Swish Appeal: All Posts by Giuliana AllegrottiBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2017-07-29T00:17:32-04:00https://www.swishappeal.com/authors/giuliana-allegrotti/rss2017-07-29T00:17:32-04:002017-07-29T00:17:32-04:004-game losing streak snapped
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<figcaption>Barry Gossage- NBAE/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><em>Lately, Diana Taurasi has been on a tear since Brittney Griner has been out with a couple injuries. Friday night the Mercury ended its losing streak and it wasn’t Taurasi who rescued the team.</em></p> <p id="71ttdk"><strong>Rosemont, IL -- </strong>With just over four minutes left in the third quarter of the game between the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky Friday at Allstate Arena, the Sky’s Stefanie Dolson rolled down the right side of the lane, a look that was available all night for the Sky, and had her shot blocked by Mercury guard Leilani Mitchell. </p>
<p id="XNVkZ1">Dolson hovers at 6’5”. Mitchell is a whole foot shorter. </p>
<p id="Sz5iwt">Dolson was visibly surprised, even cracking a smile as she ran back on defense. It was the kind of almost inexplicable play that exemplified the teeter-tottering and wackiness between the two teams Friday.</p>
<p id="s1AULx">In a game that lacked flow, the Mercury were ultimately victorious, edging the Sky 86-80. The win was much-needed after Phoenix had lost four of its last five games. </p>
<p id="v3RACH">Some things went as expected.</p>
<p id="pRPLcy">After an impressive showing and win at the WNBA 3-Point Contest, Allie Quigley continued her offensive onslaught, pouring in 19 points and shooting 4-8 from behind the arc. Dolson led all scorers with 29 points. </p>
<p id="C436ff">Camille Little led the Mercury in scoring with 19 points but again, somewhat inexplicably, Diana Taurasi, who’s been averaging 32.5 points since Brittney Griner went out with injury on July 14, had just nine points. </p>
<p id="i5BMfl">Any time the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer is held to single digits would be a dream scenario for the opponent, but tonight it was just the opposite.</p>
<p id="kggvvJ">“I made a comment before the game that even if Taurasi is contained offensively we can’t have three other people on their team have prolific scoring nights,” Sky coach Amber Stocks said after the game. </p>
<p id="0gWDN7">Stocks’ word of caution came to fruition. The Phoenix bench outscored the Sky’s 43-6 behind Monique Currie’s 18 points and Cayla George’s 14.</p>
<p id="ozFPK5">Another large disparity came from the free throw line. While the Mercury shot 33 in the game, the Sky shot just eight.</p>
<p id="k62Tyv">“It’s going to be very challenging to be in a position to win a game when there’s that significant of a disparity between free throws,” Stocks said.</p>
<p id="niaSvD">The Chicago coach pointed out that her team is getting to the paint, Dolson’s play tonight was evident of that, but Stocks said she’d like to see her team finish with more power rather than finesse.</p>
<p id="OuO321">“That will impact the way the officials are observing the contact,” Stocks said. </p>
<p id="u1iJjP">Still though, in the month of July, the Chicago Sky have gone 5-3, a vast improvement from June’s 2-7 effort. After the game, Dolson expressed her desire for her team to play with more balance down the stretch.</p>
<p id="vfPnaY">“We’ve got to do a better job staying more consistent throughout the whole game, especially finishing games like tonight,” Dolson said.</p>
<p id="g0WSQM">Chicago will have that opportunity quickly as they take on the New York Liberty at home this Sunday. It’s a quick turnaround for the Mercury as well, they’ll head back West and play San Antonio to finish the weekend. </p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2017/7/29/16061194/taurasi-struggles-phoenix-bench-steps-up-wnbaGiuliana Allegrotti2017-07-08T23:46:27-04:002017-07-08T23:46:27-04:00Sky rising in Chicago
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<img alt="Courtney Vandersloot" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lGAtnsuRqeVIlh4vCqiNDILwEbc=/0x0:400x267/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55629255/i-HZjFkHV-L.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chris Poss - Swish Appeal</figcaption>
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<p><em>For the first time this season, Chicago won a home game. The win came against league-leading Minnesota Lynx.</em></p> <p id="NCBjgf"><strong>Rosemont, IL --</strong> With just under six minutes left in the third quarter, Minnesota Lynx center and constant double-double getter, Sylvia Fowles, cut to the basket and went up for a layup, her team uncharacteristically trailing by 14 points to the Chicago Sky. </p>
