August 23rd, 2018: Phoenix at Connecticut

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Phoenix Mercury stepped their game up on the road in the fourth quarter, sealing a 96-86 win over the Connecticut Sun. Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi each had 27 points, and DeWanna Bonner added a monster double-double of 23 points and 18 rebounds, as the Mercury pulled away in the fourth quarter. Courtney Williams had a team-high 27 points and eight rebounds for the Sun.

For a size disadvantage, shameless pop culture references, mild frustration, and simple truths, join your intrepid and exhausted blogger after the jump. See y'all in November. Or maybe October.


This is probably a terrible idea. No, scratch the probably. As soon as I looked at the bus schedule, I realized this was a terrible idea, but I'm going through with it, because I am the victim of a basketball jones. And who needs sleep anyway?

See, the buses out of Flushing leave at 2:30 and 6:00. The tip is at 8:30, meaning the game will end slightly after 10:30. And the return times are 10:30 and 1:30. I am not expecting to leave this game early to make the 10:30. You may get these game notes faster than any in recorded history. They may also be utterly incoherent. Sleep deprivation- it's like being drunk, but for free!

Security got lax about my backpack. I probably shouldn't be admitting this, because someone's going to get in trouble and the hole will be patched. But I reserved an extra seat for it, so it all works out.

It's 44-40 Sun at the half. Jasmine Thomas and Courtney Williams each have 11 points. I'm really going to need Alyssa Thomas to get going. Diana Taurasi has 15 for the Mercury, and I am starting to take a deep and profound dislike to that woman.

Anthem from a former member of Celtic Woman, and was phenomenal. I do wish the gentleman in the next section hadn't tried to drown her out, though, especially since she was mic'd up.

No new video for the playoffs. Well, I mean, they have the pregame hype video, but that's new for every game. Different narrator this time. There was also a small pregame video featuring the women of the Mohegan Tribe staking out their territory and urging the Sun on. (Also, "Listen to the women" might be the most understated double-edged statement of the season.)

Thundersticks for all! They're fairly bland, but I haven't gotten a new set of Sun thundersticks in ages.

I'm tired of Taurasi getting more applause in intros than anyone on the Sun. I get that they turn on her as soon as the ball goes up, and the cheers for her first foul were just as loud as the cheers on her introduction, but guys, c'mon. Y'all know she finished almost fifteen years ago, right? Y'all can move on, right?

Already some dubious calls in this game. I need Brittney Griner to pick on people her own size and not double-hook Jasmine Thomas.

Oh, Sandy, no. She's wearing a bright, bright, bright pink jumpsuit. If the lights go out in the arena, we'll all know where she is.

The drum line was walking the concourse before the game, and also did a pregame bit.

All right. I admit it. I left the game early. It had just gone to 94 for Phoenix, and looking at the final stats, I don't seem to have missed much. It was worth making the bus and not, y'know, spending three hours at Mohegan Sun, growing steadily more tired and more frustrated. We had chances, especially in the first half. But they have Diana and we don't. I personally think it was more relevant that they have Brittney Griner and we don't, but we all know how the saying goes.

Short bench for the Mercury tonight. Part of me is surprised not to see Camille Little on the floor, but I don't know her injury status, and she probably would have played right into Connecticut's hands anyway. Size was the difference inside for the Merc, and she would take away that advantage. Angel Robinson certainly used that to get rebounds and buckets in the paint. And I imagine that Devereaux Peters is basically the human equivalent of "in case of emergency, break glass", which is good in this case because the number of times I can spell her name in my life is limited.

I have a very healthy respect for Yvonne Turner and the work she put in to get herself into the league. She was tenacious on both sides of the floor tonight, sticking close on defense and making herself an option on offense. It honestly seemed like she was more prolific on offense than the final stats indicate. Leilani Mitchell didn't play a lot, Brondello figuring that she could ride her horses until they dropped in a single elimination game. The biggest assist she would have had for the Mercury wasn't even acknowledged, as she was the only person near the floor to correctly spotrrhen Chiney Ogwumike stepped out of bounds on a drive. I'm pretty sure it ended up in a miss for Connecticut anyway, but Leilani tried.

I haven't seen Phoenix a lot this year, which makes it easy to forget how good a defender Briann January is when she's fully healthy. She's so good at taking away every ounce and inch of space you ever thought about having. And she hits a mean three-pointer, too. Also, she knows how to take a fall- there was one foul she took where she ended up doing a full back roll. I think that's what it's called, in any case. Very acrobatic of her. Diana Taurasi just goes out and murders people's hopes and dreams for funsies. You can't leave her open, but I'm pretty sure her percentage is actually better when someone's in her face. And you can't even call her a stone-cold killer, because there's nothing cold about her. She is inevitable. She is indomitable. I really need her not to shove people right at the whistle. Can that be arranged? But I have to say, how she swings from the one to the two as necessary is very impressive, and seems to have gotten better with time.

Stephanie Talbot did a lot of little things in this one, including hitting open shots at the right time. She's not spectacular, but she gets the job done. I could have sworn she was playing with a mask at one point, but she seemed to have shucked it by the end of the game. Was it precautionary, and she decided to get rid of it in the second half to improve her vision or something? I remember someone for the Liberty having those feelings about the mask. DeWanna Bonner's range is ridiculous, and her rebounding was amazing. She snatched that ball like she was snatching souls. She was able to take advantage of Brittney Griner flicking the ball out to the perimeter. Griner had a lot of plays like that, the kind I usually only see Jonquel Jones making, and I imagine it made life difficult for the official scorer, because she made the play, but her teammate came up with the ball. She did a number on the Sun's offense all by herself, between rotating into position and already being in position when certain people (*coughCourtneyM.Williamscough*) ran headlong into her. Do not ever run headlong into Brittney Griner. This is a terrible plan. Courtney.

Phoenix did a good job of challenging Connecticut to take perimeter shots, something that isn't necessarily our strength. I mean, I might actually be more of a three-point threat than Alyssa Thomas please don't hurt me AT. Yes, there were large swathes of paint that seemed open, but like Mr. Burns's sun-blocking machine, Griner would rotate into place and snuff out all light.

(I realize I'm being very hyperbolic in these notes. Shea Serrano is a dubious influence. But I'd like to think it's fun.)

Every time I think Rachel Banham has turned a corner, she puts out a game like this one or the one against LA, where she can't shoot, can't defend, and can't handle the ball. I want to like you, Rachel, I really do, but the Rachel Banham Experience is a little too much of a roller coaster for my liking. I would have liked to have seen more of Layshia Clarendon; it seemed like she was bringing some good steady, heady play to the table.

I love Morgan Tuck's defense. Her offense needed a little work tonight, but going up against Griner and Bonner right at the basket is a hard challenge for anyone who isn't a skyscraper. But her defense against that Mercury frontcourt was on point. She had one really fantastic stop against Talbot on a fast break that looked like a sure basket. Chiney Ogwumike was clearly not playing at full strength, and her attempts to guard Griner in the low post were extremely unsuccessful. She had better luck in the open floor, picking Griner's pocket more than once, but it was clear that she wasn't her old self, and I think that cost the Sun a lot.

Courtney Williams is going to be the death of me one of these days. I love her jumper. I love her energy. I just wish she'd take contact once in a while. Her propensity to run away like brave Sir Robin as soon as a body comes into the lane was highlighted tonight, and not in a good way. You can only drive so deep so many times and throw the ball back out to the perimeter, or waste time circling around with the dribble, before the weakness becomes apparent even to someone who never played basketball. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that her offense kept us in the game most of the night. I just wish she'd go ahead and add that extra dimension. Jasmine Thomas had a big game, especially from the perimeter. She had trouble defensively, but I don't think there's anyone in the WNBA who doesn't have trouble with Diana Taurasi on defense. I mean, really. She's done an amazing job stepping up her scoring game, which she has the luxury of doing because the forwards are facilitating so much. (Also, I will never not be amused at her blocking DeWanna Bonner.)

Shekinna Stricklen hit a couple of clutch shots (yes, you can hit clutch shots even if you lose the game) and tried to get the crowd amped up after making a big defensive stop. Given that that was one of the possibly three times she actually played decent defense all night, I'm not sure how I feel about it. You're probably tired of hearing me say I think she can be so much more of a player, and I'm tired of saying it, so we're going to move on from that. I love watching Jonquel Jones make the extra pass, and I love when she snags the rebound. She did a better job on Griner than Ogwumike did, and I would have liked to see more of her down the stretch. I think that was an error on Miller's part; yes, Chiney is the player you went to war with for much of the season, but you've got to read what's going on right there and right then. Alyssa Thomas seemed a step slow, and her shots looked really weird. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that she was fighting more than just the shoulder injury, because the shoulder wouldn't fully explain her speed going down, or all of her lack of drive. She still got buckets, and in that regard it was one of the best games I've seen from her all year, but there's just something missing there.

Phoenix did a good job of exploiting our weaknesses, both structural and mental. We left points on the board in the first half, and I think those came back to haunt us. But we were beaten by a team we had no answers for in two crucial positions. What can you do when Griner's blocking everything in sight?

