Connecticut Sun 77, Sacramento Monarchs 70
ROAD TRIP! The Game Notes learn not to count their chickens before Brooke Wyckoff sets, Kara Lawson is in hostile territory, and referees suck.
Have I ever mentioned that my mom is crazy and will, on the spur of the moment, plan an excursion?
No matter what nicknames y'all want to pin on Mr. Enterline, he should be drawn and quartered, and those other two with him, after that pathetic excuse for refereeing last night. The first half was especially appalling in the number of unevenly made calls. Of course, the importance of the two out-of-bounds plays in the second half (the Taj shot and the deflection off Katie's sock) almost counterbalances the quantity from the first. I'd swear that Chelsea Newton spent more time horizontal than vertical on the floor, and not by her own volition (and the one time the call went in her favor was one of the two screw-ups that went in Sacto's favor, go figure!)
On the other hand... Whiz: WTF did Ticha play so much near the end of the game when she wasn't doing squat, and Chelsea and K-Law were being so much more effective?
Damn scoreboard stopped acknowledging DeMya's existence sometime in the second half. Very bizarre.
AJ's butt is a weapon of mass destruction.
I don't want to talk about the people I was sitting around, because they only strengthened the bad impression I get of Sun fans every time I go to the casino for a game as an opposing fan, and there are a couple of Sun fans on this board that I like and don't want to paint with the same brush.
I third Admiral and dts's previous statements about Erin Buescher and her sister. Seriously. "...and I shall call [her] Mini-Me."
Folks sighted: Lady Grooms and adorable child (and presumably Mr. Grooms); Ruthie Bolton, with lovely long hair; Temeka Johnson; DeLisha Milton-Jones, and I think the gentleman sitting next to Miz Johnson was Mr. Jones (why Temeka was sitting between them, the world may never know).
Pictures I would have taken had I a camera: Mama Lawson chatting with Lady Grooms, as two generations of Sacramento motherhood; Ticha and Margo wandering around Restaurant Row, kicking it '98 draft style; Tante Maiga in the company of a small, adorable blonde girl, study in contrasts much?.
K-Law was in *quite* the mood after the game; didn't stop for signing, and I had to keep up like a defender on a fast break to make sure I got my sharpie back. I can understand where she was coming from, though, considering the reception she gets in Connecticut, and considering the game. The Sun fans who referred to her as nasty and as evil after the game can kindly get in line and bite me- do you *really* think she's gonna be sweetness and light to folks in Connecticut gear after all that?
Player family posses amuse me; everyone's in gear, making it easy to figure out who 'tis. Powell looked like she had an entire entourage.
Baby Yo even has Mama Yo's hair now. If they aren't careful, we're going to have the basketball remix of All About Eve.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
September 16th, 2005: Sacramento at Connecticut, WNBA Finals
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 20th, 2005: New York at Connecticut
New York Liberty 64, Connecticut Sun 58
The Game Notes are on the road again, Cathrine Kraayeveld lays the Screen of Death on Jamie Carey, Katie Douglas may or may not be a harbinger, and Le'Coe Willingham's hair is absolutely stunning.
Sloppy but fun, so very fun.
To the choir doing the anthem: for future reference, pick a damn harmony and stick to it! You don't have to dramatize it. Most of us know what happened, or can intuit it from the lyrics.
Lindsay Whalen went off, which in and of itself is often a bad sign for the Sun, because it means that the big guns aren't firing. Also, she has got to stop with the holding, or at least with the innocent look after said holds. It's not charming, it's not endearing, and it makes intelligent fans act like idiots. Nykesha Sales was kinda quiet offensively, although there were times when the defense on her was 'hope that she misses'. She got a lot of exercise on the defensive end, though, so tha twas fun. Taj was suprisingly ineffective against Shameka- you'd think Taj would be able to muscle in on a slender forward who shouldn't even be playing the four in the first place. Really, it got to the point that I as a Liberty fan got more nervous when Asjha Jones got in, because she was getting it done. She's come into her own as one of the Fab Four, I have to say. Margo barely played- was Coach conserving her because she had gotten back and was jet-lagged, because he wasn't impressed with what he saw out of her, or in some sort of stupid fit of pique that she left in the first place? She does have a lovely outside shot, though. Some day she and Elena are going to run a camp and call it "Things you're NOT supposed to do as a post player". Katie Douglas... for a while, I would have thought of her as the weak link in this Connecticut lineup, but now I'm not so sure of that. She's a powerful guard who plays hard on both ends; something tells me her that her type of player is the wave of the future, and while people are going to think that it was Taurasi who spearheaded the charge of the big guards, we'll know otherwise. (You could even argue Sales as foreshadowing of the trend, but that's a debate for when it actually happens.) Brooke Wyckoff also impressed me- she's more powerful than she looks, which made the Whalen/Sales/Douglas/Wyckoff/Jones lineup less like something that came out of a crack pipe. Derevjanik didn't impress me, and obviously didn't impress Coach Thibault either, since Jamie Carey took the rest of the point guard rotations. The afrementioned Carey got her bell quite thoroughly rung when she ran into an illegal screen from Cat Kraayeveld. For a self-proclaimed nerd, she's not too quick on the uptake, though; the next time she went into the game, she was up in Kraayeveld's face, like she was completely unaware that Cat had just knocked her ass to the floor and would probably be willing to do it again if provoked the right way. Le'Coe Willingham didn't play, but it would be a travesty if her magnificent hair didn't get a mention: she has a gorgeous and intricate crown of small curls, tightly packed and (I think) highlighted gold. I mean, damn, that hair could get her pretty deep into a W diva contest.
When did Crystal start driving like that? Did someone remind her that part of being a forward is the implication that the paint isn't all that scary? Not that I mind at all, although I did find myself wondering when her defense started involving so much holding. Becky still neds to learn that the "drive the ball into the lane and go up at random" trick only works once a game, maybe twice. After that, the other team's ready to deflect the pass out, swat the shot into the next state, or swat *her* into the next state. So when she started going outside more, I was happy. Elena, on the other hand, needs to learn more about the appropriateness of a shot: if you're missing bunnies on the inside, that is not your cue to, one or two possessions later, put up a three that has no chance in hell of going in. (However, the 17 boards are quite acceptable. <3) VJ was... you know, VJ. Solid but unspectacular. Shameka, adorable as she is, pretty much lost her mojo after her first two baskets. After that, we were back to screaming in frustration whenever she did something remarkably stupid. Off the bench, Erin was rather bleh, and someone needs to sit her down and break the news to her that she's not Sheryl Swoopes: those off-balance shots work for Her Majesty, not so much for someone who's only in the rotation because we're shorthanded. Loree came in, made a mistake, and was shortly thereafter banished to Siberia. We really need a point guard that Patty can feel comfortable going to, because right now it's not Loree and it oughtn't be Erin. Sadly, August isn't really a good time to figure this sort of thing out. La'Keshia was solid in the post, hit a shot or two, basically did what she was hired to do, and I can't complain about that. But that game belonged to Cat, who decided to demonstrate why so many people compare her to Elena. What did she have, three triples plus what she got bullying on the inside? Plus those fabulous screens, although she has to get her arms into position faster- this isn't college anymore, and if she doesn't learn, she's going to start getting called for illegal screens because people run into her elbows. For homework, compare/contrast Cat's screen in the backcourt that clocked Carey with Elena's screen in the flow of play that leveled Whalen. Good thing the "poor man's Elena Baranova" has the real Elena in the locker room to teach her, isn't it?
What is it about TV games that brings out the worst in every team? You'd think they got stage fright or something. The amount of sloppiness in this game couldn't have won any converts. Ditto for everyone's favorite complaint, although I'll admit that they benefited the Liberty more than they did Sun, if only because Cat wasn't ejected on a flagrant-2. And am I the only one who missed the memo that Cameron Inouye is female?
If you were part of that foot-stompin', hand-clappin', chant-screamin' crew who hung around the box office a good hour after the game, holla! That was the most uncouth fun I've ever had in my life. You know the fans have gone crazy when Patty's receiving approbation. (I didn't go so far as to join in that chant. I do have some pride left.) There are no strangers on the road. If the regional rivalry isn't on now, y'all Sun fans are just dead. I think we scared Shameka. I'm fairly sure my boyfriend did. He's the, er, gentleman who launched into "Sister Christian" for her. We had so much fun it's not even funny and probably shouldn't even be legal.
But just to throw a little more fuel on the fire, just to make sure y'all Sun fans have a pulse, I got one more thing to say: if y'all think we're bad now, if y'all think we're crazy now, y'all should see us after we win a few playoff games! We'll take the roof off any house in this league. Yeah, even yours.
(Heh. I haven't talked trash like this in ages. I forgot how fun it could be.)
August 16th, 2005: Washington at New York
New York Liberty 72, Washington Mystics 66
Shameka Christon plays in traffic, there are head coaches everywhere, and the Game Notes are surprised at Richie Adubato's disinterest in attacking a Liberty weakness.
There's nothing quite as terrifying as seeing the potential future of your franchise run out into the middle of 33rd Street with traffic, knowing that you've seen some idiot go the wrong way down that street. I don't care if Shameka was in a hurry- if you're the potential future of the franchise, you cross at the corner. Nothing like a portent of doom to start the game for you, huh?
