Just the Facts, Ma'am: Las Vegas started strong and only got stronger as the game went on, taking out New York 90-58 on the road. Kayla McBride had a team-high 24 points for Las Vegas, with Liz Cambage adding 21 points and 11 rebounds. Tina Charles had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead the Liberty.
For the boiling point, misplaced fans, terrible shot selection, and what is this I don't even, join your intrepid and very tired blogger after the jump.
On to the next one! This time it's off to That Dump in White Plains, as the Liberty take on the Las Vegas Aces. I'm getting a weird feeling of déjà vu for some reason.
The Mexican place, El Poblano? Best damn mole I've ever had in my life, and I've had some good mole.
Security was a breeze today. I know we're well over half an hour from tip time, but I'm not liking the emptiness of the seats right now. The crowd filled in well enough later.
Anthem singer: "Microphones? Where we're going, we don't need no stinkin' microphones."
If I find the ticket rep who sold Aces fans seats behind the Liberty bench, we are going to have words, and most of them are going to be unsuitable for children. Most of the section across from the road bench is empty. GO OVER THERE. GO AWAY. GOOOOOOOO.
It's 44-32 Las Vegas at halftime, and it feels like it could have been a lot worse. Our energy is high but unfocused. We appear to have forgotten what defense is, and the existence of our teammates on offense. Too many possessions have involved guards (usually Brittany Boyd, but not always) dribbling for way too long, panicking, and expecting Tina Charles to bail them out with a shot at the end of the shot clock. There are occasional variations in which a post player not named Tina has the ball, but these interludes usually involve someone freaking out.
T-Spoon is on the bench in a "someone is going to die today" suit. It may be a contract hit, it may be an impressionable femme swooning over her, but she looks sharp.
It's probably a bad sign when the team is so disorganized, the chemistry is so AWOL, and the star is so frustrated that I'm pretty sure Tina Charles yelled something to the effect of "DON'T MAKE ME TURN THIS CAR AROUND!" at her teammates, and that was only in the second quarter. People did not know where they needed to be on the floor- there were way too many occasions where someone was screaming at someone else to set a screen or use a screen. I choose vodka.
The Aces were relentless on defense. When you've got two big erasers on the inside like A'ja Wilson and Liz Cambage, you can afford to take more risks on the perimeter, and Las Vegas did so very effectively. They swarmed us, and we were not ready for the pressure. Offensively, both halves of the inside-out equation were working, which meant we were screwed either way we tried to defend. Ultimately it meant that we didn't, period.
I'm assuming Carolyn Swords's knee or something is acting up, which is why she came in so late into garbage time. She had good pursuit on the ball in her limited minutes. I love JiSu Park's energy on defense. Her shot needs work, but her nose for the ball is good and she works hard on the floor. She's got so much potential, and as a WNBA fan I look forward to seeing her develop. (So don't screw this up, Bill.) Dearica Hamby also brings a lot of energy, although hers was a little less effectively focused. She did have a nifty defensive stop on Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe that I think ended up as a Liberty turnover. She's chippy. She's got one of the best to learn from in that regard on the bench.
Sugar Rodgers got a decent hand when she came into the game, and showed her sweet stroke (though mostly from the midrange instead of beyond the arc). I'm still not sure how we managed to leave her open at any point. I mean, most of y'all have met Sugar, right? You know who she is and what she does? Y U NO GUARD JUMP SHOOTER? *insert meme here* I keep forgetting about Sydney Colson's vertical until she does something ridiculous like drop the hammer on a post player's shot. She did that to Avery Warley-Talbert, and I was embarrassed for Avery's sake. She's not necessarily flexible positionally, but she allows other players to flow into other roles when she comes into the game. Tamera Young is good at annoying people, including me. It's been 11 years and I'm still not used to her having a jump shot that remotely approaches reliable. She had one pretty one that she kissed off the glass, which I remember mostly because I was yelling at the rim for letting Aces shots through. (I recognize this is irrational, but when the game is happening, I am always irrational.)
I have taken a profound dislike to Kayla McBride. It's mostly the respectful kind that comes from a player ruining my life, but there are also moments when it's because she's not afraid to give a little shove or engage in some holding. She gets open, and the shot goes up, and it goes in, and the world keeps turning because that's one of the universal constants. Kelsey Plum's shot wasn't falling, but she was tenacious on defense, often to a fault (yes, Kelsey, I saw where your hand was on that Boyd drive; I hate to break the news to you, but I don't think you're her type). Neither she nor Jackie Young really seems to fit as the point guard for this squad. It's like hammering a square peg into a round hole- it doesn't fit, and if you do manage to get it in, it'll lose its edge. It's a good thing Las Vegas has players who can create their own offense, because no one's really going to initiate it.
