New York Liberty 64, Charlotte Sting 62
All in all, it looked like a game that both sides were kind of trying to lose for the sake of ping-pong balls. Sad, really, at the end.
One cool thing about the Sting that I haven't noticed about most teams is that not only does their inactive player travel with them, she watches shootaround with their coach. She seemed surprised to be recognized, and I have to admit it was a lucky guess on my part (well, that, and Yelena Leuchanka looks nothing like either of the Sting assistants). A lot of folks almost didn't recognize their cards tonight; I think the orange of the Sting uniforms struck them blind, and McCarville's card against an orange roster is enough to make anyone swear off color.
I'm sorry. Tammy Sutton-Brown still walks like an 8th Avenue hooker. She has her moments as a post player, but I'm starting to think 2002 was the best we'll ever see out of her, and gee, who was her coach that year and the year before? She *did* go to the floor once, which was something I don't see out of her very often. Helen Darling continues to work my nerves, and I swear at the end of the game she looked like she was under orders to tank. Tangela Smith went to the deck HARD after one play- we heard the thud in the upper deck, and for the longest time she was very still on the ground. She got up eventually, but she had a woozy look about her, as if she were wondering exactly where she was and why all these people were wearing orange tinfoil. She does have a soft touch. Currie had a shot or two go off on her- does the NCAA use the smaller ball or not? I think that might be part of her shooting woes if it doesn't. Also, is the hair thing a Duke thing? I'd be more certain if Beard went the same color as Currie and Iciss. Sheri Sam was matched up against Loree Moore a lot, and I'm surprised they didn't try to take advantage of that. Of course, Loree's a tough cookie, so it's possible that it wasn't as good a matchup for Charlotte as you'd think. At one point in the first quarter, Muggsy had had enough of this shit and sent in a bench unit, and it was at that point that I started to realize Janel McCarville's problem. Part of her is aware of the fact that she is 6'2" and possesses substantial girth, and thus ought to be setting brutal screens and muscling in for rebounds… but I think part of her thinks she can still grow up to be Lindsay Whalen; she passes well, has a decent jump shot, and tries to handle the ball. If she were trained in Europe, she would probably be an All-Star by the time she's off rookie scale. Allison Feaster and Kelly Mazzante brought the threes (I thought Feaster's shot was before the buzzer in the first, but I could be wrong), and Mazzante had an interception that Paterno would have been proud of. LaToya Bond didn't impress me as much as the last time I saw her, but the last time I saw her was one of her best games of the season, so I'll cut her some slack. She tries to do too much, which isn't the greatest idea when the only other person in the league who knows your quirks from having played with them for four years is on the floor. Ayana Walker had one impressive putback, and Ty'esha Fluker one big hit. Muggsy still needs to get his suits tailored, but they're not as bad as they used to be. He was rather unanimated for a coach who had a couple of rather big calls go against his team.
Barbara. Oh, Barbara. If there's any good time to pull a field goal out of your ass, the last basket of the game is the perfect time to do it. Believe me, folks, she wasn't exactly setting the world on fire until that last putback. But pulling the game-winning field goal out of your ass does preclude any further analysis of a player's game, so we'll be moving on now. Becky looked close to her old self- not completely, she wasn't as quick as she usually is, because Darling can't usually keep up with her, but she was close, hence the scoring. She was also pretty fierce when going for rebounds. She played a lot of minutes, as did Loree, who found her three-point shot for this game. Sherill, Erin, and Kiesha were buried on the bench; I don't think Erin got more than five minutes and Sherill ten, and of course Kiesha was DNP-CD. Shameka… she didn't impress me all that much, although she had one fierce rebound near the end of the game that had me hollering. Cathrine… man, she was going up strong, and setting solid screens. Not Screens of Death, but possibly Screens of Just Where Do You Think You're Going, Young Lady. She could teach Barb a little about screens, seeing as Barb was called for at least one illegal one early in the game. Iciss… oh, dear god. If she's in the right place and the ball comes to her, you might get a putback out of her, and tonight she was in the right place more often than usual, but she doesn't fight for what she wants and she has too much of a tendency to linger outside. I actually thought Christelle was the better post off the bench tonight. She fought for balls and rebounds. Now, if we could only get the girl to hit her free throws, we might have something here… but let's be honest, she'll probably get cut next year, because why would we want to keep a player that might actually develop into something?
Most embarrassing basketball moments: surprisingly, none of them named either of the blowouts by Houston, or the ones by Indiana, or the one by Seattle, or the ones by Washington, or… Christelle's was my favorite: since Romance languages such as French place the adjective AFTER the noun being modified, she once, early in her American playing days, referred to a fast break as a "break fast". A surprising number of them involved shooting at the wrong basket. Come on, you mean to tell me none of them have come onto the court without part of their uniform on? Ad-Libs: AB is horrible at soccer- "you don't want to see it, it's pathetic". Barb is the funniest player on the team, per Becky: "but she doesn't mean to be".
Anthem was yet another Sweet Adelines chorus. Seriously. Blaze's secret passion.
Sue and Kym were at the game. Sometime in the second quarter, Sue wandered down to section 16 to say hi to Kym, and I swear I've done the 'tap friend on the shoulder without warning her of your presence' thing. The boy observed, and I agree, that Sue wears tight jeans well for being almost forty.
All in all, it looked like a game that both sides were kind of trying to lose for the sake of ping-pong balls. Sad, really, at the end.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
August 11th, 2006: Charlotte at New York
June 28th, 2006: Charlotte at New York
Charlotte Sting 73, New York Liberty 67
Helen Darling should STFU, the Liberty should be finding their teammates on the fast break, and the Game Notes shouldn't have ordered that burger at Café 31.
If it hadn't been for that third quarter, I don't want to know what the final score would have been. That game was brutal and ugly and painful. It was the worst of times crossed up with the best of moments.