<p id="n0RP7d">Fowles had that shot blocked by forward Jessica Breland, the ball squirted out to guard Courtney Vandersloot, who then chucked a touchdown pass the length of the court to a streaking Allie Quigley. Quigley’s layup put the Sky up 16.</p>
<p id="0eVCDY">It was that kind of night for Chicago as they beat the Lynx 100-76. Vandersloot led all scorers with 26 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds. She was dominant from the jump and put up 11 points in the first quarter.</p>
<p id="sWtxzl">After the game Sky head coach, Amber Stocks insisted, despite Vandersloot’s offensive explosion, that she always feels confident in her point guard and team’s ability to get good offensive looks.</p>
<p id="q0YnWU">“The continuity and the confidence I feel with Courtney I feel no matter what her stat line looks like,” Stocks said. “The way that we move the ball allows any given player to step up and have a high number of assists because we put a high emphasis on next pass.”</p>
<p id="MY6OZT">But it wasn’t just the offense that powered the Sky to a convincing victory over the WNBA’s best team Saturday night. Chicago’s team defense, aggressiveness and willingness to make hustle plays were all factors in the win.</p>
<p id="bVDnEn">“We were tenacious and stayed on the attack mode,” Stocks said. </p>
<p id="6D886E">The Sky limited Maya Moore to just eight points in the game. Fowles finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Stocks credited forward Tamera Young for keeping Fowles off the boards.</p>
<p id="7nW6R5">“[Young] did a fabulous job of harassing and containing,” Stocks said. “She earned three rebounds but what you don’t see [on the stat sheet] is how many rebounds she prevented her opponent from earning.”</p>
<p id="F50qmt">It’s possible the Lynx, who still sit atop the Western Conference with the league’s best record, were worn out from their game Thursday against conference rival and last year’s Finals opponent the Los Angeles Sparks.</p>
<p id="LTbYep">For Chicago, though, Saturday was a moment for their team to move forward and continue to grow. </p>
<p id="UWc0Cq">“This is something we can build off, continue to get better and it showed ourselves and everyone out there how good we could be,” Vandersloot said.</p>
<p id="qJZyIB">“We can guard the best offensive team in the league and hold them to ten points [in the third quarter],” Vandersloot added. “If we can do that every game we’re going to win a lot of games.”</p>
<p id="bZSBMl">For the Sky that starts next Wednesday with a matinee at home against the Dallas Wings. Meanwhile, the Lynx will have six days off to regroup and move west. They’ll face the Phoenix Mercury next Friday.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2017/7/8/15942962/courtney-vandersloot-erupts-sky-rout-lynx-wnbaGiuliana Allegrotti2016-12-28T20:34:53-05:002016-12-28T20:34:53-05:00Cardinal concludes non-conference schedule
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It has been a few years since Stanford has hit triple digits on the score board. Wednesday night they reached that mark easily, as they took down Yale in a blowout. </p> <p id="IBY6ys"><strong>Palo Alto</strong><strong>, CA — </strong>Early in the second quarter, the Yale Bulldogs turned the ball over, it was then inhaled by Stanford guard Marta Sniezek, who threw it ahead to a sprinting Briana Roberson who, at last, found forward Alanna Smith, diving to the basket. The play elicited ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the crowd at Maples Pavilion as the ball never touched the ground. </p>
<p id="EFNt6Y">It was that kind of afternoon for the Cardinal.</p>
<p id="j35WpK">Stanford rolled to a 102-44 victory over Yale on Wednesday. It was the first time all season Yale, who’s currently on a California road trip, played a top-25 opponent all year. For Stanford, it was their last game before they begin conference play in the Pac-12 this Friday.</p>
<p id="vhNmYR">“We needed a really good game for momentum going into the Pac-12 season, and I think we got it,” head coach Tara VanDereer said. “We came out aggressively and played that way the whole game.”</p>
<p id="pS68xC">That Cardinal aggression started from the opening tip, as they forced 19 turnovers and held the Bulldogs to just six first quarter points. Yale amassed a deficit that touched 60 points in the fourth quarter and shot only two free throws.</p>
<p id="4YJO7y">A bright spot for the Bulldogs was the play of freshman guard Megan Gorman, who tied a game-high in scoring with 21 points. Yale fans at the game had more to cheer about when Mountain View native Paige Vermeer entered the game in the fourth quarter. </p>
<p id="bwoPtt">But that wasn’t enough to stifle the balanced Cardinal offense. Every player scored, and they had four players in double figures. Guard Karlie Samuelson led her team in scoring with 21 points and shot 80% from distance. Forward Erica McCall was close behind with 19.</p>
