Wednesday, September 14, 2016

September 13th, 2016: Washington at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Washington Mystics finished off a lackluster Liberty team, 75-62. Stefanie Dolson had 23 points and seven rebounds to lead the Mystics. Tina Charles had 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Liberty.

For ennui, free stuff, failed auditions, t-shirts, evil rims, and playing out the string, join your intrepid and uninspired blogger after the jump.
Good evening! It's Fan Appreciation Night at Madison Square Garden, as the New York Liberty host the Washington Mystics.

It's been a disaster of a day. Let's hope the Liberty make it better.

We received an unexpected olive branch today. I thought Pirates took things, not gave them. I'll accept the booty, though.

Please, please let them run that episode of "Car Karaoke" with the team singing the chorus on "Gotta Get Up" during the actual game, and not just half an hour before tip. (They didn't. I wonder if it was dress rehearsal for the playoffs.)

Lots of swag today- very nice black t-shirts and "Tina For MVP" posters. What do you think, GNoD readers? Put it over the Sun version, or put it next to the Sun version?

I am perfectly okay with Kiah Stokes wearing halter tops whenever she wants. Oh, my. I'm also okay with her covering halter tops with stylish red jackets. Shoni Schimmel, on the other hand, needs to do something about the baggy t-shirts, though honestly, that one's bigger issue is the unhemmed sleeves. Cutoffs work on shorts, not shirts, and definitely not on hoodies. You're not Bill Belichick.

Red does not suit Leilani Mitchell's coloring. Strangely enough, this actually matters to me.

There's a Bollywood dance group in dance outfits next to us. This bodes well for halftime.

Columbia Lions are in the house. Add a free towel to the swag bag.

"God Bless America" choir didn't have to repeat phrases. And as usual, Kym Hampton sang the national anthem for Fan Appreciation, and as usual, her breath control was non-existent and she was all over the scale.

If this is what a future coached by Katie Smith looks like, I'm perfectly okay with it happening elsewhere. We're down by 12 at the half, in a game that's been badly called, badly executed, badly coached, and extremely frustrating. Tina Charles has 12 points and six rebounds for New York, and that's really everything worth mentioning for the Libs. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt has 13 for Washington.

Argh. AAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGH. You know what I did not need today? I did not need the rim deciding that we weren't going to get rolls, and I didn't need the officials ignoring blatant travels and trips, and I didn't need Rebecca Allen to be a shame upon the name Rebecca, and I generally didn't need the team to look like they were running in mud. I know this game meant nothing in the long run, and I know that we were short-handed beyond belief, but I'd like to have something that vaguely resembles momentum going into a single-elimination game.

Ally Malott shoots well. She also had a monstrous rejection of Rebecca Allen. It was brutal. I don't know how developed her game is inside the arc, but I like her shot. Kia Vaughn has good energy, but she couldn't buy a basket- and they were good looks. She's strong, but sometimes I feel like she doesn't use that strength effectively. (Also, as an aside, when did her tattoo start growing? I only remember the big script of her name.)

Kahleah Copper brings raw speed and slashing ability to the floor. She's physical and a little handsy, but she's got the solid Rutgers base to her defense; in time, she'll learn how to play more with her feet and less with her hands. I think she'll make more of those drives to the hoop as well. Leilani Mitchell has adapted well to the Australian style of defense, low and hands-on and relentless. Most of the shots she was taking were long threes near the end of the shot clock. I don't know if Washington is looking for her to be more of a distributor or more of a defender, but she's not there to score, just to spread the floor and change the pace.

(Okay, look, J train, I cannot be dealing with multiple drunks on this train. I can't. Go be drunk somewhere else. Go puke somewhere else.)

Stefanie Dolson is starting to annoy me. It's not the versatility of her game, the way she kills us from outside and then goes inside for the little hook. It's the constant kvetching whenever a call doesn't go her way. Her hair is nifty, though not as much as it used to be, and her personality is great off the court, and I appreciate her advocacy. But her complaining is unbecoming, and it ill suits a Husky. Emma Meesseman had a quiet game- she was active, but not involved. She got looks, but they were mostly contested. I suppose at least one of our defensive plans worked. She did a good job on the boards, though, bodying up and using her length well. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt has acquired a new nickname- Tierra Effing-Pratt, because that's what was coming out of my mouth whenever she got open for a corner three, or flicked her hand into the passing lanes to disrupt the offense, or was generally one of the best players on the floor for either team. When someone finds out how she went undrafted, could you explain the logic of it to me? She brings such a great dynamic to this team- one of the great undrafted finds.

I almost forgot about the Mystic guards, which tells you something about their effect on the game. I don't think Natasha Cloud is a WNBA-level point guard. She brings an interesting skill set (which seems like the primary rule for a Mike Thibault draft pick), but not necessarily one that fits the role she's being called upon to play. Tayler Hill likes to shoot and has an annoying habit of getting calls. I suppose she's finally turned into a WNBA-level player, but she'll have to have a far better game than that to pry any praise out of me. (Skeptic is not the word. Bitter and salty might be closer.)

