Swish Appeal: All Posts by Ruben PalaciosBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2015-11-13T14:17:21-05:00https://www.swishappeal.com/authors/ruben-palacios/rss2015-11-13T14:17:21-05:002015-11-13T14:17:21-05:00Miami wakes up in time to take down Wright State
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<p>The Miami Hurricanes overcame a 27-point outing from potential All-American Kim Demmings, in a 80-67 win over Wright State. Jessica Thomas, who went toe-to-toe with Demmings, scored 17 points in the win.</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Miami, FL -- </b>In front of a program-record crowd, the Miami Hurricanes started off their season on a high note with an 80-67 win over Wright State on Friday at the Bank United Center.</p>
<p>The crowd of 4,034 screaming fans seemed to lift Miami against an opponent that would not go away. The Hurricanes managed to pull away late, but it wasn't easy.</p>
<p>"Getting our team prepared for this game was very difficult," Hurricanes coach Katie Meier said. "So this is without question the toughest first game I've ever had at Miami, and that's a total compliment to Wright State."</p>
<p>Miami hit the snooze button one too many times to start the game, and Wright State took full advantage. The Raiders stormed out to a 17-4 lead over the Hurricanes by creating space and setting up their three-point shooters.</p>
<p>Facing a big deficit early, Meier was forced to call an early timeout to regroup her team.</p>
<p>"I told them ‘we're fine' because I didn't want them to see any panic from me," Meier said. "I totally expected [Wright State] to come out of the gates on fire. They're pumped up at an ACC game and the crowd affects them too."</p>
<p>Wright State star Kim Demmings, let Miami know early that she was ready to play, scoring seven points during the first period. Though Wright State pushed the game early on, the Hurricanes maintained their poise and ended the quarter with a 13-6 run and trimmed the deficit to 23-17.</p>
<p>"The crowd helped us get our groove back," said Miami forward Keyona Harris, who nearly notched a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.</p>
<p>"It felt like March Madness," Hurricanes guard Jessica Thomas added. "Playing in front of that crowd made it even bigger, and that's what really made the environment so electric."</p>
<p>Miami came out during the second quarter in the same fashion it ended the first: on a tear. The Hurricanes outscored Wright State 23-14 in the second by pushing the pace offensively and catching the Raiders napping in transition, while also pressing after almost every made basket. Since trailing 17-4 to start the game, Miami went on a 36-20 run to take a 40-37 lead into halftime.</p>
<p>Demmings paced the way in the first half, scoring a game-high 17 points on an efficient 7 of 12 from the field. While Keyona Harris and Michelle Woods led the way for Miami with 10 and nine points, respectively.</p>
<p>After halftime, it was Thomas that took over the ball game for Miami, scoring 13 points in the third quarter after an array of three-point baskets. Thomas, who struggled in the first half and was pulled from the game early in the first, enjoyed a team-high 17 points after three-quarters, as Miami held onto a 61-53 lead.</p>
<p>"At the half, had [Jessica Thomas] been a freshman I would have been worried, but she's played in a ton of big time games for us," Meier said of Thomas' big third-quarter performance. "She flushed the first half down the toilet and got back out there. I can't coach without her."</p>
<p>In the fourth, both squads withstood big runs early, but Miami enjoyed one last run with over three minutes to play that put them up by a game-high 15 points.</p>
<p>Thomas led the way for the Hurricanes with a team-high 17 points. Hayes and Michelle Woods both added 14 points, and Adrienne Motley scored 13 points.</p>
<p>Wright State's Demmings proved to be more than the hype as she finished with a game-high 27 points on 11 of 22 shooting from the field.</p>
<p>"I have a feeling she knows I'm on the All-American committee or something because she was really showing off," Meier said of Demmings' outing.</p>
<p>In a game of runs, Miami withstood the efficient play of the Horizon League power and came out with a 1-0 record before suiting up again on Sunday against Bethune-Cookman University.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/11/13/9730908/record-crowd-4034-fans-watch-miami-storm-past-wright-stateRuben Palacios2015-11-13T00:27:51-05:002015-11-13T00:27:51-05:00Miami v. Wright State Preview
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<p>Here is our preview of Miami's game against one of the top mid-majors in the country Wright State -- and their high-scoring superstar Kim Demmings.</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Miami, FL --</b> The University of Miami opens up its season on Friday, November 13 in an unusual 11 a.m. matchup against Horizon League power Wright State.</p>
<p>Power conference schools like Miami usually schedule weaker opponents for their season openers, but this isn't the case with Wright State, a team that was an overtime period away from qualifying for the NCAA Tournament last season. The Raiders are a potent team, headlined by redshirt senior Kim Demmings, who suffered a season-ending injury in last season's opener.</p>
