Swish Appeal: All Posts by Brittanie FowlerBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2017-06-17T13:00:02-04:00https://www.swishappeal.com/authors/brittanie-fowler/rss2017-06-17T13:00:02-04:002017-06-17T13:00:02-04:00VIDEO: Pokey Chatman opens up
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<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>After getting fired unexpectedly from Chicago, Pokey Chatman returns with her new team tomorrow. Hear her thoughts on Chicago, Indiana and much more in our exclusive interview. </p> <p id="cnL78p">Tomorrow will be the first game Pokey Chatman had coached back in the place, that she called home for many years: Chicago. During NBA All-Star weekend, we sat down with the Indiana Fever head coach to discuss many things, including getting fired — and she didn’t hold back. </p>
<p id="mgN97g">Special thanks to Besh Steak in New Orleans. </p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2017/6/17/15367250/exclusive-chicago-firing-chatman-sounds-off-wnbaBrittanie Fowler2016-12-11T21:34:30-05:002016-12-11T21:34:30-05:00Epic afternoon from beyond the arc for Colorado State
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<figcaption>Javon Harris - Colorado State</figcaption>
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<p>A program record of 20 three-pointers lifted the Colorado State Rams past yet another team in Moby Arena. Callie Kaiser and Hannah Tvrdy combined for 37 points in the Ram’s 96-31 win over New Mexico Highlands</p> <p id="1IQ1Ge"><strong>Fort Collins, CO.</strong> — It was a record-breaking afternoon (Dec. 11) at Moby Arena for Colorado State against New Mexico Highlands University. Callie Kaiser set a new career-high in points with 20, followed by a record-breaking 20 three-pointers, to continue its 21 consecutive home game win streak dating back to last season.</p>
<p id="eWpa1o">Behind Kaiser’s and the rest of the team’s prolific afternoon of shooting, in addition to 17 points from Hannah Tvrdy, the Rams move to 6-4 as they cruised past New Mexico Highlands by a final score of 96-31.</p>
<p id="HDqwPF">The first quarter started out as expected. The Rams got off to its usual head start, breezing past the Cowgirls with a 10-point lead. It wasn’t until there was 5:36 left on the clock in the first period that the NMHU managed to score its first basket. </p>
<p id="A3OntD">Surprisingly, this gave New Mexico Highlands the little bit of spark it needed to score six more points in the next 90 seconds of play. However, the Cowgirls only managed to score three more points the rest of the quarter while Colorado State’s Stine Austgulen and Tvrdy went on a three-point spree to end the first quarter with a 12-point lead, 23-11.</p>
<p id="tVAzd2">The second quarter was also raining three’s as the Rams were on fire from beyond the arc. It was deja vu as the Cowgirls were held to zero points almost the entire second quarter until NMHU managed to score one lonesome basket with 1:03 left in the half.</p>
<p id="xhyIcw">Colorado State’s Tvrdy led her team in the second quarter with three of the team’s seven three-pointers. She and Kaiser both led the team with 15 and 12 points respectively to close out the first half with a 38-point lead over the Cowgirls. </p>
<p id="03is40">NMHU struggled the entire first half even to get a shot up before the shot clock ran out. The Rams just appeared to be bigger, stronger and overall a better basketball team. Or maybe the Rams just have one of the best home-court advantages in the country?</p>
<p id="mTfGPV">With a consecutive home win-streak such as this, people would think this team was undefeated. But they are far from it, sitting at 6-4.</p>
<p id="ZhQLnB">The Cowgirls resorted to a player-to-player defense in the third quarter, but the Rams were too quick and continued to run up the scoreboard. Tvrdy and Kaiser continued to be the outliers, both tying their career highs with 17 points in the third. The Ram’s held a healthy 46-point lead over the Cowgirls going into the final quarter, 70-24.</p>
<p id="WYzSkq">Trying to mix things up, NMHU went back to a zone defense, hoping maybe that would rattle the Ram’s offense. However, no matter what the Cowgirls did, nothing could stop them. Colorado State was on a mission, and they didn’t let up. The Ram’s closed out the game with its 21<sup>st</sup> consecutive home win as they sent the Cowgirls packing, 96-31.</p>
<p id="g67H9i">The 6-4 Rams will face off against Seattle University as they look to continue its home game win streak at Moby Arena on Dec. 18.</p>
<p id="8PkSfK">Overall, Colorado State head coach Ryun Williams was very pleased with his team’s performance.</p>
<p id="2Zmji8">“We shot the ball extremely well tonight. We played together and with really good energy, and we had that ready mentality. We were ready to play. We were ready to guard. We were ready to shoot. A really good team win.”</p>
<p id="HqYpBI">Sophomore guard/forward Callie Kaiser talked about how getting more playing time gave her the confidence to have her record-breaking night.</p>
<p id="7J6tvf">“I do feel more comfortable. I am just trying to do what I can to help the team.”</p>
<p id="wKGnQe">Kaiser’s partner in crime this afternoon, Hannah Tvrdy, said that the team just really came together today.</p>
<p id="pbXOMf">“Once shots were falling, we were really hyped for each other. I think that kind of just spread throughout the entire team. We fed off of each other.”</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2016/12/11/13915482/colorado-state-20-three-pointersBrittanie Fowler2016-12-09T02:09:04-05:002016-12-09T02:09:04-05:00Perfection continues for Colorado
