Light a Candle - Liberty Win

Outer Space can suck it!

New York Liberty 77, Houston Comets 71

First of all, before anything else, let me say that the MTA and half the people who use are complete horseshit. A little water, and suddenly, 50% of New York turn into crazy assholes that HAVE to get onto one train and will kick, push, and claw their way in, not waiting for people to get out or even for the next train. The MTA, meanwhile, can't even get something as simple as a rain schedule up. Newsflash: we live in a city on the ocean. It's going to rain. Make some contingency plans.

Actual photo of the MTA's chief, Elliot G. Sander.

Now, onto the game; the Libs beat back the Houston Comets to hold onto playoff hopes. The Sky lost and the Mystics won, so we're still one game out of the playoffs, but the we're out of last and into fifth, with a game left against Washington, whom we have done well against in the past.

Liberty beats Dark Lord, although Fox News beats Liberty, even if the Dark Lord beats Fox News.

Patty continued to play her favorites, although Kraayeveld came out after 15 minutes due to her lack of defense and only 5 points. Janel McCarville and Loree Moore led the Libs with 17 points each (and 8 and 6 rebounds, respectively), while Erin Thorn (10 points, 4 assists) had a strong showing as well. The big surprise was Jessica Davenport, who came off the bench to play over 20 minutes and contribute 13 points and 6 rebounds.

Only Gamera can save us from Mecha-Davenport! (Translated from Japanese)

It's good to have her back. And it was nice to see the Usual Gang step up and deal with Comets when they started to take back the game in the 2nd Quarter. The Libs were dealing with them handily before then, but the Comets, led by Tina Thompson (a game-high 24 points and 9 rebounds), stormed back and took the lead away.

Tina Thompson reported back pain at the end of the game. That's what she gets for carrying the Comets on her shoulders.

The Liberty, unable to mount a comeback in most of their last ten games, suddenly found the fire in their bellies. Battle and Moore each shot a three in the last two and a half minutes to go ahead by four and then finish the first half 39-37.

I sense a great disturbance in the force...

Indeed, for McCarville came back out after the break and scored a driving layup, stole the ball from Smith, and then went back again.

Scientists are divided on whether they think it hurts to be that awesome.

Nothing happened for the next two minutes, although the Libs thoroughly dominated it. The Comets had one shot (missed), a turnover, and a foul, but nothing else. Admittedly, missing six shots in that span isn't great, but the fact that they were able to keep cool, grab the rebounds, and work it back out to start again shows that they've finally been able to mature as a team.

Let's just hope that it is enough...

McCarville makes another jump shot and the game continues, as if nothing had happened... well, because nothing DID happen during that stretch.

There is more atomic activity at absolute zero than there was in that time frame.

It was pretty much in control after that. The Comets never led after that brief spurt in the 2nd, while McCarville, Davenport, and Moore thrust the rest of their teams into the limelight and took the Liberty back to four games under .500 and one game out of playoff contention.

McCarville, Davenport, and Moore. Attorneys at Law. This Fall on ABC.

Anything else? No? Then to Game Notes we go...

GAME NOTES

• Get under the basket? Check. More from Moore? Check. Back to Basics? Double-check. Who called it? You're damn right.
• Hamchétou Maïga-Ba (HOU) had a fantastic game. She turned over the ball several times, but she did score 16 points and had five rebounds while only missing four shots out of 15.
• The Liberty are still falling short at the free-throw line. They shot less than 65%. Again.
• Good to see that the Libs aren't allowing themselves to fall back into their old tricks.
• Strong crowd. Almost 8K, which is a little bit less than normal for Houston but still above league average.

Next game?

Tomorrow
Phoenix
10:30
Phoenix is a boring-ass city, but they can kick the crap out of anyone in the league.

We beat them before, we can do it again. We have to take the game. The Mystics magic number is five. Let's not help them out. Any questions?

Then cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!

AROUND THE LEAGUE...

Washington 77, San Antonio 73
Sacramento 81, Connecticut 79
Minnesota 95, Seattle 74
Indiana 74, Chicago 70 (2 OT)
Phoenix 96, Los Angeles 93

Obviously I underestimated the desire of the Mystics to stay in contention. If they can handle the Silver Stars, it's going to be a rough road getting into the playoffs.