<p>"They're good," Hurricanes coach Katie Meier said. "They're much changed, but the secret weapon that they have is Kim Demmings. She can score like you have not seen; she can really score the basketball."</p>
<p>The senior averaged 22.4 points per game during her Horizon League Player of the Year campaign two seasons ago, so Miami understands this is no pushover team, and they are embracing the challenge as something that will prepare this team down the road.</p>
<p>"This is not a soft opening game by any stretch of the imagination. This is a 20-win team, a postseason team, and we're going to need all of our attention to compete and beat them," Meier said. "We don't want easy runs early on. We really want to fine-tune our team, and so much of it is going to be decisions that I have to make.</p>
<p>"I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself this year on which lineups play well together, did I make the right call, there's a lot going on in my head."</p>
<p>Miami is fresh off an 83-53 exhibition win over Nova Southeastern University 83-53 on November 4. The Hurricanes controlled the tempo of the game and enjoyed all five starters scoring in double digits.</p>
<p>"We're really good, that's the biggest thing," said guard Jessica Thomas, who scored 11 points in the win. "We have some things we need to work on defensively. We have so much offensive talent around us, but defense is the big thing. We learned that we need to focus a little more on defense, we need more of an edge on defense, more pride on defense."</p>
<p><b>Can Hurricanes storm into the postseason again?</b></p>
<p>Playing into the postseason has become somewhat of a norm in Coral Gables, as the Hurricanes have earned either a WNIT or NCAA Tournament berth in six consecutive seasons.</p>
<p>With the return of last season's top-three leading scorers in Adrienne Motley (16.9 ppg), Thomas (9.3 ppg) and Michelle Woods (8.5 ppg), Miami is in great position to make a run for the ACC Championship and return to the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p>Establishing their dominance in what will likely be an ultra-competitive ACC is already an early goal for the Hurricanes.</p>
<p>"I want to win the ACC Championship," Thomas said. "My main focus isn't about points or about the stat line; it's about making sure that we win at the end of the day."</p>
<p>Miami has a helter-skelter schedule to start the season -- playing six games in a span of 16 days before November ends -- which can either prepare them for the long, dragging days of conference play or in a slump to start the year. Meier believes the former is true.</p>
<p>"There's no time for anyone to get in their own heads or get their feelings hurt," Meier said. "Our starting lineups for the season will depend on the matchup, period. We have a good seven to eight players that are absolute ACC starters, which is a great problem to have."</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/11/13/9723990/high-hopes-miami-early-game-wright-state-previewRuben Palacios2015-11-06T10:00:03-05:002015-11-06T10:00:03-05:00Will anyone be able to top WKU in C-USA?
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<p>The powers in a top-heavy Conference USA will remain on top in 2015-2016, as Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee look destined to battle for the top spot. Beyond them, C-USA will be riddled with competitiveness that will make it impossible for any school to take any one game for granted.</p> <p></p>
<p>Western Kentucky, which ran away with Conference USA last year with a 30-5 (16-2 C-USA) record, probably lost the most talent from last season over to this upcoming year after losing 2014-2015 C-USA Player of the Year Chastity Gooch and fellow All-Conference First Teamer Alexis Govan to graduation.</p>
<p>The loss of two All-Conference players will surely shake up the outlook of this season's squad.</p>
<p>"We are really excited to get the year started and get everything going, but we are going to have a whole new look," said Michelle Clark-Heard, who is entering her fourth season at her alma mater. "We had a lot of veterans on last year's team, players that have been here with us since our coaching staff took over, so that really helped this past season.</p>
<p>"We had a couple players that we could always put the ball in their hands. This year the difference will be that we are going to do a lot of things by committee."</p>
<p>On most occasions, the loss of two high-caliber talents would result in a drop of expectations, but that isn't the case with the Hilltoppers.</p>
<p>WKU is under the helm of a two-time Coach of the Year in Clark-Heard, and they expect to continue firing on all cylinders and building on the NCAA Tournament berth earned last season.</p>
<p>Not all of WKU's talent left in a cap and gown, as guard Kendall Noble, who averaged 10.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 34 games last season, returns for her redshirt junior campaign.</p>
<p>Noble often went overlooked last season because Gooch and Govan took much of the spotlight away, though it can be argued that claiming the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year award and a spot on the All-Conference second team is a massive achievement for the third best player on a team that went 30-5 a year ago.</p>
<p>"Kendall Noble is a do-it-all player that has done a ton for us," Clark-Heard said. "She is one of the one's we have talked to a lot about stepping up and putting more on her shoulder."</p>