I think my count of people trying to sign with the button of my retractable Sharpie is up to seven with two Sting today. It's a silly stat, but it's a fun one. The Sting are a nice bunch. I like them. Well, most of them. Monique Currie seems to be making the best of her time in Rookie Hell; she was chatting with us and shakin' her groove thang at every opportunity.
I would give good money, or possibly part of my soul, to know what Allison Feaster and Iciss Tillis were talking about before the game, knowing that they both have economics degrees from prestigious institutions. The state of the national economy? The league's finances? Or the best way to look good and stay smart?
Lovely anthem by a lady named Nicole Napolitano, who we later found in the section next to ours. Boooooo to the Liberty for a cheap complimentary seat with indifferent sight lines, especially for a woman who hit the crescendo at the end of the anthem and just kept going.
Great biddy game by some cute PAL kids, one of whom I think was convinced she was Becky; knee-high to a grasshopper, and there she was cranking up regulation threes.
Charlotte did what we could not: they set screens to free up their shooters (read: Sam and Mazzante). Sam seemed rather fond of our defense; she kept coming at it, and Shameka just kept letting her come. There was one play where she stopped dead like she thought she'd heard a whistle. I proceeded to irritate the people five rows down from me with my shrill frustration at that laughable excuse for defense. She also helped put the clamps on Becky, simply by dint of being six feet tall and broad. Helen Darling obviously took drama lessons from Mery Andrade during their years as teammates. My God, that woman does not shut up and pulls some crap that should make her blush. I don't usually call someone a bitch, but I spent a lot of the game hoping that bitch would be knocked on her ass. Currie couldn't hit, but she got to the line- is that her, um, MO? I can't imagine her being anything but fantasy poison until she starts hitting from the field- 7 points doesn't do much to negate 0-11. Tangela Smith still seems addicted to the outside play- stop it, Tangie, you're 6-4 and built. I also wasn't impressed with her post presence. Tammy Sutton-Brown, on the other hand, played like this was an on year. She had strong post presence and finished in the lane. Very impressive. (She also, unfortunately, carries herself like the first thing people look at should be her tits, and, um, no, on so many levels.) Janel McCarville, despite a haircut that honestly made her look like she should be a Bobcat, was solid on the inside- she set some of the best screens of the night, along with TSB. LaToya Bond looked *good*. I *like* that kid. And she saved my ASS in VGM, so I'm inclined to like her even more. Fluker's bigger than I thought, though if she's 6-5 I'm a small forward. She used her size well on the inside, and she had one monster block on AB that was all, "NCAA rings don't matter in the W, byotch!" Allison Feaster… sadly, I don't think she'll ever be the player she was, a shooter that you could not leave open. I think that player is now Kelly Mazzante, who also earned my ire by attempting a slide-tackle/grab on Loree. Tsk, tsk. I swear, you wouldn't think they taught such physical play at Penn State.
Sherill, Becky, look over there. See those other women in white? They're your teammates. Please to find them on the fast break, kplzthx? Sherill especially. I realize that Becky spent most of the night with a much larger defender on her- and why the posts didn't set screens for her, I will NEVER know- but Sherill should not be taking more shots than Becky. I don't care how much of the future she is. Also, guys? Please not to be watching your point guard lead the team in rebounds, okay? Yes, I realize there were a lot of sixes and fives scattered about (mwah! to that, Sherill, and wow, was Iciss trying to show Mo up?), but this comment is mostly addressed to Barb's 2 rebounds in 19 minutes and Schuey's 4 in 26 minutes. Especially Schuey. My God, but did she look lost tonight. She blocked shots, but that was about it. Barb probably would have turned it up in the second half were it not for the fouls; I don't know so much about Schuey. One of these days, Loree is going to learn to score, and her teammates are actually going to hit their shots, and she's going to pull down a triple-double on us. It won't be a very impressive triple-double, probably a 10-10-10, but she pads the stat sheet nicely. Shameka turned it up late, but she seems to have bought into the Phoenix/Seattle idea of defense: score more than your opponent, except that she didn't. I liked her rebounding tonight. It was good to see her mixing it up inside- she needs to keep that up, especially when the threes aren't falling. Cathrine played well tonight, but damnit, where have the Screens of Death gone? Yeah, I like offense, and I like threes and taking it to the hoop, but getting your shooters open is also of great importance, as is covering on the defensive end.
Idiot refs. What else is new? Equal opportunity suckage, though, so I suppose that's fair. Darling and Mazzante were awfully physical. And I nearly died laughing when I saw how Becky fouled Darling during the endgame foul derby. No wonder she missed the first free throw- the touch probably traumatized her!
After the game, the boy and I went out to dinner at Café 31- the wings are as good as advertised, and they've improved the Italian portion of the menu, but don't order a burger because they're dreadfully dull. We saw Coach Stanley when we came in, glued to the Sacramento-Seattle game with a soda and presumably her dinner eventually, and Lisa White when we headed out (in the company of an awfully familiar bleach blonde, but I wasn't quite sure if that was Becky's bad bleach job or not).
If it hadn't been for that third quarter…
August 25th, 2005: Charlotte at New York
Charlotte Sting 78, New York Liberty 66
The Game Notes would like to actually be appreciated on Fan Appreciation Day, if it's all right with you.
If this is what the Liberty, as a team and as a franchise both, think of their fans, then perhaps they should stop wondering why people have stopped coming back. On the flip side, the behavior of a large number of Liberty fans this past night made them unworthy of serious consideration by any franchise that has half a clue.
