Has anyone seen the LA SParks team? Just wondering 'cause they didnt show up to the game last night!!!!
With what appears to be Lisa Lesleys final WNBA game you'd expect LA to come out of the shute kicking and screaming. You would expect to see a very physical and emotional SParks teams that would have Phoenix fans worried throughout this game. A Game 3 for LA that would be fueled by energy, emotions, and respect for Lisa Lesley. Well, NONE OF THAT HAPPENED OR WAS EVEN CLOSE TO HAPPENING. I sat amazed at the end of each quarter just wondering what the heck was going thru the minds of the Sparks team. Not to take away anything from the Mighty Mercury, it just was not the game I expected to see. So with that, lets break it down:
1st qtr- Tangela Smith hits an early 3. DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE it was remarkable the way the Mercury played defense throughout this entire game. Taurasi, Pondexter once again scoring early in the game giving Phx. a HUGE lead. LA could not find their shot at all this first quarter. When they did shoot, it was waaaaay off. I need to give credit to the Mercury team for holding LA to only 7 pts at the end of the 1st. qtr. That alone just doesnt happen. Oh, but it did!! At the end of the first qtr. the score is Phx. 19 and LA 7. Still a very low score for the Mercury but still on top.
2nd. qtr- So after the break you figure, Ok LA will come out ready to go. Ready to play some playoff basketball. "Lets do it for Lisa" type attitude, right? Ummmmm, NO. Penny Taylor comes in off the bench for Phx. and causes the Sparks to foul her numerous time. Penny misses 2 early free throws but manages to get back on track hitting two 3pt. shots. Phx. causes the Sparks to turnover the ball and the Mercury take advantage and score off the turnovers. Ohlde comes in for Phx. and just plays her heart out. She is blocking shots, causing problems for LA under the basket. Ohlde is playing tonight one of her best games. She is holding her own down low making it hard for Lisa Lesley to get a good look at the basket. Ohlde was great in tonights game. Along with Ohlde, pretty much every Mercury player was causing LA to turn the ball over in one way or another. It was once again AWESOME DEFENSE. Oh have I mentioned Tina Thompson? No I haven't. She still hasnt done anything at this point in the game thats why. Thompson has -0- points in the first half for LA. At the end of the 2nd qtr. Phx leads LA 41 to 25
Start of 3rd qtr- Emotions start to flare up! FINALLY!!! The 3rd qtr starts at the pace the Mercury like to play at. A huge advantage to them. Tina Thompson finally draws a foul and goes to the line to get her first points of the night. Coach Cooper comes racing over to the Mercury side of the court to debate a call from the officials and gets called with a technical foul. Taurasi goes to the line to shoot the technical. Candice Parker cant seem to find her rhythm either and gets into foul trouble at this time. LA is expecting alot out of Candice Parker but she cant seem to get her game on tonight. A very young Parker has alot to carry on those broad shoulders of hers. The weight tonight just might have been a bit too much. Cappie pondexter gets called for a technical foul with just seconds left in the qtr. Alot of emotions building up as the game is just 10 minutes away from being over. At the end of the qtr. Phx. leads LA 61 to 48
4th qtr- Tangela Smith gets called for her 5th foul just 12 seconds into the qtr. Still playing hard, Phx knows not to even think of slowing down the pace of this game. LA even though behind in pts can come back at any given time. Tameka Johnson for Phx. is all over the place. She is making shots, pushing the ball down the court and causing plays to happen for Phx. Johnson is fast and furious!! Taurasi comes back into the game after a well rested 3rd qtr and just takes over once again. Hitting her shots and causing turnovers, Taurasi knwos that the clock is ticking and wants to win big. With just 3:09 left in the game, Candice Parker fouls out and is sent to the bench. Not long following Parker, Lisa Lesley fouls out. The crowd stands and cheers for a legend in her own. The final game for Lisa Lesley. A moment she knew she would have to face has come full circle. She walks off the court into the arms of her coach and fellow players. A tearful Candice Parker hugs Lisa as the final seconds tick away on the clock. At the end of the 4th qtr. PHX WINS 85 to 74
My thoughts: LA fell behind early in this game and could not catch up at all. Poor shooting by LA and turnovers cost them this game. EXCELLENT DEFENSE by the Phx. Mercury team the entire game. LA was playing without emotion, energy or focus. For some reason LA's spark was burned out!!
