WNBA Finals Game 4: Preview and Game Thread
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 5:30 PM EDT
253 comments
See Phoenix Stan's Game 4 preview here and more of the day's perspectives on the game from around the web here.
Game Time: 7.30 pm Local
As has happened many times before, the Phoenix Mercury face elimination in today's Game 4 of the 2009 WNBA Finals.
There's really no reason to favor either team today. In fact, there's at least a dozen reasons to figure the Fever will win this one and close out the chip at home. There's also another dozen good reasons to think the Mercury will return to form, get this one and send it back to Phoenix.
Regardless, I am fully convinced that either the Fever or the Mercury will win this game and that this will be another great game in a great series.
Let's keep it right here as we evaluate the teams' state of mind and their adjustments for the game.
Game 3 Review: I've seen this movie before
I've seen this movie before. It's the one where the amazing offensive team comes in to blow away the poor shooting team but suffers a reversal. The poor shooting team somehow manages above 50% shooting from long range while the stunning offensive team backfires.
Who knew the lousy offensive team could do that? Who knew the offensive juggernaut would sputter just below the top of the hill?
The last time I saw that movie, it was the Suns vs. the Spurs and I didn't like the ending.
Here, the players are completely different, but some of the strategies are the same. But somehow the Fever shot 10-21 from 3 compared to 3-17 for the Mercury and that made the game close, and ultimately swayed it in the Fever's favor.
I say "somehow" with sarcasm, as the "how" is obvious. The Fever aggressively denied the outside shots while allowing the Mercury to get 52 points inside. The Mercury, however, didn't have the same plan and the Fever were able to work the Mercury defense for open shots from 3.
On paper, the Mercury appeared to outwork the Fever in every statistical category. But at least in the case of rebounding, the poor shooting of the Mercury may have had something to do with them out-rebounding the Fever. Long shots, long rebounds and all that.
Also, in spite of Lin Dunn's taking credit for the Mercury's poor 3 point shooting, the Mercury still got off 17 shots. While the Merc didn't make many of those, it's not clear how much is related to the team's wonky rifle scopes and how much is really related to Fever players running the Mercury off the three point line a la Spurs.
The Mercury
The bad vibe from the Mercury camp centers on their persistent complaints about calls and about not getting to the line enough. In the absence of three point plays from the outside, Coach Corey Gaines is looking for three point plays of the "And 1" kind and had this to say at Monday's practice
We could have won the game. We shot poorly, no free throws in the fourth quarter. Cappie [Pondexter] didn't shoot a free throw the entire game. It's kind of amazing that an All-WNBA First Team player who attacked the basket at least 20 times a game didn't go the line once. You look at those things - it makes you feel a bit better.
This is more than a complaint, it appears to be a Mercury strategic focus as Coach Bridget Pettis says
We want to get to the free throw line more than 12 times and we know that’s an option they’ve scored off throughout the year. If we get to the paint and free throw line a little more, then they [Cappie, Diana & Penny] can get back to their point totals.
Gaines appears to be planning to call more Free-Throw-inducing plays?
I need to get my team to the free throw line and shoot more free throws. We shot zero free throws in the fourth quarter [of Game 3]. So I need to get them in better position to get free throws. That’s my fault.
Maybe this chiding the refs or calling for more plays that involve contact will help. But, at the championship level, basing any strategy on referee cooperation is a piss-poor one.
Getting refs to call fouls your way when you need them is a vastly lower probability than the Mercury's abysmal last game 3 of 17 three point shooting percentage. The refs are just not going to hand you the title on the opponents' home court before a sellout crowd of rabid Midwesterners. Last time I checked, the refs weren't counted against the Mercury salary cap.
While I respect the Mercury's intention to be even more aggressive, depending on the refs is so PHAIL. It's hard to imagine we are talking about champions here.