Speaking of which, dear Lord is Liz Cambage unstoppable when she wants to be. She goes in the paint, and she puts her hand up, and she gets the ball, and she hits the shot. It's just that simple. She creates space, or she finishes through contact, and she hits the shot. She's big, and she's strong, and sometimes I think she would not object to ripping someone's heart out and raising it above her head in triumph (except that it might ruin her nail polish). A'ja Wilson had a monster block on Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe that I felt the pain of in my soul. She had more trouble finishing at the rim than Cambage did, but she had plenty of looks and hit her fair share of them. She's so long and so smooth with it.
Vegas has a lot of good pieces- but I'm not sure how they all fit together. When McBride and Cambage are both on fire, it sort of papers over the questions in the backcourt and the lack of guard depth.
Our bench is going to look so different after everyone finally meanders back from Eurobasket. I have to remember this. We have four players either returning or debuting. That's going to shuffle things around. I have to remember this.
Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe looked scared out there. She was careless with the ball, she didn't go hard, and she generally looked like she was pressing too hard and not getting any results from it. I think she knows she's on the chopping block, and I think she might just be okay with it. Avery Warley-Talbert worked hard, but she was a hair slow, a step short. She should have hit the shots she had at the basket- they were close in, and she was often unguarded. She showed both the reasons why she'll always be in camp and the reasons why she'll usually be the last cut or a regular temp. Han Xu got extended time in the fourth quarter, much to the joy of the crowd- she got a ridiculous hand when she came in. I don't know if it's because she's now a folk hero, or if people just want to see her do well because she's so adorably naïve, but the roar when she scored her first basket, and when she hit the three the place went nuts. She looked a little more awkward out there than she did in the preseason, but she was far from the only Liberty player to not know where she was supposed to be on the court.
Tanisha Wright started the second half and I don't know why. (The postgame tweet congratulating her on moving up the all-time assists list provides a possible reason, but a terrible one.) She's doing better running the offense than Brittany Boyd, but both of them are offensive liabilities. Tanisha repeatedly passed up open looks I know she would have taken a couple of years ago. She's a safe pick for now, or at least a safer one than Boyd, but we should not be thinking so heavily in the short-term. Tiffany Bias is adorable, but it's abundantly clear that she was just a temp. And I have no idea why she and Boyd would ever be out on the floor together; inasmuch as Tiffany has a position, it's point guard, and Boyd at off guard is a terrible, terrible idea. (Generally, shooting guards should both be willing and able to shoot.)
I guess this flows into the general sense of "WTF, Brittany" that has hovered around Brittany Boyd this season. I feel like she's hit a wall, and I don't know if it's one she can't climb or one she's decided she doesn't have to climb even though it's clearly in her way. Her passing was careless and often right to a Vegas player, and she wasn't finishing at the rim. Unless she gets her shot together and relearns some passing discernment, she's hit her ceiling so hard that she bounced off on the way back down. I want to see her do well, and when she's on she's amazing to watch. It's just that she's been off more and more often as time has gone on. Kia Nurse's shot was off, although it was often contested (it's like she's good and defenses are learning to key on her or something). What bothered me more, to be honest, was that her defense was flat-out terrible. I'm not used to her being a bad defender, but she was getting blown by and left behind by pretty much everyone she tried to defend. Asia Durr had a couple of big blocks, which surprised me. I'd have liked to see her looking for her shot a little more.
Reshanda Gray got into early foul trouble, which not only limited her effectiveness, it forced us to go to our bench, which...um... was even less of a good thing than it tends to be. When she can't be physical against taller opponents, she's up a creek without a paddle, and this goes double when it's the dual threat of Wilson and Cambage. Tina Charles took bad shots, but she was getting pounded inside, so I don't know if I blame her for retreating to the perimeter. And a lot of those shots were at the end of the shot clock, when she was the human equivalent of the panic button. But Tina's ones of the best post players in the world, or at least she used to be. I'd like to see a little more of that. I know I sound like a broken record in that regard, and that it's never going to change, and that it's going to get worse as she gets older. Let me gripe about getting these kids off my lawn, okay?
If we don't have a point guard worth her salt, we have a problem, because this offense needs directing. We don't really have anyone who can consistently create her own offense (Asia's the closest, but consistency is the key word in her case; she's a rookie and I'm not going to throw full responsibility for the offense on a rookie.) Maybe Bria's return from Eurobasket will be the answer. Maybe Marine Johannès will slot so smoothly into that role that we'll forget we never had a point guard. Maybe Boyd will have a revelation. I don't know.
The game got very physical, and there were plays I was amazed weren't called fouls. (I mean, really, Plum had a whole handful of Boyd's posterior. Rude.) But we knew this crew was working back-to-back, because we'd seen the game at Connecticut the day before. So I can't say I'm surprised.
Liberty fans are trying to get behind this team, we really are. But the squad's not making it easy. (On the other hand, being in the lottery wouldn't be a terrible thing.)
