Let the games begin!
Round 2 starts tonight and both match ups prove to be noteworthy!
Indiana Fever vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/23 - (Detroit) 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/25 - (Indiana) 7:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sat 9/26 - (Indiana) 7:00 pm (NBA TV, if necessary) <--and it will be This series is going to three games, I guarantee it. Even though Indiana won the series 3-1 during the regular season this Shock team is totally different then the June/July Shock team. Oh, and we can't forget that Detroit always plays better in the playoffs. They are a team that gets it, they get that it's "do or die" and they have the players that can "do". Deanna Nolan is key to the success of the Shock and I'm sure she won't disappoint. She is consistent and incredibly talented in the post season (and in general). Even with the hit to the head she took in Game 1 against Atlanta, she still dropped in 22 the next game. I think she is the most under the radar player in the league, not underrated but under the radar. There have always been distractions for the Shock or a great player named Katie Smith overshadowing Nolan. Now it's up to Nolan and I know she will not disappoint. I love watching her play because she gets such sheer joy out of playing the game, something that is lacking with so many players! Keys for Indiana
For Indiana to win it's very simple. Stop Deanna Nolan. If they can limit her to the 13, 16 and 4 points she had in the first three meetings the Fever won, then the Fever have a chance. Limit her looks, stop the transition game and get those rebounds. Tammy Sutton-Brown will have her work cut out with Kara Braxton (I can not wait to see that match up) so look for some heavy physical play in the post!
Keys for Detroit
Stop Tamika Catchings and feed the ball to Deanna Nolan. When Nolan is hitting, the rest of the Shock follow. When Deanna is on...look out. So, let her do her thing and drive to the hoop, hit pull up jumpers, set up the post players....get her rolling because when her confidence is high you can see the rest of the team getting confident.
Shock win the series 2-1 and go to their 4th straight WNBA Final.
Los Angeles Sparks vs Phoenix Mercury
Game 1: Wed 9/23 - (Los Angeles) 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/25 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sat 9/26 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA TV, if necessary)
This is another great series and one I'm really looking forward to. Phoenix is 3-1 against LA this season but again, like the Indiana/Detroit series, this is a different team then the 1 they beat in June/July. But so is Phoenix. If Phoenix plays the way they are capable of playing, there is no reason to evaluate the series (or the rest of the post season). But sometimes they just don't "show up". First game against San Antonio the Mercury looked almost star struck! It was odd to see confusion and frustration on the faces of the entire Mercury team. Nobody took charge and in the end, they dropped Game 1. Could that happen again? You bet. LA is going to be rocking, they get great attendance and this could be a Legend's last WNBA game in the city she grew up in. Emotion will be high and the Sparks will be determined to not let Lisa Leslie leave LA without a victory.
Keys for Los Angeles
Stop Diana Taurasi from getting pull up shots. Face guard her and always put a hand in her face. If you can frustrate her, perhaps you have a shot. Let Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie pound the inside, that is where Phoenix might be "weaker". It's important for LA to win the rebound battle, if they can limit the second chance points and keep DeWanna Bonner in check then perhaps they have a chance to win the series. But doing both of these things will be tough to do for 3 games.
Keys for Phoenix
Slow down Candace Parker (I'm not sure she can be stopped so slowing her roll is important). It's important to always box her out so put your best box-er-outter on her at all times, no excuses for her to duck inside and grab easy rebounds untouched. But most importantly, get Diana Taurasi involved in every play in the first quarter, if she doesn't at least touch the ball then the confidence won't be there.
Phoenix wins 2-1
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An then there were Four...
Go Phoenix! I admit, I fell asleep at half time only to wake up to a rerun of poker on ESPN2 (sometimes I wish I lived in the middle of the country). Anyway, I could tell before I nodded off to sleepy land, that this game was going to be a dual between Becky Hammon and Diana Taurasi. And apparently, I was right. Hammon hit for 29 and Taurasi hit for 30. Both excellent players, both deserving of the MVP nod. Great games played by both but the Mercury free throw shooting proved to be too much for San Antonio as they were sent packing. Tomorrow night, the Final Four start their series of games. Preview tomorrow....
This does, sadly, end the WNBA career of one of the great WNBA players: Vickie Johnson. She rocked the house in NY, that smooth shooting lefty that would drop in 20 before you realized it. Great player, great person...you'll be missed. Be a great coach, pass your knowledge of the game onto the younger generation....best of luck!
Cappie Pondexter
Did you all see the new hair on Cappie? Well, shorter hair with funky design I should say. Comments? I love Cappie and her expressive personality....how can you not? (okay, so I also love her because she put RU on the map...but still...she's just so likable!)
Should we really care?
Okay, what is the big deal with Alysa Auriemma (aka, Geno's daughter) writing a blog for a local Connecticut newspaper and being paid for it? Are you serious? Apparently, according to the Hartford Courant, Alysa was paid for blog posts in July and August. I guess everyone was in a tizzy because it was a conflict of interest....how? It's a blog, it's not writing a news article and personally I think a lot of the writers in Hartford are so bias for UCONN that they are all in a conflict of interest. Read the articles and let me know what you think...
Latest article
Original Note on the situation
This does, sadly, end the WNBA career of one of the great WNBA players: Vickie Johnson. She rocked the house in NY, that smooth shooting lefty that would drop in 20 before you realized it. Great player, great person...you'll be missed. Be a great coach, pass your knowledge of the game onto the younger generation....best of luck!
Cappie Pondexter
Did you all see the new hair on Cappie? Well, shorter hair with funky design I should say. Comments? I love Cappie and her expressive personality....how can you not? (okay, so I also love her because she put RU on the map...but still...she's just so likable!)
(wnba.com)
Should we really care?
Okay, what is the big deal with Alysa Auriemma (aka, Geno's daughter) writing a blog for a local Connecticut newspaper and being paid for it? Are you serious? Apparently, according to the Hartford Courant, Alysa was paid for blog posts in July and August. I guess everyone was in a tizzy because it was a conflict of interest....how? It's a blog, it's not writing a news article and personally I think a lot of the writers in Hartford are so bias for UCONN that they are all in a conflict of interest. Read the articles and let me know what you think...
Latest article
Original Note on the situation
Monday, September 21, 2009
WNBA Action Heats Up!
Tonight is Game 3 of the Phoenix vs San Antonio series. I'm not sure what happened to Phoenix last week, did they forget to show up at the arena? Did they forget it was the playoffs? Alas, that game is in the past and Phoenix (and my keys to winning) showed up and dismantled the Silver Stars on Saturday to set up a Game 3 showdown in Phoenix.
San Antonio Silver Stars vs Phoenix Mercury (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Los Angeles Sparks vs Seattle Storm
I'm tired of hearing that people are surprised by how well the Sparks are playing. Of course they are playing well! Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker are on fire and Betty Lennox is totally under rated! Parker and Leslie missed a good portion of the season so they are just in mid-late season form now. Tina Thompson plays well when others around her play well so, guess what, she's on fire too. Best pickup in the off season for them was Thompson, one of the few remaining originals (Tameka Dixon is the other one). So yes, I'm not surprised LA won the series against the Storm. LA frustrated the Storm and took the win. Swin Cash was pretty much a no show in their two losses so guess what, the Storm lost. Maybe next year...
Detroit Shock vs Atlanta Dream
Experience and veterans got the best of the Dream this year. Their first playoff spot but they'll be back. Angel McCoughtry is the real deal and she'll help lead the Dream to a WNBA final one day. Holdsclaw was back but not 100% and de Souza ended up being a non-factor because Kara Braxton played liked the world was ending tomorrow. Great series, look for the next series to be just as entertaining!
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
I think this was the best series so far. Indiana should've lost both games that they won, period. But, they came back like the veterans that they are (Tamika Catchings was unbelievable in Game 2) and won both games. What amazed me was that in Game 2 the Mystics had no excuse to not win that game! They led the ENTIRE game...up until the very end. Washington needs to find that desire to put a knife in their opponent, they just can't seem to finish.
So depending on what team shows up tonight for Phoenix, it could be a very interesting remainder of the playoffs. If the real Phoenix team shows up, I don't see how anyone can beat them. But, they showed that they can be defeated because San Antonio really rattled them on Thursday night. Should prove to be a great game, lots of emotion flying as this could be VJ's last game in the WNBA!
