Game Notes of Doom: silver stars

Showing posts with label silver stars. Show all posts

Sunday, July 14, 2013

July 14th, 2013: San Antonio at Connecticut

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Allison Hightower had 23 points, and Tina Charles notched a 20/10 double-double to help Connecticut stave off San Antonio, 86-84. Kara Lawson had 14 points off the bench in her return to action. Jia Perkins had 23 points to lead a San Antonio team that put six scorers in double figures.

For action, reaction, driving, windshield wipers slapping out the tempo, tight squeezes, and the kindness of acquaintances, join your intrepid and sore blogger after the jump, and don't drop a chair on your leg.

Because one game this weekend just wasn't enough, your intrepid blogger and her stalwart companion headed up to Connecticut for their game against San Antonio, on a bus with questionable suspension and entertainment of dubious provenance. Adventure!

I forgot how much I liked San Antonio and their style (well, except for D-Nasty, and even then, I like Sunshine just fine). I hadn't even planned to root for them in this one, but as I watched the bench working together, and watched Dan Hughes and Vickie Johnson working on the bench, I found myself wanting good things to happen for them.

The Tina Charles wobble-head is awful. I don't think they were prepared to deal with long hair. We were joking that that thing was enough of a mortal insult that she might ask for a trade just because of that.

The advantages of hanging out with the Usual Suspects: one of our fellow autograph collectors had two extra seats that she wasn't using and offered us the opportunity to move down from our upper deck endcourt seats to the third row in the lower deck. Sometimes it was a little too close for comfort, and those seats are a tight fit with the cupholder, but we had a primo view of the drama and heartbreak that is the rage and sorrow of Dan Hughes. Since we got our original tickets for free (we drink a lot of Coke in my family), you really can't beat the price.

That anthem. Dear Lord. All the things my dad told me never to do when singing, she did. The performance was nasal even when her voice wasn't cracking. She strangled and destroyed about six notes in the middle. She was gasping for air through her mouth- no, no, no, you sing through the mouth and breathe through the nose, not the other way around. Kelsey Griffin could barely keep her composure, and if looks could kill, Kara Lawson might have vaporized the poor girl. I'm sorry, but sometimes a bad anthem is a bad anthem.

Did I mention I love the cohesion of the San Antonio bench? Because they're clearly happy when their teammates do good things. I like that. They stay involved in the game even when they're not on the floor.

Kayla Alexander played very briefly in the first half, sort of like Dan Hughes was trying to determine if she had anything to offer today. She didn't. Davellyn Whyte seemed to get more minutes than the box score would indicate, though part of that might be because she tended to bridge quarters (first to second, third to fourth) and thus was technically checked into the game for long stretches of time that there wasn't actually a game going on. She looked more comfortable on defense than she did running the point on offense, and she's got to convert those lay-ups if she's going to make the drives. She's only a rookie- she'll learn, I hope, because I see a little of what Dan Hughes saw when he took her in the second round. It hurts me as a Liberty fan to see Shameka Christon looking as beat up as she does. I'm not necessarily talking about her play, though that's never recovered from Big Syl's elbow and then the knee injury, but strictly in terms of how she looks and how she carries herself. Her shot heated up a bit in the third quarter, no matter what the Mohegan Sun scorekeeper thinks (as of this writing, the wnba.com box score I sorely lacking in accuracy). But she got beat so badly on defense on one play that I thought VJ might have a conniption, and Hughes pulled Christon aside for a lecture after that. She just looks like she has not aged well. Cathrine Kraayeveld looks like she's blending in with her teammates, and unlike every coach who ever played her in New York, Hughes didn't keep her in the game long enough for her to start turning interesting shades of red. She and Mistie Bass were going at it hard in the paint, though Bass was getting the better of that battle. Danielle Adams moved well and stretched the defense- one of her threes was so long and so clean that we thought she'd been taking lessons from Tina Thompson on the sly. She does like to throw her weight round when she can. I think San Antonio was expecting more out of her today, though.

I don't think there's a player more unheralded in this league than Jia Perkins. She gets it done on both ends of the floor. She's deadly from the outside and not afraid to get into the lane. Chicago really blew that one, didn't they? I suspect she spent most of the night in a state of disbelief at the officials, because I saw at least four moments where she could have demanded a foul, or demanded not to be called for a foul, and have had had a case. No respect, I tell ya. Shenise Johnson seems to savor that offensive role she's called upon for. She's good on defense, too. She had a small cheering section several rows up from the San Antonio bench that gave her a lot of applause when she was first introduced. Danielle Robinson almost stole the show with a steal that turned into a fast break no-look reverse lay-up. She's quick and she's fst and she's amazing to watch. (Scary thought: imagine her running the Phoenix offense. Talk about quick ain't fair. Thye could probably outscore NBA teams.) She's got a good command of her team for a guard who's so young. That my be the silver lining for the Stars- she was already a mature player, but having to take more of the leadership with Hammon out will do wonders for her. Jayne Appel got involved in the paint, collecting rebounds and being big, but I kept getting a strong sense of useless from her. The Sun's post players were not afraid to attack her, and they got results from it. DeLisha Milton-Jones had some pretty baskets early, moving with a grace that belied her years (which I know is a ridiculous statement to make about a woman in her thirties, but really, if you put her and Christon together and told a stranger one of them graduated in 1996 and the other in 2004, I don't think the stranger would get the answer right). She got into it late with Mistie Bass, and Bass was not amused. DMJ is the mistress of inducing guilt in others from officials. No one is better at looking innocent and being so bad.

Good Lord, it's coming down in buckets out here. I can barely see out the front window even when the wipers go by. I hope it clears up before we hit the Whitestone...

Kara Lawson, welcome back, because your team needed everything you had to offer today! Her shot was back, and so was her leadership. The Sun actually looked combobulated when she was on the floor, as opposed to the confusion I've seen from them without her. Sydney Carter gave good minutes at the point, hitting a couple of pretty jumpers along the way. Kelly Faris hit one jumper but looked pretty awful on the other two, and her defense was not as sharp as it had been in previous games. Kayla Pedersen was unmemorable, except for the foul she committed on Jayne Appel (I abhor Tree-on-Tree violence). Mistie Bass brought a lot of game off the bench- not only was she her usual bruising self, she was getting stuff done on offense. Like Charles, she saw her opportunity to attack in the paint and took it. I don't know what DMJ said to her, but from the way she answered, it might have been something about her mother. She was fired up.

Oh, Izi. We love your spunk, but your shot selection could use a little work. I don't even know what that lay-up attempt was, other than an utter debacle. With Carter coming on strong, Lawson's return, and the potential of Montgomery and White on the horizon, I can't imagine Donovan keeping her around any longer than she has to. She's entirely too streaky a shooter, and unlike the other streaky shooters currently in the Sun's employ, she doesn't bring anything on the defensive end unless she feels like it. Allison Hightower put in excellent work today on both ends of the floor. She did a thing that I thought was impossible- she out-quicked Danielle Robinson on a shot attempt. Yes, someone managed to out-quick Danielle Robinson. But that's because Allison Hightower is that awesome, and I would buy her jersey if the Sun promoted her at all. Kalana Greene was pretty much a non-factor, except that if the Sun had lost the game she would probably have been the goat (in her defense, I don't know what they were thinking passing to her; if I had the ball for the Sun, she would have been about my sixth choice of players on the floor to shoot the ball). She did have one spectacular athletic board in the first half that got the crowd going. Kelsey Griffin boxed out well, but with Bass being the hot hand, Donovan didn't play her that much; I'd have to look at a more detailed box score to see the split, but I think it was dead even. Tina Charles attacked the paint the way pretty much every WNBA observer has been waiting for her to do this season. She looked like she was back to her old self. It was quite refreshing.

The back and forth in this game was fierce, and the crowd was loving it. (Except for the officials, but Connecticut fans don't particularly like officials in any case.) By the fourth quarter, they were positively roaring, and the place was rocking. It's been a couple of years since I've heard that crowd that impassioned during a game. I loved it.

The officials were not great. A lot of three-second calls on both sides went uncalled. A lot more holding and grabbing was missed than I would have expected. It was even-handed enough that I don't think that was how the game was decided. And of course, the Sun fans were riding them on everything up to and including Shameka Christon's jab-step on her jumper (did the pivot foot move? No? then stop trying to call it a travel).

This was the celebration of Blaze's birthday, so the Pioneer from Sacred Heart, Boola from Yale, and the legendary Supercow joined the big orange fuzzball in timeout festivities. I think they were hoping the tug-of-war would be a bit more competitive, because it usually is. We skipped halftime.

I think there was a pregame presentation of some sort, because the season ticket holders were wandering around with programs that had Tina Charles on the front, and there was some mention of her starting a foundation during the halftime break. (Um. The mention was during the halftime break, not the actual starting of the foundation; I don't think Tina Charles is that good at multi-tasking.)

Got back late due to the need for food, and because Norwalk is under construction again, but it was worth it.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

June 23rd, 2013: San Antonio at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: New York came back from an early hole, but Shenise Johnson's jumper with 36.1 left in overtime turned out to be the winning basket in the Silver Stars' 78-77 win at the Prudential Center. Danielle Robinson led San Antonio with 18 points, adding seven rebounds and five steals, while Danielle Adams had 16 points and 11 rebounds. For New York, Cappie Pondexter had 19 points, 13 after the halftime break, and 11 rebounds.