This was my first Mystics game of the season, since I had to miss the first one at the Garden for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". So I didn't know until tonight that Temeka Johnson is the real deal. She's sneaky quick, built enough that you can't just knock her over, knows no fear, and has a rather pretty jump shot. And she's a sweetheart. DC, you've got a winner. There was one play when she boxed out Elena that was quite impressive. Alana Beard is really gonna be a superstar if she can get those ankles healed, because she's gutsy enough without being fully healthy. If she'd spent more time being the one to cover Becky, the game might have had a different result. Charlotte Smith-Taylor and DeLisha Milton-Jones were death from above tonight, or more properly death from outside. Couldn't leave them open. Couldn't let them get the ball. Plus DeLisha was Captain Grabby tonight- not quite dirty, but perhaps a bit grungy. Chasity Melvin needs to learn how to make a post move that doesn't involve extra steps, and when she does that I'll have a lot more respect for her remarkable low post game. The problem with Washington is that their bench was rather unmemorable. Laurie Koehn didn't do anything with the shots she got, the only thing I remember Coco Miller doing is putting up some assists and doing some whining, and Murriel Page was really at her best eating up minutes. Nakia Sanford didn't play, which I think was a tactical error on Ol' Tomato-Head's part; knowing that Ann Wauters was out, that DeTrina White hasn't been effective for a few weeks, that Jennifer Smith has yet to actually do anything other than sit on the bench and look pretty, why wouldn't you pound the ball down low at every opportunity in order to neutralize the Liberty's backcourt advantage? A slightly muted ditto on that for Kaayla Chones. Chucky, however, can keep her ass parked on the bench, and it's all good. Speaking of Ol' Tomato-Head himself, he was in fine form, hitting shades I don't think I've ever seen on him. Very impressive.
Shameka, when not causing Liberty fans everywhere to panic, was awesome tonight. If she could consistently play defense like her senior namesake, we'd be set. Although if she keeps laying those tackles on players, she's going to be starting for the Giants' defensive line before she becomes a Liberty superstar. Becky, though she was getting tired late, rustled up the points we needed for us to win and that she needed to hit the big 2-0-0-0. Elena didn't have it tonight on the offensive end, but if she D's up and rebounds, I shan't complain too much. At least she eventually gets the message that the mojo isn't there and stops shooting. She's gotten better about that. Crystal's offense, while slightly more attractive than it's been as of late, is still mostly absent. But she brings the defense, and everyone knows how awesome the defense is. It's also nice to see Vickie putting it back together again; earlier this season she looked fabulous, then she slumped, but now she's back to putting up that beautiful jumper and those graceful drives on one end and laying the defensive smackdown on the other. Cathrine is a keeper. F'real, I love the screens, the defense is rapidly improving (although she was still giving up too much ground to Chas Melvin), and the offense is just enough to make her very, very handy. She reminds me of the role La'Keshia played this time last year: the temp who played her way into the rotation and into the hearts of Liberty fans across the land. Erin didn't contribute much tonight, though she really didn't need to. Plus, she didn't fuck up in the zone, which is always helpful. (What can I say? I look for little silver linings where I can.) Loree was a well-deserved DNP- I'm sorry, she's a nice kid, but y'all know me and my brutal honesty. Patty didn't quite match Richie on the Red-O-Meter, but what would you expect? She is but the student when it comes to doing tomato impressions.
Did this game set a record for most current and/or former head coaches involved? Besides Patty and Richie, we had the Sting's first head coach assisting Richie in the person of Marynell Meadors, and of course Marianne was on the bench for the Liberty.
Refs sucked, but what would you expect from Bryan Enterline's crew? I swear, Mighty Mouse came thisclose to putting a body-slam on Shameka, no call. Mystics fans can argue the refs sucking too, which I suppose balances things out a touch. Just a little.
Another Sweet Adelines chorus for the anthem. Is this Blaze's secret passion or something?
Kym and Sue sightings. Orange is a slight improvement over lime green, but not much. C'mon, Sue, you have a rep to maintain.
Had a pleasant chat pregame with a Mystics STH who had come down for the game. The only unpleasantness came when he insisted on comparing Sue's game to Mery Andrade's. Dude, don't compare Suuuue to the Queen of Flop in NYC. Just no.
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.
August 10th, 2005: Los Angeles at New York
New York Liberty 74, Los Angeles Sparks 69
Becky Hammon kicks ass, Cathrine Kraayeveld starts showing off her interesting shades of red, and the Game Notes have a brilliant idea to deal with Los Angeles and New York's coaching situations.
{Forgive my lateness. I live with a psycho woman.}
Bibby has weird substitution patterns and way too much faith in Laura Macchi. Christi Thomas and Jessica Moore seemed to be on a yo-yo for a while- we're talking one possession and out came the hook. Chicca seems to have too many joints in her legs; either that, or that's the most inefficient jump shot in the league, because she fell down every time she took it, and trust me, she wasn't getting hit. Chamique was... you know, I used to believe she was overhyped, that she didn't have the talent everyone said she did. I hereby take that statement back. She makes everything look too easy. She's gorgeous to watch on the court. She was all kinds of on tonight. LL was her usual self as well, although there were a couple of plays on which she seemed to be channeling Kareem. She tossed in a couple of cheap shots, but nothing too over the top tonight. Doneeka Hodges seems to have gotten a wicked three-pointer from somewhere; she made the game interesting near the end. Per usual, Tamika Whitmore was a real piece of work; I think the only compliment I can pay her is that I like her hairstyle. Mwadi was just... off. A lot. It was painful. And there was one play where she and Shameka were getting a bit entangled. Dixon was a non-factor. We saw her getting her ankle/foot/heel taped up on the bench. She looked like she was going for the stylish mummy look, a la Tari. Except that Dixon can't pull off the stylish. Edniesha Curry is fast, but other than that, the only thing I can recall about her playing time is that she made the Oregon fans happy by existing, even as a Spork. And Bibby never seems to STFU during the game. I swear, Crystal was this close to giving him a piece of her mind, the way he kept yammering in her ear.
Becky knew no fear tonight. She drove, and drove hard. When the shots stopped going in, she delivered to Ann on gorgeous assists. I think I can deal with a 23/8/6. Just a little. Her boxing out really amazes me- she's so close to normal-sized, and she's blocking out these big honkin' post players. Elena made me so very happy, the way she was ripping down those rebounds. I have to admit that I cursed when Ann got the last Lib rebound, because I was hoping that it would go to Elena and give her the double-double. Of the bigs who played serious minutes, she played the best defense on Leslie. She and Ann were big down the stretch. Ann picked up as the game went along, so hurrah. Crystal looked a little lost on defense, and I saw her do something I've never seen before- when she came out of the game for Shameka, she said something extremely intense to Patty both before and after the horn. I don't think she wanted to come out. Those sitting closer to the action might be able to fill in the details, if they haven't already. VJ, who apparently is hurt- thank you so much, local publications, for not mentioning something important like that- did her part on defense, switching onto Chamique when it became clear that Crystal didn't have *it*. Shameka demonstrated once again that her basketball instincts outpace her logic- she made a couple of fantastic saves in front of our section, but she got faked out repeatedly on D. Cathrine continues to get more minutes than almost any free agent I've ever seen don the various colors of the Liberty, and more minutes than it looked like she was used to, because she was turning interesting shades of red late in the game. She got eaten alive on defense, but she still shoots a pretty jumper and sets a mean screen. La'Keshia and Loree made cameos, La'Keshia's slightly more effective than Loree's. DeTrina was a DNP, but that may be because most of the fingers on her left hand are taped together. It's freaky. As usual, Patty lost her temper, but not constructively. I think she and Bibby in a yelling match would make a great halftime promotion. They'd kill each other, and thus we'd all be happy.
Anthem was pleasant, if strangely flat. Dancers were everywhere, including the troupe that swarmed La'Keshia before the game. (oblivious WNBA player+dance troupe with picture-collecting dynamo=glomp; I think La'Keshia wished she had used the side door after all)
Kym sighting, with A'riel, aka the cuuutest kid in the world. Sue sighting, with suspiciously bright blonde hair (and someone needs to tell her that chartruese was not a color designed for blondes).
Game show night. Oh, how the stupid buuuuuuurned.
But the game made me happy, and highlighted the problem that the Sparks have- if their complementary players are on, they win; if not, they don't have the horses.
August 6th, 2005: Seattle at New York
New York Liberty 79, Seattle Storm 67
Do not go on a fast break with the game well in hand, Cathrine Kraayeveld is so new her name is getting misspelled, and there are some seriously WTF coaching moves.
I am a Liberty fan. I am a fan of Storm fans, and this has given me some interest in the Storm. But first and foremost, I am a basketball fan. I call them as I see them. If you feel this report to be flameworthy, go right ahead.
This was a great game, marred by a couple of overly physical sequences, some boneheaded coaching moves, and a lay-up that will get its own paragraph. Finally, an uncursed TV game. I think Satan just ordered ice skates.
Card collectors, thank me. I saved an innocent Bird/LJ jersey card from having some girl try to get it signed. Combine that with the Brunson Gold Medallion I saved earlier this season, and I'm on a roll.
