copy and paste from my facebook page Phoenix Mercury has an update on Penny Taylor. She suffered a sprain during the 3rd quarter of last night's game and is listed as day to day. Game time decision for tomorrow's match-up vs. Connecticut.
Wow! Sounds like quite a rough game. I saw some of it online in between website crashes and simply could not believe the amount of body crashes on this one. The Mercury definitely walked/limped away with more than one battle scar. My heart skipped a beat when Bonner came crashing into the floor. A lot of soft tissue injuries show up a day afterwards. It's an interesting feeling when you get injured and the crowd falls deadly silent. I really h
Agreed when Bonner hit the floor it echoed through out the arena, the crowd went silent and my own heart felt like it skipped a beat, it looked as though she wasnt able to get up at first. I didnt see what happed to Penny, dam ref was in the way, hope all is well and we see her play sunday. Penny is definatley one tough cookie, she had to have been in some serious pain dont think I have ever seen her about to burst out into tears on the court. Anyone know what happened to DT, she came out with a bandage
wow. That was one close hard-fought game from beginning to end. 106 pts for SASS was a franchise history high. You know the Mercury drove that score. I am proud of the Mercury for giving it their all even tho at the end they did not get the win.
Poor Penny went down with an ankle sprain. DeWanna Bonner hit the floor so hard I initially thought she knocked herself out. DT took a serious kick to the ankle that had her rubbing it and be a little gingerly with it for a bit
Rough night in Seattle for our Mercury ... They are at about the same win/lose record as last year for this time. And remember we won the championship after that rough start too!
They are for sure going to need some x-factor wub when they return home on Thursday 06/18 at 7pm against the San Antonio Silver Stars! Come on out and support our Basketball wenchs!
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
Life offers memorable firsts. The first day of school… a first love. Athletes go through it, as well. The first time they wear their jerseys… the first time they score for their team. Along these lines, three Mercury players are currently in the midst of another first in their professional careers as they set out to achieve any athlete’s ultimate first – a championship.
For rookie DeWanna Bonner and second-year players Ketia Swanier and Brooke Smith, playing this late into the season is all new to them. For the first time, they are experiencing the kind of energy and pressure that makes up the atmosphere surrounding a best-of-three elimination series in the WNBA. They might have been a part of the postseason during their time in college, but it’s tough to compare that to the excitement and difficulty of trying to win a WNBA title.
“You can’t get nervous with the vets we have on our team,” Bonner said. “You’ve got Penny Taylor, Tangela Smith, Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter. So they have already been here and know what it takes. I just try to follow on what they do and learn from them.”
So far these talented women have passed with flying colors. For Bonner, who was named WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year before Game 2 against the Silver Stars, she has been nothing sort of exceptional. Dubbed by her teammates as “The Rook,” Bonner showed no signs of butterflies in her stomach as she averaged 14 ppg on 53-percent shooting, while adding 8.3 rpg in the conference semifinals. Those numbers are vast improvements over what she averaged during the regular season (11.2 ppg, 46% FG, 5.8 rpg) Every time she checks in the game, it seems like the squad even becomes faster, if that were even possible.
“I wasn’t nervous, because we play in fun system with great players,” the 6-4 forward said.
Another playoff first-timer is backup point guard Swanier, who seems to have come into her own in the second half of the season. Although she might not fill up a boxscore like Bonner, her task is equally filled with pressure. She has to make sure that the team maintains its high-octane performance once Head Coach Corey Gaines decides to rest Mercury floor general Temeka Johnson. Swanier has done just that, averaging 13 mpg as Gaines continues to have faith in her.
“I think once I figured out what my job is when I come into the game, everything has become easier for me,” said the former Connecticut Husky. “I just need to keep pushing the ball and look for the open person.”
Swanier credited veteran teammates for her not being nervous in her first playoff game.
“Players like Cappie and Diana help others keep calm because they joke around with us during practices, shootarounds and before the game,” Swanier told PhoenixMercury.com. “It helps us because when you have all this energy build up before the game, they’re there to make sure you don’t get too caught up and just have fun playing basketball.”
Bonner, Swanier and the rest of the “Mighty Mercury” are in Los Angeles for Wednesday’s Game 1 Western Conference Finals matchup, their first since 2007 when they went on to eventually win the WNBA championship. With the mix of veteran players playing alongside anxious yet confident youngsters, the Mercury are setting out to accomplish another first – the first professional sports franchise in Arizona to win multiple championships.