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<figcaption>Cliff Grassmick - Colorado</figcaption>
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<p>In tonight’s (Dec. 8) win over Colorado State, Colorado remains one of not many undefeated programs at 9-0. Behind a career night from Kennedy Leonard who hit seven three-pointers, the Buffs are more confident than ever after only winning seven total games last season.</p> <p id="gPUXqv"><strong>Boulder, CO — </strong>The No. 18 University of Colorado Buffaloes remain undefeated at 9-0 as it powered past its in-state rival the Colorado State Rams by a final score of 74-56. Colorado’s Kennedy Leonard rattled in 31 points—off a career-best seven three-pointers and then some—to help propel the Buffaloes to a 9-0 start to the year.</p>
<p id="J9yMLm">Colorado got off to a cold start in the first quarter as the Rams were able to jump out to a 6-0 lead. But as the game went on, both teams picked up the slack and kept the game neck and neck up until the fourth quarter when Colorado showed their dominance that ultimately sent the Rams packing with an 18-point loss.</p>
<p id="ZanXVz">The Rams, now sitting at 5-4, are used to getting a quick head start, which is exactly what happened at Coors Event Center this evening. The Buffaloes were not on their game, which is unlike them considering the competition they’re used to playing. It wasn’t until Leonard hit two from the line to put Colorado on the board.</p>
<p id="TVUlLc">For those that weren’t at Coors Event Center tonight, you probably would have thought that Leonard was the only Buffalo playing. Trailing Colorado State 7-5, Leonard was the only Buff to score at that point in the first quarter, but Alexis Robinson quickly stepped up for two and tied the game up 7-7.</p>
<p id="R43eOK">However, Colorado State was on a roll of its own. With the score 25-21 with the Buffs on top at the end of the first quarter, the Rams still recorded one of the highest-scoring quarters of the 2016-17 season. Colorado State’s Ellen Gustavsson led the Rams with 10 of the teams 21 points in the first period.</p>
<p id="zIA6ra">And for the second quarter? It was not much different. Monica Burich kicked things off with a three to give Colorado a seven-point lead in the second quarter. The lead extended from seven...to nine...and then Colorado State made some moves.</p>
<p id="bC5ygL">The Rams began to close in on the Buffaloes’ lead and cut it down to as little as three points. However, whatever momentum they gained, they lost quickly as Colorado gave themselves a healthy lead going into the half, 43-36.</p>
<p id="t4rSCL">Leonard decided she still wasn’t done yet, and sank yet another three-pointer to open up the second half. At the third quarter media timeout, Colorado led Colorado State by 12 and Leonard led her team with an impressive 24 points. The Buffaloes closed out the third quarter, on top yet again, 57-45.</p>
<p id="wA4xin">If anyone thought things would get better for the Rams from here, they would be mistaken. Leonard closed out the game with a career-high seven made three-pointers, and Colorado walked away with a win this time.</p>
<p id="RuWG0H">The Buffaloes will travel to Mississippi next to face Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 17 as they continue their undefeated season.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/12/9/13896084/leonard-colorado-crushes-colorado-stateBrittanie Fowler2016-11-18T18:04:50-05:002016-11-18T18:04:50-05:00Double overtime thriller
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<figcaption>Rob Trubia - Northern Colorado</figcaption>
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<p>Bank of Colorado Arena was bumpin’ this afternoon as Northern Colorado captured a thrilling 77-74 double overtime victory over Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles overcame a 10-point first quarter deficit, but the Bears finished on top.</p> <p id="pntvKm"><strong>Greeley, CO —</strong> The University of Northern Colorado welcomed Florida Gulf Coast University to Bank of Colorado Arena today, Nov. 18, as the Bears walked away with a double-overtime win by a final score of 77-74.</p>
<p id="sA1vAN">Sophomore Courtney Smith said they weren’t going to accept losing.</p>
<p id="R5XFCf">“It was just not an option for us to lose tonight. We knew this win would be important for us as a team and the program."</p>
<p id="2LcjHF">Bank of Colorado Arena was electric as several surrounding schools came to cheer on Northern Colorado, which is exactly what this team needed to propel themselves past the Eagles.</p>
<p id="wWmLnU">Two very evenly-matched teams took to the court to add another ‘W’ to the books, but the Bears definitely had their home crowd advantage today. Every basket, every steal, and every rebound for Northern Colorado resulted in an eruption of cheers from its young and energetic crowd.</p>
<p id="VjeVuv">The Bears managed to rack up 15 points on the Eagles in the first quarter while only giving up a mere five points. What really got the crowd and Northern Colorado’s squad going was Katie Longwell’s three-point shot at the buzzer to send her team into the second quarter with a little more pep in their step.</p>
<p id="gnV9fe">Northern Colorado rolled into the second quarter with a loud crowd and a comforting 10-point lead, but that momentum slowed down after FGCU’s Haley Laughter went down with an ankle injury to take her out of the game. The Eagles went from being 10 points behind to tying the score 22-22.</p>
