Swish Appeal: All Posts by Caroline RoesslerBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2016-12-09T00:31:48-05:00https://www.swishappeal.com/authors/caroline-roessler/rss2016-12-09T00:31:48-05:002016-12-09T00:31:48-05:00Double dose of aggression
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: ACC Conference Tournament-Florida State vs Miami" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JRO_ev-v4dzwGCXFKnCOWj9lFR4=/0x5:2180x1458/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52211041/usa_today_9164372.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In-state rivals Florida State and Florida hit the court Thursday ready to claim bragging rights. Unfortunately for the Gators, they couldn’t capitalize when the door was open as the Seminoles gained momentum and took the victory home.</p> <p id="kYZAIQ"><strong>Tallahassee, FL — </strong>A newfound tension lingered in the air at Doak Campbell Stadium as the #7 Florida State Seminoles hosted the #23 Florida Gators. </p>
<p id="zPdOSZ">For the first time in 76 meetings, both teams were ranked entering Thursday's match-up. </p>
<p id="bhuyv0">Fueled by collaborative hustle on the boards and on defense, Florida State snatched its eighth victory in a row to send the Gators packing, 83-58.</p>
<p id="Gfvbhd">Initially, a speedy Florida defense presented itself as a hefty threat to the Seminoles, whose shooting campaign was dismal early on. But the Seminoles channeled its energy elsewhere, overpowering Florida to win the battle of the boards 43-35 with a 19-2 advantage in second-chance points.</p>
<p id="1zdyWc">Shakayla Thomas contributed outstanding effort on both ends, crippling Florida’s offense and adding 16 points to the board overall. Ivey Slaughter, well, slaughtered, earning a double-double in the first half alone, with 13 points and 10 rebounds overall. </p>
<p id="z5d6Zt">The rivalry game hit especially close-to-home for Florida native Brittany Brown, who gave a knock-out performance after a shaky start- finishing with 13 points and seven assists.</p>
<p id="p60oYf">Per usual, senior Ronni Williams was the ace for Florida, leading her squad with 20 points overall, forcing the issue on offense when no one else would step up to the plate. </p>
<p id="JF2O7N">Her discretion on the court faltered, however, when she swiped at a shooting guard with just seconds left in the first half to ask for her third personal foul. After an uncharacteristically mediocre first half, Brown righted her wrongs with a dynamite 15-foot buzzer-beater to put the Seminoles up by 10 entering the half. </p>
<p id="yutapg">A whistle seemed to interrupt almost every play in the second half, relocating the action to the free throw line, where both teams struggled to get the ball in the net, especially on Florida’s end.</p>
<p id="FCPV97">Things got particularly physical in the third quarter, when both teams were rendered scoreless for over two minutes and took to the floor to battle it out. Florida State tallied eight personal fouls by the middle of the third quarter, in contrast to Florida’s three. </p>
<p id="mURcen">A curious plot twist arose in the third period when a scuffle between Imani Wright and Delicia Washington resulted in overlapping foul calls on Wright. Both a personal and a technical foul offered Florida four free throws and a possession. The window of opportunity was there, but the Gators failed to capitalize on it. Florida missed 3 of 4 shots at the line with no conversion- botching what could’ve been a heroic return. </p>
<p id="yipTmb">While the Gators continued to flounder on offense, the Seminoles found their groove.</p>
<p id="ufLTLL">Fortified by a soaring ‘Hail Mary’ assist from Brown, veteran Leticia Romero took Florida State to their largest lead of the game at 57-43 entering the final 10 minutes of play. </p>
<p id="fKdeAw">Boasting top honors in the Seminole record book for steals, Brown stayed true to her reputation as a defensive juggernaut, getting a hand on the ball whenever she could, earning key possessions for her team and a steal count of six on the night.</p>
<p id="sdeLlo">It was smooth-sailing for the Seminoles from then-on-out, who shot lights-out in the fourth quarter to ease across the finish line by 25-points, leaving the #23-ranked Gators limping behind. </p>
<p id="u22NRr">Even Romero, the stoic Spaniard, couldn’t help but unleash a passionate fist pump after drilling a fourth quarter jumper from the corner to initiate a 24-4 Seminole run.</p>