I'm sooooo happy the Mercury stuck together and pulled this game out. I knew San Antonio was going to come out and play better than they did Saturday. In the 4th quarter, the Mercury hit the gas and that was all she wrote. I give credit to the Silver Stars for making it a difficult game, but the Mercury wanted it more. Good luck to Vickie Johnson in the future... she will missed in the WNBA!
Good luck to the Mercury in the Western Conference Finals! Can't wait to watch the girls play Mercury ball a
The Phoenix Mercury's "All In" theme of the 2009 WNBA Playoffs couldn't be more fitting as we head into the Western Conference Finals.
Undoubtedly, the Mercury/Sparks series will be touted more for the epic match-up of two of the greatest in the game, Candace Parker vs. Diana Taurasi. Heck, it’s already being written about on a national level, and perhaps rightfully so. It’s the Lebron vs. Kobe showdown of the WNBA. However, it is my belief that the series will be determined by other key factors, rather than each team’s respective superstars.
Don’t get me wrong, the Mercury and Sparks will need huge games from Taurasi and Parker to advance to the WNBA Finals. But this series will ultimately be won by the team who gets the best play out of their supporting cast.
For the Sparks, they’ll need players other than Leslie, Parker, and Thompson to step up to counteract the depth of the Mercury. Players like Betty Lennox and DeLisha Milton-Jones will be relied on heavily not just on the defensive end, but offensively as well. Even though we hear a lot about the height and size of the Sparks, the Mercury can throw a big lineup on the court if need be, as we saw in the last 4 minutes of game 3 against the Silver Stars. Cappie played the 1 and was the smallest person on the court for the Mercury. “I can get big,” Gaines said at practice Tuesday. “Maybe not as big, but I can go longer. I can even get bigger too and put Diana at the point, Penny at the 2, DB [DeWanna] at the 3, Tangela at the 4, and Ohlde at the 5. But we run either way so it doesn’t matter.”
The Sparks’ success this season has come from finding an exploitable weakness of the team their facing and using it to their advantage. However, that one-dimensional approach doesn’t necessarily always work, especially in the playoffs. “What they do is try to take advantage of mismatches,” Gaines said. “But you also have to understand that by doing so, they’re taking away from the flow of their game. Let’s say, for instance, that DeLisha wants to post up down low all game. Then they’re taking away one of the best post up players of all time, Leslie, away from the basket.”
For the Mercury, it will be business as usual – running their butts off. “Everyone says in playoff ball, you don’t run as much,” Gaines said. “For us, we go faster. It’s the opposite for us. The other team will tend to buy into the pace of play a little bit more and get caught up in the game.” That means that players like Penny Taylor, DeWanna Bonner, Ketia Swanier, Kelly Mazzante, and Le’coe Willingham will need to have productive nights both offensively and defensively for the Mercury to get the win. It will certainly be difficult to match the Sparks size down low, but Tangela and Nicole have proven they can get the job done this year, contributing to the Mercury’s victory on the boards 8 out of the last 10 opponents they’ve faced.
With the tremendous play of Diana Taurasi in the Silver Stars series, a somewhat forgotten player was Cappie Pondexter. Cappie did a fantastic 1 on 1 job against Becky Hammon and disrupted her from getting her teammates involved, which makes her one of the most deadly players in the league. This energy spent on the defensive end didn’t allow Cappie to be as aggressive offensively as she normally is, but that certainly shouldn’t take anything away from her fantastic play. Against the Sparks, however, Cappie should be due for one of her phenomenal games of 25-30 points with the match-up problems she creates for the Sparks defense. Her highest scoring game against the Silver Stars was 18, but expect that to be one of her lowest scoring totals in the Sparks series. And let’s not forget the importance of Temeka Johnson to this Mercury team. She’s had great games against her former team this year, essentially willing the team to a victory in their first match-up in the regular season. Most importantly, Meek only has 3 turnovers in her last 4 games combined. Her vision and leadership on the court will be invaluable during the Sparks series.
Another unique situation for both teams will occur in game 1 when the Sparks, technically, won’t be playing at ‘home’ due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, they’ll play at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. When asked if that was actually to the Mercury’s advantage, Gaines shrugged it off. “Not unless they turn the lights off, or lower the rims,” said an indifferent Gaines. “I mean, last time I checked it’s still a gym so it won’t matter.” Still, the Staples Center is no easy place to play basketball in, and the majority of the Mercury’s victories there have come during the last couple of years (including 2 this year with Candace not 100%). Although the game is still in Los Angeles, the Mercury should feel a little bit better that they avoided a raucous Staples Center.