<p id="4ADx2Q">Florida Gulf Coast was very much back in the game, but the Bears managed to hold a one-point lead to close out the first half, 26-25. The Bears were led in the first half by Longwell, Savannah Smith, and Courtney Smith with eight, seven, and six points, respectively. Taylor Gradinjan sparked FGCU’s comeback with seven points, followed by Erica Nelson’s four points in the first half.</p>
<p id="SvEIJg">The Bears managed to score a quick 10 points to start the second half. And while the Eagles capitalized on some of the Bears’ mistakes, Northern Colorado still held a seven-point lead going into the final quarter. With a crowd like that, how could they not?</p>
<p id="l0WFdf">The game started to get physical in the fourth quarter, and the fouls started adding up. Emotions were building, and fans were on the edge of their seats. </p>
<p id="gyDscc">With 7:30 left in the fourth quarter, the game was back to a one-point lead in favor of the Bears. However, Northern Colorado’s Savannah Smith stepped up with 5:30 left in regulation and hit a three-point shot to extend the team's lead to four.</p>
<p id="QJllmi">Just like that, FGCU’s Tytionia Adderly came back with a three-point shot followed by a layup to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, 50-49. The once deflated Eagles came back to life as Northern Colorado went into panic mode. </p>
<p id="YtHTJJ">Shots were falling for both teams as the game winded down. The last minute of regulation was a nail-biter, and at this point, the outcome was unpredictable. With 0.7 seconds left on the clock, Northern Colorado’s Krysta Leger-Walker hit a three-pointer to send the game into overtime.</p>
<p id="QLOOgy">Emotions were flying — and so was just about everything else. With the scored knotted back up yet again 65-65, the two teams headed into double overtime. </p>
<p id="FXfTU9">Finally, after an extra 10 minutes of play, Northern Colorado used its home court advantage to walk away with the win and send FGCU packing. But if the Bears have anyone to thank, it would be the 2,100 kids that screamed the roof off Bank of Colorado Arena.</p>
<p id="g6HiK6">“What a great environment and atmosphere we played in today,” said Northern Colorado coach Kamie Ethridge. “I felt really good about this team going into today and feel that way after too. I just have the feeling like we are on the verge of something here and today showed it."</p>
<p id="ixnadM">Northern Colorado improved its record to 2-1 while the FGCU Eagles fall to 2-2 on the season. The Bears are scheduled to play again this Sunday, Nov. 20, at Bank of Colorado Arena against San Diego at 12 p.m. MT.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/11/18/13671122/northern-colorado-fgcu-mid-major-double-otBrittanie Fowler2016-11-12T14:41:27-05:002016-11-12T14:41:27-05:00Colorado State extends home game streak
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<figcaption>Courtesy of Colorado State Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>In its first round of the Preseason WNIT, the Colorado State Rams made sure they advanced in the tournament by blowing past the Omaha Mavericks. </p> <p id="iCsYyz"><strong>Fort Collins, CO — </strong>The Colorado State Rams beat the Omaha Mavericks Friday evening, 69-42, in their regular season opener to pick up their 16th straight win at Moby Arena, dating back to last season. </p>
<p id="J5ajkI">Given the two teams past records, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when the Rams went to town on Omaha in the first quarter. They moved the ball better; they rebounded better, and they shot better. Overall they just played better basketball. But when you had a 16 home-game winning streak on the line, should you expect anything less?</p>
<p id="9bLCkc">The first quarter took its toll on the Mavericks as they fell behind to Colorado State, 16-8. Omaha looked tired, winded and deflated, with a lot of game left to play. Ellen Nystrom led the Rams in the first quarter with six of her teams 16 points, followed by Elin Gustavsson with five points.</p>
<p id="bbPfeB">The second quarter was no different, as the Rams went in for the kill. When the Rams shot the ball, they either made it, or got the rebound. That was the difference between these two teams. The only thing Omaha was consistent at was missing shots, which won’t work against any team, let alone Colorado State. </p>
<p id="TQcsYC">The Rams were able to hold the Mavericks to as little as four points in the second quarter as they added 15 points of their own to the board. Rams’ standouts Nystom and Gustavsson both continued to lead their team following the first-half with 10 and nine points respectively, extending their lead, 31-12.</p>
<p id="BSIUhT">This Colorado State team was aggressive, talented, and clearly well-coached. However, what stood out most about them was their knowledge of the game. Every pass, shot, and play had a purpose. Opposite of that was their opponent who shot out of, what appeared to be, fear and maybe a little bit of hope that their shots would eventually start to fall.</p>
<p id="SG4IHC">But the third quarter was a slight breath of fresh air for Omaha (maybe?) as they scored six points in the first five minutes, compared to their four points in the entire second quarter. </p>
<p id="tJoKZf">However, for every one shot the Mavericks made, the Rams made two. That’s how it felt at least. And although Omaha managed to add 16 more points to the board, it couldn’t compare to Colorado State’s 18 points that kept them ahead going into the fourth quarter, 47-28.</p>
