Win Some, Lose Some - Liberty 8-8

Leave Fate to God in both victory and defeat - Saint Timothy

NEW YORK 80, LOS ANGELES 68
SEATTLE 84, NEW YORK 53

So we come out of the weekend with our heads still above water. I'm okay with that. In the end, it still makes four losses in our last five games, but that win against Los Angeles really picked me up. I would have liked to pick up that extra game, especially now that we're tired with the Sky.

Windy Shitty is more like it.

First, the good news: Friday's game was a breath of fresh air. L.A. squandered a lot of chances and allowed the Liberty to reign triumphant, 80-68. Loree Moore scored 20 points, all of the starters scored in the double-digits, and the Libs went up to 8-7, snapping their skid and doing it in fine fashion.

Well played, Thor.

The Liberty finally looked like they had control of a game throughout the entire 40 minutes, which hasn't been the case once this season (even in the opener against the Sky). How did they do it? Playing solid D and hitting the basket from the field, going above 47% and making it look like Child's Play at times.

Apt metaphor, scary-ass doll.

To be fair, the Sparks were not on their game on Friday. Not to take anything away from the Liberty, but the starters for L.A. just didn't show up, and their reserves couldn't pull it together either. A game is easier to win when the other team doesn't show up. Talk to my hometown Pittsburgh Pirates about that.

I wish I could quit you.

Three-pointers were huge for us in the game as well, as we hit 10-21, almost 50%. Half of those (five) came in the first ten minutes, but that built up the lead to 26-12 and gave us some energy for the rest of the trip through La-La Land.

It really isn't that bad of a town... no. I can't lie like that.

The Sparks only shot 6-21 from beyond the arc, however. Giving up that many opportunities at the parimeter is not a strong show of game, but in the end, the quality of the shots must not have been as great, coming back to the Liberty D. The Liberty never trailed and managed to spread the ball around, too. Toward the end, the scrubs came in, and that was that. The Liberty took a game to the bank.

Be sure to talk to Moneybags. He's a friend of the "organization".

GAME NOTES

• Marta Fernandez continued to rock for the Sparks. She had 17 points, while Sidney Spencer had 11 with 8 rebounds.
• McCarville was perfect in her shots. 3 from the field, 4 from the line, all in for 10 points.
  Lisa Willis was limited to eleven minutes of playtime against her former team, scoring only 4. Eh.
• Sherill "The Peach" Baker was not too much better. She started and played almost 25, but only scored 8, although she did lead the team in assists.
• The Liberty continue to turnover the ball (22 for the game, four more than L.A.). Thankfully, the Sparks couldn't work it.

A solid game and one to grow on. It put the Liberty in a position to come out of the weekend at at least .500. Which they were going to need, because the next stop on the road was the Land of Oz...

I wasn't expecting THAT kind of "Oz"...

Iziane Castro Marques (that name is going to be hell for me to remember how to spell) and Lauren Jackson led the Storm, scoring 24 and 12 points (with 11 rebounds) respectively, as Seattle obliterated the Libs in every sense of the word. Everything that the Liberty seemed to do well with on Friday, they messed up on Sunday night. FG%? Garbage. Defense? Atrocious. Starters? Absent.

Christon? Kraayeveld? Bueller?

The only Lib to pick up more than 9 or more points was Moore, with 10. Like most games, the first half was an utter disaster for the Liberty, but unlike a lot of games, they couldn't pick it up in the second. They were down 45-28 going into the locker rooms and just couldn't make it happen after that. The Storm held sway, and not just because the Liberty forgot to show up...

Although that didn't hurt.

But they did do a great job of controlling the Liberty, forcing them into bad spots and not falling into any trap. Marques had a dominating game, and Jackson and Bird kicked ass yet again.

They majored in Ass Kicking under Chuck Norris at Oswald J. Suckerpunch High School.

There’s not much more to say to it than that. A really awful game all around, and one that I hope we can forget as soon as possible.

GAME NOTES

• Sue Bird became the fifth WNBA player to pick up 1,000 points after she picked one up in the first quarter. Applaud, you cynical bastards.
• The Liberty seemed without passion. The only emotion evident during the first half? Panic.
• Dude, the Storm fans are off the hook.
• Seattle outrebounded New York 48-25. That's just criminal.
• Road Trip almost done.

Next Game?

They say a wounded tiger is more vicious than a healthy one. We shall see on Friday.

WEEKEND GAMES WRAP-UP

Teams I picked in italics...

Mystics 65, Shock 64
Sun 72, Fever 67
Lynx 77, Silver Stars 66
Sky 92, Monarchs 84 (2 OT)
Mercury 92, Comets 75

I did not pick these games...

Sky 74, Sparks 71
Fever 69, Mystics 62
Silver Stars 71, Shock 68
Monarchs 76, Lynx 68

I also thought there was a Sky/Mystics game. Talk about Brain Fart.

So, yeah, my picks were garbage for Friday's game. But who the hell would pick the Mystics to beat Detroit at home? Or that the Fever would lose their grip? The Monarch's defense crumbled, the Lynx won an important game, and the Sun actually played like the team that they kept promising to play like. It was like the day was opposite day...

The Writer am good picker.

(I'm sorry. That was way too obscure.)

The Shock are the most surprising. Talk about taking a belly flop onto concrete. This is the team that played like the Jordan-era Bulls? It lost to the Silver Stars AND the Mystics?

What it must feel like to be a Shock fan right about now...

The Mercury game doesn't surprise me as much. Phoenix has talent and Houston was going to have to lose at some point. I don't take back my pick, because I think in the rematch, Houston can take 'em, but it wasn't as mind-blowing as Chicago's continual rise in the East.

Speaking of witch...er, which

(Puns = Last resort of Humor)

A big man might make a comment about how, if he was wrong about a the talent caliber of a certain team - say, hypothetically, a team from Chicago - he was wrong to say such inconsiderate remarks and be more open to things in the future. I am not that man, however. I will remain objective on all other things about the WNBA, but the Chicago Sky I saw play on opening day after forever etched in my mind.

There are just some things that can't be unseen.

It's now the beginning of June. Only a month and a half of WNBA ball left to play. Let's all - fans and foes alike - make the most of it.

AROUND THE LEAGUE...

No games today. Mondays are slow for the league.

With the Shock losing two, and the Fever going 1-1, Indiana is now tied for the top of the Eastern Conference. Detroit was near-invincible at the beginning of the season, but has begun to show chinks in their armor. The Fever, on the other hand, just keep rolling.

If you’re looking for a more statistical (read: better) overview of yesterday’s (and any other day’s) games, check out Sports Illustrated’s capsules .

This story from the Seattle Times went up on Friday about Cathrine Kraayeveld’s homecoming to her old stompin’ grounds around the Puget Sound. Decent write-up for Dutch. I approve.

Monarchs Head Coach Jenny Boucek and Shock Head Coach Bill Laimbeer will serve as West and East coaches, respectively, for the All-Star game. No surprise, but come on. No love for Brian Winters?

Speaking of Indiana, there is an interview with Alison Bailes of the Fever. Good Q&A about transition from the college game to the pro, the different expectations, and also some personal questions (Not personal enough, frankly. I want to know just what diabolic force the Fever are in cahoots with, and how many virgins were sacrificed to gain favor with it.)

I also want to thank you guys for reading. I started this thing out and got about 5 hits a day. Now, in one week, I went from being 1,000 on the counter to over 3,000. I'm not Maddox, but I'm thankful that you guys are reading. It makes it a hell of a lot easier.

Cheers.

Liberty Belle going up in the afternoon. Hell of a weekend, hell of a week coming up.

See ya, Space Cowboy...