Game Thread: Tulsa (4-20) hopes to 'Shock' Silver Stars (9-15) - again
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 6:30 PM EDT
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Who: Tulsa Shock host the San Antonio Silver Stars on Breast Cancer Awareness Night
What: Last time these two met in San Antonio, Tulsa snapped a 12-game losing streak and grabbed the 75-70 road win. The Silver Stars currently lead the season series 2-1, with another meeting slated in San Antonio on August 13th.
When: 7:00 p.m. cst
Where: BOK Center - Tulsa, OK || TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, NBA TV || online: LiveAccess
The Story: WNBA.com preview
Rather than the same ol' story of Tulsa needs a victory, I'm going with the story of former Silver Star player Shanna Crossley - a.k.a. "Layup".
Crossley had to sit out a stretch of games at the end of June due to a staph infection in her leg and had been struggling with her shot since coming back. However, the last two games against Seattle and Atlanta have seen her find her shot again (8-of-14 from 3-point range).
Here's her explanation on getting that much needed for the Tulsa offense shot back:
"When you're out for a couple of weeks with a stinkin' infection, it takes more than a couple of games to get not only your wind back, but also to kind of get back in rhythm. I think it came back in the Seattle game and hopefully I can just keep it going from here on out because that's the strength of my game and that's something this team definitely needs so I've got to continue to do that. Hopefully, everything's behind me and the rhythm's back and good to go."
When chatting after the last home loss for the Shock, she said this of her former team:
"Always enjoy that, always enjoy former teams. I love the girls like sisters still, love the coaching staff. It's always fun to play against them because I know them inside out which is good from a scouting perspective. It's just fun to play on the court with them as well. Joke around, grab them, hold them – it's just fun."
Maybe her scouting skills and Layup's killer outside shot will lead to the Tulsa W...
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Starting Lineups
For the visiting San Antonio Silver Stars:
G Roneekaa Hodges
G Becky Hammon
F Chamique Holdsclaw
F Sophia Young
C Michelle Snow
For the Tulsa Shock:
G Shanna Crossley
G Scholanda Robinson
G Ivory Latta
F Tiffany Jackson
C Nicole Ohlde
Officials: Kurt Walker, Tony Dawkins, Brenda Pantoja
New lineup for Tulsa!
If you’re keeping count (and the lineup stays as it’s been told to media), this will be starting lineup #14. Noticeably missing from the starting five is Chante Black, who’s started all but two games this season. She’s been struggling of late, but this being Ohlde’s third game with the team makes this change a bit more surprising (at least to me).
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Pink unis
Have to say I like em a ton better than the usual home unis for the Shock. I’m a fan of the roadies and think we should wear the blacks every game.
Ivory Latta with a triple!
Shock playing aggressive ball, forcing 3 early turnovers for San Antonio…
Whoa!
11-4!!! I’ll attribute that to budding superstar Nicole Ohlde!! ;)
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
I don't care...
…what it’s attributed to, but this is a GREAT way to start!
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions
lol
Well there’s the confounding variable of the pink unis too anyway ;)
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
5:57, 1st quarter; Tulsa 11, SASS 4
Both teams shooting 50%, but SASS has five turnovers resulting in 9 points already…
Pardeep is right...
Nicoooooooole Oooohldeeee is a great basketball name for the PA announcer – she’s got a basket and three boards in her first start with Tulsa
Defensive hustle by Shanna
She gets all ball on the coast to coast play for SASS and manages to make the ball go off a San Antonio player to give the ball back to Tulsa.
for defense not being her forte, I’d say that was a damn nice play for her…
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Helen Darling helped to the sidelines
after she took a tumble on the Lacy charge…will keep you updated if I hear anything about her status…
End of 1st quarter; Tulsa 18, SASS 18
Couple of stats jump out early -
San Antonio already has 9 turnovers to Tulsa’s 3
San Antonio leading the battle of the boards 13 to 6 – yikes for Tulsa
Tulsa shooting just 35%, but had 4 more opportunities than the Silver Stars
SASS leading scorer: Edwige Lawson-Wade (7 pts)
Tulsa leading scorer: Tiffany Jackson (6 pts)
5:54, 2nd quarter; Tulsa 26, SASS 30
Tulsa still shooting not so marvelously (43.5%) and have now closed the turnover gap – 9 for San Antonio and 6 for Tulsa…
Ivory Latta in the ref's ear
After they say Ohlde had a shot to the head on Snow. We’re guessing the convo was something like, "uhhh….she’d know if she got hit in the head by Nicole…as she laughs and gives him hell.
Now Nolan...
telling him how horrible that call was – he got a warning from Kurt Walker on that one…
Interesting game so far.
I’m definitely rooting for the Shock to win this one. I remember how bad it was during that 2008 Dream season. Shock are still in this one.
Uniformly Difficult
Silver uniforms of silver stars contrasting with light pink of the Shock. Hard on the eyes.
Oh yeah?
I’m kinda digging it! But I’m also not a fan of our usual home unis, either!
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions
At least it's a change up...
…from the blue that seems to dominate the WNBA. I think the Shock should use a little more black in the home uni.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd love it if...
They could wear the road blacks all the time…
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I was thinking the same thing, but the joke would be that the Shock are in mourning.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Another three for Latta!