As in "certain-sexual-acts-without-lube" rough.

Becky Hammon was out (for reasons unknown to the Writer), which definitely would have affected my position on this game had I known, but the Silver Stars should have been able to handle it. Sophia Young (26), Helen Young (18), and Shanna Crossley (16) all handled it, but when a starter scores zero points in over 20 minutes, it's not going to be a swell time.

See above comment on certain-sexual-acts... well, you know...

Sacramento had their hands full with the Sun, but managed to fend them off to come out on top by 2. Kara Lawson scored 21 points, while the Monarchs' D managed to contain Katie Douglas (ONLY 9 points), although Sales, Jones, and Whalen combined for 47 points. Sacramento secured their spot in the playoffs (all but a formality), while Connecticut has a magic number of 2.

Everything's beginning to settle into place.

What happened in Minnesota? Seriously, what happened?

Just the facts, sir.

Five Lynx score over 10 points. Minnesota scores 37 points in one quarter, while holding the Storm to 12 in another. Sue Bird is held to 6. Lauren Jackson doesn't play. The Storm shoot 36% from the field, while the Lynx score 47%. There are just over 5K in paid attendance.

All right. That's enough. Stop talking before the world stops making sense.

Ooo! Indiana drags the Sky along kicking and screaming into overtime, where they slug it out in one of the most boring games of the season. THIS is why Chicago doesn't have a fan base, because once people start coming to games (yesterday was their second-highest attendance of the season), they lose in pitiful fashion. They only scored six points in the 4th quarter, while Indiana only scored 11. Chicago outplayed Indiana in the first and third quarters, but threw enough scraps away to feed the cockroaches... er, Fever. And this is the team we're duking it out with for a playoff spot?

Says alot about our situation, eh?

Leave it to Phoenix to allow a team like the Sparks to compete. Hell, the Sparks spotted the Mercs 23 points to 12 in the first quarter, and STILL managed to almost pull it off. How can Phoenix give up 28 points in a quarter to the Sparks. THE SPARKS?!?

It puts my belief in a just and orderly universe to the test.

THEN they come back and score over 30 points the next half. Inconsistent play isn't even the beginning. What the hell is going on with Phoenix? I can't make any kind of prediction when they play ball games like this. I'll just have to make it up as I go.

Ok, ok. I kinda do that anyway.

Speaking of which, the Mercs have an article up about their coach, Paul Westhead, heading into the playoffs with his style of game. It's going to be interesting, not only because Westhead is a goofy name.

The taunts in middle-school must have been merciless.

The WNBA has the current playoff picture up. It's kinda worthless, not only because the East hasn't been worked out yet, but because they don't even have the standings right. The Liberty (12-16) are AHEAD of the Sky (12-18), morons. There is no justification for putting Chicago ahead.Except everybody in the WNBA is hating on New York but is bed with Chicago.

What's Chicago ever done for YOU?!?

Tina Thompson, she of the sore-back, is considering leaving the WNBA at the end of the season due to financial considerations. NOT good. How is the League supposed to survive if the best players make MORE money overseas?

It's like soccer, except people CARE!

Solid article about Shay Doron and her WNBA growing pains, as well as playing Israel. Apparently, when the Libs played Washington, Patty was booed because she didn't put in Doron near the end of that rout. Doron, as some may know, was a solid starter for the Terps, and there was a contingent of her fans in the stands. Thanks for taking the high road, Patty, and not putting out a fan favorite at the end of a game in which nothing mattered.

It's decisions like this that seriously mess with the WNBA's bottom-line.

ESPN has their Power Rankings up. The Libs are at 12 (before last night's game), which is kind of hard to argue with. It is a fair look at the rankings. I hate ESPN, but I can live with this.

That's it for me. I was late to work, which is why this is up late. I'm still running behind schedule from Monday. Performance Piece up in the late afternoon. Until then?

See ya, Space Cowboy...

Nickname - Martina Weber

Martina Weber

I was kinda looking forward to this, and kinda not. I put it off for a while in case I could think of any solid name, but nothing came to me. Really, Martina doesn't need any nickname.