<p id="MoDa2T">VanDerveer spoke about the importance of her team’s offensive balance and getting underclassmen into a game that was in hand early for the Cardinal.</p>
<p id="gJf7ld">“I think it’s real important for [everyone to play]. If they did some good things, that builds their confidence, and if they make mistakes then we can make corrections in a game that’s not a two-point game,” she said.</p>
<p id="HdBdo4"> Also notable for the Cardinal was the play of freshman guard Anna Wilson, who made her season debut during the second quarter. Wilson poured in 11 points in 17 minutes of play. She also shot 3-5 from beyond the arc. </p>
<p id="dBFdCc">While there was no sign of older brother, Russell Wilson, at the game, whose Seattle Seahawks play the 49ers down the road this Sunday in Santa Clara, Anna said it “is a great feeling [knowing her] brother is nearby.”</p>
<p id="9bNWfW">Stanford is now 10-2 and will travel to open up Pac-12 play against No. 18-ranked Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. Friday night. </p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/12/28/14109186/stanford-eclipses-century-mark-yaleGiuliana Allegrotti2016-11-01T12:00:03-04:002016-11-01T12:00:03-04:00Perspective from a fan in Game 5
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<figcaption>Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The players experienced a lot of emotions during Game 5 of the WNBA, however so did the fans sitting on the sidelines of a very exciting game. </p> <p id="elIrcj">A couple of weeks ago (Oct. 20), the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks played in Game 5 of the best-of-five WNBA Finals. The four previous games had been exceptional. The Sparks stole Game 1 on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3e5W76vMFU">buzzer beater from guard Alana Beard</a>. Minnesota roared back in Game 2, dimming the Sparks by 19. </p>
<p id="dGnfmy">After superhuman Candace Parker’s 24 points in Game 3, LA jumped ahead 2-1 in the series. In front of Kobe Bryant and his family at Staples Center, they had the chance to win the ‘ship on their home floor in Game 4, but Lynx guard and 3-time WNBA champion Maya Moore showed the Bryants something different. Moore dropped 31 that night.</p>
<p id="RN108B">Considering the teeter-totter nature of the series in the first four games, I knew Game 5 would be just as competitive. The stage was set Thursday night: superstar vs. superstar, dynasty vs. revamped franchise. My popcorn was popped, the butterflies in my stomach were flapping around, and I was pumped. This was going to be fun. </p>
<p id="2thXr7">And fun it was. So much fun. The biggest lead either team ever held was eight points. In the last 23 seconds, there were four lead changes. Candace, Maya, and Nneka Ogwumike all leaned in and played like champions. You should have watched the whole game, but if you didn’t <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PMe7Kn7MUw">here are the last 23.7 seconds</a> and here are four major thoughts I had: </p>
<p id="XNVGKu"><strong>1. Hold up -- is anyone watching this?</strong></p>
<p id="mbX3oF">I’ve covered the WNBA for about a year, starting in Los Angeles last season with the Sparks, even dappling with the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky. It took me a while to <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9539919/a-champion-rises-a-fan-reflects-former-skeptic">come around</a>, but I truly became a fan of this brand. These women play basketball the way basketball should be played. There’s no showboating, no players taking 50 shots in a single game, pace and space is standard operating procedure.</p>
<p id="C4XTaJ"> <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/the-buzz/article/15577562/draymond-green-learn-more-wnba">True basketball fans</a> watch the WNBA, but was anyone actually watching <em>this</em> game?</p>
<p id="rIC031">ESPN announcer Ryan Ruocco said before the game they were “expecting record crowds” at the Target Center in Minnesota. In fact, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Game 5 was a true sellout and best-attended finals game since 2007.</p>
<p id="T1aw2b"> Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns (in a Maya Moore jersey) and Andrew Wiggins were there, so were Ricky Rubio and Magic Johnson. The Lynx fans were boisterous and loud. In my game notes, I scribbled, “this crowd is lit.” </p>
<p id="rrlcuQ">At halftime, WNBA President Lisa Borders said overall attendance was up 4.6 percent, and league social media use was up on all platforms. I was alone watching on my couch, but maybe I wasn’t the only one.</p>
<p id="V9dgM0"><strong>2. Nneka Ogwumike is my worst nightmare</strong></p>