Getting kinda fun in here, the ladies really seem to be pumped for this one
Not exactly a solid way to end the half… 8-0 run. Eeek
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions
How's it looking?
I thought it was good…
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Richardson: “The last four or five minutes haven’t been very good….all in all, we’ve just got to hang in there and see what we can do the 2nd half.”
Betcha he’s holding his breath for the typical 3rd quarter meltdown that’s plagued the team every game but a couple…
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Interview with Brown…she’s talking about how the jelling in the locker room is going well because the players are vets and they’ve scouted each other in the past. “We all come from teams where we were very strong role players.”
Echoing what I've heard from others...
…I think the new roster is a lot stronger in the locker room now…
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know if the changes have been a great idea, but at least Richardson’s players can now all say that they were picked by him.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not saying the moves have necessarily been great, but I do think there’s less hostility and more unity throughout now…
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions
The Dangers of Twitter
I can’t believe that Kara Braxton actually Twitted that about the “D-Girls”. There’s something to be said for not saying what’s on your mind.
Yep. That's kinda what I thought...
…though her comments to Seth at SBN Arizona were a bit more surprising to me….
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Traded away all the star players? Hmmm
http://arizona.sbnation.com/2010/7/29/1594863/kara-braxton-phoenix-mercury-minnesota-lynx
“How do I say this,” Braxton said. “I don’t want to say anything too bad. I just think it was a lack of knowing players and knowing how the WNBA works. I think after this year underneath his belt he’ll do a lot better with recruiting and coaching.”
But she also made it clear that Nolan Richardson has only himself to blame for creating an expansion-team type situation out of the Shock roster he inherited, “He traded away all his star players.”
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I remember reading that. Part of it wasn’t trading away though. Katie Smith and Deanna Nolan wouldn’t play for Tulsa, so there.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Nolan has been talking about Deanna recently
…about still having her rights. I wonder what will happen with all that. Any thoughts petrel?
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Odds are, he’ll trade the rights. The rights are still worth having. We picked up the rights to Holdsclaw from LA way back when.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions
…and Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Cheryl Ford, and Nikki Teasley didn’t show up either..
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Latta's feeling it from long range
She’s 3-of-3 after sinking another one. She did this little ‘whistle’ to get the ball…
Ah, but the more the third quarter curse is discussed, the tougher it becomes to beat. :D
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
The saga appears to be continuing...
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Whoa...
Is USun healthy?
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
or present?
Was someone kidnapped?
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Looks like turnovers killed Conn as well...
yikes…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Tulsa hanging around.
And Tulsa has beaten the SASS before, so Tulsa knows that the opponent isn’t invulnerable.
Another plus for Ohlde
She can actually hit free throws (5-of-6 tonight) – unlike Black…who’s sitting at 37% for the season
Before this game, she was exactly .500 for her career.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
2:49, 3rd quarter; Tulsa 54, SASS 65
Still sticking around despite shooting less than 40% in the game vs. 66.7% for the Silver Stars…
End of 3rd quarter; Tulsa 63, SASS 71
Nice layup by Amber Holt with just a couple seconds left in the quarter, then she gets called for a random foul that I’m still trying to figure out.
All in all, not too bad 3rd quarter for the Shock after all!
Game leaders: Tulsa – Ivory Latta – 17 points, Scholanda Robinson – 13 points, TJ and Ohlde both with 5 boards, Kiesha Brown – 3 assists
San Antonio – Becky Hammon – 15 points, 4 others in double-digits, Michelle Snow 6 rebounds, 3 with 3 assists each
Hello drum line! Welcome to loudsville.
"All in all, not too bad 3rd quarter for the Shock after all!"
Woo-hoo!
Curse be gone!!
So Loud City is gender segregated? ;)
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Ha. Oooooops
“Welcome to the Ladies’ Loud City”? Haha
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions
The Golden State Warriors's announcer Bob Fitzgerald can find the moral victory in a 10-2 run...
…at the end of a 25 point loss. He’s a master of morality.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
It’s like that saying: “They’re great competitors. They competit very well, they just can’t play basketball.”
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions
That PERFECTLY sums up the Warriors!
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
5:51, 4th quarter; Tulsa 73, SASS 82
Not too much time left, but I’m holding out hope. Not only is the Shock playing against the Silver Stars, but the refs seem to have a secret desire to see Tulsa lose as well (at least that’s what the crowd is thinking. lol).
This game isn’t anywhere near over yet. Tuesday: “Retro Back to School”. They’re lowering the price of beer to 1/2 price. I hope it isn’t like Disco Demolition Night was in Chicago.
Here?
I should be a spectator then! LOL
Oh wait, I will be – watching the Seattle show in full effect.
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Well... if you can get the Storm players to participate in that beer promotion...
;)
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
HAHA!
Someone just said, they should have done half price beer when we played Phoenix in honor of Taurasi. Wow, that’s harsh!
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions
It could have been “Don’t Drink and Drive” night. :D
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
So wrong… so very very wrong…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
3:28, 4th quarter; Tulsa 75, SASS 91
What was a pretty close game has blossomed to a 16 point game. Again. That’s the final margin for the last two Tulsa losses too. :(
I hate games like that. Make us look like chumps. But I thought generally speaking we played pretty well. Dang.
by Jessica Lantz on Jul 30, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
FINAL; Tulsa 85, SASS 101
What was a close game to start the 4th became another 16-point loss, their third in a row.
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