Just the Facts, Ma'am: Penny Taylor had 29 points to lead the Phoenix Mercury over the New York Liberty 91-84. New York was led by Nicole Powell's 16 points and six steals.
For narrowly averted swearing, crankiness, defensive lapses, and Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, join your intrepid and sweat-drenched blogger after the jump.
So there was a "Liberty Day" thing going on before the game, which seemed to consist of the Knicks van, face-painting, and balloons. It didn't exactly draw a lot of people.
Shoutout to the girl in the Penny Taylor tank top. Miss, you have excellent taste in jerseys. I also shout out the woman in the orange Sophia Witherspoon shirt and the woman in the white Rebecca Lobo jersey- both of those are old and rare items.
Olayinka Sanni is drop-dead gorgeous up close. Just breathtaking. And I'm impressed with Nakia Sanford's ability to find eyeshadow in Mercury purple.
We're sort of lucky to be only down six at the half, but at the same time, it should be less than that. We lost focus at the end of the the quarter, and I think we let the game get to us. It's been much more physical out there than it usually is with the Liberty and the Mercury, and not just because the Mercury aren't usually a physical team. Maybe the mood was set when Diana Taurasi decided to impede Maddie's progress across the logo during pre-tip rituals, and Kia Vaughn responded with a screen to Taurasi's face on the Liberty's first possession.
I am less thrilled with the officiating than usual, but that's to be expected when your crew consists of Clarke Stevens, Amy Bonner, and Sue Blauch, and Blauch is the crew chief. To be fair, it's equally inconsistent, and if anything we've gotten the benefit of more of the no-calls. (On the other hand, nice job waiting for Essence Carson to damn near get her windpipe crushed and Penny Taylor to get a finger on the ball so you can call a jump ball. Amy Bonner, I am disappointed.)
The previous paragraph was horrifyingly prophetic. The kindest thing I can say is that it felt like the Liberty were playing five on eight for much of the fourth quarter. Further suppositions would not be couched in language appropr for this space, though I have several theories as to how Penny Taylor got away with five steps at a time and Diana Taurasi drew two late whistles on questionable calls.
I'm going to take a moment to bask in the amazingness of the posters the Liberty gave out today. Such a panoply of Liberty history! And only one of the numbers was repeated, and you really couldn't leave off either Sue Wicks or Cappie Pondexter without fans from either the black era or the Foxwoods era fans erupting like Vesuvius. But they covered a lot of ground. Elena Baranova! Ashley Battle! Mama Taj! Sophia Witherspoon! Bethany Donaphin! (We felt they missed a few numbers: it would have been nice to see #12 (either Loree Moore or Ann Wauters), #30 (DeTrina White), or #54 (Barbara Farris).
Ketia Swanier should be starting for this team. She has a better sense of where her teammates are and what they should be doing when they get the ball. She should be starting and Johnson should be on the block if she isn't already. Olayinka Sanni was in for one series and did nothing memorable except wear that cutesy little bow in her hair. Nakia Sanford brought physicality and semi-legal screens, and it felt like she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, no matter what the box score says. Marie Ferdinand-Harris fell short of our shot-a-minute expectations, and she does seem to have learned to pass. She also had one nice defensive play that had us yelling at the Liberty some friendly reminders about LSU's defensive reputation. DeWanna Bonner slipped in for some good rebounds, and she's got a pretty shot that she spent a lot of time working on before the game. (When the Mercury were warming up way before tip, she was practicing, and we blinked and she was gone. I assumed she folded herself into the second dimension, the skinny thing that she is.)
Penny. Bleeping. Taylor. The woman is insidious. She's sneaky fast. She's smooth. She has range. She also gets away with enough steps to get her back to Phoenix and possibly (given Christ-like and/or Iceman-like abilities) back to Melbourne. Phoenix goes nowhere without her. Taurasi, Dupree, Bonner- irrelevant. No Penny, no nada. Temeka Johnson was a waste of time and space. I would not be surprised if Phoenix dealt her before the deadline or flat-out cut her after the season. Kara Braxton didn't really play a lot- maybe she was uncomfortable with her shorts, which looked to be skintight. Diana Taurasi didn't have the kind of game I have become used to- she got called for a lot of fouls, and that one flurry at the end makes her look a lot better than she was. Candice Dupree did her thing, and she was decent, but I'm surprised they didn't look for her more.
Hi, Ta'Shia Phillips! Welcome to New... something! Thank you for rebounding and hitting a free throw! You appear promising and aggressive. Quanitra Hollingsworth was the victim of some dicey calls, but I love how she works on the glass. Relentless. (Really, though, a math major should never commit a three-second violation. Fairly certain graduating early with a degree in math means you can count to three.) Essence Carson's handle was off today- maybe she got caught up in trying to do some of the fancier stuff and forgot to stick to the basics. She may have been in an awkward situation visually, too; I think she's getting to the point where she doesn't think she still needs the goggles, but the goggles still do something, so she wears them during regular game play, but pushes them up when she shoots free throws. Alex Montgomery brought some great defense and a nice dose of needed energy off the bench.