Wow! Great win! I'm so proud of this Mercury team. The key is they have a lot of heart and they play together. And Coach Gaines is brilliant. He has a very high basketball IQ and the ability to adjust to any type of situation when needed. They limited Candace Parker to 6 points. She might as well sat out the whole game. But Lisa went out in good fashion. Regardless that they loss, she was the only one playing extra hard even when you could tell fatigue was settli
Yeah Lisa has been a great role model for the WNBA, USA Basketball, and as a person overall. She said she didn't want to end her career in Phoenix, but all good things must come to an end. At least she didn't go down without a fight. The game will miss her, but she's accomplished alot! 2 WNBA championships, 4 Olympic Gold medals, and a whole lot of other awards. Now she can spend more time with her husband and daughter, and she may even come back and coach.
Yes, Le'coe was just fantastic and so was Ohlde! Phx played just amazing defense, that was a huge difference from the first game. Everybody just played top notch. We can't go wrong with the 2009 MVP on our team. An amazing performance by the Merc. Wow. I'm just too happy for words right now, I have so much energy I think I'm gonna haveta run around the block to calm down haha.
PHOENIX MERCURY WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPS!!!!! INDIANA, WE'RE COMING FOR YOU!!!
We all knew the Mercury were going to come and play alot better than they did last night. L.A. couldn't keep up with them in the 1st half, and they did a fantastic job on Candace Parker tonight. Le'coe really stepped up when we needed her and it was her inside play that got Candace and Lisa in foul trouble. Everyone contributed in some way and that shows why the Mercury are the #1 team in the WNBA. Next up... the Indiana Fever! This has been the matchup everyone wanted and I can't wait until Tuesday. It'
The clash of the titans. The cream of the crop. The best of the west. Whatever expression that can be invented still won’t do this Western Conference Finals justice. If you’re a basketball purist, Game 3 on Saturday night is a can’t-miss. Not only will the two best teams left in the west battle for their playoff lives, but arguably two of the best players in the league will have to find a way to will their teams to victory.
In one corner, you have a 6-5 forward in Candace Parker who is quickly garnering every accomplishment available the WNBA offers. She is one of only three people in all of basketball, men’s or women’s, to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same year. In the other corner, you have a fiery 6-0 guard who has done nothing but win in every aspect of her career. This year, she has shattered more franchise and league records than a lot of people knew even existed.
“Watching these two ballclubs, with the great players each posses, has been terrific for the true basketball fan in me,” said Mercury General Manager Ann Meyers Drysdale.
It’s no wonder that these two highly-competitive individuals share similarities with one another. Both were NCAA champions during their days in college, with both being named to the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Both were the overall first pick in their respective draft, as they both went on to be the Rookie of the Year in their debut season in the WNBA. All-WNBA teams, All-Star selections, Olympic gold medals…the list goes on and on. However, both have accomplished one thing the other hasn’t. Parker has never won a WNBA championship, while Taurasi has never earned MVP honors.
For DT3, that might change after this season where she put up blistering stats and led her team to the best record in the WNBA. A strong candidate for the Most Valuable Player award, Taurasi has upped her game this post season. Averaging 20.4 ppg on 46-percent shooting, Taurasi also averaged 41% 3-point FG and 89% FT. Here’s what she is averaging in the five games she played in the playoffs so far:
24.4 ppg, 55% FG, 44% 3-point FG, and a perfect 100% FT from the line.
Even through all the praise and acknowledgments, Taurasi still believes in the “big picture.”
“You know, I’m never was big on individual stats and awards,” she told PhoenixMercury.com. “I just go out and try to do what needs to be done in order for us to win the game. Holding that title will be the only praise I need.”
If that’s the case, Dee needs to go through one tall obstacle standing in her way to compete for that title. Certainly, Parker hasn’t made things any easier for the Mercury. This series, she is averaging 26 ppg, 14 rpg, 1.5 bpg while shooting 61-percent from the floor.
Something will have to give. One of these players will have to take their game to even a higher level if they wish to see their season continue for at least three more games. Taurasi remarked how once the Mercury season ends, the players will go their separate ways playing in various countries in the offseason. She simply followed with, “We’re not ready for that yet.”