Sue Bird has one of the most fundamentally beautiful jump shots I've ever seen in the game, and since I have a soft spot for fundamentals (not to be confused with fundamentalists, because ew), I like watching her shoot. Her 10 assists also proved that she sees the floor well. She got a little friendly on defense, but got told off in no uncertain terms a couple of times as well. LJ was on fire. I couldn't help but wonder if the Liberty's defensive plan was to let LJ get hers and make sure no one else got theirs. But she got almost no time out, and I wonder if that affected her offense- she was settling for long jumpers. Granted, she was hitting them, but it's still not a good habit to get into. Izi was hot early in the game, when the defense would sag off her, but they didn't seem to take advantage of that later on. No, I don't get it either. Tanisha Wright- you have no idea how much my bad pun generator wants to call her Tan Wright- drove effectively, but didn't really make me notice anything else about her. Janell Burse has quite the set of elbows on her- she got Ann but good across the face, the kind of shot that makes you wince in sympathy. She's a toughie. It burns my blood to think that we could have had her if Richie and Blaze hadn't felt the burning need to add Andrea Nagy to their roster. There was one foul on her, either the fourth or the fifth, that was a verrrrry questionable block/charge, and I personally would have called it on Ann. But we'll get back to that later. Batgirl, beside having one of my favorite nicknames in the league, impressed me, although she needs to work up her stamina- might have helped out down the stretch when Burse was in deep foul trouble. "The Great Barrier Reef" is a very apropos nickname for the Batgirl-LJ front line. Zara didn't show me much. Chelle Thompson (officially known as Alicia) whistled a couple of long shots- a long two and a three, I think. Simone had to come in when Batgirl was tired and Burse had five; she picked up a couple of boards, and I suspect a couple of pieces of gossip from Crystal, as well. For reasons unknown to me, Vodopyanova (sp?) was a DNP-CD. I dunno. If I were AD, I might have played her in some scrambled lineups once I knew I didn't have B-Money and Janell was out for a long stretch. But then, Anne Donovan made some very questionable and confusing moves, bringing Burse back about four minutes too early with five fouls; there was also that timeout she took that she should have saved for later, and the decision to leave Burse in the game when intentional fouling was called for. (That's Glenn's contribution. I felt that AD didn't care if Burse fouled out, because she had Batgirl on the bench.) I got the sense that the offense gets a little scrambled when a major cog is out.
On to the Liberty. Elena. Yay, Elena! One rebound from a double-double, and she was the initiator of a gorgeous touch-passing sequence, Elena to Ann to Shameka for three in less time than it took me to type that clause. Ann got the assist on the play, but if this were hockey or soccer, Elena would have been credited as well. Ann was a little off her rebounding pace, but she put up the points with moves in the lane that were probably driving Janell up the wall. Those two were really going at it hammer and tongs. VJ's offense is still MIA, but she was an efficient litle distributor, racking up 8 assists. At least that's the number I remember. If it was 9, then I may have another issue with her. Crystal was quiet, but she had a couple of big defensive assignments, including LJ at some points. Shameka was very solid, but damn, that off-balance jump shot is going to give someone a heart attacksome day. Not that I don't mind when it goes in, but, y'kow, fundamentals. Those spread feet are gonna get her in trouble some day. There were some interesting moments in the game where she and Burse were on each other. Tres strange. I'm glad to see her coming into her own. Loree had jitters, or something. Is she aware that there's a campaign among fans in the stands to get her more minutes? Damn, first she's gotta deserve them. Ditto for La'Keshia. Cute Loree moment: someone makes a great play, and she hops up to high-five the bench. She high-fives Catherine, comes to VJ, turns right back around, and goes back to her seat. Catherine actually looked really good out there, doing her best Elena impression. At least the Oregon fans have something to be happy about. Erin was a DNP-CD, as was DeTrina. I wouldn't want to be in D-Train's shoes right now, between the lack of playing time and the death of her college coach. Patty had a couple of brain farts- calling a timeout when you're up eleven and your opposition's best player needs a break is NOT smart. Nor is running four subs out there with Crystal.
Unfortunately, beautiful as this game was, there were some mments of utter classlessness on both sides that made me go grrr. During the anthem... well, I'll admit that I might not have had the best view, but it sure looked like the Aussies were having themselves a little conversation. Look, I wouldn't yak through "Advance Australia Fair", you do not get the right to yak through the "Star-Spangled Banner", especially when it was actually a lovely choral group of Sweet Adelines. There was the whole thing with Janell and Ann, and I saw how close it came to coming to blows. And then there was the lay-up.
If you recall from last game, I castigated Lindsay Whalen for going on a fastbreak when the game was well in hand. Becky pulled the same stunt tonight, and I find it just as classless and tacky as it was when my team was on the receiving end of the taunt. This may have even been more extreme, because in the earlier timeout,we saw Becky with the clipboard and her teammates' rapt attention while the coaching staff went over yonder. When it comes to my team, I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt; I'd rather believe that she was drawing up a defensive play or discussing the lines for tomorrow's baseball games, but it's far more likely that she was diagramming that fastbreak play. Anyone who was closer to the action is welcome to correct me, but as far as I know, she was planning to rub salt in the wound. I'm going to be even more brutally honest here: I don't think she had the metaphorical balls to pull that kind of stunt if she knew they would have to play in Seattle. That is not cool.
*deep breath* For the first time in my life as a sports fan, I have this to say: the refs were actually tilted in favor of New York. There were a couple of questionable calls that went the Liberty's way, as I mentioned when talking about Burse, and there were several violations that went unreported, such as Becky pushing off on Sue Bird on a play. Not that the refs did much in this game, and not that there weren't confusing calls and non-calls in Seattle's favor, but overall, it was in favor of the Liberty.
Overall, I had a blast. Okay, so it probably wouldn't have been the same if Lennox had been available, or if Anne Donovan hadn't left her brain in her other purse, but still. LJ was on, and Birdy was on, and the Liberty still pulled out the win. Huzzah!
August 2nd, 2005: Connecticut at New York
Connecticut Sun 72, New York Liberty 65
Katie Douglas loosens up, mullets are only good if they confer power on Elena Baranova, and the Game Notes are actually playing with a full deck.
"She's like a goddess in Minnesota."
"I didn't know they went in for devil worship there."
As you might be able to ascertain, my mom doesn't like Lindsay Whalen.
Katie Douglas has got some range on her; she was putting on a shooting exhibition during warmups, hitting a shot from the G in the secondary logo over by the hash mark. She also got tangled up while practicing with the trainer. I thought she tripped over her own feet, but she claimed that the trainer tripped her. I gotta say, she's really loosened up this year. Yay for her!
Anthem butchery. Goddess in heaven, that was painful. I don't *care* if the kid has a disability, you make damn sure you put someone out there who can sing the anthem without torturing notes or holding them so long that you could be justified in expecting a ransom note. The lady who sang "God Bless America" wasn't bad, although I think she's watched too many seasons of American Idol.
Taj stole Keesh's hair. Not that it seemed to confuse either of them, nor did having Taj listed as #78 on the scoreboard. Keesh was in that place where if she shot it, it was probably going in. I don't know how much having Shameka on her affected her, but I know that when Erin was in the game I had flashbacks to Lindsey Yamasaki. Katie Douglas was the defensive demon, ball hawk, and deadly shooter we've all come to know and... well, know. She put the daggers in. You can't ice ice, and that woman has ice in her veins. Margo seems to be relearning how to use her size to disrupt passes, although, really, what peabrain throws a lob pass to 6'4" being guarded by 7'2"? She also showed that she can, ironically, use her size better when she's outside, because inside she doesn't have the room to work that she needs, and her jumper and its release are still gorgeous. Asjha Jones was amazing. It's great to see one of the Fab Four come into her own; people focus so much on Bird and Cash that Williams and Jones kind of get shoved off to the side. Granted, it would have been nice to see it as a neutral observer, but I'm a basketball fan first and foremost. Derevjanik didn't show me much. Whalen, besides inspiring a quote of the day, demonstrated a classlessness that I had not thought I would see from her, when she went on a fastbreak with nine seconds left and a six-point lead. It may not be a flattering remark, and it may have been stupid for Shameka to be the perp, but it was one of the few times I've been thrilled to see a player flattened the way she was. At least *on* the court, she handles herself like she's entitled, and no second-year player has the right to that kind of attitude, not even Taurasi or Beard. Yes, she has a knack for slicing through defenses like butter, and yes, she piles up assists like a klepto piles up theft offenses, and yes, she's a heady playmaker. She's got game. Doesn't mean I have to like her.
Ah, Shameka. What you will be next year, Goddess only knows. I still maintain that she's not ready yet, that she's not a star yet, that she shouldn't be the focus of the offense yet, but I'm starting to soften a little on the future. I still don't know whether she is *the* answer, but perhaps if they keep her paired with Ann, she's a part of the answer. Of course, keeping players around seems to be a problem in this league. There were some brain farts, but Lord knows she wasn't the only one. I'm looking at Ann's fifth foul, myself, as much as I liked seeing Whalen get smushed. Ann looked... I don't know, out of it tonight. She used to have Margo's number, but not tonight. She got pushed around a lot inside. Part of it may have had to do with Bryan Enterline, but really, the Garden should have dealt better when he didn't buy her flop. Elena had better luck, and notched a double-double. Granted, six of the ten points came in that last elongated minute, but ten is ten. Yay Elena! Who was it so many years ago that described the Miami Sol players as being blue-collar, nose-to-the-grindstone types of players? Elena's getting back to that mentality, and it makes me happy. Maybe she's like Samson: the longer the hair, the stronger she is. Go, Mullet of Power! VJ still seems to be living on another planet, one where basketball is something to be looked down upon. She was a little better tonight, but... man, I don't know what's up with her. Becky did the drive-the-lane trick a little too often for my liking tonight- trying to best Whalen, maybe? Her folks are apparently *still* hanging around, so I'm starting to wonder if they're the problem. La'Keshia was nothin' tonight. I mean, f'real, WTF. Crystal came back, hit a couple of shots, still looked a little rusty, but we really did miss her. Erin actually hit a shot, and that "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" thing competes with "Sister Christian" for Cheesiest Music Clip In Liberty History. Even if it is a righteously cool song. Still, she commits one major flaw on defense that drives me crazy: she watches the ball far more than she watches her offensive player, and it gets her burned and burned bad. Loree got very little run, and already I see t-shirts saying "Give Loree More Minutes". Ah, I love when fans get defensive of the bench. *hugs the bench except for La'Keshia* Catherine sets some wicked screens; Katie Douglas ran into one and went sproing! She was the designated eater of minutes when the fouls started piling up at the end of the game. Amisha and Jennifer may be our best pair for the IR; both of them looked very nice tonight. So did Jess Brungo over on the Connecticut bench. Patty is starting to turn a red so brilliant it can be seen from behind the opponent's bench. (We were in 128 tonight.) Mom and I think that color should be in the new Crayola box. We'd call it Richie Red.