<p id="ORRXvr">Four of five Florida starters finished with double-digits, including Romero, who racked up 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists to round out a show-stopping game.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/12/9/13895688/romero-brown-tag-team-florida-state-floridaCaroline Roessler2016-09-12T01:00:03-04:002016-09-12T01:00:03-04:00Seattle clinches a spot in playoffs
<figure>
<img alt="Breanna Stewart" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UNDZCocdEYmEkjz5ZdEp00WqcZk=/326x0:1024x465/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50793363/stewart.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Poss - Swish Appeal</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the hottest teams right now is the Seattle Storm. They continued their fire Sunday night, as they not only took down the #2 team in the Los Angeles Sparks, but clinched a spot in the playoffs. </p> <p id="GGbr6V"><strong>Seattle, WA —</strong> Seattle beat LA for the second time this season in front of a sellout crowd at Key Arena on Sunday, extinguishing the Sparks 78-60 and clinching a spot at #7 entering the WNBA Playoffs. </p>
<p id="FqU0oz">The shutout was LA’s third loss in a row, but the defeat won’t affect the Sparks’ assured second place spot in the playoffs. </p>
<p id="MBFs0B">Seattle entered Sunday’s game 15-17 with a pressing need to win at least one of their three remaining regular-season games to clinch a spot in the WNBA Playoffs. And they did it – playing with an offensive ferocity that led them to win six of eight games in post-Olympics season play. </p>
<p id="23omEH">Coach Jenny Boucek applauded her team's recent jive. "I think our synergy has grown," she said. "Just our ability to make plays together on both ends of the floor.” </p>
<p id="ePNyyZ">Determined to keep his stars fresh for their (guaranteed) run in the playoffs, Brian Agler purposefully condensed his bench, sitting four out of five top scorers for the entirety of the game. Candace Parker refused to spectate, however, leading her team right off the bat with seven points and two rebounds. Parker’s impact was stunted, however, when she landed herself on the bench with three fouls before the second quarter.</p>
<p id="dQ0LX3">Coach Agler wasn't thrilled with LA's effort. "It changes a lot when you don’t have Kristi and Nneka," Agler acknowledged. "But we still expect more.” </p>
<p id="j3J4P6">With LA’s top players on the bench, the Storm saw an opportunity and got after it, to say the least. Within six minutes, all five of Seattle’s starting players had points on the board.</p>
<p id="xmLoAi">Veteran Crystal Langhorne asserted herself early on, dropping in an and-one floater down the middle to bring her squad up 8-2 with just under eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. With her fourth Olympic gold medal win tucked away in her back pocket, 35-year-old Sue Bird played with fire, reminding us that age is just a number.</p>
<p id="NumdFZ">Coach Boucek said the win means a lot to the veteran superstar. "I am excited for Sue," said Boucek. "For her, it has been since 2012, and with her making the commitment to us, to retire here, I was really hoping that before she retired, we would end up in big games and that she would have a lot more big games left in her career here.” </p>
<p id="wBin9e">Fresh off a gold medal win in Rio, Breanna Stewart played with offensive finesse well beyond her years, wreaking havoc from both ends of the floor and buttressing her case for snatching the coveted title of WNBA Rookie of the Year. </p>
<p id="KjFCbL">Mosqueda-Lewis made a statement off the bench, swishing a 15-foot jumper from the side to boost Seattle’s lead to 13-points at the beginning of the second quarter. </p>
<p id="PLRKnl">Veteran Breanna Stewart collaborated with reigning 2015 Rookie of the Year Jewell Loyd with an old school give-and-go to bring the score to 41-21 with just over five minutes left in the first half.</p>
<p id="7CZJE4">Langhorne consistently picked up the trash, putting back missed shots and muscling her way through LA’s defense – sending Parker back to the bench before the end of the first half with foul number four.</p>
<p id="HH51xi">The Storm smeared LA’s defense in the first half, entering the locker room at 49-27, having made 100% of free throws and out-rebounding the Sparks 21-10. </p>
