All-Star MVP Candace Parker led the West to a 102-98 win over the East with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Emergency starter Rebekkah Brunson also had 11 rebounds, while Kristi Toliver had 21 off the bench. Epiphanny Prince and Ivory Latta led the East with 15 points apiece.
For ennui, a lack of expectations, miserable bus rides, Cynthia Cooper jerseys, a sore lack of merchandise, and general disinterest, join your intrepid and struggling blogger after the jump.
My favorite part of All-Star is seeing all the fans from across the league join together, proudly flying their colors to watch their favorite players showcase their skills in joyous exhibition. The game itself tends to be underwhelming, especially for someone who values defense.
So you can imagine my disappointment when I realized that there was no fan fest of any kind. I was already irked that the open practices were on Friday, and I couldn't take the day off because I'm already taking off two days in a three-week period for Liberty games. And then I realized there was no skills challenge, no three-point shootout- nothing but the game. Why bother? (Especially as it seems I would have heard more about the game on TV than actually seeing the game live.)
Saw fans from every team but Tulsa. Pleasantly surprised by the turnout from LA and Minnesota- and no, not all the Sparks jerseys were Parker, and not all the Lynx jerseys were Whalen or Moore. Lots of Liberty fans, of course- I think there might have been more people in Liberty gear than in Sun gear, and if not, it was very close. Crowd cheered a good bit during intros- Whalen got a lot of applause, as did all the Huskies, and even Pondexter.
The one thing I wanted out of this game and didn't get was a fast break with Glory Johnson, Danielle Robinson, and Kristi Toliver. I got one with D-Rob and Toliver, so that had to do. Glory Johnson threw down a beautiful and powerful dunk during warm-ups, and was fun to watch in action during the game- she had a tendency to end up in the front row a lot. I think I need to find a way to watch more Tulsa games, except then I'd have to hear commentators talking about how great Diggins is. Danielle Robinson didn't get a lot of chances to show off her blazing speed, but the one basket she hit in the third was a pretty spinning move in the lane (we won't talk about the one she hurled over the basket). Kristi Toliver must have gotten a warning about her huge enormous ponytail dust mop of doom, because the first time she was in, she looked like she had a pet dust bunny following her around- the second time she came in, her hair was tied up a bit more strongly. She lit it up in the third- for a while, it looked like she and Ivory Latta were waging a personal battle in the midst of the East/West game. Nneka Ogwumike did work under the basket. Tina Thompson kept taking long threes- you could tell how badly her teammates wanted her to get a basket in her final All-Star appearance. As soon as she got in, they were giving her the ball. Lindsay Whalen threw a shoulder at Ivory Latta (I think) that made her look like she was in the wrong All-Star Game.
Brittney Griner doing the wave. Yes, really. To be fair, most of the Eastern bench also joined in, but when Griner does it, the effect is almost majestic, like unfolding a sheet of instructions. That's a lot of long skinny arm going up. She also ended up signing at least one autograph while on the bench for a fan who dodged security for just long enough. (Points for moxie, points off for "are you that stupid?!")
Diana Taurasi's sneakers were certainly... they were definitely... well, they weren't the ugliest shoes in the room. And they were definitely sneakers, no question about that. She hit one shot very early and then seemed more interested in messing around on the court with her friends. Her passing was pretty good, though. Seimone Augustus had her crossover working, but early on, she looked more like Brunson with the rebounding. Rebekkah Brunson had a resounding block that got as much applause as anything else in the game, and she was all over the boards. Trying to cross over one's opponent when one is Rebekkah Brunson, on the other hand, is a bit of an adventure. Maya Moore was all over the place. Candace Parker erupted in the second half, showing off her smooth grace and her ability to rebound around the basket.
Line change! No, that was pretty much how the East did their subs, except when Lin Dunn decided to bring the pain with Crystal Langhorne and Érika de Souza.
I think Ivory Latta needs to be tested for naturally producing caffeine. She has entirely too much energy. It's scary. (I'm also worried she tried to recruit minions during the Be Fit clinic on Thursday.) She was not afraid to shoot. Crystal Langhorne seemed entirely too fond of the midrange jumper on the wing, a shot that was not falling for her. Érika de Souza was a reliable target in the middle, using her build to generally kick butt. Shavonte Zellous looked like she was having a lot of fun- I expected her to put on more of an on-court show, but I'm cool with a player just goofing off in a game like this, especially a reserve. Allison Hightower's first touch was a turnover, but she settled in later.
I'm sorry these notes aren't more detailed. To be honest, if you were watching on television, you had a better idea of how the game on the floor went than I did from the upper deck.
Cappie Pondexter used her head... literally. She got hit in the head with a pass early in the game, and the facepalming was epic in Liberty land. I don't think she had the right shot at the end of the game, but she was the right person to take it. I have no idea how she got all the assists in the box score, I really don't. Tina Charles threw in a pretty hook shot during a brief second quarter spurt, but otherwise looked much as she has during the regular season. Epiphanny Prince was bombing threes in the first quarter like they were water, the way that Latta did in the second half, but was less involved in the second half when Dunn emphasized her reserves more. Tamika Catchings was quiet, inasmuch as Tamika Catchings can be quiet in a game. Angel McCoughtry seemed torn between showboating on offense, being flashy on defense, and trying to have fun. All things considered, I'm not surprised that Angel was torn in so many different directions.
Officials were irrelevant. Refs with cameras look stupid and have possibly been assimilated.
Seriously, if you have not had the pork flautas at Sol Toro, what are you waiting for? I talk them up every time we go to Sol Toro, and they were on point tonight.
We skipped halftime, so we skipped the entertainment, and if there was any announcement of the WBHOF inductees, we missed that as well.
Not surprised Parker got MVP, not arguing it. It was going to be her or Toliver for the West. If the East had pulled it out, it would have been Latta, IMO.
I know I should have more to say about this game, but really, there wasn't anything to write about. Other than passing Anne Donovan in the hall, we didn't even have any celebrity sightings to claim. Usually there are plenty of players in attendance, but most of them seem to have gone home.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
July 27th, 2013: All-Star Game
Thursday, July 18, 2013
July 18th, 2013: Chicago at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Chicago Sky raced out to a 13-0 start and never looked back in beating the New York Liberty 75-55. Elena Delle Donne led the Sky with 23 points, adding six rebounds. Carolyn Swords had 12 points and five steals, Eshaya Murphy added 12 points off the bench, and Epiphanny Prince had 11. For New York, Plenette Pierson and Kelsey Bone each had a team-high 11.
For epic fail, trying very hard not to swear in front of children, runaway cotton candy, drastic measures, and purported food, join your intrepid and clogged blogger after the jump. (Monopoly time at the Golden Arches, yay for cheap food!)
Good morning! I think. I don't know what this dance routine thing is supposed to be, but I don't think I like something that starts with a little boy talking about how his pants are sagging on the ground.
Chicago has a tendency to zerg rush the exit, but at least I got Carolyn Swords after two years of being ignored. I'm pretty sure Elena Delle Donne will be back at some point. That's a fair exchange.
There are an awful lot of people in Sky and Delle Donne gear around. Actually, strike that. There's an awful lot of people in Delle Donne gear around (including someone I recognize as one of the Sun's superfans; really, Judy, this is how you're gonna roll?) I was hoping the ridiculousness of the start time would keep too many visitors out, but apparently not. I eagerly await the dying down of the hype.
I don't know if I've mentioned how much I hate Camp Days. I don't like children. Being around thousands of them is not my idea of a good time. The things I do for my team. And now I've had to suffer Miley Cyrus. Someone will have to pay for this.