<p>Noble is more than capable of stepping up to an increased role this season, but she won't be asked to replace the production of two All-Conference players. The Hilltoppers will also rely heavily on senior Micah Jones, who started all of WKU's 35 games last season. Also on Clark-Heard's short list of talented players that can step up is All-Freshman Team selection, Tashia Brown.</p>
<p>"Kendall understood her role last season. She would just do whatever it took, but now I think she understands that she has the ability to do whatever she needs to do," Clark-Heard said. "In my eyes, we have three starters that are back, and we lost a lot, but we have to continue to keep talking to our players and getting them better."</p>
<p>They don't have the names opposing coaches are used to game planning against anymore, but that may be a good thing for the Hilltoppers. Despite the loss of two stars, WKU still has the firepower and raw talent to compete amongst the top teams in Conference USA in 2015-2016.</p>
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<p><b>Blue Raiders return to the top?</b></p>
<p>Like Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee lost a very critical piece to its program after last season as senior forward Cheyenne Parker was selected as the fifth overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft. Parker averaged 18.6 points and 11 rebounds per game for a Blue Raiders squad that went 24-10 (14-4 C-USA) last season.</p>
<p>Replacing the production Parker provided on both sides of the ball will be difficult to say the least, but Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Insell is a proven winner no matter who he has on his roster.</p>
<p>As a matter of fact, last year's 24-10 record was the worst under Insell since the team went 22-12 during the 2007-2008 campaign. So it's needless to say that the Blue Raiders' consistency over the years despite the different rosters almost ensures this team will be somewhere atop the C-USA standings when it's all said and done.</p>
<p>Middle Tennessee won't need to look too far for a star player to fill Parker's void. Returning for the Blue Raiders is last season's leading scorer, junior guard Olivia Jones. With Jones, a First-Team All C-USA member from last season, Middle Tennessee has an athlete that can take over a game at any particular moment. Jones averaged 19.8 points and 8.1 rebounds last season and was a huge factor in last year's deep run into the WNIT.</p>
<p>Junior guard Ty Petty also seems primed to pick up a bigger role in the offense this season. One year removed from averaging 11.6 points and leading the team with 104 assists; Petty will be asked to score more often while still facilitating to her teammates.</p>
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<p><b>Do the Eagles soar or flail?</b></p>
<p>Southern Mississippi enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history last year, going 25-11 (13-5 C-USA) and making a deep run in the WNIT. The program was led by two All-Conference players in the first-team member Tamara Jones and second-teamer Jerontay Clemons. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, only one of those players is suiting up this season as Jones was lost to graduation.</p>
<p>Clemons returns for her senior season with the opportunity to build on what was an excellent all-around campaign a year ago. She averaged 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.</p>
<p>The 5-foot-8 senior will have a lot to prove this season on whether or not she can expand her game and successfully embrace a bigger role on this team. Clemons isn't a great shooter -- she shot just 44 percent from the field and 56 percent from the free-throw line last season -- and she often was too careless with turnovers.</p>
<p>Despite nitpicking at Clemons' slight flaws, there is definitely space for her to come out this season and prove to any doubters that she can, in fact, take the next step in developing her game. Already a fierce defender, if Clemons can improve her shooting and game-management skills she can guide Southern Miss to another great season and have them near the top of the conference once again.</p>
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<p><b>Are they creeping toward the top?</b></p>
<p>On any given day, Old Dominion can beat any team in C-USA. How so? Well, Old Dominion has Jennie Simms, who averaged 19.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season. Simms led Old Dominion to a 21-13 (11-7 C-USA) record and a berth to the WNIT.</p>
<p>Simms, a transfer from LSU, will have every opportunity to replicate and expand on last season's performance because she's simply the go-to player on this Old Dominion squad. If the redshirt junior can produce more games like her 45-point outburst against FIU last season more often, she might be able to legitimately contend for Conference Player of the Year honors.</p>
<p>She was All-Conference First Team during her first season at Old Dominion, so there isn't much to improve on but the truly great players manage to build a mantle big enough to fit a bigger trophy year in and year out.</p>
<p>The Monarchs are a legit threat to anyone. Simms is a legit threat to torch anyone. The only downfall? With a huge target on her back, can Simms build on last year's great season.</p>