I remember a time when the Charlotte Sting were a worthy rival, a team that Liberty fans couldn't stand during the games and would stand staunchly by once the buzzer sounded. We applauded Stint, Dawn, Vicky, Allison- all their stars, because they knew we knew what we were talking about, and we knew they were worthy. Obviously, that era is over, and I mourn it. Sheri Sam never shuts up. Helen Darling never shuts up. Tammy Sutton-Brown showboated- is she aware that she may be the first RU alum to get booed the next time she sets foot on the Garden court? That was the cockiest, nastiest 5-24 team I ever saw take a court for a game that only mattered for pride. At least Adrienne Goodson let Elena help her up off the floor this time. Nasty and physical and excessive, and I have the sneaking suspicion that when Kelly Mazzante was backing Becky up and talking trash in her face that she was using language that would have gotten her banned from any board in this fandom. You would think simple instructions regarding defense against Charlotte would have stuck for the Liberty, what with having played this team on this fucking court, oh, eleven days ago, but nooooo, Mazzante kept floating to the corners, Sutton-Brown kept getting looks in the paint, and Sam kept shooting no matter what. Matter and Mazzante on the floor at the same time is just too much zone-busting blondeness for one court to take, especially if Becky's on at the same time. Ayana Walker has serious ups. Janel McCarville needs to stick to the post. Muggsy needs to either get suits that fit properly or go get the peripherals and start moonlighting as a pimp (and if he follows up on the second option, I have a couple of suggestions as to who should be in his stable).
Where do I even begin with the Liberty? Do I start with Shameka, who is a sweet kid with a world of talent and great potential, but without a lick of common sense and the worst learning curve I've seen on almost any player to come through the Liberty organization? Or maybe Crystal, who we already know can't shoot with her pinky sliding out of place the way it is, who should really be getting the rolls on those slashing drives to the basket, who let Sheri Sam get under her skin to the point where her defensive game was wildly off so that Sam had to be entrusted to lesser defenders with tragic results? Maybe I should save some vituperation for Elena, who couldn't buy a bucket but failed to realize that her metaphorical credit card was being declined. I should also spare some words for Becky's lackadaisical defense and VJ's grinding hesitation that slew fast breaks before they could even be a hope of quick points. The bench must also get its proper due; after all, where would we have been without Erin's absolute lack of production, or those lay-ups that La'Keshia just couldn't get down? I can't really go sarcastic bitch on Cathrine, because she didn't do anything I needed to bitch about, though I'd like to know what happened to the full-fledged beast we've all come so quickly to love; she just wasn't fully herself tonight. I mean, yeah, there were some good points to the game- Elena and Becky were rebounding like nobody's business, VJ was driving and scoring, Cathrine was the ultimate sparkplug, and since when could Crystal dish like that? But it ws a frustrating game, half-played like it mattered more than life itself and half-played like it mattered not at all. Pick a damn inclination and stick to it. If you're going to play it, play it out. If you're going to fluff it as an extra you don't want and don't need, then start Cat and put Jennifer in before 1:01 of the second half. Rest the hosses you're going to need against Indiana on Tuesday. Experiment with the bench. Exhaust the crack supply. I'll bet that Elena's ankle wishes Patty had put La'Keshia in one play sooner. That bloody idiot- uh, Patty, not Elena or her sore ankle- is in over her head and needs to be GONE.
Rule of thumb: Fan Appreciation Day is not the day you blow past fans who have Sharpies. Fan Appreciation Day is the day you smile, accept that you'll be five minutes late, and talk to the nice people, because, hey, we know the schedule and we'll be quick, or maybe we'll slip you a few bucks towards the fine. This goes double if you decide to blow through the tunnel like you've been struck deaf. Elena, hon, I love ya, I danced in my dorm room when I read the dispersal draft results, but that's just bad karma, and bad karma's a bitch. Next rule of thumb: Fan Appreciation Day is not the day to be an officious ass to someone who's hanging out with a friend in a seat they have admitted isn't theirs, at least not twenty minutes before the game when the person's already said they're not planning to stay. Next rule of thumb: Fan Appreciation Day is the last day that arena management should neglect to select an autograph section.
Some other things to keep in mind: don't give your mascot playoff tickets and have him traipse around the arena unguarded unless you want the guy to die from suffocation. Kraayeveld spells her name Cathrine, not Catherine; at least that's a more explicable mistake than the infamous Vicky Johnson. If you're going to make the t-shirts rare, at least make them nice instead of some cheap-ass thing that looks like a basketball version of MST3K. Oh yeah, and don't play the goddamn rally song while one of your starters is on the floor clutching her ankle!
Not that the idiots with whom I shared much of the Garden were any better. After all, they were the ones pushing and shoving to get in like they were giving away money in that damn building. They were the ones who swarmed poor Maddie. They were the ones dancing and cheering while Elena writhed. I'm sure that must have made her feel special, knowing that no matter what, the precious show must go on around her. Because it's all about the free shit and the big furry dog, right? The basketball game is secondary, right? It has to be an entertainment experience, because nothing can be about itself anymore.
It's days like these, when people are idiots and it's the Sting players who turn around when someone calls while the Liberty walk right on by, that I'm left to wonder how much the Garden cares about people like I used to be, mid-range season ticket holders who drop their $200 on tickets and their $50 on tchochkes and their $50 on food, and they love their team like the child they maybe never had or the first crush they maybe never got over, and they choose going to every game in green seats over eight games in purple seats or two games in folding chairs because they fucking have to be there (doesn't matter where, but they have to be where their heart beats faster and their throat grows sore). We are family, Liberty fans; we swap gear and tickets and loan out our stuff like Cousin Jimmy just came in from Podunk; we trade favors and make deals, and when we're on the road ain't no one a stranger.
But Goddess almighty, why can't the people we came together for see that? Days like these, man, it's days like these when I feel Easy Spirit pumps coming down on my metaphorical fingers, and I think it would be so easy to get a life.
(kate, you likey the posters? I couldn't stay to give 'em to you in person.)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
August 14th, 2005: Charlotte at New York
New York Liberty 73, Charlotte Sting 65
The Liberty need some calcium, the Sting miss Allison Feaster, and Cathrine Kraayeveld proves to Helen Darling that thou shalt not fuck with a Liberty player.