Leilani Mitchell! We missed your steady hand and your ability to hit the open three! I hope this means you're past whatever injuries you had before, because we're going to need you as a point guard so Cappie doesn't have to play the point so she can score. Cappie Pondexter was supposedly fighting off a sore Achilles, and her shot did look a bit off, but she looked about as aggressive as she had been in several games prior, so just how long has this Achilles been bothering her? Kia Vaughn, while I appreciate your willingness to stretch your game out, I'd like it not to come at the expense of hitting lay-ups. Those are critical, crucial, and important. There is no excuse for a center to shoot 5-13 from the field. Plenette Pierson played well, but I think that when she started to rack up the fouls it started to get into her head a little bit, and it affected her play. Nicole Powell brought the on-ball defense, but her inability to rotate to that corner is not getting better. She just isn't fast enough for this system. Don't get me wrong, I love the steals and I love her tips on the boards, but she's exposed in anything other than a man-to-man. And man-to-man isn't much better.
Netball looks like one of those games that would only be good if played by very skilled players. These players were not skilled and it looked like something out of the 1940s.
I'm sure there are a lot more coherent things that could be said about this game, but unfortunately, I'm not the person to say them.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
July 30th, 2011: Phoenix at New York
Thursday, July 28, 2011
July 28th, 2011: Washington at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Despite being outrebounded and outshot, the New York Liberty pulled out a 75-71 win over the Washington Mystics. Cappie Pondexter led all scorers with 19 points, with Kia Vaughn chipping in 14 and Plenette Pierson 13. For Washington, Crystal Langhorne was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 18 points and nine boards to pace the Mystics.
For trials, travails, popularity, vengeance, and Rutgers legends who wore #23, join your intrepid and deceptive blogger after the jump.
Weekday night game- you know what this means, no introductory fun times. At the half, the Liberty are down by four, and given that it's been five on eight most of the first half, that's a miracle. The Mystics have only been called for one team foul in the first half... and that was a foul to give with five seconds left in the half. We'll ignore the numerous travels by Crystal Langhorne or Matee Ajavon mauling poor Leilani Mitchell.
Fortunately, Sue Wicks's Ring of Honor induction will make me happy. (Look, MSG flack, it's a good sign that you should stop talking if two mic's stop working when you touch them. Shut up and let Sue be awesome.)
I think my fellow fans have more faith in Victoria Dunlap than Trudi Lacey does, or at least than she did in this game. I didn't even realize she played until I looked at the box score. Kerri Gardin had one brief spurt where she looked like the dangerous weapon she was when she first signed with Washington, but was otherwise a place where we could stash our weakest defender and take advantage of mismatches. Jasmine Thomas's line looks a lot better than she really was- two of those three shots went in by sheer luck, and she looked like she was in over her head for several stretches. Her speed will be a boon to her one of these days, if she learns to corral it, and she seems like she might be able to properly learn the position. I just don't know if she's going to do that in Washington. DeMya Walker's hair looks awful, and we didn't get to see any of her trademark flops. I think that's completely unfair. If we're going to see DeMya Walker miss easy shots once she gets in position, and otherwise play like a shell of an All-Star, we should at least get to see one of her Oscar-winning performances.
I think Kia Vaughn may have gotten into Nicky Anosike's head after a quick start in the first half, because she was pretty much a non-factor for the rest of the game, and she spent a lot of time on the bench. While part of me is disappointed, because I like Anosike, the rest of me does the dance of joyous self-satisfaction. Crystal Langhorne put in a lot of extra effort and scrapped hard on the boards. I'll give her that. However, I can also be exceedingly annoyed at the four-step lay-ups and the off-the-ball holding. I know everyone does it, but she needs to learn to be subtle about it if she's going to do it. Marissa Coleman also did a nice job on the boards, but I felt like she didn't take advantage of her opportunities- Nicole Powell's inability to close out on the corner three left her open an awful lot. I laughed when she ran into a screen by Leilani. No, that is not backwards. Yes, Leilani stonewalled her with a screen. Kelly Miller was brilliant in the first half, keeping Washington in it with her shooting and running things with a steady hand. She wasn't as much of a factor in the second half, though that may have had to do with Lacey's inexplicable desire to keep Thomas in the game when she was fumbling. Ladies and gentlemen, the Washington Mystics!
Whoever punched Essence Carson in the stomach, please be aware that Kia Vaughn will find you one of these days. Kia does not approve of people messing with her teammates.
Alex Montgomery was a hot mess. I'm pretty sure she thought she was supposed to be on Team ACC, and that was why she kept passing and all but handing the ball to Washington. Her defense picked up in the second half, though. Since I'm pretty sure that's what we brought her in for, that says a lot. Quanitra Hollingsworth seems to be shying away from contact more and more as the season progresses; I don't know if she finds the physical play somewhat offensive, or if she can't take the rigors of a full season, or if something else is going on, but come on, Q. You're 6'4. Use it. Go in, grab the board, and put it back up. Don't let it go down to other players' level. Not the greatest game for Essence Carson, but she had one nifty assist to Cappie Pondexter on a loose ball that she bounced sharply to Cappie for the lay-up. It was sweet. Sydney Colson looked pretty good and more in control of herself than usual. The three-pointers helped, too. She's still not ready for the level of play in this league, but she at least looked like she could be ready.