<p id="PppN7y">The second half was more of the same.</p>
<p id="I8CC6H">Although Seattle’s second half start was sluggish, LA failed to capitalize on the lull, and Alysha Clark stepped to the plate to add four points to the Storm’s lead. </p>
<p id="Qk3Joa">Stewart defied gravity with a one-handed hook shot in the third quarter, grinning as she took her team to their highest lead yet at 60-34.</p>
<p id="7hNzNY">Schooling LA’s lineup from under the basket and on the run, Stewart led her team in scoring with 20 points. Veteran all-star Crystal Langhorne was close behind, putting up her second double-double of the year at 15-10. </p>
<p id="nrRWk2">While LA failed to overcome a severe player deficit, the Sparks’ backup talent shined every now and then. Backup point guard and Duke alumna Chelsea Gray contributed 13 points - second leading scorer for the Sparks behind Parker, who ended with 20. </p>
<p id="eQh9bz">Clark was the final Seattle starter to reach double figures, drilling two three-pointers at the end of the fourth quarter to seal LA’s fate and clinch Seattle’s 18-point victory.</p>
<p id="mpS9Yu">And just like that, Sue, Stewart and the perfect Storm are in the playoffs.</p>
<p id="wZBfhH">"To not get in there the last couple of years and to finally get back feels really good," Bird said.</p>
<p id="XMoWgq">With the playoffs looming, the former WNBA MVP sees room for improvement. </p>
<p id="a22SGK">"I think we need to work on our one-on-one defense and then just our offense," said Parker. "This team is capable of scoring way more than 60 points in a game, and we haven’t done that consistently the last part of the season."</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/9/12/12884540/seattle-storm-playoffs-thumps-laCaroline Roessler2016-08-17T00:00:06-04:002016-08-17T00:00:06-04:00Mamba is balling!
<figure>
<img alt="Basketball - Olympics: Day 11" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CMu7PkCSVE2CGr2W-CJuKNJxSEU=/0x0:4054x2703/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50418505/590454398.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Japan held its own against the undefeated U.S. team in the first half, crippling Brittney Griner with defensive pressure and drilling 3-pointers on the other end. But Diana Taurasi kept her cool, sinking 5-7 from behind the arch, leading a second-half takeover that left Japan in the dust 110-64.</p> <p id="NzPswX">With four-time Olympian Diana Taurasi at the helm, the U.S. women’s team sailed through the quarterfinals on Tuesday, beating Japan 110-64 to remain undefeated in its quest to snag a sixth straight gold medal for the States. </p>
<p id="Km2Hl4">The 46-point final spread seems to indicate another yawn-inducing blowout by the sensational U.S. squad, but unlike most of the U.S. contests we’ve seen – this win was no cakewalk. </p>
<p id="2A3rfM">“I’m just proud of this team,” Taurasi said. “You look at the score, and you think it was an easy game…but that’s probably one of the toughest teams I’ve ever played against in the Olympics.”</p>
<p id="tXwADw">A scrappy Japanese lineup put up a solid fight against their American competitors in the first half, demanding high-tempo play from the high-flying U.S. squad, which teetered within two points of Japan for most of the second quarter. </p>
<p id="wxwCcF">Even Geno Auriemma was shaking his head on the sideline, shell-shocked by Japan’s uncanny affinity for three-pointers; they went 7-for-11 behind the arc in the first half alone. </p>
<p id="xU4EvB">“That first half, they were running us ragged a little bit,” said Auriemma. “They were making us confused on defense. They were pushing the ball. They were getting whatever they wanted.”</p>
<p id="Mwzzpp">Suddenly, the virtually untouchable U.S. “dream team” found itself scrambling to maintain a two-point lead with just over four minutes remaining. Taurasi came to the rescue nearing halftime, zapping her team back to life with a soaring 3-pointer beyond the key and again – moments later – drilling a 3-pointer from the corner, drawing the foul and earning the opportunity for a four-point play with just over two minutes left in the first half. </p>
<p id="7s40CL">When three-time gold medalist Sue Bird hobbled off the court with an injured knee in the second quarter, Taurasi picked up the slack, handling the ball with her usual composure and raising the stakes on offense to spark an electrifying run for the U.S. in the second half. </p>