Except perhaps "Ms. Awesome".

But, I don't want her to feel left out from the rest of the team. I mean, Thor, Dutch, Bruce, Marvel, Marlowe, Bowser, Muffin, Princess Peach, Saint Patty, the Beatle, and Barbara Ann all got nicknames, so why shouldn't Weber?

I'll keep it PG-13. I swear.

Martina's beginning to play, however, and not a moment too soon. The season is about to go down the tube we need a strong, German-bred, Iona-raised fire Goddess to jump-start the Libs for our final seven games.

Martina Weber = The Playmaker

She's gonna rock, just you wait. She'll hit like a ton of bricks and suddenly, everybody will be wondering where The Playmaker was all year.

She was running through my mind, that's where!

Take it to 'em, Ms. Weber... er, Playmaker. Make some plays and rock your enemies until they beg for mercy.

Sweet, sweet mercy.

Tuesday is Pooh's Day - Gameday Preview

Once more, from the top...

New York Liberty vs. Houston Comets

The Liberty's season will be decided in the next week, and we will find out whether they are a good team in the midst of a horrible spell, or just a bad team that had a good run at the beginning of the season.

Please not the latter... please not the latter...

Houston is playing host to us as we zoom into Texas for a match-up that will have ramifications in the East and West.

Of course it would happen in Texas.

Houston is 3.5 games out of fourth place, but Seattle (in 4th) isn't anywhere near consistent and Houston could potentially pull a massive upset if they go strong in their last six games.

It'll still take a miracle, however.

It says a lot for the Comets' character and talent that they are still in the playoff hunt despite starting off the season 0-10. Tina Thompson, still a master of the craft after all these years, leads a team that is much stronger on offense than defense, but attempts to keep both in check.

A fine balancing act.

Tamecka Dixon and Michelle Snow are strong components of that machine as well, creating a trio of strength that is carrying much of the rest of the Comets. Not to say that Houston is weak...

... but they sure ain't strong.

Our last meeting with Houston did not go over so well. The Liberty seemed poised to bury the Comets at several moments, but the Comets fought back and put the team away in the final minutes, 80-74. Kraayeveld had 31 points that night, but the Houston D kept all other Libs below the double-digit point line.

Bound and gagged, more like it.

Patty has been playing the bench a bit more since then, and it's helped. We took a game from Minnesota and looked strong in several of our losses, but we're still not closing the door. The Liberty have led in the 4th quarter in five of our last six games. Good teams win those games, while bad teams...

...well, you know...

McCarville has exploded on the scene (since starting in mid-June, she has only scored less than ten points in four games) and will need to continue to roll. Kraayeveld, capable of feats that I once thought impossible for humankind...

Think Hercules, but Dutch...

...is now on-again/off-again. Christon has been faltering a bit as well, not consistently scoring around her average since mid-July. We just need More.

Or Moore, rather.

The Liberty need to win this game. A victory here and a loss by the Mystics puts us in a tie for 4th. Losing a game and dropping back would be disastrous...

...on the level of a new Ben Stiller film...

There are only seven games left in the regular season. I keep saying that this game is a "must win" but in truth, they are. Had we won just two games (quite possible) in our seven game slump, we would be 13-14 right now, which isn't great, but would be a full game ahead of the Mystics and in sole possession of 4th place.

Oh well. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

This is it, ladies. We can't hope to compete in the pressure of the off-season if we can't win here. Take it strong, take it fast, and rip the Comets a new one.

KEYS TO A NEW YORK VICTORY

• Contain Thompson. Easily the best player on the Comets, Thompson is both a leader and a killer shot. While the Comets have grown into a team that doesn't rely on her, Thompson is still a major part of the puzzle.
• Use the body. Houston is hideously outrebounded by their opponents. The ladies need to get underneath and go for it.
• More from Moore. Not just Moore, but from every player.
• Remember the basics. Ball, basket, line. The court is the same size everywhere, and just because the ladies aren't at MSG doesn't mean that their 20% worse.

AROUND THE LEAGUE...