The bad news: Leilani Mitchell is still not much of an offensive option. The good news: at least she's playing tenacious on-ball defense and putting in effort when she gets caught on a mismatch. If we can at least get that out of her, that says a lot. Nicole Powell didn't score a lot, but she showed her rebounding ability and her ability to find her teammates. Her hands were good, though I'm not thrilled about this whole thing where she's bringing the ball up while we've got a point guard on the floor; I was under the impression that that was the point guard's job, and Nicole's not such a great ballhandler that I'd rather have her dribbling than Leilani or the Whiz Kid. Plenette Pierson had a maddening game, best summed up by two offensive possessions: on the first, she left an open, fast-break lay-up short off the rim and gave up the resulting defensive rebound; on the second, she hit a contested sweeping hook thing and drew a foul on the play. There were times when she looked brilliant, and then there were times when we were screaming “PLENETTE! What are you DOING out there, my God!” Because this infatuation with the three-pointer has to stop. I mean it. Cappie Pondexter had hot spurts right when we needed them, and that's all I've ever asked of her. Win the game and get out of the way. She looked disconcerted by the Washington defense, which I guess makes sense, given who was on her, but you'd think experience would win out. This might very well have been Kia Vaughn's game, despite other people's lines. She was going inside, she was getting her shots, and I do think she took Anosike out of her game.
I do love team chemistry: after Essence took that hit to the gut that left her doubled up in pain on the logo at center court, and after she had made her way back to the bench during the resulting timeout, Plenette came over to talk to her, with body language that clearly indicated that she was going to find who did it and make them pay as much as she could. I've seen more of this kind of thing this year from this team: they're willing to stand up for each other, and they're not willing to take crap from other teams, which is a bit of a change from recent years.
These officials. I try not to comment on the officiating without having evidence or at least specific complaints. But the level of traveling that was accepted in this game was abominable. I shouldn't be able to count four or five steps. I shouldn't see a player crossing midcourt with 15 left on a fresh shot clock without losing possession. I shouldn't see a player hit in the gut with no call. I shouldn't see blatant defensive holding without a call. Twardoski, Simpson, and Holtkamp let this game out of hand, and considering the criss-crossing rivalries and points of pride in this game, we're lucky there were no serious injuries. Did we benefit from the lax calls? In the second half, yes. But in the first half, it was absolutely ridiculous what Washington was getting away with. I have said this before and I'll say it again. I don't expect perfection from officials, but I do expect consistency. Don't ignore a player being pulled off the ball at one end of the floor and then call an accidental touch foul on the other.
I'm really starting to get sick of the Rutgers boosters. Look, I understand that you're passionate about your alumnae, but the cheers shouldn't be louder for opposing players than they are for home team players. This goes double when you're cheering more loudly for opposing players than you are for your players that come from the same school. (This is why I loathe the increasing regionalization of teams. Our Girls Syndrome is mean to professionals from strange, faraway lands like Arizona and Texas.)
Finally got to meet my Swish Appeal colleague Ray! Hi, Ray!
Have I mentioned lately that I miss Sue Wicks? Because I really miss Suuuuuuuue. Yes, Sue, you don't like to speak in public, that's why you rambled for three minutes and only stopped because all of the Mystics were standing there staring at you and waiting to warm up. That's why you name-checked all of our greats and Kisha Ford. (Who I loved, and who has made quite a post-basketball life for herself, but who is not exactly VJ or Becky Hammon.)
I liked the feeling of having conquered something that came out of winning this game. We looked rusty, which will happen with a nine-day break. But we found it in ourselves to win this one. Phoenix will be a wee bit more of a challenge, though...
Sunday, July 17, 2011
July 17th, 2011: Tulsa at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: The New York Liberty struck early and often, leading by as many as 34 points in a 88-57 win over the Tulsa Shock. Cappie Pondexter led all scorers with 18 points in 21 minutes. New York had four players in double figures, and put everyone on the floor for at least four minutes. Tulsa was led by the 17 points and 11 rebounds of Tiffany Jackson.
For the shame of a proud franchise, the awesome that is Teresa Weatherspoon, team chemistry, burgers, and at least one hot guy, join your intrepid and well-fed blogger after the jump.
I realize that it's a nice Sunday and people don't want to be indoors. I realize that it's still three minutes before tip-off. I realize that the Women's World Cup final is going on right now. BUT WHERE IS EVERYONE? I devoutly hope everyone's in the bars and lounges, because otherwise, this is NOT how we honor Teresa Weatherspoon, this is how we spit in her face and in the face of what she did for this team.
Just for the record, guys? Just because I'm wearing a Rebecca Lobo jersey, that doesn't mean I'm voting for her. I'm voting for Tari! Leave me alone!
Trumpet anthem. I approve of this message, though I'm not sure whether Pondexter did (that was an... interesting look on her face that was either of great pain or great... um, enjoyment).
After hearing several different announcers do different things to Liz Cambage's last name, your intrepid blogger took the direct approach and asked her. I'm wondering if some of the cross-up is because of the different accents.
And Spoon just walked in the building and we gave a cheer and the kid in front of me gave me a dirty look and if he keeps doing that I'm going to kick his chair and if he keeps doing it I'm going to kick HIM.
Halftime, and we're up in a lot of categories. We need to be more careful with the ball, though. A disappointing crowd, but maybe some of them will filter back to their seats now that World Cup is almost over.