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
July 7th, 2019
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
June 9th, 2019: Las Vegas at New York
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Defense and a balanced attack powered the New York Liberty to their first win of 2019 as they defeated the Las Vegas Aces 88-78. Tina Charles had 21 points to lead the Liberty, with Bria Hartley chipping in 17 points and six assists and Kia Nurse adding 15 points. Kayla McBride led all scorers with 25 points, and Liz Cambage had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
For physical play, endangered point guards, a rousing return, and getting off the schneid, join your intrepid and hectic blogger after the jump.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends; it's game day at That Dump in Westchester, as the New York Liberty take on the Las Vegas Aces. Your intrepid blogger is going the long way around today, because I don't feel like dealing with Metro-North, Metro-North fares, and things potentially being on fire. Things being on fire is not fun unless they are shooters.
Just for the record, if Liz Cambage wants to express her opinion of That Dump in a public setting, I volunteer to hand her a mic.
Since the entire Aces coaching staff was at the game on Friday, I assume we have been fully scouted and will therefore be obliterated in a logical and well-executed fashion. And then we lose players to Eurobasket. I'm not even there yet and I'm already too tired for this.
I hate This Dump. I hate the ever more asinine security procedures we go through. Now they have to look at your keys just in case you're carrying a weapon on them. First of all, WTF, this is new. Second of all, the odds are that any weapon on a set of keys is being carried by a woman in self-defense, which, if you are trying to take that from someone at a Liberty game, that's not going to end well. Third of all, any Girl Scout worth her salt- which there should be plenty of on Scout Day- knows that the keys themselves are a weapon three different ways, so either you have to confiscate the keys or abandon this whole security theater nonsense.
(Also, do not touch my wallet. It is in my bag for a reason. Do not touch my wallet.)
(Also, do not gaslight me into thinking I touched the sides of the metal detector when I know damn well my fat ass didn't.)
Honestly, I'm already ready to fight someone and Vegas hasn't even taken the floor.
We're not losing. I am extremely confused by this. It's 45-37 Liberty at the half. Tina Charles has 12 points to lead New York, but it's been a really balanced effort. Bria Hartley got the start in place of Asia Durr, who looks like she'd really rather be at home in bed with a fuzzy blanket and a mug of chicken soup. Vegas has 10 points each from Liz Cambage and Kayla McBride, but Cambage looks really frustrated about it.
Our halftime entertainment is a martial arts presentation that has not been terribly spectacular except for occasional flying pieces of wood.
We're still having a lot of moments where the offense is more improvisational than structured, but it's mostly working. I anticipate the Aces adjusting, because we're not a second half team right now.
My heart goes out to Sydney Colson and getting her head busted open when Bria sat on her. Get better soon, Syd!
Between the sneakers and the short-sleeved top, Spoon looks ready to suit up in case of emergency lack of point guard. Don't tempt Bill, Teresa.
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting to get the win against Las Vegas's size and skill. But while they have an imposing front line, possibly the most imposing front line in the league (except maybe Los Angeles), their backcourt can be streaky and their bench does not seem consistent. And if Colson is out for any length of time, they're in for some interesting juggling of their rotation.
I was honestly surprised that Carolyn Swords and JiSu Park got so few minutes. Swords is pretty solid, and Park showed a lot of potential last year. I guess Dearica Hamby's emergence in the early part of the season has put the kibosh on that, and Park certainly looks less confident than she did last year. Hamby was in foul trouble for much of the game, which somewhat limited her effectiveness; she was like a pinball out there for stretches, and I was surprised that Laimbeer kept her on the floor with five fouls late in the game.
Sugar Rodgers got an enormous cheer from the crowd the first time she checked into the game, and then she reminded us why some of us were perfectly okay with letting her go by throwing the ball out of bounds. She does have a pretty shot, but she's streaky. We know this. Tamera Young hit a three-pointer, and for a moment I wondered what timeline I had managed to wander into. I guess she came in for her defense? Ugh, I feel so embarrassingly naked without a scorecard, even an improvised one (my printer decided it didn't like my ink cartridge). Sydney Colson has nice speed, and heaven knows Vegas needs a ballhandler off the bench, so I hope she and her face are all right.
Jackie Young has an incredible first step. Once she gets the hang of how to finish with it, she's going to be amazing. But it seems like she's trying to make shots that she could get against college defenses, not having yet adjusted to the fact that professional defenses are usually bigger, faster, and more physical. That's part of the rookie learning curve, and I get that. She's going to be fine (though I think she could have used another year in college) and she's going to be the kind of player who sticks around because she can do a little bit of everything well- she was picking up a lot of our long rebounds that bounced strangely off ill-advised jumpers. Kelsey Plum seems to need a lot more time to wind up on her jumper than I remember her needing once upon a time. Maybe it was our defense, or maybe she was having a bad day, but she just didn't seem to fit in whatever Las Vegas was trying to run. I don't know if she can co-exist with two ball-dominant inside presences like Wilson and Cambage; I don't know if she really knows how to.