Gorgeous, gorgeous anthem. And it all went down hill from there. It's 41-25 Chicago at the half, and it could have been a lot worse. I'm no longer sure that Cappie Pondexter and Bill Laimbeer can co-exist, and the wrong choice might doom this franchise for the next five years. The first quarter was one of the hottest messes I've seen out of this Liberty team in... gosh, at least a week! At least the second quarter was equal-opportunity ugly. Leilani Mitchell and Alex Montgomery look like the only players working out there. I'm disappointed and sad and frustrated.
Mama Taj looks like she's wearing a bustle and fake hooves. Oh Mama Taj no.
If we had made a heroic defensive effort and held Chicago scoreless in the fourth quarter, we would still have lost this game, that's how inept we were. I'm embarrassed for them. I'm embarrassed by them. I'm also pretty sure the Chicago Sky got more fans out of that game than the Liberty did, which I'm pretty sure defeats the purpose of a camp day game. (Well, okay, we all know the real purpose of a Camp Day game is to inflate attendance, but that's neither here nor there.)
I've mentioned before that I really like Eshaya Murphy. That remains true today. She took the shots that were given to her and hit most of them, and she took care of most of the little things as well. The one play that stands out was actually a missed shot- she went for a three, and as soon as it was off her fingertips, she was crashing the boards- already sure that it had missed, she was ready for the o-board. Two Liberty players beat her to the spot, but it's that kind of effort I appreciate. Sharneé Zoll-Norman ran a decent offense the second time she was in. The first time that she was in, she looked very much like she was in over her head- bad passes, bad decisions, bad shots. Allie Quigley played very briefly in both halves and took one shot (it was a long two, to be fair, but I'm still surprised she took a shot that wasn't a three, and still annoyed that it didn't occur to anyone on the Liberty that guarding her might be a good plan). Tamera Young can't shoot free throws. She played one half with the elbow sleeve on and one half with it off. There are a lot of tattoos under that sleeve- not as piecemeal as Cappie or Deanna Nolan, but not as put-together as Augustus or Griner. (Yes, you're going to get a lot of random side observations in these notes, it's not like the game was very much to write home about.) I don't remember her doing much else than missing free throws. Michelle Campbell was very physical and very tough in the middle. I don't know what went on between her and Kara Braxton, but it got very physical near the end of the game. There was a lot harder and more vicious bumping than I expected.
I'm a bit distracted right now. There's a really tall dude in front of me and a dude in full Duke basketball kit, so I'm intrigued and trying to figure out if they're anyone in particular.
Swin Cash seems to have issues with Detroit. Gee, I wonder why. She and Plenette Pierson were going at it hammer and tongs, and her dramatics were in full force. She seemed to be settling a lot for threes, which I thought was interesting; I was under the impression that she was the four in the lineup with Delle Donne. Epiphanny Prince started the game off hot, and even though she cooled off alter, by then they didn't need her. She showed flashy hands on defense, too. Courtney Vandersloot blended in with the rest of her teammates, but in a way, that's what a good point guard is supposed to do. She didn't have to take the risks she took last time- she had open passes to her teammates and set them up well. Elena Delle Donne hit shots from all over the floor, and even though she has one of the strangest free throw wind-ups I've seen in my life, she gets the job done. The fact that she missed a free throw stuns me. I'm not quite sure how she managed four blocks- I remember one of them well, but maybe I was mixing her up with Carolyn Swords on defense. Swords played really well defensively. My beloved traveling companion brought up an interesting point: Swords is playing like the player we expected Cathrine Kraayeveld to be before she decided she wanted to be Laurie Koehn when she grew up. Boils my blood. But I'm a bitter St. John's fan. No, seriously, she was great at breaking up passes to the inside and coming away with the ball.
Chicago got excellent bench play; to be honest, they probably could have gotten more. But given how much grief Pokey Chatman has gotten for not having her big guns in the game at times, I can't blame her for keeping them in a lot.
I'm not sure why it seems like Leilani Mitchell has slipped to the back of the rotation, but it's clear that the offense runs a lot better when she's making the decisions. Plus/minus is nto usually a good stat for single players in single games, but the fact that she managed a +13 in a 20-point loss says a lot for what she brought to the table. She flat-out stole a rebound from Swords late in the game- and this was not her standard style of sneaking in and grabbing the ball low, this was straight up in the air over Swords's head. She's doing her damnedest to prove everyone from the beginning of the season wrong. Kamiko Williams brought energy and defense- she had a great defensive sequence on Delle Donne in the fourth quarter as Delle Donne brought the ball up. I don't know if I like how much she's looking for her shot, though. That makes me wonder if Bill's not sure where to fit her into the system. Kelsey Bone was good on offense, but she was standing around staring at a lot of rebounds today. Get on the boards, Kelsey, you're 6-3 and broad-shouldered! Throw your weight around! Her shot found her in the second half, though I'm not sure how much of that was finding her touch and how much of that was the lack of interest Chicago had in defending her during a game that was long since in the bag. Alex Montgomery has mastered the art of the baseline save, and no one fights for loose balls like her. She brought the fire that was missing from the rest of the team. Her throw from the baseline set up Leilani's first three. And she's taking more of a leadership role on the floor, too, which I thought was interesting- she was in with Cappie, Leilani, and Kara at one point, and it looked like she was the one calling the huddle during the official timeout for blood on Swords's leg. Avery Warley was a solid rebounder, and got her basket on a wild tip-in that almost didn't get credited to her.
The bench play makes the game sound tolerable for the Liberty, doesn't it? Too bad we had five other players see time in the game.
Toni Young's vaunted athleticism was missing in action for much of the game. I expect great leaping feats from Toni, and she let smaller players outrebound her consistently for the first three quarters or so. She did have one pretty putback late in the game. Katie Smith was unremarkable on both ends of the floor, which is a bit of a problem when she's our vaunted defensive stopper with veteran savvy and all those other things they like to say about players near the end of their shelf life. She was a non-factor. Plenette Pierson got the start again, and got stupid fouls. She took a lot of outside jumpers, and a lot of them didn't go down until the end of the game, when it didn't matter anymore. And it's becoming clearer and clearer that her knee is making her a liability on defense. That's a problem for a player who's as hard-nosed as Plenette in a style as physical as Laimbeer's. It's hard to be a Bad Girl when you can't move. Kara Braxton was even dumber than usual today, which takes a lot of talent for Kara. She was missing bunnies, blowing passes- I thinka t one point she actually mistook her head for the basketball and the basketball for her head, which is the only reason I can think of for how badly she blew that lay-up. She wasn't rebounding, she wasn't defending, she wasn't scoring- Braxton vs. Swords is not supposed to be a KO in favor of Swords. And Cappie Pondexter... I'm not 100% certain Cappie didn't show up to this game hung over. Her passing was abominable, when she passed. Her shooting was abominable. Her defense was non-existent. She got dinged for two offensive fouls because of her recklessness and carelessness and probably should have been nailed for a third. (Seriously, do not poke people in the face, refs notice that.) She looked like she wanted to take everything on her shoulders, except that today she didn't have shoulders.
Also, whoever's fault it was that Leilani got stuck guarding Delle Donne on that one possession, come over here so I can beat you with a "Basketball for Dummies" book, specifically explaining why having a 5-5 point guard in single coverage on a 6-5 combo forward is a bad idea.