What I'm loving about this team is their willingness to go to the wall for each other. Jones drew a charge on Essence that was sort of dicey, and got in a shot on Quanitra while she was on the ground. Nicole, of all people, was the one to throw the shoulder block as they came back up. You didn't see a lot of that last year. Now you've got players stepping up to defend and protect their teammates.
One of the luckiest women in the world is holding the flowers for Spoon, and Spoon retains her ability to work a room. I don't know if she was genuinely stunned at the level of applause she received, or if she just did a good impression of it, but... here we are, T-Spoon, and we're giving you back the passion you gave us for so many years. I almost cried- I don't know how I didn't.
Om nom nom, thirty-point win. Om nom nom, burger. Here's an example of the real communication network in MSG and its properties: in the lounge behind our section, we ran into one of my mom's friends, who asked whether we were going to the barbeque. “Barbeque?” we asked with identical stunned expressions. “Yeah, the barbeque. Go over to section 19 and sign up.” So we did. So I'm full of burger and chips and typing up Game Notes of Doom in beautiful, sunny, muggy Newark.
I didn't like Marion Jones before this because of her previous scandals and shenanigans. I don't like her now because she was flat-out gooning out there, going low on players. She contributed one nice flying block, but other than that, I wouldn't mind seeing her out of the league. Betty Lennox, unsurprisingly, looked rusty. Sheryl Swoopes still has the shot, but her famed defense is not what it was. She committed a lot of holding that the refs either didn't see or refused to believe that Swoopes could be committing, and it ticked me off. Liz Cambage really needs a post coach to show her how to use her size, because she's not using it well as often as she could. She needs to get it together and lay off the dirty play, because I know she's a nice and exceedingly dorky kid. Doneeka Lewis appeared to have found her shot in this game, and she's a lot faster than I remembered, but then she lost the shot, and I'm really okay with that.
Jennifer Lacy does not contribute all that much on the floor. She must be out there for the intangibles. (Or her accessories.) Amber Holt really looks like she was hurried back too soon, and I think that's part and parcel of the problem they're having with the training staff (two staph infections? Really, guys?) She should probably still be rehabbing, or just coming back now. Kayla Pedersen contributed nice defense and got going a little later, but didn't seem ready for this level. She'll be good, but not right now. Tiffany Jackson was allowed to travel, so she was an offensive threat, and what Cambage lacks in rebounding ability, she makes up for in boxing out ability to let her teammates get the boards, which allowed Jackson to have room. Andrea Riley has no sense out there. I've met her, and she's a very nice kid, but she doesn't have the basketball sense God gave a gnat. She's fast, and she's okay defensively, but... she should not be a starter in this league, which only goes to show what's going on with this franchise.
I'm going to say it here and I'm going to say it on every platform I have: Quanitra Hollingsworth got screwed by the refs. She fouled out of the game, and maybe three of them were fair calls. Tulsa got a lot of pity calls, and Q got the worst of it. She did good work on the boards, and I approve of her offense. Felicia Chester needs to bend her knees on her free throws, but I like her rebounding on the offensive glass. Alex Montgomery showed off her offense, and unlike the last game I was at, that didn't impact her defense. She looked like a first-round pick out there. Okay, so it was Tulsa, but still. Our reserves spent a fair amount of time playing against their starters. Sydney Colson had a nice low block on Cambage that got everyone going, because, hello, tiny cute Whiz Kid and big giant Cambage. She got her points from the line, because she kept her hands busy with the ball and thus was often in position to be fouled. The reserves spent a fair amount of time trying to feed Sidney Spencer, and the Tulsa defense spent a fair amount of time guarding her like she was Diana Taurasi, so it seemed appropriate that the last shot was hers. Her footwork is nothing to write home about, but I like her hustle after loose balls. Essence Carson was an offensive spark off the bench in the second half, though it looked like she needed her glasses checked in the first.
I really am worried about Leilani Mitchell. I know tiny guard is tiny and therefore often a liability, but she hasn't looked right- I think her back is bothering her again, and the only saving grace is that Alex and the Whiz Kid have stepped up their games. Nicole Powell didn't really contribute, but fortunately we didn't need her to contribute. Kia Vaughn had a big first half and didn't need to have a second half, though I certainly appreciated her presence after Quanitra fouled out as a deterrent to Tulsa pulling any more shenanigans. Cappie Pondexter did what she had to do, and not much else- but again, we didn't need her to do much else. Plenette Pierson started off hot and spent her time out of the game on the bike, cycling off to nowhere in particular.
Our bench outdid their starters. Our starters look bad in comparison, but it's hard to say a lot about them when they didn't play most of the game. So the brevity of comments on the Liberty starters has more to do with the epic fail of Tulsa and the win of the postgame barbeque.
Tulsa's lack of discipline terrifies me. I'm not even talking about anything that might resemble an offensive scheme or a defensive formation. I'm talking about the plethora of fouls they committed and the fouls they weren't called for. I can't remember the last time I've seen a team go over the limit with time to spare in every quarter, and there were times it seemed like the refs were trying not to call things they would normally have or would have earlier in the quarter because it would put the Shock over the limit. If strong officials don't make a point of curbing the nonsense early, someone is going to get hurt in a Tulsa game soon. The holding by Swoopes and Pedersen, the chop-blocks by Jones... it has to be toned down.