I don't like that Washington made the game chippy with illegal screens and unnecessary drama. I expect better out of a Thibault team than that. Win on your own merits. (And on whatever the officiating gives you. More on that later.)

Amanda Zahui B is starting to show her hockey side a little bit (and let's face it, Sweden and Minnesota both have pretty good hockey backgrounds). I understand the urge to dish out payback for hits that weren't called by the officials, but she hasn't learned the subtlety necessary to wreak revenge- her fouls were both offensive and both seemed to be payback for hard Mystic hits. I think that left her out of her element on offense- I really thought she would have looked to shoot more on the inside. But maybe that's Katie. Swin Cash showed signs of life, with a great defensive play that led to a steal by Tina, and some good looks at the basket. She's still being unusually tentative, and that worries me.

Rebecca Allen was such a hot mess tonight I'm actually hesitant to call her a Rebecca. The foul on the Malott three was a spectacularly stupid play that didn't need to happen. She just didn't have her A game tonight, or even her D game. Katie had no faith in her, and for good reason. She hit a three near the end, and that was nice, but overall she was a hot mess. Tanisha Wright is a very welcome return. Her timing isn't completely back, which I chalk up to sitting out, but her instincts are still sharp. She provided a good spurt on both sides of the floor, and maybe the starting lineup just got a little more confused.

Sugar Rodgers left the game early in the third quarter- she was scrambling on the baseline for a loose ball, the ball landed between her feet and went out of bounds off her, and Katie pulled her. We thought Katie was overreacting to a play she thought Sugar should have made, but then I noticed her coming back from the locker room and hobbling slightly. We found out afterwards she was injured. She showed more ability with her cuts than she did with her shot, and whether it was by choice or by defensive will,most of her threes were from somewhere in the vicinity of Jersey City. Brittany Boyd got frustrated, but didn't let it get to her until the end of the game, which is a major step in her maturity. Her shots were just not going down- it might be time for her to work with a shooting coach, whether Spoon, Katie, or someone outside the organization, and get that extra English out of her shot. She was a little cavalier with her passing, which suggests maybe she didn't prepare for the Mystics defense as much as she should have- or that Washington changed up their defense, I suppose, but TRP has always been a solid defensive player. You can't throw casual passes around her.

Shavonte Zellous got the start at three, and while she wasn't terrible, I don't know if she fits into the lineup. Part of me likes her aggressiveness going to the basket, and the energy she brings. Part of me wants to scream at her to stop taking stupid shots for the sole and express purpose of attempting to draw fouls. She took over more of the offense when Sugar left the game, and while it was out of necessity, it wasn't a good look. Carolyn Swords never really found her groove, and when she did start to get there, she committed a couple of rapid-fire offensive fouls that took her out of the game and out of her rhythm. Tina Charles was the focus of the defense all night, with three or four red jerseys collapsing on her whenever she got the ball. It was abundantly clear that the primary goal of this game was to get her to 23 points and 10 rebounds, then sit her down. I really would like for her to either take the step back and shoot a three, or take a few steps in. The two-and-seven-eighths Essence Carson special is not my favorite shot in the world.

I feel like when Sugar went out of the game, then that was it, the switch went off. We stood no realistic chance of winning as short-handed as we were, and it seemed more important to be cautious for the playoffs. But it was a disappointing finish to the home schedule, especially on Fan Appreciation Night.

And to be honest, for Fan Appreciation Night, it was really low-key. Yes, there were shirts, and yes, a few fans were showered with MSG gift certificates, but other than that there wasn't a lot of the effusiveness we'd become used to. I suppose it makes sense, in a way; the game didn't mean much, and it was a mid-week game against a team with very limited drawing ability. It's hard to get enthusiastic about that.

The game, in a nutshell: in the last two minutes, the Liberty are down ten and Tanisha Wright has a picture-perfect fast break that can bring it down to eight and breathe life back into the team. Off the iron and out, and Washington pulls down the rebound. I don't think I've ever literally seen someone gnash their teeth before, but Tanisha did.

All I ask for out of officials is consistency, and if y'all aren't calling defensive three seconds on both sides of the court, we're going to have a problem.

I pity Chicago fans. This next game is gonna suck.

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Saturday, September 10, 2016

September 9th, 2016: Connecticut at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Tina Charles showed why she remains one of the top candidates for 2016 MVP in the short-handed Liberty's 89-82 win over the Connecticut Sun, leading the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Sugar Rodgers added 18 for New York. The Sun got 20 points each from Chiney Ogwumike and Courtney Williams.

For fashion tips, motherly love, Disney pop, questionable calls, speed, moxie, and too many passes, join your intrepid and sticky blogger after the jump.


Good evening, everyone! Live (well, not so live), it's the Game Notes of Doom at Madison Square Garden, writing up the Connecticut Sun's visit to the New York Liberty.