I guess an emergency substitution for the tchotchke is never a good sign. But the original plan was nightlights, and that makes me feel approximately five years old.
They saluted women in the military. It's a nice gesture, but it seems kind of offensive to me to salute an organization that doesn't want a large chunk of the fanbase involved in its activities.
Career fair blew. At least I got a free deck of cards with it. So *yes*, for once, I'm playing with a full deck.
July 31st, 2005: Indiana at New York
New York Liberty 67, Indiana Fever 53
Elena Baranova wears a skirt, the Indiana Fever are comfortable at the Garden, Crystal Robinson needs a fashion intervention, and autographs are gotten at an authorized time and place.
As I do before every game, I hung out by the stage door. You've never seen a more miserable team come through that entrance. One of the people I was with swore that Ann was hung over when she came in; I don't know what a hangover looks like, but poor Ann looked like death warmed over. La'Keshia was in such a mood that she was glaring at the universe in general; it's the first time I've ever gotten a dirty look from a player for not asking for her autograph. VJ was just as puzzled as we were about that Connecticut game. And in possibly the most brain-exploding, mind-blowing development of them all, Elena strolled on in wearing a skirt slit nearly all the way up the side. Elena. Skirt. Does not compute.
Catch is quite the social butterfly. During the pre-warmups, she was chatting in the courtside seats with Loree (who was using the seats as a convenient spot for stretching) and had a hug and a few words for Becky at halfcourt, not to mention chatting with the fans. You can't not like Catch. She's just so cuuuuuuuuuuute! Tully's also chatty- she and Alison (LibertyMascot to WNBATalkers, that crazy boa-wearing lady in the orange hat to the rest of you lot) had a few words while Tully was stretching at that end of the court. I find myself liking a lot of the Fever players, though I won't be cheering Indiana on any time soon (sorry, but they are kind of a conference rival in an inconvenient spot in the standings).
They made a point of talking about the anthem, which was good, though I think it was lost on the guy who was on his phone through the anthem. *headdesk* The kids were so cute, and so on key, and so so good. I'm not a rabid patriot, but I do like when people do right by the anthem, and neither cell phone dude or the boors who tried to buy cotton candy during the anthem did that.
Catch actually had a subpar game scoring today, although she was the leading rebounder with 10. VJ and mostly Shameka stayed on her pretty well so that she couldn't find her shots. Finding their shots seemed to be a problem for both offenses in general, but we'll get to that later. Natalie Williams was the star for the Fever today; she muscled in on the Euros over and over again, hitting easy shots in the lane and stepping out periodically to put in jumpers. Defense, on the other hand... but cross that bridge in the next paragraph. Streimkyte started getting hot in the waning minutes of the first half, and if they'd kept going to her when Ann and Elena were getting tired, things might have been a little different; however, she had a couple of dumb turnovers that made me shake my head and laugh. Tully ran the team well, although I was surprised at the open shots that she pssed up. She made it a game at 16:45 of the second half, by the way, so Stormfans can rest easy. Kelly Miller hit her shots late, but not often enough. Her defense is intriguing, though. It's nice to see a high pick blossoming out from under the stultifying influence of the Sting. Tan White had a flash of amazingness where she hit two shots in a row and started sparking the team, but once she missed a shot, it came unwound for her. The only thing I remember about Deanna Jackson is that red streak in her hair, which really is striking, but not related to her game. I dimly recall Kelly Schumacher playing solidly on the inside, but I think it was mostly defensive. I have got to start actually using the notebook I carry with me. I might remember things better.
Ann! Yay, Ann! 24 points and 9 boards; I think the 24 points is a career high, though I'm not sure. She hit timely shots on the inside and some lovely outside jumpers, although she keeps setting outside the arc and making me cringe. No, Ann. Three-point shots are Elena's territory. Stop poaching. Shameka looked solid out there, with 12 and 6, although her defense occasionally left something to be desired; Catchings had one possession where she gave a textbook demonstration about how to fake out a player and get open. I think it was the shot that temporarily gave the Fever a 32-30 lead, and if it wasn't, it was sometime in the same time frame. Still, she looked notably better than she did in the last few games. Elena looked great, with open threes and solid screens; both she and Ann played a lot of minutes, and spent much of the game glowing a gentle red. Becky was big down the stretch, and I was impressed with how she played at the point. Handy, that. VJ. WTF, VJ? It's a slump like this that got Katie Smith traded, you know, and Liberty fans are a lot more militant than Lynx fans; we might cause bloodshed, and that would be bad, right? I wish Erin would hit her shots in New York. She seems to be better on the road. Maybe the Board Junkies are scaring her. La'Keshia is way too strong on her shots. She needs to settle down, relax, and stop taking her shooting lessons from DeTrina. Loree played very little, and that only in the beginning of the game, when Patty had to yell at Becky about something. If Jennifer stays on the DL the whole season, at least we'll have someone easy on the eyes to look at. Much as I adore Crystal and DeTrina, their fashion sense makes my quiescent femme side come out and scream at the top of her lungs, and especially today, when Crystal was wearing a shirt that was patently too big for her and needed to be tucked in, or preferably burned. She looked like she was wearing a straitjacket, or hospital pajamas. Not an attractive look. It was neck and neck with Patty's shirt for winner of the ugly award for tonight's game.
The refs didn't suck tonight! I don't remember the other two, but I know one of htem was Bonita Spence. The game seemed to be called fairly evenly, and if there was any bias, it was towards the Liberty. I like it when the refs don't suck, don't you?
Maybe they were intimidated by the martial arts group that performed at halftime. Wow. Those were some impressive jumps for the purposes of splitting pieces of wood with one's feet. Kids with nunchuks (sp?) are not to be messed with. SpongeBob, however, can go find some other team to pester.
For five seasons, my mother and I sat in section 210, giving up our tickets after Tari-gate. In those five seasons, 210 never came up as the lucky autograph section. Today, it did. After a couple of shrieks of frustration and bursts of laughter at the way the universe works, an old neighbor of mine offered me his voucher and ticket stub because he and his girlfriend had to leave right after the game. I hesitated a bit because I might have had a dinner date, but then decided, to hell with it, and took the proffered gift. I ain't proud. So I went to DoubleTeamed after the game for the session. Erin and Shameka were the sacrificial lambs today. Erin got a haircut, though optical illusion might say otherwise; when once she had a bun that unraveled down to the bottom of her number, she's now in a ponytail that brushes the top of her number. I feel kinda skeevy for noticing this, actually, even if it is just my predilection for long, long hair (and long, long words) making itself known. I also handwriting-geeked, because I'm an autograph collector, that's what I do. When Shameka doesn't have space to work with, she keeps it simple and straightforward, every letter clear and precise, but when she has space, she has a little more flair: she draws out the end of the 's' in Christon across the t, brings it over the staff of the 'k' in Shameka, curves it out over most of her name, then brings the curve back up across the staff of the 'k' to form the second bit-that-sticks-out. Yay for experimenting.
This extended play version of the Game Notes of Doom brought to you by the kindness of strangers, Diet Sunkist, slight sleep deprivation, and victory.
July 27th, 2005: Houston at New York
Houston Comets 71, New York Liberty 69
The Liberty do lots of boneheaded things, Patty Coyle needs to go away now, and Becky Hammon and Crystal Robinson decorate.
This, my fellow fans, was the very definition of a choke job. We had this game in the bag. We should have won it going away. Instead, boneheaded mistakes by everyone eligible to make boneheaded mistakes cost us the win. I spent most of my ride home plotting colorful ways to kill Patty.
What Crystal was thinking when she launched that shot with four left on the shot clock, I will never know. That wasn't the shot we needed, and we had time to put something better together. In any case, her common sense and her shot are both still on the baggage carousel, so I don't think tomorrow will be much of an improvement. Vickie was quiet. Too quiet. Plus, she seemed to get awfully chippy with Tari during #24's limited minutes. I think she objected to us chanting for Tari when the subs came in. News flash, Cap: maybe you should have gotten off your ass and done something authoritative instead of letting Tari turn into a cause celebre. Weird as it sounds to say it, I don't think Becky got enough touches, but there will be far more on that later. She made a couple of dumb plays, but that was the story of the night, so I can't come down on her too hard. Elena was quietly savvy; a buddy of mine from the lobby brought up an interesting question that may be more profound than he knew: "When did Elena Baranova turn into Sue Wicks?" As in, making contributions that don't necessarily show up in the stat sheet but do change the game. She was hot offensively early, but then Patty pulled her and it all went to shit after that. Ann was a player of extremes: she made some fabulous plays, she made some incredibly stupid plays, nothing really in the middle. La'Keshia was on fire in the first half, but then Patty pulled her and it all went to shit after that. Loree was nothing, Catherine was nothing, Erin was nothing.