With all due respect to the Tulsa fans and the folks who write about them, the way this franchise has been pile-driven into the ground sickens me. I was never a Detroit fan- but the one thing Detroit did right was run the show. As bad as the Bad Girls were, there was never this sense that complete loss of control was only a couple of wrong steps away.
Ivory Latta looked very cute in her street clothes. According to my usual sort of reliable sources, she's out until at least after All-Star. (For reliable sources, read: one of the nine thousand Liberty fans named Mary was standing next to me and asked her.)
Teresa Edwards looked lonely on that bench, but at least she also looked stylish doing it. I want that blouse, if it comes in XXL.
So, postgame barbeque. No assigned seats, which translates to everyone seeking a table and occasionally sitting with strangers, which I'm okay with; if you're a Liberty season subscriber, we have something in common, and that's cool. Seasoning the burgers was a definite plus. The players were friendly and approachable, though some had longer receiving lines than others. I don't think I've ever seen Nicole smile so much. Leilani and Sydney blend into the crowd. Felicia's fiance is hot- nice work there! Kia showed off her dance moves and model poses. Essence and Cappie were fashionably late. We happily skipped around, schmoozed with our fellow fans, got autographs galore, and left happy. And promptly missed the train, but you can't fight fate, or something like that.
We needed a game like this after that disappointment against Connecticut- and we also needed a game where the team could show their bonding.
Friday, July 15, 2011
July 15th, 2011: Connecticut at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Second-half shooting woes nipped a comeback in the bud as the New York Liberty lost 68-59 to the Connecticut Sun in Newark. Kia Vaughn led New York with 15 points and nine rebounds. Tina Charles had 15 points for the Sun.
For late arrivals, non-arrivals, and far too much time spent on TV Tropes, join your intrepid and uninspired blogger after the jump.
I'm not feeling an auspicious start for this team. It's past six and I'm still in Brooklyn. With all apologies to the Langhorne family, words cannot sufficiently express how much I hate the MTA. I'm going to miss tip-off, and my season ticket rep is going to hear it again about our renewal being predicated on the ability to make it to the game on time.
Tina Charles is beasting in this first half. She looks unstoppable. I have a feeling of impending doom about this, although we're only down one.
It got kinda church up in here at halftime. I'm really not sure what to think of a church group dancing to gospel music on the floor here. I don't bring my basketball to your church, do you have to bring your church to my basketball?
I... do not think it is a brilliant plan to encourage people to wear youth basketball gear on the day Spoon is being added to the Ring of Honor. Encouraging people not to wear Liberty gear? So they can get a free shirt which is also not Liberty-branded? This... is not exactly what I would call a great marketing strategy, kids. You want your logo plastered on everything, and you certainly don't want people to be afraid to cover up something that isn't team-branded with something that is.
I missed the start of the game thanks to the sterling service of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, so I can't tell you anything about the anthem, or why Danielle McCray started, or any of that other good stuff.
Allison Hightower saw time to stop the hot hand. Five billion is quite an impressive number to put in the box score, but probably not the kind she was looking for. Kara Lawson came off the bench, and people, you cannot leave her open behind the arc. She brought some physical defense, too. Kelsey Griffin did her work on the boards with some nice positioning. Jessica Moore has been taking acting lessons from DeMya Walker. Tan White was relentless and a bit annoying.
Tina Charles could have done a lot worse to us tonight, so I'd like to thank her for going easy on Quanitra Hollingsworth and Kia Vaughn. We did a better job than I expected of keeping her off the boards, though. Danielle McCray started, presumably to take advantage of our lack of size, and she played solidly. Renee Montgomery is fast. I feel like I keep saying that, but she is. I also think she's been spending a little too much time with her friend the football player, because I'm pretty sure that you can't throw low blocks in basketball. Asjha Jones got her work done in her usual style. Same for Kalana Greene, with a dose of hard-nosed defense- I think she played a large part in Cappie Pondexter's inability to put on her cape and save the day.
Felicia Chester scored! And okay, she put in decent effort, and she's got that famed “pro body”. But she needs to get overseas this winter and hone her game. I assume some of the problems about not knowing the plays and where she needs to be on the floor will be resolved with time. However, her footwork and her ballhandling need a lot of help. Sydney Colson had eighteen seconds to look kinda pretty on the floor. Sidney Spencer was, um, out there. Somewhere, at some point. Unfortunately, she did nothing relevant. Essence Carson was back to her inability to see; looks like someone needs new glasses to adjust to the lighting. At least Alex Montgomery discovered this strange new thing called offense that is so rarely seen at Georgia Tech. Her defense suffered for it, but we must all suffer for new and exciting experiences.
Paging Nicole Powell's shot. Would you please come home? We miss you very much. If you miss the robot jokes, I can totally bring them back if it means Powell finds her shot again! Because I'm sorry, no professional basketball player should miss a breakaway layup and follow that up with missing an open three. Her rebounding was all right, but she was slow on defense too. Argh. Grr. Kia Vaughn had some nice moves in the post, and did a nice job on the boards, but her passing and ballhandling were sloppy. I must assume that something's wrong with Leilani Mitchell, and that's why she wasn't diving for loose balls or exerting much of anything that could be considered proper effort. Her shot was off, her defense was lousy... we really need a bigger point guard. All apologies to Leilani and her fans, but I'm running out of patience. Quanitra Hollingsworth got the start in place of Plenette Pierson, and she did a nice job on defense, but offensively... Q, it's okay, you don't have to solve Fermat's Last Theorem in your head, you can settle for calculating the parabolic arc of your free throws. And Cappie Pondexter... I suppose I should be grateful that she wasn't trying to take over the game, but at the same time, that's what she's paid to do. Connecticut's defense did a nice job on her, but she had her moments where she could have taken over and didn't.