No pregame notes- arrived shortly before tip because I spent the afternoon with my mom. Happy mumble-mumbleth birthday to the Queen Mother, she who brought me into the world and introduced me to all the sports. This is all her fault.

Beautiful "God Bless America" performance- she needs to come back and do an anthem. The girls doing the anthem weren't as good- trying too hard to harmonize with each other and not being sure who was in the lead.

At halftime, the ridiculously short-handed Liberty are up 44-38 on the Sun. Tina Charles is in MVP form with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and a bunch of steals. Courtney Williams has 14 off the bench for Connecticut. I'm worried about our offense, though; way too much passing, way too many shot clock violations and forced shots.

Fashion report! Tanisha Wright: black top, appears to be partially pleather, black bike shorts that do not complement her figure. Kiah Stokes: dark beige tank top, navy blue pants (yoga pants?), shoulders to die for. Shoni Schimmel: short-sleeved black tee a touch too long, maroon jeans. Shavonte Zellous: navy blue button-down shirt, distressed jeans. Morgan Tuck: light maroon blouse, black pants. Rachel Banham: unremarkable black. In related news, there are too many injured players on these two rosters.

Note to self- check Kelly Faris's game logs for home/road splits. She was DNP today, and I feel like this might not be the first time on the road. I'm getting a Shay Doron vibe off the way she's being treated, and I don't mean questionable medical diagnoses.

I normally split everything up into posts and guards, but since each team only played three reserves tonight, that would necessitate one player on each team getting her own paragraph. I'm not that impressed with Courtney Williams, nor am I that annoyed at Amanda Zahui B., so we're gonna switch it up a little.

Curt Miller really seems to be going with the youth movement late in the season. Courtney Williams and Jonquel Jones got a lot of run. I saw Williams at South Florida, so I know she can fill it up, and we did not game plan for her. She showed midrange and paint game, though I don't know if her three-point shot is ready for the big time yet. What I wasn't expecting was her energy and pursuit on defense, and that's the kind of thing that keeps players who were volume scorers in college employed in the WNBA. Jonquel Jones uses her length well and seems to be becoming more comfortable in her body. She had a brutal rejection of Amanda Zahui B in the second half that could have been a game-changer. I feel like she might need to work more on her face-up game? It looked like she was trying too hard to calculate complicated shots instead of taking better shots. Shekinna Stricklen got her name mispronounced all night, unless she's gone and changed the pronunciation, and I feel like she could have been used more than she was. Her size is a huge advantage, and we are not good at defending the three. We didn't get out on her.

Alex Bentley was a negative for her team, and part of why Williams got so much time. She took bad shots, and she seemed to get frustrated very quickly as the game went on. She's feast or famine, and tonight was not her night. Jasmine Thomas isn't brilliant, but she's solid, and she does a lot on both ends of the floor. Her offense seems to rely very heavily on luck. Probably not the point guard of the future, but she gets the job done for now. She really got screwed on a play where Brittany Boyd should have been called for a dead ball foul- and she couldn’t argue too much because she already had a technical.

Chiney Ogwumike came like she was trying to prove that her sister wasn't the only one who can ball out like a boss. She was beasting on the boards, cleaning up all of her teammates' missed shots. She was physical defensively on Tina Charles, making Tina's life as miserable as possible. I think she got frustrated by the end of the game with the officiating, and with some of the bad passing from her teammates. But I think she's back from the knee surgery! Camille Little really seemed to be emphasizing her perimeter game, which makes sense with our defense. She's just really solid, and she's a good influence on that team. She works hard and it shows. Alyssa Thomas was very physical, but got frustrated with our defense. It looked like she was wearing the shoulder brace in the first half, but downgraded to just tape in the second half, possibly after accidentally smacking Rebecca Allen in the face with it. (There was a rather reddened line on Bec's forehead after Thomas attempted to put her at a right angle.) I'm not sure she's learned how to create offense by doing anything other than imitating a bull in a china shop.

Curt Miller, do stop yelling at the ref during the review. That's certainly not going to encourage them to decide things in your favor. Tiffany Bird did her best impression of an irritated Valkyrie at him. That being said, I like the energy and speed they play with. Lots of promise there.

Swin Cash came on stronger in the second half, with a couple of nice defensive plays and strong post moves. She was really hesitant in the first half, to the detriment of the offense- if you have the ball with two seconds left on the clock, shoot it! Amanda Zahui B was strong in the post, but has got to learn to play defense with something more than just her hands. She reaches way too much. She had trouble with her passing, too, something she's usually stronger at. Epiphanny Prince looked like she still had rust to shake off- there was one freaky moment in the second quarter where it looked like she jammed her knee and had to come out of the game. She came back, and she came back stronger, going to the basket and hitting threes with equal aplomb.