For homages, PATH issues, dribbling, key blocks, microwaves, the sudden wrath of God, and the new kid in town, join your intrepid and blistered blogger after the jump.

Good afternoon, everyone, and hello once more from the Prudential Center in beautiful, fragrant Newark, New Jersey! Today's matchup features the New York Liberty and ~~the New York Liberty Alumnae All-Star Squad~~ the San Antonio Silver Stars.

It's Pride Day at the Rock, so rainbow flags and other LGBT paraphernalia abound. Your intrepid blogger and her dashing companion rocked the Michele Van Gorp jerseys during pregame warm-ups (since I don't have a Sue Wicks jersey, we can't find the Loree Moore, I wouldn't wear Janel McCarville if you paid me, Sheryl Swoopes is doing the closet hokey-pokey, and I don't think anyone else in my collection is openly gay). We're also looking for this year's Pride swag- they did the Liberty Proud t-shirts last year, and you have no idea how much it warmed my soul.

There's a guy in a Faried name and number shirt in the endcourt courtside seats. He's bald as an egg, though.

Shenise Johnson is absolutely adorable when it comes to people asking for her autograph. You almost expect to hear her say "aw, shucks". Plenette gave a lot of grief to one of our season subscribers who was rocking the Shameka Christon San Antonio jersey, even after the Liberty shirt underneath was revealed.

Becky Hammon is traveling with the team, though she didn't seem to be wearing the cast. Pretty shade of blue she was wearing.

The graphics are waving a pride flag with a Liberty logo, and I want it to be real so very badly. I would wave that thing like a majorette.

Props to the fan who came down from Montréal for the game- I just hated to be the one who had to tell her that despite the awesome Cheryl Ford jersey she was wearing, she wasn't going to be seeing Cheryl in this game.

I'm not sure how I'll react when I see Cappie in the Wicks jersey. Part of me still thinks Cappie wearing 23 in any way, shape, or form is blasphemy; part of me is relieved that Cappie's acknowledging part of her history as a Scarlet Knight and as a Lib. It'll be strange.

Ridiculously oversung anthem, but I can deal with that.

We're only down two at the half, and after the way San Antonio defended us in the first quarter, I'm actually kind of relieved. Danielle Robinson is crazy fast. Quick truly ain't fair. Avery Warley has been a secret weapon off the bench, with the foul trouble that all the Liberty posts are in.

Halftime, Sue Wicks is being honored. She'll be saying a few words, which translates to "the opposing team is going to be staring at her coming out of the tunnel for warm-ups". Gutsy move of her acknowledging Vickie Johnson and Becky Hammon from the opposing team.

In case there is a sudden rash of injuries and/or alien abductions, there's at least one emergency reserve in the stands. (Hi, Shenneika.)

Lots of the Usual Suspects in the stands, and of course, plenty of Wicks jerseys. JEALOUS OMG. They never pop up on eBay for some reason. Sue, VJ, and Tari- those jerseys you never see for sale.

Avery reminds me a lot of La'Keshia Frett around the face- not just the number and the style of play.

I understand San Antonio gear, and my husband and I wore Portland gear for a reason, and there's that stray Detroit jersey in the stands, but why in the world would someone be wearing a Chicago #22? That was Price and Vandersloot, not Christon or Perkins, right?

So, clock management. Much like this PATH train, it was a bit stop-and-start at odd moments. But we'll get to that a bit later.

Dan Hughes, I could see your tie from the eighteenth row behind the home bench. It was almost as loud as you were. I like him, but he does have a tendency to complain about calls. As it happens, today he did have some strong cases, but sometimes you've got to know when to fold them. Know when to walk away from the ref.

Kayla Alexander rebounded well, with some nice boxing out, but couldn't shoot for love nor money. They looked like such easy shots, and yet she couldn't get them to go down. Her work on the offensive boards frustrated me to no end- I kept wanting to scream "there are posts in Finland who did a better job on Kayla Alexander!" but that's just the St. John's-Syracuse rivalry talking there. Davellyn Whyte played a little bit, but not much- I think she was there more for her defense than her not-quite there shot. Shenise Johnson had some trouble getting her jumper to fall from the outside, but she made up for it on defense and with her rebounding. You know all those long rebounds that Leilani Mitchell was poaching in the last couple of games, and the way she was running into the mass of bodies to come out with the ball like a winger in a scrum? Johnson did that today- twice swiping it away from Leilani, no less. She's got much better defensive instincts than I expected from a player who was known so heavily as a scorer in college. I think I like her.

Shameka Christon got the start, but I think Hughes was looking for a quick pop from the Liberty crowd and all the #20 jerseys out there. She did not look good. Something seems off about her shot- her footwork is even weirder than it used to be, and she looks very much out of rhythm. Maybe it's the lack of conditioning and the extra weight- maybe she just isn't the same after the knee and the rearranging of her face- but she looks lost out there. I hope she finds herself. She's good people. Jia Perkins was solid on defense and made big plays in the fourth quarter and overtime after being an offensive non-factor during the middle of the game. Her steals were very impressive. DeLisha Milton-Jones is DeLisha Milton-Jones, and if any team should know that, it's the New York Liberty and all its former Detroit Shock players. She's going to take the outside shot instead of going to the basket. She does have three-point range and she's not afraid to use it. She's going to defend you with those long arms like one of those inflatable tube guys. And she's going to get all over you in extremely unpleasant and uncomfortable ways. Why the Liberty seemed surprised about this- especially Plenette, who has just a little bit of history with DMJ- I will never understand and I'll chalk that up to coaching. Danielle Robinson embodies "quick ain't fair". Seriously, she's the living personification of it. She plays fast, and her hands are fast, and her shot is pretty, and man, quick ain't fair. Danielle Adams did try to argue a blocking call where she was pretty blatantly planted in the circle, which I thought was cute. She used her body well on the boards- even if she wasn't getting the rebound herself, she was making sure that no one else was getting that rebound. (Not that she wasn't getting plenty of those rebounds herself.) She knows her job and gets her job done, which is pretty much the signature of a Dan Hughes team/player- know your job, do your job, and kvetch to the refs when you're done.

I... would not have worn that outfit, Becky, but you know how to shoot things, so do whatever you want.

Avery Warley may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but to use her as an energy rebounder with a nose for the ball and the will to go to the basket, she doesn't necessarily have to be the quickest player in the world to pick up plays. She was a quick burst of energy in the first quarter after Kelsey and Kara both picked up their second fouls in rapid succession and Bill needed someone. San Antonio adjusted to her, and there wasn't as much need for her in the second half because the fouls were less of an issue, but if she can do it once a game, I'm okay with that. Alex Montgomery forces tie-ups better than anyone in the league. Love watching her work. The shots she hit were huge. Toni Young played briefly, was not impressive, and vanished into the ether. Leilani Mitchell ran a solid offense and was arguably our best option at point guard today. She had a beautiful crossover on Shenise Johnson that had the crowd roaring (of course, then she gave the ball up to Perkins, because that's how we roll). I like that she's proving me wrong, that she does belong on the team, that there's a place for her under Laimbeer and with the Not-Quite-As-Bad Girls. Kelsey Bone had a gorgeous block in the fourth quarter, but couldn't put the pieces together against the San Antonio defense. (I wonder how Gary Blair felt about the Adams-Bone match-up. Conflicted emotions or pure pride?)

Kara Braxton was facepalm-inducing today to the max. Grab the rebound, Kara! Don't tap it out to a San Antonio player who will then lead a fast break and score on your attempted miserable failure of a rebound! She would have had eight or nine rebounds, and the team might have had a few more team rebounds, if she could have not repeatedly tipped the ball to San Antonio players. It was exceedingly frustrating, especially coupled with her inability to catch passes and finish shots. Plenette Pierson played like someone had lit a fire under her. Maybe she just dislikes D-Nasty that much- I can't say I blame her. But she was fierce in the lane and from the elbows (not with the elbows) and she was an absolute beast on the offensive glass- she did her best to save the last possession of both the fourth quarter and overtime. Katie Smith hit a couple of big threes in the second half, though I don't agree with the decision to go to her for the last shot of overtime- it was a one-point bob, there was no need for a three-point dagger except for Bill to try and demonstrate his superior manhood. Kamiko Williams got the start, played briefly enough for Bill to determine that a rookie who decides things slowly might not be the best match-up against San Antonio, and sat down. Cappie Pondexter... well, in a couple of ways, she did live up to that Wicks jersey- she did well rebounding and her shooting was pretty awful (until the fourth quarter). (Don't get me wrong, I love Suuuuuuuue to death, but her offense was not her primary skill in a Liberty uniform, and certainly not her jump shot.) She was telegraphing her passes pretty badly and throwing them directly to Silver Stars. This is a bad plan unless you play for the Silver Stars.

The officials in this game can take all the seats. They were pathetic. In the first quarter, pretty much all they could figure out how to call was illegal screens. After that, it was a bit more varied and even more random. And I'll be the first- or probably third, after Dan Hughes and DeLisha Milton-Jones- to admit that San Antonio got the worst of most of those calls. The out-of-bounds calls all seemed to be in the Liberty's favor. A lot of the physical play went uncalled on both teams. It got chippy out there, and once or twice I thought it was going to get ugly. I'm glad it didn't.

I liked Essence's outfit, though that shirt did come dangerously close to making embarrassing revelations once or twice. Not sure if I approve of her version of "Rapper's Delight" for the All-Star campaign, though props to the Liberty for finding a way to incorporate her without telling people to vote for an injured player.