So who will ultimately win in this matchup of the WNBA elite? The answer is easier than one might think. It will be the fans who show up at the US Airways Center Saturday night. The “X-factor” will be treated to some fantastic basketball being played by two of the WNBA’s brightest young stars. Oh, did I mention Cappie Pondexter, Lisa Leslie, Penny Taylor, and Tina Thompson will also feature in this heavyweight bout? Regardless of the outcome, Saturday’s game has the potential to be an instant classic. Just as the Phoenix Mercury playoff slogan goes, everyone in attendance will be “All in.”
Jess and Amarefan... y'all are so right about her hair. She trying to be like Cappie and have a different hair style. It doesn't work for everyone and definitly not Candace Parker. I think the Mercury will be fine tomorrow night and send Lisa home crying. I also think they have to be just as physical with LA, but then again they might foul out. I can't believe Dee fouled out for the 2nd straight game and Leslie had 5 fouls and they didn't sit her ass down. She should have fouled out in the 1st half with
Stay with me. I promise this will all make sense...
You probably aren't aware that I'm a huge fan of the movie, "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise. For that matter, you probably don't know that it inspired a tattoo of mine that says (well, I hope it says) "No Mind" in Japanese characters.
If you haven't seen it, the movie centers around an American soldier who is sent to Japan in the 1800's to help stop an internal uprising by the Samurai. For centuries, the Samurai were relied upon to protect the Japanese kingdom; however, a money-driven consultant to the Emperor is attempting to industrialize Japan, and the Samurai culture. Tom Cruise's character (yes, the American) is sent to guide the Japanese army to stop the Samurai uprising. He ends up getting captured by the Samurai, finds their way of life to be simplistic and honorable, and falls in love with their beliefs and culture. Hence, the movie's themes very much deal with honor, integrity, resilience, redemption, and sacrifice.
At one point in the movie, Tom Cruise's character (Nathan) is being taught how to fight with a Samurai sword. Obviously, he's struggling and having a difficult time adjusting to the technique. He's thinking about the position of his hands, his stance on the ground, the correct motions of the sword, the people watching him, and what the right attack/protection is. That is, until a member of the Samurai comes and gives him the best advice possible. "Too many mind," says the Samurai. "Mind the sword, mind the people watch, mind the enemy. Too many mind."
Of course, the Samurai is trying to tell Nathan to stop thinking so much. He's focusing on way too many things to be effective. He's not letting the fighting come to him, and accepting that his natural instincts will pay off. Nathan listens to the Samurai's advice, frees his mind, and competes against his teacher (an expert) beautifully.
If you haven't guessed yet, this is exactly what the Mercury need to do - stop thinking. Stop thinking about everyone's expectations, about Lisa Leslie's last game, about awards, about the Finals, about the back-to-back, about everything.
Just play basketball. Mercury basketball.
Let's not forget how poorly the Mercury shot from the floor all game, the free-throws they uncharacteristically missed, the 7 lay-ups they didn't convert, the -15 rebounding deficit, and the 23 second-chance points and, yet, still cut the Sparks lead to 9 with about 5 minutes to go. In fact, if you take away the 1st quarter, the Mercury outscored the Sparks by 3 in the subsequent quarters.
At this point in the season, over-thinking can get you in a lot of trouble - and it's easy to do. There are a lot of "shoulds" that come with the territory of being an elite team and winning multiple awards; but the Mercury must block all that out. They have to ignore the fact that they "should" get out-rebounded by a taller team. They have to ignore that they "should" be able to run on the Sparks. And most importantly, they have to ignore the fact that they "should" win at home tomorrow. "Shoulds" lead to stagnant activity, and a false sense of confidence.
Rather, Phoenix just needs to go out and play their behind's off. That's it. They need to follow the example of Diana Taurasi not backing down from Lisa Leslie. They have to ensure their collective mind is clear, and go out and quite literally...just play. That's when they are at their best - the Mighty Mercury.
And something tells me that's the exact mindset they'll have going into the deciding game 3 tomorrow.