Today's win was about those things that haven't been a strength of the Liberty this season: offensive rebounding and the bench. Today's game also demonstrated how much the Sting miss Allison Feaster, but we'll get to that in, uh, due time.
Don't stylize the anthem. I don't care who you are: don't do it as a round, don't change the words, and don't repeat phrases for dramatic emphasis. It is not cool.
Helen Darling is a real piece of work: she was grabbing and holding all night long, and if she weren't out of Penn State, I'd suspect an ulterior motive for some of those holds. She's a speedy little thing who does know how to make sneaky passes. Tangela Smith is so smooth it's almost painful- if you're not rooting for her team. Bogues played her the entire 40 minutes, according to the box score. She's tough, but damn, does that girl walk like an 8th Avenue hooker. Tammy Sutton-Brown struts almost the same way, but she's not quite as smooth about it. She stepped her game up slightly, I guess because someone had to. Kelly Mazzante was pretty ineffective today, and the only significant shot she hit was the halfcourt shot that ended the Sting's shootaround. Sheri Sam is a lot tougher and more physical than I remembered, and for some reason the Liberty defensive scheme often decided to leave her weakly defended. Adrienne Goodson still has it, but if it came down to either guarding Sam closely or guarding Goody closely, I'd guard Sam first. Jia Perkins is stockier than I had thought her. Teana Miller is still a tank, though a slightly smaller one. If Sam was on Crystal, she gets the award for best defense by a Sting player. Yes, I know Crystal is effectively a defense-only player right now, but she was the only one who really seemed to be stopped by someone else's actions. Muggsy really needs to work on his fashion sense, because that suit quite patently didn't fit him. He also needs to learn not to ride his starters into the ground. The more things change...
#25 was Becky Bigtime today, no doubt. When we needed a big shot, she stepped up. She picked her spots, and she picked them well. Likewise, VJ knew when to put the daggers in with those gorgeous drives to the hoop and the fastbreak lay-ups- really, is there anyone in the league better at catching up to those ridiculous passes and converting them to points? Loved her D today, too. Crystal had to bring the D, because her shooting is still slightly impaired. She shared a problem with a few of her teammates- if you're going to take a long jumper, make sure you're behind the line. Foot on the line gets you as many points as a lay-up. Elena was so fierce on the boards that it did my heart good. When she clears out, you could tape it and use it for instructional tapes, because she goes up strong, she brings it down strong, and she makes damn sure no one's getting friendly with her. Shameka just didn't have it tonight. Patty did right not playing her too much. La'Keshia was a real spark; she usually does well against her former teams. Cathrine was amazing off the bench, scoring, playing physical defense, setting those rock-solid screens that are already her specialty, and most of all, demonstrating to Miz Darling that thou shalt not fuck with a Liberty player unless thou dost wish to be fucked with thyself. That back elbow, in its twisted way, made her more truly a Lib than anything else she's done this year. Erin- while her defense on Sheri Sam and Goody made me cringe, flinch, and other assorted bad things- did what we needed her to do off the bench; unless I miscalculated, she was good for 12 VGM. Loree was a non-factor. It's times like these that I remember why she was a lousy first-round pick. (Not that I have anything against her, but she hasn't shown much in her last few spurts.) Patty, of course, spent most of the game being accused of being on crack. Earth logic makes no sense to her.
Refs were wildly inconsistent, per usual. Charlotte got away with more holding, but the Liberty had a couple of ignored infractions.
Note to Garden brass: do not set up the fan tunnel fifteen minutes before the Liberty are scheduled to come onto the court, while the other team is still on the floor. That's just bad timing, and bad timing is trouble for all concerned. Likewise, standing in an aisle anywhere in New York is a very bad idea, unless you *like* it rough.
Danni, sitting with you and your mom was a TRIP. We gotta do it more often next year.
Poor Ann. Really, this team needs more calcium. And we need to keep up the solid bench play.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
September 2nd, 2004: Charlotte at New York
New York Liberty 56, Charlotte Sting 52
The Game Notes get the onstage hookup, Tammy Sutton-Brown walks like a hooker, and Crystal Robinson and the entertainment are both off the hook.
Kate, you are a goddess. Seriously. I love you, I adore you, if I weren't straight I'd marry you. For those of you who are confused, Kate, the admin at wnbatalk.com, hooked me and mom up with her seats for the game tonight. Did I mention that Kate sits onstage? *squeal jump ow...*
Even getting to onstage seats is an adventure in and of itself- you get to wander around backstage and see where they stash the stuff for the games and the elevator to the locker rooms and the directions to the press conference. You get to come through the same passageway as the teams, and it's just so wow. To sit on the stage at Radio City Music Hall is an incredible experience, and y'all need to try it sometime. You'd see who makes whom laugh, and that DeTrina's joined in the Livestrong yellow bracelet craze, and once again learn that if Goddess had meant for white girls to dance, She would have made them black I swear that Erin's in the doghouse because she taught Becky to do the robot dance. I know I'd do that if I were in a position of authority.