Kayla McBride gets buckets, whether they're inside on strength or outside on jumpers. I have to admire her toughness, I guess. She killed us on our endless switches, because no one on the team seemed to know how to defend her. I don't know if we could have done it even if we did, but that's a whole other story. She kept the Aces in the game most of the day. A'ja Wilson got a lot of hard looks and took a lot of contested shots. I don't know if she really needed to take some of them. She and Tina Charles were going at it hammer and tongs most of the day, throwing shoulders and hips into each other on every possession on both sides of the floor. I don't know if Tina was in her head, or if the general physicality of the game was just getting to her, but she took a lot of bad shots. It's not like we gave her good shots to take, but she didn't show the discernment not to take the bad ones that stretched her out like she thought she was Reed Richards or Helen Parr. She didn't have the angles. Liz Cambage did well when she got away from the basket, which seems counterintuitive given her height advantage over everyone who played for the Liberty, but when she got the midrange shot going, she was able to elevate over her defenders, while smaller but stockier defenders were able to leverage their size to move her. I don't know if she's slimmed down, or if her Achilles issue is making it harder for her to plant, but she was getting moved around a lot by our defense in ways that I was not expecting.
I don't know if Las Vegas has the personnel to do the things that they want to do right now. It's like they have two different teams, the backcourt-oriented one and the frontcourt-oriented one, and Bill hasn't figured out how to mesh them all together yet. McBride seems to be the only one who knows how to shift between the two systems.
Poor Asia. She did not look okay. I would like to see some more minutes for our deep bench, especially when the game is decided, but on the other hand, it's become clear that Nayo and Tiffany are nothing but placeholders for Kiah and Marine, there to be extra bodies and provide some enthusiasm (at least in Tiffany's case; Nayo mostly seems like she'd like to return to Canada already).
Great rebounding work and physical defense from Reshanda Gray in this one. She got low on Cambage and made her work. I would have liked to have seen more consistent finishing at the rim from her, but I will most definitely take the screens, the rebounding, and the defense (there was one screen she had on a drive by... I think Tanisha?... that was glorious and perfect). She's really made the most of this chance with New York, and I think it's affected our roster choices. I'd a million times rather have her energy than the lack of it Nayo's shown so far this year, and I don't think that was the original plan. Rebecca Allen continues to exist in a liminal space between the frontcourt and the backcourt- her offense has been almost all perimeter-oriented, but she does a lot of her work on the other side of the floor crashing the glass. It gives us flexibility, but it also leads to mismatches. Fortunately, the dark necromantic ritual that powers Tanisha Wright here at the end of her career was at its peak, and she had her best game of the season. The offense was clicking with her in the game, her defensive instincts were on point, and she looked (mostly) like the heady veteran presence she was supposed to be for us. I like this version of Tanisha. Okay, I maybe don't like the version that throws passes into the crowd, but other than that I was thrilled with her play.
And that was our bench. I can't really say I'm surprised, except for Katie's utter lack of trust in Han Xu.
On one hand, Brittany Boyd actually showcased a perimeter game in the second half. On the other hand, the mechanics of her jumper still need a lot of work, which is not a good thing for a player in her fifth professional season, and she committed some incredibly stupid mistakes on the floor. (I mean, really. Inbounding violation? I expect better.) It was clear that she was the third best point guard for the Liberty in this game, because Tanisha was playing well and Bria Hartley was playing really well. So that's a thing I don't know how to feel about. According to the starting lineup and the box score, Bria started at small forward, but she spent most of her time running point, even when Boyd was in the game, which left Boyd hung out to dry. Bria played really well- she hit her shots at the right time, and the offense just seemed to click when she was in the game. I thought there were stretches where she was trying to do too much and the offense became one-dimensional, but that's not a problem unique to her, so I'm going to throw that on Katie. Kia Nurse also seemed to be forcing shots. She's presenting herself as a solid second scoring option, but I don't know if she's doing it in the flow of the offense. Then again, I don't know if our offense has a flow to be in, so that's a problem. I honestly don't know what to think of her sometimes.
Amanda Zahui B is not necessarily great when it comes to rotating on defense, but once she was on her man, she was a star. She made Cambage work and got some good blocks in on the inside. I am not enthralled by her love for the three-pointer, especially when it's not going down, but I love the work she put in defensively. That's been one of the things Liberty fans have been riding her about for quite some time, so if she's making strides in that department, more power to her. (Also, really, Vegas, you should know better. You don't mess with the hair.) Tina Charles continues to be doubled and tripled, and continues to try and shoot through it. Her teammates did a better job of making themselves available on the kick out, but Tina's still trying to do too much offensively, and that's a habit she has to break. She's got talent around her- she and they just need to be aware of it and trust in it. This was probably the most physical game we've seen from her all year, and I don't know if that was Katie's game plan, Bill's game plan, or a natural cause and effect of her going at it with Wilson. But she was going hard on the glass and spending a lot more time in the paint than she has been most of the year.