The kids were loud at all the most annoying times, and not actually during the game, though I can't blame them. At least no one hit me with a thunderstick, though it came close.
I wanted to be stabbed in the ears and eyes during the "Libz Bop" segment, because none of them can sing and Kamiko really can't sing Adele. (Though it did establish that Essence rocks the pink leopard-print pimp hat better than either Leilani or Plenette.)
Officiating was sketchy. Quelle surprise. Can we not with the hitting Alex in the face?
Things that worry me as a Liberty fan:
*Why is Bill playing power games with Leilani? Is she not 100% physically? Right now, she's the best of our point guards/players what can handle the ball a bit.
*The regrettable recto-cranial inversion that is clearly impeding Cappie Pondexter's vision.
*Plenette's knee.
*Kara. Just Kara.
*Has Bill lost the team? Or only part of it? Because somewhere along the line, there seems to have been a general busting of give-a-damns from the veterans and a lot more intensity from the rookies.
It's a very collegiate thing to do, but if I were in Bill's position and needed to shake things up, I'd use the theory that playing time is earned, not given, and start Leilani, Kamiko, Alex, Toni, and Kelsey. Bench Cappie and let her stew. Bench Kara until someone can slap a brain into her head. Bench Katie until she finds her veteran resolve to go out with a bang instead of a whimper. Bring Plenette off the bench- she's always played best as a sixth woman, and this might get the stress off her knee. He won't do it, but he needs to make a major change in the atmosphere of this team. The last few games have been putrid and shameful. Something is wrong and needs to be fixed.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
July 14th, 2013: San Antonio at Connecticut
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Allison Hightower had 23 points, and Tina Charles notched a 20/10 double-double to help Connecticut stave off San Antonio, 86-84. Kara Lawson had 14 points off the bench in her return to action. Jia Perkins had 23 points to lead a San Antonio team that put six scorers in double figures.
For action, reaction, driving, windshield wipers slapping out the tempo, tight squeezes, and the kindness of acquaintances, join your intrepid and sore blogger after the jump, and don't drop a chair on your leg.
Because one game this weekend just wasn't enough, your intrepid blogger and her stalwart companion headed up to Connecticut for their game against San Antonio, on a bus with questionable suspension and entertainment of dubious provenance. Adventure!
I forgot how much I liked San Antonio and their style (well, except for D-Nasty, and even then, I like Sunshine just fine). I hadn't even planned to root for them in this one, but as I watched the bench working together, and watched Dan Hughes and Vickie Johnson working on the bench, I found myself wanting good things to happen for them.
The Tina Charles wobble-head is awful. I don't think they were prepared to deal with long hair. We were joking that that thing was enough of a mortal insult that she might ask for a trade just because of that.
The advantages of hanging out with the Usual Suspects: one of our fellow autograph collectors had two extra seats that she wasn't using and offered us the opportunity to move down from our upper deck endcourt seats to the third row in the lower deck. Sometimes it was a little too close for comfort, and those seats are a tight fit with the cupholder, but we had a primo view of the drama and heartbreak that is the rage and sorrow of Dan Hughes. Since we got our original tickets for free (we drink a lot of Coke in my family), you really can't beat the price.
That anthem. Dear Lord. All the things my dad told me never to do when singing, she did. The performance was nasal even when her voice wasn't cracking. She strangled and destroyed about six notes in the middle. She was gasping for air through her mouth- no, no, no, you sing through the mouth and breathe through the nose, not the other way around. Kelsey Griffin could barely keep her composure, and if looks could kill, Kara Lawson might have vaporized the poor girl. I'm sorry, but sometimes a bad anthem is a bad anthem.
Did I mention I love the cohesion of the San Antonio bench? Because they're clearly happy when their teammates do good things. I like that. They stay involved in the game even when they're not on the floor.
Kayla Alexander played very briefly in the first half, sort of like Dan Hughes was trying to determine if she had anything to offer today. She didn't. Davellyn Whyte seemed to get more minutes than the box score would indicate, though part of that might be because she tended to bridge quarters (first to second, third to fourth) and thus was technically checked into the game for long stretches of time that there wasn't actually a game going on. She looked more comfortable on defense than she did running the point on offense, and she's got to convert those lay-ups if she's going to make the drives. She's only a rookie- she'll learn, I hope, because I see a little of what Dan Hughes saw when he took her in the second round. It hurts me as a Liberty fan to see Shameka Christon looking as beat up as she does. I'm not necessarily talking about her play, though that's never recovered from Big Syl's elbow and then the knee injury, but strictly in terms of how she looks and how she carries herself. Her shot heated up a bit in the third quarter, no matter what the Mohegan Sun scorekeeper thinks (as of this writing, the wnba.com box score I sorely lacking in accuracy). But she got beat so badly on defense on one play that I thought VJ might have a conniption, and Hughes pulled Christon aside for a lecture after that. She just looks like she has not aged well. Cathrine Kraayeveld looks like she's blending in with her teammates, and unlike every coach who ever played her in New York, Hughes didn't keep her in the game long enough for her to start turning interesting shades of red. She and Mistie Bass were going at it hard in the paint, though Bass was getting the better of that battle. Danielle Adams moved well and stretched the defense- one of her threes was so long and so clean that we thought she'd been taking lessons from Tina Thompson on the sly. She does like to throw her weight round when she can. I think San Antonio was expecting more out of her today, though.
I don't think there's a player more unheralded in this league than Jia Perkins. She gets it done on both ends of the floor. She's deadly from the outside and not afraid to get into the lane. Chicago really blew that one, didn't they? I suspect she spent most of the night in a state of disbelief at the officials, because I saw at least four moments where she could have demanded a foul, or demanded not to be called for a foul, and have had had a case. No respect, I tell ya. Shenise Johnson seems to savor that offensive role she's called upon for. She's good on defense, too. She had a small cheering section several rows up from the San Antonio bench that gave her a lot of applause when she was first introduced. Danielle Robinson almost stole the show with a steal that turned into a fast break no-look reverse lay-up. She's quick and she's fst and she's amazing to watch. (Scary thought: imagine her running the Phoenix offense. Talk about quick ain't fair. Thye could probably outscore NBA teams.) She's got a good command of her team for a guard who's so young. That my be the silver lining for the Stars- she was already a mature player, but having to take more of the leadership with Hammon out will do wonders for her. Jayne Appel got involved in the paint, collecting rebounds and being big, but I kept getting a strong sense of useless from her. The Sun's post players were not afraid to attack her, and they got results from it. DeLisha Milton-Jones had some pretty baskets early, moving with a grace that belied her years (which I know is a ridiculous statement to make about a woman in her thirties, but really, if you put her and Christon together and told a stranger one of them graduated in 1996 and the other in 2004, I don't think the stranger would get the answer right). She got into it late with Mistie Bass, and Bass was not amused. DMJ is the mistress of inducing guilt in others from officials. No one is better at looking innocent and being so bad.
Good Lord, it's coming down in buckets out here. I can barely see out the front window even when the wipers go by. I hope it clears up before we hit the Whitestone...
Kara Lawson, welcome back, because your team needed everything you had to offer today! Her shot was back, and so was her leadership. The Sun actually looked combobulated when she was on the floor, as opposed to the confusion I've seen from them without her. Sydney Carter gave good minutes at the point, hitting a couple of pretty jumpers along the way. Kelly Faris hit one jumper but looked pretty awful on the other two, and her defense was not as sharp as it had been in previous games. Kayla Pedersen was unmemorable, except for the foul she committed on Jayne Appel (I abhor Tree-on-Tree violence). Mistie Bass brought a lot of game off the bench- not only was she her usual bruising self, she was getting stuff done on offense. Like Charles, she saw her opportunity to attack in the paint and took it. I don't know what DMJ said to her, but from the way she answered, it might have been something about her mother. She was fired up.