<p id="GQ8aCC">Either the Mavericks got better as the game went on, or the Rams became content with their 20-point lead. Regardless, Omaha moved the ball around better, they started drawing fouls, and their shots began to fall. But did that make a difference? No. The Mavericks were simply outmatched.</p>
<p id="vnaGVT">Colorado State added another “W” to the books and extended its home game win-streak to 16 after they sent Omaha packing, 69-42. Rams’ Nystrom and Gustavsson led the team in points to propel them past the Mavericks in its regular season opener.</p>
<p id="1lorlh">Rams Head Coach Ryun Williams said its always fun to start the year in a bracket type format.</p>
<p id="aiptBy">“This was a great way to open up the Preseason WNIT. I've been saying all week that this group - we really like our group. We are way ahead defensively than we are offensively, but what this group needs is...what you saw was settle down, and settle into the game. That's what we challenged them to do. Let's just calm down and play basketball. As the game progressed that's what I liked the most. We settled and had some nice performances, and it was a really good team win."</p>
<p id="IuCq0l">Senior Elin Gustavsson agreed and said that the team really needed this win.</p>
<p id="adqkH7">“It's always a challenge to start a season because it's similar to taking an exam. We played together. We played as a team. We had good energy on the court and on the bench. It was a good start."</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/11/12/13607148/colorado-state-rams-beatdown-mavericksBrittanie Fowler2016-09-21T21:58:43-04:002016-09-21T21:58:43-04:00A career comes to a close as Phoenix moves on
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<figcaption>Ron Hoskins - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Bankers Life Field House stood in honor of Tamika Catching’s final game after the Fever fell short to the Mercury in the first one-and-done game of the WNBA playoffs.</p> <p id="uPDm6A"><strong>Indianapolis, IN —</strong> The one-and-done showdown between Phoenix and Indiana proved to be its own version of survival of the fittest – and the Mercury prevailed, 89-78, in a game that completed the career of Tamika Catchings, one of the greatest to ever play basketball.</p>
<p id="zLHRyR">“How I feel? I’m going to miss my teammates. You know wins and losses they happen and it sucks to be on the losing end but more than anything just the good times that we had and the fun that we’ve had, through the highs and lows just being able to always know that I could look to my left and my right and my teammates will be there.”</p>
<p id="BS0xeD">The new WNBA playoff format in the first round meant the Fever had to defend its home court in Indianapolis, but Phoenix, behind Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, who had 20 and 18 points, respectively, ended Indiana’s season.</p>
<p id="Pnrv9q">Catchings, who retired after 15 years in the WNBA, finished her career with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Fever finished 17-18, while the Mercury are now 17-18.</p>
<p id="XzCsXQ">Indiana got two quick points from Erica Wheeler in the first quarter, but Phoenix went on an 11-3 run. Indiana’s Marissa Coleman answered for Indiana, and the first quarter ended in an 18-18 tie.</p>
<p id="KXInEv">The game got interesting in the second quarter as both teams played tug-of-war with the lead – exactly what would be expected with a season-ending game on the line.</p>
<p id="taZezl">Catchings had to take a seat in the first quarter after picking up two quick fouls, but redeemed herself in the second quarter with a pair of free throws to put her in front, 28-27, with 4:52 left before the break. Catchings did not want her season to be over and give Indiana its biggest lead of the game, 32-27, with 3:32 left in the first half.</p>
<p id="k076XW">The Fever, however, struggled to shut down the Mercury’s offense but managed to close out the first half with a three-point lead, 38-35.</p>
<p id="mXM1iy">Indiana was led in the first half by Catchings, Coleman and Erlana Larkins with eight, seven and six points, respectively while Phoenix was led by Penny Taylor and Griner, both with eight points.</p>
<p id="bINv37">Indiana, plagued by fouls and turnovers in the third quarter, struggled to keep its head above water, and the Mercury outscored the Fever by a margin of 10-6 to take back the lead, 45-44. </p>
<p id="Larkch">Both teams racked up fouls as the playoff game became a physical battle. Indiana became frustrated after missing five straight shots, but Briann January went straight to the rim for a layup to put her team back in the lead.</p>
<p id="fOulyZ">A 6-1 run by Indiana forced Phoenix to take a timeout and regroup, which is exactly what the Mercury needed.</p>
<p id="RxMdni">With three minutes left in the third quarter, Phoenix went on a 9-2 run to pull ahead of Indiana, 57-54. </p>
<p id="l932G8">A three-point shot by Wheeler knotted the score for the fourth time, but Phoenix’s Lindsey Harding responded with a buzzer-beating two-pointer to take the 59-57 lead heading into the fourth quarter.</p>
<p id="8uy2Xo">The fourth quarter got testy at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the Fever fouls piled up and put Phoenix on the line, allowing the Mercury to take its biggest lead of the night, 69-59.</p>
<p id="eQrsCZ">With 7:39 left in the fourth quarter, there was a lot of game left to play. But Indiana seemed to be slow dancing in a burning room, as John Mayer would say.</p>