Speaking of champions, who are we to question the heart of a champion? The good vibe is that in between all of the game interviews, the Mercury are solid in who they are and what they do. They are not questioning themselves, they are chomping at the bit for another shot at the Fever. As Taurasi says,
This team has never been tight, with the personalities we have, that are not how we play. We play at our best when we’re loose and having fun out there. That’s when we play the most creative and effective basketball so we’re going to have to get back to that. I think we’ve lost that, a little bit. Sometimes you get caught up in the end result without going through every little step, so we just have to get back to the basics.
It's likely that the Mercury will make only small adjustments and come back fresh, fearless and fully locked and loaded. This will be especially true of the Mercury's bench which has struggled.
Turns out that Sixth Woman of the Year DeWanna Bonner's lackluster showing on Sunday (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers in 9 minutes) was likely due to illness and that she should bounce back tonight. The Mercury hope the same for Penny Taylor.
Of those small adjustments, which include more attempts to get to the charity stripe and better offensive execution, it's hard not to wonder what, if anything, the Mercury are thinking about doing defensively. True, they've lost the last 2 games by less than six points, so a small offensive gain might be enough. But a small defensive gain might actually be easier to come by.
The Mercury need to think hard and long about contesting leading Finals scorer Ebony Hoffman's shots. Taurasi describes the defensive issues as:
Defensively, we were solid; we did the things we wanted to do. But it was a couple of those key situations that they took advantage of. Like, we get three stops in a row, but they get three offensive rebounds in a row and Katie Douglas hits a 3 in the corner. Things like that break your back as a team.
We play a set perfectly: pick-and-roll, switch, they dive, we have it … [but] we leave Ebony [Hoffman] wide-open in the corner with a bad rotation. Things like that kill you at the end of games, and they're the things that stand out the most.
Of course, I'm reminded of the old folk song, "There's a hole in the bucket". You slow Ebony, but then there's Katie, Tamika, Briann.... But for now, it's a question whether the Mercury can spare some extra defensive effort to force Ebony to put the ball on the floor and show you she can finish off the dribble-drive.
Here's how Briann January and Ebony Hoffman have been killing the Mercury this series, from David Woods at the Indianapolis Star:
| Who | Season (pts) |
Finals (pts) |
| Fever | 76.6 | 98.3 |
| Hoffman | 9.9 | 20.3* |
| January | 6.9 | 14.7 |
*current leading scorer in the WNBA Finals
The Fever
While the Mercury try to stay calm and loose in the face of elimination, the watch word in Feverland is "Dont Relax". The bad news is that, no matter how much they try to psyche themselves out, the Fever already know they can win in Phoenix. They did it once, they almost did it twice. They can talk all they want about this being a must-win game, that the game will be super-tough because the Mercury will be playing desperate, that they've won nothing yet, but for the Fever this is a nice-to-have, nice-to-win game, not a must-win game. Sorry.
The good news is that as with any well-coached team, they are likely to stay focused. They're up 2-1 with a chance to close out on their home floor in front of the biggest home crowd the Fever has ever played for. Lin Dunn is looking for the team to do better boxing out and rebounding and to keep up the three point denial defense, but otherwise there's no reason to change what has been working for the team. If the Mercury regain their shooting touch, then perhaps there will be more to discuss on the Fever side.
More:
Around the Web: Think Anyone is Feeling Pressure in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals
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Great points about
Gaines relying on the ref’s. He’s right in the sense that in many situations his team would have gotten those calls and the outcome probably would have been different but you can’t rely on that. You have to take care of business and the Mercury didn’t do that in Game 2.
If they had played hard in Game 2 and got beat, that would be one thing but I can’t feel sorry for them not getting calls when your team doesn’t give a full effort in a Finals game.
How does that even happen?
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Haven't they mentioned over-confidence a few times?
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
My feeling hasn't changed
I said Fever in 4 before the series started, and I still think that’s how it ends. Indiana just isn’t a good matchup for the Merc.
I don’t think shooting touch is the whole answer either. They shot right at their season average in Game 3 and they’re well above it for the series, and it’s still one bucket from being a sweep.
bad matchup is RIGHT
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Will give you props if they win tonight sir :)
Clearly, Merc in 4 ain’t happening… ;)
But here’s the real question: did you have the Fever winning Game 1 or 2 in Phoenix?
