. I'm sorry, but no matter how scrappy a guard is, she shouldn't be outrebounding the opposing center. Foul trouble kept Sancho Lyttle off the floor, which was good for us. Érika DeSouza was unstoppable in the paint- she gets into position so well that we kept wondering how the hell she was so open. That's someone whose film Kia Vaughn should be studying. Izi is still ridiculously fast and still has the range to make a game uneasy for her opponent, even if she's just about the only player on that team who has it. She nearly got into a chick fight with Tiffany Jackson, and I didn't catch what started it (neither was my mom, who was down behind the Baseline Buddy seats and saw absolutely nothing useful). She and Shameka were going at it hammer and tongs, just back and forth. A beautiful sight to see. Mique just took over late in the game and dragged Atlanta back by sheer force of will, stubbornness, and contortionism. I didn't think humans bent that way. The Dream need her to be more assertive. Someone's gotta take this team in hand, and I don't think DeSouza or Lyttle is the type to do it. (Well, DeSouza might, but there's that whole language barrier thing.)
Latta played pretty well, but more offensively than I would have expected Atlanta to want her to play as a point guard. Her dramatic antics were amusing from upstairs, but I imagine they would wear after a while, and it annoyed me that she got the benefit of the doubt bcause of them. Dear Marynell: in what universe is Tamera Young a power forward and meant only to be used to spell post players? Just because her shot and her bball IQ have both vanished into the aether, that doesn't make her a post. Michelle Snow done lost her mind- she was throwing 'bows even before she thought the only way to slow Shameka Christon down was to pull on the back of her jersey so hard she almost took the numbers off. Holdsclaw's body language when approaching her about that was hilarious; she clearly thought Snow was out of her flipping mind. It was very New York. I think I saw Coco Miller, but I could be wrong. I might also have seen Angel McCoughtry, but that might just have been Izi moving so fast she appeared to be in two places at once. I kid about that- Angel was in on some defensive plays, but I don't remember her doing much else.
Shameka Christon. Goddamn, look at this motherfuckin' small forward. 32 points, just one off the Liberty all-time high and the highest total scored by a Lib at home. And that's not enough, 'cause she tore down eight boards, too. Three blocks, too. Two steals. 2000 career points and counting. You only wish you were as awesome as Shameka Christon. Okay, so her defense wasn't the greatest, and she tended to let Castro Marques slip past her for big plays to answer her big plays, but as locked in as Meka was at her end of the court, I'm not going to complain too loudly. Janel played pretty well offensively too- those snazzy circus shots that make me want to tear my hair out were falling, and she and Cathrine were working well together (though those shots didn't always work out so great). Defensively, she wasn't stopping DeSouza, but she was doing a slightly better job of it than Kia was. Loree, hon, you are not T-Spoon. We can tell because you're not playing kick-ass defense. Lock down your assignment and we'll revisit the regeneration issue. Cathrine was streaky- she was getting boards early, then she disappeared for a while, then she started knocking down threes, then she alternated between making great plays and fucking up great plays. Essence knifed it inside early, which I think was big in building that lead and encouraging others- at least the posts- to follow her example. GO TOWARDS THE HOLE, people!
Bunny! Leilani was shooting about as well as Loree, but she matched up better with the Atlanta point guards and ran our offense more effectively than Loree did. Kia got eaten alive by DeSouza- age and treachery win every time, but especially when the age gap is a lot smaller than the experience gap. Use the force, Kia. It's called gravity, and it is a strong force indeed. Barring that, watch film. DeSouza's a low-post player 'bout your size. Tiffany's gotta watch her footwork. This isn't the NBA. Refs call travels a little more frequently. Dribble or pass, but don't just run with the ball. But she had such a nose for the offensive rebounds that saved our asses. Spencer played a long stretch that didn't look all that effective, but despite only hitting the one shot and being pretty badly burned on defense a few times, she must have done something right. I have no idea what it was, other than the one really klutzy looking steal, but she had to have done something. Ashley didn't look great, except she playd just enough defense to make a difference. I do blame her white shooting shirt for Cathrine Kraayeveld's last turnover- late in the game, every potential open shot counts, I'm dead tired because I've been playing too many minutes, and I see a flash of white open on the wing- yeah, I make that pass too.
This was not a well-coached game. It wasn't a very well-officiated game, either, but I'm used to that and none of the calls were egregiously awful. I think they let the teams get away with a lot of stuff, but the flagrant on Snow forced them to clamp down.
Coach Stringer was in the house, and I couldn't shake the feeling that they were using the wrong piece of Star Wars music to introduce her. (I know one of the folks who wondered about that suggested that maybe they used Star Wars music 'cause she's so far out there these days.) I think I also saw Octavia Blue from St. John's, though I'm not completely certain of that.