<p id="gKXVpI">The Fever fought to keep its season alive, but Phoenix took control of the game late and didn’t surrender its lead, matching every Indiana rally to advance to the next round of the WNBA playoffs.</p>
<p id="RyXQDc">The Fever players knelt on the court during the national anthem, which has been done by athletes across the country to bring awareness to the escalating numbers of black men shot by police, including two this week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina.</p>
<p id="HkeHa4">Catchings was embraced by players from both teams after the game, with January wrapping up Catchings while both were in tears.</p>
<p id="9rnrts">Phoenix will play round two of the playoffs, also single-game elimination, at New York on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7p.m. ET on NBA TV and ESPN 3. </p>
<p id="ln998m">Mercury Head Coach Sandy Brondello said that she’s happy with the result and the way Brittney Griner stepped up this evening.</p>
<p id="CCqePu">“We knew it was going to be very hard coming to Indiana, playing on their home court,” Brondello said. “Obviously it’s a team that puts a lot of pressure on you defensively, very fast at the other end of the floor. I thought our first 20 minutes we were very tentative and took us out of a lot. Once we got back to the game plan we had in place at the start of the game, playing much better defense, team defense and helping each other, we got going a little bit. </p>
<p id="uBH2ub">“And obviously Brittney (Griner) helped us. They didn’t really bring a trap, so she was big for us. We just had a little bit of poise down the stretch with that lead. We’re happy with the result and happy to keep moving forward.”</p>
<p id="fobKby">Catchings reflected on the final game of her career, emphasizing the fact that its not all about the wins and losses, but more so about the memories and friends she made along the way.</p>
<p id="ZdiKul">“I knew it was coming from the sense of the end. But definitely not wanting it to end this way,” Catchings said. “It’s disappointing obviously, clearly. It’s just I feel like we’ve been through so much this year, being able to just bring it all together and have the opportunity to prove ourselves once last time. Every single game, taking one game at a time.</p>
<p id="Me0UvL">The bond Catchings refers to can be seen in Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner’s post game interview as she talks about what it was like to compete against Catchings in her final game, as well as Penny Taylor.</p>
<p id="8I7hzW">“Two great players for the league. Two great people. Catch is just the ultimate competitor and I think her team played one hell of a game for her. They put it all out there on the line. She’s just a great player. It sucks that we had to kind of end her career. </p>
<p id="sJUc3Y">“But to play her in her last game was an honor. I’m glad I got to see her before she goes on to do better things. We’re going to kind of keep this thing going for Penny.”</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/9/21/13009654/phoenix-ends-catchings-career-wnba-playoffsBrittanie Fowler2016-09-07T02:27:33-04:002016-09-07T02:27:33-04:00Lynx conquer Sparks, now in strong position for #1 seed
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<figcaption>Adam Pantozzi - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Minnesota Lynx improve its record to a league best 25-5 after defeating the Los Angeles Sparks, with help from Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles.</p> <p id="GZy3KY"><strong>Los Angeles, CA — </strong>It was billed as a “Clash of the Titans”, a true battle of superhuman teams that were a notch above the WNBA universe. And guess what, it was exactly that — with the Minnesota Lynx still proving to be the kryptonite to the Los Angeles Sparks. </p>
<p id="0U44SP">“We played hard,” said LA coach Brian Agler. “Our desire is there. Our effort is there. Now we have to grow a little bit more on the trust factor and having a little bit more trust on each other.” </p>
<p id="Hcs78S">The first quarter came as no surprise when the Minnesota Lynx took a 26-18 lead over the Los Angeles Sparks on their home turf. The defending WNBA champions fell behind by six points to the Sparks early in the first quarter, but a 16-4 run for the Lynx gave them the momentum they were looking for to go up eight points to Los Angeles. </p>
<p id="q0OT1Z">The Lynx’s Sylvia Fowles and Rebekkah Brunson led their team to a successful first quarter with seven and six points, respectively. Los Angeles’ Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker led their team with seven and four points, respectively, to close out the first.</p>
<p id="V7dSTX">Rolling into the second quarter, some may have hoped for at least a little bit of a turnaround for Los Angeles. The two top-ranked teams in the league continued to battle it out, but the Sparks just couldn’t seem to find their groove. </p>
<p id="IrlWar">A consistent six-point lead throughout the second quarter by the Lynx began to weigh on Los Angeles, as they could only seem to pull out the bare minimum. The Sparks were doing “just enough” to keep the game close, but there’s a reason why the Lynx are defending WNBA champions — they always stay far away in the score column.</p>
<p id="D0ealU">But let's not negate the fact that Los Angeles closed out the second quarter strong, adding 19 more points to the scoreboard compared to Minnesota’s 16 points. It was clear that these two teams were equals, given the close score throughout the game. </p>