<p><b>2015-2016 C-USA Preseason Player of the Year:</b> Olivia Jones, Middle Tennessee, Jr., G/F</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>2015-2016 All-Conference USA First Team</b></p>
<p>Kendall Noble, WKU, RS-Jr., G, Hazard</p>
<p>Olivia Jones, Middle Tennessee, Jr., G/F</p>
<p>Jennie Simms, Old Dominion, Sr., F</p>
<p>Lefty Webster, Charlotte, Jr., G</p>
<p>Jerontay Clemons, Southern Miss, Sr.</p>
<p>Leah Scott, Marshall, Sr., G/F</p>
<p>Cameasha Turner, UTEP, Sr.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/11/6/9679130/conference-usa-runs-through-hills-of-western-kentuckyRuben Palacios2015-09-22T13:00:02-04:002015-09-22T13:00:02-04:00Washington vs. New York Game 3 preview
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<p>Here's a preview of tonight's elimination game between Washington and New York. </p> <p></p>
<p>With the series tied going into a deciding Game 3 in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the New York Liberty will look to avoid a monumental upset at the hands of the Washington Mystics.</p>
<p>The Liberty stumbled into the 2015 playoffs, going 6-4 in its final 10 games and losing two consecutive contests to end the season. Despite the late-season struggles, the Liberty stepped into the playoffs with the league's best record and to a matchup with the Mystics.</p>
<p>Heavily favored in the first-round matchup, the Liberty were utterly shocked when the Mystics outlasted them <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/9/18/9355415/latta-mystics-stun-liberty-double-ot-thriller">86-83 in the series opener that went into double overtime</a>. New York hindered its own production in Game 1 by missing 10 free throws -- some of them at critical moments down the stretch -- and being unable to come up with stops when they most needed them.</p>
<p>Mystics guard Ivory Latta scored a team-high 15 points in the Game 1 win, while Epiphanny Prince added a game-high 26 points in a losing effort for the Liberty.</p>
<p>New York looked like a team fighting for its season in Game 2, coming out of the gate firing and opening a 23-15 lead after the first quarter. With a seven-point lead coming out of halftime, the Liberty again played like a desperate team, and it paid off as they outscored Washington by 11 points in the third quarter. New York's Tina Charles led the way with 22 points, 17 of which came in the third quarter as she helped her team pull away to a dominant 86-68 victory.</p>
<p>To advance, the Liberty will need to keep feeding one of their biggest mismatches in Charles, who is averaging a series-high 22 points per game thus far. New York has outscored Washington by 31 points with Charles on the court, and will need that production to continue in order to avoid the upset.</p>
<p>Washington, on the other hand, has nothing to lose as it entered the series as a huge underdog, and has already proven that it can compete with the Liberty. In order to advance, the Mystics need to adjust their gameplan to what worked in Game 1, where they physically imposed their will and made an impact on the boards against the league's best rebounding team.</p>
<p>If Latta, who is averaging 15 points per game in the series, can get help around her like she did in Game 1 when three teammates also scored in double figures then Washington has a chance of upsetting the league's top overall seed.</p>
<p>The winner of Game 3 will earn a date with the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference Finals.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/9/22/9371071/game-3-preview-washington-new-yorkRuben Palacios2015-08-26T21:35:42-04:002015-08-26T21:35:42-04:00Fever's 6-game winning streak snapped by Sparks
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<figcaption>Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Yes, Candace Parker was great tonight, almost netting a triple-double, but two words come to mind in why the Sparks snapped the Indiana Fever's six-game winning streak: Ana Dabovic
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<p>Ana Dabovic hit a step-back jump shot with 6.1 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to give the Los Angeles Sparks an 81-79 victory over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.</p>
<p>The Sparks led 79-73 with less than a minute to play, but the Fever scored six unanswered points to the tie the game before Dabovic's game winner. Fever guard Shavonte Zellous had an opportunity to the tie the game at the free-throw line with 1.9 seconds to play but she missed both tries.</p>
<p>The Fever (17-10) came out of the gate firing on all cylinders and brought the game to Los Angeles early. Seven different Indiana players scored in the first quarter as the Fever took a 25-21 lead over the Sparks after the opening period. Los Angeles managed to keep the game close behind the hot-shooting Kristi Toliver, who scored 11 first-quarter points on 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range.</p>
<p>Indiana led 43-39 going into halftime after shooting an efficient 51 percent from the field. Fever forward Lynetta Kizer led the way with a team-high 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field early on. With a 26-12 advantage in points in the paint, Indiana showed they could score often on the Sparks' much taller and bigger frontcourt.</p>