Dubious officiating the whole game through, on both sides. Fouls that should have been shooting fouls not called as such and vice versa. Out-of-bounds plays missed. Blatant pushes and hits to the face not being called anything. (I love you, Chiney, but please don't hit DeWanna in the face. I understand the urge, but we must all be better than that.)

The crowd really got into it, which was refreshing. Admittedly, they got a lot of urging, but even when the PA wasn't going, they were. In that regard, it's refreshing. I like it and wish it to continue into 2019.

I'm sorry the season ended like this, but it was a heck of a ride. Going to Sun games this year was everything that going to Liberty games wasn't. This Connecticut team reminded me of the joy the game can bring. Because in the end, that's all it is. It's a game. And it's something that should be fun. JJ, Court, Chiney, AT, Jas, Strick, Naj, Rach, Mo, Bri, Lexie, Layshia- they went out there and did something they love, and showed us all that they love it, and showed us why we should love it too. And their front and back offices backed them up, letting them showcase their skills on the world-class stage they deserve.

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June 5th, 2018: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Liberty were strong on the boards, but the Mercury were more accurate in their 80-74 win at Madison Square Garden. Brittney Griner had a game-high 26 points to lead the Mercury, with Diana Taurasi adding 21 to go over 8000 for her career. Tina Charles had 25 points and eight rebounds for New York.

For terrible non-calls, sketchy attendance numbers, the Halloween color scheme, stacks of PBJs, milestones, the missing links, and an inability to cope with Kia(h)s, join your intrepid blogger, who is not a f'ing morning person, after the jump.


It's game day at the Garden, a phrase that fills me with joy and relief. I can deal with a few thousand kids if that means I can actually watch my team play in a place that was meant to hold basketball.

Katie Smith seems to have made a small new friend, a little girl in a Final Four shirt traveling with her dad.

Brittany Boyd and Sugar Rodgers are both shooting around, but not in the uniform that we're wearing today. That worries me a little bit and makes me wonder if their statuses were upgraded just so the league wouldn't start asking pesky questions. Tina Charles is shooting in non-standard shorts, but Tina has her own opinion on pre-game fashion and this may just be a deke. (Phoenix in orange and Liberty in black. Happy Halloween, folks!)

I'm pretty sure that's Bethany Donaphin hugging and chatting with Spoon, but I'm not quite sure why Briann January is so friendly with our staff. I feel like I'm missing a couple of degrees of separation here. (She's also chatting up kidlet and kidlet's dad.

This may not be news to you, but Brittney Griner is really tall in real life. This may also not be news to you, but Leilani Mitchell is very short in real life, and not all the upswept hair in the world can change that.

Looks like no upper bowl seats have been sold. We're at half an hour before game time, and groups are few and far between so far.

Swin Cash looks nice today. Working the all black everything look, and the kerchief/kerchief-looking hat suits her.

It is 10:30. Bro, it is too damn early for beer. Then again, it was too early for beer with that one dude on the platform at Fulton Street.

We can't even sell out the lower deck for a School Day game. This is some kind of nonsense and I am so tired of it all.

Schoolkid choir for the anthem. It is what it is.

It's 43-35 Phoenix at halftime, after the Liberty burst out to a 27-21 first quarter lead. As the game wore on, Phoenix remembered that they have very tall players, and most possessions turned into alley-oop passes right to the basket. If you blinked after a Liberty basket, you probably missed the ensuing Mercury basket. Brittney Griner has racked up 17 points to lead Phoenix. Bria Hartley has 12 to lead the Liberty, but we're also getting buckets from Tina Charles and Amanda Zahui B.

Garden security has really ramped up the obnoxiousness this year. I don't know if they're not morning people or if they don't like dealing with groups or what, but we kept getting shifted around like they were looking for ways to entertain themselves.

There was a scruffy-looking dude chatting up security, and either that was Dolan or I've mistaken a perfectly innocent gentleman for a giant egotistical jerk.

I'm about 40% certain Taurasi got her tech for flirting with Forsberg. You're married, Diana.

So glad to see Brittany Boyd and Sugar Rodgers back on the floor, even if they're not quite right yet. And I don't think we'll see Boyd again in the second half. She looked pretty tight when she came out, and she let out a word that I don't repeat when there are children around. (The Storm fans' favorite euphemism applies here: starts with "f", ends with "uck", and isn't "firetruck".) But Kiah Stokes is back in the boot, and Epiphanny Prince is still out.

I love this team, but they might be one of the most frustrating Liberty teams I've seen in a long time. Everything's there until it's not. I don't know how much of that is us being short-handed and how much is dealing with Katie Smith's rookie mistakes as a coach. Games like these magnify the effect of one, or two, or five, bad calls. We need to have the whole gang together to know what we can really do, and maybe that's not even going to happen this season.

Brondello went more to her bench in the first half than in the second half- I don't think any of her young players even saw time in the second half. Marie Gülich looks blonder than I remembered from Oregon State, but I suppose enough time in the Valley of the Sun might put highlights in anyone's hair. She also seems shorter, but a) scale, and b) everyone looks shorter when Brittney Griner is in the room. Camille Little doesn't move all that great anymore, but she knows how to be in the way of the defense. Stephanie Talbot had a nifty defensive play in the first quarter to defuse a Liberty fast break.

Leilani Mitchell hits threes. She's very good at that. It seemed like the Mercury offense was moving faster when she was in- that looked like when the alley-oops were really starting to flow. Yvonne Turner mostly seemed to be in as a shooter. Phoenix didn't quite know what to do with her.

Brittney Griner is just automatic at the rim. If you let her get that close, you've already lost. And if she's not already that close, she's going to do her level best to get that close, and if that includes hitting you in the face, oh well, too bad so sad. (Yes, I am still sore. Probably not as sore as Amanda, though. Wasn't my face.) She had a couple of authoritative swats, one on Amanda Zahui B and one on Kia Vaughn. I think, in a perverse kind of way, she might be too tall to rebound. She doesn't have the right angles. But she's automatic on offense and deadly on defense, and I think Phoenix can live with that. Sancho Lyttle's outside game didn't make the trip in this one, and our defense played like we knew it. We were often hands down on her when she got outside the paint. But she made some vintage defensive plays, seizing steals and blocking a Marissa Coleman shot.

DeWanna Bonner was money from the corner, and running the break. She creates such mismatches with her height and shooting ability. I think she might actually have kept on some of the baby weight, and it's good for her. Doesn't keep her from falling down whenever she thinks there's a slight breeze, but does keep her upright when she's not attempting to flop. Briann January is, methinks, there for her defense, and maybe to keep opposing defenses off Taurasi by bringing the ball up. I'm having trouble believing the minute count in the box score, she was such a non-entity on the floor. Diana Taurasi did Diana Taurasi things: she drove the lane hard and got contact, she hit her free throws (more attempts than my entire damn team, but I'm not bitter at all), she hit threes both contested and uncontested. Her defense was lackluster at times, and I don't know if she still has all of her astonishing range, but she's still damn good.

When Phoenix remembers that they're usually taller than the other team, they have a good shot at winning. They're tall, and they can use that height well in transition. But they were slacking on the boards today, and we feasted.

I don't think Sugar Rodgers was completely ready to come back yet, no matter how much we needed to bolster the backcourt. She had limited mobility, and looked very slow on the floor. It didn't look like she was able to cut and move laterally very much, which reduced her to being a slow spot-up shooter. I don't know why she was in the game down the stretch when she was so clearly limited. Brittany Boyd started off looking good, out there with all her emotion and all her aggression, like a wrecking ball. But she slowed up quickly and left the game abruptly (and swearing, as described above), so I think she re-aggravated the leg and may not be ready for Connecticut (and why risk her against Indiana?) I swear, any point guard who spends more than two years around the Liberty starts developing some of Spoon's body language. It's creepy. Kia Nurse looked like she was getting her first taste of the big time. She was wearing down by the end of her run. Her defense was top notch, but her shots were falling short. I'm still surprised we didn't see more of her at the end of the game.

This was one of the best games I've seen out of Amanda Zahui B in a Liberty uniform. Judging from the second half start she got over Kia Vaughn, Coach would seem to agree. She was going hard on the glass and sacrificing her body on defense. I'm still not enthused about her as a three-point shooter, but it's nice to have her as a bailout option when the shot clock is running down. Rebecca Allen brought energy but not much else positive. She's a little bit of a disaster on the floor sometimes, bless her heart.

And in both genuine and idiomatic uses of the term, bless your heart, Kia Vaughn. She had to start because of the re-injury to Kiah Stokes, and, um. It did not go well. What's the opposite of a thing going well? That was Kia Vaughn today. She couldn't hang on to passes. She made terrible decisions with the ball. She was mediocre on defense. She missed gimme shots on gorgeous passes. She's an adorable human, but I think I would like to cancel this reboot of the Kia Vaughn Experience now. Tina Charles took the team on her back, which is normally our fatal flaw, but so much of it came organically from rebounds and broken plays that I can't be too mad. She's just that good. But she wore down near the end, because c'mon, how much can one woman take? She's getting tripled at one end and doubling down on defense at the other. There's only so much she can do.