<p id="YbCoQY">I played basketball from third grade to my senior year of high school. Since I was freakishly tall at a young age, I was in charge of guarding the other big girls. They were few and far between in elementary school rec league, but they started to catch up to me during AAU in middle school. </p>
<p id="7C7ucB">By high school, I was spending 32 minutes four nights a week guarding massive mounds of women. As much as my knees and back could take boxing out 6-foot-3, 230-pound 17-year old girls, at least they stayed pretty stationary around the key and tired easily.</p>
<p id="FLuudL">Which is why Nneka Ogwumike is my worst nightmare. Nneka is fast, active, smart, and relentless. The woman is an <a href="http://www.wnba.com/nneka-ogwumike-2016-wnba-mvp/">MVP</a> for a reason. She crashes the boards tirelessly; she averaged 9.1 rebounds a game during the regular season and had 12 rebounds on Thursday night, including the two she got that led to her game-winning shot. </p>
<p id="QLPy1w">She moves so well in and around the lane, trying to keep track of her should be a defender’s singular task. Nneka has a degree in psychology from Stanford and graduated from the Tara VanDerveer School of Basketball. She never fouled out in a game this season. Nneka would have outworked me, outsmarted me, and driven me crazy.</p>
<p id="8IXQtP"><strong>3. The Sparks are going to win </strong></p>
<p id="94tbEW">With 3:47 left in the fourth quarter, the Sparks were up 66-63. The Lynx had executed an expert defensive possession and LA guard Kristi Toliver found herself alone on an island dribbling around the left side of the court. </p>
<p id="3lgjUO">Making matters worse for Toliver, 6-time WNBA All-Star, and 2011 Finals MVP Seimone Augustus was guarding her. With the shot clock at :02, all Toliver could do was heave it up there, well behind the arc, falling down to her left. Miraculously, improbably, unbelievably, <a href="https://vine.co/v/5w1zHPFFTwD">the ball went in</a>.</p>
<p id="Ch56X5">When crazy stuff like that happens in big games, when people like Kristi Toliver make shots that have no business going in, that’s when championships become tangible. If Toliver was making insane shots like that, I couldn’t help but think this might just be LA’s destiny. </p>
<p id="pJKWgt"><strong>4. Great, Candace, now I’m crying</strong></p>
<p id="uCnsRE">Candace Parker made me cry on Thursday. It wasn’t because she dunked and I was overwhelmed by what it meant for women, it wasn’t because of a cute Instagram post she shared of her daughter, Lailaa. </p>
<p id="N1moH2">It was because after the Sparks won in such dramatic fashion and ESPN’s Holly Rowe asked Candace what the moment meant to her, she was overwhelmed with emotion. In between Parker’s own tears, all she could say was, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26GVWY1j6wo">“this is for Pat.”</a> </p>
<p id="oKhjOb">Pat Summit, the legendary Tennessee basketball coach who coached Parker in her years as a budding superstar, died this June, five years after a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. </p>
<p id="MPqJ06">It was the tragedy on a list of personal setbacks for Parker within the last year or so. She and the Sparks lost in the semifinals to the Lynx in 2015. This summer, she was left off the 12-woman Olympic roster for the games in Rio de Janeiro. All season, Parker played like someone with something to prove. </p>
<p id="FOPVAS">She did that Thursday night. Candace Parker proved she is one of the greatest basketball players ever. When faced with adversity in this series, she rallied her teammates. When the Sparks needed a bucket, Candace delivered. Her leadership, her grace, and how hard she can ball is unmatched.</p>
<p id="Oyh3qS">After the game, Sparks coach Brian Agler said, “I’ve never been around somebody that has been critiqued so hard,” talking about Parker. “And I’ve not ever been around anybody that I’m more happy for than Candace.” </p>
<p id="qDzXlu">I think Candace deserves this. I’m happy for her too.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/11/1/13442050/analysis-game-5-wnba-finalsGiuliana Allegrotti2016-10-05T01:02:59-04:002016-10-05T01:02:59-04:00LA advances to Finals after holding off Chicago
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<figcaption>Gary Dineen - NBAE/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Sparks were able to hold off the gritty Chicago Sky and return to the WNBA Finals for the first time in 13 years. For Candace Parker, the win means fulfilling a statement she made eight years ago — being back in the championship.</p> <p id="b3hIXt"><strong>Rosemont, IL —</strong> After Sunday’s Game 3 loss, Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker said her team got rattled down the stretch and as a result “settled for outside jump shots.” Going into Tuesday night’s Game 4, another chance for LA to punch its ticket to the WNBA Finals, the Sparks were looking to start fast and with more of a, well, spark.</p>