San Antonio plays tough, gritty defense, but this shouldn’t surprise anyone. They're tough. They adjust well. They body up. They combine speed with size quite well. Not a good combination for a team that produces more turnovers than Drake's. We picked up the defense in the second half, but San Antonio kept it up for most of the game.

Nice dance moves during the timeout contest.

Announced attendance at 6000 or so, which I thought was a bit low. Come on, Lib fans, how much more inducement do you need to get out there?

Shiiiiiiiny cards with black and white photos. (They couldn't get the Cheryl Ford cards out of the packs in time. Much laughter was had.)

It was a good game. Frustrating, but good. The energy was high at the end of the game, and that's more important for the future.

June 23rd, 2013: San Antonio at New York

Sunday, July 8, 2012

July 8th, 2012: San Antonio at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The San Antonio Silver Stars put three players over 20 points and shot 55.1% in a 94-81 win at the New York Liberty. Jia Perkins's 24 points led all scorers. Becky Hammon contributed 23 points and six assists, and Sophia Young had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Silver Stars. Essence Carson's 25 points and four steals led the Liberty, with Cappie Pondexter adding 23 points and eight rebounds.

For favors, AWB, more injuries, hot pants, martial arts, a banger, and unexpected offensive rebounding, join your intrepid and resigned blogger after the jump.
Oh, the New York Liberty. I've so rarely seen a team do so much to be in its own way. We're lucky we're not down fifteen or more, the shots that have rimmed out or off for San Antonio.

The anthem singer was... vibrato. I've never heard melisma abused so badly in my life by someone so incompetent at it.

Thanks once more to the season ticket reps, this time our very own Melissa, for getting us in early. Cappie Pondexter and Nicole Powell are both hard to get, so this goes a long way towards finishing off the jersey I want to frame and hang up. We're rough on Melissa, poor unlucky wretch that she is to be stuck with us, so I want to let her know that we appreciate the things she does for us.

There's a lot of support in the house for San Antonio- but then, the Silver Stars showcase two of Blaze's greatest sins, three if you hated the Hammon trade. Ray can attest to this- I mentioned to him that I was watching the Liberty warm up, as Vickie Johnson worked on a drill with Becky Hammon and Shameka Christon.

I have to say, the tropical Skittles color scheme doesn't work on uniforms, but it works nice on Cappie's sneakers.

Not that the team staff are split or anything, but Louie from the Timeless Torches sat out this game in his Christon jersey; the camera folks have done a nice job of finding Hammon jerseys; the PA announcer almost slipped into doing Mike W. impressions of Christon, Hammon, and even Danielle Robinson (it almost came out the way the PA guy used to do Crystal Robinson's name). Not that this remains an awkward situation or anything.

We're thin in the post and just plain stupid, I swear. Too many stupid passes, too many bad shots, too many slips on defense. San Antonio knows how to exploit this, and there's a lot of #25s and #20s in the crowd waiting for it to get ugly.

Neither Plenette Pierson nor Kia Vaughn are in uniform for this one- Plenette looks very summery in her short skirt and tank top, while Kia's gone with the leggings in Liberty blue. Seriously, what is with Liberty posts and hot pants? This goes back to Kelly Schumacher!

It was a great, pulse-pounding 35 or so minutes... and then the wheels came off and we ran out of gas. My poor injured team.

Ziomara Morrison played briefly in the first half and impressed me with a pretty spin move. (And with her fashion sense after the game. I'm a sucker for bright purple tops, what can I say?) I didn't even realize Tully Bevilaqua played, but the last couple of years, it's been more about her off-court class than her on-court game. Danielle Adams decided to go for the long ball more than usual, and either they went down pretty as a picture or they missed very, very badly. She also used her size to draw fouls and generally bother the living daylights out of people. I felt very bad for Nicole Powell after she got bulldozed juuuuuuuust outside the circle. Shenise Johnson gave San Antonio some unmemorable minutes. Jia Perkins absolutely ripped us to shreds, not necessarily starting with that heart-breaking steal and lay-up to end the first half, but that was certainly the most memorable. She ripped open threes, broke loose on the fast break after forcing steals, and in general beat us eighteen ways from Sunday. You'd think Powell would have given them a scouting report at some point.

Likewise, you'd think someone at some point would have remembered that Becky Hammon has a penchant for deep threes. She's starting to look like the point guard everyone hoped would take over for Teresa Weatherspoon... shame things went down the way they did, isn't it? I don't regret the trade, just for the record. She did seem a step slower than usual, and her shot not quite as reliable. Good thing; we'd probably have allowed triple digits otherwise. Shameka Christon started the game off hot, as if to get the crowd into it- we gave her quite an ovation and I don't regret it one bit- but cooled off when Dan Hughes went more to Adams. Danielle Robinson's speed doesn't hit you until she's taking that first step on the break and then vrooom! she's at the basket. She and her team do an amazing job of making the extra pass and finding the open player. Especially in the second half, that player was usually Sophia Young making a backdoor cut and seeing daylight. She's sneaky and smooth and suddenly she has 17 points. (She finished with 21, just to put a cherry on top of the defensive fail.) Jayne Appel did not play much. I mostly remember screens. You'd think I'd remember a giant blonde in black better.

Kelley Cain came in early in the first half, which we should have realized was a bad sign for Braxton, and looked less lost than usual, but still got schooled by Danielle Adams. The fact that New York went more to Powell-at-the-four in the second half after losing the services of DeMya Walker says volumes about Whiz's confidence in Kelley. Coach? You're the one who drafted her. When your options are limited, USE YOUR OPTIONS. Nicole Powell showed signs of life, and finally got her three-point mojo working, but still slipped up defensively, especially as the game went on. I can't completely blame her, though. This is not Stanford and she is not a 4. She's not going to have any kind of defensive success if Sophia Young or Danielle Adams decides to go into the paint. She's going to get backed down and beat around. Alex Montgomery got some time in the second half, when Whiz seemed to be desperate to try almost anything, and was unmemorable but not awful.

Katelan Redmon seems to have a good attitude about everything. That's good. I'd like to see someone work with her on her footwork.

Kara Braxton. How in the world are you a 6-6 starting center in the WNBA, facing a team with no low-post presence, who puts up 1-of-7 shooting from the field? And some of those shots were shamefully awful. How do you airball a lay-up? How do you throw something off the side of the backboard like- in Ray Floriani's terms- "a middle school girl who's just been put into the game for the first time with three minutes to go"? How? HOW? At least she did some work on the boards, but more of those tips went to San Antonio than I liked. Leilani Mitchell played an outstanding game today, not just statistically, but in terms of defensive disruptions, hustle, and deflections. She has to cut down on the stupid fouls, though; she's lucky she only ended the game with three. I feel for DeMya Walker after that injury that started out looking like an ankle and ended up looking more like a knee. It looked painful, and I wish her all the best. Cappie Pondexter was bombing threes and getting the long rebounds, but her ballhandling was entirely too fancy for a meat-and-potatoes team like San Antonio- they will ruin you if you do something stupid like that. Essence Carson put her cape on and went to work. I think she was single-handedly trying to win this game for us. If we'd had more of a roster available in the second half, it might even have worked. She was lighting it up from all over the court, making solid defensive plays, and generally being awesome. I like when Essence is awesome, even if we don't win.

Everyone seemed very impressed with the martial arts routine during warmups, but I was working on Pregame Notes of Doom, so I missed their actual performance. I'm sad, but I think that also meant I missed the underage space aliens, so that's a plus.

The officials generally let them play, which is all well and good until Leilani Mitchell goes for ankles, or when Jia Perkins starts making soccer moves with her feet.

There were a lot of familiar faces in the crowd that I haven't seen in a while. The old school fans come out for this game, because they still love VJ, and Becky, and Meka, while the new players have done very little to connect to the fan base.

Credit to the Silver Stars fan contingent for showing out. The black and silver streamers were gorgeous, and my thanks to the ladies who hooked us up with a thunderstick for the house. (We're looking for thundersticks/bam bams/bangers/long rounded inflatable things that go SMASH for our living room. So far we have New York, Connecticut, Indiana, Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and now San Antonio. The more, the merrier!) I'm not always a fan of opposing fans, but sometimes you have to show respect, and they earned it.

Do not smoke in the men's room, guys. Your intrepid blogger's dashing husband was not amused.

Cappie Pondexter does not appear good at the whole captains' handshake thing. She looked like Hammon and Young had each offered her a dead fish.

Up until the very end of the game, I couldn't fault the effort. The last two plays- Kara standing under the basket and blowing a lay-up, then Nicole all but handing off the rebound to San Antonio- stank. But the few remaining Libs put up one heck of a fight.

After the game, Cappie was sponsoring a wheelchair game with Becky, VJ, Essence, and Kia as celebrity coaches, so we stayed. A lot of people did, especially the San Antonio contingent. We were really glad we stayed- the game was amazing. Very physical- a few chairs went over in the clashes. White team had one guy who was a beast on the offensive boards. I think the 20-minute game finished 30-24 white, and this guy had 8 or 10 of the points, plus a gorgeous assist right near the end. I will say, wheelchair basketball brings new meaning to the term "spin move". Those chairs were stupendously mobile- one of the ladies in our section was talking about how lightweight and easy to move they are. Someone did need to clue Becky in to which one was her bench. (Hint: the one wearing the same color you are.)