I don't like lineups that have Marissa Coleman at the four. She's tall, but she's not built for that kind of banging, you should pardon my language. She's better on the perimeter, where she can launch shots and swoop in for offensive rebounds like she did today (two on one possession!) instead of getting beat up on the inside. This wasn't a good match-up for her, especially with the positional shuffling she had to do. Shavonte Zellous seemed to be spending a lot of time in Taurasi's head, but the experience looked to be mutual. Both of them did a lot of talking. Quick, act surprised. Z looked like she was trying to force a lot of action, and it wasn't working. Bria Hartley alternated between taking stupid shots, playing intense defense alongside Tina (the two of them came hard at Taurasi and forced her to cough up the ball a couple of times), and making terrible passes. She was dragging in the fourth quarter, and I think Katie mismanaged her minutes at the end.

I'm not enthusiastic about my team being the proving ground for a rookie head coach. I felt that way about St. John's when Joe Tartamella took over, and I feel the same way about the Liberty with Katie Smith taking over. In both cases, I thought the hiring process was uninspired at best and lazy at worst. I can see Katie's potential as a head coach- the team looks motivated, and she's willing to reward players for doing well instead of continuing to reward a lackluster starter. I'm not just thinking the choice to start Amanda instead of Kia Vaughn in the second half. There was a sequence when she had Kia Nurse at the scorer's table to replace Bria after a couple of dumb plays by Bria. Whereupon Bria hit a three and forced a timeout. Kia didn't come in after that stoppage. But by the same token, she's got to learn to trust her players at the end. I get pulling Amanda after the fourth foul. I don't get not putting her back in. I get pulling Kia Nurse out to get her head back in the game. I don't get not going back to her. I also question some of her clock management. Right now, she looks like someone who's more used to the rules of the college game, and that's biting us in the end.

I was very disappointed in these officials. I expected better out of this crew, because they usually are better, but when Tina Charles is literally hopping mad, you have messed up. I'm still angry that Amanda got hit in the face three times, and then got called for the foul when the momentum from being pushed caused her to knock Griner over. A 14-FTA differential is noticeable in a six-point game.

So is every school group in the area tired of hearing the same anti-bullying slam poetry at halftime, and that's why we can't even draw on School Day? I mean, c'mon. Play a recording of Wil Wheaton saying "Don't be a dick" and teach the kids about nutrition or something. Change it up. The kids were uninspired and mostly quiet. The group around us was well-behaved, and the kids actually seemed a little too polite, like we were going to bite their heads off for having to go to the bathroom.

You should've seen the look on Tina's face when the MC announced that each starter would be giving away an autographed t-shirt. Tina was like, "I was not told there would be t-shirts."

This is my team. This will be my team until it is taken away from me. But I wish sometimes circumstances didn't make it so damn hard to enjoy it.

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June 4th, 2017: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma’am: The New York Liberty tightened up the defense in the fourth quarter to win down the stretch, 88-72, against the Phoenix Mercury. Kiah Stokes had a career-high 23 points to go with a game-high 14 rebounds. Shavonte Zellous added 21. Brittney Griner had 26 points to lead all scorers.

For repeated flexing in a no-flex zone, a missed moment of awesome, too much purple, career highs, rocking the rim, and bringing the noise, join your intrepid and pleasantly surprised blogger after the jump.

Good afternoon, everyone! We just dodged the rain; let’s hope we can dodge the desert heat, too! It's gameday at the Garden, as the Liberty host the Phoenix Mercury. (I almost wrote ‘hose’ there, which is rather more wishful thinking.)

No real pregame notes; most of the Mercury never made it out to the court or were already off before the fans got there.

Way too many stargazers for this game. Too much purple. I like purple in most contexts, but this is not one of them. On the plus side, the Yankee fan in front of me didn’t show up, and the family behind us is really enthusiastic about the game.

Youth chorus anthem. Not bad, but a little shaky.

Way too many dance groups. Staaaaaahp.

At halftime, the Liberty are up 47-41. Kiah Stokes is having herself a day already, with 15 and 10 at the break. Brittney Griner has been the star of the show for the Mercury, with 19 points. She’s even leading them in assists!

Liberty are getting a lot of good looks behind the defense, along the baseline. Mercury are getting three-point looks.

Cierra’s hair is still not on fire.

I wasn’t expecting to win this game late. I didn’t think we were the team that was going to make the big run in the fourth quarter to put the game away, because that’s not the team we’ve been. I’ll happily take it, don’t get me wrong!

Sandy, Y U NO PUT BRUNNER IN GAME? Would it really have made a difference in the final minute?

Alexis Prince saw a short bit of run in the second quarter (early, I think). She committed a not-smart foul, and that was pretty much the last we saw of her. Shay Murphy blew a fast break chance that she should have had (and almost led to an enormous play for the Liberty) but showed a lot of hustle on the offensive glass. Late in the game, she was one of the few Mercury players still fighting for loose balls. I have a lot of respect for that kind of hustle. Emma Cannon was very physical, and didn’t understand why she kept getting called for fouls. To be fair to her, a lot of people didn’t understand why they were being called for fouls, on both teams. I’m not sure what differentiates her from the myriad of physical post players out there that are mostly around to pick up fouls and instill fear in the opponent.

Yvonne Turner was not afraid to shoot, and there were times that she should have been. She needs to work on knowing where the three-point line is. Leilani Mitchell was fast, and efficient. She’s ruthless on defense (she’s just too tiny). Sometimes she needs to understand that “Hey! Pick on someone your own size!” can be a caution to smaller players, not just a challenge to taller players (perhaps having her try to guard Kiah Stokes was not a good plan). Cayla George’s shot reminds me of Stacy Frese’s shot- her body arches, so that that everything is over the arc except her feet. I’m not sure where she fits, positionally. She’s stuck in the front court, but I don’t know if she’s effective there.

I’m starting to think of Weeping Angels when I see Danielle Robinson play. You can’t look away from her. You can’t blink. Blink and you’re dead. Blink and she’s off down the floor, on the fast break, and that’s two points. Look away from her and she’s going to take the ball away from you. She looks like she’s been extending the range on her jumper; maybe someday she’ll hit a three. Diana Taurasi had a hot stretch in the second quarter that I thought was going to turn the game around. She was deadly beyond the arc. You always know when she’s on the floor, and not just because of her mouth. There’s something about the way she moves on the floor that’s electric, like she still has another gear even after all these years.

Brittney Griner got off to a sort of slow start, being nudged out of her comfort zone by the Liberty defense, but started to pick up when the fouls started to mount up on the defense. She got down low and hit shots, and when she didn’t have angles she threw passes that no Liberty player could reach (though I’m not sure any 6’9” player needs to leave her feet to pass). She almost had a phenomenal tip-in off a loose ball early in the game, the kind of play even opposing fans have to admire. I don’t know if she can set a legal screen, though. Stephanie Talbot did a lot of holding inside. She was astonishingly unremarkable for a starter. Nobody is ever going to outwork Camille Little, but she’s started to reach that point in her career where she’s drifting to the perimeter offensively, and unlike many players, it doesn’t seem to be coming naturally to her. She didn’t look like she was being used to her full potential in the lineup.

I thought Phoenix gave up in the last couple of minutes. If you’re in a scenario where you really need threes, or at least consistent scoring, I would think you would want Taurasi on the floor, not Robinson. But what do I know?

Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe is rapidly making herself very popular among Liberty fans for her endless motor and hustle. She never gives up on a rebound. She’s always looking for a way to make a play on a loose ball. Her offense still needs polishing, but she gives us a lift right when we need it. Amanda Zahui B had all the chances in the world to get a bucket, but she just couldn’t get the shot to go down. (And I think her grandma was here, so now I’m really bummed that she didn’t have a good game.) We still need to find Rebecca Allen’s confidence, but it’s getting there. Defense still needs work, though.

Shoot the damn ball, Lindsay! Lindsay Allen is being called upon in a big way for the next couple of weeks, and she needs to find her footing in a hurry. I like her court vision, and I definitely see why people had been excited about her in the first place. She had some nifty ballhandling that made me wonder how she managed to avoid being called for a travel. I’m thinking she might develop nicely in a couple of years now. Chelsea Hopkins finished the first half as a speed counter to Phoenix’s guards. If what we did hadn’t worked, I might have gone to her more in the second half. (But since it did, I shouldn’t complain.)

Tina Charles had Brittney Griner on her most of the night, which limited what she could do at the basket, and even in the midrange. (Those long arms, man. Freakin’ crazy.) When Griner had to go out of the game in the third quarter, Tina had more opportunities at the line when Talbot and George tried (and failed) to guard her legally. Fortunately, having Griner on Tina meant that Kiah Stokes was available, and she took full advantage. The defense kept doubling and tripling Tina, or whoever had the ball, and Kiah just sneaked along the baseline for good looks. The scary part was that the looks she missed were also good looks right at the rim. Her rebounding was on point. Her defense was on point. She laid a couple of shutdown blocks, one on Cannon, one on Taurasi. What a night for her! Shavonte Zellous also seems to have found her offensive groove as well. She and Kiah had some really good passing action going on. I’m really glad Shavonte’s jumper has arrived; I guess it was held up at customs for some reason. I’m still worried her mouth is going to get her in trouble, but she can probably handle it. And who knows, maybe it’ll get someone else in trouble first.