San Antonio Silver Stars vs Phoenix Mercury (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Los Angeles Sparks vs Seattle Storm
I'm tired of hearing that people are surprised by how well the Sparks are playing. Of course they are playing well! Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker are on fire and Betty Lennox is totally under rated! Parker and Leslie missed a good portion of the season so they are just in mid-late season form now. Tina Thompson plays well when others around her play well so, guess what, she's on fire too. Best pickup in the off season for them was Thompson, one of the few remaining originals (Tameka Dixon is the other one). So yes, I'm not surprised LA won the series against the Storm. LA frustrated the Storm and took the win. Swin Cash was pretty much a no show in their two losses so guess what, the Storm lost. Maybe next year...
Detroit Shock vs Atlanta Dream
Experience and veterans got the best of the Dream this year. Their first playoff spot but they'll be back. Angel McCoughtry is the real deal and she'll help lead the Dream to a WNBA final one day. Holdsclaw was back but not 100% and de Souza ended up being a non-factor because Kara Braxton played liked the world was ending tomorrow. Great series, look for the next series to be just as entertaining!
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
I think this was the best series so far. Indiana should've lost both games that they won, period. But, they came back like the veterans that they are (Tamika Catchings was unbelievable in Game 2) and won both games. What amazed me was that in Game 2 the Mystics had no excuse to not win that game! They led the ENTIRE game...up until the very end. Washington needs to find that desire to put a knife in their opponent, they just can't seem to finish.
So depending on what team shows up tonight for Phoenix, it could be a very interesting remainder of the playoffs. If the real Phoenix team shows up, I don't see how anyone can beat them. But, they showed that they can be defeated because San Antonio really rattled them on Thursday night. Should prove to be a great game, lots of emotion flying as this could be VJ's last game in the WNBA!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
WNBA Playoffs Day 2
Great games last night, Detroit comes back to win and LA wins, perhaps, Lisa Leslie's final game in LA (which it won't be, sorry Seattle).
Los Angeles vs Seattle
Los Angeles, 1-0
Detroit vs Atlanta
Detroit, 1-0
The match ups tonight will be good too, well one of them will be.
Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (7:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ San Antonio Silver Stars (9:00 pm)
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
Game 1: Thu 9/17 (Washington) - 7:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 (Indiana) - 7:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Indiana)-8:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Both teams are banged up which should prove to be interesting. All season long I've heard how Indiana can't win on the road (and I've thought that too). But they were almost .500 on the road, NOT bad. I'd take that. For Indiana both Tammy Sutton-Brown and Katie Douglas are still recovering. Tamika Catchings left the game early on on Sunday after her head collided with Connecticut Sun's Tan White's head (ouch).
For Washington, Alana Beard is recovering from a sprained ankle. Even with Beard though, the Mystics didn't win one of the four games they played against Indiana. Another issue for the Mystics; the game will not be played at the Verizon Center because some dinosaurs are marching around the Verizon Center floor. If you've read my blogs, you'll remember me talking about this before (or click here).
So some notes:
-Both teams average 77 points per game
-Washington allows 77 points per game vs Indiana's 71
-Both are very close on rebounding (for and against): Washington 35 for, 33 against; Indiana 33 for, 33 against.
-Indiana has 2 double figure scorers (Katie Douglas and Tamika Catchings) while Washington has 3 (Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Crystal Langhorne). But the rest of the Indiana starting 5 is nearly at double figures where Washington has a pretty big gap.
Keys for Indiana: STAY HEALTHY. Enough said....
Keys for Washington: Monique Currie has to step up for Washington to have any chance to win. If Beard is "good to go" she will not be 100% and not having her athleticism at full tilt could hurt them against a quick Indiana team. I know Monique can play, she's proven her abilities in playoff type games before. But she's also shown her ability to falter. Lindsey will have a nice series but she needs to get Langhorne the ball a lot more and pound Indiana's forwards. She has the athleticism to do it. Washington has the athletes to succeed, they just need to put it together and stay consistent for a full 40 minutes.
So the series will end up with Indiana winning 2-0. Washington allows opponents to shoot nearly 44% from the field, if you keep allowing that you are going home early. I think the games will be tight since Washington is very athletic and strong but I just see them falling short...barely but it's only a 3 game series and the track record is well, not there.
Phoenix Mercury vs San Antonio Silver Stars
Game 1: Thu 9/17 - (San Antonio) 9:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA, TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Phoenix is healthy and ready to bring another Championship to Arizona. Phoenix heads to San Antonio tonight to begin the quest. They bring with them the best road record in the WNBA (11-6), WNBA scoring leader Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter is the 4th highest scorer this season and the league best average points per game at 93. So San Antonio has their work cut out for them.....hope they prepared well!
The Silver Stars are pretty healthy too but they just don't have the same kind of players Phoenix has. But, anything can happen. Becky Hammon is averaging more assists this season then any other season and she has always played well come playoff time. She also set a career high with 19.5 points per game this season. So she might be playing her best ball right now. There are just some players that can play their best in the playoffs and she's one of them. Plus she's an awesome leader that can get her team fired up.
Some notes on the teams:
-Mercury score 92 points per game BUT allow 89 points per game.
-Silver Stars score 77 points per game and their defense allows 78 per game (that's the wrong way you want that stat to be!)
-Mercury average 35 boards and allow 35 boards per game.
-Silver Stars average 31 boards and allow 35 boards per game (wrong way stat again!)
-Mercury have 5 players in double figures for scoring
-Silver Stars have 3 players in point per game averages
Keys for Phoenix: dominate the boards and protect the middle. That little one (aka Becky Hammon) loves to drive the lane. As long as Pondexter and Taurasi are playing well, Phoenix should be fine.
Keys for San Antonio: stop the perimeter game of Phoenix. If they got hot from behind the arc, forget it. Rebound, rebound, rebound! Win the boards and limit second chance points for Phoenix, stop the transition game. Let Sophia Young do her thing and let her be free in her decisions, she's a great athlete that can match the athleticism of the Mercury.
Phoenix wins the series 2-0.
Los Angeles vs Seattle
Los Angeles, 1-0
Detroit vs Atlanta
Detroit, 1-0
The match ups tonight will be good too, well one of them will be.
Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (7:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ San Antonio Silver Stars (9:00 pm)
Indiana Fever vs Washington Mystics
Game 1: Thu 9/17 (Washington) - 7:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 (Indiana) - 7:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Indiana)-8:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Both teams are banged up which should prove to be interesting. All season long I've heard how Indiana can't win on the road (and I've thought that too). But they were almost .500 on the road, NOT bad. I'd take that. For Indiana both Tammy Sutton-Brown and Katie Douglas are still recovering. Tamika Catchings left the game early on on Sunday after her head collided with Connecticut Sun's Tan White's head (ouch).
For Washington, Alana Beard is recovering from a sprained ankle. Even with Beard though, the Mystics didn't win one of the four games they played against Indiana. Another issue for the Mystics; the game will not be played at the Verizon Center because some dinosaurs are marching around the Verizon Center floor. If you've read my blogs, you'll remember me talking about this before (or click here).
So some notes:
-Both teams average 77 points per game
-Washington allows 77 points per game vs Indiana's 71
-Both are very close on rebounding (for and against): Washington 35 for, 33 against; Indiana 33 for, 33 against.
-Indiana has 2 double figure scorers (Katie Douglas and Tamika Catchings) while Washington has 3 (Alana Beard, Lindsey Harding and Crystal Langhorne). But the rest of the Indiana starting 5 is nearly at double figures where Washington has a pretty big gap.
Keys for Indiana: STAY HEALTHY. Enough said....
Keys for Washington: Monique Currie has to step up for Washington to have any chance to win. If Beard is "good to go" she will not be 100% and not having her athleticism at full tilt could hurt them against a quick Indiana team. I know Monique can play, she's proven her abilities in playoff type games before. But she's also shown her ability to falter. Lindsey will have a nice series but she needs to get Langhorne the ball a lot more and pound Indiana's forwards. She has the athleticism to do it. Washington has the athletes to succeed, they just need to put it together and stay consistent for a full 40 minutes.
So the series will end up with Indiana winning 2-0. Washington allows opponents to shoot nearly 44% from the field, if you keep allowing that you are going home early. I think the games will be tight since Washington is very athletic and strong but I just see them falling short...barely but it's only a 3 game series and the track record is well, not there.