I'm disappointed, but only because I know they gave it their all- it's just that the all of seven players isn't enough all to get past San Antonio. Not when they have that many players who can take over games, and not when Dan Hughes is that good a coach.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

July 1st, 2011: San Antonio at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: 11 first-half points from Nicole Powell and 15 second-half points from Cappie Pondexter bookended a 81-75 win for the New York Liberty. Pondexter led the team with 19 points, adding five assists. Danielle Adams led San Antonio with 19 points off the bench, while Becky Hammon and Sophia Young each added 16.

For offensive and offending rebounding, warm welcomes home, empty seats, shockingly patient point guards, and dicey shot selection, join your intrepid and candidly photographed blogger after the jump.

Greetings once again from warm and welcoming Newark, New Jersey! If I see too much more San Antonio gear in here, I may end up projectile vomiting on someone, so I apologize in advance if your Game Notes of Doom have an odd smell to them.

Essence Carson looks slightly under the weather, so if she has a lousy performance, that's why. No matter what she says. Danielle Adams is adorably personable, and not sure how to deal with people who want body parts autographed. It's like her job on the team is to run interference. Becky Hammon and Vickie Johnson lingered too long chatting with Kym Hampton, so those of us at the other end of the arena didn't get autographs. We were sad.

What in the nine circles of Dante's Inferno- NO. You do not mess with “Strike It Up”. You do not loop it. You do not segue it into anything else. It's the one thing we've managed to keep steady through the yearly game of F- Over A Veteran, through black uniforms and blue uniforms and Foxwoods uniforms, through Darsch and Adubato and Coyle and Donovan and Whisenant. WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN.

At the half, it's 39-34, and I think we've mildly traumatized our starting point guard. No, not Leilani Mitchell, our other sort of short point guard who wears #5. We're three rows behind Nadirah McKenith from St. John's and her family. Nana, if you're reading this, please don't let us get kicked out of Carnesecca Arena. :D?

The ceremony for VJ was short and sweet- one of the MSG people said some words, the luckiest season ticket holder in the world got to present her with flowers, and she made a short speech. There was also a video presentation. So many pictures of young VJ and her unfortunate hair! I miss VJ so much. This whole San Antonio thing... Carol Blazejowski did many reprehensible things as Liberty GM, and made more mistakes than you could put on a “Fire Blaze” sign, but the mishandling of VJ's free agency was one of the worst. The visiting bench shouldn't have been the one VJ was working from.

I love that VJ's jersey in the Ring of Honor is the original jersey, black with the seafoam green panels and the orange piping. History, we has it right.

That was a relief. I didn't think we were going to pull this one out. And even in the loss, I saw a lot of good things out of San Antonio. Their movement without the ball and their offensive rebounding was remarkable. (Of course, some of the offensive rebounding might have had to do with our pathetic rebounding, but I digress.)

The black is slimming on Danielle Adams, but that's not saying much. Please, for the love of all that is sweet and holy, someone find that woman a jersey that fits her comfortably. She reminded me uncomfortably of Tamika Whitmore with her mysterious insistence on shooting three-pointers when she had a bulk advantage on most of her defenders. The flopping was hilarious. Danielle Robinson looked more comfortable out there than I would expect from a rookie, but other than the drives to the basket, she didn't do much that was memorable. I'm not very happy with Jayne Appel right now. I don't like how she's setting her screens. They should not move. You went to Stanford, Jayne, you should know better. Porsha Phillips wasn't bad, but not memorable. Jia Perkins had a lot of shots go in and out, and a lot of good looks. We got lucky. I'm really not sure why she's not starting unless Hughes is being a stickler for positions. Scholanda Robinson was mostly used on defensive possessions, which surprises me, as I'm used to thinking of her as a shooter. This is what happens when players go to Tulsa- people forget their proper skill sets. She was in so infrequently I didn't even realize she started.

Sophia Young is stealthy and smooth, and I like her despite myself. I'm sitting there thinking “oh, she's not having that great of a game” and then I look up and see that she's got 10 and 5. She was a painful mismatch for Nicole Powell. Ruth Riley wasn't much of a factor, except for the times when it looked like she and Plenette Pierson wanted to get their Detroit Bad Girls on. Tully Bevilaqua, as much as I love her, has lost most of the edges she had over the years. All she has on her side now is old age and treachery, and those weren't enough. Becky Hammon started getting hot later in the game, canning her ridiculous threes and being given more steps than a recovering alcoholic. Seriously. In Soviet Russia, extra steps take you.

Essence Carson didn't play. So I was wrong about her having a lousy performance. (The box score says “injured right eye”. Ouch. Sure, you're fine, Essence.) The S*dneys stepped up nicely in her absence. Sydney Colson was the first woman off the bench, providing spurts of offense and moments where she didn't seem to realize she wasn't in the Big XII... X... whatever... anymore. Sidney Spencer, meanwhile, hit her threes, attempted mightily to play defense, and was brutalized by the officials. I mean, don't get me wrong, she rubs me the wrong way, but two of the fouls on her were ridiculous. Quanitra Hollingsworth spent much of the first half with the distracted air of a math major attempting to solve a quadratic equation in her head, and much of the second half with the intent purpose of a math major who successfully solved a quadratic equation in her head and can now focus on basketball. Her foul problems bother me. Jessica Breland was somewhat less than irrelevant. I thought she'd be a better match for Adams, but I was wrong. Alex Montgomery provided pretty solid defense and a little bit of offense, but seemed kind of lost on offense. I guess it is a foreign concept to a Georgia Tech alumna.

Nicole Powell, so nice of you to join us this season! You are, I presume, aware that the season started a month ago, but your sins are forgiven for the early threes and the late foul you drew on Danielle Adams. Well, most of your sins. I'm not so forgiving of the lapses on defense. A Stanford player should be smart enough not to make the same mistake twice. Leilani Mitchell looked like she was in over her head again; neither of the starting guards for San Antonio was a good match-up for her. Hammon's too good and Bevilaqua's too savvy. Cappie Pondexter filled the stat sheet and hit the big shots, but her defensive lapses were glaring. It's easy to notice these things when her feet are bright orange. Kia Vaughn was up and down- solid, but could have played better. Plenette Pierson put together a very nice game without me initially noticing. She kept the stupid mistakes to a minimum, which was refreshing.

I seriously have no idea how we won this game. We let them walk all over us on the boards, we kept passing the ball to places it didn't belong, we missed a lot of easy shots... but when the chips were down, we managed to make things happen. Nicole Powell drew the big offensive foul on Danielle Adams, Leilani had the steal- it all came together, in a truly Liberty way.

Angelica Suffren looked like she had some kind of issue with Spencer. How in the world can a player who's knocked to the floor by the swipe of a buttock be the player who commits the foul? There were a lot of inexplicable calls in the first half, but it evened out a bit in the second. Still, this crew let a lot of travels go unremarked and missed more than one foot out of bounds.

And then we ended up taking the same PATH train back to New York as Sue Wicks, so I spent the entire ride studiously ignoring her so I didn't do something embarrassing or collapse in a pile of fangirl squee. That was a nice finish to the night.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

July 27th, 2010: San Antonio at New York

Nasty pointy teeth! And a rookie! And a refugee from Tulsa!

This was the kind of game we needed. We needed to win one of those games where we coughed up a lead, and we needed to defend our house against the bitter fans who flaunted their San Antonio gear in the Garden, and we needed to have our bench step up. Now, if some of our starters would recall that the season was still underway, we might actually challenge someone in the East.

There were a lot of people in Silver Stars jerseys and shirts, and more than a few people dragging Hammon jerseys out of storage. It irked me to be surrounded by so many people rooting for the opposing team so ardently. I mean, I got the last laugh as a Liberty fan, but at seven at night, you don't know that you're going to be happy at nine-thirty and giggling about stat lines.

Beautiful operatic anthem. Now, if everyone around me had shut their traps and respected the anthem and the flag the way they were supposed to, I might have enjoyed it even more.

Can I call a technical foul on Sandy Brondello for her blouse? That was a seriously repugnant fashion statement.

Pre-game LOL of the day: there's this woman who comes to Liberty games and really likes taking pictures of the players. (Not like that. She's enthusiastic in ways that I don't think I have the proper cultural base to recognize, but she's enthusiastic, not creepy.) She must have gotten Ruth Riley going one way, because as Riley came off the court, the lady asked her for a picture. Completely befuddled and somewhat amused, Riley asked, "Haven't you already gotten me?" So weirdly adorable.

I'm thinking that Edwige Lawson-Wade suffered some minor but nagging injury, because I recall that she started the season off shooting well, and tonight she just didn't have it. She was still pesky on defense, but something was missing. We allowed two offensive rebounds to Helen Darling, so you can imagine that I was not amused. She was doing or saying something out there to needle Liberty players- they were unusually physical with her, and that's not the first time I've seen that behavior around Darling. Crystal Kelly gave good spot minutes at the post position, and she obviously learned a couple of things while she was ever so briefly in Detroit. (Perhaps she's proof that even Ivory Latta won't be safe from Nolan Richardson's mania about getting rid of Detroit players.) Jayne Appel put in a few minutes of work, and she's got some moves, but she's going to need time to develop, and I don't know that she can get that in the WNBA, not with eleven-player rosters.