<p id="ZSBeyq">“Right now, it’s more your mind,” Taurasi observed. “It’s mind over matter. It’s are you willing to do the little things, are you willing to really concentrate in the rotations and make the extra pass.”</p>
<p id="Q0MNIN">Maya Moore and Taurasi joined forces to retaliate when Japan inched its way back within six points of the U.S. early in the third quarter. Taurasi hit her fifth three-pointer of the game on the coattail of a five-point streak by Moore, stretching the U.S. lead to 14 points for the first time in the game. </p>
<p id="Fm1Jm1">The dynamic duo blazed a scoring trail in the third quarter that buried Japan for good (U.S. outscored them 25-13 in the third quarter alone). </p>
<p id="9IHm0K">“We’re older. We have a lot of experience. We didn’t panic, and we just found a way to keep grinding it out, and it worked out for us,” said Taurasi.</p>
<p id="RWcxfe">Taurasi went for 19 points total, including a game high of five three-pointers. The dominance of USA’s leading Olympic scorer wasn’t restricted to the outside; she proved her chops on the block, posting up every now and then to drop in two bank shots. </p>
<p id="W9vq7P">“You can’t say enough about the tone Diana sets for our team,” Auriemma expressed. “Most people don’t realize it, and it’s both ends of the floor – defensively, offensively.”</p>
<p id="e5zLdc">As Tuesday’s close encounter with Japan shows, this guard-center hybrid is Team USA’s leading scorer in Rio – and arguably Team USA’s most steadfast asset. </p>
<p id="COBvxO">After the game, the Japanese players asked the U.S. women for a simple favor – a photo-op. </p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/8/17/12509926/superwoman-taurasi-usa-rio-2016-olympicsCaroline Roessler2016-08-14T15:30:03-04:002016-08-14T15:30:03-04:00Team USA clicking on all cylinders
<figure>
<img alt="Basketball - Olympics: Day 9" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/heTdgvgsUo1oXLZDg_6VRb2IUec=/0x0:4371x2914/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50386279/589493470.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is no doubt in order for a team to win they need to play well together on the court. Team USA does that not only on the court, but the sidelines cheering each other on as well as taking in the sights of Rio. </p> <p id="6QK1oH"><strong>Rio de Janeiro —</strong> In a not-so-shocking turn of events, the U.S. women’s team swept another team off the court at the Youth Arena in Rio on Sunday, waltzing into the quarterfinals after burying China 105-62. They finished women's basketball group play undefeated and unchallenged.</p>
<p id="4MUpCx">You could see it in China Coach Thomas Maher’s weary pregame expression during warm-ups: <em>we’re going to lose</em>. It’s become a common understanding for many 2016 national women’s basketball teams who find themselves going up against the record-setting U.S. “Dream Team,” who have beat their opponents by an average of 42.5 points per game. </p>
<p id="erJGKD">This time, it was 43 points, as Team USA put up over three digits for the fourth time in five games. China’s earnest effort on both ends was no match for the sheer depth of talent on Team USA’s bench, which saw action from virtually every player. </p>
<p id="E0tCj7">It was win-or-go-home for China, which certainly had its moments… A few miraculous 3-pointers here, some scrappy lay-ups there – especially in the second half when the U.S. players on the court became a little too content. But for the most part, it was a classic “David and Goliath” scenario – except, this time, David forgot his slingshot. </p>
<p id="aVOL9f">Here’s one small statistic to demonstrate just how inflammatory this old-fashioned beat-down really was: Not only were the Chinese held to a meager nine points in the first quarter alone, but Tina Charles single-handedly out-scored them to add to an early lead of 32-9. Ouch. </p>
<p id="r1ZH5n">Team USA saw a dip on offense during Friday’s matchup against Canada, relying more heavily on solid defense to pull out the “W.” Their offensive game made a comeback versus China, however, in a downright deadly shootout – hitting 66% of shots, with 88% from the free throw line and 46% beyond the arc. </p>
<p id="z1YX9S">Maya Moore and Tina Charles tag-teamed to render China utterly – and literally – defenseless. Even without the WNBA’s reigning MVP Elena Delle Donne on the court (the blonde all-star got poked in the eye during warm-ups, oddly enough), the U.S. still managed to gracefully decimate their opponent. </p>