<p id="qUkRDX">And start fast they did. Behind Kristi Toliver’s masterful shooting —she was perfect from the field and finished with 21 points– Los Angeles jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.</p>
<p id="UykJ3g">Balance was the name of the game throughout, with three Sparks players finishing in double figures: league MVP Nneka Ogwumike, Parker and Toliver. Every additional Sparks player who got on the court scored (with the exception of forward Sandrine Gruda who played all of 23 seconds).</p>
<p id="NVUgg5">In the third quarter, Chicago was able to cut the Los Angeles lead to eight points because of their defensive pressure and creation of high percentage shots in the low post, but they had dug themselves in too great a hole to take the lead. </p>
<p id="GAtof1">The Sparks had been too much all game, and now they are headed to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2003.</p>
<p id="dXG3Ba"> *****</p>
<p id="1g2LlX">It may be easy for the casual WNBA fan to forget that Parker has played in the league for eight years, but never been in this position to compete for a title. After all, she’s solidified herself over and over again as one of the premiere players in the world, winning league MVP awards in 2008 and 2013. </p>
<p id="aBMmmc">Night in and night out crowds see Parker play her smooth, poetic, and oft-unstoppable game. It’s just what she does. </p>
<p id="VZ1F0C">Tonight she reached a new pinnacle: taking the franchise back to the Finals. But her path has been a jagged one.</p>
<p id="46UZZc">“My rookie year we came in and went straight to the Western Conference Finals. [They would go on to lose to the San Antonio Silver Stars]. And of course, you’re young; you think ‘oh we’ll be back next year.’ That didn’t happen. And the next year and the next. Then you look up, and it’s 8 years later.”</p>
<p id="mQK0aK">That is why Parker says she can fully celebrate and savor the moment of tonight’s win.</p>
<p id="FmgzYm">“I really appreciate this,” Parker said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, and we’ve done it together.”</p>
<p id="BRYwr5">Ogwumike echoed Parker’s message.</p>
<p id="sBght5">“C is one of the most deserving people of a feat like this. We’re relishing in the moment, we’re excited, we’re ready, and we’re going to focus – after tonight – going to focus and prepare for what’s next.”</p>
<p id="xO99yw">What’s next is Maya Moore and the Minnesota Lynx, the defending WNBA champs. Moore and Minnesota are no strangers to big stages or big rings, and the Sparks have a tall order ahead of them. </p>
<p id="dq5kFZ"> *****</p>
<p id="TFA8uX">Late in the fourth quarter, the game was just out of reach for the Chicago Sky. Parker hit a wild three-pointer with the shot clock expiring. She turned toward the crowd, with a huge, toothy smile across her face. </p>
<p id="OwFLrW">That’s the joy Parker has played with her whole career. And, now, it’s the joy she’ll play within the 2016 WNBA Finals.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/10/5/13169004/candace-parker-sparks-wnba-finalsGiuliana Allegrotti2016-10-02T19:27:15-04:002016-10-02T19:27:15-04:00Poor shot selection dooms Los Angeles
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<figcaption>Juan Ocampo - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Los Angeles entered the game one win shy of advancing to the WNBA Championship. However, halftime adjustments made by Chicago changed the pace of the game, which favored the Sky and forced a game 4 in the series. </p> <p id="8ZRnt5"><strong>Rosemont, IL — </strong>During the Game 1 broadcast last Wednesday night, ESPN reporter Holly Rowe talked with Connecticut Sun forward Chiney Ogwumike about her sister’s chemistry with fellow Sparks forward Candace Parker. Rowe likened the two Los Angeles superstars to Batman and Robin, a superhero and her sidekick. Chiney was quick to correct Rowe. “They’re more like Batman and Batman,” she explained.</p>
<p id="MckLfZ">Overall it was a light moment, but one that indicates what the Los Angeles Sparks are operating with this postseason. Two league MVPs. Two superstars. Batman and Batman.</p>
<p id="PQ2DBq">For the first quarter at least, that was on full display Sunday afternoon at Allstate Arena. The Sparks looked to complete the sweep against the Chicago Sky in Game 3 of the WNBA Semifinals. </p>
<p id="I5beEk">It seemed inevitable early on. The Parker-Ogwumike two-man game couldn’t be stopped. They combined for 19 of their team’s 23 points after the first 10 minutes. </p>
<p id="QXQT3H">But the Sky weren’t done just yet, clawing their way back into the game with their defense. They forced turnovers, rattled the Sparks and, most notably, limited the effectiveness of Parker and Ogwumike.</p>
<p id="ANwlqF">“They wanted to play their zone to take away our post play and our interior,” Parker said after the game. “And for the most part, it worked because we settled for outside jump shots and didn’t attack and penetrate.” </p>