Rebecca Allen is equal to the task offensively, but her defense needs work. This was not a night when she covered herself in glory. Carolyn Swords was solid on the inside, making herself available when the defense somehow managed to misplace a stocky 6'6" blonde. Tina Charles started off hot, and kept up on the boards. We thought she had more steals than the box score shows- she's really been showing her defensive range lately. I don't like plans where she's guarding point guards, but she hasn't been terrible at it. Her dad brought the MVP sign that Connecticut gave out a few years ago and was egging on the crowd for the "M-V-P!" chant a few times in the fourth quarter. (We've got one of those signs on the wall at home!) (Along with an LJ one and an EDD one.)

Brittany Boyd continues in her quest to slow the game down for herself, and this time she went too far. To be fair, it wasn't completely her. Learning to harness speed and the changing pace of the game is hard for a player whose game has so heavily been predicated on go-go-go. She fell back into that habit in the second half, when things got ragged. But I love to death her grit, her tenacity, and her hustle. She ran straight on into the boards early in the game after a loose ball, and that's the kind of thing that makes people cheer for her. Sugar Rodgers showed spark in the passing lanes as well as from beyond the arc. She's showing her toughness off the court in her play. I propose that if she can get that floater in the lane to fall consistently, a la Mark Jackson, we dub it the Sugar Drop.

Too many extra passes worry me- I lost track of the shot clock violations, but I think there were four or five possessions that either ended in shot clock violations, hurried shots to avoid shot clock violations, or fumbles on extra passes that were rapidly leading to shot clock violations. This is where we miss Tanisha- while Brittany can run the point, no one else seems truly comfortable in the role of ballhandler, and no one seems certain of their role in the offense, other than Tina. Everything is going to Tina, and other teams are noticing.

Players do stupid things when they're tired. Players do lazy things when they're tired. It was a sloppy, physical game even before players started getting tired, so you can imagine that the fourth quarter was even worse.

That was a gritty win for the Liberty. Four players out is no laughing matter, even if most of them are reserves. We showed our moxie in this one, but we also showed the things we need to fix if we're going to escape a single-elimination game.

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Thursday, September 8, 2016

September 7th, 2016: Seattle at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: A special night for the New York Liberty turned out to be a big win for the Seattle Storm, as they came on strong in the second half to beat the home team 102-78. Jewell Loyd had 25 to lead the Storm, who also got 23 points and 9 rebounds from Breanna Stewart and 21 points and 9 rebounds from Crystal Langhorne. Tina Charles filled the stat sheet for the Liberty with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.

For quotes, roasting, lapses, oh God I am so tired, and Swedish puns, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
Today is a day of much honoring- the Liberty's BHA night has been forced to share space with Swin Cash's retirement ceremony. I'm okay with this.

I've mentioned before that I hate the Q59. Today is no exception. Didn't even get on the train before 6, which is when the gates open.

I'm extremely glad the ceremony is after the game. I wonder if they picked today so that they could get Sue Bird to say a few words. That would be cool. I'm curious about the poster, too. Will it just have her Liberty and Olympic photos on it, or will it also include her time elsewhere? Because that's a lot of pictures.

Seattle continues to be the best autograph team. This I heard second-hand tonight, but I believe it.

Operatic God Bless America. Solid anthem until the last high note, which was a bridge too far.

At halftime, Seattle is up 48-46, but it feels like it could be a five to seven point swing in either direction. Seattle's getting open jumpers, but I don't know enough about them to know whether this is a defensive choice or a disaster in the making.

Tanisha Wright's family is in the house, trolling UConn fans with a dark green Storm #30 jersey. I like it.

Tanisha rocking that black tank top with the spaghetti straps. I had no idea how much ink she had on her back! On most people the multitude of necklaces might be much of a muchness, but she makes it work. She's got the pink heels for BHA. Kiah Stokes is wearing a striped dress that includes pink in its layers. Those shoulders… insert heart-eyes emoji here. She's not even my type! We didn't see Shoni Schimmel and her denim jacket until Swin's ceremony, so I'm not sure whether she's hiding in one of the suites or behind the bench or what.

Gonna need more from the bench tonight. Aaaaand we didn't get it.

That. That could have been better. That could have been a lot better. I don't think it could have been very much worse.

Jenny Boucek remembered her last three players with something like two minutes to go. Calling timeout to advance the ball at the same time was a bit classless, but Boucek doesn't seem to go with the codes I've always heard. Then again, Bill was never one for the code either. You can't leave Jenna O'Hea open. I mean, really. Why would you do such a thing? (Because we can't cover anyone beyond the arc.) Abby Bishop is tall and seems to like to be near the basket. Krystal Thomas was actually surprisingly effective creating space for her teammates. She set a really nice screen to get Stewart free for a basket in the second quarter. Ramu Tokashiki couldn't buy a basket, but she more than made up for any lack of offense with her energy on the offensive glass. There was a possession where she made a rebound happen by sheer hustle and a lot of slapping of the basketball.