Phoenix Mercury vs San Antonio Silver Stars
Game 1: Thu 9/17 - (San Antonio) 9:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Sat 9/19 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (NBA, TV)
Game 3: Mon 9/21 - (Phoenix) 10:00 pm (ESPN2, if necessary)
Phoenix is healthy and ready to bring another Championship to Arizona. Phoenix heads to San Antonio tonight to begin the quest. They bring with them the best road record in the WNBA (11-6), WNBA scoring leader Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter is the 4th highest scorer this season and the league best average points per game at 93. So San Antonio has their work cut out for them.....hope they prepared well!
The Silver Stars are pretty healthy too but they just don't have the same kind of players Phoenix has. But, anything can happen. Becky Hammon is averaging more assists this season then any other season and she has always played well come playoff time. She also set a career high with 19.5 points per game this season. So she might be playing her best ball right now. There are just some players that can play their best in the playoffs and she's one of them. Plus she's an awesome leader that can get her team fired up.
Some notes on the teams:
-Mercury score 92 points per game BUT allow 89 points per game.
-Silver Stars score 77 points per game and their defense allows 78 per game (that's the wrong way you want that stat to be!)
-Mercury average 35 boards and allow 35 boards per game.
-Silver Stars average 31 boards and allow 35 boards per game (wrong way stat again!)
-Mercury have 5 players in double figures for scoring
-Silver Stars have 3 players in point per game averages
Keys for Phoenix: dominate the boards and protect the middle. That little one (aka Becky Hammon) loves to drive the lane. As long as Pondexter and Taurasi are playing well, Phoenix should be fine.
Keys for San Antonio: stop the perimeter game of Phoenix. If they got hot from behind the arc, forget it. Rebound, rebound, rebound! Win the boards and limit second chance points for Phoenix, stop the transition game. Let Sophia Young do her thing and let her be free in her decisions, she's a great athlete that can match the athleticism of the Mercury.
Phoenix wins the series 2-0.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
WNBA Playoffs
So with the playoffs kicking off tonight (and the games actually on TV...WOW!) it's time for some predictions.
Tonight's games:
Atlanta @ Detroit (8:00 pm, ESPN2)
Seattle @ Los Angeles (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Atlanta Dream vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (Detroit)- 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Atlanta)- 7:30 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Atlanta)- 3:00 pm (If necessary) (ESPN2)
It's reality time for Atlanta and their first round games are going to be the toughest games they have played all season. Why? The Detroit Shock are a.) on a tear b.) no WAY are the defending Champs going to bow out in the first round (a-la Tennessee Lady Vols). On paper, Atlanta is a more balanced team but that doesn't take into account the factor of the playoffs and what it can do to a team (good and bad). Some notes:
-5 Double figure scorers for the Dream compared to 3 for Shock (1 for each team might be out).
-Katie Smith and Chamique Holdsclaw are doubtful to play in Game 1, perhaps the entire series.
-Atlanta scores average 84 PPG and allows 82 PPG
-Detroit scores 78 PPG and allows 77 PPG
-Rebounds are close: Atlanta 37, Detroit 36
-Rebounds allowed (this is where Atlanta will suffer): Atlanta 37, Detroit 32
Here are some keys for Detroit to win: If Cheryl Ford remains healthy and dominates Erika de Souza (who is averaging 2 more boards per game then Cheryl), the Shock will win. If Katie Smith can play in the series, they will win (right now it's unclear if she will play in the first game or at all).
Keys for Atlanta to win: Limit the number of second chance opportunities for the Shock and perhaps, Atlanta can sneak out the win....but I just don't see that happening.
Detroit wins the series 2-0. (I'm sorry Atlanta, I love you, but first playoffs against Detroit? Sorry ladies!).
Seattle Storm vs Los Angeles Sparks
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (LA) - 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Seattle)- 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Seattle)- 5:00 pm (if necessary) (ESPN 2)
Seattle will be without All-World player Lauren Jackson for this series BUT they get many of their other players back. Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Tanisha Wright and Katie Geralds should all be in uniform and ready to play tonight. Geralds is still pretty hurt from her injured PCL but just having her on the floor for a few minutes will create some positive vibes for the Storm. The Sparks, on the other hand, have as much playoff experience as the Storm and are flying high with emotion. Nobody on that teams wants legendary Lisa Leslie to retire without a WNBA title this season (heck, how storybook would that be...a-la David Robinson?). The Sparks are playing really good ball right now and they are healthy. Some notes:
-Both teams have 5 players scoring in double figures but Seattle is down one
-Both teams average 74 points per game and allow the same 73
-Sparks have the edge in rebounds: 37-32
-Sparks have the edge in allowed rebounds: 30-32 (but close enough)
For Seattle to win: One name-Swin Cash. If Cash plays BIG (boards and points) Seattle could win the series. What is going to hurt them is no Lauren Jackson in the playoffs. Sure, they are playing great ball without her but LA is on a mission and they know how to win and they know how to use emotion effectively (loaded with successful NCAA and Olympic Champions).
For LA to win: Rebounds, rebounds and rebounds. Stop Swin Cash and limit the assists Sue Bird gets (in other words, protect the low block) and LA can win this series.
This is the series to watch...arguably the best one of the playoffs.
Los Angeles wins 2-1.
Tonight's games:
Atlanta @ Detroit (8:00 pm, ESPN2)
Seattle @ Los Angeles (10:00 pm, ESPN2)
Atlanta Dream vs Detroit Shock
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (Detroit)- 8:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Atlanta)- 7:30 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Atlanta)- 3:00 pm (If necessary) (ESPN2)
It's reality time for Atlanta and their first round games are going to be the toughest games they have played all season. Why? The Detroit Shock are a.) on a tear b.) no WAY are the defending Champs going to bow out in the first round (a-la Tennessee Lady Vols). On paper, Atlanta is a more balanced team but that doesn't take into account the factor of the playoffs and what it can do to a team (good and bad). Some notes:
-5 Double figure scorers for the Dream compared to 3 for Shock (1 for each team might be out).
-Katie Smith and Chamique Holdsclaw are doubtful to play in Game 1, perhaps the entire series.
-Atlanta scores average 84 PPG and allows 82 PPG
-Detroit scores 78 PPG and allows 77 PPG
-Rebounds are close: Atlanta 37, Detroit 36
-Rebounds allowed (this is where Atlanta will suffer): Atlanta 37, Detroit 32
Here are some keys for Detroit to win: If Cheryl Ford remains healthy and dominates Erika de Souza (who is averaging 2 more boards per game then Cheryl), the Shock will win. If Katie Smith can play in the series, they will win (right now it's unclear if she will play in the first game or at all).
Keys for Atlanta to win: Limit the number of second chance opportunities for the Shock and perhaps, Atlanta can sneak out the win....but I just don't see that happening.
Detroit wins the series 2-0. (I'm sorry Atlanta, I love you, but first playoffs against Detroit? Sorry ladies!).
Seattle Storm vs Los Angeles Sparks
Game 1: Wed 9/16 (LA) - 10:00 pm (ESPN2)
Game 2: Fri 9/18 (Seattle)- 10:00 pm (NBA TV)
Game 3: Sun 9/20 (Seattle)- 5:00 pm (if necessary) (ESPN 2)
Seattle will be without All-World player Lauren Jackson for this series BUT they get many of their other players back. Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Tanisha Wright and Katie Geralds should all be in uniform and ready to play tonight. Geralds is still pretty hurt from her injured PCL but just having her on the floor for a few minutes will create some positive vibes for the Storm. The Sparks, on the other hand, have as much playoff experience as the Storm and are flying high with emotion. Nobody on that teams wants legendary Lisa Leslie to retire without a WNBA title this season (heck, how storybook would that be...a-la David Robinson?). The Sparks are playing really good ball right now and they are healthy. Some notes:
-Both teams have 5 players scoring in double figures but Seattle is down one
-Both teams average 74 points per game and allow the same 73
-Sparks have the edge in rebounds: 37-32
-Sparks have the edge in allowed rebounds: 30-32 (but close enough)
For Seattle to win: One name-Swin Cash. If Cash plays BIG (boards and points) Seattle could win the series. What is going to hurt them is no Lauren Jackson in the playoffs. Sure, they are playing great ball without her but LA is on a mission and they know how to win and they know how to use emotion effectively (loaded with successful NCAA and Olympic Champions).