I’m still also worried about Sugar Rodgers’s shot. Maybe that halfcourt buzzer-not-quite-beater will boost her confidence going forward, but she had open shots in this game and could not get them to go down. She’s doing a phenomenal job defensively, shaking loose balls and proceeding to make plays on them- her hands have been great. Her passing to the interior has also been pretty solid. Honestly, she seems to be doing better as the point guard in our jury-rigged lineup. Meanwhile, Bria Hartley seems more comfortable off the ball, with Sugar or Shavonte handling more of the playmaking. She’s finding shots, and she’s finding a place in the lineup. I get the feeling that if we still had Brittany Boyd, Bria would have made these strides maybe a week or so sooner, instead of having her head ripped off for not being a point guard. (And yes. Guilty as charged.)

We aren’t always going to win shootouts. As long as we consistently bring defensive intensity, we should be all right. And the Liberty’s calling card has pretty much always been defense, from day one. That’s what keeps me in love with this team.

We got the benefit of the doubt on the officiating (except for Griner swinging a forearm at Nayo, a play that didn’t even get reviewed because Cannon and {I think} Shavonte got tangled up on a potential double foul). There were plays that should have been fouls on Kiah and Shavonte. I’m not going to lie about that. The play by Rebecca Allen that led to Sugar’s halfcourt heave should probably have been a foul. I’ll take it as the balancing act it is, and I hope Coach Laimbeer has reminded them to be more careful about fouling on defense in the future.

I honestly didn’t expect to start 2-0 without Kia and Piph. I don’t know if we can keep this up. But I’m taking bets on who’s next to have a career high!

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September 24th, 2016: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: New York fought back from behind, but couldn't get over the hump in Phoenix's 101-94 win. Diana Taurasi's 30 points led four Mercury players in double figures. Tanisha Wright had 21 to lead the Liberty.

For farewells, baroque rants, girls who love baskets, the DeWanna Bonner brand pogo stick, rivers and rivers of denial, and the grim urge to finish the damn thing already, join your intrepid and ever so slightly melancholy blogger after the jump.
So here we are. A team I once dubbed the Maalox Moments gets to play a team rightly called the Mercury in a do or die game. If there isn't a heart attack somewhere by the end of this, I'll be surprised.

Shout out to Jay Parry for the accidental assist on DeWanna Bonner- she was about ready to run off the court without acknowledging any of the fans, but then Parry called her back because Bonner had forgotten to hug her, and when she attempted to leave the second time she was a bit slower.

We have towels! Three different colors of them, one color per section, to create a striped effect. Ours are white; my father-in-law's was green, and there are also orange ones. People have been snatching them off seat backs like they were made out of diamonds. One woman ran over here from section 108 and snatched up something like two rows' worth. Lady, the first quarter was barely half over, you can wait.

Stirring anthem by a firefighter. The Liberty linked arms; so did the Mercury, with Bone and Bass kneeling.

At halftime, Phoenix is up 52-41 in a game that has not exactly featured huge amounts of defense. This is not okay. I would like defense now, especially from the Liberty.

The seat poacher in front of us is rooting for buckets, no matter which team hits them, and it's very annoying. (I know she's a poacher because the seats in front of us are owned by a season subscriber, the Cowboys fan we had a run-in with some months ago.)

The guest DJ is pretty good. I'll take that.

Shavonte Zellous has learned how to incorporate the fiery torch into her pregame dance routine. Bit late in the year for it, but at least no one's on fire.

I think I may have expressed in some part of the Internet at some point that I am not a fan of the WNBA's new playoff format. In case I did not do so in any place where my faithful readers may have encountered it: I think the playoff format, with two single-elimination rounds, is incredibly, mind-numbingly stupid, and now that it has brought an untimely end to my team's season, it's safe to say that I loathe it with the power of a thousand fiery suns. It is a terrible idea that punishes both good teams and bad teams. It is a solution in search of a problem, creating such problems along its merry way. It is an invention of a power-mad network, controlling and demanding, pulling the strings where the money is. It is a travesty of a system, two-tiered and hypocritical.

And that's just the polite way to word how I feel.

The problem I have in writing this is how to properly channel my rage. After a frustrating loss like this, frustrating simply by what it means, there's usually an easy target. But I can't say we played badly, or that the officials jobbed us out of a game, or that the other team didn't deserve to win. I can point at turnovers and missed free throws, as I'm sure any coach will. By these small things are games won and lost. I could, should I want to, complain about missed screens, but I should be used to such things. So should I not be angry, when we did all that we could, and fell short against a talented team that underachieved for most of the year?

Damn right I'm angry. Damn right I wanted another round to cheer my team on. Damn right I don't think it's fair that we get one shot against a team that basically fell into the playoffs because someone had to, and is now getting hot because they got a player who actually knows how to play defense.

But I suppose you want to hear about the game, because it was a good game, and for the most part a game the league should be proud of. (Which I fear will be part of the problem- ESPN and the WNBA will say that putting all the pressure into a single game makes it a good game, much like MLB took the heart-pounding excitement of a single-game tiebreaker and turned it into the second wild card.)

Phoenix mostly played a six-man rotation. Lindsey Harding played briefly in the first half and reminded everyone why she wanders from team to team like a door-to-door salesman. The one shot she took was short, and bad, and a reminder why she doesn't shoot. Mistie Bass also played briefly, and she seemed to find position more than her teammates seemed to find her, but I guess that wasn't the play. DeWanna Bonner subbed for pretty much everyone at some point or another, and her height and length made a big difference for the Mercury. She defended guards for much of the night, and that meant that trying to get a pass to Sugar Rodgers meant trying to get it through a player seven inches taller, with a longer wingspan than that. She created mismatches on both sides of the floor, and that left a lot of matchup situations that heavily favored the Mercury.

Actually, now that I think about it, I understand how people forget Candice Dupree. She's quiet, which is a real rarity with the Mercury. She gets fired up when her teammates do things, but she doesn't seem to run her mouth, or strut up and down the floor, or complain to officials every single time a whistle is blown. So her teammates get doubled, and she gets open, and she either hits the midrange jumper or she cuts backdoor. She's the silkiest player I ever did see. Brittney Griner needs to build up her strength a little bit- she's got the height and the reach, and she knows how to use them, but if she gets bodied up, she doesn't know how to power through. Carolyn Swords knocked her out of position more than once, enough to disrupt her shot. But she was solid when the Liberty came to drive the lane. Penny Taylor pretty much broke Swin Cash's ankles, and possibly her spine in the same metaphorical sense, whenever she made that cut from the weak side to drive to the basket. Two or three times, Taylor made that move and Swin buckled. She was deadly beyond the arc, to the irritating glee of some of the people sitting in front of us. (One girl was just rooting for buckets, no matter who took them, but one dude decided to go all in for the Mercury around the third quarter.)

Diana Taurasi has the kind of grin that makes you want to punch it off her face, but she backs up her cockiness. She came up big in the fourth quarter, and the three at the shot clock buzzer was probably the psychological game-winner, even if it wasn't the actual-facts margin of victory shot. She's clutch, and she's tough, and even if she can't defend for beans, sometimes it's not necessary. Marta Xargay's defense was critical in this one. She erased Sugar Rodgers. It's strange to see a modern-day Mercury player playing defense on a regular basis, but she stuck close to Sugar and made sure she couldn't get open. I don't like her soccer-style flopping and dramatics at the barest hint of a whisper that someone might be thinking about considering coming close to her, but she's exactly what Phoenix needed.

They adjusted. That's unusual enough for them that I have to give Brondello credit. They played defense, which is also unusual for them. They stepped up.

I don't know if Brittany Boyd's head was entirely in the game. She committed some stupid fouls, and I think Taurasi might have gotten into her head a little (which Taurasi is good at doing). Her vision wasn't where it needed to be. Shavonte Zellous was energetic, and she provided a spark off the bench. We needed a lot from her, because she was subbing for Swin, and Swin was in some kind of bad way. Epiphanny Prince showed that she might just be ready to get back to her old self, coming up with a big shot to end the second half for the Liberty. She's why I'm not as pessimistic about next year as some people are.

Amanda Zahui B played briefly, for those end-of-quarter moments when Tina Charles needed some rest, and she showed that she wasn't ready for the big stage. There's one play she made, or rather didn't make, that seemed to highlight the problem- she was in perfect rebounding position, but the rebound fell just off her fingertips, and Griner seized it like it was the last bottle of water in the desert. You can't play sloppy and lackadaisical in the playoffs, and you can't play lackadaisical if you want to be part of the team's future plans. Kiah Stokes made defensive plays and brought physicality, but it was clear that she was still limited from whatever hip injury ended her regular season run. Her mobility was not where it normally was.

Tanisha Wright stepped up big in the fourth quarter. I think near the end the Mercury were more than happy to let her finish long possessions with two-point drives, since she was doing as much to wind down the game as they were. She was clutch, and she was pretty much willing the Liberty back into the game in the second half. She had no fear, and with Griner in the middle, she was one of the few players who wasn't afraid to penetrate and keep penetrating. (And dear Lord, that sentence came out so many different flavors of wrong.) Sugar Rodgers had no space to get a shot off in the first half. In the second, the team made adjustments and she was able to use screens to get open. The most positive thing I've seen in the last few games is her increased willingness to drive the lane and put up the floater, though she seemed to be taking it from further out thanks to the Griner effect. (Should that be capitalized?)