<p>Candace Parker struggled mightily in the first half, scoring just four points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field. Indiana's game plan focused on double-teaming Parker as soon as she received a pass from her teammates.</p>
<p>Los Angeles (11-17) came alive in the third quarter, outscoring the Fever 23-18 to take a one-point lead into the final quarter. Parker thrived in the third period as she scored eight points to help her team claw back into the game. Going into the fourth quarter, Los Angeles led 62-61 despite only taking its first lead of the game with just two minutes left in the third quarter.</p>
<p>Parker, as only she could, managed to turn an awful shooting night into a near triple double. She finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Dabovic added 18 points, nine of which came in the pivotal fourth quarter. Jantel Lavender added 17 points and six rebounds, while Toliver finished the night with 16 points.</p>
<p>Tamika Catchings became the first player in WNBA history to record 1,000 steals with a half-court swipe early in the third quarter. She also recorded her 95<sup>th</sup> career double-double with a 10 point, 10 rebound performance.</p>
<p>Shenise Johnson led the Fever in scoring with 16 points, while also adding four rebounds and two assists.</p>
<p>With the win, Los Angeles snapped Indiana's six-game winning streak. The Sparks are now 8-2 in their last ten games.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/8/26/9212999/a-game-of-steals-catchings-breaks-record-but-sparks-steal-winRuben Palacios2015-08-18T22:42:49-04:002015-08-18T22:42:49-04:00Williams guides Shock to huge win over Mercury
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<figcaption>Chris Poss</figcaption>
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<p>Two things led to Tulsa's easy win over the Mercury: defense and Riquna Williams. While Williams led the Shock offensively, their defense was top-notch, as Phoenix was held to 59 points.</p> <p></p>
<p>The Tulsa Shock used a full-fledged defensive effort to end a five-game home losing streak and take a 74-59 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday at the BOK Center.</p>
<p>Led by Riquna Williams' 18 points, four members of the Shock scored in double digits. Karima Christmas and Odyssey Sims added 15 points each, while Courtney Paris recorded an impressive double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.</p>
<p>Tulsa (12-14) raced out to a 19-14 lead after the first quarter, knowing that getting off to a solid start against one of the best teams in the league would be key. The second quarter featured a slow pace, but the Shock managed to build their lead and go into halftime with a 35-25 advantage.</p>
<p>The Mercury, who entered Tuesday's game averaging 75.6 points per game, were limited to a lowly 59 points on 33.3 percent shooting from the field. Brittney Griner struggled to find ways to contribute on the night, scoring just nine points and grabbing seven rebounds.</p>
<p>"I thought Tulsa controlled the game for the most part of it. I don't think we brought the right aggressive mentality that we needed to play against a team like the Shock," Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. "We've had tough games against Tulsa. They're very athletic, and they can score from multiple positions, with obviously their guards, but Christmas pounded us on the boards.</p>
<p>"They showed their toughness tonight. Credit to Tulsa, they played well tonight."</p>
<p>Candice Dupree continued to play well for Phoenix (15-10), which has now lost two consecutive games. She scored a team-high 18 points and added four rebounds. Over her last eight games, Dupree is averaging a remarkable 16.3 points per game.</p>
<p>Despite the solid outing, Dupree noticed her team wasn't firing on all cylinders early in the game, and that cost them at the end.</p>
<p>"Tulsa played really well, and their athleticism hurt us," Dupree said. "We have to be more consistent for an entire 40 minutes and not try and turn it on after halftime."</p>
<p>Tulsa is showing signs of life, and after overcoming a 10-game losing streak it has won consecutive games. The win also gives the Shock a much-needed victory over Phoenix, an opponent they were 0-3 against entering Tuesday and could face in the playoffs.</p>
<p><b>"</b>I think the key to that is we learned to slow the ball down a little bit and don't panic, don't start putting up shots right away. I thought we moved the ball a little bit more. Some baskets we didn't hit in the past, we are making them," Tulsa coach Fred Williams said about his team's turnaround.</p>
<p>"That's the big difference, same with the New York game; we made a big basket when they made a run at us. Defense is starting to get the rotation a little better also."</p>
<p>A Sims floater high off the glass over Marta Xargay Casademont and Griner with 55 seconds left in the game put the Shock up by double digits and served as the dagger in the win.</p>
<p>Overall, Tulsa dominated the Mercury in assists, total rebounds, offensive rebounds and in fast-break points. Phoenix scored 30 points in the paint, which at times helped them stay in the game but ultimately wasn't enough for a win.</p>
<p>Phoenix now heads back home to Arizona for a matchup against the reeling Los Angeles Sparks on Friday. Tulsa will look to extend its winning streak to three games on Friday as well in a battle with the Connecticut Sun.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/8/18/9175079/offensive-woes-doom-mercury-in-loss-to-shockRuben Palacios2015-08-07T00:50:35-04:002015-08-07T00:50:35-04:00Ogwumike, Sparks crush Shock by 27
