Yes, I did actually survive Las Vegas, thanks for asking.
You may be wondering why it's taken so long for me to get my thoughts together about All-Star.
Or maybe you haven't. I see the page views. I know there aren't that many of you out there.
And writing the GNoD has gotten a lot harder with part of the casing for my laptop snapping off, and thus the hinge breaking and occasionally having the screen fall out at one corner. Yeah. Fun times. It's a bad sign when the electrical tape isn't enough, right? I didn't handle the heat well, either. While MGM has been great for the league as the Aces' ownership, and while they put on a heck of an All-Star weekend, I do not think that holding All-Star in a desert city at the height of summer is a good idea. So, sorry, Vegas, and sorry, Phoenix, but this is not a thing that can happen. If it does, I'm not joining you. I was genuinely freaking out at my brain fog by the end of the trip. Like "do I have enough PTO to schedule a visit to a neurologist?" freaking out.
Typing on the tablet is a lot harder. I'm just grateful that the Mandalay security either didn't recognize it as a tablet or decided that it was not the droid they were looking for, because trying to make in-game notes with just my phone would drive me up the wall.
Leg room is definitely a problem. I'm taller than the average woman, but not by much, and my knee was hitting the back of the row in front of me. During the actual game it wasn't so bad, but that was because we were directly over the stairs, which meant that we were looking at the game through the railing. All things considered, still better than the knee pain induced during open practice.
I think I've said this before during All-Star games, and I'm sure I will go as ignored as I did all the other times, but I want to see players doing what they're good at, not just goofing off. Yes, it was fun to see Griner throw down dunks (even though I'm pretty sure she hurt herself on the extended hang during the twohanded jam, although that might also have been because Cambage was an idiot and didn't give her enough space to land). But it might have been fun to see Cambage and Jonquel Jones throw it down. I get enough of Tina Charles chucking long jumpers when she's in a Liberty uniform. How about some of that gorgeous hook shot? Two brilliant coaches and two point guards with flair, and no one could think of throwing a Jewelly-oop? (OK, bad example there, there was one attempted alley-oop, but not to Loyd.) You have point guards who can make magic happen on the break and you have Alyssa Thomas, The Human Wrecking Ball, and these pieces were not put together often enough for my satisfaction. And that's not even getting into players whose best skills are defensive. Admit it, wouldn't you like to have seen one of the bigs swat a shot into the fifth row and ham it up?
Admittedly, it was fun to see the bigs handle the ball like point guards, and Cambage's handle isn't terrible, at least in a game with no defense.
The live-ball subbing wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, mostly because it seemed like neither team really had a good sense of how to use or abuse it. The shot clock reduction, however, was completely unnecessary; All-Star games are fast-paced anyway, and the clock never had a chance to get down that far.
I admit it, I bought the bottomless popcorn for the sole and express purpose of laying claim to one of the nifty basketball bowls. And because I have no shame, I fished out another one from the garbage. Now we have a matched set. The popcorn was mediocre, but I think the good stuff was sold in the smaller bags, and not in the giant movie-theater vats. The concession prices seemed reasonable. I can see a family of four getting very good value out of that bottomless popcorn.
If you weren't crying at Erica Wheeler getting All-Star MVP, you have no heart, and you have no soul, and frankly, I don't want to know you. Everyone was at least a little choked up.
Merchandise and space for merchandise at the event was not handled well. There was a very limited offering at the fan fest, at least when we were there. And while there was a merchandise stand set up at the entrance to the arena, that was it. The line was out the door both Friday and Saturday. You'd have been better off getting your merchandise online or at your local arena after the fact. (On the other hand, I loved seeing Aces merchandise in every MGM-owned property's souvenir shop, and there was a secret stash of All-Star gear at the Nike store at Miracle Mile.)
I loved seeing fans from every team at the game. WNBACon is best con.
So that's it for the GNod for this season. Between my laptop's issues and my ennui with the season, I’m taking the rest of the season off as a chronicler. You could argue that I'm not really needed anymore at the W level, that social media and online coverage have both advanced to the point where all the little things you see at a game have been covered by someone who's already there. I'm proud of that. And it means I can enjoy the game, or at least enjoy the ride home without having to work. So I'll see you lot in November, hopefully with a new computer, or at least with a good wireless keyboard that I can connect to my tablet.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
July 27th, 2019: All-Star Game
Friday, July 26, 2019
July 26th, 2019: All-Star Skills Challenge/3-Point Shootout
Las Vegas too hot for bebe.
Fan Fest is pretty cool so far, although the beverage prices are an obscenity. $6.50 for water?
Shout out to the lady in the Shock shirt from Oklahoma, to the San Antonio jersey, and to the lady in the home Wicks jersey. So far I've seen gear from Connecticut, Dallas, LA, Las Vegas (obviously), Minny, New York (not us), lots of Phoenix, lots of Seattle, and Washington. I thought I saw Chicago, but now I'm not sure. No Atlanta, no Indiana.
Merchandise selection is a bit limited. Hoping for better on game day.
One of my friends has informed me that a) Helen Darling, of all the random alumnae, is here, and b) her triplets are 17, and I object to this reminder of my mortality when I'm on vacation.
The passport stamp idea was cute, but the inconsistent requirements were annoying. The stamp at Kaiser Permanente is especially obnoxious.
I don't think Stefanie Dolson's calling is the DJ booth.
Mandalay has a very nice arena, but the seats are uncomfortably narrow and there is no leg room. Security was quick at least.
We've added Atlanta and confirmed Chicago, so the only team missing is Indiana. Do better, Fever fans.
Awesome jersey spotting: the entire Big Three, home Holdsclaw 23 Mystics, an honest to God Mabika jersey, the Kelloggs Swoopes jersey.
Looks like Bird is commentating and Stewart is ambassador-ing. I think Mama Taj and Michele Van Gorp are both working. Jasmine Thomas, on the other hand, is probably here to cheer on her teammates.
Shekinna Stricklen just went by on a cell phone. That's not what they mean by being dialed in from long distance, Strick.
There appears to be a shooting contest involving fans from every team. Minnesota won, but it went to a tiebreaker, and watching the Sky players' enthusiastic support of their representative was awesome. (although that nominal Sky fan was married to a Sparks fan, which would be a strange relationship unless built on shared nostalgia for Kristi Toliver, so way to break kayfabe, guys)
Shock of shocks, Griner took an excuse to dunk. She still lost the round.
Can we talk about that three by JJ with the ball guy impeding her?
Well played by the DJ, mixing in the instrumental from “Touch the Sky” after deShields won the skills challenge.
Spotted a fan in a Dupree tee (a Dutee?) so the collection is complete.
There are enough Liberty players, current and former, to declare quorum. I love it.
Apparently that *was* what they meant by being dialed in. Well done by Strick. Loved seeing Jonquel Jones film her post-event interview.
I don't want the nachos. I don't want the popcorn. I want that bowl, though.
The Sky players, both All-Stars and not, were adorable cheering on their teammates. Get you a squad like that.
Seeing the camaraderie among so many of these players makes me wish they'd done an open practice. I know they streamed it, but that's not the same as being there.