Oh, Izi. We love your spunk, but your shot selection could use a little work. I don't even know what that lay-up attempt was, other than an utter debacle. With Carter coming on strong, Lawson's return, and the potential of Montgomery and White on the horizon, I can't imagine Donovan keeping her around any longer than she has to. She's entirely too streaky a shooter, and unlike the other streaky shooters currently in the Sun's employ, she doesn't bring anything on the defensive end unless she feels like it. Allison Hightower put in excellent work today on both ends of the floor. She did a thing that I thought was impossible- she out-quicked Danielle Robinson on a shot attempt. Yes, someone managed to out-quick Danielle Robinson. But that's because Allison Hightower is that awesome, and I would buy her jersey if the Sun promoted her at all. Kalana Greene was pretty much a non-factor, except that if the Sun had lost the game she would probably have been the goat (in her defense, I don't know what they were thinking passing to her; if I had the ball for the Sun, she would have been about my sixth choice of players on the floor to shoot the ball). She did have one spectacular athletic board in the first half that got the crowd going. Kelsey Griffin boxed out well, but with Bass being the hot hand, Donovan didn't play her that much; I'd have to look at a more detailed box score to see the split, but I think it was dead even. Tina Charles attacked the paint the way pretty much every WNBA observer has been waiting for her to do this season. She looked like she was back to her old self. It was quite refreshing.
The back and forth in this game was fierce, and the crowd was loving it. (Except for the officials, but Connecticut fans don't particularly like officials in any case.) By the fourth quarter, they were positively roaring, and the place was rocking. It's been a couple of years since I've heard that crowd that impassioned during a game. I loved it.
The officials were not great. A lot of three-second calls on both sides went uncalled. A lot more holding and grabbing was missed than I would have expected. It was even-handed enough that I don't think that was how the game was decided. And of course, the Sun fans were riding them on everything up to and including Shameka Christon's jab-step on her jumper (did the pivot foot move? No? then stop trying to call it a travel).
This was the celebration of Blaze's birthday, so the Pioneer from Sacred Heart, Boola from Yale, and the legendary Supercow joined the big orange fuzzball in timeout festivities. I think they were hoping the tug-of-war would be a bit more competitive, because it usually is. We skipped halftime.
I think there was a pregame presentation of some sort, because the season ticket holders were wandering around with programs that had Tina Charles on the front, and there was some mention of her starting a foundation during the halftime break. (Um. The mention was during the halftime break, not the actual starting of the foundation; I don't think Tina Charles is that good at multi-tasking.)
Got back late due to the need for food, and because Norwalk is under construction again, but it was worth it.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
July 14th, 2013: Indiana at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A 31-6 third quarter by the Indiana Fever turned a nip-and-tuck game into a romp over the New York Liberty, 74-53. Erlana Larkins led five Indiana players in double figures with 15 points, adding six rebounds. Plenette Pierson led New York with 12 points off the bench.
For frustration, bad judgment, rudeness, detours, lack of movement, and dilatory habits, join your intrepid and incensed blogger after the jump.
Good evening, everyone! It's a Saturday night special here in Newark, as New York faces Indiana.
Indiana's sweet. I don't know if it's the old-school sensibilities of Lin Dunn and Mickie DeMoss, or just a good collection of personalities, but everyone who was asked to stopped and signed, either coming or going.
Normally, players are off the floor by 35 minutes before the clock ends. 30 is the usual max. The Liberty events people brought on a dance performance at about the 29-minute mark. Briann January and Erlana Larkins were unfazed and continued practicing their pick-and-rolls even as people in turquoise tank tops did strange gyrations. (If January can hit free throws with both the basket and the floor vibrating. I don't think we can disconcert her.) Then January came off and Larkins shot alone. She finally came off at the 23-minute mark. That kind of work is why Briann January has made one of the best post-ACL comebacks the league has ever seen. That's why Erlana Larkins is back in the league. That's why they both have rings. Indy may not have all the talent, or all the explosiveness, or the other pretty things, but they have indomitable will and one heck of a coach.
Very sparse crowd so far. 19 minutes to go, but it's an odd start time.
I want my full "Start It Up", Libs. I don't think that's too much to ask.
Why "God Bless America"? And why didn't they just have her do the anthem? Because the anthem was lousy and the "God Bless America" singer did a fantastic job hitting the high notes.
It's been a close game throughout, and I just wish more of the people showing up late had seen all of it. Alex Montgomery has been phenomenal on the boards, clearing pretty much everything and forcing disruptions when she can't just pull down the board. Plenette Pierson went on a scoring tear in the first quarter like she wanted to prove a point. Toni Young also looks good. This is going to be a humdinger of a finish.
Seriously, the place really started filling up in the second quarter, like everyone forgot what time the game started. That's one thing I'm not going to miss about the Prudential Center- lots of late arrivals getting in people's ways.
I'm impressed that Karima Christmas recovered from that open-field tackle by Kara Braxton to start the second half. She looked like she wsn't sure where she was when she initially got up.
Aaaaand so much for that theory about it being a humdinger of a finish. We utterly fell apart in that third quarter. It was quite infuriating. We actually booed at the end of the quarter. At least the kids played with more intensity in the foruth to make it look somewhat less utterly humiliating, though by that point the damage was done.
Sasha Goodlett's first basket came on a gorgeous spinning pass from Tamika Catchings. She brought the physicality, if not always the smartest plays. Layshia Clarendon was missing shots in practice that I know are usually automatic for her, but she was more successful with them in the game. She gave good minutes, though I don't appreciate her knocking over Leilani Mitchell on a drive late in the game. Erin Phillips is back to being Erin Phillips, diving for loose balls all over the floor and hitting sweet jumpers (though I'm not used to her shooting threes like she was Katie Douglas or something). She made our ballhandlers' lives miserable. Jasmine Hassell... um, I liked her hair? I know she played, and played a fair amount, but about all I can remember is when she committed dumb fouls.
Tamika Catchings barely had to play and she still wrecked any kind of game planning Bill Laimbeer did. Her defense was on point, to the point where Toni Young couldn't be an offensive factor if Catchings was on her, no matter what our guards seemed to think. The only thing I would worry about if I were a Fever fan is her struggles from the three-point line. In the long run, that could affect moving Catch (back) to the three, but given that the first step would be to acquire a center somewhat taller than Erlana Larkins, I think that's a much more long-term issue. Briann January ran a solid offense and was deadly from the corners. Can we not leave her open? Would that be too much to ask? I guess it was. Karima Christmas did work on the boards, fighting for every ball. She is truly, impressively tough. She brought the defense, too. Shavonte Zellous had the green light to shoot, and the rim got her a couple of times. Right now, her role on this team is to score. Unlike most of Indiana's players, she doesn't seem to be expected to bring the blue-collar lunch-bucket hard-working clichéd defense. That's not to say that she's getting special treatment or anything, just that she has a different role. And someone's gotta keep the scoring up. Erlana Larkins did work on the inside. She stepped back for a couple of jumpers, but most of her baskets came deep in the paint. She went at it hammer and tongs with whoever was on her and whoever she was on.