*puts on flame-retardant suit* Which, of course, leads me to everyone's favorite precious Baby. She has shown flashes, I'll grant that much. Flashes, however, should not merit a player more minutes than two starters and almost twice as many touches as the next most trigger-happy player. More often than not, she chucks up the first shot she sees, her defense is shite, she's overaggressive when she needs to step back and thinks too much when she should just drive. For some reason, the playbook seems to have been the Son of Van's Playbook: "Get the ball to [Baby] Swoopes." Comet fans understand the furstration of that kind of play-calling, and they have the original Swoopes to make the play more often than not. I'd be bitching any Lib player out for 4-14 shooting, but the fact that it was Sista Christon makes it even more galling. Don't tell me Becky couldn't have taken Canty on a couple of more drives. Don't tell me Ann couldn't have gotten up in Snowy's grill. Don't tell me Vickie couldn't have... well, done anything that might have been helpful. I like the girl, don't get me wrong, she's a total sweetheart with a world of potential... but this was not the time and not the place for Patty to decide that she should try to unlock her inner Swoopes. Not in front of Her Majesty.
Oh yes, Patty. Dear Coach: Please die now, in as painful and public a manner as you can, thanks.
For Houston, Swoopes was amazing. I suppose you lot in Houston are used to that, though. Tina looked good, too, although she's not quite back on form. She got an elbow in the throat, from what I've gathered from postgame reporting, and went down like a stone. We worried about her, and we were relieved when she got back up. Snow got into foul trouble, but she kept Ann off balance, and of course, at the end of the game, she struck (like a COBRA!?). In general, the Comets killed us on the offensive boards. I grant that we had fewer missed shots than Houston did, but still, we whould have been turning their offensive boards into our defensive boards. I don't even want to think about how many second or third chance points they had. It would probably make me froth at the mouth and fantasize about dismembering Patty again, and my shrink says that's not healthy. Janeth, of course, was ice down the stretch. That woman knows no fear and no doubt. Canty wasn't really an offensive threat, but she seemed to run the offense well. Tari played five ineffective minutes, and was fully aware that we still love her. The only thing I remember about Rasmussen was her dramatization of the hit that Shameka put on her with the booty. If the deep bench played, I wasn't aware of it. The damage was done by Houston's starters; Sheryl never sat. Van threw candy to the crowd. Really, Lib fans, y'all should know better than to take candy from strangers.
The refs didn't suck tonight so much as they tilted. I'm willing to accept that the Liberty were guilty of most of the calls made on them, but I find it hard to believe that the Comets weren't pulling any of that borderline legal crap that the Liberty were. It also didn't help that the callling-style changed throuhout the game, alternating between a sensible use of the whistle and excessive blowing.
"Reality show night" should generally be a sign of impending doom. They did, however, have a hysterical Trading Spaces with Becky and Crystal, in which they decorated each other's lockers. Becky did Crystal's with olive green drapery and a birdhouse. Crystal did Becky's in shades of purple, with a welcome mat and a stuffed pillow thang that said "Cutie Pie". What I found most interesting about it is that to the casual fan, they seemed to be decorating in schemes that would match the recipient's, but to those more in the know, the decorating schemes seems more in line with the decorator's personality. (Plus, I get to find out yet another reason why I like Crystal: she shares my color sense. *grin*) And the blooper reel was a hoot; Becky seemed amazed at the concept of foldable Frisbees. But seriously. Next time they do a reality show theme, I want a chance to vote Blaze off the island by dumping her in the Hudson.
Our tickets were next to a set of boors who didn't seem to understand the concept that the national anthem is a time to shut up, stand up, and take your hat off, not a time to buy cotton candy and get pissy at the people who are respecting the anthem. If foreign nationals can get the concept, why can't some Americans? As soon as the anthem was done, we moved our seats. We were going to anyway, because the chairs we had were sagging and the seats blew, but I could not stand the thought of being next to those assholes any longer.
So between one thing and another, and the giant-ass cockroach that is crawling around on the outside of my screen, I am NOT a happy camper.
July 15th, 2005: Minnesota at New York
Minnesota Lynx 64, New York Liberty 60
Games like this are what the phrase "what the shit?" was invented for.
Games like this were what the phrase 'what the shit?!' was invented for. Seriously. We *had* that game, and we should have won it, but we killed ourselves at the line, and the Lynx killed us on the boards, plain and simple.
The problem with having two Euros as your two main post players is that your interior defense suffers. A lot. Usually Ann brings enough offense, and Elena brings just enough rebounding, that it isn't as obvious, but that doesn't work when facing physical post players as the Lynx have. They put Ann off her game and chased Elena back into her slump. Crystal, fortunately, shows signs of coming out of her shooting slump, but what on earth was she thinking with her last shot? Her defense is also suffering. That is NOT of the good. Then again, everyone's defense was suspect tonight; too many Lynx players were left open in spots that were far more to their convenience than to the convenience of the Liberty. Becky seems to have swapped brains with Ticha Penicheiro; tonight, she wasn't even looking for her shot, forget about hitting it. I don't know if that was because of the Lynx D, to be fair, though. VJ looked like a Pod Person; there were a couple of very uncharacteristic and selfish moves on her part that surprised all of us. La'Keshia brought sorely needed physicality when Elena and Ann faltered, but neither she nor DeTrina were assertive enough to combat the Brickhouse in the lane. Loree was quietly effective, and I think she might have been more useful if she'd gotten more minutes, but then, isn't that the story of the Liberty bench's life? Shameka... no. I don't know what to say. In the first half I wanted to scream. In the second half, I did scream, but in a good way. When she went off, I thought for sure she was going to have a full-fledged Meek moment, but just as quickly as it came, the flash was gone, and we were left with with plain old Shameka, lost and a little confused. With a couple of years more of seasoning, she might have been enough to pull us through, but not here and now. Coach needed to give the crack pipe back to Blaze, 'cause that was some pathetic coaching out there. She made some moves that had us up in the stands scratching our heads in confusion. Apropos of not very much, it's nice to have someone on the IR with a lick of fashion sense. Amisha cleans up nice. Who knew?
Do not leave Katie Smith open. Do not leave Svetlana Abrosimova open. Really, are these such hard things to remember? You'd think Liberty players would equate the number 25 with solid long-range shooting just from association with Becky, but yet they managed to slip up again and again on her. Also, Geno must have been having a conniption somewhere in Connecticut; four years he had her and he could never get her to play defense, and suddenly she's hawking the ball like she was born to it? She's really turned a corner, and I'm happy for her. Now if she can only stay healthy... Katie was quiet, but you know, in all the talk of her shooting and her offense, what's forgotten is that she's a *big* guard. She's a fierce rebounder, a solid defender, and a great playmaker. Why Katie Smith gets so little love outside Minnesota and knowledgeable hoops fans is completely beyond me, and I'm not ascribing the reasons to it that the Lynx commentator did against Detroit, because I don't like to think in those terms. It's also nice to see Kristi Harrower back in the league. That little floater in the lane is a thing of beauty, and a heady point guard is a nice thing to see on a basketball court. Vanessa Hayden... man, that is one big woman. If she learns how to use it better, centers across the world will tremble in fear and have nightmares of being devoured by the Loch Ness Monster. As is, she's pretty damn intimidating, and the laws of physics are squarely on her side. She scared the crap out of Ann, I think, or at least made Ann very leery of going into the lane. And Nicole Ohlde is the perfect complement to her, because while Ohlde is a solid inside player, she seems more comfortable facing the basket; between one thing and another, a post defender can be easily confused and decide 'to hell with this, I'm going to jump out and scare a perimter player'. For the sake of the game, I hope this tandem doesn't get broken up any time soon, because it'll give Lynx fans something to look forward to for years; Hayden brings the power, while Ohlde, so far, seems to be the better playmaker. Tamika Williams... you would think the highest-percentage shooter in league history- possibly the only player in league history to shoot better from the field than the stripe- miiiiiiiiight merit some coverage. Then again, these are the Euros we're talking about. Yes, Elena, I'm looking at you. Okay, so La'Keshia and DeTrina weren't all that effective either, but still. Amber Jacobs played back-up point guard this time around- Tyger was a DNP-CD, so far as I know. Solid, although she didn't take advantage of a couple of times when shewaas open.
The refs blew, but they blew more or less equally, so I can't really use that as an excuse for the game. However, both teams need to take some FT shooting lessons, mmm'kay?
Special props must go to Amber Jacobs, for having what might be one of the funkiest and coolest signatures in the league- very stylized and angular, but with every letter legible. I'm a handwriting geek, and I love to see a neat and nifty sig. Special props must also go to Stacey Lovelace-Tolbert for stopping for us even though she was running dangerously close to late. I'd like to think it was the sight of her rookie card that gave her pause. (If we got her in trouble, I'm really sorry.)