I missed the halftime show because I was on the concourse. I don't feel like I missed much.
I take no responsibility for the guy who's in love with Shalee Lehning, and I completely absolve myself of any insanity related to the woman in the Ashley Battle jersey.
Volleyball in the stands: bad idea.
So we escaped again, but I swear this team's gonna kill me one of these days.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
July 11th, 2009: Atlanta at New York
New York Liberty 71, Atlanta Dream 69
The Liberty squeak one out and once again cause their fans to reach for the Maalox.
*phhhhhhhew*
Yeah, that's really the best way to describe this game. To be honest, we probably didn't deserve to win, but we did just enough to keep out of trouble and forced just enough mistakes out of Atlanta that we pulled this one right out of our collective ass.
Not much from pregame; most of the Usual Suspects didn't even bother to show until the gates opened. Leilani's little blue dress was adorable, and should be put in the Torch Patrol's wardrobe effective immediately.
Note to the anthem singer: loud does not equal good. Please moderate your voice and find the proper key before you start your performance. Nice jacket, though.
Note to Anne Donovan: loud does not equal good. Please ceremonially burn that gods-awful jacket at the next game. I'm not sure what was worse, the brightly colored pattern or the fact that it was too small, too tight, and the sleeves weren't long enough. *shudder*
Coco, we barely knew ye. She got the start, but went out quickly in both halves. Still had plenty of time to look like a deer in the headlights when it came to ballhandling, run headlong into Screens of Death, and do other stupid things. She's not her sister. She's not a point guard. She's not a ballhandler. Why Meadors is using her that way, I'll never know. Holdsclaw came off kinda quiet- always in the mix in the paint, but not looking to force her offense. She left the offense up to Sancho Lyttle, and if that woman is not on the All-Star team there is no justice in this world. She brought it in crunch time. She's tough, and she's always on the play, on both ends of the floor. I wish we had someone that determined to never take a play off. Castro-Marques (what's up with the hyphen?) is so fast, and she got her shots off in a hurry. DeSouza played well, and completely overmatched Janel. Watching her and Kia go at it was great.
Lehning didn't impress me, except that by being unremarkable, she proved that she belonged as a rookie, and that's no bad thing. It usually takes players a lot longer to look that comfortable on the court. I'd say the next steps for her are developing a shot of some kind and getting the confidence of her teammates. McCoughtry is so fast- she gets that steal and she's off and running. Beautiful to watch. I'm glad she got out of the doghouse for this game. Snow seems to have taken her place in it, though I can't exactly say that's a bad thing. Still and all, if you're a post playing fewer minutes than Jennifer Lacy for the Atlanta Dream, you might have boarded the failboat, no matter how long you spend practicing your jumpers before the game. Lacy, after all, gets to be the goat of the game because of the foul that gave Cathrine the free throws that gave New York the win. Not completely fair, but what are you going to do. Latta came in just long enough to spell Lehning and take a shot. She seems to have slid back into her spot with her teammates, though; right before the game, when they were doing the traditional "dance around in a circle like dorks" thing that every team does, she was the one I th middle, looking like she was going to be sacrificed to a demon or summat.
Essence: made of win at both ends of the floor. Go towards the hole, people! And she did. Cathrine was really taken out of her game by the foul trouble, but again, she made her living at the line. Shameka stepped up when we needed her, and she, Essence, and Ashley all did their part on defense too. Janel, while she came alive again late in the game, when we needed her most, still has some gaping holes in her game that need fixing. Her ballhandling has gotten extremely lackadaisical (well, okay, that's a problem the entire team is having) and she's trying too hard to be the highlight reel; she's finger-rolling when she should just be laying the damn ball up, which results in missing bunny shots. (Not missed Bunny shots. Those are Leilani's fault.) Her defense was also sorely lacking. Loree still looks lik she's not quite herself yet. She had two speeds tonight: slow and slower. She showed no sense of urgency, which was especially notable and egregious at the end of the game when the Liberty were down and she was still just casually walking the ball past halfcourt.
Kia Vaughn! Oh, yeah, we see you throwing up those nifty shots over your shoulder and Érika deSouza's hands. Oh, yeah, we see you tearing down those rebounds. I might have been against drafting her, but when she kicks ass I'm happy. Tiffany also played well- good to see her get more minutes. See, Patty, this is what happens whn you give your reserves a chance to get in the game- they'll save your ass. Go with the hot hand. Leilani didn't look great, but she ran the offense smoothly enough, though she wasn't so good at spotting her teammates downcourt. Ashley had one of her "I can shoot, really!" nights. She can't, not really. But at least she had the right idea. Go towards the hole.