Swin Cash looked done. She couldn't keep up with Penny Taylor on the drive. Taylor would drive, and Swin would buckle like she had a hinge at the waist. She gave it all she had, but there wasn't very much left to give. Carolyn Swords gave me flashbacks to her Boston College days, but in a good way. She moved Griner and found space down below, and the Phoenix defense forgot about her for long stretches. I love to see a player have to step up and do so when she's called upon. Methinks the big girl wants to stay around a little longer. Tina Charles was solid, and she rebounded strongly, but I got the sense that she wasn't being as aggressive as she should have been in an elimination game. Mercury defense definitely helped, but we saw more of the long-range Tina and less of the paint destroyer Tina, and I really prefer the paint destroyer Tina.

I would also really prefer if officials would call moving screens where players leave their feet, but that was really the only major problem I had with the officiating. Sort of a refreshing change, that.

It was a good game. We left way too many points at the foul line, and we didn't adjust to the Mercury's abrupt decision that defense would be a lovely idea. We showed our resiliency, comin back over and over again. I hate this format very much, and I think in a three-game series we would have come out on top because the dynamic would have been different. But it is what is.

We'll be back. We still have one of the best players in the league to build around. It's taken me a while to compile these notes, because I'm not happy about things being over, and I don't know what to say or how to say it. The usual thank yous seem trite, especially ith Swin riding off into the sunset.

I think I feel like we've been cheated out of a meaningful postseason. This new format- but I've already ranted about that. The one-and-done format is not suitable for the professional level.

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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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June 26th, 2016: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Phoenix Mercury came back from a 10-point deficit to beat the New York Liberty 104-97 in overtime at the Garden. Candice Dupree had 26 points and eight rebounds to pace Phoenix, with Diana Taurasi adding 24 points, including the game-tying free throws. Tina Charles had 26 points to lead the Liberty, with Sugar Rodgers contributing 23.

For nostalgia, celebration, mocking the refs, screaming, catharsis, and getting punched right in the feels, join your intrepid and proud blogger after the jump.

We're back in the saddle again, continuing a week of celebration and commemoration, as the New York Liberty host the Phoenix Mercury in a rematch of the Liberty's first-ever game at the Garden. We're expecting a large and very proud crowd; the Pride Parade is today as well, and I've known more than a few people who use parade-and-a-game as date night.

In addition, there's a season subscriber event after the game with the original 1997 team. VERY HISTORY SUCH EXCITE WOW.

As the colloquialism goes, I'm all up in my feelings today- deathwatch in the family, deathwatch in the fandom- so I apologize in advance if there's anything lacking in these notes. My mind may not be fully on the game.

Almost no one came out to shoot around for Phoenix. I am very confused and a little bit disappointed. I just want to get Lindsey Harding on that hat!

I see some of the original Libs in their seats of honor. Rebecca Lobo brought the whole family. Simone Edwards either has, or has been accosted by, a small Jamaican contingent. Welcome home, y'all. Welcome home. (The Jamaicans were definitely with Shimmy. They came with her to the afterparty, and I think a few people who didn't have such clear memories of her mistook one or the other of them for her.)

The pregame entertainment has included a mediocre martial arts group (y'all need to coordinate your timing) and dance teams in shiny outfits.

Today was not the day to have the inspirationally disadvantaged music group perform the anthem, okay? Because no matter bad they were, you can't criticize them because it's not nice.

They played the 1997 intro video and did the full intros for the '97 team, and it was fantastic. (Except Sue Wicks didn't start in 1997 {they overlooked Sophia Witherspoon there, and she's here} {because that's what happens to poor Sophia}, and Kym Hampton went to Arizona State, not Arizona.) They played the intro music, and it brought back so many memories I started crying, choking on the sheer joy this team brings to me.

DJ Kool just finished his halftime set. Again, feels and memories. "Make some noise in this joint!" is my go-to for trying to get things loud. (Well, that, and Elena Baranova. "GET MORE LOUD!")

At halftime, Phoenix is up one, 47-46, after starting off on fire from beyond the arc. The Liberty have cranked up the defense, and the shots that were spinning out are starting to spin in. Also, to the joy of headline writers everywhere, Swin hit a shot off the glass. That's right, Cash had the bank.

We're at the Liberty celebration event now, which is at a nice venue, but not one that was conducive to loading large numbers of people in a hurry. Very limited accessibility. The chicken is oniony, but the egg rolls are fabulous and the sliders solid.

"Come take pictures with us, it's what we're here for." Oh, Brittany Boyd, you need to be careful how and when you say that. This crowd is rather intense. Way too many fans in too small a space for them, all trying to do the same things.

Kristin Bernert has a Tennessee Volunteers shirt on underneath her dress jacket. I approve this message.

Sophia Witherspoon looks fantastic. Better and happier than she did in a Liberty uniform, even; she always looked so terribly stressed with us, and now she looks like there's a burden off her shoulders.

Shoni Schimmel is working the room, in amidst the crowd.

You can't hide forever, Rhonda Blades-Brown. We're going to find you. And we did. And she was ruthlessly efficient and practical, wielding her own Sharpie and using a nearby table as a flat surface.

So yes, I do not approve of these officials at all and they may all walk very quickly off a very short pier. Phoenix flopped frequently and often. Three three-shot fouls in a single game? Come on, man.

Alex Harden, in a nutshell: she made a fabulous steal, raced the length of the floor, and proceeded to fumble the ball out of bounds. She's very much a defensive specialist, but I noticed she was doing a lot of shooting around before the game, so she knows she has to work on it. Sonja Petrovic has a pretty shot, even if it wasn't falling. I was impressed with her work on the glass as well- even when she wasn't getting rebounds, she was tipping the ball around to her teammates. I like what she does for Phoenix. Lindsey Harding picked up the pace of the game, but if Phoenix is expecting her to provide offense, well, that's cute. Her shot was still coming up short.

("Everyone calls us that '97 team. We called ourselves a family." Damn it, Teresa. They opened the roof and now it's raining on my face. They did a Q&A session with VJ and the Spoons. Seriously, Sophia looks so happy.)

Mistie Bass brings the physicality, but they really didn't go to her that much. She does her work in the paint. Kelsey Bone seems to have gone back to being the post player she was meant to be, instead of parking on the perimeter and jacking up jumpers. If Phoenix can get her to be consistently physical, they have a dangerous weapon in their arsenal. She got into foul trouble pretty quickly, and was pretty cranky about it. In other words, she'll fit in just fine with this Mercury squad.

Diana Taurasi is really good at basketball. Look, I'm tired and my feet hurt and I'm full of nostalgia squee. I'm having a lot of trouble bringing myself to care about analyzing the finer details of the winning opponent. She basically followed the same game plan as EDD did last game- take threes, hit threes, score many points. She's got a mouth on her, but you knew that already too. She plays like she's thinking about the game at a different speed from everyone else, like she's already seeing the next move, like she's seeing what's going to happen. Penny Taylor is beautiful to watch on the floor. She moves with grace. She found her teammates really well, especially in the overtime where the post players were basically taking turns going down the lane. Her height also drove us nuts on defense.

I don't like DeWanna Bonner. I don't like her stupid ponytail that she cut from a My Little Pony, I don’t like her dramatics, and I don't like her flopping. (I like when she runs into Screens of Death, though. That's fun.) I respect that she can shoot, and that she's useful on defense because she can be used both inside and out. I don't have to like her and you can't make me. This had to be- this just had to be- the game where Candice Dupree found where she stashed her give-a-damn. Of all the days. She is so smooth. She's not as smooth as in her Chicago days, but time happens. I'm the same age as she is, and I know I'm not as smooth as I used to be. She had the elbow jumper working, the moves in the paint working, pretty much everything. Brittney Griner showed flashes of the difference-maker her height and length make her (no, Tanisha, even if you went to Penn State, you're not going to win a volleyball play against Brittney Griner). But if I were Phoenix, I would want her to be more assertive and less cavalier on offense. She seems to throw up shots without thinking of the angles. Defensively, her arms are everywhere, sometimes to her team's detriment. There was one play where she blocked the shot hard, then deflected it back into play from the baseline- whereupon Tina Charles recovered it and made the second shot.

Phoenix almost seems to have two wildly different modes on offense. Either they're bombing from deep with the perimeter players or they're going hard in the paint with the post players. Dupree was really the only crossover between the two styles with her midrange jumper.

I really like what Rebecca Allen brings to the table, in terms of offense and in defensive hustle. I really would have liked to see more of her in the second half- she played a stretch in the third quarter, then went AWOL until overtime. I feel like she could have helped us, given us a little more speed to counteract Phoenix's size. Amanda Zahui B was solid, if a bit slow, in her minutes. Again, I thought she would have been useful late in the fourth. She provides a little more offensive potency, and not too much less defense, than Carolyn Swords. Size doesn't always matter, Bill. Kiah Stokes brought the defense, but her hands weren't as good as they needed to be. I don't think she should have fouled out- there were a couple of plays where I thought she didn't touch the player she allegedly fouled- but she overcommitted early in the game and had to back off afterwards. The baby bigs showed really nice touch around the basket.