There was so much motion in this game! And it was a good thing! For the first time this year, the offense was moving, both in terms of pace and in terms of people not just standing around waiting for things to happen. It was a refreshing change. I mean, yes, there were still times when whoever had the ball forgot that she had teammates and tried to go it alone, but there were fewer of them than there were in the last few games. Maybe we're turning a corner. I wouldn't place money on it, but anything can happen.
There was a lot of physical play on both sides. Bria should probably stop sitting on people. Conversely, the crew was like "LOL what even are travels". I think one of the officials had family over in the next section- either that, or someone was heckling her particularly hard and she wanted security to know about them. It wasn't us, I swear.
We've still got deep-seated issues. But this game showed what we can be if we get our act together and play to our potential. We have enough talent to compete; when we put in the extra work, it puts us over the top.
Monday, August 6, 2018
August 5th, 2018: Las Vegas at Connecticut
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Connecticut went up big and never looked back in a 109-88 win over the Las Vegas Aces, shooting almost 60% from the field in the process. Jasmine Thomas dropped a game-high 30 points on 12-15 shooting from the field. A'ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 24 points, with Kelsey Plum adding 21.
For interminable bus rides, a study in contrasts, playing for a reason, a lot of pink, getting buckets, artwork, and scoring a lot, join your intrepid and exhausted blogger after the jump.
Basketball, as we all know, never stops, and we go from That Dump in White Plains to the 7-time Arena of the Year at Mohegan Sun, as Connecticut plays host to the Las Vegas Aces.
Today is BHA day, branded as "Rock the Pink". Third scorecard in the special series came out. So far the second one is my favorite.
The Rock and Roll Chorus did what I thought of as the "game in 60" version of the anthem, and what the husband described as the "Rent" edition. It was... interesting. They're doing the halftime performance as well. I am underwhelmed.
It is 64-49 Sun at the half. Refs all but swallowed their whistles after the first few minutes. They're really letting them play. It seems like someone's going to get hurt if this goes on.
STH and kids get to shoot foul shots on the court after the game, which is cool.
These soulless BHA jerseys have to go. Team colors have to be on them somewhere next year. And Vegas's leftover San Antonio jerseys are hideous. I don't expect to see those again next year.
So that's what offense looks like! I had almost forgotten. It's been so long. If you didn't think there would be petty shots at the sorry state of the Liberty in here, what blog have you been reading? But this also says a lot about the growth of the league. There was a time you could score 49 in a game and be in position to win, or even win outright. Vegas put up 49 in the first half and was down big.
Honestly, I'm bummed for Lindsay Allen. I'd like to think she knew going in that she was basically Fauxriah Jefferson and once Jefferson was back, she was going to the end of the bench, and that she was okay with it, but she seems like the kind of player who just needs a little playing time to develop and contribute. Moriah Jefferson is very tiny and very fast. I would be freaking out if I were the ballhandler and she were coming at me. Nia Coffey still continues to confound me. She doesn't seem to have a position, and some days it works, but some days it most emphatically does not. This was one of the days where it didn't work.
Given how much defense JiSu Park has provided all year, I was surprised how little time she got. She's got good size and she has nice midrange touch. Kelsey Bone got lively boos from a portion of the crowd every time she committed a foul, which happened with regularity. (She still kneels for the anthem, and I applaud the courage of her convictions, fight me if you want to.) She brings a big, physical presence to the floor, and if she had better positioning she might have been more effective. Jaime Nared played at the very end of the game, coming in later than I would have thought. I don't know how she managed to snag all those rebounds she has in the box score. She's sneaky, I guess.
Carolyn Swords is such an important part of this team that it's not even funny. She brings leadership and steadiness that the younger players need. She gives out direction even from the center position, making sure people go where they need to be. One of the most deceptive non-lines I've ever seen. A'ja Wilson is the truth and she has ascended past the rookie wall. She plays like a seasoned professional, with grace, fluidity, and exceptional positioning. I can't wait to see her with even more veteran savvy and experience. Tamera Young's shot still looks weird and still manages to go in.
Almost forgot the guards, which is embarrassing, because Kelsey Plum had a game where she looked like she was back at UW (well, okay, except that that floater in the lane that fell a little short) and attempting to play all sports at once- karate chops and soccer kicks are inappropriate in basketball, Kelsey. But she was on fire. I don't know if that's necessarily what Vegas needs out of their point guard, but we'll see about that in the offseason. Kayla McBride could probably do with a little less flopping, because one of these days she's going to get caught and she's going to get fined. Her game is dangerous enough, especially on the offensive end, without the falling over quite so much.
If this is what Vegas looks like after getting proper rest and traveling without event, I'd hate to have seen what they would have looked like against Washington. Of course, on the other hand, they could have gotten a second wind like Indiana. And that's all I have to say about that.