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
I am going to have to go dark for this one
I am not going to be able to watching this for a few hours once I get home (thank you Tivo!) so I am going to avoid the score and watch it live in my personal time zone….
Catch you later, folks
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
dont worry, I'll tweet you the final ....
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
be interesting how they call it, consider Gaines..
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Good lord... how does Kurt Walker get to do a Finals game?
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
Lieberman picks the Mercury...
Hard not to just hope for a Game 5…
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I'm with you, game 5 who cares who wins it
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
If the Fever win...
…there’s nobody else you could possibly pick… unless January explodes for like 50 tonight…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
Wow... great start again...
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
no hangover, but none expected
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I love when teams try and trap
Cappie on the perimeter…she just attacks the big and creates havoc
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Good to hear it...
You gotta see this one live!
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
no but they needed the hot start to stay loose
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Tangela Smith
is either on or she’s off…she can go 80% for one game and 10% the next
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
ok
my ESPN 360 feed sucks….going to have to bail and catch this one later
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
espn360 is buggy, missed Game 2 3Quarter... Q has a better link for feed
Here in support of my friends.
reports was she was sick on Sunday
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions
of course, I would say that too if I stunk it up... I guess
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions
she wasn't sick
in Games 1 and 2 or in the last series…..her coach said it was rookie nerves
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ok
for real…I am out this time. Headed home to watch the rest of the game
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
This post-season or all-time?
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
rope-a-dope!
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow.. Taurasi with nice D on TSB...
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
How is she as an interview?
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she smiles a lot - its infectious
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions
and then says omigod huge 10x times
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions
lol
yeah, you said that… need to listen to that…
Must get another interview with her… ask her if she’ll legally change her name to October…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
thats a great one!
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions
will do if they win
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Of course...
:)
would be only a little obnoxious if they win, completely obnoxious if they lose…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
ok...so...
Briann September-October?
Maybe this is finally getting ridiculous… ;)
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that does make it complicated.
Briann Postseason?
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but then it loses it's the word play power...
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October with the great pass to Catchings...
wow..
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I'd be shocked if the Mercury can pull out a win with Catchings playing this well offensively..
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Dougs and Hoffs just both overshot wide open treys..
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions
TJ scoring is positive for the Merc
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow Mercury looking really fluid on offense
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
And more importantly, the free throw differential
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Hey, fellas. How’s it looking so far?
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wide open game headed for the 90s
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
what else is new, right?
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup. I’m trying something new called UltraSurf. So far it’s working.
Thanks. :)
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Le coe flinched and passed
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Shall we start the Catch triple-double watch?
Behind in assists….but not impossible…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
Merc looking very frustrated....
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Maybe I haven't been watching the league long enough...
I’ve never seen Catch play this well…
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And Temeka wants January's by the looks of it from here...
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Temeka crowded her...
An elbow to the jaw is the consequence….
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good on temeka, at least she's fightin!
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions
fun stat
The Fever are 3-1 in this postseason when trailing at the half. The one loss came in Game 1 of this series.
Wow.. Taurasi's interview is great...
But no need for the subtle diss of soccer…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
Hmmm...
Fair enough… but not everyone will take it quite that way…
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Taurasi's fan moment at the 2008 Olympics was getting to meet a famous Argentian player.
She knows about kicking a ball. Should have seen her punt the basketball after winning the 2004 Championship.
I've seen her
punt a ball into the upper deck at US Airways after shoot around
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Hey guys!
Great game so far. I think the Mercury are in trouble though. They’re relying on their ability to outscore the Fever as opposed to preventing them from scoring.
Well, there's been some nice interior passing on their part as well..
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
It's worked all season long
but that’s b/c they’ve been able to wear teams out w/ the speed and then pull away late w/ a couple of minutes of intense D…
But in this series the longer time outs, a very fit Fever team, and Coach Dunn going deeper on her bench w/ Moore and Davenport has negated this
So far in this game all we know is that it’s another great game. I don’t think anything we’ve seen so far will matter except the potential foul trouble on DT
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
One big diff between 1st and 2nd quarter was oreb%...