Washington @ San Antonio
Sacramento @ Connecticut
Seattle @ Minnesota
Indiana @ Chicago (ESPN2)
Phoenix @ Los Angeles

The Mystics have finally found themselves in a position that they need to hold, and tonight is going to show whether they are able to do so or not. Beard is a monster on the court, but Hammon has been keeping her Silver Stars strong, racking up strong wins and keeping them at the top of the West (with two games in hand against Phoenix, in the number two spot). They have locked up a playoff spot now (their first since playing in Utah), but don't let that fool you; they still want home-court advantage.

And they're willing to fight for it.

So, which will it be? The team determined to stay at the top? Or the team fighting for it's life? I think there's just too much talent on the Silver Stars for them to drop this game. Silver Stars by 7.

The Monarchs will lock up a playoff spot with a win tonight against the surging Sun. Connecticut is not going to make it easy for them, as they have gone 10-1 in their last 11 games and can also secure post-season play with a win (and with Liberty and Sky losses).

Don't count your chickens JUST yet....

The numbers say a lot about both of these teams; the Sun have four players averaging 12 points or more, while Sacramento has only one. The Monarchs, meanwhile, have nine players averaging over five points a night. Connecticut? Only six. How will these two teams systems mesh?

It won't be pretty.

Sun by 6.

Minnesota is almost comically hapless, with their team near punchline-levels of ineptitude without Seimone Augustus (averaging over 22 points a game). The Storm, on the other hand, are laughably inconsistent, and despite having one of the most potent starting lineups of the WNBA, can't seem to keep a streak going for longer than a couple of games. While Minnesota is damn near unsightly at home (4-10), the Storm are just as bad on the road (5-10). There have been two meetings thusfar this season (each team won on their own court), but even if Seattle implodes, this game will not mean much in the great scheme of things. I'm tempted to go with the Lynx because of that, but gut instinct is pushing me away. Storm by 5.

ESPN2's game will be a highlight between the Sky, a sub-mediocre team with lofty aspirations and playoff desires, and the free-falling Fever, who have lost seven of nine...

No. I'm not THAT big of a geek.

...but backed into the playoffs, thanks to the breadth of distance between them and the bottom of the conference. I can't like them now, not with how they've played since losing Catchings, and with the Sky at home (at 5-9, barely praise). The Sky are itching to get into the post-season, as their owner must be, too. Expect the Sky to fight for it tonight. Sky by 4.

It's the end of the world, all right.

So, apparently Phoenix has not won in Los Angeles since 2005 and only won once in their last five meetings. However, these are completely different teams than those from which these numbers come. Phoenix has exploded, as its offense finally overcame the shackles imposed by their defense, while the then-"eh" Sparks have transformed into a pile of Donkey Poop.

Michael Bay left that one out of his Transformers.

The Sparks have lost 12 of their last 14 games and spiralled out of playoff contention. It is almost assured that they will finish with their worst record in franchise history and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1998 (and this, the year after they finished atop the West). Despite history, I don't see any reason to think that the Sparks will somehow reignite tonight. Mercury by 9.

Nickname up in the afternoon. Sorry for the lateness. Insanely busy. Insanely insanely busy. Until then?

See ya, Space Cowboy...

Weekend Pacifists - Liberty Lose

Yeah, this blows...

Mystics 80, Liberty 68

Not a whole lot to like about this game. The Liberty fell off pace and the Mystics are now in 4th. Janel McCarville scored 15, a few other Libs (Thorn, Moore, Battle) broke double digits, but everybody suffered on defense. On the plus side... it was a Friday game, so everybody had the weekend to look forward to!

I'm reaching here...

The 2nd quarter was the only good quarter that the Libs had, and it wasn't even that good. They went into the locker room down by 4 and came out flat, losing by 12 and suffering the indignity of falling to the bottom of the East.

It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock n' roll... er, make the playoffs...

This is going to be a short update, as I am overloaded with work right now. I do this on my own, ya see, with no backup. This is a 1500-2400 word a day commitment, and when shit hits the fan, I gotta let this go for a day. It's either this or not get paid.

And getting paid is second only to getting la...er, reading.

It's an excuse, I know, but I really can't update until later today, if at all. Tomorrow should be okay. Hopefully. I'll see y'all then. Sorry.

See ya, Space Cowboy...