I don't know if Monica Wright is back. I don't know if she'll ever really be back to what she was when she was the super sub for Minnesota. Something looks off about her. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis shoots threes very well. This is a thing she is good at. I realize, of course, that we are not good at defending the thing she is good at, but perhaps attempting to defend the thing would make sense. On the flip side, watching her play defense is kind of funny. It's sort of like watching a bad chase scene. Noelle Quinn can occasionally hit an open shot, and her size is useful, but she's not a long-term solution at guard.

I consider it a partial triumph today that Breanna Stewart was mostly just good until the fourth quarter. And it says something about Breanna Stewart that 17 and 7 (through the first three quarters or so) is "just good", or that 23 and 9 is quiet. She fits into that team like an older and wiser player. She does everything, and she does it well. Alysha Clark may make her living these days on her defense, but it's good to remember that she led the nation in scoring once upon a time, and that she can hit if she's left open. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting her to can a three, but she's still got the midrange game and the game at the basket that she had back in her college days. Her passing decisions were not the best- there was a sequence early in the game where our commentary was, "And that's why Sue's the point guard, not you." Crystal Langhorne makes such a difference for this team when she's playing well. I don't think there's been a player who does as much off offensive rebounds and junkyard dog plays as she does since Yolanda Griffith. I don't even know if they run a lot of plays for her. But when she's open, she gets things done. And then sometimes she has the little midrange jumper, which is just unfair.

Jewell Loyd does ridiculous things. They haven't yet perfected the Jewelly-oop, but you can tell they're working on it. I think using her to initiate offense as a passer instead of a creator is a huge mistake. She's way too explosive to use that way. On the ridiculous things end of the spectrum, she was in on a big block on Amanda Zahui B. Sue Bird seemed ot be relying more on the long ball than usual, which makes sense given the Liberty's defense against the three. (i.e. "what defense?") She makes her team go, and she does so with a bit of style, which is the most you can ask of a point guard.

Amanda Zahui B was good on offense, though missing chippies is one of my pet peeves. She was not so good on defense, and her passing game was off. Just because it says "Swedish" on their uniforms does not mean they have ever been your teammates, Amanda. Swin Cash had probably the worst game of her long and illustrious career. No offense, no defense, no "veteran leadership", no clock awareness (she messed up the end of the first quarter), nothing of any use to her team. I respect everything she's done, but if this game said anything about her, it said that she chose the right time to retire.

Shavonte Zellous still isn't a point guard, but she did a better job of pretending to be one tonight. She still has that tendency to turn into a quantum singularity when the ball gets into her hands, and either she needs to work on her three-point shot, or she needs to take a couple of steps forward and let the midrange game come to her. I like the energy she brings and her willingness to take a pass foul for the team. Epiphanny Prince's jumper still isn't back, or at least her range isn't. Too many short shots. I'm already hearing muttering from the stands about whether she'll ever be all right.

Rebecca Allen still gets deked a lot on defense, which is a problem, but I like what she brings on offense. She needs to speed up a little, somehow. I'm not a fan of the play where she's set up on the left corner by the opposing bench, though. By the second or third time through, Seattle was reading it really well and pressuring her defensively. Keep hitting shots, Bec! Anything that lets us hear "Land Downunder" is a good thing. Carolyn Swords was solid- really, getting production from her is a bonus (though a bonus we sort of need right now), and I'll take what I can get. Tina Charles had her passing game on point, setting up the bigs on the inside. I think she was trying too hard at times, but we had no other really consistent options to work with. Even when she was tripled, what else was she going to do? No one was really hitting.

Sugar Rodgers shoots so prettily. She didn't contribute much else, and sometimes she shot more quickly than she should- there was one attempt after a couple of early makes that was clearly a heat check. I know she's been working with Spoon, and that's great, but I don't know if Spoon is the person who can help her learn to create her own shot and vary up her offense. Brittany Boyd had a really nice game. She's found multiple speeds and learned to pick her spots. Someone, either Spoon or Katie, has to get the weird spin out of her shot- she's putting too much on it somewhere, and the bounces are really funky. She made things happen on defense. She was one of the few bright spots.

There's only so much you can do with nine players and no real way to move up or down the standings. Two top defensive players out doesn't help either, and I think the team ran out of gas in the third quarter and out of give-a-damn in the fourth.

I thought officials who called a more physical game would favor our style, but perhaps not.

BHA was really underplayed, and I'm okay with that. Pink jerseys, yes, but no real accessories, and no accessories on the opponent. The auction wsn't hyped, and there wasn't a lot of stuff with survivors. It was sort of refreshing.

Could have been better. You take what you can get, and it's on to the next one.

Heh. KML and Stewart are greeting Rosemary (for those who don't know, she's the former UConn trainer of long standing- she suffered through Swin).

Both teams staying on the floor for the retirement ceremony. I'm sure Seattle is thrilled about this. There appears to be something about bananas. We're starting with a speech from RosGo. Now we've got a video tribute from kids (from her foundation?). Next are the video clips- Ruth Riley, Brian Agler, Camille Little, Kiah (uh, Kiah, you're here, aren't you?), Tamika Catchings, Brittany Boyd (I know you're here, Boyd, you're one of the only ones who showed up), and Geno Auriemma.