<p id="FULfYx">Rio rookie Brittney Griner has established herself as Public Enemy #1 for most U.S. opponents thus far, and China might've suffered the most at the mercy of her (huge) hands and even bigger hops. Griner had a field day around the rim, swatting shots away and tossing the ball through the net as if she were playing pick-up ball at a local high school. With 18 points and 13 rebounds overall, she gave a beastly performance, to say the least. </p>
<p id="HThqrr">However, it’s not solely skill that makes this 2016 U.S. team perhaps the most legendary in Olympic history; it’s synthesis. Observe any other team competing at Rio, and you won’t see this kind of dynamic connectivity. Sunday’s matchup versus China was an ideal showing of the remarkable chemistry that this year’s U.S. women’s team possesses – on the court, the bench and beyond.</p>
<p id="QBmI12">Against China, the U.S. women’s fundamental athletic advantage was evident, but what was even more apparent about this win was Team USA’s undeniable spark – an intangible synergy that other national teams lack. Take a look at each team before, after, and during timeouts. On the U.S. end, high-fives and butt-slaps abound; the camaraderie is pervasive. This type of organic commonality is rare among most Olympic squads; it can’t be taught, nor practiced, nor faked. </p>
<p id="oAbOh3">Team USA isn’t simply a group of excellent players thrown together in pursuit of a shiny medal. This is a <em>team</em>. Take a look at ‘em dishing it off to each other with ease, and you’d think they grew up together playing hoops in the schoolyard. Seeing such an explosive offensive rhythm and player-to-player jive is a privilege. And best of all? They’re pals. </p>
<p id="RUkyIt">Geno Auriemma’s squad is redefining teamwork, one game at a time. What is teamwork? Take a look at Team USA. It’s the fond exchange of recognition from Charles to Moore (two of the world’s finest women’s basketball players) after a slow-mo worthy behind-the-back assist and lay-in; it’s a chest-bump from Griner to her fellow Olympic first-timer Breanna Stewart for a job well done with three minutes left to play.</p>
<p id="gV94eM">It’s watching buds Tamika Catchings and Sue Bird take a break from competition mode to giggle on the Selaron Steps in Rio; it’s the consistent standing ovation from the bench not just after a dazzling Diana Taurasi three-pointer, but after any and every player makes a contribution – big or small; first or second string.</p>
<p id="zcf8hE">In a press conference on August 3, Olympic veteran Moore noted something special about this team in particular: “We do have the ability to make our own destiny.”</p>
<p id="nkh0N0"><em>Teamwork makes the dream work,</em> as they say… And Team USA is sure as hell proving it, one conquest at a time. </p>
<p id="LUtbUG">Next up? The U.S. will start off quarterfinal play on Tuesday against Japan.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/8/14/12475032/analysis-chemistry-team-usa-olympics-rio-2016Caroline Roessler2016-08-12T17:22:30-04:002016-08-12T17:22:30-04:00US holds off Canada
<figure>
<img alt="Olympics: Basketball-Women's Team-Preliminary Round CAN vs USA-Maya Moore" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gdA7Bv93j1rMZK9CpQh_wnNduR8=/0x0:3117x2078/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50371555/usa-today-9452303.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matt Kryger-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With both teams having won their previous games in the Olympics, the game was up for grabs. However, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi led Team USA to another routing, this time by 30 points as they near the end of pool play.</p> <p id="2xYcyW"><strong>Rio de Janeiro, Brazil —</strong> Coming off of an incendiary 3-game winning streak, the record-breaking U.S. women’s basketball team met its toughest rival yet on Friday – its undefeated neighbors from the North. </p>
<p id="qk0W3r">What seemed like a tight matchup reeled in U.S. favor, as Canada’s early spark ultimately fizzled against Team USA’s dynamite guard offense. After leading by only two points at the end of the first quarter, Team USA used its depth to muscle its way to an 81-51 victory. </p>