(Remind me never to take the 33rd Street train at Journal Square again. This train is full of children, and one of them is not wearing any pants. Diapers are not appropriate outside garb, lady, put some pants on your child. Also, hey, if you just got your carriage kicked out of the conductor's operating position, your response should not be to go stand there as soon as the conductor moves into the next car. Too much stupid today. Cannot COPE OMG.)
Kamiko Williams looked like she was in over her head the first time she came into the game, though she adjusted somewhat in the fourth quarter and looked more comfortable aggressively driving to the basket. I'm not sure if Bill was happy with her decision-making, though. Plenette Pierson was a sparkplug in the first half on the offensive side of the ball. She was ripping Indiana up with drives and jumpers. But in the second half, she was much less effective, and her inability to move properly on defense was much more evident. Two straight plays, Catchings demolished her and she stood there. There was a loose ball in the third quarter that she would normally be rolling for, but she took two steps and backed off. If it's that obvious from the 19th row, maybe Bill needs to take a good look at her. Avery Warley did a nice job drawing fouls on Fever defenders in the first half. She's a useful part, and I can see why Phoenix kept her around last year when they were desperately seeking mediocrity. Leilani Mitchell played very briefly in the first half (we were wondering if she was injured, since Laura Ramus was stretching her out like a rubber band) but got much more time in the second half. She kept getting called for fouls when she got knocked over. It was very unfair. Alex Montgomery was all over the place. I love the way she goes for loose balls. Love it. She was the only one consistently bringing effort out there.
Kara Braxton is as dumb as a brick, but this doesn't surprise anyone by now, I hope. She used her height well on the boards, especially when Larkins was on her (she also seemed to be using her, er, other assets against Larkins, but that might be a bias in perception). Kelsey Bone was solid, and again I have to wonder if she ever played club volleyball- she knows how to keep a ball in the air. I'd like to see her hit the bunnies with more consistency, but I can accept that from a rookie so long as I can be certain that that rookie will develop. Toni Young reminds me in a weird way of the Slinky dog from Toy Story. It's something in the way she moves. She's developing surprisingly fast at the three, in the lineup with Kelsey and Kara. Her athleticism is a sight to behold. Katie Smith got the toughest assignment of the night, guarding Tamika Catchings to open the game, and it wore her down fairly quickly. Didn't help that she couldn't really get a lot of shots because her teammates were having issues finding her over and through the Indiana defense. (To demonstrate the importance of Catchings to this team, I almost called it the Tennessee defense.) She got pretty frustrated about that. Cappie Pondexter's judgment was even worse than usual tonight. She took a lot of bad, quick shots and botched two end-of-quarter possessions by not paying attention to the clock. If that's the lead guard she's going to be in Laimbeer's system, we're in a lot of trouble.
I don't know what happened in that third quarter. Maybe it was a confluence of all kinds of events that spelled disaster for the Liberty: Lin Dunn making halftime adjustments like a boss, Plenette's knee acting up, Cappie deciding to put everything in her own hands, increased intensity from the Fever, a good run of bad luck, an inability to shoot the ball, bad decisions. But it was ugly and relentlessly so. Bill used two timeouts and Mama Taj looked ready to chew sand and spit glass. By the end, it was a 28-point deficit and the crowd was starting to boo- those who weren't leaving, that is. (To the family who decided to leave in the middle of play: really? You're going to make me get up with a laptop on my lap, while the game is going on? You can't wait two minutes for the quarter break? I would say obscene things to you, but it's late and I'm tired.)
The officiating didn't help, but I'm not going to pin everything on them. It sure seemed like Indiana was getting the advantage on calls, even in the first half when the game was still exciting.
Too many dance groups today, including little girls in shiny short skirts that made me extremely uncomfortable. I really hate the outfits some of these troupes wear. Feels too much like something I should be watching in a trenchcoat.
Nothing more to be said. Regroup, heal up, and be ready for Chicago.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
July 9th, 2013: Seattle at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Plenette Pierson had 22 points off the bench, and New York withstood a strong Seattle third-quarter run to pull out a 66-57 home win. Cappie Pondexter added 13 points, eight rebounds, and four steals for the Liberty. Tina Thompson led the Storm with 13 points and seven rebounds.
For custard, audacity, so much snot, too manya missed connections to count, and general exhaustion, join your intrepid and overheated blogger after the jump.
Hello again, loyal readers! Your intrepid blogger comes to you once more from beautiful, scenic Newark, New Jersey, bringing you the sights, sounds, and smells of the Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty!
Lots and lots of words will be written about this game. A veritable downpour, you could say.
This has not been a good commute. Just missed the bus in Maspeth, which means I had to wait fifteen minutes for the next one, and now the train's sitting at Union Square twiddling its metaphorical thumbs. The drummer on the platform is excellent, but it's fifty-six minutes to tipoff and air conditioning doesn't help when the doors have been open for several minutes to let in the fetid platform air. Cranky blogger will be cranky on top of being intrepid.
Cranky blogger is extremely cranky. I missed the first five minutes of the first quarter because of the MTA's shenanigans, so I also missed the Tina Thompson tribute (say that five times fast; I can't even type it once) and the anthem. It's now halftime, and we're being entertained by tic-tac-toe. The Liberty are kicking all kinds of butt, at 36-19.
Dear mother or other relative of Tanisha Wright: stop deliberately blocking people's view with your sign. Well, you'll have to now, since security just took it. Seriously, antagonizing an entire section of Liberty fans is not the brightest thing you could have done as a visiting parent. You've done a phenomenal job of upholding the standards and traditions of Penn State family. I'm disappointed security didn't take care of them sooner, since apparently they were cursing in addition to having arguments with security. I look forward to hearing the other side of the story, though. It should be interesting.
Bill decided to shake things up by starting the kids. It looks like Toni Young's responded. Seattle's defense is swarming, but we're shooting well, and Bill's fast-passing style is actually working today, for a wonder. The shots that come from the hot passes aren't falling, but we're getting much better shots than we did against Chicago. (Yes, I know, Chicago > Seattle, or at least Chicago's height > Seattle's height.)
Alysha Clark takes a lot of risks on defense. When they work out, she looks really smart. When they don’t work out, she commits fouls and looks kind of dumb. She got a lot of good rolls. I guess she's still got that MTSU shooter's roll going on. Shekinna Stricklen was going hard at Alex Montgomery most of the night, whenever they were both on the floor. She's not afraid to shoot, and she's not afraid to use her height to mix it up on the boards. She thinks she has better range than she currently does- in that regard, Tina Thompson is the perfect mentor for her, and I hope TT passes along everything she possibly can before retiring. Nakia Sanford spent a lot of time arguing with the refs (to which my response would be "stop committing fouls and get your butt out of the lane") and a lot of time bodying up. Tianna Hawkins played briefly and showed how raw she still was. She fired off a three like she thought she was Alyssa Thomas or something. There's talent there, but it's going to need a lot of offseason polishing to look good.
Tanisha Wright got hot in the third quarter, much to the excitement of her very loud fan club behind the Storm bench. She was maddening on the ball all night defensively. I'm surprised more players don't end up just giving her a forearm shiver because she irks them so much. (That's supposed to be a compliment. I know it doesn't sound like one, but bear in mind that I loved Debbie Black as a player.) She drove fearlessly, though after her hot streak in the third, she looked to be facilitating more. Temeka Johnson continues to be tiny, and continues to be surprisingly kick-butt despite that size disadvantage. She's not afraid to drive into the tall timber, is she? Noelle Quinn had a scoring spurt in the third, but what I noticed most about her was how quick her hands were moving when she was the on-ball defender. She looked like she was ready for anything. Maybe her stroke's coming back too? At least she looked more confident offensively than she did against Connecticut. Tina Thompson still hits those ridiculously long threes like they were nothing at all (I think it was the third one that made me yell at the kids, "She's been hitting those since you were in diapers, you maybe wanna go out and put a hand in her face?") but committed two uncharacteristically stupid and ill-timed fouls, one at the end of the second quarter and one at the end of the third, both putting Seattle into the penalty, resulting in three points for New York. Camille Little and her donk were pretty much neutralized. She did box out, but didn't grab the rebounds that she usually garners on those plays.