Our defense was pretty damn good. Our offense, however, would put the Keystone Kops to shame. Sloppy passing, sloppy ballhandling, tipped rebounds off teammates, tipped rebounds to opponents... it was a hot mess.
The officiating didn't help, either. It got a little chippy out there; perhaps playing in New Jersey brought back UConn-Rutgers memories for the five Huskies and three Scarlet Knights. There were some sketchy out of bounds calls.
Donna Orender was at the game, and was duly honored (though I do hope that they consulted with Kia before giving the Prima Donna a #15 jersey, I'm just saying). She worked her way up and through the crowd, schmoozing the night away.
We were also graced with the presence of Tweety Nolan. I am intrigued by this development.
I'm too tired to give really substantive analysis at this point, but I do think we need to pull it together on offense. We had our chances in the fourth quarter and blew them because we couldn't hit water if we fell out of a boat.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
July 10th, 2011: Chicago at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A furious second-half surge, powered by Essence Carson and Cappie Pondexter, erased an 11-point halftime lead and gave the New York Liberty an 80-73 victory over the Chicago Sky. Carson and Pondexter each had 18 to lead the six double-digit Liberty scorers. Courtney Vandersloot and Sylvia Fowles each had 14 points to lead the Sky, with Fowles adding eight rebounds.
For ratcheting up the intensity, organizational skills, a visit from the Blue Fairy, and the avoidance of caprine qualities, join your intrepid and PUMPED UP blogger after the jump.
Okay, guys, we've gotten the autograph pen sorted out, and I appreciate that. Now, can we sort out who's going out which entrance and when they're doing it?
Also, seriously, people next to me, there are maybe thirty people in our entire section to this point. You can move down a seat, it's okay. Get off my hip.
There's a lot of red in here. Cagers seem to like these weekend games, though I'm reserving judgment because the games I recall with a big Cager presence have been Chicago and Washington, which have the other recent Rutgers players who aren't with the Liberty.
At half, it's 49-38 Chicago, and it could be a lot worse than it is. There are some truly odd air currents in here, especially at this end of the floor, so I'm expecting Chicago to have more trouble with their perimeter offense. Essence Carson is back, with goggles that look more like sunglasses, and her effectiveness has been somewhat limited. Kia Vaughn is not happy with Chicago, and her temper is starting to slip a little bit, but it's all Michelle Snow's fault for kicking Quanitra Hollingsworth while she was down.
We changed seats because there was no room next to us, there were lots of kids in front of us, and the people behind us were rooting obnoxiously for Chicago. Silver lining- t-shirt! And it even says XL!
The only reason this wasn't the best comeback of the day is because of Abby Wambach and Hope Solo, but it was certainly pretty damn awesome. The Cagers who came ot this game because of Epiphanny Prince came away well satisfied with Essence Carson and Cappie Pondexter.
Dominique Canty wasn't with the team, so Erin Thorn was seeing more minutes than even her usual. She, of course, unleashed a Roaring Rampage of Revenge on the team that drafted her, hitting shots late in the clock and being surprisingly pesky on defense. Tamera Young showed her... quantum singularity... tendencies, taking shots she had no business taking. She also got grabby on defense. That's not going to end well. Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton did a great job on the boards- there was a point in the game where she was the leading rebounder. If that's what she's there to do, she's brilliant at it- just as long as you're not asking her to do anything else. Carolyn Swords saw a few scattered minutes and took a hit from her own teammate. She was there to be a reserve post, and that was what she did. Remind me again why they kept Bjorklund? Really, I don't know.
Epiphanny Prince is not a point guard. I'm not sure what Chicago is doing with this offense, but one play sticks out in my mind: second half, on a mismatch, she has Quanitra Hollingsworth in front of her, while Essence Carson valiantly attempts to front Michelle Snow. Snow calls for the ball. Prince takes an off balance jumper. Snow is... not amused. She was also sloppy with the ball. I mean, personally, I really don't care about Michelle Snow's discomfiture, though, because as far as I'm concerned she can take a long walk off a short pier and keep going. One possession, she was so busy looking for opportunities to get in a cheap shot that she kept Chicago from getting a shot off. She also seemed a little more impressed with her outside jumper than she had any reason to be. Sylvia Fowles gets away with an awful lot of tap-dancing on the baseline. There were two or three plays where we were sure that she was out of bounds, but she was allowed to save the ball in to her teammates. She looked dominating in flashes- but for whatever reason, whether it be the rotation of our defense or Pokey Chatman having unexpected brain freezes or Courtney Vandersloot and Epiphanny Prince not being sure what to do with someone that tall- flashes were all she showed. Cathrine Kraayeveld got loose for a corner three, much to our protesting in the seats, but was quiet for much of the game, and it only seems meet that she clanked the shots that could have given Chicago a chance.