<p id="f39FOa">Coach Geno Auriemma attributed the win to his team's uncommonly talented depth: "That’s what separates us, our depth, our quality of depth. It’s not just that we have a lot of players, we have great players coming off the bench," Auriemma said.</p>
<p id="rvi3rq">Team Canada came out strong in the first quarter, holding its own against Team USA’s tight defense, and was down by just two points entering the second quarter. Team USA turned up the heat in the second quarter, however. A quick steal and lay-in by Lindsay Whalen took the U.S. lead to 22-17 with just over seven minutes left in the half.</p>
<p id="M3MS5Z">Nirra Fields was a crucial asset for Canada, fighting for her team to stay afloat with a scrappy layup and-one 3-point play 40 seconds before the half.</p>
<p id="03s3Ra">Canada’s defense was no match for the shooting finesse of Maya Moore, who led her team with 12 points in the first two-quarters, pulling the U.S. ahead 30-19 with a signature fast-break lay-in just two minutes before halftime. Diana Taurasi gave yet another legendary performance, clinching a 14-point USA lead entering the second half with staggering back-to-back 3-pointers. </p>
<p id="STKKqb">Griner asserted herself on defense with three blocks and six points overall. Team USA forced 15 turnovers in the first half alone, stifling Canada’s offensive morale entering the second half. </p>
<p id="F4XodH">Tight defense and missed shots on both sides rendered a low-scoring first half for both teams. </p>
<p id="8iqwoz">Gene Auriemma demanded better offense from his team at the end of the first half, and they listened. Taurasi continued to dominate beyond the arc, nailing her fourth 3-pointer to bring Team USA up 45-27 before tip-toeing into foul trouble with less than six minutes left in the third quarter. </p>
<p id="2c0B0y">Reigning WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne soared into the second half after spending most of the first half on the bench, inflating USA’s lead to 24 points with just under a minute left in the third quarter. Tamara Tathum gave a solid effort for Canada, putting up a couple of 3-pointers in the second half. However, it wasn’t enough. </p>
<p id="xomOih">Not one Canadian player put up more than four points in the first half, and Team USA’s defensive aggression held Canada to 27% shooting overall.</p>
<p id="AJYVLe">"I think people fall in love with points at times, but it’s our defense that’s been the most consistent," Sue Bird noted. "Tonight was a good example of that."</p>
<p id="1OZq9D">Sylvia Fowles made her mark in the last lap, finishing a dazzling lay-in and-one with 6:30 left in the game to take USA’s lead to 67-42. Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart collaborated with a patriotic lob-pass and lay-in to open up a 34-point lead for the US with just over three minutes left to play.</p>
<p id="81mrVO">Miranda Ayim shined down the stretch, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers with a little over one minute left in the game. It was too little too late for Team Canada, however, whose undefeated record was buried by a 30-point deficit to the U.S. at the buzzer.</p>
<p id="YNWQ4R">Breanna Stewart had some choice words for her team's naysayers. "The people who say we are bad for women’s basketball aren’t watching women’s basketball," Stewart said. "We’re setting the bar; we’re setting the expectations really high and everyone else needs to get better and get to that level."</p>
<p id="gLovAP">The US women’s “dream team” will press on to face China on Sunday – one step closer to claiming a sixth straight gold medal for the red-white-and-blue. </p>
<p id="Awdont"> </p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/8/12/12459782/usa-dream-team-trounces-canada-olympics-rio-2016Caroline Roessler2016-07-20T03:07:08-04:002016-07-20T03:07:08-04:00Ejections bring added emotions
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VAXUwognL0QZrK5y9ZifkapEX0g=/121x275:2372x1776/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50159411/usa-today-8079180.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Chicago Sky headed west to take on the Phoenix Mercury. The Sky jumped out on the Mercury, however Phoenix didn't back down as the two teams had nine lead changes. Elena Delle Donne once again led the way for Chicago, while DeWanna Bonner led Phoenix. The third quarter brought a different aspect of the game when Cappie Pondexter and Brittney Griner were both ejected. </p> <p></p>
<p></p>