For LA to win: Rebounds, rebounds and rebounds. Stop Swin Cash and limit the assists Sue Bird gets (in other words, protect the low block) and LA can win this series.
This is the series to watch...arguably the best one of the playoffs.
Los Angeles wins 2-1.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Angels, Wiggins and Leslies...oh my!
Tonight is a pretty important night here in WNBA land. Minnesota Lynx play at Los Angeles Sparks and Connecticut Sun play at Atlanta Dream. It's important because....
-the Atlanta Dream can start to complete their turn around from last season by clinching a playoff spot in their friendly confines of Philips Arena. If they beat the Sun (which I think they will) the Dream will certainly be living a dream.
-The Minnesota Lynx can keep their hopes alive by staying alive in the playoff hunt with a win at Los Angeles. IF the Lynx can win and win again on Sunday (saying the Silver Stars beat the Storm Saturday) they are in the playoffs. How can they be if they are tied with the Silver Stars? You know, that recreational head-to-head thing....Minnesota has the edge over San Antonio.
Check out the games! The more viewers the better...
Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream (7:00 pm)
Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Washington Mystics
So if the Mystics make the playoffs the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show will kick them out of the Verizon Center. They will have to go 30 minutes north to College Park, MD...where there is train service but it's kind of a pain to navigate. Of course this is not the first time a pro team has had to reschedule a playoff game. Just this past NHL season the Pittsburgh Penguins had to reschedule their game with the Washington Capitals because of a Yanni concert. Not like it mattered because my Pens won but still...dinos and Yanni kick pro sports out of their own arena? Who exactly has banners hanging in the rafters? I rest my case....
-the Atlanta Dream can start to complete their turn around from last season by clinching a playoff spot in their friendly confines of Philips Arena. If they beat the Sun (which I think they will) the Dream will certainly be living a dream.
-The Minnesota Lynx can keep their hopes alive by staying alive in the playoff hunt with a win at Los Angeles. IF the Lynx can win and win again on Sunday (saying the Silver Stars beat the Storm Saturday) they are in the playoffs. How can they be if they are tied with the Silver Stars? You know, that recreational head-to-head thing....Minnesota has the edge over San Antonio.
Check out the games! The more viewers the better...
Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream (7:00 pm)
Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Washington Mystics
So if the Mystics make the playoffs the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show will kick them out of the Verizon Center. They will have to go 30 minutes north to College Park, MD...where there is train service but it's kind of a pain to navigate. Of course this is not the first time a pro team has had to reschedule a playoff game. Just this past NHL season the Pittsburgh Penguins had to reschedule their game with the Washington Capitals because of a Yanni concert. Not like it mattered because my Pens won but still...dinos and Yanni kick pro sports out of their own arena? Who exactly has banners hanging in the rafters? I rest my case....
C. Vivian Stringer
Today marks the long overdue enshrinement of C. Vivian Stringer into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. There are some excellent articles on the web about her, I have listed my favorites below.
When I was 11 years old my Mom took me to my first live women's basketball game. The school: Rutgers University. A nice 45 minute drive from my home in Mercer County, NJ. My Mom and I didn't know much about the program but we went anyway. Man, were we thrilled. There was a duo there known as Wicks and Sticks (Sue Wicks and Regina Howard). I was amazed at how quickly they moved and how effortlessly they played the game. That was when I was hooked on Rutgers basketball. I watched the team do well in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
At the same time, more and more games were being shown on TV. At that time, the women's NCAA Championship game was broadcast on CBS (I can still picture Ann Meyer's outfit as she broadcast the 1990 final between Stanford and Auburn). In the early 90s a coach and a team captured my attention. University of Iowa and C. Vivian Stringer. Perhaps I was a bit partial to Iowa because they had an excellent field hockey program (another sport I love). I just loved how Coach Stringer empowered her team to play well and how she approached and respected the game. I started to learn about Coach Stringer and I read about her accomplishments at Cheyney State (small school playing big time hoops) and her move to Iowa and what she had done there. Did you know that Coach Stringer's Iowa Hawkeye's team became the first team ever, in the history of women's basketball, to have an advance game sell out? Coach Stringer took the Iowa Hawkeyes to 10 NCAA tournaments, 9 straight from 1984-1993. Final Four berth in 1993 (her second one), not bad if you ask me.
In July 1995 Rutgers, my team, announced that this great coach would replace Theresa Grentz. Could it be true? That someone of her caliber would come to a program that was mediocre? Oh, the possibilities of a Final Four berth, Tournament Championships, All-Americans danced through my head. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
I made sure that my Mom and I were there for her first game against Penn State on November 25, 1995 (I still have the program). It was a thriller with RU beating then unflappable Rene Portland's Penn State team by 2 points. I clearly remember the last few seconds of the game as RU had fouls to give before PSU would shoot free throws so Stringer would foul them as soon as the ball would be thrown into play. It worked flawlessly. I was more thrilled with the strategy and the hope that RU would become the "Jewel of the East".
Sure enough, RU made the final four in 2000 (and the National title game in 2007). Coach Stringer became the first coach in NCAA history to take 3 different teams to the Final Four. From there the top High School players started knocked on the big red doors on the Banks. Cappie Pondexter, Matee Ajavon, Kia Vaughn, April Sykes and Monique Oliver (and many others that have walked through the door). In February 2008, Coach Stringer won her 800th game and she ranks #3 all time.
Now they are a team that is talked about as possible NCAA Champions! Coach Stringer took an average to above-average team and made them one of the best, a force to be reckoned with. People used to say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford and UNC. Now they say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford, UNC and Rutgers. She has taken yet another program and put them at the top of their game. Congratulations to C. Vivian Stringer on this special day. I am proud to say she is the head coach of my team, Rutgers University.
C. Vivian Stringer's impact reaches beyond the court
Stringer’s Long, Rewarding Trip to Hall of Fame
Naismith Induction "Earth Shattering” for C. Vivian Stringer
Chaney and Stringer
Stringer nervous before Hall of Fame inductions
When I was 11 years old my Mom took me to my first live women's basketball game. The school: Rutgers University. A nice 45 minute drive from my home in Mercer County, NJ. My Mom and I didn't know much about the program but we went anyway. Man, were we thrilled. There was a duo there known as Wicks and Sticks (Sue Wicks and Regina Howard). I was amazed at how quickly they moved and how effortlessly they played the game. That was when I was hooked on Rutgers basketball. I watched the team do well in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
At the same time, more and more games were being shown on TV. At that time, the women's NCAA Championship game was broadcast on CBS (I can still picture Ann Meyer's outfit as she broadcast the 1990 final between Stanford and Auburn). In the early 90s a coach and a team captured my attention. University of Iowa and C. Vivian Stringer. Perhaps I was a bit partial to Iowa because they had an excellent field hockey program (another sport I love). I just loved how Coach Stringer empowered her team to play well and how she approached and respected the game. I started to learn about Coach Stringer and I read about her accomplishments at Cheyney State (small school playing big time hoops) and her move to Iowa and what she had done there. Did you know that Coach Stringer's Iowa Hawkeye's team became the first team ever, in the history of women's basketball, to have an advance game sell out? Coach Stringer took the Iowa Hawkeyes to 10 NCAA tournaments, 9 straight from 1984-1993. Final Four berth in 1993 (her second one), not bad if you ask me.
In July 1995 Rutgers, my team, announced that this great coach would replace Theresa Grentz. Could it be true? That someone of her caliber would come to a program that was mediocre? Oh, the possibilities of a Final Four berth, Tournament Championships, All-Americans danced through my head. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
I made sure that my Mom and I were there for her first game against Penn State on November 25, 1995 (I still have the program). It was a thriller with RU beating then unflappable Rene Portland's Penn State team by 2 points. I clearly remember the last few seconds of the game as RU had fouls to give before PSU would shoot free throws so Stringer would foul them as soon as the ball would be thrown into play. It worked flawlessly. I was more thrilled with the strategy and the hope that RU would become the "Jewel of the East".