If we had managed to lose that game after tying it at 60, Quanitra Hollingsworth would have been the goat, for giving up turnovers and fouls to allow the Sky to answer with a mini-run. Fortunately for Q, we won the game, so I can talk about her burst of offense and play on the glass. I think we had a brief Sydney Colson sighting, but as she didn't do anything memorable, I can't be completely certain of it. Essence Carson got her glasses fixed at halftime and came out firing. When the place was rocking with the “LET'S GO LIBERTY!” chant (that started without cues, by the way, it was awesome), everyone in the building knew that she was hitting the jumper to give New York the lead. The first half had overtones of Stevie Wonder, with her shots being off and her peripheral vision non-existent; I suppose that would make the second half sheer wonder. Sidney Spencer once again stopped a fast break, and once again it wasn't even ours! Her most important contribution might have been calling the out of bounds on one of Sylvia Fowles's rebounds- she got the call right, and she influenced the ref. (Just for the record, influencing the ref is a bad thing, but it's nice to know Spencer has some use.) Alex Montgomery had a few undistinguished minutes. Felicia Chester's wearing #41, which is just disconcerting. That's a number that brings back... memories.
I hope Kia Vaughn's okay. She sat out much of the fourth quarter for reasons we couldn't understand, and then when she went in, it all made sense, because she was wincing and holding her knee. She played solidly in the first half, and made it clear to Snow that cheap shots would not be accepted. It's a pretty bad sign when you're slue-footing your old college buddies. Do not taunt happy fun Kia? Plenette Pierson started the game as the only Liberty player who wanted to score, though in the second half she had to put out a lot more energy defending Fowles and throwing down with Snow- seriously, I thought there was going to be a fight at one point, the way they were in each other's faces, and I don't think I would have minded. Cappie Pondexter joined us in the second half and came up clutch- which is all we need of her. Personally, I consider her a mercenary, a sellsword, a gallowglass, whatever medieval term you prefer; we hire her to hit shots, win games, and eventually get us a title. She has no ties, no connections, no deep roots. When her job is done, it's on to the next one. I was shocked at how passive she was in the first half. Leilani Mitchell was... let's be charitable and say highly ineffective. She was getting tape around her thigh before the game, so that might have impeded her speed, and her shots were not helped by the Winds of Destiny Change thing the arena had going on. Nicole Powell found her shot, played iffy defense, and tracked down rebounds with exquisite vision. She's often hit or miss with those, but today she was on point and on target. Her rebounding kept us in it.
We will have to say farewell to one of the GnoD's favorite running gags. I'm afraid I have to admit that Nicole Powell is not, in fact, an amazingly lifelike android. Evidence to the contrary showed up in the fourth quarter, when the Torch Patrol brought out the cards for the rallying rendition of “Gotta Get Up”. As Whiz discussed things at the start of the timeout with his assistants, the team gathered together. Moving down meant I was able to read lips. Powell's were definitely going “L! I! B-E-R-T-Y!” before Whiz called the players to the huddle. That shows spontaneity and spirit I don't think a robot could manage. Congratulations, Nicole! You're a real girl now!
The crowd really got into it in the fourth quarter. There were several occasions when the only sound came from the fans, getting the “DE-FENSE!” or “LET'S GO LIBERTY!” chants going without cues from the PA. Old school. Amazing. It sounded like more people than there were. That's the kind of Liberty crowd I remember.
Some questionable officiating in this game. But at least we're not USA-Brazil.
I'm amazed at how we pulled it together. At least for the next three days, I LOVE THIS TEAM SO MUCH.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
July 1st, 2011: San Antonio at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: 11 first-half points from Nicole Powell and 15 second-half points from Cappie Pondexter bookended a 81-75 win for the New York Liberty. Pondexter led the team with 19 points, adding five assists. Danielle Adams led San Antonio with 19 points off the bench, while Becky Hammon and Sophia Young each added 16.
For offensive and offending rebounding, warm welcomes home, empty seats, shockingly patient point guards, and dicey shot selection, join your intrepid and candidly photographed blogger after the jump.
Greetings once again from warm and welcoming Newark, New Jersey! If I see too much more San Antonio gear in here, I may end up projectile vomiting on someone, so I apologize in advance if your Game Notes of Doom have an odd smell to them.
Essence Carson looks slightly under the weather, so if she has a lousy performance, that's why. No matter what she says. Danielle Adams is adorably personable, and not sure how to deal with people who want body parts autographed. It's like her job on the team is to run interference. Becky Hammon and Vickie Johnson lingered too long chatting with Kym Hampton, so those of us at the other end of the arena didn't get autographs. We were sad.
What in the nine circles of Dante's Inferno- NO. You do not mess with “Strike It Up”. You do not loop it. You do not segue it into anything else. It's the one thing we've managed to keep steady through the yearly game of F- Over A Veteran, through black uniforms and blue uniforms and Foxwoods uniforms, through Darsch and Adubato and Coyle and Donovan and Whisenant. WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN.
At the half, it's 39-34, and I think we've mildly traumatized our starting point guard. No, not Leilani Mitchell, our other sort of short point guard who wears #5. We're three rows behind Nadirah McKenith from St. John's and her family. Nana, if you're reading this, please don't let us get kicked out of Carnesecca Arena. :D?