Brittany Boyd had the wild shots working today, which is good, because we all know she wasn't going to get the call. Someday, when she slides on that followthrough and hits the floor, it's not going to end well for her ankle or her knee. Shavonte Zellous played the backdoor cuts beautifully, but I'm not actually sure if she was out there more for offense or for defense.

Tina Charles's high-arcing shot worked to her advantage today- there were a couple of shots that we're pretty sure Griner adjusted to the Liberty's favor (obviously unintentionally). But she can't do it alone. And she shouldn't be expected to do it alone. No one on this team should be taking 27 shots, not even Tina. No one should have to. Carolyn Swords picked up two very quick early fouls, which forced her to the bench early, which led to Kiah having to pick up the slack, and which led to Kiah picking up too many fouls to go on. Ball security is super important, too. Swin Cash was long on the inside, but I really don't remember much of the impact she had on the game.

Sugar Rodgers got off to a bit of a slow start, but she got cooking in the third quarter. When she thinks too much she misses. Then again, sometimes she needs a moment to set her feet, instead of just throwing it up. Her trigger was a bit too fast by the end of the game. Tanisha Wright still needs to work on ball security, but this is starting to feel like a recording.

Our perimeter defense is a hot mess. We're backing off way too much and letting them go wild. We're backing off too much late, and it's allowing teams to come back on us. We've got to learn to hold leads, this is ridiculous.

I'm also utterly baffled by Bill Laimbeer's personnel decisions and his endgame coaching. Rebecca and Amanda have both played well- both of them were solid in this game. Why wouldn't you go back to them in the fourth quarter? When we needed a three, why not go to them? Or, for that matter, down six in overtime and needing a shooter, why not give Shoni Schimmel a try? And I don't like the way the offense is running down the clock. I know that gives the opponent less time, but the way we're executing at either end, that leaves us with less time. Yesterday was a perfect opportunity to go two-for-one, and we gave Phoenix last shot in regulation. And look what happened.

The officiating most definitely didn't help. Blatant reaches by Phoenix (ahem, Bonner) were ignored, and the three-shot fouls were absolutely ridiculous. I'm willing to grant the one that Penny Taylor drew, but the one DeWanna Bonner drew was a very weak call, and the one that Diana Taurasi drew to tie the game was the wrong call. On the replay, it looked like Tanisha had reached to get the foul on the floor for two, but that call was missed and the second contact was called. The officiating felt very one-sided, and that irks me. (It did lead to some snark from the people two rows behind us. Eric Brewton is not a tall man, and no one looks tall next to Bill. So after one spectacularly horrible call, we heard, "Bill, tell him how short he is." Followed up by, "Come on, you're too short to see that call!")

To the family one row behind us: I don't like that your kid is screaming right in my ear. I can deal with that, though. What got me turning around and glaring daggers at you was your kid screaming "YES!" right in my ear when the Mercury scored. Don't tell me he's too young to know the difference when you were explaining it before. I don't need your kid screeching at every basket that both teams make because he's just so excited that the numbers are getting bigger.

Fortunately, while our... acquaintance... in the Cowboys gear made a comeback, he kept to himself and there were no incidents. He even seemed to get a little excited when Tina made shots! We'll convert our new neighbor to the ways of GET MORE LOUD, just you wait and see.

Geno was in the house, looking absolutely not thrilled to be on camera. All the Huskies went over to say hi after the game.

I've touched on the afterparty in bits and pieces in the midst of the notes, but it was just really truly special. It was a homecoming, and a gathering. Nineteen years later, these women still mean so much to each other, and that's more important than what they mean to us. What's humbling is what it seems like the fans still mean to them. This is the feedback loop that defined the Finals-era Liberty: they played with all their heart, and we cheered for them, and they fed off our emotion, and we fed off their emotion.

I think our youngsters are getting it too. Most of the current team was there, and interacting with what seemed like good cheer. More importantly, they were interacting with the originals. To players who were toddlers when this league started, understanding that history is important. Understanding that they're still part of history is important. The fight for a stable and growing league is still happening. The choices today's players make- the image that they project- still matters.

So these turned rather philosophical at the end, but to be honest, I'd really rather think about the team I love than about throttling the refs.

One last note: as we walked out of the hotel, feet sore and hearts full of joy, there was a very tall figure with very long dreads posing for pictures on the corner. I don't know where Griner was heading, but I hope she had fun wherever she was going. (It's also really cool to see players recognized in the wild, as it were.)

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June 11th, 2015: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: A slow start for both teams turned into a faster second half in which the New York Liberty took control over the Phoenix Mercury on their way to a 68-57 win. Tina Charles had 19 points and 11 rebounds for New York, with Essence Carson adding 10 points and Kiah Stokes 11 rebounds. DeWanna Bonner led all scorers with 22 points.

For bad shots, A Tribe Called Quest, attempted ref shows, cheap pushoffs, Scowl and Foul, relief, and cake, join your intrepid and humid blogger after the jump.


So it started out as one of those days, which I find doesn't augur well for my gameday experience, no matter how good the game is or what the result is. So if we smash Phoenix by 40 and the game notes are still harping on Candice Wiggins's hair decisions, you know why.

Dude in a banana costume on the bus, NBD. Reasons I love New York.

The difference a minute can make: I left at 5:30 on Tuesday and got to the Garden at 6:30. I left at 5:29 today and got to the Garden at 6:10. I had time to pester the opposing team for autographs- the Australians Francis and Madgen were sweet, and Leilani Mitchell got a warm greeting from fellow Liberty fans. (There should always be more Aussies. Aussies are awesome. {Aussome?})

Singing and clapping children are yes. Dancing children in sequined dresses are no. Please make it stop.

Looks like Phoenix is playing mind games with the Liberty: Shameka Christon is starting and attempted to run into the Liberty huddle. Or she's not starting- she was up there for the first half hour or so before they popped Bonner in at the last minute.

Shoutout to the Phoenix fans who decided to come see the Mercury while they were on vacation at the same time.

Heh. Pregame sketch with birthday girl Brittany Boyd and Essence Carson. Somehow I don't think this is what Boyd had in mind when she grabbed the mic. I just want to know if that's a real cake. (And of course: it's ya birthday, party up on Phoenix like it's ya birthday.)

Well, that was hot trash on a platter, but I'll take a halftime lead, even if it isn't much. We're playing out of control and stupid to a Phoenix team that has spare parts surrounding Candice Dupree. (And to a lesser extent DeWanna Bonner.) The passing is fast, but it's not crisp. And no one seems to have control- I think there were six charges called in this one, plus the blocking foul when Brittany Boyd knocked over Mistie Bass (and no, Bass wasn't flopping, it was a WHAM!)

I'm not sure what those pants are on Rebecca Allen, other than suggestive enough to draw cheers from the audience.

I like this reversal of the last couple of years, turning the third quarter into the time that we shine instead of the time where the wheels fall off. Both teams came out of the locker room with a lot more energy, but the Liberty really picked up speed and intensity in the third quarter.

So, the Phoenix bench. Tess Madgen got open for three and took advantage. I liked her recovery on a loose ball- she was beat on the dribble but managed to get enough control of it while on her knees to get enough possession for a jump ball (one that I believe Phoenix won). Mistie Bass brought physical screens and savvy rebounds, including one in the first half that she tipped right out of Tina's hands. She's one of those players who wins you over in an instant when she's on your team, but you kind of wish misery and pain upon when she's not. I liked Alex Harden's intensity on defense, but she was not good on offense. Shameka Christon has put on a fair amount of weight since her Liberty days, and it has, ah, accumulated in places that she might find advantageous off the court, but that are not particularly useful or comfortable on the court. Her shot has not joined her in the Valley of the Sun. Noelle Quinn faked Brittany Boyd out beautifully on a play (though I don't think she hit the shot) but was otherwise unremarkable at best.

I don't think Cayla Francis is ready for primetime yet. I know they're not expecting her to be, and that the games she starts are strictly because of Griner's absence. But she seems too perimeter-oriented and tentative to play post in the W. Leilani Mitchell showed some flashes of speed and steadiness for the Phoenix offense, and Phoenix's bigs gave her a lot of room to operate with great screens- but she wasn't hitting her threes and she wasn't finishing at the rim. Monique Currie brought the jumpers, but also brought the stupid fouls, careless turnovers, and sullen on-court demeanor. (Strictly on-court. She was sweet to fans off the court.) I suspect her face when a three was transformed into a two would have been a picture. DeWanna Bonner was effective closer to the basket than on the perimeter, and Phoenix might have had a better chance of winning if she had chosen to accept that instead of launching threes. Candice Dupree carried the load of the offense with her silky jumpers and post moves. She was solid on the boards, too. She spends a lot of time being overshadowed by awesome, so it's kind of nice to see her shine, but I'd prefer it not to be against my team.

The subs for New York were not as sharp as they had been in the last couple of games, though that might have to do with the shuffling of the lineup. Candice Wiggins brings energy on the bench, but not much else off it. I would not have run her today as much as Bill did. Avery Warley-Talbert is going to kill me one of these days with her mindless urge to bring the ball down to her knees or below after she pulls down one of those awesome tough boards. Avery, you're, like, 6-3 and really strongly built. Go up with the ball! Carolyn Swords was involved in a lot of collisions, but also in good offensive boards right at the rim. She cleaned up her teammates' messes. Swin Cash helped spur things in the second half, sinking the dagger in the fourth quarter (though I still believe it was a 2, not a 3, but the call stood). She helped realign the defense to a layout that made more sense with the personnel that Phoenix put on the floor. Sugar Rodgers had questionable shooting acumen, but went after the ball with tenacity and fire. She forced a couple of jump balls and dove for every loose ball. She drew the uncomfortable assignment of guarding DeWanna Bonner, and gave it her all despite the size difference.