The refs were WTFish, which is to be expected from a Gulbeyan crew. They weren't quite as bad as the people in my section thought, but the holding was really annoying.
Worst game of Tic-Tac-Toe ever. Strategic fail. And I loathe contests where the arena staff has to cheat to help the contestant win, no matter how small and cute the kid is.
Kia's New York Minute was a hoot, and could also be described as "the interns found Photoshop!" Pregame mix belonged to Cathrine (MSG is related to Fuse, so we get a three-song mini-mix, usually of crap, before the game); hers was more believably hers than most of them.
Glad to hear the crowd into it for the home team, as compared to Thursday.
Now can we all learn from our mistakes before next week so the game can be slightly more watchable? Please?
Friday, July 10, 2009
July 9th, 2009: Los Angeles at New York
Los Angeles Sparks 69, New York Liberty 60
The Game Notes of Doom and any number of dedicated Liberty fans would like to know what the heck is going on here.
And the day started out so nicely, too. Shame it had to end like this.
No, really, it did. All the Usual Suspects were there, and I got to spend a whole bunch of time talking to another Rebecca-never-Becky who remembered the good old days, which was awesome, especially because she was bubbly and enthusiastic and just a little snarky.
And guys. Guys, you guys, I got to meet The Libertine! He is real! He does exist! And this team's not giving him any incentive to resume blogging! The Spanish-speaking guys behind us were also a blast- they really got into the spirit of things, right down to the cussing (yes, guys, I know what puta and mierda mean).
The anthem was great, too- one of the guys from the Alan Parsons Project and his daughter. Their harmony was excellent, and her voice was very well controlled and refined.
Great LOL moment of the day: Anne Donovan in a Janel McCarville t-shirt. While the most likely explanation is that she just had to grab the nearest item of clothing, I prefer it as a statement about her favorite on the roster. Second place in the LOL contest: "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" with Janel as the Mac and That Fucking Moron as the PC. Made me want to run out and buy an iBook. Third place: Sue Wicks headbanging.
Yes, I am trying to avoid talking about the actual game, thank you for noticing.
So... why exactly is Bobbitt starting? She's cute and all, and being low to the ground allows her to make defensive plays more easily, but Harrower is the more dominant point guard on the offensive end: she's more willing to go to the hoop, and she's not afraid to make herself heard, even up to the green seats. For that matter, Parker's not ready to start yet. She still doesn't look completely in game shape, still looks like there are flakes of rust fluttering off her whenever she tries to make her moves, but of course she gets the benefit of the doubt. Tina Thompson's stroke is still a thing of beauty, and she still has the kind of range that NBA guards would weep for; I don't know whether to be frustrated or resigned that her defender let her take the deep threes. And again, why is Marie Ferdinand-Harris starting? I just don't get it.
Someone needs to get on Betty Lennox. Yes, I know the game is over. But we still have to go out to LA, and considering the epic defensive fail our guards showed yesterday, they can't possibly start too early. Quinn also played well off the bench, and Cooper used her as a change of... not pace, but size. Vanessa Hayden made a cameo. No, people in front of me, Lisa Leslie wasn't there, much less in the game. No, that's Vanessa Hayden, not Courtney Paris; Courtney plays for Sacramento, Ashley Paris was the one drafted by LA and she got cut. BRB, facepalming forever.
So the last game gave Loree the notion she could shoot threes. Yeah, no, that didn't happen so well. And her ballhandling was lackadaisical- well, to be fair, so was the rest of the team's, but I hold point guards to higher standards and I'm not afraid to admit it. The play where she dropped the ball and watched it go out of bounds was one of the nadirs of the game, and the fact that we had multiple really speaks volumes about the game. Janel looked overmatched in the first half, then started the third quarter on fire, then disappeared except for random acts of senseless klutziness. Essence's shot still looks off- are we sure she's not hurt? It's not that she's missing, it's that her motion doesn't look right. At least she was trying to get inside. Cathrine started getting desperate and putting up short shots. I can't really blame her, though, because both she and Shameka logged over 36 minutes, and Cathrine turns the most interesting colors when she's been on the floor too long. So I can't blame Shameka, either. And at least everyone's showing good hands on defense- once they, y'know, actually find their woman.