Is it just me, or does Tammy Sutton-Brown walk the same way that LL does? Either that, or she's begging for someone to check out her derriere. It... it twitches. And she... er... jiggles. Despite all that, she was a force on the glass, including especially the offensive glass. Wasn't someone on Full Court Press just mentioning how her offensive rebound production had gone down? Coulda fooled me. Dawn Staley didn't play like someone who had just come off a back-to-back after playing in freakin' Athens at that time or so last week. She was on the ball, and a very wise player. Putting Becky on her was a giant mistake. She set everything up beautifully for the Sting; their offense sputtered when K.B. went on her and started forcing her to hold the ball for longer periods of time. Stinson's still got some moves. They don't always go in, but she's still got some moves. She had one really nifty steal that would have made me shriek if I had seen it. She also seems to have either found a magical sports bra that she needs to recommend to TSB and Crystal, or she's lost weight in a certain legendary part of her anatomy. Allison Feaster had a relatively quiet night, but honestly, haven't the Liberty defenders figured out yet that this is not a woman you leave to go double on someone else? For real? Crystal didn't look thrilled at the prospect of defending her, but she didn't seem to be the focus of the offense, for some reason. I'm not sure who she was on defensively, but unless she had Crystal, she was doing all right for herself. Charlotte Smith-Taylor wore very bright lipstick (sweetie, you're not Tina Thompson, please don't try it) and had a knack for hitting key shots. Her range is getting better; the long shots are falling. I'd still not be sanguine about her as my long-distance threat, though, were I a Sting fan. Kelly Mazzante is turning out to be quite a steal in the second round, which makes sense, what with her having been projected as a first-round pick. She found a way to get open for a jumper while VJ and Crystal were both chasing her, and she was fierce on the defensive end. She's developing dimensions. Brava, Kelly. Nicole Powell was really good at being tall, and I dimly recall her in some defensive plays for some reason. Olympia Scott-Richardson also put her height to good use, elevating for a shot over DeTrina. D-Train was not pleased with herself after O-Scott put it in over her. Teana Miller (née McKiver) is really good at being really big. Tynesha Lewis must make Van Chancellor go 'why the heck did I dump her?' eveyr time she comes up big. She's very solid for this Sting team. Trudi Lacey shows promise as a defensive stopper, and yeah, as a coach. And none of these women should wear orange aluminum foil... wait, that was a uniform?!
VJ. WTF? A missed free throw, a shot that didn't hit the rim, a blown fastbreak layup, a fumbled pass... again I ask, what the f-? This is a half-season's worth of mistakes from her, all in one night. Elena. Again, WTF? Jet lag? She didn't play most of the second half, was ineffective when she was in, no matter how wonderful it was to hear the regular announcer roll that R as hard as he could. Becky was very well contained on offense for most of the game, only busting loose for a couple of layups in the second half. The long bombs weren't falling for most anyone. It was scary. Bethany held her ground against Tammy Sutton-Brown- it was really physical in there with the two of them; at one point, Bethany accidentally punched TSB in the head (her hand was in a fist, she didn't get out of the way, and TSB leaned into her hand). Crystal is a goddess. A shot-clock-beating four-point play? Dude. That's just. Dude. If that's not a momentum switcher, nothin' in this world is. And she played great defense. Mmm. I Crystal. La'Keshia actually rebounded. Like, wow, that's impressive, for real. And she hit 2/2 at one point from the line. I guess she saves the big games for the Sting. DeTrina played a lot because of the what-ever-it-was that affected Elena, but she wasn't really the full-fledged D-Train that we all know and adore, though she had one rebound that had the crowd yelling. K.B. was very solid, the prototype of the traditional point guard. She didn't score, and I don't know if she had any assists, but she spearheaded the offense (although in this game that's an inaccurate term) and was absolutely brilliant on defense. She's got great potential, and I just hope she doesn't end up screwed up by coaches who don't know what to do with her. Shameka hit a shot, but was otherwise quite forgettable. Sorry, Mel.
The coaching was the reason why I thought the Sting were going to keep that thirteen-point lead. Trudi Lacey controlled the early flow of the game- her substitutions caused Patty to make changes instead of the other way around; when the Sting went tall, Elena came into the game, when Lacey sent in the starters, so did Patty. I think Patty got control of her moves and that was a key to the Liberty getting the game back into their hands. I think the defense was also key, though the Sting forcing three shot clock violations is nothing to sneeze at either. Offense, like I said, wasn't exactly common in this game. There were a lot of misses, a lot of stalls, a lot of deflections, and a lot of solid defensive plays. This wasn't Patty and Marianne's finest hour, though Patty gets bonus points for having one of her little fireside chats with K.B. before sending the kid into the game; I know Patty played PG in college. The refs were all right- an all-female crew headed up by Lisa mattingly. They made a couple of glaringly bad calls, but made quick make-up calls soon afterwards. It all evened out. Mostly they let 'em play, and did they ever.
I don't know if I could get used to the view- I like the details, but I like being able to see everything unfolding from above like the eye of Goddess or something, too. I do, however, think that I could easily get used to the people. Thundersticks to my left, thundersticks to my right, a wonderfully crazed lady in front of me... okay, so the smelly guy next to my mom wasn't so much of the good, but hey, I told her she could move over. I think we really did knock Andrea Stinson off her stride on a free throw, and considering how few of them there were I think that's notable. And again, the Sting players are teh niceness [sic].
Place was not completely full, as I can vouch for five empty seats due to the damn convention. Tari wore tight pants and a half-buttoned blouse. Alas, I didn't get pictures of her. The anthem was done by a female trio named Mrs. Robinson, and yes, a couple of players shot Crystal looks at that intro. They were all right, and I think they've done the anthem before. Pregame show was the Sting bricking halfcourt shots and a dance team. Halftime was another dance team, and I have a pic of them I might get posted when I get my film developed. The bear is so cuuuuuuute! *hugs Stevie-bear* Yes, I have one for you, Kate; the nice man at the door gave me two so none of us have to go without. Strange moments of the Bounce/Cheer/Joy thing- the Cheer spilled, and the girl with one hand hit the lay-up first. This was after VJ had blown the fastbreak layup, so needless to say the sarcasm was on full blast. There was a pregame celebration of the two Olympians on the court. I stood and clapped for Dawn, and she got a hearty round, but the biggest cheers were for Elena. Me, I was bout even for them, because I knew that Elena was about as happy with her bronze as the American men were with theirs. They got flowers and applause.