We see you, Plenette Pierson! She drove the baseline well and was hitting those jackknifing jumpers she likes to take from the elbow. She took a wicked hit under the basket that left her holding her wrist and making us wonder if she'd dislocated her shoulder. She recovered to hit the first of the two free throws, and was solid afterwards, so either she's tougher than we thought or it wasn't as bad as we thought. She was good on D too. Kamiko Williams played briefly, just enough to give Wright a taste of her own medicine, but that was strictly a matchup play, not actual interest in seeing what Kamiko could do. Alex Montgomery was solid on defense and on the boards. They kept getting her open shots, and she kept missing them. Alex, there's a reason people are leaving you open; if you don't want them to regret it, work on your shot. Leilani Mitchell was all right- I don't remember anything spectacular, but I don't remember anything awful either. Avery Warley was DNP-CD; I wonder if Bill's getting ready to switch her out for another temp. Better keep my Sharpie... er, sharp.
Toni Young looked very good in the first half. She didn't play as much in the second, and I think it was because the game had slowed down somewhat- her athleticism wasn't as effective, I think. She showed a lot of flashes of why Bill made a move to get her. Kelsey Bone was solid on the inside- again, I could do with a little less of the tapping out of rebounds and a little more of the actually grabbing them, but I get the feeling that this is going to be a recurring theme with her, like throwing ridiculous passes to Vickie Johnson or Tari Phillips's "show-the-ball" trick were back in the day. She's also got to work on her shooting close to the basket. At her size, she should be finishing more of those shots. More upper body development might help her on that score. Kara Braxton rebounded well, but otherwise this was a dumb Kara day. Stupid fouls, stupid passes, stupid shots. Your intrepid blogger heard that her paramour was at the game, though, so that might explain it. I think Bill was aware of something- Kara was grabbing her shorts for a good five minutes in the fourth quarter before he finally took her out of the game, even though he had had Kelsey up in the bullpen during the third quarter, then pulled her back. Katie Smith brought the defense and a key basket in the fourth quarter. The reach-in foul was a stupid idea, though- even if you get all ball and a notarized document from Yeshua ben-Miriam that you didn't touch the player, the ref is going to whistle you for reaching in, and Katie ought to know better. Cappie Pondexter went through a tough shooting stretch in the beginning of the third quarter when nothing seemed to be going anywhere near the basket. Over the basket, off the glass, nothing but air- it wasn't pretty. She never really found her shooting touch, though the fast break lay-up she hit in the fourth was nice. She got involved in other ways, though, finding her teammates and making defensive plays (she does occasionally remember that she went to Rutgers). Between constant hounding defense from Seattle and the effort it took to get out from under that defense, I guess I can give her a pass for such lousy shooting. Good thing we didn't need her to be SuperCappie.
Officiating wasn't too bad tonight. I think there were maybe two calls for each team to get worked up over (though Sanford got worked up over just about everything). It's sort of refreshing to not kvetch about the officiating. The one call that had the arena up in arms was a foul on Plenette that had no visible basis in reality.
Please stop inflicting Essence's All-Star rap on us. "Rapper's Delight" deserves better. I may have to go postal on someone if they play it on Saturday. Enough is enough and I'm not voting for Kara Braxton anyway.
Very sparse crowd- 4K at the most, I think- but boy did we get into it. I think Maddie took the antics of the Tanisha Wright Fan Club personally and wanted to get the crowd fired up in response. We answered the bell.
(What is this I don't even on this E train. Hip-hop dancing on a moving train does not seem like a very sensible idea to me. I suppose it's better than the usual array of panhandlers and mumbling hobos, though. I will have to go full Elaine Powell on a mofo if they kick my computer. This may end up being posted from jail...)
Tomahawk slam in the kiddie contest! Someone's been watching Toni Young.
(Oh my God this guy is seriously going to get himself killed dancing on the ceiling oh my God.)
It wasn't the prettiest of games, but we got a needed win. You can't let up against Brian Agler, or Tina Thompson, or the Seattle Storm. They may not have much left of their roster, but they have heart and pride and passion. If they're not careful, they may end up out of the lottery...
On to Indiana!
July 9th, 2013: Seattle at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Plenette Pierson had 22 points off the bench, and New York withstood a strong Seattle third-quarter run to pull out a 66-57 home win. Cappie Pondexter added 13 points, eight rebounds, and four steals for the Liberty. Tina Thompson led the Storm with 13 points and seven rebounds.
For custard, audacity, so much snot, too many missed connections to count, and general exhaustion, join your intrepid and overheated blogger after the jump.
Hello again, loyal readers! Your intrepid blogger comes to you once more from beautiful, scenic Newark, New Jersey, bringing you the sights, sounds, and smells of the Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty!
Lots and lots of words will be written about this game. A veritable downpour, you could say.
This has not been a good commute. Just missed the bus in Maspeth, which means I had to wait fifteen minutes for the next one, and now the train's sitting at Union Square twiddling its metaphorical thumbs. The drummer on the platform is excellent, but it's fifty-six minutes to tipoff and air conditioning doesn't help when the doors have been open for several minutes to let in the fetid platform air. Cranky blogger will be cranky on top of being intrepid.
Cranky blogger is extremely cranky. I missed the first five minutes of the first quarter because of the MTA's shenanigans, so I also missed the Tina Thompson tribute (say that five times fast; I can't even type it once) and the anthem. It's now halftime, and we're being entertained by tic-tac-toe. The Liberty are kicking all kinds of butt, at 36-19.
Dear mother or other relative of Tanisha Wright: stop deliberately blocking people's view with your sign. Well, you'll have to now, since security just took it. Seriously, antagonizing an entire section of Liberty fans is not the brightest thing you could have done as a visiting parent. You've done a phenomenal job of upholding the standards and traditions of Penn State family. I'm disappointed security didn't take care of them sooner, since apparently they were cursing in addition to having arguments with security. I look forward to hearing the other side of the story, though. It should be interesting.
Bill decided to shake things up by starting the kids. It looks like Toni Young's responded. Seattle's defense is swarming, but we're shooting well, and Bill's fast-passing style is actually working today, for a wonder. The shots that come from the hot passes aren't falling, but we're getting much better shots than we did against Chicago. (Yes, I know, Chicago > Seattle, or at least Chicago's height > Seattle's height.)
Alysha Clark takes a lot of risks on defense. When they work out, she looks really smart. When they don’t work out, she commits fouls and looks kind of dumb. She got a lot of good rolls. I guess she's still got that MTSU shooter's roll going on. Shekinna Stricklen was going hard at Alex Montgomery most of the night, whenever they were both on the floor. She's not afraid to shoot, and she's not afraid to use her height to mix it up on the boards. She thinks she has better range than she currently does- in that regard, Tina Thompson is the perfect mentor for her, and I hope TT passes along everything she possibly can before retiring. Nakia Sanford spent a lot of time arguing with the refs (to which my response would be "stop committing fouls and get your butt out of the lane") and a lot of time bodying up. Tianna Hawkins played briefly and showed how raw she still was. She fired off a three like she thought she was Alyssa Thomas or something. There's talent there, but it's going to need a lot of offseason polishing to look good.