Don’t have the second chance point stats… but would be interesting to see..
1st
Pho: 20%
Ind: 22%
2nd
Pho: 13%
Ind: 56%
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
Oh lord
I wish they’d stop with the Merc being 3-0 when facing elimination. The Fever are 2-0 when they can eliminate an opponent…
ESPN: creating the simplest narratives possible
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love the genius stats? =D
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Chippu?
Is that weird Indiana language? ;)
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Chippy sry typo
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Phx going under screens
love it…they can fall in love w/ switching and zones
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
No Swanier
at all tonight? Is she sick now or is Corey tightening the rotation?
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This should be a 7-game series.
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as great as this series
is I don’t like the 7 game series….too long
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Well... I like it for a finals series...
Less so for a first round…
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Yes...
Definitely…
It’s criminal to end this in 5…
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rooting for merc for just that reason, see it go 5
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Man...
That conjures up images of imperial walkers and ton-tons…
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not David Hasselhoff in swimming trunks?
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Thankfully, not :)
But I have this pathological infatuation with Star Wars… which is a problem…
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Who closes out this
quarter strongest should win the game
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Did Game 3 really decide the series?
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I will say this
I am rooting for Phx of course but I am in no way rooting against Indiana….they are a fantastic team
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
can't say I wouldn't love to be in the Indy locker room for their first chip
and yes, these girls are worthy
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I want a game 5
Regardless of my nominal Mercury alleigiance. I just want to watch another WNBA game before they call it a post-season.
There’s nothing like Chinese announcers to really bring the WNBA into perspective. :)
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Ohlde
is surprisingly mobile and she’s long…different look
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My dad had this crazy theory...
If there is a player who nobody is going to stop anyway, why waste a good defender on them?
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
If the Fever
go on a run and Gaines doesn’t call a time out, I might just….be mad about it
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Can't lie
Really wish Taylor could have dunked on that breakaway steal. Does that mean I hate the WNBA?
no
it just means you hate women which of course means you love men….not that there’s anything wrong w/ that
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It means they need to lower the hoops.
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[ (average height of women) / (average height of men) ] * 10 feet = height of hoop in the WNBA
That’d make it just as difficult for women to dunk, and it doesn’t even take into account a possible athletic difference. Doesn’t it make sense? I honestly wonder, and I’m not trying to put down the league – just make it fairer.
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I like it this way
someone had the idea of lowering the rim but that would suck…
oh and I thought I read somewhere that Angel McCoughtry can dunk and she’s 6’
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Yeah, well, there’s also Brittney Griner. But this just doesn’t seem fair to me.
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Maya Moore the college player of the year can legitimately dunk and she is 6'.
Everything has to be just right for 6’ foot women’s player to do it though.
nope... Hornacek almost never dunked either
lotsa players don’t dunk, and I wish JRich woouldnt
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I was just glad...
This didn’t happen – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8wHE6pR-m0&feature=fvw
http://seasonsofdiscontent.com/
is there no 3 second rule in the WNBA??
Davenport camped out in the paint
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They are putting heat on Taurasi's
back….going to have to ask about that
if there’s a game 5 that is
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Wow Davenport...
What have they done with her this year?
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Merc playing hard defense - not giving anything...
hope suns are watching this
Here in support of my friends.
How was that not a foul?
She threw Ohlde to the ground
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Agreed.
And I might be a little defensive about January. ;)
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this is no game for sissies
it aint your grandmas WNBA!
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Is that because...
My grandma’s WNBA was a 3 on 3 half court game played in a smock?
http://seasonsofdiscontent.com/
Great assist from TJ to Cappie wide open 3
then Janaury froze over to close the 3rd
Here in support of my friends.
My daughter
is now chanting “defense!” along w/ the TV.
It is so cute that I don’t mind she’s cheering the Fever
She just turned 3 and loves going to games
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raising her right!!!
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions
She knows the players
names and everything…Meeka, Cappie, ’Wanna, Penny….and Diana of course.