<p id="77arJ1">After halftime had commenced, It was almost like deja vu all over again for the Sparks. Minnesota dominated the boards while Los Angeles crumbled under the pressure. The Sparks missed 10 straight shots in the third quarter while also shooting a season-low 33 percent from the field. </p>
<p id="edzLW4">But wait… what was that? Kristi Toliver with the three!</p>
<p id="E1wnuQ">A shift in momentum for Los Angeles landed them right back in the game after Toliver hit a three-pointer to put her team right back in the race only to trail by four points to Minnesota.</p>
<p id="KCHDZw">Could the Sparks roll this energy into the fourth quarter? However, Maya Moore seemed to have something different in mind.</p>
<p id="7gQH2k">And even those she had an abysmal first half, Moore rebounded from her four-point half in a major way. Because Moore poured it on in the last quarter, as the Lynx were apparently just waiting for their superstar to carry them, and carry them she did. Because who wouldn’t want to have a player that could go to another level at a moment’s notice? </p>
<p id="xRIqdz">But Moore wasn’t the only one that rose to the moment, as her and Fowles ran the show in the fourth, as they set their eyes on the prize and took the win over the Sparks, 77-74.</p>
<p id="j2K4hG">The “Maya and Sylvia” show combined for 41 of the teams 77 points as they received their double-bye into the semi-finals. A notable effort by the Sparks at the end of the fourth quarter as Chelsea Gray rebounded a missed free throw and put up a three-pointer to shorten Minnesota’s lead to two points.</p>
<p id="seeb1o">However, just as the rest of the evening went, consistency was key, and the Lynx assured everyone they had it under control as they took the win and improved their record to a league-best, 25-5.</p>
<p id="EWwlDe">Moore said after the game that it means a lot to beat a team like LA on the road twice.</p>
<p id="SKY5RL">“They are a great team, and have proven they are a great team all year long,” Moore said.</p>
<p id="wuMmnZ">“I don’t think either team played as well as we could though, we just had to gut it out and make a few more plays and good decisions. They were resilient at the end of the game but we hung on and hit our free throws and came out the win.”</p>
<p id="E02jiB">But Sparks Head Coach Brian Agler said it’s still too early in September, and this loss doesn’t mean they’ve lost hope.</p>
<p id="ml1pNd">“Our goal is to position ourselves in order to win a championship,” Agler said.</p>
<p id="sBeRlO">“We want to get ourselves seeded as high as possible, either one or two. Minnesota has the tiebreaker now- that’s reality. We have to hang in there if we want to compete for a championship.”</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/9/7/12827502/moore-4th-quarter-fury-thwart-sparksBrittanie Fowler2016-08-30T22:17:41-04:002016-08-30T22:17:41-04:00Connecticut’s defense holds down Stars
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<figcaption>Chris Poss - Swish Appeal</figcaption>
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<p>The Connecticut Sun weren’t in the best of positions earlier this season as one of the bottom teams in the league, however now they have moved themselves up with a stronger chance to make the playoffs. </p> <p id="JPQEBv"><strong>Uncasville, CT — </strong>The Connecticut Sun proved that one star can shine much brighter than several stars in its 89-62 victory over the San Antonia Stars this evening at Mohegan Sun Arena.</p>
<p id="kPrhVL">A dominating first quarter for the Sun gave them the early 28-9 lead they were looking for. After coming off a 73-87 loss to the Atlanta Dream, a change in pace was necessary as the playoffs begin approaching. </p>
<p id="P6IupA">“Obviously this is a big bounce back win after a flat performance in Atlanta,” Miller said. “I thought our focus and our preparation was better and I am proud of the team for that. This win keeps us in the fight and that is what we wanted. </p>
<p id="O055Mu">“I thought a lot of people played really well and hard but our back court got us going tonight. I thought Jas (Thomas) played really well.”</p>
<p id="O6myxw">Alex Bentley sure came out hungry for some buckets after she started the game with back-to-back three-pointers to give her team the 6-0 lead over the Stars, but it didn’t end there. Chiney Ogwumike and Alyssa Thomas decided to hop on the Bentley bandwagon and add to their teams lead, contributing to Connecticut’s 13-0 run near the end of the first quarter.</p>
<p id="98ndjZ">Additional points by Thomas and Jonquel Jones helped the Sun secure its 28-9 lead at the end of the first, which is the fewest points by an appointment in a quarter this season. Astou Ndour led the Stars in the first quarter with four of the team’s nine points.</p>
<p id="V9uZ2O">Offensively, San Antonio came out much more aggressive in the second quarter. The Stars went from scoring nine points in the first quarter, to scoring 16 points in the second quarter. </p>
<p id="mAHxpt">However, this cluster of stars wasn’t going to outshine the Sun, especially in their own arena. When the Stars attempted to gain the slightest bit of momentum, Connecticut’s Thomas hit a buzzer beater to give whatever energy was left back to the Sun.</p>
<p id="ChJkvI">The Sun ended the first half shooting nearly 60 percent while the Stars ended shooting 30 percent. Alex Bentley and Jasmine Thomas were Connecticut’s outliers in the first half with 15 and 12 points respectively. San Antonio’s first-half points were dispersed pretty evenly among the team while Jayne Appel-Marinelli and Moriah Jefferson both led with five.</p>