<p id="XGEHRX">Chicago’s Courtney Vandersloot played an outstandingly gritty game, and praised her rookie teammate Imani Boyette’s defensive presence when faced with handling Parker and Ogwumike.</p>
<p id="VfkFn8">“What was most impressive to me were those rebounds she got down the stretch. Those were huge.”</p>
<p id="HjXqhM">Crucial to the Sparks success in Tuesday’s Game 4 will be maintaining their offensive efficacy in the midst of Chicago’s zone, something they failed to do today.</p>
<p id="2dni0k">“In the first quarter our tempo was good, we were playing with pace. If we didn’t get it in transition at least we were setting up our offense with 21, 19 seconds on the shot clock. In the second half, we walked the ball up the court, and we let their zone affect us,” Parker said.</p>
<p id="wowuvx">So Sparks fans have to wait at least another two days to see Batman and Batman jet back to Los Angeles with a ticket to The Finals. League MVP Ogwumike seems unbothered.</p>
<p id="7HKt01">“This is what champions strive for. You’re not going to sweep everybody.”</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/10/2/13142116/batman-robin-parker-ogwumike-can-t-rescue-sparksGiuliana Allegrotti2016-05-14T23:15:09-04:002016-05-14T23:15:09-04:00Home opener spoilers
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<p>The 20th season of the WNBA tipped off Saturday evening. In the battle between the New York Liberty and the Washington Mystics, the Liberty were able to spoil the Mystics home, season opener. All-Star Tina Charles went to work immediately and ended the night with a double-double, 24 and 11.</p> <p></p>
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<p>The District of Columbia was abuzz Saturday night, as the New York Liberty rolled <span>into town</span> to face off against the Washington Mystics in their season opener. As fans packed into the Verizon Center (<span>a nice</span> collection of fathers and daughters, youth teams and kids eagerly waiting <span>for their moment</span> to hit the "<span>dab</span>"), the entire Mystics roster entered the arena personally announced through clouds of artificial smoke.</p>
<p>Some, like Stefanie Dolson, played to the crowd dancing and throwing up her number 31 on her hands. Others, like Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, hobbled out as best she could in a walking boot, after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason. Hobbled or dancing, the 20<sup>th</sup> season of the WNBA was upon us.</p>
<p>The first half began as well as it could have for Washington, with hot starts from the usual suspects: Dolson and Tayler Hill. Dolson was able to assert herself her usual high-low game with her craftiness around the <span>basket,</span> and extended shooting around the key. Hill found herself right on the money in the first half and finished with <span>a team-high 18 points</span>.</p>
<p>Another brief bright spot for the Mystics came from rookie Kahleah Copper, who poured in 7 points and snagged <span>2</span> steals in her WNBA debut. After the game, Mystics head coach Mike Thibault said, "she competed in her first game and nothing but a bright future for her."</p>
<p>On the other side of the basketball, Tina Charles and Sugar Rodgers got going for the Liberty, which led to a tie game <span>at</span> 45 points at the half. Charles was nearly perfect from the left side of the floor.</p>
<p>In the third quarter, the Liberty created some distance from the Mystics with second chance baskets in bunches, namely Charles thrashing her way to the ball in traffic, and easy lay-ups, on account of porous Washington defense and crisp New York ball movement.</p>
<p>Washington showed flickers of life in the fourth quarter from an inspired Bria Hartley, who had 16 points in eight minutes off the bench. Thibault called her, one of "<span>the more</span> <span>encouraging</span> spots" in the game. The Liberty quickly put out that light in the last two minutes, as Charles continued to wear down the Washington defense, the Mystics had some timely turnovers, and went cold on offense.</p>
<p>After the <span>game,</span> Coach Thibault called his team "a mixed bag right now" on account of the injuries to point guard Ivory Latta and Ruffin-Pratt. "The season <span>doesn't</span> stop for us," Thibault said, "so we've got to figure it out."</p>
<p>The Mystics will have another chance to do just that on their home floor this Wednesday at <span>7 p.m.</span> when they host the Dallas Wings.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/5/14/11677252/liberty-flatten-mystics-wnba-openerGiuliana Allegrotti2015-10-15T11:30:02-04:002015-10-15T11:30:02-04:00From nonbeliever to WNBA fan