LOL! I concur. Candace's hair looks like she's ready to go to the park and play with the other kiddies. A grown woman should not be wearing her hair like that. But with that aside, that is one of the worst games I've ever had to witness Phoenix play. For whatever reason, shots were not falling from the very beginning. It was a nightmare. Now they will have to quickly put this behind them and play tomorrow. They just couldn't get into their usual rhythm. It'
I have to vent because that was a sorry ass game! The refs were totally bias, and didn't want to end Lisa Leslie's career just yet. The calls they made were awful, and the ones they didn't call was even worse. They were throwing elbows all night long, and they sat there like they didn't see it. I don't condone violence, but I wish one of our players would have knocked them on their asses. Well Cappie got Candace at the end of the game. I can't just blame the officiating because the Mercury missed a
To those that have supported the Mercury throughout the entire season and will be there to do the same on Friday - thank you! To those that haven't - this is my rally call, and plea, to you.
If you're not planning on attending the Phoenix Mercury vs. Los Angeles Sparks game at US Airways Center on Friday, you're missing out.
But...I forgive you.
Maybe you don't know that your Phoenix Mercury are one (1) win away from returning to the WNBA Finals for the 2nd time in 3 years. For that matter, you may or may not know they play the dreaded Los Angeles Sparks to get there - have you already forgotten the "Beat LA!" chants we Arizonans know and love?
Again, I forgive you...
Perhaps you weren't aware that the Mercury posted a WNBA league-best 23 wins this season. Or that the Mercury led the lead in scoring. Again. Both as a team and individually. Or that Phoenix has the 6th Woman of the Year. Or that they have the 3pt percentage leader. Or that the Mercury have 2 of the 5 All-WNBA 1st team selections (Diana, Cappie). Or that they're averaging almost 100 points per game in 40 minutes in the playoffs. Or that the Mercury's pace of play is actually faster than your Phoenix Suns, and would average more points than the Suns in a 48 minute game. Or that they have the best team free-throw percentage in league history. Or that they have the probable MVP of the league in Diana Taurasi. Or the respect that these ladies are getting on a national basis.
Maybe you didn't know those things.
Well...now you do. And the team needs your home-town support more than ever to rally them past Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and the Sparks.
If you're not necessarily a WNBA fan, need I remind you that Kobe Bryant hails from the same city as the Sparks? Need I remind you of the myriad of annoying fans that infiltrate Suns games wearing a Kobe jersey and taunting us? By the way, they're still there at Mercury games. Need I remind you of how many championships the city of Los Angeles has? Need I remind you of the atmosphere at Suns games when they play the Lakers? As Arizonans, we shouldn't even think twice of about attending an event or showing our support for a Phoenix team when their opponent starts with a 'Los Angeles' or 'San Antonio'!!
If ticket prices are a concern, let's put that to bed right now. You can get fantastic lower level seats for insanely low prices starting at just $16. Or, for an upper level seat, you can purchase them starting at $2 (are you kidding me?!?!). If you're worried about getting your money's worth, just ask the thousands of fans around you on Friday when Diana does her "rally call" during the player introductions - the chills you'll have are normal, and the other 10,000 fans will have them too.
If you're strictly a Suns fan, sorry, that's no excuse either. Almost the entire Suns team has supported the Mercury at some point throughout the year (some on multiple occasions) including Amare Stoudemire, Grant Hill, Alando Tucker, Robin Lopez, Taylor Griffin, Goran Dragic - and yes, even Sir Charles Barkley. Grant Hill even asked Ann Meyers-Drysdale (Mercury GM) if the Suns could borrow Diana Taurasi for the NBA season! If you're a Suns fan, you're a Mercury fan.
To close, if you have a personal vendetta against the WNBA, there's not much I can do about that (except this). All I ask is that you come out, and support your Phoenix Mercury team - they need you. They need the same love and support you've shown the Suns for over 40 years. They need the same energy and passion you have at Cardinals games. They need that type of enthusiasm and quite frankly, they absolutely deserve it.
For those that are fans, and plan on attending, please feel free to forward this letter/message on to others. If anyone has any questions, you are more than welcome to give them my personal email address (bjyork15@gmail.com) and I'd be happy to go over their reasons why they wouldn't want to come - and convince them otherwise.
So, I ask, will you join me Friday to help get this Mercury team to the 2009 WNBA Finals?
Amarefan... you are right on point! I'm sick of hearing about Lisa Leslie retiring at the end of the season myself. I hope the Mercury can make that happen tomorrow. You didn't hear them say much about Vickie Johnson retiring or doing a farewell tour for her. She was also an original member of the WNBA, but she didn't get much respect. No she didn't win a championship, but she was a great athlete and contributed to the New York Liberty and the Silver Stars. She (Vickie Johnson) will be a player I will al
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