Storm vs. Sky: Where revenge is sweet in Fortress KeyArena
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 9:13 PM EDT
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PrintWho: Seattle Storm (21-2) vs. Chicago Sky (12-13)
Where: KeyArena, Seattle, WA | Local TV: KOMO 6/16 | WNBA LiveAccess | Radio: KKNW
What: The Sky's first and only regular season visit to KeyArena this season after handing the Storm their first loss of the season.
When: 7 pm PST
The Story:
SBN Seattle Storystream: Storm Off To Best Start In Seattle Sports History At 22-2 With 80-60 Win
Pre-game notes after the jump, join us in the comments for our running account of the action.
Pre-game notes:
Storm coach Brian Agler:
- Despite what we might assume, Agler says there's no feeling of additional significance to this game due to the Sky's early season win over the Storm.
- He complimented Sue Bird for being much more vocal this season than usual, but also credited Swin Cash, Tanisha Wright, and Lauren Jackson (when she just gets sick of the way things are going)
- On their first performance: "How we played there was unacceptable," said Agler. "We were passive." He attributed the Storm's passivity to why the Sky were able to do what they wanted to do.
- Interesting comparison for Epiphanny Prince: Cappie Pondexter, just in the way she gets to the rim and finds driving lanes so well.
Sky coach Steven Key:
- On their early-season win against the Storm: their backs were against the wall at 0-4 while the Storm were 4-0 and they showing that they were hungry.
- On whether they've had the Storm's number, beating them multiple times in a row: "Does anybody have anybody's number?" He just said it was different circumstances each time that led to victory, rather than a pattern of having something on the Storm.
- In order to get to the playoffs: "We're going to have to be more consistent on defense."
- On Epiphanny Prince: "I never thought of her as a rookie," said Key. "She came in confident because of her scoring prowess."
- On Sylvia Fowles' season: it's a matter of her coming in confident and healthy for the first time.
- On whether the Sky need a true point guard: He first asked if I was offering him Sue Bird to which I suggested that I could speak to Agler about it. But jokes aside, "What's a true point guard? Last time I checked, a point guard is someone who gets the team into the offense and does so in a timely fashion."
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Sylvia Fowles is FEELING this Luda song "all i do is win win win all the ime"
Not nearly as much as Scholanda Robinson of the Tulsa Shock… but when she stopped dead in her tracks in the layup line when they said hands go up… lol
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First play...
Fowles straight to the hole right baseline on Little…
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4:44 left in the 1st Storm 12 Sky 6
Early on Sky fans certainly can’t complain that Fowles isn’t getting touches — the Sky are getting it to her on every single possession or at least looking for her.
As Cash described in practice yesterday, they’re showing a variety of traps and doubles with a variety of players to “keep question marks in her head”. Fowles is definitely able to pass over the top of most of the outstretched arms, but you can see that “split second of hesitation” that Cash said they wanted.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Kraayveld checking in...
Looking to spread the court a little – the Storm defenders are packing 2-3 defenders in on Fowles…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
1:15 left in 1st Storm 21 Sky 9
The Sky are getting the ball to Fowles, the Storm are coming fast from a variety of directions, and right now when Fowles kicks out to shooters they simply aren’t knocking down jumpers.
A lot of that is that the Storm have been rotating quickly and forcing off-balance jumpers, but certainly not jumpers the athletic Sky guards can’t make.
Key has inserted his 3 point shooters Thorn and Kraayeveld into the game now to spread the floor…
And Agler has put in Ashley Robinson…
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End 1: Storm 27 Sky 13
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Forget the Sky's 3 point shooting...
…the Storm came out hot from beyond the arc hitting 4-7 from three point land…
Although the Sky are getting to the line well, 1 point shots don’t beat a barrage of 3 point shots…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
LJ comes back in for Robinson...
Agler gave ARob nearly 4 minutes of rest…
And the Storm still have a 17 point lead… huge for the Storm…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Fowles came out..
And to paraphrase for a family audience, loudly suggested that her team is playing very scared.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Yeah he was asked about that before the game...
He said it was a matter of comfort… but didn’t drop hints he’d be doing it again tonight…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Had planned of wrapping it up for the night…then I found out this game was on NBA TV.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions
5:26 left in 2nd Storm 39 Sky 19
One Sky fans im’d me:
“Wow.”
I don’t think anybody expected this….
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
I’m suspecting the Storm are just playing against history now.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions
They all insist they want to lock up home court throughout the playoffs,
which means a few more games to get ahead of east opponents
At some point, they’ll have to confess the history part…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah -
Outstanding crowd… the city is really rallying around the team…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
beautiful basketballl..
Absolutely beautiful…
Assisted field goals aren’t necessary, I’m just partial to it.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions
2:56 left in 2nd: Storm 46-26
If I had to guess..
I’d suggest that Agler is not happy with the penetration down the lane…
Rather than staying stationary after giving the ball to the Fowles, the guards are cutting to the basket and beating the Storm for layups. As thought that weren’t enough, Canty just got an offensive rebound and putback after her last miss…
I’m sure they are hearing about this in the huddle.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
I'll have to check.. don't want to spread misinformation....
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Crowd giving her encouragement after getting taken by Fowles...
“YOU ROCK ASHLEY!!!”
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 10:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Halftime: Storm 55 Sky 31
Well…
Hmmm…
For all the talk about the Sky’s 3 pt shooting…. the Storm have made 8-14 from three point land…
I’m not sure there’s a way to beat them when they do that, especially when LJ is basically scoring at will on those little short turnaround jumpers…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Women of Inspiration night...
Kim Bogucki of the If Project, a program I quite admire, was just honored.