As a Liberty fan, I'm quite happy and relieved that Roneeka Hodges decided that she was going to go on a bad streak tonight. Her questionable shot selection kept us in the game all night. The Liberty gave her threes, and she took them, and she missed them with stunning regularity. The Silver Stars fans are saying that Becky Hammon is injured, which is a convenient explanation for her below-par line, especially for her lack of touches. I think the Liberty defense, at certain stretches, also had something to do with her inability to get and use the ball. Ditto on Sophia Young- whatever complaints I might have about the Liberty frontcourt offensively, I don't have them defensively, for the most part. Young really didn't look like she was in her comfort zone for most of the game, except in brief flashes. Michelle Snow's long reach made her deadly against us- I lost count of how many times she was able to just shoot over the defender or sky for a rebound that our players didn't have either the height or the vertical to get from her. She really does need anger management classes, though. Her temper got her pretty close to a tech, or at least a stern talking-to, from the refs. Chamique Holdsclaw looked a lot like the player who terrorized the SEC as a star at Tennessee. Maybe she wasn't as fast, but she was as frighteningly flexible as I've read about.

Does anyone know why San Antonio's being allowed to carry just 10? Does it have to do with Megan Frazee's injury and the way things shook out with that? Or with the weird signing/waiving/theoretical re-signing of Allie Quigley that wnba.com's been sketchy about?

I can't say enough about the miraculous appearance, or reappearance, of Kalana Greene's jumper, not by a long shot. She and her shooting and her defense saved the game for us. She stayed on her assignment more tightly than the players she was spelling, and that helped us with the win too. Plenette Pierson was called upon to play big minutes off the bench, and she gave us much-needed offense along with rebounding tenacity. (Hey, wasn't that coach in Tulsa talking about how he needed a rebounder?) There were a couple of plays where either she was gassed or she just wasn't involved for whatever reason, but that was still a sight better than the other two post players. Essence Carson played a nice, solid game- maybe not any flashy moves, but no big mistakes. Sidney Spencer made a first-half cameo before Coach Donovan realized that this was Kalana's night. No playing time for Kia Vaughn, which would be a bad sign if the trade deadline hadn't already passed, because while I haven't been thrilled with her play, we need more than a three-post rotation if we want to avoid Janel turning interesting colors or Taj falling apart.

Nicole Powell started the game off like she wanted to get out of this funk she's been in, playing with a lot of energy- even if her shots weren't going in, she was working hard on the offensive boards. Then she faded, and that was pretty much the last we saw of her. Felt like she didn't play at all in the second half. Taj McWilliams-Franklin, until a flurry of brilliant veteran plays at the very end of the game, looked like someone who was going to turn 40 in October and had spent most of her life getting paid to get beat up on. She played better defensively for most of her time, but even then there were times she looked slow to react and slower to move. Leilani Mitchell was as fierce as ever, and had a great knack for finding Plenette on the fast break. I'm inordinately pleased that she matched or bettered Hammon's stats. For Cappie Pondexter, this was a quiet night, but she didn't have to look to score, so that was a good thing. She was a little more confident in her ability to get up the shot late in the shot clock when she was playing the old Rutgers offense than I was. Janel McCarville- well, it's almost to the point where I'm hoping she's hurt and just not telling anyone, because otherwise these lapses in defensive positioning and offensive judgment are inexcusable. Things a broad-shouldered 6'2" Wisconsin farm kid should not be afraid to do: take a jumper from the free throw line when Becky Hammon is her defender. She was unusually timid around Hammon, which set the paranoid part of me to going "hmmm".

Donovan's rotations mostly made sense! Well, except for DNP'ing Kia Vaughn when all three of our other posts had stretches where they looked like they weren't sure about this whole basketball thing.

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuue Wicks was in the house, and the Garden forgot to acknowledge her. I'm really not sure what to think about that. I mean, they acknowledged Wilson Chandler from the Knicks, and he never played for the Liberty. Maybe they figured that the people there to cheer on Hammon might have something to say about who wears #23. I know I still do.

Refs were mostly consistent with their inability to count steps and seconds spent in the key. I thought San Antonio got away with a little more hacking than we did, but I'm always willing to acknowledge my bias for New York and against San Antonio.

Almost forgot to mention the loud and awesome guys who the Garden shunted up to the 300s for a better view on camera. They brought signs and lots of volume. We tried to get them to come back for the LA game on Friday, which effort culminated in a rousing chant of "BEAT LA!"

When all's said and done, I'm well-pleased with this game. I just wish I weren't so tired!

Monday, June 22, 2009

June 21st, 2009: San Antonio at Connecticut

Connecticut Sun 71, San Antonio Silver Stars 58

The Game Notes spend Father's Day at the casino, appreciate Asjha Jones, and are tempted by cookies (but who isn't?)

And once again, the eleven-woman roster takes a giant bite out of a team's chances of winning. Considering that San Antonio started off both halves even up with the Sun, then faded in the second and fourth quarters, you can't tell me that doesn't have to do with fatigue.

Girl Scout Day. I have got to learn to read the schedule more carefully. I hate kid-themed events. I know it was also Dads and Daughters day, but I tend to ignore that because otherwise I start laughing at the idea of my dad at a basketball game. Not his scene, to put it mildly, and I had to do a lot of groveling to go to this particular game.

Kids, anthem, nothing to write home about, except for the one bass. If it was coming from the stout blond kid, then I think we may have had a crossover from an animated universe, which should not be happening.

So the Stars' bench was even shorter tonight because Crossley's knee flared up. Katie Mattera did better against Tamika Whitmore than she did against the Liberty posts, but that's not saying much. Belinda Snell took a lot of shots, but the biggest one was the one she took from Chante Black's elbow to right under her left eye, which opened a gash 'bout an inch long that bled like the dickens. It took several minutes for them to track down all the blood on the court, since she'd crossed the timeline by the time they could get an injury timeout. Frazee didn't do as well as she did against New York, but I suspect her time will still be considered "quality" minutes, the same way a barely acceptable start is considered "quality" in baseball.

Lawson-Wade switched with Snell, and while the Roaring Rampage of Revenge factor did not come into play, she had a decent game. Sophia Young seems to be over the flu- either that, or her teammates noticed she existed again. With Lawson-Wade's shots not going in quite as much as they did Friday, and with the all-intents-and-purposes absence of Erin Perperoglou, they went to her early and often, and she showed off some real range. Darling- and Lawson-Wade, for that matter- seemed to be defining defense as reaching out and latching onto their assignment whenever she had the ball. I thought Darling ran the team better on Friday than she did on Sunday, but I will grudgingly respect her vocal leadership on the floor- there was one point, either before a timeout, or during the stoppage of play while CSI dealt with Snell's libation to the gods of sport, where she had the team around her and was giving them whatfor. Riley looked good. Though the folks around me were bitching about how she'd become a dirty player, I really didn't see it, except maybe one elbow, and Tamika Catchings will testify to how long Riley's elbows have been flying. But she was hitting that pretty little outside shot, and her teammates actually seemed to be looking for her this time. I'll credit that change in the game plan to Dan Hughes.

Dear Ms. Whitmore: especially after putting on weight, you are most definitely not a 3. Please return to the painted area of the court effective immediately, and remain there until August 19th. It's one thing to take those shots and hit them the way Young or Lauren Jackson does, it's another thing to take them and miss them badly. I did, however, approve wholeheartedly of the wicked pick that sent Darling crashing to the floor like the car hitting the wall in those crash simulations. That's a good use of extra weight. Tan White's settled nicely into the Sun rotation- though I thought she was more of a slasher than a jump shooter? Might just be me being an idiot. I'm good at that. Kiesha Brown was solid but unremarkable. I thought Lauren Ervin played Mattera really well on the defensive end- maybe couldn't get position against her on offense, but taking Mattera out of the play might well be a more important contribution. She also kept a lot of balls alive. She and Black might make a good pairing on the floor. Turner... I just don't know anymore. I suspect Thibault doesn't either.

Whatever Thibault said to Lindsay Whalen at halftime, he needs to say it more often, except when they play the Liberty. The first half was uneventful for her, then she came out and made some amazing defensive plays. She should have been credited with at least two steals. Chante Black looked really good. She was going for putbacks, mixing it up inside, and hitting that pretty little midrange jumper. The injury really freaked me and my neighbors out, because we still have no idea what the hell happened- there was no contact! Phillips came on strong in the second half. So did Gardin, whose game I really like. Her block at the end was the exclamation point on the game. But the night belonged to Asjha Jones, who showed off her range, her power, and her moxie. She looked really good. Really smooth.

I think this was the same crew from Friday, and I don't know whether they were tired, or Dan said something they didn't like the other day, or there were just more reasons to make bad calls in this game, but they weren't so great this time. San Antonio got eight points on blatant procedural mistakes- a three off what should have been an eight-second call, another one on an up-and-down, and a two on another obvious travel. Not quite as much dicey stuff as the Sun fans thought there was, but still not up to the standard they set in Friday's game. Both Thibault and Hughes were hot- funny, I don't remember Hughes having that much of a temper, but Brondello had to guide him back towards the bench on one particular play.

Very quiet crowd, except when there were t-shirts being thrown. I think I did more yelling than some of my neighbors, and this isn't even my team.

Made of win: the contingent of Silver Stars fans in section 17, especially the lady in the Sophia Young shirt and the lady in the Perperoglou jersey. I only saw one piece of Hammon gear, and a couple of Hammonites that I knew from New York; I suppose those who bought tickets just to see Hammon decided either not to come or not to wear their colors.

