Kick it up a notch!
I wonder what was going through the minds of the Libs as they downed the Mercury in the most lopsided win in their history? After the 1st quarter, when they were leading 28-15, did Coach Coyle think her ladies were just on a roll? Did, after the first half (when they held the Mercs to just 30 points), anybody think that the other shoe was going to drop? And what about when the 4th quarter started and the ladies were within 100 points; did anybody realize what was about to happen?
For that matter, what was going on the minds of the Mercury? Did Taurasi, who scored 21 points (FG 7-14, 3pt 3-7, FT 4-5), get pissed that her team seemed to give up? Did Pondexter, who managed 16 points despite brick after brick, feel like she could have done more? Did Coach Corey Gaines think that perhaps the defenseless game plan that the Mercs have been pushing for so many years has finally fallen to pieces? Did anybody on Phoenix’s side of the court worry that perhaps this was a signal for what the rest of the season was going to be like, that the heady days after their championship seemed like a distant memory as a then -.500 team scored over a hundred points against the once-proud masters of the West?
Made humble by the throngs of Liberty?
I don’t know. What matters most, in the end, is that the Timeless Torches kicked ass once again. I think we can all agree on that.
In all seriousness, the Libs had a great game. That, coupled with a complete absence of any defense after the 1st quarter on the part of the Mercs, led to a dominance not seen by any Liberty team. Ever. The 105 points are a team record, and the shooting percentages (54.3 from the field, 50% from the 3) show why.
Also of note: the Libs never lost the lead after gaining it halfway through the 1st following a 11-3 run. Coyle played all of the ladies and everybody contributed, starting from the 2nd quarter out. By the end of the game, the entire starting corps remained on the bench, leaving the back six to complete the triple-digit score. It was cool to see, especially with the young girls showing their stuff. Compliments for everyone? Why not? I'm in a good mood.
Christon: Strong game on defense, though still a bit too prickly.
Carson: Growing well in the starters position.
Kraayeveld: Strong first half, though her defense improved significantly in the 3rd quarter.
McCarville: All around good game.
Moore: Playing without a missed beat.
Willis: Solid shots when we needed 'em.
Jackson: 21 points led the team? 8-8 from the field? Seems to will the ball where she wants it to go.
Battle: Another complete game, with every aspect of her stat sheet showing strength.
Larkins: An airball foul shot couldn't keep her spirits down and she finished off the game quite well.
Mitchell: The firestarter was held to only three points, but her passing and play-calling is getting better and better.
Thorn: 1 3-pointer, but one that came at a good time.
I could rail and rail against the Mercs, but I think the humiliation of their loss is enough. One last thing...
Haw haw!
Very well. I am satisfied.
- No Lib who made it on the court scored less than 3 points.
- Kraayeveld, McCarville, Jackson, Willis, Moore, and Battle all had more than 10 points.
- The Liberty outrebounded (56-47) the Mercs by a strong margin.
- Phoenix shot only 32% from the field and 21% from beyond the arc (although they did make over 90% of their foul shots).
- Lisa Willis had the best all around game, going perfect (4-4) from the line, sinking 2 3-pointers, making 4 rebounds (2-2), and playing a generally strong defensive game in her 15 minutes of court time.
- Kraayeveld came out strong with 3 straight 3's, but faded down the stretch. Her defense was better by the end of the game, however.
Sorry about the lack of posts last week. Internet was shoddy. Even now, I'm not running on a full tank of gas. I'll be more regular with my updates. Promise.
Sacramento 82, Chicago 70
Los Angeles 77, Indiana 63
Atlanta is still winless, with 13 marks in the L column, tying a record. Anybody still think its a good idea to expand to 16 teams? No? I thought so.
Chicago is also having its fair-share of problems, with a 3-8 record and another loss to the up-and-down Monarchs. The Sky still can't seem to get it together, stringing together long periods of competence followed by minutes of pure ineptitude. Sacramento needed the win more, however, and are now tied with the formerly invincible Lynx.
Los Angeles, having discovered their team game doesn't need to rely on Parker, has jumped to number 1 in the conference with their win over Indiana. The Fever have lost two straight and aren't looking particularly cohesive at the moment. Still, they're in 4th place. As long as Washington doesn't string together any wins... what? The Mystics have won 3 straight?
I have been gone a long time.
No games today.
Monday Blues...
George Carlin died. That doesn't have anything to do with the WNBA, but I felt that I needed to share it.
Parker got the WNBA's second dunk. Frankly, I'm not a huge proponent of the whole "get women to dunk" thing. First, it's an act of machismo that doesn't do much except show off one's own talent. Secondly, unless all the players start dunking, its just going to give neanderthals more reason to point and laugh at the league.
Only two women dunk? Bah ha! What joke!
Especially when a person's first experience isn't exactly a GOOD one, the league needs to prove that it can survive on its own merits rather than those of another league.
But that's enough for me today. Until next time?
See ya, Space Cowboy...
1 comment:
Glad to see you made it back. I thought you had disappeared.
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