Lexie Brown is so tiny and looks so young. Someone's got to have mistaken her for a ballgirl at some point. I love the way she forced the travel against Allen. I'm not sure how I feel about Rachel Banham running point, especially with the aforementioned Brown on the roster. Seems like that's the kind of experience Brown should be getting, and Banham would be better as a shooting guard/three-point specialist. Layshia Clarendon brings a different dimension to the Sun when she's on the floor. She controls the game so well. She's really found a good spot. She doesn't get statistical credit for it, because this isn't hockey, but she set up Alyssa Thomas for a fantastic finish to Shekinna Stricklen.
Betnijah Laney got a lot of run, and brought a lot of energy to the floor with it. She still needs to do a lot of work on her ballhandling, but she's adapted around it, if that makes any sense- she seems to know when she's going to lose the ball and dives appropriately, or is able to successfully back out of the play before something terrible can happen. She's found a place where she belongs, and I love it. Morgan Tuck was fantastic on the glass, getting a putback off a strong o-board. I'm not thrilled with her as a three-point shooter, though. Jonquel Jones looked like she'd had Red Bull injected into her veins before the game, bouncing off her teammates like the world's skinniest pinball, and it showed on the floor. She had a monster block on Park that was a virtual repudiation of her opponent's very existence. It's taken the entire year, but if she's back in form for the playoffs, suddenly Connecticut is a much more dangerous team.
Chiney Ogwumike gave a master class in this game on how to get around someone who's taller and wider than you are. Swords was on her much of the time, and Chiney's footwork to get around her was exquisite (and mostly legal). There was a play on the baseline where she was able to take one big step to stay inbounds, then reestablished her dribble and got the bucket. There's a joy about her game, a feeling that comes across to me as contagious satisfaction at having completed a tricky thing that you really wanted to do and weren't quite sure you could pull off, like a golfer's little fist pump personified. Alyssa Thomas's minutes were limited because somehow, in a game where far fewer calls were made than could have been, she picked up two fouls in the first quarter trying to defend A'ja Wilson. I can only imagine how intense the onslaught would have been if she'd been in the entire game. Quiet game from Shekinna Stricklen, but again, enormous contributions from her weren't necessarily required. Someday I'd like to see her rebound more reliably, though.
Courtney Williams needs to not go anywhere near a shooter that's already launched a three-pointer, especially when said shooter is a member of the acclaimed Notre Dame diving team. And I'd like to see her take it to the basket when she drives that deep into the paint. But I can't argue with her jumper. It's not an argument I'm going to win. She's so quick and so energetic and so fun! And, of course, Jasmine Thomas was the woman of the match and the star of the show. Everything she touched turned to gold, whether it was the three-pointers (except for the one she took from somewhere in the vicinity of Bridgeport because she was feeling herself) or the amazing floaters that took all kinds of angles off the glass and dropped softly in. She was in control of this game from start to finish and it was amazing. You could tell how much this game, this day, meant to her.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, because I'll probably have to say it again: when Connecticut can keep themselves from doing stupid things, they're unstoppable. It's when they can't keep their hands off the offensive player that they start having problems.
It got physical in a hurry, which I should have expected in a game where Fatou Cissoko-Stephens was a ref. (No, ma'am, I haven't forgotten Tanisha Washington, Southern Miss, and being knocked down to four players, and I never will.) They called it pretty loose, which I'm sort of okay with. On the other hand, missing a blatant offensive kick that led to a Plum three was a little bit irritating.
To the people sitting all around us: players are relevant for more than going to UConn. Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck are more than just a mutter of "UConn player" to the person next to you. And if you aren't paying attention to non-UConn players, boy are you missing out.
The parachute t-shirts from the catwalk are not as effective when the air conditioning blows half of them into the lower bowl.
I think Connecticut wanted to prove something. They were going hard for buckets even after they went up big. I mean, it's not hard to loathe Bill Laimbeer, and I think he welcomes it. It wouldn't surprise me if this were a gambit to create a new version of the Bad Girls so the league would have a new villain.
Monday, May 21, 2018
May 20th, 2018: Las Vegas at Connecticut
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Alyssa Thomas posted 13 points and 17 rebounds as Connecticut trounced Las Vegas 101-65. Four Sun players scored in double figures, with Alex Bentley's 18 off the bench late a team high. Tamera Young had 23 points to lead the Aces. A'ja Wilson added 14 points and 10 rebounds in her professional debut.
For casino wars, fantastic video work, a good cheesesteak, impressive rookies, physical play, running up the score, and potential, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
Good morning, fellow travelers! When we say WNBA all day in this house, we mean it. Your intrepid blogger has been up since 6:30 to make the bus to Flushing to make the bus to Mohegan for the Sun's home opener against the Las Vegas Aces.