If anyone has seen Ashley Battle's defense, please call the Garden immediately. It appears to have gone missing, leaving us only with her on the offensive ed, which is is not a good thing. She's still a sparkplug on the boards and on the fast break, but that's not enough for the role we use her in, and if we were just going to keep someone for that role, Lisa Willis was better at that particular form of energy. Leilani didn't play very much and looked a little out of her depth when she did. Tiffany was fairly effective- she matched up pretty well against the array of forwards LA was using with the lack of Leslie and the minimal minutes for Hayden. Kia Vaughn was in just long enough to get in the boxscore, then sat down and was never seen again. Spencer got into the game, but I don't remember if she did anything. Damnit, woman, if you're a three-point shooter, make sure your teammates know your spots and give you the ball in them. Be assertive. You were certainly assertive enough before the game.
Be assertive- that's actually good advice for the whole damn team. I don't know how many times the ball hit the floor on rebounds, but I'm willing to bet it was about the same number of times Liberty players actually went to the floor for loose balls. The fight just disappeared from them sometime in the middle of the third quarter, and the rest of the game was just going through the motions, like someone had punctured them with a balloon or something. They got sloppy, they started taking really stupid shots, and they left everything short (which might have something to do with our coach's inability to go more than one or two players into her bench; hello, McFly!). It was sickening.
The refs didn't help either; a lot of holding went unreported, though Michael Price on the crew didn't help things. Which, by the way, I thought the refs were all being regionalized, so what gives with Price being on the East Coast? Is he LA's pet ref or something? I don't actually expect referees to be able to count steps or seconds in the lane, but the holding was blatant. Guys, come on. That shit is dangerous.
So many Sparks fans. Too many Sparks fans. I'll respect you if you show up in your team's gear, but don't mix gear (I'm looking at you, Miss Parker Jersey and Liberty Cap) and don’t show up without gear and proceed to taunt Liberty fans (I'm looking at you, squatters in section 120). The amount of cheering LA got was despicable. This is New York, people! Thompson I can understand, because she's a legend of the game and enough hard core fans are pissed off about how the Comets went down that she's getting the cheers, but there's no excuse for the rest of the behavior.
All in all, a very frustrating experience, and more so because it started off so well.
Friday, July 3, 2009
July 2nd, 2009: Detroit at New York
New York Liberty 80, Detroit Shock 64
Shameka Christon decides that she's not gonna be in the cellar. Awesomeness ensues.
Oh, that was refreshing and most needed in these unpleasantly sticky times. The win, not the glass of Diet Coke next to me, though the soda's certainly welcome too.
It looked like it was going to be another rough day on 33rd Street when Loree ducked out of the building towards the Duane Reade, and the heavens immediately opened upon our hatless, un-umbrellaed point guard. For that matter, it looked like we'd been rendered even more unwelcome than before when security opened up a new set of railings to keep people away from the usual approach to the side door where players often come in. I wouldn't have minded the new rules so much if the security guy hadn't done it the second it started raining. Hey, man, I'm just working on a story and trying to stay dry.
The Shock looked a lot looser and happier than I'd seen them in a long time. Maybe it has to do with the coaching change, maybe they have a perverse fascination with bad weather, maybe someone spiked the water with happy pills, whatever. I don't care. Anything that makes Taj McWilliams and Barbara Farris dance between stretches, or Olayinka Sanni work it so hard her teammates bust out laughing, or Cheryl Ford be friendly enough that Shavonte Zellous has to practically drive her towards the locker room (and I mean the "hands on waist, scooting her around like a bumper car" kind of driving). And I wish I'd been able to get a picture of Barb and Ashley Battle coming out together, arms draped around waists. It was adorable. It shouldn't have been, but it was.
Katie Smith was extremely frustrated, and I don't know if I blame her, but she let it affect her game. I don't know that I've ever seen her shoot that badly. Or Deanna Nolan, for that matter- oh, she got a decent number of points in the second half, when the defense started to flag (there was one exceptionally gorgeous cut to the basket that showcased her speed and her grace), but she didn't take control of the game as she usually does when she's in New York. Cheryl Ford, on the other hand, looked much improved, though she wasn't always good at holding her emotions in check. If she's not 100%, she's damn close, and if that's not 100%, I'm really worried about having the rest of our Detroit games coming up. Taj McWilliams was solid, but unremarkable, though a lot of the things she did were little veteran things that you learn how to do when you've been playing the game for as long as she has- screens, getting back on fast breaks, trying to get away with jersey grabbing. (Also, with the shorter hair, she looks even more like Michelle Obama than before. The resemblance is kinda uncanny, but made of awesome.) Alexis Hornbuckle was kind enough to sign for me before the game (I approve of that, but then, she picks up auto bonus points for being kin to St. John's). Her rebounding was phenomenal, and she works harder than a lot of players I see out there, but I don't know if Mahorn knows how to use that workmanlike mindset and build properly yet.