Brittany Boyd brings a new gear to the game. Her passes are hard and sharp and fast. We'll see how that lasts when teams get a more detailed scouting report on her. She needs to not double-clutch on those lay-ups- she had two today that she could have hit if she hadn't pumped one more time than she had to. I foresee a future of high numbers on both sides of the A/TO slash. Tanisha Wright kept passing the ball to Phoenix, which I guess means they were anticipating her (it's like Phoenix played Seattle four times a year for how many years now). Either that, or people weren't where they were supposed to be, which happened a couple of times with Kiah Stokes. Kiah did work on the glass, but she's got to finish at the rim. Essence Carson got lost on defense a few times, but came up with the shots at the right time. Tina Charles started a bit slowly and was a bit of a defensive liability, but more than made up for it with her offense. And then the rebounds really started to roll and she dropped the monster block on Mitchell, and we all remembered that time that Tina was an MVP.

The second unit misses the grit and versatility of Rebecca Allen.

I love that Sue Wicks has so far been to every game this season. Suuuuuuuuuuuue.

I think there were six charges and five 3-second violations, plus a long review for nothing in particular that Bill was almost laughing about by the end. Not a good look for these officials.

We played our worst game of the season, beyond the shadow of a doubt. And yet we never trailed. On to the next one, and Washington will not be this easy.

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August 12th, 2014: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: A spirited effort by the Liberty fell short against the Mercury, as Phoenix came away from New York with a 76-64 win. Five Mercury players notched double figures, with Candice Dupree leading the way at 18 points, adding 10 rebounds. Brittney Griner added 14 points and a team-high 11 boards. For New York, Tina Charles notched game-highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds.

For heart, hustle, purple and black and blue, office supplies, pain, hard screens, noses to the grindstone, and dodging bad acts, join your intrepid and clichéd blogger after the jump.


Hello, fellow Swish Appeal type people! (What are we, anyway? Swishers? Appelates? I feel like I've made this joke before, too.) It's gameday at the Garden, and the Liberty have the daunting task of facing down the Phoenix Mercury- oh, and the Mercury need one win to clinch the West and pretty much seal up homecourt all the way through the Finals. No pressure, Libs.

(My expectations and hopes for this game pretty much boil down to "no one get hurt". I'll be euphoric if we win, but I can't bring myself to believe in anything more than not dying.)

I'll be getting to the game early today, as I took the afternoon shift volunteering with Operation Backpack. It's my third year doing it, and it's a worthy cause. (There are several drives across the country- see if your area has one! Won't someone please think of the children?!)

DeWanna Bonner was really happy to see Anna Cruz. I don't know the degree of separation there. She was last off the floor, and for a while I think she lost track of time, because she suddenly ran off the court like a bolt of greased lightning, then stopped to talk to some Mercury fans and returned to normal socializing speed.

Brittney Griner received Skittles. She got a lot of attention at the Mercury end of the court, so she ran off in a hurry through the tunnel. I'm annoyed/regretful, but not mad. She was swarmed. Her sleeve is prettier up close than in pictures, but I think I still like Seimone Augustus's better.

There is a lot of purple and radioactive orange in the building tonight, most of it Taurasi and Griner themed (as opposed to general Phoenix stuff). It distresses me, but on the other hand, you have to expect it. Griner is a cultural phenomenon, not just an interesting opponent.

There appears to be a lonesome scout in the upper deck.. Either that, or someone really got screwed by the ticket office.

Do not adjust your Liberty bench. We control the horizontal. We control the vertical.

You didn't get a halftime report because I had a tape dispenser to deliver to my mother and an Anna Cruz jersey to get 30% off on in the team store. I skipped the dance routine. I do not feel like anything of value was lost in my life. Unfortunately, I had to sit through the pregame Simon Says game, with that annoying host.

That went better than I was expecting. Phoenix is much more talented than we are, but we came at them consistently through most of the game, except for a brief patch at the end of the second quarter. We needed that intensity, and we needed to remember that there are four quarters in a game as we hit the stretch run. I'll take it.

Tiffany Bias is adorable and clearly has decent cojones, if she's going to walk into Phoenix and take that 23. She came in at the very end of the game, along with Ewelina Kobryn. Kobryn was a little handsy, but honestly, it was, like, the last two minutes, I don't think anyone actually and truly gave a bother. Anete Jakobsone-Zogota was a late insert in both halves, as a spot-up shooter and a defender of questionable skill. Phoenix hid her on Essence Carson whenever possible. Mistie Bass did Mistie Bass things- physical defense, tough screens to free up her teammates (occasionally illegal ones), and boxing out. Mistie Bass is, to me, the quintessential intangibles post- she will make you better and you will like it, though it will not be pretty. Shay Murphy brought the defense (Murphy's latest law: if there is a mid-air collision between two bench players, the foul will be on the player who appears least likely to have initiated the contact). Love her work. Erin Phillips seems to have gained back her speed, along with her shot when she was left open repeatedly beyond the arc. She was tenacious on defense, though perhaps sometimes to her detriment- she did get away with at least one trip.

DeWanna Bonner is really tall and skinny and kind of long-armed. For once, she wasn't launching ill-advised threes, and she seemed to be everywhere on defense. As a basketball fan, it's nice to see her using her height. Diana Taurasi seemed to have a chip on her shoulder for most of the game, starting with her deliberate lingering on the logo during Maddie's pre-game routine (yes, try that again, Diana, Maddie will step on you) and through her demeanor on the floor throughout the game. She didn't seem in control of herself for much of the game, with bad passes and bad decisions. She still had the long ball working with no hesitation and no fear. Penny Talor had a lot of shots altered by Liberty defenders or changed by the rim, but she sure is pretty out there. I love the way she moves. She sets their break off well. Candice Dupree is so smooth. No fuss, no muss, just efficient and smooth both in the paint and just outside it. And no one notices her because there are so many other players to notice. Brittney Griner is ridiculously tall and even skinnier in person. I love her little hook shot. She dunked in warmups, but not in game play- though she did almost put up some basket interference with her fingers in the net on Alex Montgomery's three. She is not very good at down. Up, she's good at, but down appears to be more of a challenge. Up allows her to influence shots even without touching them.

So many weapons. It's not fair.

Shanece McKinney saw second half minutes, presumably to save Plenette Pierson and continue the physical defense on Griner. She was somewhat less successful than Avery Warley-Talbert. Chardé Houston was inserted a couple of times in hope that she would provide some offense. She didn't. On the plus side, she seems to have corralled all the braids that she bought, as opposed to having one try to escape. We actually got to see a lot of Essence Carson tonight, both because the options around her were not of great use and because she looked like a fair amount of the rust had flaked off. She could still be relied upon for the Plinko shot (you know the one, that shot that goes so high that it bounces off the top of the backboard and rattles around the supports before falling through), but her defense was back and she was hitting some jumpers. Nice to see her back. Sugar Rodgers is still in regression to Georgetown mode- firing up so-so shots and playing so-so defense. She had a nice little hustle play gong for a loose ball. Plenette seemed more offensive-minded than defensive-minded for this game, floating around the outside and throwing up jumpers. She gave some toughness inside, but overall seemed to be marking off time to the end of the game. Alex Montgomery played some defense and hit a big three, along with a lay-up along the baseline that she almost traveled on.

Tina Charles, oh my goodness. She just had her way with Griner in the first quarter. It was a fine example of a savvy veteran using her size, strength, and knowledge against a younger player with a height advantage. She moved around those long arms and got the job done. Avery Warley-Talbert defended Griner well, making her uncomfortable in space and forcing her to change her moves constantly. The shot she hit was off the offensive rebound, on a nice play. Swin Cash was up and down all night, from hard-nosed hustle to plays that harked back to the "Crackhead" days in Detroit. I don't know if I like her as a starter here. I would have liked more of Anna Cruz in the fourth quarter, since I think she could have contributed more offense than Sugar and kept the play moving faster than Essence could (I love Essence, but when she's running point, she flashes back to Stringer's system, and then I want to gouge my eyes out as the universe grinds to a halt). I understand the logic, but I don't agree with it. Cappie Pondexter came up with midrange jumpers for most of the night. She looked partially like her old self. I missed that.

The intensity was there for New York, which was a blessed change from the last couple of hot messes that the Garden has seen. We faded a bit near the end of the first half, and I think that clinched the game for Phoenix, but the Mercury didn't look quite as juggernaut-esque as they have most of the year.

Auriemma was in the house, two seats over from Sue Wicks (fortunately, Sue's time at Rutgers predates the RU-UConn rivalry, so there was no bloodshed).

I cannot even with the officials, and we're lucky no one got hurt in that regard. (Both sides, to be fair.) Lots of holding and grabbing by both teams in the first half, lots of holding and grabbing and ticky-tack calls in the second.

Survive and advance. Survive and advance. That's all there is to it.