At the end of the game, the players did their ritual wave at the fans thing, but they seemed like they wanted to get away as fast as they could. I don't know whether it was because they won such an embarrassingly bad game, or because Patty was all ready to lay into them about what they shouldn't learn from this game, or because they had a flight/bus to Connecticut to catch directly after. Maybe this time they'll catch up on their naps before the game (I was waiting with some acquaintances before the game at the stage door, and as the Liberty players disembarked from the turquoise bullet of ugly, one of them said that they all looked like they needed a nap. Crystal was the only one really conscious. Hmmm. Correlation? Well, her comment also got the odd image of a Liberty kindergarten class going through my head.)
And what have we learned about the East from this game? NOTHING!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
July 18th, 2004: Charlotte at New York
New York Liberty 75, Charlotte Sting 58
Tari arrived on time, Elena missed a free throw, and a shirt landed in section 209, and yet the world didn't come to an end. Amazing.
pardon the lateness... I wrote these at 11:30 and was too damn tired to go deathmatch on my dad for the computer...
Tari arrived on time, Elena missed a free throw, and a shirt landed in section 209, and yet the world hasn't come to an end. Amazing.
Let me state for the record that I've long thought the Charlotte players and coaching staff were the classiest lot in the league (which is why it amused me so much that they got Andrade). If I were a knowledgable fan of the league who had no local connections to a team, Charlotte would probably be my team. And my opinion had no reason to change today- they're a genuinely nice bunch of people, and I hope to whatever powers might be out there that the older players are teaching the younger players so that when this crop of younger players are the older players they do the same thing. I was cracking up during warm-ups, because while Crystal was on her side of halfcourt and Charlotte Smith-Taylor was on hers, they were chattering away. All of this makes dumb move of the day #2 even more reprehensible.
Dumb moves of the day: #1- Glenn and I were parked over by the railing by the tunnel to and from the locker rooms, and the MSG guys were fiddling with their special features. This one was on Dawn Staley, and it had her stats and her Olympic appearances, and her Sting consecutive starts streak... and Becky Hammon's photo. We laughed so hard that the fan tunnel kids, who were standing right behind the desk where the monitor was, looked at us like we'd gone nuts. #2- Half an hour until tip-off, and the Sting were just finishing up their practice with some halfcourt shooting. Yo heart the halfcourt shooting, so I was riveted. Blaze got antsy, and she finally sent one of her flunkies out to clear the players from the court so that the dance troupe could get on. Now, I know they paid for their time, but hello. For one, there was a lull between the completion of the routine and the entrance of the Liberty- she couldn't have waited another minute? For two, I thought this was a basketball game, not a dance recital- basketball stuff should take priority over non-basketball stuff. Tres rude. #3- this one is a little far-reaching. I know I'm not the only one who'd like to hear Tari sing the National Anthem. According to Trish, the security boss lady, Tari would like to sing the anthem- if the front office would let her do it. Jeez, it's not like she's doing anything else at the moment...
So then the sound system went die. And when Maddie got that "Let's go Liberty!" chant going, I felt so warm and fuzzy that I prayed they never got the music amped back up. I loved that feeling of just thousands of voices raised in harmony at the direction of a big furry dog. I'd have loved to hear an entire game of just a fired-up Garden crowd screaming. Bet it would still be louder than half the arenas in this league. And, uh, did I mention I really am not digging this substitute announcer dude? It's "Yih-LAY-nuh", and roll the R!
Loved that first interaction between Crystal and Allison Feaster- after Feaster hit the first shot, Crystal gave her a low-five and then stuck a three in her face. I kept a running tally of shots they hit on each other- that was tied at 3, but Crystal won the face-off with that monster stuff. Yo heart Crystal. También yo heart Elena and her hook shot and her toes juuuuuust behind the line threes. Becky and her drives got the place rocking. Erin didn't do a whole helluva lot, but what she did was hella impressive- one lay-up that looked like something Sue Bird might hit to win an overtime game, and one twelve-inches-behind the arc three-pointer. VJ had a steady hand- didn't score much, but kept things smooth and helped keep a lid on the offensive threats (except for Mazzante, but we'll get to that). Bethany actually fought for rebounds- I saw it and everything! And she hit two free throws in a row- some kind of freaky, eh? Big props go to La'Keshia for going from the waiver wire to the starting lineup in less than two weeks. DeTrina was... well, she was the D-train: tough, just a little undependable, and not fun to be run over by. There were some gorgeous passes- Becky over the shoulder to Elena, Elena through traffic to Erin- and as a whole, the team is moving better, both with the ball and without it.
The Sting look like they're wearing orange aluminum foil, their uniforms are so shiny. Andrea Stinson... how can I possibly phrase this without sounding offensive? Her, er, natural double-team wasn't quite as... imposing. Neither was she- she didn't even start the second half, though she did start the game. I think as long as she's breathing and in a Charlotte uniform she'll start. The Starting Hyphens- Sutton-Brown and Smith-Taylor- were tough on the glass, but S-T was ineffective otherwise. S-B was a bit more use on the offensive end, but I don' tthink taking her in VGM today would have been a good idea. The Bench Hyphen was essentially a foul magnet and a little bit of eye candy (just a little- and that's my dad's take, mind you!) Dawn Staley doesn't move like a 35-year-old, but she shoots like one, though she came on a bit late. She also yakked at the refs more than anyone I've ever seen. Kelly Mazzante kept getting open and kept hitting. Tell me again why teams passed on her? Tynesha Lewis was a sparkplug- when she went in, she made things happen. VanChan must be headdesking every time her boxscores come in. The other two rookies and Mery Andrade were basically warm bodies- correction, Andrade was essentially the towel. Smirk. Yo heart karma.
The refs weren't bad, and the mistakes they made were in the Liberty's favor, so I really shouldn't say any more.