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Try to get her to shout “offense” instead if you want her to grow up a Suns fan. :P
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What a great pass for that three. Who was that? I can’t tell in my tiny window.
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Temeka Johnson, Merc PG drew the defense then kicked
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
and yea she tiny little tank
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
She's tough
she’s also just a fantastic person and a natural leader…she’s got future coach written all over her
I love the way Meek plays the game. I just wish she wasn’t 5’3"
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Oreb % in qtr 3
Pho: 25%
Ind: 13%
If Phoenix can continue do alright on the glass, they will win this game
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fun stat
Fever are 3-1 this postseason when trailing at the end of three quarters.
Merc are 3-0 when leading at the end of three.
The Merc
are also 5-0 when leading at the end of the 4th Qtr in the post season. Fact.
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She can do anything
on the basketball floor…anything
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
That has been more than apparent
Since I started watching these games in the last week.
http://seasonsofdiscontent.com/
Her
defense has really picked up in the last few weeks too. When she first came back she was picking up fouls b/c she was too slow but she’s doing a great job staying in front of her (wo)man
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
i'm sure she can do anything a lotta places!
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, that pause between the title and the comment was almost a bait. :)
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catch has had a number of bad passes tonight
she won’t be getting an Assist to TO trophy for tonight
Here in support of my friends.
So normally
Bonner would come in and close out the game….not seeing that happen tonight
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The Merc need to take care of the ball, dammit.
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beautiful
The WNBA
Bringing Suns and Spurs fans together. World Peace up next.
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, well. At this point I’m just rooting for the series to make 5 games.
And because I want Stan to have something to smile about. :P
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was in response to a play
as if, Penny was saying…
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I mean Tangela
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by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Can't say I agree with that three point attempt
Going for the dagger.
http://seasonsofdiscontent.com/
The Fever are turning
down wide open three’s and the Merc are packing it in
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something about being 1 for 13 from 3....
will do that
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I swear that
woman served me sloppy joes and cold french fries about 25 years ago
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Pretty sure her twin brother...
was serving me up square burgers at competitive fast food prices.
http://seasonsofdiscontent.com/
Sry Q, I can't ask January about changing her name
she’s shooting cold as….
Here in support of my friends.
Yeah...
this is what happens when you try to rename people after 8 games…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
good she had a bun to cushion it
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:37 PM EDT up reply actions
just to correct that
Coe doesn’t have a bun…she’s got more of a mini-pony
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
only her hairdresser knows for sure!
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh know
I know! All season long she had the longer pony tail going and about two weeks ago she cut it to about shoulder legnth
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Dude, you're on a roll tonight....
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
Phoenix doesn't need to just run clock...
But they need to be a bit more patient and not force shots…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
that
is exactly what they are doing….of course right now the Fever can’t buy a basket
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Catch has been contained in the second half...
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
everything shut down when Fever cant hit open shots
would happen to any team, I think
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions
So the age old question
Did the Mercury win this game or did the Fever lose it
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Mercury won
Good defense second half.
That rover is tough to play against… and they rotated really well.
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
I've seen that
zone get totally picked apart by teams that can move the ball well…The Storm for example just tore though it by being patient and taking advantage of mismatches
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Very true...
and it seems like one of the big differences between this year and last is that they switch it up… they don’t rely on it quite as much… and as one tactic of many, it works well…
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
It's worked better then
it should against the Fever…it was also very effective against LA. Both teams don’t seem to move the ball well and execute on the offensive end
Like I always say, Offense Wins Championships
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
40 Personal fouls this game
both – Fever couldnt hit, Merc did
Here in support of my friends.
by Malcolm Wells on Oct 7, 2009 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Look forward to the recap!
SwishAppeal.com, women's basketball...covered SBN-style... twitter: @qmccall3
I don't know
I just don’t think you can wait until your back is against the wall to play hard for a full game….I just can’t get behind that
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
but I am thrilled
that there will be another game in Phx!
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @phoenixstan
Stock phrase #113: This series is now Phoenix’s to lose.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
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