Post-game included watching Brondello and Lange try to parent an adorable little boy. I'm presuming he's theirs because he looks just like Olaf. Lots of awwwwing ensued, though I can't help but think that kid's going to have an odd accent when he starts talking a lot- German dad, Australian mum, raised in Texas. Also: Megan Frazee at Geno's. The WNBA might be "flush with worldly temptations", but just about the only one a second-round draft pick can actually afford is a big soft chocolate chip cookie at Geno's. Nom nom nom nom nom.

Friday, June 19, 2009

June 19th, 2009: San Antonio at New York

New York Liberty 77, San Antonio Silver Stars 61

Some returns are happy, some aren't, and the Liberty do what they have to do to put a mark in the wins column.

Look, I know San Antonio was hurtin' and lackin' and sick. I don't care. If it takes feeding on carrion and picking on the weakest kid in the schoolyard to get our first win, that's what it takes. Fuck it.

Was rolling with mom today- God love her, she got a hip replacement fifteen days ago, but she was bound and determined to make it to this game. Of course, then VJ had to miss the game (yes, I know, perfectly reasonable explanation, and my heart goes out to VJ and her family).

It's much harder to tell who's who when they're all wearing the same warm-up shirts. I mean, Katie Mattera stuck out from the crowd, and Janel's hair is fairly easy to recognize, but that's about as far as I could go on first glance.

San Antonio is disturbingly pale, except for Sophia Young. She... stands out, especially with VJ not there. It bothers me.

Man, Shanna Crossley can shoot it. Her shots were almost effortless, the way they went up and in, and she put 'em up fast. I don't know that she does much else, but she's damn good at that. Katie Mattera is good at being big, but that's about all she managed. And while you might take the girl out of the Shock, you can't take the Shock out of the girl, or something like that- one of her fouls came on a play where she shoved Shameka to the ground. We are not amused, Mrs. Mattera. Not amused at all. Megan Frazee played quite well in her time on the floor. I can see why they decided to keep her. But the reserve of the game, who played more minutes than three of the starters, was Edwige Lawson-Wade, who took a page out of the Kiesha Brown Handbook On Roaring Rampages Of Revenge and went all out on the Garden floor. She hit one unbelievable shot-clock-beating three, played tough defense, and distributed well. If it hadn't been for her, I don't want to think about how badly the Silver Stars would have gotten beat. I liked her when she was with us.

Erin Perperoglou looked washed out, and I think she was feeling it too, from the amount of time she spent trying to keep herself limber during stoppages in play. Young didn't look as strong as I'm used to her seeing, though she seemed to get better as the game went on. I hope they thought to pick up some chicken soup while they were in New York. We make the best here. Snell looked out of rhythm. Maybe she's not used to starting. Maybe she put too much bleach in. (Sorry, Belinda, but what works for Lauren does not work for you. Go back to black.) It almost looked like Hughes was setting her up to fail so there'll be a reason why she's buried on the bench when they're at full strength, or possibly even the cut when Wauters finally shows up. Darling looks like she's lost the baby weight, but her decision-making was not the best. Somehow, though, she seems to emit the aura of a baby animal in distress; two different times, Liberty players picked her up off the floor. Clearly, none of them were watching the league when we dubbed her the Headless Chicken. This is a dangerous woman if you let her too close to you. Riley got her blocks, and got open in the third quarter for a couple of those pretty little mid-to-long range jumpers she's been swishing since goddamn Tamika fucking Whitmore was the one not defending them for New York, and then San Antonio promptly forgot about her viability as an offensive option.

Ashley. Oh, Ashley. Whatever's wrong with you, whether it's a shortage of Red Bull or a mysterious mental malady, get it the fuck fixed right the fuck now. I'll gladly help. But the bad decision-making, the horrible dribbling- they need to stop. Leilani, while to so effective at our end of the court, stuck to Darling and Lawson-Wade to keep them from being as good as they previously were at theirs, so that's something to be said. Tiffany- yeaaaaah, that's what I'm talking about. Very efficient game. I'm glad to see her getting back into the thick of things, and glad that Coyle was going sporadic with her for caution, not because of stupidity. Very little Erlana, and none of it great. Very little Kia, and most of it unexciting. Very little Spencer, and none of it memorable.

The starters, on the other hand, mostly kicked ass. Cathrine was the exception. STOP SHOOTING THREES, CATHRINE. GET IN THE LANE, CATHRINE. Sorry for yelling, but I figure you might want to get an idea of what it was like over in section 209 tonight. She had one really nice boxout that I remember, and the last three did go down, but damnit, you'd think a football player's daughter who's six-four and broad-shouldered would go inside more often. Janel kicked ass. I think there might have been a little more of it to kick, but 18 and 6 is nothing to sneeze at, and her teammates were sharing it. Loree really hit the boards- it was good to see her looking strong again. Sista Christon's my pick for player of the game, personally- 18 might be more than 15, but 6 equals 6 and six assists beats three assists. Shameka was back on form, and I couldn't have been happier.

Play of the game for San Antonio: Lawson-Wade's three at the shot clock buzzer. Alas for San Antonio, you only get one of those a game, because she needed a second one.

Play of the game for New York: late in the game, Janel, sitting on 18 points, gets a feed into the post. She goes up for the shot... fake and passes to Kia, who puts it in for her first two of the night. A gorgeous fake, and more importantly, a classy move, giving her teammate a shot instead of going for 20.

The referees did not noticeably suck tonight, which I credit to Denise Brooks. While there were little procedural things that didn't get called, nothing got out of hand and nothing got unbalanced. (As an odd aside, is this the first time there's been an all-African-American crew in the W?)

The Liberty All-Star video is hysterical- a parody of "Single Ladies". The synchronization was surprisingly good. Janel was surprisingly smooth. My brain is still slightly broken, though.

There was a Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover for entertainment. No, not really, just some exhibition group from a dojo, but when one group wields nunchuks, a bo, and sais, and the other has three guys and two girls, what else am I gonna think?

Beautiful anthem- nice clear voice, though the vibrato began to wear after a while.

Woo-hoo, we had a Knick sighting. This is the sound of me not giving much of a shit.

Decent crowd, though the groan that came up at the announcement of VJ and Hammon's absence indicates who everyone was there for. I thought there was gonna be a riot.

It was good to see a win, and good to have mom back at the arena. Clearly this was the missing piece, and now that she's off the IR, we can get on with this whole winning thing.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

September 9th, 2008: San Antonio at New York

San Antonio Silver Stars 82, New York Liberty 76

Libkids are big young love, but age and treachery win out again.

Loss in the standings, but a moral victory. We played very well without Janel and Tiffany, and Jessica and Erlana proved themselves on the court.

Way too many San Antonio jerseys for my liking. I did see a Sophia Young jersey, which made me feel better, and there seemed to be a contingent sponsored by a San Antonio radio station, so it was nice to know there were actual Silver Star fans in the building instead of just Hammon fans or Johnson fans who changed teams when they did. Just don't ever tell me you're a Liberty fan while you're wearing enemy colors unless you're Carrie and you do it as part of your collecting schtick.

Hammon turned it on late. I'll give her credit for stepping up and stretching the gap when her team needed her, and for hitting the free throws late. And those deep shots are pretty damn impressive (although, dear Loree, you played with her for two years, you should have passed the word to Leilani and Essence that she has that range). VJ is still VJ, and she came up big late. (also, dear Loree and Shameka, you played with VJ for a year or two, you should have remembered she's lefthanded). Watching Wauters in the paint, I thought she was having a better game than she was having- she got into position, though, I'll give her that. Sophia Young, IMO, was the one who really killed us- we really didn't have anyone who could guard her effectively without leaving a glaring mismatch somewhere else on the court. Buescher started hot, but I don't remember her doing much in the second half other than annoying Liberty players. Who did Darling piss off to fall behind Lawson-Wade in the rotation? Seriously? Also, whoever left Ruth Riley open at the free throw line, I will beat you with a thunderstick, and then run like hell because you're probably a post player and I'm just an average-sized fan.

How much love do I have for baby bigs? Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much. Jess started the game off on the right note. I'm still pissed she let Wauters steal that rebound from her, because if she'd just held on, she'd be the one with the double-double, not the Waffle. I think Ashley's been sharing the Red Bull. Now if it would give her wiiiings, or at least a little more vertical, maybe everyone would shut the fuck up. Cathrine is back to the extremes- her shot's not falling, but she's crashing the boards. Didn't she go through a phase like this a couple of years ago before swinging back towards shooting and not rebounding? Damn Libras. ;) Loree had some spectacularly boneheaded passes, and she was given way too much leeway. Shorten the leash, Patty; that might encourage her to get her shit together. Essence heated up in the second half, starting to find her stroke. Shameka shouldn't have played. Not that we didn't need her, but she was still hurt, and it was really obvious, and we're in, and we'll need her later. Loved Erlana's aggressiveness early in the game and in the third quarter- gee, more of that in the fourth might have come in really handy. Along with some more offense. Say, from one of the best three-point shooters in the league? O HAI DERE LISA WILLIS. So easy a LOLcat could do it. Or if we needed defense, how about running with Ashley Battle? AB had one dumb play early, got sat down, and disappeared from the face of the earth. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Leilani I'll give a pass tonight, because she spent a lot of time chasing Hammon around screens, and that couldn't have left her a lot of energy to play at the other end.