For more on the project, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7lAPWdnXrw
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Reading about this....
…definitely an interesting project.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Again through the first half...
It’s the Storm’s scorching hot shooting that is leading the way…
The franchise record for 3s is 14 in the triple overtime game against the Sparks last year…
They have 8 at halftime tonight.
With 58.33% 2pt shooting and a ridiculous assisted field goal percentage of 86.36 — 10 of their 11 field goals in the 2nd qtr were assisted — the Storm are playing some of the most efficient offensive basketball they’ve played all season.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
My wife:
“3 of 6…4 of 5…the way the announcers are talking, I thought they were talking about the Borg.”
According to the announcers, Epipphany Prince was great in the first game at Chicago; at this one she just has 3 points and 5 minutes of play.
She was further up the rotation back then
Now? Kinda stuck behind Erin Thorn and Shay Murphy. I suspect she would get more minutes with the starters if she was actually a PG.
by just checkin on Jul 30, 2010 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions
And when she does...
…she’ll show you yet!!! :)
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Murphy's wrist looks fine to me
so what really happened in Indy?
what is she preaching? :)
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Completely forgot!
But she stood high on that soap box and delivered!
by just checkin on Jul 30, 2010 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions
How would you say they compare to Kraayveld's?
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Wright’s clearly have more character than Kraayevelds, but Kraayeveld’s have more character than Le’coe Willinghams.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
We need to develop a metric for this...
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
4:59 left in 3rd Storm 60 Sky 37
The teams have played pretty much even to start the third and as a Sky fan has kindly reminded me, the Storm had a huge comeback on Tuesday night so nothing is for certain…
So far turnovers have plagued the Storm, with two travels early on from Cash and LJ…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
And then a shot clock violation
We can conclude that the Sky have come up with a bit more defensive intensity and better rotations…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
and again the clock is down to 4 with the ball out of bounds…
But LJ with the nice layup
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I didn't see a foul there...
Can someone at home help me?
But in any event – again, contested shot (airball) and again shot clock running down…
The defense is better…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Yes
Do you have a question?
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions
End 3 Storm 72 Sky 49
Well, the Sky actually played even with the Storm that quarter for the most part, with much stronger defense and starting to find the three point line rather than taking quick long 2s.
That they improved their performance with Bird out for a stretch and didn’t make a dent has to be a little disappointing…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Yes, and we all better get them fast!
because Dick Fain said so.
by just checkin on Jul 30, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
They have an advanced sell thing going ...
You can find it via StormTracker
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Funny Story
I had a telephone interview this week for Regence in Seattle. Unfortunately, they passed me up. I might have ended up at that game?!
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions
That woulda been fun!
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, we were trying to figure out how we were going to get out cars to Seattle. It was a second interview. C’est la vie.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
5:39 left in 4th Storm 78 Sky 54
The score hasn’t changed much, but the Sky are playing better this half.
A large part of it in the 3rd quarter was free throw shooting — they got to the line 10 times. However, they failed to take full advantage missing 5…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
This is almost the time when you should be heading to the locker room. Ain’t much left to see.
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions
There's always a chance we'll get to see Lacey.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
by Nate Parham on Jul 30, 2010 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Like one of those rare Brittainey Raven sightings, only better. BTW, Raven scored two points in the Dream’s victory over the Sun. :D
by James Bowman on Jul 30, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Wright's J over Kraayveld was just mean...
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
That's it for me.
The Storm keeps on rolling, rolling rolling along. Until they get to Atlanta. :D Good night.
Meh
We’ll probably have home field advantage wrapped up by then, so we can just gleefully tank the rest of the season.
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
If you know coach Agler...
…there shall be none of that tanking talk round here…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
You figure at some point he'll have to just sit these players...
But as of right now, there’s nothing he’s said or done in the past that would suggest it…
Will be interesting to see how it plays out in this type of situation..
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
uh.......
Please don’t be like Mike D’Antoni, who always plays the same 4 guys to death in every game even when the outcome has been decided early no matter how desperate for bodies he is.
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
Well, even tonight you saw that he rested Jackson and Bird for long stretches...
So rest will come…
Sitting players out seems to me to be a line he’s not willing to cross…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Final: Storm 80 Sky 60
A reader just came by and asked if I’d run out of words… the answer is yes….
Off to the locker room to find some…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
AH HA HA HA HA
I was at the game, banging my thunderstix the whole time.
I cannot believe we lost to this team earlier in the season. We made them look like a joke tonight. They led for maybe 15 seconds all game long (when it was 1-0) and for the first half, they had no answer for our air attack (8/14 from 3 point land, 1/5 for them) or our ball movement (19 assists for us, 4 for them). The second half was just a Seattle-sized party. We led by at least 20 the rest of the way.
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
Defensive rotations, FTW
http://seattle.sbnation.com/2010/7/30/1597934/rotating-storm-defense-stifles
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
I can't believe there's tabs for the Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders, College
But no Storm. WTF. And why is the front page story about Seahawks training camp?
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
*Sigh*
Traffic is driving the decisions on that site… so flood it with Storm traffic and it’ll be easier to make that case… :)
The tab reasoning is that the Storm really only play 3-4 months of the year… the tab would be quite dead for the other 2/3…
How many Storm games have you been to this year?
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
Tonight was my first one ever
I can’t go to playoff games because of college
I'm a diehard Cavs fan, proud to say I never owned a LeBron jersey.
Ah!
Well then, good first game to check out!
Hopefully you’ll be able to make a few more!
I didn’t get to go to many Sonics games when they were good, but more than one person has told me the atmosphere for Storm games is as good or better…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @QMcCall3.
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