I'm not usually big on Kids' Day, 'cause I'm not big on kids who aren't old enough to behave themselves. But the ones in my section were good. *applauds* Wasn't impressed with the anthem, but remember that I had Dumb Move #3 on my mind, so I don't think I would have been happy with much of anything. When are they going to have Basketball Fans' Day, where they don't play stupid games during timeouts and talk turkey? (Although they can keep the Liberty Ad-Libs. I find those hilarious. Though the only reason I can see for Bethany spending more time on her hair is if she does Tari's hair.)
Who else saw Elena pulling on Maddie's tail before one of the tips?
Either Camille Cooper was in the house, or Camille Cooper's dead ringer was in the house, in either case traveling with a guy about her height and age. Passing through the corridor at the Garden after the game, I saw a vaguely familiar-looking woman who was damn tall. And if I say someone is damn tall, they are DAMN tall- I'm tall enough to be a decent-sized combo guard (and weigh enough to be a post player, but that's neither here nor there). Perhaps she and Bethany are starting the "Put-Upon Liberty Posts" club? Kym and Ariel (sp?) were also there. I still maintain that a child that young should not be exposed to the Garden. That's just evil. I think Tynesha Lewis might also have had family in the house- there was someone leaving the Garden through the front door who looked something like her and had an NC State backpack, but I didn't know if it was actually her or not.
Then a batch of us went to Café 31 and ran into a few more board types, and pretty much the whole restaurant gave Trudi Lacey a rousing ovation when she came in for dinner, 'cause we're cool like that.
Monday, January 14, 2008
July 18th, 2003: Charlotte at New York
New York Liberty 56, Charlotte Sting 48
Tamika Whitmore goes to extremes, terrible things are done to classics, and no one wants to see Andrea Stinson's midriff.
If this was a men’s team, there would be no question about precisely what was going on. It would be splashed all over the back page, and we’d know for certain who hated whom and who wanted to get the hell off the team. Everything would be aired. There would be no questions, no doubts, and honestly, I think the Tomato-Head would have been fired by now because of all the scrutiny. But it’s not a men’s team, and so the coverage is minimal and buried in the back of the sports section when it is there, and so all we can do as fans is guess and conjecture and post amusing theories on message boards.
On one hand, this is good. What goes on behind the locker room doors and in the offices of the team execs isn’t our business. Personally, I could care less about most of the scandals and the crap that float around men’s sports. But on the other hand, damnit, I want to know how Spoon is really taking the ascension of K.B., and why Tamika’s playing like she’s still off in la-la-land. And it galls me that gender is probably the main reason why there is so little interest in the league- so many people don’t take female athletes seriously. I mean, it’s still basketball, a sport that America takes pretty seriously. *sigh* Someday it’ll finally swing to one extreme of the other- either there will be no female pro leagues, or there will be complete equality.
I tell people Allison Feaster is a pure shooter, that she’s smart and she knows the game and has a sweet stroke. She hit a halfcourt shot in the pre-pregame warm-ups, when the majority of the crowd hopefully hadn’t shown up yet, because if this is the majority of the crowd we’re in a lot of trouble. So someone had better take notice out on the court, or we’re going to be at the short end of the score once again, and I don’t know about y’all, but I’m getting really sick of that. Anyway. The Sting really are a nice bunch. Rushia Brown gets the Queen of Nice award for this squad, for taking someone’s roster and passing it and a pen to all of her teammates in order to get it signed for the person. There was also some cuteness with Dawn Staley and a couple of her young fans; she was joking with them that they were lost- “Look where you are!” or words to that effect.
This is one of those strangers-in-the-night days… came down 32nd Street on the way to the game and passed a taller-than-average young woman in red shorts who looked vaguely familiar. So I got into the Garden, and one of my friends asks me, “Hey, did you see Erin?” (as in Thorn) “Red shorts?” “Yep.” Our theory that Richie was busting their asses was later blown out of the water when Erin returned with shopping bags. Then, a couple of hours later, as I came in to get my ticket scanned, I ended up next to a very tall black woman. (Trust me when I say tall. I’m 5’7” or 5’8”, so it takes a lot to make me think someone is tall.) She looked kinda like one of the Fab Four (obviously not Bird, but I always mix up the other three). So I sit here and wonder if, by any random chance, either Tamika Williams or Asjha Jones is at tonight’s game; it can’t be Cash because Detroit hosts Seattle tonight- wee, Fab Four angst!
Kate, be grateful you missed the dancers. They started out well, with a number from “Hairspray”, but it went downhill from there and ended up as an interpretive dance to the Pledge of Alleigiance and a reading from the Constitution. Come to think of it, where are you? Someone’s in your seats, they better be there with permission! At least you missed the most awful anthem I have ever heard. I don’t know what it was, whether it was a disco mix or a hip-hop mix or calypso, or reggae, or R&B, but it was awful. When did the national anthem become the latest song to remix? Hunh?
Halftime now; Mr. Taylor is serenading us. Hopefully he’ll do something better than he did with the national anthem. (And yes, he did. That was wonderful halftime stuff. Celebrate good times, indeed.) Ah, a lead. Oh, how wonderful. I forgot how nice it was to be at the winning side of the score. We’re playing well, which is always a good thing. There have been some lapses in hustle, but not as many as there were against Washington. VJ’s gone off like a firecracker. And Erin actually saw extended playing time! K.B., on the other hand, committed one foul and was out of the game for the foreseeable future. Tamika’s showing hints of emerging from her Zen state. Elena has had the worst luck with her shots, though she did finally get one to fall. I really have high hopes for this game, all the gods of sport know we need it.
Richie’s losing his mind. Why did he take K.B. out after all that hustle she had shown? Why put Crystal back in? Why take Elena out when she plays best with the young’uns? Why play Spoon so long at the start of each half? We can’t keep doing this! We can’t keep playing with seven players when everyone else runs fresh bodies at us.