Video montage time! I miss the Detroit Shock. I see we're throwing the Chicago run and those three days in Atlanta down the memory hole.

"Swin! You said you weren't going to do it! You said you weren't going to cry!"

Madam President to the mic. Fifteen years. My God; Swin's been in the league for three-quarters of the league's existence, and Madam President just said that. "You have left fingerprints, and footprints, all over this league." Yes, and a fair few claw marks, too. Swin's a Bad Girl, after all.

Next up, Sue Bird, who is apparently the jelly to Swin's peanut butter. This gon' be good; I saw her speech/roast of Lauren Jackson. "I don't know about that peanut butter thing." Mwah-hahaha. "I've got many stories- but like I said, I'm going to be nice." She's really emphasizing Swin's work ethic and passion. "It was a joy to play with you. I don't know if it was a joy to room with you, per se." I want to hear the flat iron story now. Oh, so that's where all those terrible hashtags from the All-Star campaign came from! Swin does that. Also, Sue Bird doing Wu-Tang is worth the price of admission. "Hashtag go make some babies." I think Sue wants to be someone's auntie.

Next up, Tina Thompson, who has to follow that roast. And apparently traveled a long way to do so. Oh, come on, more stories that no one's sharing? Why are you torturing us like this, Tina T? Haven't you tortured Liberty fans enough? The emphasis here seems to be camaraderie. "If you have questions, I'll have answers, and if I don't have answers, I'll find them." New friendship goal.

"Shoutout... Pittsburgh?" RosGo seems confused by Tanisha's family. Tanisha gave Tina Charles the "oh God, my family is embarrassing me" face, and I swear she tried to get them to lower the volume. Tanisha at the mic now. "I've known Swin since I was 14 years old. I don't know if she's known me, but I've known her." D'awww. Veteran Swin taking bb Tanisha aside in chapel for conversation. Also sort of d'awww is Tanisha not quite getting the motto of Swin's foundation in the right order. The emphasis here is on Swin as WNBA leader and inspiration to fellow players. (Also, Spoon must be a kick to sit next to. Boyd almost ROFL'd out of her chair.)

Tina Charles up next. Oh, Tina. You just accidentally confessed to Swin committing a recruiting violation. This is kinda disjointed. I know Tina's a Husky and star of the show, but I don't know if I would have asked her to speak. But she's hitting her stride when talking about her charitable work and how Swin helped her shape that. And now she's all choked up. I didn't realize how much of a role model Swin was to bb Tina.

I think we're about to have a bit of mood whiplash. Bill Laimbeer's up next. RosGo seems scared of him. "We're going to draft Swin Cash, because we can't draft Sue Bird." I like Bill's incredulity at the Shock front office. "They asked me what else did I need, and I said I needed Swin Cash." Oh, hey, Chicago and Atlanta did happen! But we're going to gloss over the Crackhead era, huh? There's a lot you could build on from that and still be flattering. He's now talking about her preparation and her pride in the quality of her play. (This might not be the best night to bring that up, Bill.) He thinks she still has a lot to contribute to women's basketball off the court.

Thomas next. I don't respect him or Dolan enough to record his remarks.

Now Swin's on the mic. And she's got her notes on her phone to make sure she remembers who to think. Huh. They say you look more like your mother when you get older, but Swin and her mom seem to be going the opposite path. She's being frank that she doesn't like losing and she doesn't like big things happening after she loses- then again, her husband proposed after the Indiana loss last year. (My husband would not have taken that kind of risk.) Lots of people-thanking. Oh, hey- is her agent the dude who married Jae Kingi? "As Tina said, I ask a lot of questions." Now I imagine Swin leading her rookie teammates Socratically. This really comes off like an awards speech. "Lastly- sorry, I'm getting to the point." Nice touch to thank all the little people- the staff and such.

(That's someone I'm surprised didn't speak! Rosemary Ragle used to have a cutout of Swin on her door at UConn, after all...)

Stealth Storm! I thought I recognized people! "I played against Ticha! She dropped some dimes on me." Le'Coe Willingham, Ashley Robinson, and a couple of other ex-players are in the house too.

Ahahaha, Swin just shouted out Spoon, and Spoon had what I can only describe as a shit-eating grin on her face.

Swin's definition of "brief" is... not mine.

On the other hand, she just got a huge hand for shouting out her mom.

OH HELL YES. And Swin just turned her speech into a rallying call for the WNBA using their voices. Says her proudest moment was when the players spoke up for the #BlackLivesMatter protests. That finish was worth the wait. (Unfortunately, the "shut up, I have to pee" mark was right around the start of the speech getting good.)