Tanisha Wright got hot in the third quarter, much to the excitement of her very loud fan club behind the Storm bench. She was maddening on the ball all night defensively. I'm surprised more players don't end up just giving her a forearm shiver because she irks them so much. (That's supposed to be a compliment. I know it doesn't sound like one, but bear in mind that I loved Debbie Black as a player.) She drove fearlessly, though after her hot streak in the third, she looked to be facilitating more. Temeka Johnson continues to be tiny, and continues to be surprisingly kick-butt despite that size disadvantage. She's not afraid to drive into the tall timber, is she? Noelle Quinn had a scoring spurt in the third, but what I noticed most about her was how quick her hands were moving when she was the on-ball defender. She looked like she was ready for anything. Maybe her stroke's coming back too? At least she looked more confident offensively than she did against Connecticut. Tina Thompson still hits those ridiculously long threes like they were nothing at all (I think it was the third one that made me yell at the kids, "She's been hitting those since you were in diapers, you maybe wanna go out and put a hand in her face?") but committed two uncharacteristically stupid and ill-timed fouls, one at the end of the second quarter and one at the end of the third, both putting Seattle into the penalty, resulting in three points for New York. Camille Little and her donk were pretty much neutralized. She did box out, but didn't grab the rebounds that she usually garners on those plays.
We see you, Plenette Pierson! She drove the baseline well and was hitting those jackknifing jumpers she likes to take from the elbow. She took a wicked hit under the basket that left her holding her wrist and making us wonder if she'd dislocated her shoulder. She recovered to hit the first of the two free throws, and was solid afterwards, so either she's tougher than we thought or it wasn't as bad as we thought. She was good on D too. Kamiko Williams played briefly, just enough to give Wright a taste of her own medicine, but that was strictly a matchup play, not actual interest in seeing what Kamiko could do. Alex Montgomery was solid on defense and on the boards. They kept getting her open shots, and she kept missing them. Alex, there's a reason people are leaving you open; if you don't want them to regret it, work on your shot. Leilani Mitchell was all right- I don't remember anything spectacular, but I don't remember anything awful either. Avery Warley was DNP-CD; I wonder if Bill's getting ready to switch her out for another temp. Better keep my Sharpie... er, sharp.
Toni Young looked very good in the first half. She didn't play as much in the second, and I think it was because the game had slowed down somewhat- her athleticism wasn't as effective, I think. She showed a lot of flashes of why Bill made a move to get her. Kelsey Bone was solid on the inside- again, I could do with a little less of the tapping out of rebounds and a little more of the actually grabbing them, but I get the feeling that this is going to be a recurring theme with her, like throwing ridiculous passes to Vickie Johnson or Tari Phillips's "show-the-ball" trick were back in the day. She's also got to work on her shooting close to the basket. At her size, she should be finishing more of those shots. More upper body development might help her on that score. Kara Braxton rebounded well, but otherwise this was a dumb Kara day. Stupid fouls, stupid passes, stupid shots. Your intrepid blogger heard that her paramour was at the game, though, so that might explain it. I think Bill was aware of something- Kara was grabbing her shorts for a good five minutes in the fourth quarter before he finally took her out of the game, even though he had had Kelsey up in the bullpen during the third quarter, then pulled her back. Katie Smith brought the defense and a key basket in the fourth quarter. The reach-in foul was a stupid idea, though- even if you get all ball and a notarized document from Yeshua ben-Miriam that you didn't touch the player, the ref is going to whistle you for reaching in, and Katie ought to know better. Cappie Pondexter went through a tough shooting stretch in the beginning of the third quarter when nothing seemed to be going anywhere near the basket. Over the basket, off the glass, nothing but air- it wasn't pretty. She never really found her shooting touch, though the fast break lay-up she hit in the fourth was nice. She got involved in other ways, though, finding her teammates and making defensive plays (she does occasionally remember that she went to Rutgers). Between constant hounding defense from Seattle and the effort it took to get out from under that defense, I guess I can give her a pass for such lousy shooting. Good thing we didn't need her to be SuperCappie.
Officiating wasn't too bad tonight. I think there were maybe two calls for each team to get worked up over (though Sanford got worked up over just about everything). It's sort of refreshing to not kvetch about the officiating. The one call that had the arena up in arms was a foul on Plenette that had no visible basis in reality.
Please stop inflicting Essence's All-Star rap on us. "Rapper's Delight" deserves better. I may have to go postal on someone if they play it on Saturday. Enough is enough and I'm not voting for Kara Braxton anyway.
Very sparse crowd- 4K at the most, I think- but boy did we get into it. I think Maddie took the antics of the Tanisha Wright Fan Club personally and wanted to get the crowd fired up in response. We answered the bell.
(What is this I don't even on this E train. Hip-hop dancing on a moving train does not seem like a very sensible idea to me. I suppose it's better than the usual array of panhandlers and mumbling hobos, though. I will have to go full Elaine Powell on a mofo if they kick my computer. This may end up being posted from jail...)
Tomahawk slam in the kiddie contest! Someone's been watching Toni Young.
(Oh my God this guy is seriously going to get himself killed dancing on the ceiling oh my God.)
It wasn't the prettiest of games, but we got a needed win. You can't let up against Brian Agler, or Tina Thompson, or the Seattle Storm. They may not have much left of their roster, but they have heart and pride and passion. If they're not careful, they may end up out of the lottery...
On to Indiana!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
July 7th, 2013: Chicago at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Sky put on the afterburners in the second quarter and led by as much as 33 in the second half in a dominant 93-64 win over the New York Liberty. Elena Delle Donne had 20 points to lead Chicago, while Epiphanny Prince added 18; every active Chicago player scored at least one field goal. Cappie Pondexter had 18 to lead New York.
For frustration, inceptions, bone-headed moves, too much facepalm, consolation, bad ideas, and cake cake cake cake cake cake, join your intrepid and itchy blogger after the jump, and feel free to pass her a cough drop.
Good afternoon, everyone! We're coming to you live and airconditioned from the Prudential Center, where the New York Liberty are facing the Chicago Sky.
The place is full of Delaware fans. I think there are at least five busloads of people here in Delaware blue and yellow, along with a not-inconsiderable number of people in Sky colors. It's sort of frustrating. We're going to have to be very loud.
I like Sylvia Fowles's new hairdo. I don't know if I like their scheduling, but that's a minor nit-pick/
To whoever put out the prizes for today's game- was it really a brilliant idea to put them in a section full of Delaware fans? I thought those were supposed to reward fans for coming to games and encourage them to come back, not suck up to road fans.
It's disgustingly hot out there. Ugh. Air conditioning is a blessing.
Today is the season subscriber barbeque, so expect fashion critiques and deliciousness. But I'll start out with Mama Taj's ill-fitting gray dress and the rancid-butter-yellow pumps she inexplicably chose to wear with it. Oh Mama Taj no.
At halftime, we're down eleven, and Air Maddie is back, still wearing the old black jersey (though now they're spinning it as a throwback). Good to see the old inflatable again.
Cappie Pondexter's playing like she's got Wanna Be The Man disease (tm Mike Lupica)- too much of the offense has devolved into the old dependence on her, and this is not a good plan. Katie Smith has spent much of the second quarter indignant at the officials, and too hot under the collar to lead, and thus the team is following her lead straight to Bad Decisionland. And if one more person decides to wander out of their seat during play, I'm going to be forced to hurt them. I've missed two or three plays because people are taking their sweet time getting to their seats or insisting on getting up in the middle of play.