Coyle only changed players seven times in the entire second half. Gee, you think we might have run out of gas or something? Erlana was kicking ass in the first half. Lisa could have helped. Ashley could have helped. Even though we were playing shorthanded, a versatile and trustworthy bench is one of our strengths, and going away from that is stupider than a stupid thing.

The other thing that killed us was the end of the third quarter. Blown lay-up, Cathrine. Bricked free throws, Erlana. Blown lay-up, Jessica. 1/2 from the line, Erlana. Seven points right there that we could have had and should have had. We lost 82-76. 76 + 7 is 83.

I felt the refs were extremely one-sided. San Antonio got away with a lot of shit on the inside that the Liberty were not allowed to get away with at the other end. Call it both ways, okay? Is that too damn much to ask?

Sue Wicks sighting. How refreshing.

For the record- the season subscriber of the game was supposed to be my mom- it's her birthday, and a round one at that- but even after I told her before the season, "Whatever you do, DO NOT miss the game on your birthday", she had a hip replacement surgery that knocked her out for the rest of the regular season. She missed the awesome of being on the court and shaking hands with a real live Liberty player, but at least she was honored (though they effed up her name- it's Helene [like Cat's middle name] not Helen [like the Headless Chicken]). It's very cool to be down there. And I still have Vinnie's Sharpie. FFO, is he going to need that back or can I keep it?

Tiffany might set a record for Garden-to-street speed. I passed her in the underpass at Penn Station. She looked even better up close. Janel was very sharp.

Who was that frizzy-haired lass by the railing that several of the Libkids chatted with before the second half? She looked a little like Jordin Sparks, but I'd figure that would have been announced.

We played well, all things considered. But we could have been better. And two on the road, back-to-back? Ick.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

June 23rd, 2007: San Antonio at Connecticut

San Antonio Silver Stars 71, Connecticut Sun 58

The Game Notes hit the road, Sophia Young and Erin Buescher kinda rock, and much time needs to be killed.

Though it doesn't make much sense in the context of being a Liberty fan, I do enjoy my road trips to Connecticut. It's an experience, and a reasonably priced one to boot, the way I go. Since I'm of age, I go to Chinatown to take one of the casino buses. $10 buys the ticket on, and there's a $2 fee for coming home on a later bus than the one you were assigned. In return, the casino provides $20 to bet with and an additional $15 to either eat or bet with. Factor in a $20 ticket to the game, and the cost is pretty much a wash (especially if you win, like I did today, woo!). It's about an hour and a half train ride and three hours on a bus, and sometimes I wonder exactly why I'm doing this for a team I don't particularly like when they're playing a team that isn't mine. But there's a thrill to it- this is an experience I don't share with my family or friends.

We wend our way through Manhattan, over the bridge to Brooklyn, the old city of churches (I counted four steeples out the bus window), through some of the less attractive parts of Queens, which looks from this route like the city of highways, over the Triborough Bridge into the Bronx, and thence to I-95 through Westchester County, the greenery of suburbia, into Connecticut. I'm given to understand that it's a very pretty drive in the fall, but I rarely have reason to go to Connecticut in the fall. I imagine it would be, though, especially when you draw closer to Mohegan Sun, which is far, far away from any of the major cities of Connecticut. Our route takes us through Norwalk, Bridgeport, and New Haven, any of which can spring giant floods of traffic on the unwary traveler at a moment's notice. Generally, I'm either paying attention to my iPod or the Hong Kong soap opera playing out on the screens- one such show had so many of its episodes run that I ended up finding the show on Wikipedia and reading about it because I was so curious.

Of course, if one travels alone, one runs the risk of one's own idiocy doing one in. I completely forgot that this was a 7PM tip-off (seriously, Sun, what is with all these weird tip times for your weekend games?), so that I ran like my pants were on fire to pick up my ticket and discovered that running was not necessary and in fact made me look rather foolish. There was a mini fan fest going on atop one of the garages, so I went and checked it out. Mostly stuff for the kids, as opposed to stuff for mature, adult people like me- a couple of guys on stilts who heard more than a few Margo Dydek jokes, a balloon artist, lots of little baskets and hoops (it took me about nine tries to hit a shot, at which point the young boy behind me sank his first attempt), a video game tourney, some other stuff. Diet Coke Plus might be a good idea, but it's a little sweet for me; I did like the tropical fruit smoothies the Dunkin Donuts guys were testing on us, though. Also applied for a Discover Card in order to get into the Fan Lounge. I doubt they'll actually give me the card, but what the heck.

I sat in the second row of the endcourt near the visiting bench. Endcourt seats aren't the greatest in the world, because you miss the half of the action that's at the other end, plus the basket stanchion is in the way of a lot of the paint work, and there are always people walking in front of you. On the other hand, how many sporting events will allow you to get that close to the action for $20? This is one of the things I love about the WNBA- it appeals to my bargain-hunting tendencies.

The one thing I don't enjoy about Sun games is that they try too hard to force the crowd into things. Granted, with the way the Sun have been playing this season, I can understand why they'd need to, but such manufactured noise, and especially manufactured noise that doesn't last through the game, irks me. It doesn't feel authentic. It also doesn't help that the Sun's MC, Scotty B., has annoyed me since his days with the Orlando Miracle (for those of you newish to this whole WNBA thing, the Miracle was the first incarnation of the Sun, before they moved to Connecticut).

Nice anthem, if a little overdramatic.

Honestly, for San Antonio, I could probably just cut and paste the notes from the Liberty game, replace the appropriate Liberty player's name with whichever Sun player was on defense, and they would be reasonably accurate. But that's cheating. So here we go. Becky was, if possible, even more on thatn she was against New York. The circus shots were going down, the long shots were going down- she looked like she was trying to prove something, although I can't imagine what. VJ was, once again, a quiet assassin; you looked up and you realized that, hey, she was in double digits. That's always been her thing, tough, getting the job done while everyone's distracted by the shiny and the flashy. Sophia Young was able to get free for that smooth outside jumper a little more often than she did against New York, partially because Dydek isn't a great perimeter defender, partially because she didn't get in foul trouble and thus had more chances to work it. Buescher was also, I think, more effective against Connecticut than she was against New York. I think it's a difference in the style- the Sun's post players might like the perimeter on offense, but can't handle it on defense, whereas Cathrine Kraayeveld can defend somewhat on the perimeter. Another unimpressive game from Ruth Riley; you'd think she'd be a bit more relaxed without Bill Laimbeer constantly yelling at her. Off the bench for San Antonio, I was most impressed with Shanna Crossley again, although it felt like Agler was using a short rotation. Little's going to be a really good player, methinks. I like her instinct for the game.

Oh, Connecticut. From two-time finalists to this? This team reminds me of the Liberty, and not the exciting, passionate edition of 2007- I'm thinking of the blip year, 2003. Like the Sun, we had lost a key veteran post player; like the Sun, we were trying to integrate a couple of new players into the system. I call it a blip because the Liberty made the playoffs the next two seasons, but it was also the start of the slide and the disintegration of the old Liberty. So I'm a bit worried for the Sun, except that if they disintegrate, then that opens the door for the Libkids. Honestly, they looked like they didn't want to be on the court against San Antonio. By the end of the game, it looked like they were just waiting for Whalen to do something interesting to keep them in it. Margo Dydek looked especially out of it out there. If she's still hurt, then she needs to sit and de Souza needs to start, and if she's not hurt, she needs a whack upside the head, because there were way too many plays were she didn't move at all. She didn't go after balls, she didn't go after shots, she didn’t go after drives in the lane. She stood theree, and often she wasn't even just standing there under the basket, but outside the paint. For the longest time, Asjha Jones also didn't seem to be interested in going inside, although she got over that tendency sometime in the second quarter. Katie Douglas was really stroking them during practice, and she hit some great shtos in the game, but she almost seemed to run out of gas as the game wore on. I liked her defense on Becky Hammon, though. Le'Coe Willingham, who started in place of the injured (and sharply dressed, I ought to add) Nykesha Sales, hit her first shot and contributed some strong rebounding, but I think starting her in place of a small forward got her thinking that she was in fact a small forward, and she was taking shots that are definitely outside her range. By the end of the game, Lindsay Whalen looked like the only player who was playing hard out there for the Sun, and part of me was wondering if she was trying to top Becky Hammon, with her choice of shots and her increasing use of the crossover dribble. Off the bench, Érika de Souza played with the kindof hustle I wish I could have seen from the Sun starters, and Jamie Carey was her usual understated self in running the defense. I also liked that Thibault put her on defending Hammon when she was in, because who's going to know her moves better than the guard who practiced against her over the winter when they both played with the Chill? I was surprised and disappointed not to see more of Kamesha Hairston; I think she would have brought the energy that the Sun were sorely missing, and she would have fit perfectly into the small forward slot. I might also have used Megan Mahoney earlier than the last couple of minutes, if only because what I've seen of Mahoney makes me think of jumper cables.

Sitting in the endcourt did give me a close opportunity to observe the out-of-bounds calls, and how hard they are to make. This doesn't mean that I wasn't protesting vocally (yet politely, Matt, don't jump down my throat) at some of the decisions made. There were some very questionable calls on screens as well. I didn't recognize two of the referees when they were announced, which might have explained some of it. Everyone's susceptible to rookie mistakes, after all.

The Sun do a lot more "you! You are the lucky fan!" promotions than the Liberty do- the Liberty seem to be more along the lines of "you! Prove to us that you are lucky and/or skilled at something and we will give you things!" Not that the Sun don't have actual contests, and not that the Liberty don't have lucky fans, but it seems to be a difference in the team culture, and I wonder how much of it has to do with the Sun being housed in a casino.