Sure enough, RU made the final four in 2000 (and the National title game in 2007). Coach Stringer became the first coach in NCAA history to take 3 different teams to the Final Four. From there the top High School players started knocked on the big red doors on the Banks. Cappie Pondexter, Matee Ajavon, Kia Vaughn, April Sykes and Monique Oliver (and many others that have walked through the door). In February 2008, Coach Stringer won her 800th game and she ranks #3 all time.
Now they are a team that is talked about as possible NCAA Champions! Coach Stringer took an average to above-average team and made them one of the best, a force to be reckoned with. People used to say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford and UNC. Now they say: UCONN, Tennessee, Stanford, UNC and Rutgers. She has taken yet another program and put them at the top of their game. Congratulations to C. Vivian Stringer on this special day. I am proud to say she is the head coach of my team, Rutgers University.
C. Vivian Stringer's impact reaches beyond the court
Stringer’s Long, Rewarding Trip to Hall of Fame
Naismith Induction "Earth Shattering” for C. Vivian Stringer
Chaney and Stringer
Stringer nervous before Hall of Fame inductions
Thursday, September 10, 2009
There can only be 1
It should be no surprise to anyone which team is considered #1 in the "nearly-a-decade" list (my comparison to Stanford Basketball Examiner writer Jake Curtis' top 10 teams). If you are surprised, did you live under a rock for most of the decade?
Jake-UCONN
Jenn-UCONN
-4 National Titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2009)
-2 additional Final Fours (2001, 2008)
-Failed to make the NCAA Elite Eight only one time (2005)
-39 victories in both 2002, 2009 (I would argue with anyone that the 2002 UCONN team is the best ever to be put on a floor)
-Won fewer then 30 games only once in the 9 years
-2 Undefeated seasons (2002, 2009)
-Finished in the top 10 final standings all 9 years (#1 in 5 of those seasons)
-7 Regular Season Big East Champions (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009)
-6 Big East Tournament Championships (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
-7 (yes 7) 1st Team All Americans: Svetlana Abrosimova 2001, Swin Cash 2002, Sue Bird 2002, Diana Taurasi 2002-2004, Tina Charles 2009, Renee Montgomery 2008, 2009, Maya Moore 2008, 2009.
-3 Wade Trophy National Player of the Year Awards: Sue Bird, 2002; Diana Taurasi, 2003; Maya Moore, 2009
Enough said....
WNBA
Minnesota Lynx picked up a very important win over the Detroit Shock last night. If the Shock had won they would've clinched a playoff spot but now they have to wait another game. The Lynx scored 9 straight points to pull out the 3 point victory. The win puts the Lynx tied with San Antonio Silver Stars for 4th place in the West. San Antonio holds the tie-breaker head to head and they both have 2 games remaining.
I think it's time, with the talent so diversified in the WNBA, that if teams tie for a playoff position they play 1 game to determine the standings. None of this recreational league head to head stuff. A good example would be the Sparks. Say it was between the Sparks and a team they played twice early on in the season. The Sparks were without Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie for a good portion of the beginning of the season. Now they are on fire. Is it fair and right to not have them in the playoffs when they are playing better ball then a lot of teams just because they didn't win their head-to-head? Go to a 1 game playoff, let the ladies lay it on the floor, let the PLAYERS decide who gets into the playoffs not a statistician.
Games Tonight:
New York Liberty @ Detroit Shock (7:30 pm, NBA TV)
Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky (8:00 pm)
San Antonio Silver Stars @ Sacramento Monarchs (10:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm (10:00 pm)
Big games for Detroit and Chicago. If Detroit wins, they clinch a playoff spot. Liberty are playing pretty well now, if Katie Smith is out again for Detroit (back) then look for the Liberty to delay the Shock their playoff berth.
Chicago is 11-4 @ home and as we've seen, the Fever just are not playing well on the road. Look for the Sky to win and gain sole possession of that 4th place playoff spot.
Jake-UCONN
Jenn-UCONN
-4 National Titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2009)
-2 additional Final Fours (2001, 2008)
-Failed to make the NCAA Elite Eight only one time (2005)
-39 victories in both 2002, 2009 (I would argue with anyone that the 2002 UCONN team is the best ever to be put on a floor)
-Won fewer then 30 games only once in the 9 years
-2 Undefeated seasons (2002, 2009)
-Finished in the top 10 final standings all 9 years (#1 in 5 of those seasons)
-7 Regular Season Big East Champions (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009)
-6 Big East Tournament Championships (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
-7 (yes 7) 1st Team All Americans: Svetlana Abrosimova 2001, Swin Cash 2002, Sue Bird 2002, Diana Taurasi 2002-2004, Tina Charles 2009, Renee Montgomery 2008, 2009, Maya Moore 2008, 2009.
-3 Wade Trophy National Player of the Year Awards: Sue Bird, 2002; Diana Taurasi, 2003; Maya Moore, 2009
Enough said....
WNBA
Minnesota Lynx picked up a very important win over the Detroit Shock last night. If the Shock had won they would've clinched a playoff spot but now they have to wait another game. The Lynx scored 9 straight points to pull out the 3 point victory. The win puts the Lynx tied with San Antonio Silver Stars for 4th place in the West. San Antonio holds the tie-breaker head to head and they both have 2 games remaining.
I think it's time, with the talent so diversified in the WNBA, that if teams tie for a playoff position they play 1 game to determine the standings. None of this recreational league head to head stuff. A good example would be the Sparks. Say it was between the Sparks and a team they played twice early on in the season. The Sparks were without Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie for a good portion of the beginning of the season. Now they are on fire. Is it fair and right to not have them in the playoffs when they are playing better ball then a lot of teams just because they didn't win their head-to-head? Go to a 1 game playoff, let the ladies lay it on the floor, let the PLAYERS decide who gets into the playoffs not a statistician.
Games Tonight:
New York Liberty @ Detroit Shock (7:30 pm, NBA TV)
Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky (8:00 pm)
San Antonio Silver Stars @ Sacramento Monarchs (10:00 pm)
Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm (10:00 pm)
Big games for Detroit and Chicago. If Detroit wins, they clinch a playoff spot. Liberty are playing pretty well now, if Katie Smith is out again for Detroit (back) then look for the Liberty to delay the Shock their playoff berth.
Chicago is 11-4 @ home and as we've seen, the Fever just are not playing well on the road. Look for the Sky to win and gain sole possession of that 4th place playoff spot.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Rutgers Announces 2009-2010 Schedule
Rutgers has another demanding schedule this season. Stanford, Georgia, USC, Texas, Florida, Tennessee...oh yes, and the rest of the Big East schedule. Look for RU to be just fine this season, even though I have a feeling the talk will be "Without Prince who will lead them." Oh, you just wait and see.
You can see the entire schedule here.
Coach Stringer goes into the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. Long overdue if you ask me. Just what she did at Cheyney State and Iowa deserved the honor but I'm proud to say she's going into the Hall as the coach of Rutgers. Nice article on her on the women's basketball site.
You can see the entire schedule here.
Coach Stringer goes into the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. Long overdue if you ask me. Just what she did at Cheyney State and Iowa deserved the honor but I'm proud to say she's going into the Hall as the coach of Rutgers. Nice article on her on the women's basketball site.
Almost-A-Decade teams and other news...
Since we are approaching #1 (haha, fooled you, we are not doing #1 today), let's look back at some quality teams that didn't quite make the cut in my top 10.
-Maryland: 2006 NCAA Champions, 2009 ACC Tournament Champions, 3 All-Americans (Kristi Toliver, Crystal Langhorne, Marissa Coleman)
-Ohio State: 4 Big 10 Regular Season Champs (or co-Champs), 1 three time All-American (Jessica Davenport, 2005-2007), NCAA Tornament 2003-2008 (#1 seed in 2006), Sweet 16 in 2005.
-Michigan State: NCAA Championship game berth (2005), 2 Honorable Mention All-Americans (Kristin Hayne, Lindsay Bowen, Liz Shimek), 2005 Big 10 Regular Season and Tournament Champs, 6 times in the NCAA tournament
Some nice teams but not quite good enough to hit the top 10, maybe they'll make the next decade countdown!