The ceremony for VJ was short and sweet- one of the MSG people said some words, the luckiest season ticket holder in the world got to present her with flowers, and she made a short speech. There was also a video presentation. So many pictures of young VJ and her unfortunate hair! I miss VJ so much. This whole San Antonio thing... Carol Blazejowski did many reprehensible things as Liberty GM, and made more mistakes than you could put on a “Fire Blaze” sign, but the mishandling of VJ's free agency was one of the worst. The visiting bench shouldn't have been the one VJ was working from.
I love that VJ's jersey in the Ring of Honor is the original jersey, black with the seafoam green panels and the orange piping. History, we has it right.
That was a relief. I didn't think we were going to pull this one out. And even in the loss, I saw a lot of good things out of San Antonio. Their movement without the ball and their offensive rebounding was remarkable. (Of course, some of the offensive rebounding might have had to do with our pathetic rebounding, but I digress.)
The black is slimming on Danielle Adams, but that's not saying much. Please, for the love of all that is sweet and holy, someone find that woman a jersey that fits her comfortably. She reminded me uncomfortably of Tamika Whitmore with her mysterious insistence on shooting three-pointers when she had a bulk advantage on most of her defenders. The flopping was hilarious. Danielle Robinson looked more comfortable out there than I would expect from a rookie, but other than the drives to the basket, she didn't do much that was memorable. I'm not very happy with Jayne Appel right now. I don't like how she's setting her screens. They should not move. You went to Stanford, Jayne, you should know better. Porsha Phillips wasn't bad, but not memorable. Jia Perkins had a lot of shots go in and out, and a lot of good looks. We got lucky. I'm really not sure why she's not starting unless Hughes is being a stickler for positions. Scholanda Robinson was mostly used on defensive possessions, which surprises me, as I'm used to thinking of her as a shooter. This is what happens when players go to Tulsa- people forget their proper skill sets. She was in so infrequently I didn't even realize she started.
Sophia Young is stealthy and smooth, and I like her despite myself. I'm sitting there thinking “oh, she's not having that great of a game” and then I look up and see that she's got 10 and 5. She was a painful mismatch for Nicole Powell. Ruth Riley wasn't much of a factor, except for the times when it looked like she and Plenette Pierson wanted to get their Detroit Bad Girls on. Tully Bevilaqua, as much as I love her, has lost most of the edges she had over the years. All she has on her side now is old age and treachery, and those weren't enough. Becky Hammon started getting hot later in the game, canning her ridiculous threes and being given more steps than a recovering alcoholic. Seriously. In Soviet Russia, extra steps take you.
Essence Carson didn't play. So I was wrong about her having a lousy performance. (The box score says “injured right eye”. Ouch. Sure, you're fine, Essence.) The S*dneys stepped up nicely in her absence. Sydney Colson was the first woman off the bench, providing spurts of offense and moments where she didn't seem to realize she wasn't in the Big XII... X... whatever... anymore. Sidney Spencer, meanwhile, hit her threes, attempted mightily to play defense, and was brutalized by the officials. I mean, don't get me wrong, she rubs me the wrong way, but two of the fouls on her were ridiculous. Quanitra Hollingsworth spent much of the first half with the distracted air of a math major attempting to solve a quadratic equation in her head, and much of the second half with the intent purpose of a math major who successfully solved a quadratic equation in her head and can now focus on basketball. Her foul problems bother me. Jessica Breland was somewhat less than irrelevant. I thought she'd be a better match for Adams, but I was wrong. Alex Montgomery provided pretty solid defense and a little bit of offense, but seemed kind of lost on offense. I guess it is a foreign concept to a Georgia Tech alumna.
Nicole Powell, so nice of you to join us this season! You are, I presume, aware that the season started a month ago, but your sins are forgiven for the early threes and the late foul you drew on Danielle Adams. Well, most of your sins. I'm not so forgiving of the lapses on defense. A Stanford player should be smart enough not to make the same mistake twice. Leilani Mitchell looked like she was in over her head again; neither of the starting guards for San Antonio was a good match-up for her. Hammon's too good and Bevilaqua's too savvy. Cappie Pondexter filled the stat sheet and hit the big shots, but her defensive lapses were glaring. It's easy to notice these things when her feet are bright orange. Kia Vaughn was up and down- solid, but could have played better. Plenette Pierson put together a very nice game without me initially noticing. She kept the stupid mistakes to a minimum, which was refreshing.
I seriously have no idea how we won this game. We let them walk all over us on the boards, we kept passing the ball to places it didn't belong, we missed a lot of easy shots... but when the chips were down, we managed to make things happen. Nicole Powell drew the big offensive foul on Danielle Adams, Leilani had the steal- it all came together, in a truly Liberty way.
Angelica Suffren looked like she had some kind of issue with Spencer. How in the world can a player who's knocked to the floor by the swipe of a buttock be the player who commits the foul? There were a lot of inexplicable calls in the first half, but it evened out a bit in the second. Still, this crew let a lot of travels go unremarked and missed more than one foot out of bounds.
And then we ended up taking the same PATH train back to New York as Sue Wicks, so I spent the entire ride studiously ignoring her so I didn't do something embarrassing or collapse in a pile of fangirl squee. That was a nice finish to the night.