Yayayayayayay! * * We won, we won, we won, we finally won, we’re finally off the schnide! VJ was incredible! She decided that she wasn’t going to lose any more games, so she simply took this one over. She had 27 points; the Liberty in total only had 56. She dished, she swished, and she showed more animation than any of us had ever seen out of her before. Tari was a monster on the boards- is it just me or has she been getting better and better this year? Spoon actually scored- was that the first time this month? Tamika’s still playing the role of Zen Girl, but she did show some hustle and some interest in actually bruising her dainty skin. I guess the effectiveness of the bench trifecta- Elena, K.B, and Erin- could be argued either way. Elena was the only one to score, but all of them ate up key minutes and allowed VJ and the crew a rest. I wish he’d show more faith in Fro’, instead of just letting her do all the announcements.
Tamika spent a lot of time pissed off tonight. Twice, when she went to the bench, Linda tried to high-five her and she utterly ignored the poor kid. As if Linda hasn’t been ignored enough this season. The second time, Linda just stood there, hand in the air, while Miko stalked off to the end of the bench. Miko needs to find a happy medium very soon, somewhere between MellowSpacedOut!ZenGirl and RagingScreamingTempramental!Girl, or else she’s going to either go insane or lose her job. Likewise, Crystal needs to make like Stella and get her groove back. On that topic, what’s happened to her dribble? She can hardly handle the ball anymore, and that’s not good for a small forward.
Tonight’s Becky Watch had the poor thing back behind the scorer’s table, as she was not dressed properly to hang out with the team. She and Crystal chatted a little during halftime. Oh, and anyone who was at the Play-By-Play, give us, well, a play-by-play.
Unwanted Midriff Sightings: K.B., VJ, and *shudder* Andrea Stinson. (Note to Andrea Stinson- lay off the pasta, stop padding your bra… whatever it is, just stop. These unis are NOT flattering to women with… um… *diplomatic* curves and heft.)
Unfortunately, Your Yo-ness, any Finals between the Monarchs and the Liberty this year would be in some bizarre consolation bracket.
Friday, January 4, 2008
June 22nd, 2003: Charlotte at New York
New York Liberty 69, Charlotte Sting 57
The Sting are mostly charming, new uniforms are disturbing, and you can't trust a woman who doesn't play around with the fun-loving furry dog.
Sting fans, wherever you are, you’ve got a wonderful team. It’s not just that they’re talented on the basketball court, but they’re also good-natured and charming to fans. Even fans of the other team. Most of them were friendly, coming over to talk and to sign autographs; Rushia Brown was particularly charmed by some Cleveland homies who came decked out in retro Browns stuff. The Sting need people to come to their games and appreciate them, damn it! They deserve better than to be part of the running joke that’s attendance in this league. I wish them luck… except when it comes at the expense of the Liberty.
Halftime notes. The Liberty, per usual, can’t rebound to save their lives; Sting are up by four on the boards. Elena looks like she’s been having Utah flashbacks; she looks like she thinks her teammates are the ones in the teal. Becky, of course, is hitting everything that she looks at- and she’s doing it with the aid of a heating pad applied to her back. I honestly think Becky is turning into a little bit of a diva the likes of which the Liberty has never seen before in its history. Staley and Spoon both look like they’re playing for their jobs, since Miller and K.B. are both coming up fast.
We’ve got to stop giving up so many offensive rebounds. This is becoming a disturbing pattern. The Liberty don’t let them shoot very well at all, but they give up offensive rebounds out the wazoo. Trust me, you don’t want a rebound out the wazoo. Crystal came out of hibernation in the second half and threw in some very key baskets. Poor Miko got knocked to the floor twice in two possessions and again later in the game; after the last, she was on the floor writhing in pain for a while as the hippity-hop race went on at the other end of the court. She really didn’t look right after that; it wasn’t just that she looked dazed but also that she looked like she had a touch of the flu or something.
And Spoon was on the bench at the end of this one, but that was because Richie’s conscience tore at him about not playing the bench girls enough; the finishing lineup was Miko, K.B., Linda, Lindsey, and Erin.
Charlotte really piled up the fouls, but a lot of them were pointless and stupid. Sutton-Brown looks really good. I really regret my votes for Tari at center now; Tari’s not really a center, as much as we have her play like one. The new uniforms are not flattering to Andrea Stinson; I really, really didn’t want to know just how much Stinson there was underneath that uniform. I honestly think that certain movements of certain parts distracted her defenders long enough for her to get her shot off. Feaster looks wonderful. She needs to get some love from the league and some attention from defenders; she’s strong and she’s quick. She shoots well enough to have led the nation in scoring in 1997-98, and she’s smart enough to have gone to Harvard. I wanted to scream every time Becky was assigned to her. I don’t like Shalonda Enis. She didn’t shake Maddie’s hand. You can’t trust a woman who doesn’t play around with the fun-loving furry dog.
I saw that Lacey goes deep and makes a lot of moves. Intriguing. I don’t agree with picking up Brumfield and Tynesha Lewis, though; any point guard that Houston throws back must truly and utterly suck, because Houston has never had a truly elite point guard though Perrot came close. If Kelly Miller had had a better game, perhaps things would have been different, and we wouldn’t have seen so much of the end-of-the-bench types.
Again, where the heck was everyone? Trying to beat the traffic to the game at Shea tonight? With a Rutgers alumna and a Philly girl in the house for the Sting, there should have been more fans. I grant that the attendance might have sucked because they weren’t giving anything away, but COME ON!
Unwanted Midriff sightings included VJ, Elena, Crystal, Andrea Stinson, and Tari. I think VJ’s midriff is going to be on the UMs list all season, the way she hustles.
In the end, this is the only thing that matters... I CAN USE THE SECOND BANANA!