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<figcaption>Hannah Foslien/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Minnesota Lynx <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/14/9536157/finals-mvp-sylvia-fowles-minnesota-lynx-win-2015-wnba-title-indiana-fever">defeated the Indiana Fever 69-52</a> in a decisive Game 5 Wednesday night for their third WNBA Title in five years. Sylvia Fowles, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds, was named Finals MVP. But for me, yesterday was time for me to reflect on how I truly underestimated the WNBA. </p> <p></p>
<p>I began the 2015 WNBA season regrettably with a belief I think many people have. The Women's National Basketball Association is weak, the girls are slow, and unless you want to see an onslaught of layups, you don't watch. I even played basketball growing up and never saw the WNBA as anything more than a punch line.</p>
<p>Boy, was I wrong.</p>
<p>This revelation started to come to me around July, when I began covering games for Swish Appeal. I watched WNBA teams from all over the country and was reminded of the facets of women's basketball that make it unique, and arguably superior to the men's game: dynamic fundamentals, team discipline and tremendous effort.</p>
<p>Suddenly women I had watched play in NCAA Women's Tournament when I was a high school basketball player, were sprinkled back into my life.</p>
<p>Players like Candice Wiggins and Nneka Ogwumike were easy to spot, I had cheered for them at Stanford like all Cardinal teams, plus I still followed them on Twitter and Instagram as if they were my cooler older sisters, whose glamorous lives I found enviable.</p>
<p>But Ivory Latta, who had been washed from my memory, was back in my life again, only now wearing the patriotic colors of the Washington Mystics not the iconic blue of North Carolina. She was still as much of a nuisance on defense as I remember her at UNC.</p>
<p>There were new players I did not know from their collegiate lives I got to learn about too. Serbian Ana Dabovic of the Sparks is one of the scrappiest, toughest players I've ever seen. She can come off the bench and ignite her team, diving on the floor for loose balls, taking hard fouls and pumping her chest.</p>
<p>And then there was Candace Parker.</p>
<p>Like most, I was introduced to Candace at Tennessee, as a powerhouse for Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols, one of the best players in the country. Years later, Parker was still ballin' at an out-of-control level; she was seasoned and smarter but nonetheless dominant.</p>
<p>I watched Candace a lot this season because I, too, live in Los Angeles, and her Sparks were just down the street. Every game I watched she did something spectacular, that made you say, "Wow, how on Earth did she do that?!"</p>
<p>As my fandom for the WNBA reached unprecedented levels, the playoffs started. Just my luck! Now I would get to watch the best teams compete in the most dire situations at the highest levels. And these playoffs did not disappoint.</p>
<p>Five different series came down to the last game, players like league MVP Elena Delle Donne and the New York Liberty's Tina Charles elevated their teams, and last night, after the confetti has fallen, the Minnesota Lynx are the champions of the WNBA.</p>
<p>It was a winner-take-all Game 5 between the Lynx and Indiana Fever. In Game 3, Maya Moore knocked down a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give her team the edge, causing <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a> guard and fellow champion <span>Klay Thompson</span> to tweet, "Maya Moore cold blooded" and Prince himself post, "MAYA MOORE... that's all."</p>
<p>However, Wednesday night, it was more than just Maya. Sylvia Fowles was positively dominant in the low post, imposed her will under the basket and owned the game. Rebekkah Brunson unloaded offensively for the Lynx with 10 points, her highest total in the series, and perennial champion Seimone Augustus had 16.</p>
<p>The 19 turnovers for the Fever did not help their cause, neither did the fact that they scored only 12 points combined in the second and third quarters. It was all Minnesota tonight as they were rightfully crowned the champions of the WNBA.</p>
<p>Looking back at my old ways, when I scoffed at the prospect of watching a WNBA game or even replied "why?" at the suggestion, I'm embarrassed at my neglect. The WNBA is jam packed with talent.</p>
<p>These women can <i>ball</i>. And now I feel so thankful to have not only had the opportunity to realize that this season, but to help put the league on the esteemed pedestal where it belongs.</p>
<p>I can't wait for the 2016 season... is it June yet?</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9539919/a-champion-rises-a-fan-reflects-former-skepticGiuliana Allegrotti2015-09-18T12:02:19-04:002015-09-18T12:02:19-04:00Sparks have momentum, can they beat the Lynx?