We need a banger, and we need one bad. I keep thinking Wendy Palmer-Daniel would be a good fit for the Liberty; in the three games I've seen her now (CT, NY, and Sac), she's been a beast on the boards. If San Antonio starts looking to dump veterans for youth, I would not be averse to getting her and maybe Tai Dillard or a lower-round pick for the Liberty's first-round pick and one of our corps of flawed post players- La'Keshia because she's the best of the trio (and might have the best chance at salary matching), Amisha or DeTrina because of the youth factor. Or if Charlotte were willing to deal Teana Miller. Something like that. We need an enforcer. DeTrina's willing, but she just doesn't have the height, and ups can only do so much.
Frustrating game. Game we should have won. And really, nothing rubs in such a loss like having to walk through horseshit to get across the street.
July 9th, 2005: 2005 WNBA All-Star Game
West 122, East 99
"Sleep deprivation: like being drunk, but it's free!" The Game Notes are off to Mohegan Sun for the All-Star Game and associated festivities. New words are coined, all kinds of fans are everywhere, there's a disconnect between players and coaches, and Ashley Battle may or may not be drowning her sorrows.
"Sleep deprivation: like being drunk, but it's free!"
Man, these All-Star Games take a lot out of you, don't they?
So my mom and I drove up with a friend of ours, and as soon as the gates opened at the fan fest, that was the last that either of them saw of me until about ten minutes before tip-off. I was all over that place like a fungus. I love the look of the new cards, and some of the photos they chose- the Katie Smith one that was on display at the autograph table, with her flexing and grinning, comes to mind- were a hoot. Stood on the autograph line for both East and West- got the East, didn't get the West, but got DeMya Walker later, so that didn't really matter. I spent most of the festival in search of a complete collectoin of fans- every year at All-Star Games, I do my annual check of 'does every team still have at least one fan proud enough to wear their gear and travel X number of miles to se them?' So if you were accosted by a crazy brunette who said she was collecting fans, holla back. I got some great throwback shots in the collection, though; there was a lady in a Janice Braxton jersey, a little teeny girl in a Zheng Haixia jersey, a Jen Gillom jersey and a Bridget Pettis jersey, and a Sales Miracle jersey. I got pictures from every team except San Antonio, and I saw a lady with a Silver Stars backpack, so we're all set. I'd rate this fest/gathering/jam above both New York ones, but below the two-day affairs in Orlando and Washington. The picnic tables alone give them the edge- they were mighty good for my sore and aching feet that I spent all day on. And the lady at the first-aid station was very sweet when I asked for tape to stick my nametag back on my bag (I said was going to wear it, and why would I lie about a thing like that?).
Kate, the Adminitrix at WNBATalk, and Ali were making fools of themselves, as usual- how many times do I have to tell you not to encourage the idiot MC? If you see Lib games, you'd know them in an instant; they're the boa-clad dancing maniacs who sit behind the Liberty bench. They were in full form at the ASG.
I've coined a new term. The collective noun for fans is obsession. For example: "If you see Kelli, tell her that there's an obsession of Sacramento fans over there." This matches up with the collective noun for referees, confusion. For example: "The confusion is at center court- you think they'll get the call made sometime this century?" *grin*
I went inside at five to three, in the company of dts, a Board Junkie with a heart of gold, and his family- his daughter, who I know to be a talented autograph collector, also turns out to have a knack for coming up big in pressure situations- she won a pair of the new Taurasi sneakers in a game of Knockout. They slipped me down courtside for the pre-pregame warmups- if y'all are really nice, I'll post the shots I took down there to my Webpost archive. The sides by the tunnel were mobbed- some players stopped for some folks, some players stopped for other folks, and Ann, Taj, and Becky stopped for 'most everyone. Oh- I think the Shock were filming a commercial down there, to judge from the amount of loaned-out Shock paraphernalia and the way Ruth kept looking at the camera. Shoot, if I'd known that, I would have tracked down the nice ladies I saw in the Shock t-shirts- including a Ruth Riley #00 tee- and told them to come down there. Damn, you forget how striking Ruth is up close- she's not necessarily a traditional beauty, but she's very, very striking. Guess y'all Shock fans are so dazzled by Swin, Barb, and Kara that you miss Ruth.
Oh yeah. Did I mention that the rows in front of dts and family were the friends and family/comped tickets area? We got to chat with Cheryl Ford's mom- she's a total sweetheart, was touched when we pulled out a couple of Cheryl's cards for her. Various and sundry Hammons were also in that section- think we saw DeMya Walker's mom, too, sitting just down the row from Chantelle Anderson. *That* was nifty; it's nice to see the people who gave us these great players- to any basketball parents out there, thank you for loaning us your children.
I eventually decided to be honest and went up to my seat in 107-J. I think it was mostly Liberty fans in that area, although we sat in front of a pair of very sweet Minnesotans. I sold them a batch of Lynx cards- you should have heard them squeeing at the Vanessa Hayden rookie card and laughing at Suzie McConnell Serio's player card from way back when. I sold 'em cheap. It seemed fair. The people in front of us, the poor souls, got delayed because their bus got lost out of New Haven- they missed most of the first half, and they weren't even the worst off. Carrie- the girl who won last year's auction for the game of HORSE with Tamika Catchings- was down the other end of the row in front of us- thought that was cool; I spent a lot of the waiting-on-autograph-lines time chatitng with her and a couple of friends.
The problem with the game was the mismatching. No, not just those times that Dawn Staley ended up guarding Claw. The problem was that the Eastern players cared and the Eastern coaches didn't, whereas the Western coaches cared and the Western players were just like 'whatever, let's watch DeMya bust some moves during the timeout'. The West was loose, which you'd expect when they've won all the games and the only coach who ever came close to beating them is now on their bench, but Anne Donovan and crew kept them focused enough to kick butt. Thibault, on the other hand, seemed to think the game didn't matter; I think his priority was making sure that everyone played and everyone scored- I don't know how many times they tried to feed Dawn before the ball finally went in and theycould get back to trying to play the damn game.
Speaking of the game: I hadn't seen Houston this year, so I hadn't seen with my own eyes that Sheryl Swoopes is kicking rear and taking names. If ever there was a year that she deserved the nickname Her Majesty, it is this year. What is it with Comet players and getting better when they're supposed to be past their primes? This isn't fair! I want an investigation! She was a worthy MVP- that wasn't booing y'all at home heard in the background, that was the sound of several thousand impressed fans going "Swooooooooopes!" Bird and Taurasi, in addition to keeping the Western players in stitches, ran a couple of plays that I swear Geno would have recognized from the sideline- but they worked, they got 'em open threes. Birdy looks strange with the mask on, but today it didn't seem to bother her. Maybe the meds were really kicking in. *grin* Taurasi was adorable- oh yeah, she also hit a three-pointer from what had to be thirty, thirty-five feet out; her feet were on the little secondary All-Star logo off to the side. It was near the end of the game, so we were all out of ooohs and ahhhs for something like that, but it was still impressive. Yolanda played like it was her last game, as she walys does, and she got her groove on prettygood during the tiemouts. LJ did the defensive work, what little of it there needed to be. Katie Smith off the bench- which are two phrases that should never be stitched together, by the way- took a few bad shots, but then one three fell and it was all over after that; she just wound up and put them in- I've never seen a shot as automatic as hers in my life. Marieeeee's shot is still gorgeous, and one of the debates in the car on the way home was ' who has the prettier shot, Ferdinand or Swoopes?' She also brought the D, getting some flashy steals off casual ballhandling. Holdsclaw had a couple of reverse moves that were siiiiiick. Leslie played tough; more than that, I dare not say. DeMya, in addition to some nifty moves on the court, kept us all laughing up on the seats when she pulled out her dance moves during the timeouts. She got this All-Star thing in a way that most other players and folks didn't- play hard when you get out there, but have fun while you're doing it. After free throws, and there were a ridiculous amount of free throws, the sight of her and Dawn Staley tangled up in the frontcourt (or what would be the frontcourt- you know what I mean) was hysterical, but also pointedup the problem with the East's lineup. I liked the shimmeryness of AD's shirt. Yes, Seattlites, y'all really do have a well-dressed coaching staff.
Tamika Catchings. How anyone can speak ill of that woman is completely beyond me. She had such hustle, such passion, such beautiful shots, that if the East had managed to pull this one off, she would have been MVP, no doubt. Becky was the only other starter who looked like she really belonged there; she hit some deep shots too, one only a little bit closer to the arc than the Taurasi 'eh, what the hell' shot. But Dawn, much as I hate to say it, looked old, slow, and lost out there. Swin might have been ready to play ball, but she wasn't ready for an All-Star game. What Bill Laimbeer was thinking, I suppose we'll never know. Ruth chose a good night to have a good game, but she and all the other Eastern posts looked like they didn't know what they were doing. Much as I hate to say it, that includes Ann; she was caught totally flat-footed out there, lost and confused. My friend, who's a die-hard Liberty fan who will never admit that any Lib does anything wrong other than Elena, says it was because she didn't get enough minutes and she didn't get enough touches. I say she looked like a damn rookie, and tha t was the reaosn why she wasn't getting minutes and wasn't getting touches. Taj looked like shewas playing in pain for parts of the game- her back spasms? Keesh was out of it, plain and simple- missed two passes that she should have had- yeah, her offense turned on in the second half, but by then, it was too late. Alana Beard does a better impersonation of a point guard than I thought. I hadn't seen her in that position (not and remembered, in any case; remember, I missed the first Mystic visit to the Garden this year, and last year, I had other things on my mind during the Washington game). It might well be a position that suits her after all. Tweety couldn't get her shots to fall until late. We were all hoping she'd make the dunk she was trying for- wouldn't that have just shut Lisa up? She came mighty close, too. Keeep practicing, Tweety; we'll see it next year, right? Cheryl Ford got hit in the face sometime near the waning minutes of the second half, came off holding her jersey over her face. Other than that, I don't remember what she did. That's the problem with the morning after, you never remember things...