<p id="FBkug0">Connecticut was on a roll that just couldn’t be stopped. The third quarter was no different from the first half as they continued to control both ends of the court. </p>
<p id="917eSz">The Stars were able to scrounge up 14 more points, but it couldn’t compare to the Sun’s 23 additional points in the third. The short-handed San Antonio team just wasn’t equipped for a comeback, as Connecticut gained its biggest lead of the game after a buzzer-beater, three-point shot by Shekinna Stricklen to add to her team’s 72-39 lead.</p>
<p id="HEdsQf">The fourth quarter? It was no different. Connecticut dominated the final quarter just as they did the entire game. Stomping feet and a hanging head by Stars Head Coach Dan Hughes pretty much described the way this San Antonio team performed tonight.</p>
<p id="IhvCOa">The once 3-13 Connecticut team is now on a playoff run with a 10-17 record after defeating the Stars, 89-62. Bentley led the Sun to the team’s first 26-point victory with 21 points, while Ogwumike and Thomas contributed with 16 points and Jones with 14.</p>
<p id="Xk5Aqs">Sun Head Coach Curt Miller picked up his 300th win after having defeated the now 6-20 Stars at Mohegan Sun Arena this evening and said he’s excited about the way his team came out tonight. </p>
<p id="TLX4mQ">“She seems motivated every time she plays against Moriah (Jefferson) and she really got us going,” said Miller. “Alex (Bentley) was efficient tonight and really gave us a spark making some threes. After a night we thought our back court got outplayed in Atlanta, they really stepped up to the challenge and I am proud of the way they got us started.”</p>
<p id="7yWcEK">Alex Bentley talked about her 21-point performance and said it wouldn’t have been possible without her team.</p>
<p id="spDzO4">“My teammates are working for me always,” Bentley said. “I credit them for getting me open looks, setting great screens and making good passes and Curt (Miller) getting me the ball in good spots.”</p>
<p id="xwlilg">On the other hand, San Antonio’s Head Coach Dan Hughes talked about his team’s inability to bounce back and recover from a rocky start.</p>
<p id="Cw1f50">“I thought early defensively we just had some real troubles and I thought (Alex) Bentley really made shots early and if you get a shot maker like that confident it’s really hard,” Hughes said. </p>
<p id="xv3l6W">“They are a talented group, you better be playing good defense because they have the ability and physically with us being beat up a little bit, they are a physical team and we had a hard team dealing with that.”</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/8/30/12720432/connecticut-sun-playoffs-rout-san-antonioBrittanie Fowler2016-07-19T01:30:02-04:002016-07-19T01:30:02-04:00Back to the drawing board for Sparks
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<figcaption>Scott Cunningham/Getty</figcaption>
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<p>Indiana Fever's Briann January believes that if they can build off the fourth quarter they played last time they were in LA, they will be successful tomorrow evening.</p> <p></p>
<p>The Indiana Fever (10-12) are preparing to take on the visiting Los Angeles Sparks (20-2) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse tomorrow evening.</p>
<p>The Sparks fell just short of the fastest start in WNBA history Sunday after they lost to the Atlanta Dream, 91-74. Los Angeles was tied, before its loss to Atlanta, to the 1998 Houston Comets record who finished the regular season 27-3 for the fastest start in WNBA history. The loss to the Dream also snapped the team's nine-game road winning streak.</p>
<p>Yesterday, four-time WNBA All-Star Alana Beard and 2012 Most Improved Player Kristi Toliver of the Los Angeles Sparks, and 2012 WNBA champions Briann January and Erlana Larkins shared their thoughts on the matchup tomorrow evening, as well as their thoughts on the WNBA's 20<sup>th</sup> season.</p>
<p>"This year we're extremely efficient and extremely talented, and what's separated us this year from other years is that everyone's been willing to sacrifice a little bit of themselves. And when you do that, great things happen," Toliver said.</p>
<p>With the Olympic break coming up, Toliver and Beard said she believes that this break will only help them.</p>
<p>"Obviously, we've been playing together for a little while now. But we certainly have a long ways to go, and we know we can get better on both ends of the floor. Offensively I think we will only continue to get stronger," Toliver said.</p>
<p>With as much talent as the Sparks have this season, they have managed to get away with some poor play on the court. Alana Beard said that last night was a prime example of the team slacking defensively and how it managed to break their historic night.</p>
<p>"We have such a long way to go as far as being consistent on the defensive end. All the things we've been getting away certainly came out last night. So it's back to the drawing board for us."</p>
<p>The Indiana Fever's record (10-12) certainly does not compare to that of the Sparks (20-2), but taking advantage of this minor setback for Los Angeles could be the key to pulling out another win.</p>
<p>Indiana's season has been a bit odd as far as the games it's lost at home and won on the road. Larkins said that in order to gain some consistency heading into its game with the Sparks they just need to focus and prepare.</p>
