How the West is Won

It's only fair that I give a shout out (and it's a long one from where I live) to the West Coast teams in the WNBA. This is all taken from player analysis and my observations as the season has rolled on (note: all stats and records are as of the All-Star break).

I think it's a much tighter race in the West then the East, at least I think the play among all of the teams is better matched. Here is how I see it unfolding and how the 1st half of the year went down.

Phoenix Mercury:
(13-5, 1st place)
Phoenix has been playing great ball but they falter at odd times. They've lost 2 of 3 this season to Minnesota (easily beaten I might add) which is not a superior team to the Mercury, perhaps Gillom knows the style since that was her team? Who knows. But it seems the Lynx have their number so let's hope they draw the Sparks in the playoffs. Still, Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi continue to show that they are true leaders and "the real deal" when it comes to this team. They are clutch, strong and do not want to lose, ever. Another thing about the Mercury is that they have my Rookie of the Year, DeWanna Bonner. Bonner has showed her skills and ability to adapt to playing conditions very well. She is the missing link to the inside game of the Mercury, if they can get another solid post player then the Mercury will be unbeatable. Even though Penny Toler hasn't played, I just don't see her having the impact they might be expecting her to have. She is coming off of a major surgery (ankle reconstruction) and she just hasn't played in game situations all season long. Look for Toler to be put into the lineup by mid-August, if not by then....hmmmmm....look for 2nd place for the Mercury.

Seattle Storm:
(11-6, 2nd place)
The Storm have been playing very well and seem to be the strongest team going into the All-Star break. They are super talented and with Swin Cash healthy, they have added a very athletic dimension at the 3 spot. Brian Agler is a great coach and he will continue to help this team get better. Between Cash, Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson and Camille Little, look for the Storm to take over 1st place in the last few weeks of the season. They have played great ball together and have stayed healthy which has helped them to build a solid team relationship. Okay, so they don't lead in any stat categories and it's all Mercury in 7 out of 18 categories the WNBA follows but this Storm team is on a mission. Oh yes, and they have a point guard that doesn't take "no" for an answer. Storm won't make the finals, but they'll win the West division.

Minnesota Lynx:
(10-7, 3rd place)
I like the Lynx, I like that they are playing well without Seimone Augustus and they are really playing as a team. Sure, they've lost some games that they shouldn't have, but who hasn't? Charde Houston nailed it on the head, "...our sense of togetherness. The fact that we stayed together and supported each other. We understood that whatever we do we can’t do it alone or expect one person to carry the team. The fact that every night a different person is able to step up for our team shows the amount of talent that we have.” With that attitude, don't be surprised to see the Lynx hanging onto the 4th spot in the West. Jen Gillom is a great coach and leader. She has done a fantastic job with the Lynx. Oh yes, and they have that other great leader, Candice (that's Candice with an 'i') Wiggins.

San Antonio Silver Stars:
(7-8, 4th place)
The Silver Stars are loaded with talent, they just can not get it all working on the same cylinder. They are a great team, top to bottom, but returning so many players from a Finals team and not being in 1st place is a disappointment. They do not start strong and that has hurt them. It usually takes the team a few minutes to find the flow of the game, but what has saved them is their ability to defend, get steals and easy buckets. However, as the other teams improve, the Silver Stars must get better in the 1st quarter to stay in the playoff race. I see them finishing a CLOSE 5th place.

Los Angeles Sparks:
(4-9, 5th place)
What? 5th place? The Sparks? Wait, they didn't have Candace Parker in the beginning and she is just getting back into playing form. Leslie is out with a knee injury which has really hurt the Sparks on the inside (which I would just like to say that I feel awful that she has this injury and it has prevented the fans from giving her a proper send off as she retires this year). Tina Thompson is an amazing player and she can handle the post spot but it's tough to do when you are the ONLY post. But, look for the Sparks to sneak into 3rd place in the West, make the playoffs and give Lisa a chance at another crown (although the Mercury will take them down in the 1st round, oh well).

Sacramento Monarchs:
(4-15, 6th place)
The Monarchs have played a lot of tight games but ended up on the losing end of the game. The positive is that they have been playing games tight since the beginning of the season! Eventually they will get on the winning end of a 4 point game, I just don't think it will be soon enough for the playoffs. The Monarchs have been plagued by injuries as well and they are starting to all come back together but I just don't think they will improve ten-fold over the other teams that are improving. Courtney Paris just hasn't played up to the potential the Monarchs thought she would (is everyone surprised by this? I'm not...and you can call that a challenge to prove me wrong). They need another big post player to help Nicole Powell and DeMya Walker. Give them time, I think with a few tweaks they will be good again...just not this season. 6th place finish for the Monarchs.


So that's my take on the West....

Upcoming Games: (game times ET)
San Antonio @ LA (3:00 pm)
NY @ Detroit (7:00 pm)
Phoenix @ Seattle (10:00 pm)

LA over SA, NY beats Detroit by 5. Game of the night: Phoenix vs Seattle. Seattle just raised a #6 jersey banner with the name "Fans" on it....it's hard to play there and Seattle wants to chip away at the Mercury lead. Seattle by 10.