Positives to this bus: the seats are amazingly comfortable and there's an outlet next to our seats. Downsides: the bathroom smells, I don't know if the outlet works, and the on-board entertainment leaves something to be desired (we got stuck on the passenger information message for about twenty minutes, and now we got an anime-esque feature on the Meaning of Easter, first in a line of Weird Sponsored Things that ran in a loop). And the outlets didn't work.
It's actually a shame our regular Sun seats are lower down. The people next to us seem nice and have very nifty Jasmine Thomas baseball-style shirts. The “we are loud” warning has already been issued.
Amazing roster cards with a fold-out illustrated poster of Jonquel Jones. I was even able to get mine signed!
I think they switched benches! If they did, I will be mildly annoyed. They did not switch benches, but I think they switched tunnels.
There's a promotion for wearing orange to the game (a voucher for a small soda is nothing to sneeze at) so I'm wearing a Shock shirt under my Sun jersey. Funny how 15 years later, we're back to the same font as at the beginning.
Courtney Williams has such a big personality. You could improve the mood of a small town if you could somehow spread her joy.
25-21 Sun at the end of the first, after Vegas raced out to a 14-4 lead behind six points from Nia Coffey. Miller is bringing the big guns off the bench with Bentley and Jonquel Jones.
I like the new name for the kids' dance team- the Sunbeams. They're cute.
49-37 Sun at the half. They initially had it at 50, but I think that was the scoreboard operator getting overexcited about the long two from Courtney Williams to end the half. Very balanced scoring for the Sun, though fouls are a concern, and I'm not thrilled with the shots they're leaving short.
The flashing banks of lights are new, and they're going to set off a seizure one of these days.
I'm just saying, maybe you don't do the ad with the spicy wings with the kid from Minnesota.
I like to think that somewhere, Pat Summitt is laughing at a concerted campaign to turn Connecticut orange.
Kelsey Bone looks good. She's slimmed down. A'ja Wilson looks pro ready. But they have no depth.
Friendly reminder to Sun fans: Bill Laimbeer only grows stronger from your hate. He is best villain.
73-49 Sun at the end of three. Shekinna Stricklen fall down go boom and left the game with a head/face injury. I didn't see how it happened, though it might have been self-inflicted. She stayed on the bench, but did not return to the game.
101-65 Sun, final, and I'm getting more and more uncomfortable with the bloodlust of Connecticut fans. They seem to get louder when they're up big, not early on when their team needs them more. At least they're starting to appreciate players who didn't go to UConn. The pop for Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones, and the Thomases was more than acceptable.
Kelsey Bone does not seem to be popular in Uncasville, and that was before she sluefooted Alex Bentley late in the game. She got a smattering of boos when she came in, and the crowd cheered whenever a foul was called on her. She was active on the boards, and physical all the way around. Ji Su Park has nice defensive instincts for a player as young as she is. I don't know if she's ready for heavy W minutes yet, but I see why Vegas opted to keep her. Good stroke at the line, too. In a couple of years, she could be a very nice player. Dearica Hamby was last off the bench and didn't even play in the first half. I'm trying to remember if she's recovering from an injury or not. I sort of hope she is, because otherwise she was just bad.
I do not question the Liberty's decision to cut Shoni Schimmel, not one iota. She was trying too hard to make passes that were harder than they needed to be. You don't get extra points for degree of difficulty, and you have to be able to get the basic passes through the defense before you can give them the old razzle-dazzle. (That being said, her accuracy should improve if she gets a chance to get used to her teammates and vice versa.) I feel for her, and when she's on a roll, she's a lot of fun to watch. I just don't know if this is the right system for her, or if there even is a right system in this league for her.
I had more to say about Schimmel than I thought, so I'll put my notes about the other guards here. Raigyne Louis, whose last name I keep wanting to give the French pronunciation, looked like the defender she was in her LSU days. Her offense still needs work, though. It's a bit wild. She's not the slasher she once was, and what works in college doesn't always work in the WNBA. Jaime Nared brings good height to the floor and provided flexibility to the makeshift Aces lineup. She had a nifty defensive play in the third quarter with a deflection.
Carolyn Swords continues to be good at being tall. Connecticut was playing a lot of small ball, which might have been a necessary evil, but doesn't match up well against a 6-6 widebody. She was able to pull down rebounds just by reaching over her opponents. She didn't get good position down low on offense, and her midrange game was full of fail. A'ja Wilson already looks like she belongs in this league. Her shooting line probably isn't going to show it, and she has to be a little more assertive on the glass, but she did a phenomenal job of getting to the line and hittting. I'm always impressed by posts with good free-throw shooting.