<p>"Consistency is all about focus on both ends of the floor and its starts with our preparation. We just have to focus on stuff even when we leave the gym like plays and communication. But we just need to focus on our core values and pushing the ball down the court on a consistent basis," Larkins said.</p>
<p>Larkins also said that in order to be successful in tomorrow's game against the Sparks, they need to attack them offensively, "continuously move the ball and minimize the things they do well. If we do all those things tomorrow and not turn the ball over then, we will be successful."</p>
<p>Even with the historic start that the Sparks have had, Indiana's Briann January doesn't believe that it has changed their preparation at all.</p>
<p>"We go into every game the same. We watch film, we know what they do well and then we focus on ourselves. We feel like if we play our game we can compete with anybody," January said.</p>
<p>"If we can build of the fourth quarter we played last time we were in LA, we can be successful tomorrow if we can carry that kind of basketball over."</p>
<p>Indiana has, for a long time, held a reputation for its defense. However, the team hasn't lived up to that reputation as well as they have in the past. January said they've been lucky to have a core group of people on their team that knows their defense.</p>
<p>"We play a particular type of defense, and it's dedicated on knowing the rotation. So the addition of a handful of new people can affect the whole rotation. So it's just been a process of getting everybody on the same page and learning each other and having each other's back on defense. It's a process."</p>
<p>The Sparks will head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse tomorrow for its matchup against the Indiana Fever as they look to bounce back from an almost historic night, with tipoff at 8 p.m. ET.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/7/19/12216104/indiana-fever-la-sparks-previewBrittanie Fowler2016-07-12T15:37:16-04:002016-07-12T15:37:16-04:00Lending a helping hand
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<figcaption>Chris Poss - Swish Appeal</figcaption>
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<p>The Minnesota Lynx have been without Seimone Augustus for the second straight game. With her absence offensively, Lindsey Whalen has stepped up to help Maya Moore carry the scoring load. For San Antonio Moriah Jefferson led her team with teammate Monique Currie assisting her in scoring. </p> <p><b>San Antonio, TX --</b> A 24 and 22-point game by Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen helped propel the Lynx to an 81-57 victory over the Stars this afternoon at the AT&T Center.</p>
<p><span>"I thought it was a good game for us in terms of being able to stop runs," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. "I thought that San Antonio, they’re hard to play against, they’re hard to score against and I think just having the mindset that if we’re not really locked in every possession then we’re going to lose the possession. And San Antonio brings that out in you. </span></p>
<p>It was a slow start between the Lynx and the Stars this <span>afternoon</span>. The Lynx allowed the 5-16 Stars to hang around in the first quarter, only to hold an eight-point lead going into the second, 25-15.</p>
<p>The Stars made it difficult to tell who the real underdog was throughout the first half. At one point, the Lynx had its biggest lead of the first half with 16-points from easy opportunities from San Antonio turnovers. However, the Stars buckled down at the end of the half and was able to cut the 16-point lead to a nine-point game going into the second half.</p>
<p>Minnesota's Moore and Whalen, closed the first half with 14 and 12 points, respectively, while San Antonio's Moriah Jefferson heated up at the end of the half with 11 points.</p>
<p>A complete shift in the second half happened, as the Lynx came alive and put on a show <span>in</span> the AT&T Center, after a play from Moore to Whalen, then back to Moore for an alley-oop one-handed shot that spiced up the game. The Lynx increased its lead to 17 at the end of the third quarter, after Whalen and Moore added to the board with 20 and 18 points, respectively.</p>
<p><span>"We didn’t finish a few shots that we ordinarily do, so just a higher level of focus to finish and were able to stay in our defense," Moore said.</span></p>
<p>San Antonio tried to make a comeback in the fourth quarter and snap its two-game losing skid, but the Lynx were on a roll that couldn't <span>be stopped</span>. Moore took control of the floor and closed out the game with 24 points, followed by Whalen with 22 points. The Stars <span>were led</span> by Jefferson and Monique <span>Currie,</span> who scored 14 and 10 points, respectively.</p>
<p><span>"I thought we were competitive one quarter," said Stars coach Dan Hughes. "You look at the two aspects that we just didn’t deal with well and one was their offensive rebounding and second chance points, they had 26 we had 1. We turned it over 15 times but we had to counter for 30 points. Those two things against a good team are just too much separation for what they’re doing. </span></p>
<p>"<span>Give Minnesota credit, both times we’ve played them they’ve been very aggressive and we’ve been coming off of a schedule that hasn’t left us nearly as aggressive and they took advantage of it." </span></p>
<p>The San Antonio Stars fall to 5-16, while the Minnesota Lynx improve its record to 17-4.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/7/12/12162708/lynx-cream-stars-moore-whalenBrittanie Fowler