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Sunday, September 4, 2016

September 3rd, 2016: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: New York started strong and kept the pressure on Phoenix to win 92-70 at the Garden. Tina Charles led the Liberty with 23 points and 15 rebounds, while Sugar Rodgers and Brittany Boyd each had 19. Marta Xargay led the Mercury with 16 points off the bench.

For retro jerseys, long legs, secret superheroes, resounding blocks, team work, lacking teamwork, shiny objects, and martial arts, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.

Hey, y'all! I'm back, far later than I anticipated. (I went to the double-header at the Garden that featured the US versus Australia and France versus Canada, and I even wrote GNoD for USA-Australia, but I got bogged down in France-Canada and nothing ever got posted. Maybe someday they'll sneak into the backposts.)

We're at the Garden for Phoenix at New York, and it's good to be home. Right now there is a martial arts exhibition going on to a strange mash-up involving Delirium and Mortal Kombat. There are swords. This could be awesome. I'm a little weirded out that the one girl in the group has a different uniform and is the only one strictly doing moves instead of showing off weaponry, but there might be a reason. Oh, never mind, she has a hand scythe now and I'm a little terrified of her. And there are other girls in the younger group. I'm relieved. They need to do some work on their stagecraft.

Today I learned I'm not the only person who refers to that "everyone off the court at once now!" thing as a Zerg rush. Hi there, Seattle and Chicago fan with the Fordham bag!

Brittney Griner draws a crowd whenever she comes on and off the court. She does stick out in a crowd. I think this is the first long, up-close look I've gotten at her, and I never realized how strong her legs are for her height- usually with tall players (who aren't complete tanks like Carolyn) you worry about their legs.

I don't know if Sandy Brondello and Katie Smith were ever teammates anywhere, but the two former Shock guards shared a hug before Brondello went off to join her team.

At halftime, we have Latin dancers and a 48-34 Liberty lead, neither of which I really expected. Tina Charles has been fantastic, with 19 points at the break. The hustle is very much present for both teams, but especially the Liberty. Penny Taylor has been the boss for Phoenix.

There were flowers before the game and an acknowledgement of Penny Taylor's retirement. PFT will be very much missed. She's a class act and a brilliant talent, always in the shadow of another star, whether it was being the "other" Aussie coming up with Lauren Jackson or being the support to Diana Taurasi. But there's no doubt- Penny's a ledge.

Solid "God Bless America", overly operatic anthem.

It is my entirely subjective opinion that whoever did Kym Hampton's hair doesn't like her very much.

Rolling nine deep, I don't know if we can keep up this hustle and this pace. As long as we have enough of a lead, we should be fine.

Nice acknowledgement of all the Olympians before the game, though I think the acknowledgement of the international players was part of a new W ad. I'd like to see more emphasis on the non-American players, though I know that'll never happen.

That was a deeply satisfying win, and one I wasn't coming close to expecting without two linchpins of our defense. I used to have a lot more respect for Phoenix, but it's become abundantly clear that they have no discipline and are not encouraged to have discipline. I don't object to passion, but I object to off-court emotions seeping as much into on-court behavior as they seem to do with the Mercury. I feel like the phrase "a little less talk and a lot more action" might be applicable to Phoenix at times.

Alex Harden came in near the end of the game, and that was when we knew that Phoenix was throwing the white flag. I'm surprised Brondello didn't throw her into the fray during the first half, just to see if she could contribute anything. Lindsey Harding gave Marta Xargay some relief when she was in foul trouble. The game seemed to become a little more measured when she was in, though I'm not sure how much that had to do with her and how much that had to do with the rest of the personnel. She's definitely lost a step on defense. Sonja Petrovic has a strange hitch to her free throw routine. She's not the only player who takes one dribble off to the side before straightening up and shooting, but it's still pretty weird-looking. I feel like Phoenix could have used her a little more, or at least tried to get more out of her. Marta Xargay had herself a very good game, hitting from outside and driving to get to the line. She was the one bright spot off the bench for the Mercury. I like what she brings.

Kelsey Bone showed everyone why two teams were so very happy to trade her. She had good looks that she missed badly, her defense was sorely lacking, and she didn't look like she was ready to pick up the slack when Griner got in foul trouble. It's no wonder that Brondello went to Mistie Bass the next few times she needed to sub a post. Bass is starting to remind me of a Tammy Jackson or a Sue Wicks- been there, done that, read the book of tricks and added a couple of notes. She wasn't good offensively, but she makes room for her teammates and she plays hard defense. Isabelle Harrison showed some potential in her late minutes. She has a lot of energy and strength both at the basket and from distance.

Thank the sweet hypothetical baby Jesus that Diana Taurasi has misplaced her shot. She had some beautiful looks that she normally hits because she's Diana Taurasi that she was way off on. I don't know if I've ever seen her shoot an airball before. It just doesn't seem right. She showed flashes of her old self, but more when she was going to the basket, not when she was shooting. There was far less of the usual magic from her. Penny Taylor hustled after every loose ball in the first half. She slowed her pace in the second somewhat, but still. You do not leave Penny Taylor open, because in case y'all didn't notice, Penny's a ledge. She's just so much fun to watch play. I think her time has, alas, just about run out- there was a defensive play she tried to make that she probably would have been able to make a few years ago- but she plays the game so brilliantly.