Central Michigan Chippewas
Small school (be it Division I) so this may have been passed over by some people. Last week a Michigan judge dismissed a case against Head Coach, Sue Guevara. The case: a player felt that she was discriminated against because she was not a lesbian. According to the article on CBS Sports.com, Brooke Heike lost her scholarship because of her poor attitude and unwillingness to work hard. The case was thrown out of court because the coach and other officials at Central Michigan are immune from such legal claims. So the player's lawyer will try another type of lawsuit. The best is, Heike is still attending the University. Interesting, no? I know that if I felt I was discriminated against by a company, person or school I would high tail it out of there. Wouldn't you? Makes me wonder if perhaps she thought she was a better player then she really was. You can read the entire article here.
WNBA
The Sparks clinched a playoff spot with their nice win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. With the Silver Stars loss, the Lynx pulled to within 1/2 game of the final coveted 4th spot. Silver Stars have 2 games remaining: @ Sacramento and home against Seattle Storm. Silver Stars are 1-2 against the Monarchs and 1-2 against the Seattle Storm. As for the Minnesota Lynx: Detroit tonight, @ Los Angeles and @ Sacramento. 0-1 against Detroit (losing when Detroit was mediocre), 1-2 against LA, 2-1 against Sacramento. Should be some interesting games in the West!
Indiana Fever (with the win last night over the New York Liberty) are tied with the Phoenix Mercury for the best record in the WNBA at 22-10. Indiana is having a hard time playing well on the road. Should prove to be interesting since their last 2 remaining games are on the road (@ Chicago and @ Connecticut)
Congrats to Deanna Nolan and Vickie "VJ" Johnson for being named WNBA players of the week. This is Nolan's fifth of her career and the second in as many weeks (winning last week with Sue Bird). Averages: 20.7 points, 51.1% from the floor, 4.3 boards, and 3.3 assists. She helped the Shock go 3-0 last week.
VJ wins her first "Player of the Week" award in her career. Nice way to end her career, no? She averaged 22 points, 76.0% from the floor (league leading), 3.5 assists, 3.5 boards, and 1.5 steals. She helped the Silver Stars to 2 wins over the past week. She is one of only 4 players still playing from the inaugural WNBA draft, one of two players to have 4,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career (with her teammate Becky Hammon) and is the WNBA all-time leader in games played.
Rookie Watch
Rookie report time (Last three games)
DeWanna Bonner:
41 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 4 steals
Team record: 2-1
Angel McCoughtry:
39 points, 10 boards, 12 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals (double-double on 9/4: 26 points, 10 assists)
Team Record: 2-1
Shavonte Zellous:
44 points, 10 boards, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Team Record: 3-0
Tough call this week! Shavonte played great this week and is my rookie of the week. She really helped her team climb back into the playoffs! It's not just how she does as an individual but also how she helps her team.
Tonight's Game:
Detroit Shock @ Minnesota Lynx (8:00 pm)
-Maryland: 2006 NCAA Champions, 2009 ACC Tournament Champions, 3 All-Americans (Kristi Toliver, Crystal Langhorne, Marissa Coleman)
-Ohio State: 4 Big 10 Regular Season Champs (or co-Champs), 1 three time All-American (Jessica Davenport, 2005-2007), NCAA Tornament 2003-2008 (#1 seed in 2006), Sweet 16 in 2005.
-Michigan State: NCAA Championship game berth (2005), 2 Honorable Mention All-Americans (Kristin Hayne, Lindsay Bowen, Liz Shimek), 2005 Big 10 Regular Season and Tournament Champs, 6 times in the NCAA tournament
Some nice teams but not quite good enough to hit the top 10, maybe they'll make the next decade countdown!
Central Michigan Chippewas
Small school (be it Division I) so this may have been passed over by some people. Last week a Michigan judge dismissed a case against Head Coach, Sue Guevara. The case: a player felt that she was discriminated against because she was not a lesbian. According to the article on CBS Sports.com, Brooke Heike lost her scholarship because of her poor attitude and unwillingness to work hard. The case was thrown out of court because the coach and other officials at Central Michigan are immune from such legal claims. So the player's lawyer will try another type of lawsuit. The best is, Heike is still attending the University. Interesting, no? I know that if I felt I was discriminated against by a company, person or school I would high tail it out of there. Wouldn't you? Makes me wonder if perhaps she thought she was a better player then she really was. You can read the entire article here.
WNBA
The Sparks clinched a playoff spot with their nice win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. With the Silver Stars loss, the Lynx pulled to within 1/2 game of the final coveted 4th spot. Silver Stars have 2 games remaining: @ Sacramento and home against Seattle Storm. Silver Stars are 1-2 against the Monarchs and 1-2 against the Seattle Storm. As for the Minnesota Lynx: Detroit tonight, @ Los Angeles and @ Sacramento. 0-1 against Detroit (losing when Detroit was mediocre), 1-2 against LA, 2-1 against Sacramento. Should be some interesting games in the West!
Indiana Fever (with the win last night over the New York Liberty) are tied with the Phoenix Mercury for the best record in the WNBA at 22-10. Indiana is having a hard time playing well on the road. Should prove to be interesting since their last 2 remaining games are on the road (@ Chicago and @ Connecticut)
Congrats to Deanna Nolan and Vickie "VJ" Johnson for being named WNBA players of the week. This is Nolan's fifth of her career and the second in as many weeks (winning last week with Sue Bird). Averages: 20.7 points, 51.1% from the floor, 4.3 boards, and 3.3 assists. She helped the Shock go 3-0 last week.
VJ wins her first "Player of the Week" award in her career. Nice way to end her career, no? She averaged 22 points, 76.0% from the floor (league leading), 3.5 assists, 3.5 boards, and 1.5 steals. She helped the Silver Stars to 2 wins over the past week. She is one of only 4 players still playing from the inaugural WNBA draft, one of two players to have 4,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career (with her teammate Becky Hammon) and is the WNBA all-time leader in games played.
Rookie Watch
Rookie report time (Last three games)
DeWanna Bonner:
41 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 4 steals
Team record: 2-1
Angel McCoughtry:
39 points, 10 boards, 12 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals (double-double on 9/4: 26 points, 10 assists)
Team Record: 2-1
Shavonte Zellous:
44 points, 10 boards, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Team Record: 3-0
Tough call this week! Shavonte played great this week and is my rookie of the week. She really helped her team climb back into the playoffs! It's not just how she does as an individual but also how she helps her team.
Tonight's Game:
Detroit Shock @ Minnesota Lynx (8:00 pm)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
And then there were 2!
With the Holiday and travelling, I missed a day of posting. Lots happened over they weekend with the WNBA but I'll get to that after my number 2 selection for top 10 almost-a-decade women's basketball teams (in comparison to Jake Curtis).
Jake-Tennessee
Jenn-Tennessee
Jake-Tennessee
Jenn-Tennessee
2 National Titles, 6 Final Fours, 4 National Title game Berths, 8 Top 10 finishes (none at #1 interestingly enough) and Pat Summitt. Oh wait, and 4 All Americans: Tamika Catchings (2001), Kara Lawson (2003), Shyra Ely (2004), Candace Parker (2006, 2007, 2008). 2007 Wade Trophy National Player of the Year winner: Candace Parker. And I would argue Tamika Catchings deserved the honor in 2001 (Jackie Stiles rocked the party boat that year but Tamika was just amazing). Tennessee plays in one of the top 3 toughest conferences in the nation: SEC. Even though they lost in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament this season and finished a super low #18 in the Final rankings, they are still one of the best teams EVER. Pick a decade: Tennessee was there.
A neat Tennessee note: 13 former Lady Vols are currently in the WNBA...the most of any school!
WNBA
Phoenix Mercury clinched the West with their 100-82 win on Saturday. The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Seattle Storm 76-68 to help the Mercury clinch earlier then this week. With Indiana Fever losing on the road to Detroit Shock, the Fever are really starting to fall flat. Could it be the season wear and tear? The fact that they have had minimal injuries so their players are more tired then others? Remember the tear Minnesota made in the NCAA a few years ago (okay, probably 5 years ago but that is a few for me) when their star player was hurt? Maybe injuries during the season help a team. As long as the team gels together and the player can fit into her role, why not?
Standings right now:
East
Indiana (clinched)
Atlanta Dream -4.5
Detroit Shock -5.0 (yes, DETROIT)
Chicago Sky -6.5
Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun -6.5
New York Liberty (eliminated from playoffs)
West
Phoenix (clinched)
Seattle Storm -3.0
Los Angeles Spark -6.5
San Antonio Silver Stars -7.5
Minnesota Lynx -8.5
Sacramento Monarchs (eliminated from playoffs)
Games Tonight!