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<figcaption>NBAE Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Los Angeles Sparks have now won four games in a row, as they pummeled the Tulsa Shock. The Sparks got a game-high 26 points from Nneka Ogwumike.</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Los Angeles, CA -- </b>Nneka Ogwumike tied a career-high with 26 points while helping the Los Angeles Sparks dismantle the Tulsa Shock 84-57 on Thursday at the Staples Center.</p>
<p>Ogwumike enjoyed a dominant performance, in which she shot a cool 11-of-16 from the field and added five rebounds. Sparks forward Candace Parker continued to play solid basketball since joining the team, as she recorded a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.</p>
<p>Los Angeles (7-14) improved to 4-1 since Parker returned to the team. Now on a four-game win streak, the Sparks are playing their best basketball in a long time.</p>
<p>"I think it's just kind of to come in and lock down defensively, I think we're playing some of the best team defense in a long time, and that's allowing us to come out in transition, and that's key for us," Parker said of her team's sudden resurgence. "If we can do that, we're capable of playing in the half court and capable of limiting teams and we'll be a force to reckon with."</p>
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<p>The Sparks used stingy defense and a high-octane offense to completely dominate the Shock in the first half, taking a 41-26 lead into the break. The 26 points were a season-low in any half for Tulsa. An 18-2 run in favor of the Sparks helped blow the game wide open in the second quarter.</p>
<p>Los Angeles outrebounded Tulsa 24-17 and turned that into an 8-0 advantage in fast break points. It seemed that every time Tulsa missed a shot, the Sparks turned an outlet pass into an easy, fast break or a crisp set up to their half-court offense.</p>
<p>Ogwumike led the way in the first half with 14 points and three rebounds. While Parker found a number of ways to contribute, scoring four points and adding seven rebounds and three assists.</p>
<p>Overall, Tulsa shot a mediocre 22.6 percent from the field in the first half. Plenette Pierson led the way for the lowly Shock early on, scoring a team-leading six points and grabbing three rebounds before halftime.</p>
<p>"Los Angeles just jumped on us in the beginning. [Los Angeles Sparks] was great on the fast break, getting second-chance points, and grabbing offensive rebounds," Tulsa head coach Fred Williams said. "They just buried us in a hole and we couldn't overcome it."</p>
<p>A 10-0 run in the third quarter gave the Sparks a 25-point lead at the three-minute mark - the 25-point difference represented the team's largest lead of the season.</p>
<p>Forward Karima Christmas added eight points and three rebounds for the Shock, but shot just 1-of-6 from the field.</p>
<p>Overall, Los Angeles outperformed Tulsa at almost every facet of the game. The Sparks shot 54 percent from the field compared to 26.2 percent for the Shock. Los Angeles also took big advantages in fast break points (13-0) and points in the paint (50-26).</p>
<p>With the loss, Tulsa dropped to 10-12 on the season and is now owners of an eight-game losing streak. After starting the season 8-3, the Shock have won just 2 of their past 10 games.</p>
<p>"We're still hungry. We're still fighting for victories," Williams said. "When we go on a losing streak like this, it's all about sticking together and fighting hard. Tonight just wasn't out night."</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/8/7/9114947/streaking-sparks-l-a-crushes-shock-by-27-win-4th-straightRuben Palacios2015-07-30T09:08:40-04:002015-07-30T09:08:40-04:00Stars blowout Dream 102-85
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<p>The San Antonio Stars dominated the Atlanta Dream with a 102-85 win at home. All-Star Kayla McBride led the Stars with 25 points. </p> <p></p>
<p>The San Antonio Stars cruised past the Atlanta Dream with a <a href="http://www.wnba.com/game/20150729atlsan/">102-85 victory </a>on Wednesday at the AT&T Center.</p>
<p>Stars guard Kayla McBride enjoyed one of her best games of the season with a 25-point performance that saw her score an eye-popping 21 points in the first half. Overall, she shot an efficient 7-of-10 from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.</p>
<p>Jayne Appel scored a career-high 15 points and added eight rebounds and three assists to help San Antonio to a dominant win.</p>
<p>McBride set the tone early for her team, as she scored 13 first-quarter points and virtually outplayed the Dream by herself. Atlanta, as a whole, barely managed to outscore McBride in the first quarter, 18-13, and trailed the Silver Stars 25-18 after one.</p>
<p>The Stars took a 47-42 lead going into halftime, as McBride continued to pile on the points against a Dream defense that simply could not contain her. McBride added eight points in the second quarter, giving her 21 first-half points.</p>
<p>San Antonio came out in the second half with much more energy than Atlanta, and it showed with a 15-2 run to begin the third quarter. The Stars never lifted their foot off the gas pedal in the second half, and the Dream struggled once the deficit got into double digits.</p>