After the game, I went to hang out by the box office. dts, Dani, and crew were there- so were a couple of other Board Junkies. After some time, Ann popped out on the phone. A wave of fans descended upon her, and after signing a few 'graphs, she fled back into the arena. She was the only player we saw. Ann Meyers also came out that way, but I wouldn't get too close to her. She might have cooties. DeMya Walker's mom and grandma came out that way too- DeMya's looks and personality definitely come from that side of the family. Oh, and Lib fans, you'll never guess who was there on a league credential- Boris, Elena's boyfriend. No, I don't know why.
So around sevenish, I went up to Lucky's, where the Board Junkies were having the meetup. It was mostly Lib fans, actually, drinking, watching the Yankee game, and wondering what precisely Thibault was on while coaching that game. We were wondering who else off that board was going to pop in- some out-of-area folks were supposed to be stopping by, but we hadn't seen either of them. Along around seven-thirty a guy in a Comets t-shirt wandered in, looking around for a group. We acted on a hunch and waved him over. 'Twas pilight, who had missed the whole enchilada because of flight troubles at O'Hare (and I've been stranded at O'Hare- it's NOT fun). Lucky's also played host to a couple of former Huskies, Ashley Battle and Jessica Moore. Is it wrong for me to wonder if they were drowning their sorrows after being midseason cuts?
If anyone has that photo from open practice where Sheryl was sitting on LJ's lap, please e-mail me the image or a link to the image? That needs to be used for something.
Damn, I'm exhausted just typing this.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
July 7th, 2005: Connecticut at New York
New York Liberty 89, Connecticut Sun 79
The Maalox Moments return home, Vickie Johnson does not seem to be present despite all appearances, and Taj McWilliams-Franklin is (ahem) solid in more ways than one.
Ah, the Maalox Moments, how I love thee. They lose to Charlotte and San Antonio, and then they whip Connecticut. It makes my brain hurt.
A minor miracle occurred during warm-ups: Katie Douglas stopped and signed for all of us. Taj and Lindsay didn't join in the pre-pregame warm-ups, dunno why; someone said that Lindsay had been and gone, and they've been talking about Taj's back spasms, so maybe those are their alibis. *shrug* I was a bit miffed, though, 'cause I need Taj for my collection.
The anthem sucked. Emoting and histrionics are all well and good, but they don't disguise the notes that the guy beat to death and the two words he muffed. Save the drama for your mama, dude.
Ann! Holy cow, Ann! She was amazing tonight, inside and out. Her shooting touch was on, she was rebounding, and she set some mean picks- though she didn't have to do that very much (a lot of the plays went to her). She played like an All-Star. So did Becky. She came on in crunch time, which had been one of my criticisms of her earlier on in the season. And she dished. Dishing is good. Shameka was... tonight, she was a Meek. I refuse to use that silly Meeksiah nickname, but tonight she earned the right to be spoken of in the same breath as Chamique and Tamika. She had some awesome moves that left us gasping in awe, and then there was that block on Nykesha Sales- 'get that shit out of here!/not in my house!' kind of stuff, man. She took control late. She's looking more and more confident every day. If she can keep that up, I may be somewhat converted. VJ has been replaced by a Pod Person. If you see the real VJ, please return her to Madison Square Garden; there's probably a mondo reward. But she and Crystal brought defense. Payton may be the Glove, but what good does one glove do you? We've got two. Crystal also contributed a key three and a lovely reverse layup that had us oohing and ahhing. Elena sucked. Period. Loree was quiet, La'Keshia was quite handy, and everyone else warmed the bench. (And Amisha Carter lies about her age. Why you'd want to do that at 23 is completely beyond me.) Kraayveld needs to get into a game so I can find out how to pronounce her last name, since she's going to be around for the rest of the season. Patty finally blew her top at the refs and got a T. I was yelling for Marianne to leash her after that. And DeTrina actually scored a 7/10 on the fashion scale- new shirt, even.
Okay, I have seen Lindsay Whalen go off. Remind me again why she's not on the All-Star team. Oh, right, because Dawn Staley is starting. Right now I'd take her over Dawn, or Alana Beard even, and I'm partial to Alana. She's a playmaker who knows when to dish and when to swish, when to shoot it long and when to drive. I don't particularly like her- something about her style, or her personality, or something, just rubs me the wrong way- but I have to admit that she's got game. Taj also looked very solid tonight. (Very solid. Anyone who was there can attest to that after she took her jersey off.) She's a wicked awesome rebounder, and I wish to Goddess we had her. Margo looked off tonight- wasn't in position, wasn't working for the rebounds, wasn't going inside. She does, however, have one of the prettiest releases and followthroughs on her jump shot. Maybe it's just that everything she does is magnified because of her size, but her followthrough is much clearer and more pronounced than any I've seen on someone other than VJ, and y'all know how exaggerated VJ's jumper is. Katie Douglas is an awesome defender, the kind of woman who will not give you an inch of space unless you physically move her somewhere else- and don't leave her open, for Crissake! Keesh was off early tonight; I think that got into her head, and then the rotation of VJ and Crystal on her really rattled her cage. The block by Shameka was just icing on the cake. Asjha Jones got a lot of minutes- more than Dydek? She was the one Coach Thibault preferred to go with down the stretch. She's another tough one, a banger through and through, and she's got a nice stroke. I like Brooke Wyckoff- she's a servicable spare part. The rest of the Connecticut bench didn't do anything for me, though I admire Coach for sending everyone in during the foul derby. It's more than Patty managed. *rolleyes* And yes, he was deserving of that technical. Considering the incompetence of the referees, he really shouldn't have been complaining.
Dancers with balls just don't do it for me, but then, I spent most of halftime on the concourse, chatting and buying a large soda to soothe my throat. I spent two and a half years in theatre training, so I know how to breathe deeply and let it out on a "deeeeeee-fense!" sound, but it takes its toll after a while. Plus, it scares small children.
Kym sighting! And A'riel! Such a cuuuuuute kid. (And her mommy's not bad either. )
I love this team. But I do wish just once that they'd stop driving me crazy.
Wooooowee, WNBATalk party behind the bench! I was so tempted to stay, you have no idea.
June 30th, 2005: Sacramento at New York
Sacramento Monarchs 61, New York Liberty 50
The Liberty are confused. So are the Game Notes.
Mom kept describing this game as lackluster, and that seems to be the right word for it. There was a distinct lack of energy in the building, at least on the Liberty's part and on the part of Liberty fans. There were times when this logically seemed like a winnable game, but deep in the pit of my stomach, I knew there was no way we were going to pull it off, even when we closed to within six or four or three.
Amisha Carter didn't even bother to show up tonight. I mean, I can understand it, there's really no point to coming, except for the free courtside seat, but it just struck me as a BAD THING. She better have a reason for it. DeTrina was in street clothes- word to the wise: iron the shirt before you wear it. Especially when the other team's IR player is Erin Buescher, modeling a rather nice top and slacks, with sensible enough shoes that she was helping with some of the inbound passes for the pregame warmups.
I didn't know refs had friends. Did you? Ref #25, a lady with a blonde ponytail who could have passed for a scion of the Black family tree, had a hugs-and-kisses moment with someone pregame. She also high-fived the kids from the biddy game. I fear for their souls now. Said biddy game was actually pretty damn good for a bunch of kids. They ran fastbreaks, they tried cross-court passes, they used the glass, and one of them even hit a midrange jumper. Seriously, they were awesome. Best biddy game I've ever seen at MSG. Would that it had been an omen.
Anthem was done by the guys from Altar Boyz, which I now want to check out. They've got the sound pretty much down, and they sounded good. The high notes made me wince, though, but I expect men to have trouble hitting higher notes. It's when they don't that I worry.
My scribbled notes indicate that at 11:52 of the first half, I was thinking, "Holy hell, do we ever have butterfingers tonight! We look miserable and confused out there!" The plays that worked against lesser teams weren't working against Sacramento, who's bigger, tougher, and more defensive-minded than any other team in this league. Ann might be able to budge Ruth Riley or Kelly Schumacher, but if she tries to shove Yolanda, Yo shoves back twice as hard. I think at that point, I was also thinking, "No, I can't see La'Keshia as a realtor. Actress, yes, after her cameo in Love and Basketball, and for some reason I can very much see her at the front of a classrom that's about to stop being unruly, but I just can't imagine her showing off houses."
Um, guys with German flag? WTF? Linda's not here anymore, you know...
Halftime=dancers. Aieeeeeeeeee, why must we have dancers inflicted on us? Do something basketball-related, for the love of Goddess!
A'riel (sp?) is the epitome of cuteness. She knows how to work the camera. I think several thousand people fell instantly in love with her when she looked right at the camera and stuck her tongue out at the lot of us. Between the knack for the camera and the toy cell phone, I think it's safe to say that she's very much her mother's daughter. And that's a good thing for Baby Liberty.