One last thought – I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed hearing the “Beat L.A.!” chants last night at US Airways Center; and I’m sure there will be 10,000 plus fans there on Friday doing the same.
The Silver Stars are long gone!!!! Time to focus on the Sparks!!
The Los Angeles Sparks are going to be ready. They are well rested and ready to go. The Rivalary betweeen these two teams speak for itself. Always been a good match up and this series is no exception. We should all expect a battle from both teams as it it vital to win game #1. A dual to the death if you will. The Sparks and the Mercury are pretty well matched up against each other. Both teams playing similar style of basketball. First lets start with the Sparks.
Sparks- The Sparks like I said come into this series a well rested team and ready to go. The experience that lies beneath the soles of this team is to be respected. With Lisa Lesley looking to retire after this post season, it should be of no surprise to anyone that she and her teamates want to go out on top. A legacy in her own, Lisa Lesley is the leader of this team on and off the court. A prime example of how passion, commitment, and sacrifice can lead you to the top. With the likes of Parker and Thompson by her side, the LA Sparks will give all they have to win this series and the championship for Lisa Lesley. The Sparks have been in this situation many many times and they can handle the pressure that lies before them. Their experience will keep them focused throughout this series. Experience is their advantage.
Mercury- As the Mercury enter this series they come in a very tired and banged up team. With not much rest between games, exhaustion and sore bodies may become an issue. The Mercury being a very young team will have to do some work to remain poised and focused especially if they fall behind in game #1. This team may be young, but they have skills!! NEVER UNDERESTIMATE SKILLS. They are a fast paced team with many players offering different types of skills on the floor. So it seems to me that this series will come down to Skills vs. Experience. Although the Mercury will come into this series with its skills, will it be enough to beat LA? Of course it is. The Phoenix Mercury have the same passion and desire to win as the LA SParks. They are competitiors at heart and this game is their passion. Do not doubt that this Mercury team will play any less of a game than their counterparts. Taurasi will have to lead this team just as she always has. She will have to make sure that they stay focused and poised and play a very controlled game against LA. If you lose focus against LA, they will run all over you! This we all know. The Mercury must continue to shoot the ball well, control the boards offensively and defensively as well as have less turnovers. Defensively the Mercury is going to have to shut down the middle lane and force outside shots. Dont get me wrong here. I know LA can shoot the outside shot but if LA continues to drive the ball inside we could find ourselves in early foul trouble. Defense is key against the Sparks. Shooting the ball comes naturally to some players, but defense is what will help the Mercury win this series. Smith and Bonner are awesome underneath the basket and tomorrow nites game is going to expect another 110% out from each of them. Another weapon to use, Penny Taylor off the bench. Just amazing.
Final thoughts.........
If the Mercury can win game #1 Is eee them winning the series. If they lose game #1 I see them winning the series. Nice huh? A very tough road ahead but one that has been traveled before by both teams.
Skills vs. Experience. Be respectful of experience, Never underestimate skills. This is going to be a good one!! GOOD LUCK TO THE PHX. MERCURY. LETS GET THIS DONE!!
As I mentioned in my previous blog, this game was destined to get ugly. You could not rule out that the Silver Stars were not going to come out fighting and giving all they got. It was expected and they did. The first quarter of the game was messy. Both teams fighting to control the tempo of the game while turnovers and fouls were a handful. The crowd not to happy early on with the officials and the crowd let them know. This game was inten se from tip off and both teams though having turnovers and early fouls, kept the score within 2 to 3 points of each other. Was it about who wanted it more? It sure was. An even match for the first half of the game. At the half, the Mercury fans were a little bit stunned to say the least. But again, I didnt expect to see a repeat of Saturday nites game.
The good: Well the good thing is THE MERCURY WON!!
THE BAD: Beating LA is going to be just as tough as tonight. But it can be done and if there is a team that can do it, its the Mercury.
The Ugly: Lots of banged up bodies tonight. A very physical game which was expected. Tangela Smith looked a bit banged up and bruised in the 4th quarter. So it will be interesting to see how she is feeling tomorrow . Hopefully she is well.
Your Mercury players played a very physical game giving all they had to get the win. They need much rest so that they can come out with the same intensity and passion against the SParks.
I have to give credit to the San Antonio Silver Stars. Wow. What a game you gave us. What a series you gave us. Tonight fortunately for us Mercury fans, we came out on top. Good luck next season.
One last note......Sir Charles Barkley was in the house tonight cheering on the Mercury. No sure how to catagorize him. Under Good, Bad, or Ugly!!
It was great to see him there!! I will post pics and Video soon of tonights win!!
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