There are entirely too many people rooting for Chicago in this building.
Today was the celebration of Maddie's birthday, but the only thing they really did for it was bring back Air Maddie and show baby pictures. (Some of the Libs were so cute! Leilani's wig was spectacular. And then they showed a puppy with a Statue of Liberty crown Photoshopped onto it for Maddie! And there was cake.
Woman in the Sue Bird Team USA jersey, you are either lost or early. I have my suspicions.
Dear Prudential Center: please not to be playing any form of "Call Me Maybe" unless it's with the team video. You can 'shoop in Katie over Kelly Miller, right? And it would even be more in character for Katie to be grooving to Nicki Minaj...
The game is over now, thank all the gods, and we're at the barbeque. They learned from last year's ill-advised choice of options (hint: if you have sizeable Jewish and Muslim fanbases, don't make your meat option pork). No player sightings yet, but we have discovered Bill. People are already harassing him. Let the man eat; it's probably the best experience he's going to have all day.
That was... that was several words that I can't actually say on this blog anymore. Cluster is a good bowdlerization, though. Chicago clogged the paint, and the Liberty rolled over and played dead.
Whoever put that kid up to singing the anthem should be smacked. I don't like the idea of booing kids, but I also don't like hearing kids sing when they really can't sing.
Michelle Campbell brought a lot of physicality and ill-advised fouls, especially in the second half. By her third foul in the third quarter, she was getting very frustrated. On the other hand, she did snag two and-1s out of our defense. Sharnee Zoll-Norman ran a steady offense, and I knew we were done for in the fourth quarter when the defense gave up an utterly uncontested drive to the lane for her. Shay Murphy was quiet, but she always has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. I think she's my favorite Sky player. Carolyn Swords was tough in the paint, taking care of offensive rebounds and deflecting shots on defense. She took advantage of her opportunities. Allie Quigley took a lot of shots, and really, you can't leave a Quigley open in the corner. You'd think any Big East player would know that, given that the Quigleys played for DePaul for, like, twenty years or something. Collectively, the Chicago bench kept the pressure on in the second half, increasing the lead and keeping the Liberty back on their heels the res of the way.
Sylvia Fowles didn't need to do much, but what she did was ruthlessly efficient, and her blocks were resounding. (Like we didn't already know that Avery Warley going up against Big Syl was the slightest hint of a mismatch.) Swin Cash enjoyed her histrionics and her dramatics, as she always does, but she also did work on the boards and on defense. She boxed out phenomenally. Courtney Vandersloot ran a better offense than I was expecting. I can see why she would drive Chicago fans mad- she takes more risks than I would be comfortable with in my point guard, and I think she thinks she can get away with more in the WNBA than she actually can. Today, the risks paid off. Epiphanny Prince got threes pretty much whenever she wanted them. It's like she's a good shooter or something Libs. Her hands were quick and active on defense- the Scarlet in her, I suppose. Elena Delle Donne did all the things. Deep threes, check; perfect free throws, check; a deceptively quick first step to the basket, check; surprisingly good defense, check. Maybe we were just bad, maybe she's that good. But she made those busloads of Delaware fans happy.
Plenette Pierson is still coming off the bench, and I'm no longer sure whether this is a cunning plan by Laimbeer or her knee is causing her more trouble than either she or Laimbeer wants to let on. Her teammates seem to think that she's taller than she is, or that she can jump better than she's currently able to. Most of her points came after the game was already decided. For Toni Young, on the other hand, everything came after the game had been decided. She got to show off her athleticism a little bit, but most of her stuff was only lightly contested. Kelsey Bone needs to do a better job of grabbing rebounds instead of batting them around- she was fortunate today that her teammates were able to snag most of her bats, but it doesn't always fall out that way, and as big and tough as she is, she should be able to hang on to the ball. Kamiko Williams looked lost. It was not pretty. So did Alex Montgomery- she had one fumble out of bounds that pretty much encapsulated how epically we failed in this game.
I don't know what happened during the game, and I don't have the cast-iron metaphorical cojones to walk up to Katie Smith and ask her these things, but she was hot under the collar like nobody's business. I thought someone on Chicago said something about her mother or something. Her head was not in the game the rest of the way. She couldn't find her rhythm shooting, and her defense was below her average. I don't expect her to be a total game-changer anymore, but we could have used her to keep the game within striking distance. Leilani Mitchell was pesky, but she couldn't check Vandersloot sufficiently, which meant that defensively she was reduced to doubling down and trying to make things happen with disruption. As you might be able to discern from the score, this was not successful. Avery Warley rebounded well, but I think everyone involved knew that she was out of her depth. Kara Braxton muscled a little bit, but this was not a smart Kara day. This was a very dumb Kara day. If Kelsey can't get easy shots to fall and Kara's having a very dumb day, things are not going to end well in the post for the Liberty. Cappie Pondexter showed a spark of life in the second quarter, and she and Kamiko teamed up for one beautiful defensive sequence that resulted in a shot clock violation, but too much of the offense was flowing into her and then stagnating. It was Cappie against the world, just like it was under Whiz, and that's not a scheme for long-term success. She took a lot of good shots, but she took even more bad shots.
The effort was deplorable, reprehensible, abhorrent, and generally awful. Three plays sum it up. One: fourth quarter, parting like the Red Sea for Sharnee Zoll-Norman to get on the board, no defense on the drive whatsoever. Two: third quarter, Cappie hands off to Alex, who proceeds to fumble the ball out of bounds as if it were covered in melted butter. Three: third quarter, Cappie attempts to cross over Vandersloot, loses the ball, and proceeds to look around for it in utter confusion as Chicago goes on the fast break. I have seen college players who never got a sniff at the WNBA play these Sky players better. It was embarrassing.
And then they had to come out and schmooze with us in the sun! Which, to be fair, everyone did, and they were pretty sociable, all things considered. I loved Avery's black and white striped dress and Leilani's white and seafoam green tank top. I was less enthusiastic about Alex's brightly colored shirt, but she seems to like that kind of thing, and I'm not exactly going to argue with her. It took long enough for the entire line to be served that people were leaving by the time the end of the line got their food. Seats in the shade were much sought after. I bought a new hat for the occasion (my big-game hat is a mite worn out and is pretty much out of space, having been autographed continuously for seven seasons, 2000-2006) and wandered around getting it autographed by all and sundry. I missed Cappie, but that's because she who hesitates is lost, and she and her posse left the party first. (I think Kelsey tried to slip out, but got shanghaied back in. Nice try, rookie.) Leilani has a much drier sense of humor than she'd let on in previous years. I think she's finally becoming comfortable here, so this will probably be her last season in New York. Murphy's Law dictates it. Katie has to be the different one- carried a blue Sharpie with her instead of a black one. Kara liked my hat and wanted to know where I got it. Essence just wanted the hat. ("Only if you can get me another one signed by your teammates," I told her. Look, this hat is supposed to last into the next five years.) For those who stayed late, the cake that was prepared for Maddie's birthday was wheeled out.
(Awkward moment: the poor unlucky wretch tried to bring Taj barbeque leftovers, apparently unaware that Mama Taj is a vegetarian. There was a vegetarian option, but I don't think it met with Taj's approval- maybe cross-contamination?)
All in all, the game was a train wreck, but the barbeque and the company made up for the rest of the day.