Okay, so maybe Loree wasn't a wasted draft pick. She does have a knack for running a team, which is very important for a point guard. She kept the offense flowing pretty well. Now, if she would only discover a shot, before we end up infected with Four-Woman-Offense Syndrome again. But why Tamara remains a DNP-CD is utterly beyond me. I'd talk about everyone one by one, but I'd start to sound like a broken record. No one had anything working tonight. Ann came the closest, because she wasn't foiled by sheer bad mojo, but by the fact that Yolanda is a hella better player than she is, on both ends of the floor. VJ also had her moments, but she didn't look like the player we've expected her to look like this season. Shameka did not have a lot of offense- again, she was hesitant- but she was a terror on the boards, she stuffed Yolanda twice, and I think she was the one with the wicked tackle on Nicole Powell. Crystal certainly didn't set back the Shameka-as-starter cause, and if Elena keeps this shit up, we're going to have a La'Keshia-for-starter campaign going soon. Becky, odd as it sounds to say, didn't spend enough time looking for her shot. I don't know if it's because we've come to expect it or because teams are keying in on other players, but she's passing up shots she should be taking, making passes she doesn't need to make, and I can't believe these words are coming out of my fingers, I really can't. But the offense tonight looked like crap. I don't know why the hell Patty was reaching for Gatorade, because it wasn't like she was doing anything.
DeMya Freaking Walker. If this is how she's been playing all season, she damn well better make the All-Star team. Although I've never seen a player more aptly named- three TOs on traveling violations, each with a different cheesy song attached. Chelsea Newton played a solid defensive game (yeah, I know, the word I'm reaching for here is 'duh'), but it would have been nice for all the RU fans who were there to see her go off. Ticha, Haynie, and Lawson may be the toughest, scrappiest, stubbornest backcourt combination in the league, and if you factor in Chelsea, it only gets worse. I mean, damn, those women are stubborn. They were getting floorburns with under a minute to go. Yo was... Yo. You know Yo. Although the oncourt supportive mother/daughter thing she's got going on with Rebekkah Brunson nearly had me rolling in the aisles. Bekkah's taking that Baby Yo nickname seriously- I think she's even got a tat similar to one of Yolanda's, and she's certainly got the tangle and bang down pat. I'm going to work under the assumption that Nicole Powell spent most of the game under the aegis of one of the Liberty's defensive aces, because otherwise there really isn't an excuse for the way she played tonight. Tante didn't strike any chords with me, but she may well have been of use to Sacramento defensively. Darned if I know. Coach Whisenant, though, is one of the most emotive coaches in the league. He's a hoot to watch.
Just in general, no one should have been taking hook shots tonight. Whether it was Elena, Ann, or DeMya, they weren't falling. Of course, that usually meant therewas a Monarch there to pick up the rebound and put it in the general direction of the appropriate basket. I don't have the final rebounding totals, but the halftime differential was 21-11, 4-1 on the offensive boards. The Liberty just weren't boxing out and the Monarchs most definitely were. I remember one play where the two players crashing the boards the hardest were Crystal and Ticha, and I couldn't help but wonder precisely what the HELL our post players were doing othe than looking right idiots. I think I yelled something to that effect, too. Man, my vocal cords haven't hurt this much in ages. Then again, I wasn't in my normal seat- I scored a courtside ticket off Jean, the nice lady who's doing the photos for SportsPage. So I was in with a crazy crowd, and I kind of wanted to fit in. The only problem with shrieking is that by the second half, it's impossible to do the Xena warcry that puts free throw shooters off their timing.
We got hella more free throws than they did up until hopeless foul derby time, so I ain't gonna get fussed. Seriously, though, other than Reggie Miller, has that 'foul desperately, hope they miss, and hope we hit a lot of quick threes' strategy EVER worked in the history of foul shots and three pointers? Drives me NUTS.
Rutgers orchestrated a takeover of the Garden, and I'm not just talking about the fans who gave Chelsea such a warm welcome home (although the one girl in the #2 Monarchs jersey definitely gets props). Sue was there, of course- she walked by our section, we did the "Suuuuuuuuuuue!!" thing, and she covered her face with her hands. We like her. We really like her. Apparently Vivian Stringer was also in the house, though I didn't see her, and there were a hella lot of Scarlet Knights and former Scarlet Knights kicking around, including our erstwhile draft pick.
The Hustle is not a good song to put on the PA for a raffle. The Monarchs are not a good team to go cold against. Whether it was just because Sacramento's D makes anyone look bad or because we really *are* that bad remains to be seen. Unfortunately, I don't think Connecticut is going to be a fair bellwether of that, either, because the same argument can be made for the Sun as for the Monarchs.
June 21st, 2005: San Antonio at New York
New York Liberty 77, San Antonio Silver Stars 59
The Liberty celebrate their eighth birthday in style and start to show flashes of brilliance.
Ah, now that's more like it. For a change, the Liberty smacked around a team that they were supposed to smack around. They didn't play down to the other team's level, which is always a good thing. This is just what they needed to get their arses in gear.
It always helps to have a good anthem- barbershop women's group style.
Congrats to Ann for tying her career high. She held her own against Chantelle Anderson, not so much against Feenstra, but then, there are linebackers who would have to yield ground to Katie Feenstra. Elena didn't score much- shots fell short, and that's not a good omen- but 10 rebounds make me verra verra happy. Ann needs to lay off the hook shots, though. Try them out against less impressive post players. Becky continued on that lovely trend of playing the point to a tee. I'm starting to be less afraid when she drives the lane, although I still cringe. Her passes amaze me. I still think we sacrifice too much offense when she's not a shooting guard, especially since Crystal has been in such a slump, but if we keep winning, I can't say very much. VJ was actually kind of quiet tonight, but we didn't need her to heat it up. She did her Miss Intangible trick. Is Crystal okay? The boy spotted her being taken care of by the trainer, and that would certainly explain why she hasn't been herself. Shameka decided that today was a good day to live up to the Baby Swoopes moniker in the second half- she went on a scoring burst with acrobatic moves and nifty tricks. She also racked up a few rebounds, which I like out of a six-one forward. La'Keshia started finding her stroke, although I'd much rather have my post player finding her stroke from the paint than from the elbow and the midrange, you know? Tamara actually got to shoot the ball! I thought a miracle had occurred; I also like the way she runs the team, although I'd like to see more of her and Becky at the same time. We even had Erin and Amisha sightings- Erin notched an assist to La'Keshia, while Amisha had a foul and a TO. DeTrina was back to battling, and she got to the line four times, scoring thrice. The plays being called and the substitutions being made caused me to wonder if one of the other Coyle sisters had socked Patty over the head and taken her suit before the game. Why, yes, I do have a vivid imagination.
Marie looked like herself. She's one of the few determined drivers in this league, and she used that effectively to make sure she could get her outside shot off. Pee-Wee didn't look all that great, although she had a rather... interesting tackle on Becky during a jump ball situation- except the ball was already well away. *laughs* You know a team's bad off when Dalma Ivanyi, a journeywoman point guard by trade, is starting at small forward. She actually presented herself well, both as a playmaker and an outside shooter. It's nice to see her making her mark. Wendy Palmer-Daniel is rebounding like there's no tomorrow- ah, if only San Antonio's two forward slots on the ballot weren't taken by two gimps, she might get some well-deserved votes. She's been amazing in the two games I've seen her (remember that I went up to Mohegan to see the Sun and the SASS). Today was Chantelle's day to be effective- she's got a lovely touch, which would make sense for one of the best shooters in recent NCAA times. But when Feenstra comes in, it's a complete change of pace, because Chantelle's one of those long, skinnyish posts, while Feenstra's big and solid. She sucked tonight, though, and that makes my heart skip a beat with joy. (What can I say? Talking about God gets my hackles up. You wanna be a devout Christian, fine, but I don't want to hear about it. I realize that it's not a particularly rational reason to dislike a player, but I am not a creature of logic.) Meanwhile, back on the bench, Nikki McCray is really at the end of her string- she just comes in now as a defensive sub, and even not that often. A slightly lesser ditto to Edna Campbell, although Edna still seems to have a bit left in the tank. Not much, though. Shyra Ely came, she saw, and she went back to the bench. Not exactly a lot of run for Ely. Dan Hughes, while he substituted freely, used a tight rotation.
No particularly heinous refs, just general badness. The usual array of ticky-tack calls while wrestling matches went on uninterrupted. Consistency was once again missing. The Liberty got the benefit of the doubt on some out of bounds calls, but got called for more phantom fouls, so the idiocy evened out. We did have the guy who can't toss the ball. Yes, pilight, I know that that doesn't narrow things down very much.
Favorite moments of the game: Becky's gorgeous pass to La'Keshia that La'Keshia proceeded to botch up finishing twice. Erin on defense- her hoops IQ impresses me whenever I see her. Elena blocking folks. Sista Christon fouling Feenstra- that just tickles my bad pun center. Seeing the team not fuck up. I like that.
Small crowd, but a good one. It was fun hanging out with the boy and one of my other buddies during the game- I love being able to talk to people about the game instead of watching dancers. And, hey, return of Liberty Ad-Libs, which always garner a chuckle out of folks. Sent the twins off in style- WNBATalkers, if you saw a pair of virtually identical brunettes with press passes, those would be them.
On to Charlotte, where hopefully the Liberty can keep up doing what they're supposed to do so that Erin and Amisha won't have time to count every single fan in the stands while they wait for their minute.
Happy 8th Birthday, Liberty! Nice to know it went as well as the first one.