<p><b>Phoenix, AZ --</b> The Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury faced each other for the third time this season at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix on Tuesday night. The teams have a history of close encounters on the court, and this matchup was no different.</p>
<p>Chicago was without centers Erika de Souza and Clarissa Dos Santos, who left to represent Brazil in the Summer Olympics.</p>
<p>Propelled by Elena Delle Donne and Jamierra Faulkner, the Chicago Sky broke a 1-5 losing record on the road to trump the Mercury 79-77 with a game-winning last second shot by Jessica Breland.</p>
<p>"Luckily we pulled it out at the end, but we have to stop letting teams have <span>runs</span> on us," Delle Donne said.</p>
<p>With wounds still fresh from a five-point loss to Chicago on July 11, the Mercury showed up hungry for a "W," but couldn't get the job done soon enough.</p>
<p>Tight defense on both ends rendered the game scoreless for the first minute and a <span>half,</span> until Candice Dupree broke the silence for the Mercury with a smooth lay-in. Not much else went Phoenix's way in the first quarter; a smothering Chicago defense forced eight turnovers and held the Mercury to just 10 points, a season low for the team in first quarter scoring.</p>
<p>Cappie Pondexter was a spark early on for Chicago, snatching the ball twice on defense and <span>racking up nine points in the first quarter alone, to leave</span> Phoenix trailing by 12 points entering the second quarter.</p>
<p>The "Texas Towers" Imani Boyette and Brittney Griner, made minimal contributions for each team in the first half, with neither player breaking double-digits. Faulkner brought Chicago's lead to 42-30 with a gravity-defying 19-foot buzzer-beater to end the first half.</p>
<p>Things got heated, literally, 30 seconds into the second half, when a skirmish broke out between Griner and Pondexter which resulted in flagrant foul calls and ejections for both players. Griner exited the game with just four points and three rebounds, quite a downgrade for the Mercury's third-best double-digit scorer.</p>
<p>Pondexter's absence seemed to cripple Chicago's defense, which allowed the Mercury to creep back from a 13-point deficit led by Taurasi, who raised the roof with a three-pointer in the corner, igniting a fiery 11-point run for Phoenix that propelled the Mercury to a 47-46 lead. A third quarter rally favored Phoenix at 56-55 going into the fourth.</p>
<p>"We maintained <span>excellent</span> body language and composure, even in those panic moments," said Chicago Coach Pokey Chapman. "When you go from up 14 to down nine, <span>you've</span> gotta dig deep to make stops and come back, and <span>that's</span> what we did."</p>
<p>The crowd was on its feet for most of the fourth quarter as the Mercury battled to defend its territory. DeWanna Bonner fought hard to keep her team afloat, putting up 20 points and eight rebounds overall.</p>
<p>Bonner dazzled beyond the arc, nailing back-to-back three-pointers over Delle Donne in the fourth quarter, to pull Phoenix up 62-53 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game.</p>
<p>After scoring 11 points in the first half, Elena Delle Donne put up just two points for Chicago in the third quarter, but shined down the line, emerging from a scoring <span>drought</span> with a pull-up jump shot to give the lead back to Chicago 74-72 with 1:38 left to play.</p>
<p>With Phoenix down by two points, Dupree stepped up to the plate with 12.8 seconds left, sinking a floater off the dribble to tie the game at 77-77. <span>But it</span> <span>wasn't</span> enough. With two-tenths of a second left, Breland clinched a 79-77 victory for Chicago with a clutch put-back.</p>
<p>"The opportunity was there, and I took it," said Breland.</p>
<p><span>And just</span> like that, the lights went out in Phoenix.</p>
<p>Behind Bonner, Dupree was the Mercury's second <span>highest scorer</span> with 18 points and eight rebounds. Donne led the Sky with 18 points, followed by <span>Faulkner,</span> who totaled 14 points.</p>
<p>"We <span>regrouped</span> and we fought back, but it <span>wasn't</span> enough," Mercury Coach Sandy Brondello said after the game. "Looking forward, we need to be inspired and <span>really</span> find consistency on offense."</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2016/7/20/12233796/griner-pondexter-ejected-amazing-game-winnerCaroline Roessler