Indiana Fever @ New York Liberty (7:30 pm)
San Antonio Silver Stars @ Los Angeles Sparks (10:30 pm, NBA TV)
Big game on the West Coast!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Terrific #3 and other news
My number 3 team is......
Jake: Duke
Jenn: Duke
Jake: Duke
Jenn: Duke
Now, how much slack will I get for this one? No National Titles and a team that should have won in 2006 but failed to do so, losing to that upstart team from their conference...you know the one, Maryland. Ready? Here we go:
-Finished in the Top 10 in all nine seasons in review
-Finished #1 in 2004, #2 in two of the seasons
-Three Final Fours, 1 National Title berth
-2 additional NCAA Quarterfinal berths
-4 ACC Tournament Titles
-5 (yes, five) All Americans: (Georgia Schwitzer, 2001; Iciss Tillis (2003); Alana Beard (2002, 2003, 2004); Monique Currie (2005, 2006); Lindsey Harding (2007)
-National Player of the Year (Wade Trophy) Alana Beard, 2004
That's enough for me to put them at #3.
WNBA News
The Washington Mystics proved they want to be in the playoffs by beating the visiting Seattle Storm. The Storm had 24 turnovers which helped the Mystics run the floor a bit (18 fast break points). Looks like the Mystics mean business and maybe not having Jackson in the lineup hurts the Storm more then I think. Guess it's tough to replace one of the best players in the game.
This moves Washington into 3rd with a .5 game lead over the Detroit Shock.
Games tonight:
New York Liberty @ Connecticut Sun (7:00 pm, NBA TV)
Indiana Fever @ Detroit Shock (7:30 pm)
Washington Mystics @ Chicago Sky (8:30 pm)
Atlanta Dream @ Sacramento Monarchs (10:00 pm)
Vickie JohnsonLast night the San Antonio Silver Stars honored one of the original players of the WNBA. Johnson graduated as a two-time All American from Louisiana Tech (1996) and one of the original members of the WNBA being drafted #12 in the second round by the New York Liberty. Turns out that #12 pick was a steal for the talent VJ brought to the table. Two-time WNBA All-Star and the first New York Liberty player to reach 2,000 points. June 2005 she hit a bucket for 3,000 points in the WNBA. And an even bigger honor, the owner of the world famous Carnegie Deli in Manhattan created the "VJ Classic Sandwich". It's a 3,000 calorie sandwich (oh my!).
In 2006, VJ moved onto San Antonio where she continued (and continues) to help her Silver Stars team stay in the playoff hunt. I know that I will miss seeing her play, she was always one of my favorites in the WNBA. A true teammate and a real role model. Best of luck to VJ, maybe we'll see you on the sidelines with Spoon at La Tech! Nice article on VJ on the Silver Stars website, check it out.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Former LaTech Coach happy with Assistant position
Leon Barmore, who can forget him? Who can forget what his teams did for the face of women's basketball? Coach Barmore was an Assistant to Sonja Hogg when the Lady Techsters won the first NCAA women's basketball title in 1982.
Barmore took over the full coaching reigns in 1985 after serving for three years as the co-head coach. He led the Lady Techsters to 20 straight winning seasons, 13 of those season were 30 wins or more (6 straight at one point), 20 straight NCAA tournament appearances, nine Final Fours and oh yes, five National title game berths. They won it all in 1988 (with Spoon leading the charge). Coach Barmore led Louisiana Tech to 13 regular season conference Championships in 15 years, coached 12 All-Americans and 14 of his players went onto play in the WNBA. He coached now Louisiana Tech's Head Coach, Teresa 'Spoon' Weatherspoon (Olympian, All-American, star player of the WNBA, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2010). 2003 Naismith Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, he amassed an incredible record of 576-87 (.869 winning percentage). I would think any coach would like to have that kind of resume.
One of those players that he coached was Kim Mulkey. Kim Mulkey played for Barmore from 1980-1984 and became an Assistant at the school after her playing days. She learned the trade under Barmore. Coach Mulkey went onto accept the Head Coaching position at Baylor University in 2000. Baylor won it all in 2005. In 2008, Coach Barmore joined her staff as an Assistant coach. At the end of the 2008-2009 season he contemplated retiring but decided to come back for another whirl at being an Assistant. There is a nice article on why he is returning to Baylor this season. Check it out.
Barmore took over the full coaching reigns in 1985 after serving for three years as the co-head coach. He led the Lady Techsters to 20 straight winning seasons, 13 of those season were 30 wins or more (6 straight at one point), 20 straight NCAA tournament appearances, nine Final Fours and oh yes, five National title game berths. They won it all in 1988 (with Spoon leading the charge). Coach Barmore led Louisiana Tech to 13 regular season conference Championships in 15 years, coached 12 All-Americans and 14 of his players went onto play in the WNBA. He coached now Louisiana Tech's Head Coach, Teresa 'Spoon' Weatherspoon (Olympian, All-American, star player of the WNBA, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2010). 2003 Naismith Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, he amassed an incredible record of 576-87 (.869 winning percentage). I would think any coach would like to have that kind of resume.
One of those players that he coached was Kim Mulkey. Kim Mulkey played for Barmore from 1980-1984 and became an Assistant at the school after her playing days. She learned the trade under Barmore. Coach Mulkey went onto accept the Head Coaching position at Baylor University in 2000. Baylor won it all in 2005. In 2008, Coach Barmore joined her staff as an Assistant coach. At the end of the 2008-2009 season he contemplated retiring but decided to come back for another whirl at being an Assistant. There is a nice article on why he is returning to Baylor this season. Check it out.
Feelin' it at #4 and WNBA News
The #4 team from 2001-2009 is...........
Jake: Stanford
Jenn: LSU
Jake: Stanford
Jenn: LSU
Seimone Augusts, Sylvia Fowles....enough said.
Okay, I guess I should give you some numbers and why I put them ahead of Stanford. LSU plays in the SEC against teams like Georgia, Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The SEC is one of the top 3 toughest conferences to play in every year. One could argue that they weren't tops of their game at the beginning of the nearly-a-decade but I beg to differ. Five straight Final Fours 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 (only team to accomplish this feat in this almost-a-decade) isn't enough to put them in the Top 5? Are you serious? Regular season SEC Champions in 2005, 2006 and 2008 (again, remember who plays in this conference) and Tournament Champions in 2003. SEC Tournament Runner-Ups five times during the span.
They were ranked in the Final Top Ten 4 times, advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament each year and made it to 1 additional Quarterfinal berth (not including the other 5 where they won and made it to the big dance). They were their regions #1 seed 3 of the 9 years they were in the NCAA tournament. LSU also had 3 All-Americans: Marie Ferdinand (2001), Seimone Augustus and Sylvia "Big Syl" Fowles (2007, 2008). Augustus was an All American from 2004-2006 (and I would argue deserved a 4 time nod but I guess the committee didn't see it that way). Augustus was also a two-time National Player of the Year-Wade Trophy winner (2005 & 2006). The great Nancy Lieberman is the only other player to win this award twice (Old Dominion University-1979 & 1980). That is some nice company. Top 5? I think so.
Tulsa Next WNBA Team?
Well it should be decided by the end of the month if Tulsa, Oklahoma will be the next team in the WNBA. This is the first time I've seen any mention on whether this will be a new team or a relocated team..hmmmm. Will Courtney Paris ask to be traded to Tulsa to play in front of the fans that loved her for 4 years? Will they be called the Tulsa Tornadoes? The Tulsa Tarmacs (since I sat on the tarmac for 2 hours on a flight back from New Mexico)? Hmmm, all questions to be answered as the drive for the expansion team continues!
WNBA
The Phoenix Mercury were on FIRE last night against the Indiana Fever. They shot 59% from the floor (to Fever's respectable 42%), 56% from the land-beyond-the-arc (to 22% for Fever) and 86% from the line. Fever were without Katie Douglas (injured ankle) but even if they had her in the lineup, Cappie Pondexter (Go RU!) was lights out. Pondexter dropped in 25 points, 3 boards, 4 assists and only 2 turnovers. Mercury led from the beginning and the Fever were able to get it close a few times but the Mercury went up big (by 22 points) and the Fever just couldn't chip away at it. Cappie had a nice under the basket inbounds play last night-bouncing it off of the back side of her old RU teammate, Tammy Sutton-Brown, grabbed the ball, put it up, scored and was fouled. Risky move but we are talking about Cappie here people!