Tamera Young, bless her heart, still has one of the most dubious jumpers in the league, so you can imagine my surprise when she hit the three. She did a good job of getting into the paint and finishing, or at least drawing contact to get to the line and convert the free throws. If she's a primary offensive option when the regular guards are back, I'll be surprised. Nia Coffey got off to a hot start before the caffeine high wore off, and there's your obligatory coffee-related joke. I'm not sure how to sort out her skill set. She seems to do a lot of things, but not do any of them particularly well, and I don't know if she has countermoves ready for when the defense catches on to her. I'd like to take a closer look at her, though. I was pleasantly surprised at Lindsay Allen getting the start, and I thought she played well. She wasn't spectacular, and she definitely made some questionable passes that neither she nor the intended recipient were ready for, but overall she was pretty steady, and she did well defensively on Jasmine Thomas. But, again, I see her role changing drastically when Jefferson's back from her injury and Plum and McBride have returned from their overseas sojourns.
I can see some of the potential that the Aces have. There were moments when the individual defense was very good, although their communication needs a lot of work. Their rebounding was excellent, anchored by Swords, Wilson, and Young. I don't know how much good the inside play is going to do them with their guards, though.
There was a fairly large group- maybe two dozen people- in Aces shirts near the visiting bench. Not sure if traveling fans or MGM folks.
The Sun crowd really likes when Rachel Banham hits threes. I can live with her being the folk hero off the end of the bench, I guess. She's got to stop fouling, though. It makes her too much of a defensive liability. Alex Bentley realizes she has teammates, right? I understand if she took Bone's shenanigans personally, but if you're up 30 in the final two or three minutes, is it really necessary to be chucking every single shot yourself? She knows how to fire up this crowd, though. The rust showed a little bit for her, but you know that'll wear off. (Okay, maybe that's also a reason why so much of the offense went to her near the end of the game, but I still don't have to like it.) I was surprised Lexie Brown didn't get into the game sooner, but then she played pretty much the entire fourth quarter, so I guess that makes up for it. Her shot looked good. I'd like to see her get more minutes; I think she's good for them.
Brionna Jones had more trouble on defense than I was expecting after her superlative performance against Cambage in the preseason. She was getting consistently beat physically by Swords and Wilson, and a lot of it was strictly on height. I was glad to see her get her free throws at the end to get on the board. Betnijah Laney threw herself completely into the game. I love her hustle. It looked like Connecticut was trying to give her heavy run in the third quarter- there was a sequence of possessions where it seemed like Connecticut was trying to feed her every time. The results were mixed. Morgan Tuck has gotten more physical, and not in a good way. I was surprised she wasn't getting called for offensive fouls with the elbows she was throwing and the bad screens she was setting. Jonquel Jones definitely looks rusty, and in lineups where she's playing the five, there's no reason for her to be jacking threes. I love the way she tips rebounds away from players who were absolutely certain they had the ball corralled- her length in those situations is amazing. She laid the smackdown on a couple of shots, with a fantastic one to answer a Wilson block. She's just so much fun to watch, and once she's back in the groove she'll be even more fun.
For now it looks like Chiney Ogwumike is playing center, and despite the height issue, that's not the worst thing in the world for her right now. She's still not that mobile, so plopping her down in the low post is the most effective way to use her. I'm super glad she's back. Shekinna Stricklen's shot was streaky, and at one point she got a shot volleyball-spiked by Wilson. I swear, sometimes she forgets how strong and wide her build is, and falls too much in love with the outside shot. Alyssa Thomas still needs to work on her free throw shooting, but now her stroke at least looks like the shot has a chance to go in. She did a fantastic job running the break, and as the game went on her passing got fancier. Didn't always work out, but she racked up the assists and got buckets in the lane.
Courtney Williams spent most of the first quarter very much in her own way, chucking up shot after shot that went off the back iron or spun around the rim and went out. She found a bit more of her groove on the break in the second quarter, but this was the kind of game that highlights her weaknesses as a player. Jasmine Thomas was solid, but had a surprising amount of trouble with Allen. And in the end, there's only so much I can say about Jasmine Thomas that hasn't been said before in set after set of GNoD. Barring injury or games well outside the norm, you know what you're getting with her. She's not spectacular, but she's steady and she's consistent, and that's what you need out of your floor general. (Although beating up on Nia Coffey on a three is pretty spectacular. That was an awesome block.)
I love Connecticut's offense. I think I'd be tearing my hair out on a regular basis if I had to watch them keep fouling on defense. When the gambles work, they work. When they don't work, they rack up the fouls and they lose their assignment on defense. The Aces got a lot of open looks on missed switches.
Then again, Vegas has their own communication problems, what with Nared and Coffey knocking each other off the ball on one play, and Hamby throwing the resulting loose ball clear into the backcourt. Keystone Kops moment there.
Officiating was inconsistent, and the review mania needs to stop. That being said, Sun fans do understand that their players commit fouls sometimes, right? It does happen.
So much orange. Cannot cope.
I think the LA game will be a bigger test for this Sun team, and Indiana will be a nice palate cleanser. I'm looking forward to that Indiana game, though I'll probably be a zombie for much of it.