(Seriously, Australia? Whatever you did in August of 1980 to help people conceive, for the love of God do it again.)

Does DeWanna Bonner ever stop talking? Honest question. She was talking to the ref after every play. Whistle against Phoenix? Talking. No whistle? Talking. Whistle against New York? Still talking! YOU GOT THE CALL! Maybe take fewer threes from the general range of Santa Fe and use that ridiculous fluidity to go to the basket more often. There was one play where she missed a... maybe eight-footer? And then I blinked and she was putting in the putback at the basket. And I was like, "She wasn't there before! How did she get there?" It was some Reed Richards flexibility. Candice Dupree was pretty quiet- she showed up a bit in the third quarter, and she was setting screens, but I would have thought Phoenix would have used her more. I don't think the Liberty's defense was the reason for it. Brittney Griner could be a much more potent weapon for Phoenix if they were more willing to go to her. I think I only saw one lob pass thrown to her all night. She's got a height advantage over everyone in the league except maybe Liz Cambage when she feels like showing up. Our defense swarmed Griner, but there was still space for the lob pass, and I don't think it was on the Mercury's minds at all. She got position sometimes, but she's got to be more assertive.

So I think Swin Cash is hurt and the team doesn't want to let on. She didn't start, she didn't play much, she spent her time off the court riding the bike to nowhere, and she looked even more pained than usual on the floor. It looked like they were feeding her for shots near the end of the game, when things were pretty much decided, which is a sweet touch, and she did have a nice defensive move near the end. But short-handed as we are, I have to worry about any kind of injury to anyone on the team. We need her to not make stupid decisions. On the other hand, she was all right as point forward- she might not have a point guard's court vision, but she knows the game. Amanda Zahui B was solid, but more in the first half in the second- I think she started to tire as the game went on, and that meant stupid fouls. Griner's a challenge, so I can't completely blame her. Her passing was really on show in this one. She's really blossomed in New York. I love it.

Shavonte Zellous is not a point guard, though she did a better job hanging on to the ball in this one than she did in that hot mess against Indiana. She was disruptive defensively. Her energy is relentless. Epiphanny Prince still needs to get the rust off- I'm wondering if she might be better off making herself more of a driving guard until her shot rounds back into form, but that might be a behavior she can't learn before she has to unlearn it. I'm glad she's back, though. So was the crowd. She got a bing hand when she came into the game.

I like what Rebecca Allen brings to the floor- she has a different look and a different style from Swin, and I think she fits in better with the future. She had a bit of a rough game in this one, getting a bit grabby on defense. She's going to need to step up more quickly if she's going to start for Swin. Tina Charles started off red hot- she had as much in the first quarter as Phoenix did, and her rebounding game was on point for the whole night. As the night went on, she seemed to drift more towards the outside, and I think that made her less effective, more susceptible to shot blocks. (That seems counter-intuitive, but there was more room for shot blockers to deflect her shots when she wasn't at the basket. Exchange comfort for space.) Carolyn Swords was solid- she did a lot of work on Griner, hit shots at the basket, and made it abundantly clear that she didn't approve of Taurasi hitting Boyd in the face. As a hockey fan, I appreciate a good enforcer. She's solid.

Brittany Boyd played just enough under control to be super-effective. She kept the game fast-paced, and despite us being short-handed, that worked out. It kept Phoenix off-balance. I know she's not going to have nights like this every night, where her jumpers are going in and she gets the rolls on those insane drives. But we saw what she's capable of, and it's glorious. Sugar Rodgers, of course, knows no fear, whether it's taking three-pointers with just a step and a bounce back, or smacking the daylights out of a shot by Mistie Bass. She's fun to watch when she's on her game.

Whatever Bill said to the team after that debacle in Indiana, it worked. They were playing with heart, with hustle, and with passion. I didn't think we could keep up the fast pace, and it seemed ot settle down in the fourth, but I'm not sure how much of that was fatigue and how much fo it was clock management.

Fashion report: I like Tanisha Wright's sharp black jacket, and I'm intrigued by the printed shirt, but I don't know if they went together. Kiah Stokes looks like a superhero in street clothes.

Shoutout to the woman in the Dawn Staley Sting jersey and the girl in the Jennifer Azzi Lasers jersey.

Most impressive moment of the night was the block by Xargay. We heard it on the other side of the arena. SMACK!

I'm not sure I believe the attendance numbers, but it felt like a good crowd.

I don't know what the Mercury assistant said or did to get tech'd- my attention was on the players on the floor, assuming Taurasi or Griner or Bonner had done something to irritate an official.

So this was an immensely satisfying game. Washed most of the taste of the ref show from June out of my mouth. We've got a lot of home games to finish out with, and a bye to solidify.

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