<p>"I thought that we really came out and had a good third quarter. And it was one of those days that we really shot the ball well," Stars Head Coach Dan Hughes said. "Good team victory. I thought there were several pieces that really helped us throughout our lineup."</p>
<p>Atlanta guard Angel McCoughtry, who entered Wednesday averaging 19.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, was limited to 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. The All-Star did not have much of an impact on the game, finishing with just one rebound and one assist.</p>
<p><i>"</i>Today was just a tough game. The Stars had some great shots and defensively we just have to do better," McCoughtry said following the lopsided loss. "Pick and rolls and overall just being more aggressive. We can't have a game like this, it's unacceptable. We have to come with more energy and focused. We have more games, so we're going to bounce back."</p>
<p>The Stars' defense stifled Atlanta throughout the game. Overall, the Dream was held to just 43.9 percent shooting from the field and 23.1 percent from beyond three-point range. San Antonio really limited Atlanta's success outside of the paint - the Dream scored 50 points in and just 35 outside the paint.</p>
<p>"I think it has been a big emphasis for us, especially on this team with Angel (McCoughtry). Their guards like to penetrate so much. I think we did a really good job; our posts did a really good job," McBride said of the stingy defense her team played.</p>
<p>"We are just communicating better. Like I said, it just comes with us jelling and finding our chemistry and things like that and showing our defense today."</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/7/30/9072689/mccoughtry-calls-dreams-blowout-loss-to-stars-unacceptableRuben Palacios2015-07-15T07:00:02-04:002015-07-15T07:00:02-04:00Moore and Augustus dominate Sun
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<figcaption>Photo by Chris Poss</figcaption>
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<p>Minnesota Lynx stars Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus were just too much for the Connecticut Sun, as they scored more than half of their team's points. </p> <p></p>
<p>Behind a combined 47 points from Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus, the Minnesota Lynx handed the Connecticut Sun an <a href="http://www.wnba.com/game/20150714mincon/">85-79 loss</a> on Tuesday at the Mohegan Sun.</p>
<p>Moore recorded her sixth consecutive 20-point outing with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Augustus added 21 points, five assists and two rebounds for the Lynx.</p>
<p>The Sun cut into a big Lynx lead in the fourth quarter, but didn't have enough left in the tank to overcome the star power Minnesota relied on in the fourth quarter. Moore and Augustus combined to score 19 of the Lynx 23 points in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>"It's just fun, it's more fun, it's not necessarily nerves. It's just a really good team we are trying to beat. When we come and play here, they always have a great crowd and they are capable of getting a lot of runs because their crowd is so awesome for them," Moore said about playing in the city where she spent her college years.</p>
<p>"So we just want to make sure we make it as hard as we can for them to get momentum when we're playing here and, for the most part, we did that."</p>
<p>Despite completely dominating the first quarter, the Sun (7-5) held a modest 19-16 lead after the opening stanza. Kelsey Bone led the way early for Connecticut, scoring eight points and grabbing four rebounds in the opening quarter to set the tone for her team. Minnesota (10-3) stayed in the game because of Moore's five points and two assists.</p>
<p>The Lynx picked up the intensity in the second quarter and outscored the Sun 26-21 to take a 42-40 lead into halftime. Minnesota managed to take advantage of almost every Sun turnover by converting those opportunities into a 10-3 fast break point edge.</p>
<p>The Sun enforced their presence in the paint by outrebounding the Lynx 23-18, but Minnesota countered with crisp ball movement and a 12-7 edge in assists.</p>
<p>In the first the half, Moore was the biggest factor behind Minnesota's lead. She scored 14 points on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Augustus added six points, three assists and two rebounds for the Lynx at the half. The Sun struggled in the second quarter after going away from Bone in the post, which kept them in the lead in the first quarter. She finished the half with nine points and five rebounds.</p>
<p>To start the third quarter, the Lynx looked like a rejuvenated team while the Sun seemed like a team without any energy. With the intensity level raised, Minnesota took its largest lead of the game - a 14-point edge - with a little under two minutes left in the quarter.</p>
<p>After being down by 14 points, the Sun turned to Shekinna Stricklen, who hadn't played until the dwindling moments of the third quarter. Stricklen's impact was immediate; she hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the third quarter, and scored 10 points in less than four minutes of game time to bring her team back into the game.</p>
<p>The Sun rallied to make the game interesting in the fourth quarter, but Augustus stopped any hope of a win with an 11-point burst in the final period. With the loss, the Sun's losing streak is at a season-high four games.</p>