Barbara Farris's effectiveness stopped when the actual game happened. Sorry, Barb. Love you, but, um, no. Shavonte Zellous wasn't getting the calls that she's been getting for most of the season, so she was back to being, in Richyyy's immortal choice of word, diabolical- out of control and losing the ball a lot. She fouled out (as did Nolan). It wasn't a great game for the Shock bench in general. I don't think Mahorn wanted to go to Haynie as much as the foul trouble for Nolan and Zellous forced him to. She didn't set the world on fire, but she didn't suck too badly, either. I'm also surprised that Sanni didn't get into the game. Even if she would just be a response to bringing in Larkins, she might have done more than Farris did. Braxton looked like she'd missed being on the floor, so I hope she's developed some hint of responsibility, and maybe even the seed of the maturity she needs to become the dominant force she has all the tools to be.
Shameka Christon, y'all. Shameka fuckin' Christon. Goddamn, look at this small forward. Canning threes, hitting from the midrange, forcing the foul and getting to the line- if she's not an All-Star this season, something is deeply, deeply wrong with the process at all levels, and I will NOT be pleased. If dropping 25 results from magenta hair, then she can steal as much of Janel's hair dye as she wants to. And Loree's shots tonight were amazing! I'm amused that three of Janel's assists were on Loree's threes (and while I had to look up the exact number, I'd gotten the sense during the game that a lot of Janel's assists were to Loree). Janel still doesn't look like herself- her ballhandling and rebounding are still below par- but she didn't look gods-awful. I was also satisfied with Cathrine's shooting for a change, though I'd like to see her put some strength into those screens when she's dealing with veteran players- Taj was getting around her and not allowing her to set the screen, which left Loree or Essence facing a nasty double-team, and Cathrine couldn't get back in time to reclaim her defender. Those plays didn't tend to end well. Essence, other than that one phenomenal layup, wasn't so great on the offensive end. Her shots were missing, and missing badly, and coming off her hands very oddly. From where I was sitting, it looked like there was something wrong with her motion. Makes the need for an offensive-minded (and offensively capable, Ashley) shooting guard even more apparent. But since the Shock guards couldn't get going, I gotta assume Essence played a role in that.
It was so good to see Tiffany Jackson get some extended minutes. While she definitely displayed the weakness in her game (footwork, Tiffany, footwork!), she also showed her tenacity on the boards and her athleticism on the offensive end. If we have a coach who can polish her, I think she can be something special. Get to work, Anne, we don't have that much time left before she comes off rookie scale. It was also nice to see Kia in the game, and I think she played a major role in keeping Cheryl Ford from really taking over. While Kia's still rough around the edges, she brings a bit of grit that we've been lacking, especially with Janel's shift towards a more finesse and flash game, and Cathrine's transition towards being an exceptionally gawky shooting guard; her physicality knocked Ford out of her comfort zone and got into her head a little bit. Not a lot, and not for long, but just enough that when Detroit was making a run, they couldn't keep it up. Leilani chewed up minutes admirably, and with the way Loree was playing, that was really all we needed her to do. If Spencer is to be on this team, and if she is to play any length of time, she needs to ask for the ball when she's on her spots, because if she doesn't, about all she'll be useful for is getting an occasional rebound, emphasis on the occasional. It was good to see Erlana get into a game for a change, and while she didn't do much, she didn't have to do much, and she came in handy at the end of the first half to fight for possession.
While the boxscore doesn't look like it, I really thought Detroit got the short end of the stick from the referees. There were a few things that the Liberty were getting away with all night that Detroit wasn't, and it seemed like every borderline call went against the Shock. Except for one really blatant jersey pull by Taj (Taj, if we can see the jersey get pulled from the upper deck, you're gonna get called, and you're not gonna get away with it, and protesting your innocence just looks dumb), and a couple of almost-elbows from Ford, I really didn't see any of the Bad Girls play that I'm used to.
Anthem was a college girls' choral group. This is the only one of Blaze's fetishes I don't actually mind.
Disappointingly sparse crowd, but Detroit doesn't have the kind of pull a lot of other teams do, even as defending champions (no names stick out, which is what'll draw the casual fan) and the weather was so intermittently bad that I don't think there would have been many walk-ups.
Musical chairs, hardcore edition. When you have someone pulling the chair out from under someone's butt, you have the hardcore edition. You also have a fan with more killer instinct than his entire team. Can we give him a coaching contract, maybe?
It was good to sit with my old neighbors and kibitz about the game. They're very surreal. I missed them.
It was good to see a win. The team needed it and the fans needed it, and the team needed to get the fans off their back. MOAR PLZ.