Games Tonight
One game tonight: Seattle Storm @ Washington Mystics (7:00 pm)
Storm need the win since the Mercury jumped .5 game up on them. Storm are on the road for 2 games (Mystics then Lynx on Saturday) then they come home and play the Mercury next Thursday. It will be interesting to see if and when Jackson will be back this regular season. If I were them, with a playoff spot clinched, I might rest her until the playoffs start. Besides, the Storm are playing well even without her. Big game for the Mystics too as they try to separate themselves from the hot Detroit Shock.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Fine at Five
#5
We are cracking the Top 5 now of the top women's basketball teams of the nearly-a-decade (2001-2009).
Jake-LSU
Jenn-Stanford
LSU and Stanford were tight for 4 & 5 and even #3 but in the end, I have Stanford just shy of LSU in the #5 spot. I can see where Jake is coming from putting LSU at 5 but tomorrow I'll review why I put them ahead of Stanford. (hint: they are #4). Let's look at what the Cardinal women did over the nearly-a-decade.
Ranked in Top 13 all eight years, 7 Top 10 finishes, Top 5 for five of those years including the #1 ranking in 2005. What hurts them was their post season play. They fixed that in the last few years but the first half of the decade was Stanford-No Show and that hurts them in my rankings. If you are going to rank the best teams, then it has to be start to finish with the finish line as April, not early March. Don't get me wrong, Stanford is awesome and one of my Top 3 teams that I love to watch. Coach Tara Vanderveer is a master of the game. I consider her the Bobby Fischer of women's basketball. Stanford rocked the Pac-10, winning 9 regular season titles (only team in the Top 10 to do that), but fell short in the NCAA tournament until recent years. The Pac-10 has gotten considerably better since the beginning of this decade and it certainly shows that Stanford is consistent but it's still not as deep as SEC, Big East or ACC.
They were in 2 NCAA Final Fours (2008, 2009) including the 2008 Championship game. They were also in 2 additional NCAA Quarterfinal games. Not bad stats at all. But to me this is staggering and a true testament to the quality of players Stanford produces: Stanford had an All-American player in 8 of the 9 years we are talking about here. The list is: Nicole Powell (2002-2004), Candice Wiggins (2005-2008, Wade Trophy winner 2008) and Jayne Appel (2009). Scary.
Where is Stacey Dales?
The NFL Network snagged her up and offered her a spot on the Sunday morning pre-game show "NFL GameDay". She will be a co-host with Michael Irvin on the four hour kickoff show. You can read the article here. Good luck Stacey! I'll miss you come Tourney time!
Who can forget the hit she took a few years back as a sideline reporter?!
WNBA
Seattle, Detroit, San Antonio, Sacramento and Atlanta were all winners last night. Talk about anything can happen on any given day! Phoenix, who just saw their Western Conference lead cut to 1 game, lost to Detroit 101-99 as Cheryl Ford played her best game of the season (22 points & 11 boards). That moves Detroit into 4th place in the East. Oh yeah, and Detroit did this without Katie Smith (back injury, second game missed). Could my prediction of Phoenix dropping to second and Seattle taking first happen? Anything can happen at this time of the year.
Standings now:
East
Indiana Fever (clinched Eastern Conference Championship)
Atlanta Dream -5.0
Washington Mystics -6.5
Detroit Shock -6.5
Chicago Sky -7.0
Connecticut Sun -7.5
New York Liberty -9.0
West
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm -1.0
Los Angeles Sparks -5.0
San Antonio Silver Stars (big win last night put some distance between them and 5th place) -7.0
Minnesota Lynx -8.0
Sacramento Monarchs -9.5
Tonight's Game
Preview of the WNBA Final:
Phoenix Mercury vs Indiana Fever (7:00 pm, NBA TV)
We are cracking the Top 5 now of the top women's basketball teams of the nearly-a-decade (2001-2009).
Jake-LSU
Jenn-Stanford
LSU and Stanford were tight for 4 & 5 and even #3 but in the end, I have Stanford just shy of LSU in the #5 spot. I can see where Jake is coming from putting LSU at 5 but tomorrow I'll review why I put them ahead of Stanford. (hint: they are #4). Let's look at what the Cardinal women did over the nearly-a-decade.
Ranked in Top 13 all eight years, 7 Top 10 finishes, Top 5 for five of those years including the #1 ranking in 2005. What hurts them was their post season play. They fixed that in the last few years but the first half of the decade was Stanford-No Show and that hurts them in my rankings. If you are going to rank the best teams, then it has to be start to finish with the finish line as April, not early March. Don't get me wrong, Stanford is awesome and one of my Top 3 teams that I love to watch. Coach Tara Vanderveer is a master of the game. I consider her the Bobby Fischer of women's basketball. Stanford rocked the Pac-10, winning 9 regular season titles (only team in the Top 10 to do that), but fell short in the NCAA tournament until recent years. The Pac-10 has gotten considerably better since the beginning of this decade and it certainly shows that Stanford is consistent but it's still not as deep as SEC, Big East or ACC.
They were in 2 NCAA Final Fours (2008, 2009) including the 2008 Championship game. They were also in 2 additional NCAA Quarterfinal games. Not bad stats at all. But to me this is staggering and a true testament to the quality of players Stanford produces: Stanford had an All-American player in 8 of the 9 years we are talking about here. The list is: Nicole Powell (2002-2004), Candice Wiggins (2005-2008, Wade Trophy winner 2008) and Jayne Appel (2009). Scary.
Where is Stacey Dales?
The NFL Network snagged her up and offered her a spot on the Sunday morning pre-game show "NFL GameDay". She will be a co-host with Michael Irvin on the four hour kickoff show. You can read the article here. Good luck Stacey! I'll miss you come Tourney time!
Who can forget the hit she took a few years back as a sideline reporter?!
WNBA
Seattle, Detroit, San Antonio, Sacramento and Atlanta were all winners last night. Talk about anything can happen on any given day! Phoenix, who just saw their Western Conference lead cut to 1 game, lost to Detroit 101-99 as Cheryl Ford played her best game of the season (22 points & 11 boards). That moves Detroit into 4th place in the East. Oh yeah, and Detroit did this without Katie Smith (back injury, second game missed). Could my prediction of Phoenix dropping to second and Seattle taking first happen? Anything can happen at this time of the year.
Standings now:
East
Indiana Fever (clinched Eastern Conference Championship)
Atlanta Dream -5.0
Washington Mystics -6.5
Detroit Shock -6.5
Chicago Sky -7.0
Connecticut Sun -7.5
New York Liberty -9.0
West
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm -1.0
Los Angeles Sparks -5.0
San Antonio Silver Stars (big win last night put some distance between them and 5th place) -7.0
Minnesota Lynx -8.0
Sacramento Monarchs -9.5
Tonight's Game
Preview of the WNBA Final:
Phoenix Mercury vs Indiana Fever (7:00 pm, NBA TV)
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Kay Yow
FIBA Hall of Fame
Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) announced that Coach Kay Yow will be one of the eleven amateur basketball figures inducted into their Hall of Fame on September 20, 2009 in Poland (at the Finals of the 2009 EuroBasket) and on September 22, 2009 @ the FIBA Hall of Fame in Madrid, Spain. According to the FIBA website, "key criterion for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame is outstanding achievement, at the international level, to the development and status of the sport of basketball." Coach Yow clearly fits the criteria for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Soon the biographical information of all 11 inductees will be available on the FIBA Hall of Fame site.
Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) announced that Coach Kay Yow will be one of the eleven amateur basketball figures inducted into their Hall of Fame on September 20, 2009 in Poland (at the Finals of the 2009 EuroBasket) and on September 22, 2009 @ the FIBA Hall of Fame in Madrid, Spain. According to the FIBA website, "key criterion for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame is outstanding achievement, at the international level, to the development and status of the sport of basketball." Coach Yow clearly fits the criteria for selection into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Soon the biographical information of all 11 inductees will be available on the FIBA Hall of Fame site.
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