<p>"I thought we played well enough in spurts to make it a game late. I really feel like we can match up better than we did," Connecticut coach Anne Donovan said. "We just had too many stretches where we didn't get consecutive stops. Overall, I don't walk away from this saying we're in trouble."</p>
<p>Overall, Minnesota shot 50.8 percent from the field while Connecticut managed to convert on just 44.9 percent of its shots.</p>
<p>Alex Bentley led the Sun in scoring with 22 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field. Bone finished with 13 points, despite an eight-point first quarter, and eight rebounds. Stricklen finished with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range in just 10 minutes of action.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/7/15/8967571/star-duo-of-moore-and-augustus-overwhelm-sunRuben Palacios2015-07-12T12:59:30-04:002015-07-12T12:59:30-04:00Tulsa gets a gift with Christmas' career-high
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<figcaption>Photo by Troy Littledeer</figcaption>
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<p>The Tulsa Shock easily dispatched the Los Angeles Sparks behind the career-high of Karima Christmas, who ended the game with 24 points. Saturday also marked the return of Odyssey Sims. </p> <p></p>
<p>Behind a career-high 24 points from forward Karima Christmas the <a href="http://www.wnba.com/game/20150711lastul/">Tulsa Shock defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 82-67 on Saturday</a> at the BOK Center.</p>
<p>Christmas led the charge for the Shock (11-4) with her tenacity and will to attack the rim, as she earned a game-high 12 trips to the free-throw line. She was the difference maker in a game that was close throughout but blown wide open late in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>"I just try to be aggressive because coach always tells me always stay aggressive," said Christmas. "At the beginning of the season I wasn't very aggressive. So just being able to find the seams and try to create something when it may look like there may not be something there just try to get to the line and try to get free throws out of it."</p>
<p>Despite statistically dominating the first quarter, the Sparks' early lead was trimmed to 18-17 with an Odyssey Sims two-point shot at the buzzer. Los Angeles (2-11) shot 8-of-14 from the field in the quarter and outrebounded Tulsa, the top rebounding team in the league, 12-9. At times, it seemed as if the Sparks would pull away, but timely shots by Tulsa never let the lead get too large to overcome.</p>
<p>Tulsa kept the momentum of the first quarter's buzzer beater to start the second period on a 6-0 run, giving it its biggest lead of the game early on. Behind the aggressiveness of Christmas, the Shock remained in control throughout the second quarter. Tulsa's defense also began to stifle the Sparks' offense, which in turn the shots that dropped early on simply weren't in the second quarter.</p>
<p>The Shock held a 40-31 lead going into halftime after outscoring the Sparks by 10 in the second quarter. Christmas led the way for Tulsa early on, with 11 points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. For Los Angeles, Nneka Ogwumike was the lone force that kept them in the game during an unimpressive second quarter.</p>
<p>At the half, Ogwumike led all scorers with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field while adding six rebounds.</p>
<p>The biggest disparity in the first half was the Shock's distinct advantage when it came to being aggressive and attacking the basket, which resulted in trips to the charity stripe. Tulsa shot 16-of-17 from the free-throw line in the first half, a big disparity compared to the two free throws Los Angeles shot.</p>
<p>Both teams went back and forth during the third quarter with small runs. The Sparks climbed back within striking distance despite the Shock taking a 12-point lead - their biggest of the game - with a little over a minute left in the quarter.</p>
<p>Ogwukime led the way for the Sparks with 22 total points and 13 rebounds. Jantel Lavender also had a double-double for the Sparks with 14 points and 11 rebounds.</p>
<p>Sims, who was playing in her first game since June 9, had 14 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Though she did not shoot well from the field (4-12), Sims never stopped attacking and made an enormous difference in the outcome of the game.</p>
<p>"I didn't expect that many minutes, she played 23 and I was looking at somewhere around 15 or 12," said Tulsa coach Fred Williams. "She is just a competitor and she is going to play and she wants to get out there, I felt she did some really good things in her first game back, and she is still at about 90 percent on the floor and once she gets back in the rhythm in practice a few days and some more games I think she'll step it up even more.</p>
<p>"But just her presence being out there made the opponents a little bit wary of her driving and three point shots."</p>
<p>"It feels great, I'm just happy to be playing again," said Sims.</p>
<p>Overall, the Sparks shot 39.3 percent from the field while the Shock shot a 37.7 clip.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2015/7/12/8936623/christmas-dazzles-career-high-leads-shock-past-sparksRuben Palacios