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<figcaption>David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Los Angeles and Minnesota begin their three-game series on Friday</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Los Angeles, CA --</b> When I walked into the Galen Center at the University of Southern California Wednesday morning to watch the Los Angeles Sparks practice, the first team was running through their offensive sets.</p>
<p>In true Sparks fashion, it involved lots of slicing and dicing toward the basket, with bunches of no-look passes sprinkled in, and chatter so loud I could barely hear the voice of first-year head coach Brian Agler calling out plays.</p>
<p>And from the moment I arrived, forward Nneka Ogwumike stood out to me. She was by far the loudest player on the floor, slapping high fives, giving her teammates props, checking in with her coaches to make sure everything was copacetic. She was locked in.</p>
<p>"I try my best to create a contagious atmosphere in terms of how I approach the game with aggressiveness to my teammates," Ogwumike said after practice. "We worked our way back into this, and it has to be worth something."</p>
<p>The ‘this' Ogwumike is referring to, of course, is the playoff race itself. At the end of July, the Sparks were a lackluster 6-14 and the playoffs for Los Angeles seemed like a pipe dream. However, guard Alana Beard returned from injury, forward Candace Parker came back from a July respite, and the Sparks were given new life.</p>
<p>Much of that can be attributed to Parker, who's averaging a double-double every night and at least one moment that makes you say, "how on Earth did she do that?!"</p>
<p>Adler recognizes Parker's influence goes beyond the scoring and razzle-dazzle, though. "It's her ability to defend, distribute the basketball and rebound. This year she's really done a good job of bringing the best out of her teammates."</p>
<p>As the Sparks whip the ball around during those offensive sets at practice, it's easy to see why they lead the league in assists per game at 18.3. They thrive when they are going fast, and succeed when they make the extra pass.</p>
<p>Even so, the Sparks will face a formidable opponent in the Minnesota Lynx, a team they went 1-3 against in the regular season. But Ogwumike says it isn't their high-octane offense that's going to give them the best opportunity to compete in the three-game series.</p>
<p>"We have such an offensive arsenal on our team, but our defense is really what's going to hold our team together."</p>
<p>We'll see tonight when the Sparks visit the Lynx at 9 pm EST in Game 1.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/9/18/9341301/momentum-sparks-playoff-push-beginsGiuliana Allegrotti2015-09-06T19:33:14-04:002015-09-06T19:33:14-04:00Sparks headed to playoffs
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<figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With one win between them and the playoffs, Candace Parker made sure that the Los Angeles Sparks were getting in today, as she notched 33 points in an epic performance.</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Los Angeles, CA --</b> Candace Parker isn't like the rest of us. While you lounged sluggishly on your couch Sunday afternoon, lethargy induced from that big brunch you had, Parker was putting on a show at the Staples Center.</p>
<p>She knocked down a three at the buzzer to close the first half, she fired no-look passes in flashes at Nneka Ogwumike, finished the game with 33 points, and took a charge in the fourth quarter just for kicks. When the Tulsa Shock went on a run in the third quarter, Candace knocked down a three, because she's Candace, and that's what she does.</p>
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<b>Related</b>: <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/9/6/9270985/candace-parkers-powerful-passion-fueling-sparks">Candace Parker's powerful passion fueling Sparks</a>
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<p>And give the Tulsa Shock credit, Parker at times was almost unfair, and they got down by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, but chipped away at that lead and cut it to 4 with six minutes left in the game. Much of that had to do with the timely shooting of forward Plenette Pierson, who finished with 21 points and guard Odyssey Sims, who had a quiet 21 points.</p>
<p>However, the high-low game between Parker and Ogwumike was just too overwhelming for Tulsa, the duo combined for 59 of their team's 92 points, and at multiple points in the game seemed like they were competing with one another. As electric as Parker was from all over the floor, Ogwumike was just as dominant in the low post and on the baseline, racking up 26 points and 9 rebounds.</p>
<p>As the curtain starts to close on the regular season, the Sparks and Shock both seem primed for deep runs in the playoffs. That quest continues in Atlanta on Wednesday for the Sparks and Tuesday against the San Antonio Stars for the Shock.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/9/6/9270467/candace-parkers-33-points-usher-sparks-playoffsGiuliana Allegrotti