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September 10th, 2013: Phoenix at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree each had 18 points to lead the Phoenix Mercury over the New York Liberty in New York's last home game of the season. Diana Taurasi added 17 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. Katie Smith led New York with 17 points; Plenette Pierson had five points, six assists, and 15 rebounds.

For the end of the road, shirts, overcoming adversity, squeaky children, and appropriation, join your intrepid and unburdened blogger after the jump.

Barring a perverse application of the word "miracle", this is it. This is the last time I will have to shake my fist to the heavens at the Q59 being fifteen minutes late so that I miss the intricate network of connections and fall into disaster like a misplayed line of dominoes. This is the last time I will rub the head of the little sculpture that stands at the top of the stairs leading to and from the L train platform. This is the last time I will have to cram myself into the Newark train, the last time I will have to fight with the SmartLink reader. If there is mercy in this world, this is the last home game for the Liberty. I'm tired. I'm done with this trip. Eighteen, and eighteen, and eighteen, and I'm done.

We didn't even get a perfect attendance award this year. The on-court photo was open to all season subscribers. I don't do cameras, and it's postgame, so... no. I want to get out of Newark as quickly as possible and leave the years of exile behind.

Don't get me wrong, the Prudential Center has grown on me as an arena. For an autograph hunter, it's well laid out. The lounges are nice. The seats are comfortable. But I miss my Diet Coke, and I'm tired of people not reading signs, and I'm ready to go home.

Today's commute, which has so far taken me an hour and just barely gotten me to World Trade Center, is certainly not doing New Jersey any favors. I missed the anthem (though apparently I didn't miss much; Kym's really lost her voice) and I missed the start of the ceremony to honor Katie. I saw the framed jerseys from the Lynx and the national team, and I saw the check that Cappie gave to the scholarship fund in Logan, but I don't know what else there was. They were down to the medium shirts by the time I arrived, but I think I know how to offload one of those.

There are distressingly sparkly preteens performing at the half. I try not to watch that kind of thing. It tends to lead to nothing but trouble. It's a miracle that we're only down two, given that Cappie's not playing. (She could look worse. She doesn't look bad. The lipstick is a bit much, but that's looking for trouble.)

We're currently seeing a slideshow of Katie Smith being awesome, which has a bejeezus lot of Team USA pictures. Haven't spotted any Quest pictures in there, though they went all the way back to Ohio State and her very unfortunate collegiate hair. Gee, I wonder why.

Katie did manage to sneak in one good shot during the ceremony- "thank you for coming, those of you who made it". Or words to that effect. But it came off as "LOL empty seats".

We're having a bit of an issue getting a hand in DeWanna Bonner's face. I know it's usually good strategy to let her bomb away from quarter-court, but if she's hit two of them, perhaps you might want to consider guarding her. Of course, Diana is being Diana and hitting jumpers in stride.

Nothing says front-runner louder than a Griner jersey and a color-coordinated Heat cap. GTFO, kid.

I don't care that we lost. It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. But we fought to the last possessions. We took a full-strength Phoenix team down to the wire. I'm okay with losing so long as we fight, and we fought, even without Cappie- maybe especially without Cappie.

What happened to Chardé Houston? I missed the story behind the facemask, but I blinked and she was wearing it, and I assume that she didn't magically generate it by twitching her nose. Despite the extremely memorable facemask, I don't remember what she actually did. Jasmine James saw a fair number of minutes in the backcourt, and it looked like Taurasi was taking the kid under her wing a little bit. There were a couple of teaching moments. She definitely looked like a rookie and like a midseason replacement, but she looked like she might find a way to belong if she goes overseas and works on her overall game. Lynetta Kizer was extremely physical, especially with Plenette- there were a couple of points near the end of the game where I thought Plenette was going to make some very pointed suggestions on where Kizer could go at her earliest convenience, in addition to perhaps derogatory remarks directed at Kizer's ancestry and preferences. She kept trying to extend her shooting range, and I'm not sure she has that range. Alexis Hornbuckle threw a wicked tackle on Leilani on the fast break- right move and everyone knew it, but it was still a hard hit. She was there for her defense- nothing more and nothing less. Krystal Thomas gave good minutes in relief of Brittney Griner. Obviously, she's not nearly the inside presence that Griner is- she doesn't have the reach and she doesn't have the height, even with the hair, but she gets the job done. She has a bit of the Mercury tendency to whine, but she's the only one of the bench players for whom that is a major problem. I had forgotten how much I enjoy watching Penny Taylor play. She's workmanlike yet graceful. She accepts her fouls, moves on, and hits the big shot. She doesn't give up on what she sees as an opportunity- if she sees a ballhandler who looks uncomfortable bringing the ball up, she'll take a couple of extra swipes before heading back up court. It's good to see her back in the game.

Again, if DeWanna Bonner is hitting the long threes, you might want to change up your defensive scheme and prevent her from getting them. I mean, I don't get paid for this, but it only seems logical. To be fair, the first time Bonner tried to go for one of those deep ones in the second half, she got swatted. She nailed one in the fourth quarter that sealed the game, for all intents and purposes. I do wish she'd use that frame of hers a bit more than just setting up as a spot-up shooter. Oh, and she needs to stop complaining every time a foul is called on her. Brittney Griner mostly wasn't looking for her shot, as near as I could tell, especially in the middle of the game. The Liberty defenders were playing her pretty tough. But she gave it back just as hard on the other end. And when the attention came to her, she did well finding her teammates- she had an awfully pretty drop pass to Briana Gilbreath. Gilbreath was often used in offense-defense substitutions, and to make lineups difficult for the Liberty to defend. Candice Dupree was smooth, especially in the fourth quarter, when she lit up the Liberty with paint jumpers. She's awfully pretty to watch. If I liked Phoenix more, I could watch her and Penny Taylor in the frontcourt all day. Diana Taurasi was Diana Taurasi. She fired away with no hesitation and no need to set her feet. She drove the lane hard. She set up her teammates. She ran her mouth at Plenette Pierson, which is generally not considered among the world's greatest ideas. She got Alex Montgomery good in the face, hard enough to spin her into a ref; she also got Alex with a shoulder to the chin very late in the game, one that was not called anything. She kvetched a lot to the refs. I can't bring myself to feel bad for her potentially missing an irrelevant game.

Kamiko Williams came off the bench briefly to spell players on defense. She failed pretty spectacularly on offense. That should have been a fast break lay-up, and it turned into a botched rebound and a turnover. We finally got to hear Mike W. give the proper cadence for DeLisha Milton-Jones's name, though she did seem to be trying to deny him that pleasure. I don't know if I would have gone to her for the last shot, not at this time in her career. She should have been a more effective matchup than she was. Kelsey Bone needs to follow her damn shot. She looked scared of Griner (which doesn't make sense, didn't they play against each other at some point?) and didn't find her mojo until late in the game. Alex Montgomery fought for every loose ball and stuck tight on defense. She was great. She's grown a lot on me this year. She saw an opportunity to make her mark, and she took it. I hope

Toni Young started the game off looking fearless. She went right at Brittney Griner on the boards, using her incredible leap to steal away rebounds from the taller center. (Reminded me a bit of how Amber Thompson from St. John's played against Griner at the Maggie Dixon a couple of years ago.) She was also trying to extend her shooting range, which wasn't a bad experimental idea if Bill really wants to transition her to the three. She tipped out a lot of rebounds. Plenette Pierson picked up most of them. The rims were not kind to her. But she was fighting hard on both sides of the floor and absorbing a lot of contact. I can't be mad at her. Leilani Mitchell was not practical in this game. I don't mean that as anything about her, but Taurasi was regularly the shortest Mercury player on the floor. You can't put Leilani on the floor against that lineup. She's just too adorably tiny. Kara Braxton had flashes of decency, punctuated by using her... er... assets as a very successful distraction against Bonner, before returning to steady states of apathy and indolence. In other words, she's Kara. Katie Smith's shot was on tonight, but in a twisted way, that might have set up the end of the game- pretty much everyone knew the pass was going to her, which resulted in a turnover. But it was a great way for her to leave New York behind.

You know it's been an injury-plagued season when even the team surgeon has been down for a while. Okay, so she was fighting cancer and kicked its butt, so she's awesome, but still. She got a round of applause and a personalized jersey from the team.

Refs can take a long walk off a short pier as far as I'm concerned. Lots of contact going uncalled, and a lot of issues with getting the out-of-bounds calls right- there were three or four hotly contested questions of possession. I thought Bill was going to blow a fuse. And then you wonder why people are getting hit in the head.

It's over and I'm relieved. The season's not technically over, and you won't be rid of me for another week yet. But there's nothing left but pride and development. There's a freedom in that, a weight lifted.from my heart, perhaps a beat skipped at the thought of having a lottery pick in reasonably capable hands. The merciful blow has come.

So goodbye, Newark. Goodbye, ridiculous hike from Penn Station. Goodbye, creepy street people who cluster around the benches and eye us as we enter the station. Goodbye, extra train ride. Goodbye, Pepsi. Goodbye, stupid people standing in our line of sight. Goodbye, lousy signage. Goodbye, three years of failure and churning. Goodbye, Prudential Center.

The years of exile are over. Next year, at the Garden!

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