I had signed up for the Discover Card Fan Lounge, since I doubted I was ever going to have another chance (as far as I know, the Liberty don't sponsor one) and I thought it might be interesting. It did seem promising, but when they announced the two Sun players, they weren't players I had much interest in meeting and/or getting autographs from, so I skedaddled and passed the pass along to another fan. (To the staff at Mohegan Sun- the cookies were excellent!) Though it still makes me feel vaguely seedy, I have by now chosen the hotel lobby at Mohegan Sun as my stakeout point; there's just too much risk and not enough space in the other places, and if I'm going to go four hours each way to a game, I want something to remember the experience (especially when I'm not going to want to remember the game). It's comfortable, and I got the chance to chat with some of the Connecticut equivalent of the Usual Suspects. There's a woman who specializes in cards and nifty team rosters, and a guy who specializes in collegiate caps (his Tennessee cap is quite the sight to see, and he even tracked down a cap from The Master's College for Erin Buescher). We didn't talk much about the game- I felt it would have been pushing my luck, since I wasn't exactly in home colors.

After that, it was time to run for the bus, ride standby, pay my $2 penalty, turn on the iPod, and doze off, already plotting these game notes in my sleep-addled mind. I did start writing them when I got home after two in the morning, but between the urge for sleep and the lack of internet connection, I finished them shortly before I had to head out to the Garden for game three of my personal tripleheader. I'm honestly not sure whether I'm going to survive this weekend, or if I do, whether I'll be able to make it through Monday at the office. Remember, fellow fans, I'm doing this for you.

June 22nd, 2007: San Antonio at New York

San Antonio Silver Stars 70, New York Liberty 63

Things fall apart, Cathrine Kraayeveld does not wear dresses, and Patty Coyle's substitution patterns are beyond human comprehension.

With a team this young, invariably there are times when my head becomes intimately acquainted with the nearest surface, whether it be the railing, the seat in front of me, the desk, the wall, or even my hand. Mistakes are made that seem obvious from my seats in the upper deck, and decisions puzzle me to the point where nothing makes any sense any more.

Today's game day experience started out pretty much normally: got to the Garden at a little before five, to be informed that the new girl, Lisa Willis, had just arrived. She was the last arrival via that entrance, so it was just me, the Usual Suspects, and a few of the Used-To-Be-Usual Suspects who now only seem to show up whenever there's an attractive blonde on the opposing team. As always, we talked about a little of everything: the proper etiquette for having a midseason pickup sign the media guide, why we like or dislike players, the win against Washington and the lessons that could have been (and, as it turns out, should have been) learned from the Mystics' comeback, predictions for the game, discussion of the chalk talk for season ticket holders, shiny objects for the kids, roster updates, things like that. Chica (a fellow fan whose name I never did properly get, and who I usually address as "'ey, chica") was woefully out of date on her cards, so I let her go through my spares for what she needed.

As soon as the gates opened, I was running for the door. Got my roster card set neatly into place, set up my cards on top of it. Got out my friend's stuff, tried to get a good spot on the railing- not easy, since a lot more folks than usual were down there in order to get Becky's autograph or a picture with her. It was fun seeing VJ and Shanna Zolman ordering from the courtside service menu- don't they feed these women? Since Ruth Riley wasn't on the court for San Antonio during shootaround, I got to trick a friend of mine into playing "Spot the Olympian" (the answer, of course, was San Antonio assistant coach Sandy Brondello, who was on the Australian national team, as well as an All-Star with the Shock and a champion with the Storm). It looked like they'd done most of their stretching before the public was even allowed into the building. Anyone who was out there for the Silver Stars stopped and signed, and Becky was gracious to all who asked.

We were treated to a pipe and drum performance by a troop from the NYFD, which got me thinking about that poor firefighter who died in Brooklyn, so it was quieter than usual. Also, I was trying not to be confused or amused at the sight of an Asian bagpiper in a kilt. There was also a dance troupe, but I was busy trying to get to my seat, so I didn't see them.

Both "God Bless America" and the national anthem were performed tonight, both done admirably, the first by a gentleman from EMS who had a deep, powerful voice, the second by a female firefighter with nice range.

So with the return of the prodigal daughter(s), there was a vast amount of applause for San Antonio. I was quite irked, but I had expected it. Becky, while slowed down by solid Liberty defense in the first, got hot late in the game when her defenders started getting lackadaisical, and came up big when San Antonio needed her. VJ spent part of the game looking every minute of her 35 years, but when push came to shove, she kept San Antonio in the game. I do think this is her last season, next to last at the very most. Sophia Young was quiet- foul trouble, and Brian Agler doesn't take fouls into consideration very often when making his substitutions. She is awfully pretty to watch, though. Ruth Riley… I don't think I've ever seen a player quite so invisible. The only plays I recall from her are jump balls, and I'm fairly certain she lost one that she ought to have won. San Antonio got a lot of rebounds and a lot of second chance points, but most of them weren't out of their post players. Erin Buescher was, I think, a bit rattled by the Liberty's front line, but she also returned the favor. Very quick hands, she has. Off the bench, foul trouble in the post continued- Sandora Irvin didn't do much other than foul, and by going with the big starting lineup, Agler sacrificed depth on the bench. It should have come back to bite him. Shanna Crossley, both arms in black sleeves, sank the daggers in the fourth- must be a Tennessee thing. Camille Little also strutted her stuff late in the game.

Does anyone know what the story is with Kendra Wecker? I saw that she changed her uniform number, and she didn't play tonight at all. I was impressed with her last year, and thus I am confused as to why she can't crack the rotation.

So, New York. Things started out on a note of confusion when Shay and Lindsay were announced as our starting guards, because not only would neither of them be starting normally, it threw the announcements out of whack, since Loree is usually the last player announced but the guards went first this time. Shay started, hit her first shot, and was promptly benched. I'm not really seeing a lot of logic there. Lindsay played quite a bit, and while her shot looked interesting, she runs the offense through mud- very slow, very hesitant, and although I'm not sure how much of that was her and how much was the fact that the Liberty didn't seem to recognize each other out on the floor, I don't think I want her running the offense. Loree and Ashley both came in at the first opportunity- they were both terribly late to the game, and thus were punished. Up in our seats, we wondered if Loree was 100%, because she looked like she was overcompensating for not being able to use a finger on her shooting hand, and her passes were not quite as crisp as usual. Ashley was stupendous- the Battle-bot was fully activated and eager to prove herself. Would that the rest of her team had followed her example. Cathrine, I am starting to wonder if we're seeing a replay of a legendarily awful Star Trek episode and aliens stole her brain. She's making uncharacteristically bad decisions with the ball and not taking it as strongly as we know she can. I think Shameka was a little rattled by seeing Becky on the opposing team, especially considering that Becky got a home player's applause. She was very hesitant on offense- this from a player whose least appealing quality is her habit of taking contested shots that make no sense. Jess, who I was hoping would have a monster game in order to prove that she was worth trading Becky in order to acquire… no, not such a great game, although there were a couple of moments. Her glass ability reminds me so much of Tim Duncan. All we need to do is get her willing to bang inside a little more. Didn't see nearly enough of the bench- I think Janel could have kept the energy level up in the third quarter, when we really started letting San Antonio back into the game, and since Lisa wasn't using her size advantage on anybody, we might as well have played Shay- at least Shay knows the plays and her teammates. I really didn't understand Patty's substitution patterns tonight, not at all. They were beyond human comprehension. It ws almost as if she looked to see what would make the least sense, then did it.

Tonight's in-game activities included guessing which Lib was in the adorable baby pictures posted. Ashley Battle was an adorable kid. Cathrine… okay, not the most flattering shot, but then, that scrunched-up facial expression of extreme displeasure and total misery is what I would expect if someone crammed Cathrine into a dress, no matter what age she were at the time. I hope they run this more often, 'cause there's nothing quite as cute as Libkids.

We also had game-show themed activities: a Showcase Showdown with overpriced Liberty merchandise, a round of Tic-Tac-Toe, a round of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (the contestant wasn't, but I was on par with the kid). A lot of the ladies seemed to be into The Price Is Right and Deal Or No Deal.

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue Wicks and T-Spoon were in the house, as was Jody Conradt, the legendary Texas coach. It was nice to see Sue again. We've missed her.

Didn't hang out afterwards, as is often my wont- hadn't yet eaten dinner, and I had to get myself together to write coherent and non-profane game notes. I'm afraid these aren't quite up to my usual standard. Way too terse.

Sleep now. Shower, bus tomorrow.

If you were at the game, leave a note or summat, and I hope to see you Sunday!

Game Notes of Doom

Sunday, July 14, 2013

July 14th, 2013: San Antonio at Connecticut

Sunday, June 23, 2013

June 23rd, 2013: San Antonio at New York

June 23rd, 2013: San Antonio at New York

Sunday, July 8, 2012

July 8th, 2012: San Antonio at New York

Saturday, July 2, 2011

July 1st, 2011: San Antonio at New York

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

July 27th, 2010: San Antonio at New York

Monday, June 22, 2009

June 21st, 2009: San Antonio at Connecticut

Friday, June 19, 2009

June 19th, 2009: San Antonio at New York

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

September 9th, 2008: San Antonio at New York

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

June 23rd, 2007: San Antonio at Connecticut

June 22nd, 2007: San Antonio at New York

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