In!

I don't know who that team was that showed up last night in San Antonio saying they were the Sparks. But tonight the real team descended on Houston and systematically took the Comets apart. As a result, we're in the playoffs!

I've not seen a more balanced team effort in quite some time. Everyone scored, and everyone contributed. No one person really stood out from the others; they really were, as forward Delisha Milton-Jones said in the post-game interview, "working as one."

The Sparks kept their turnovers down, and mysteriously enough, the team scored 21 points in each quarter, for a total of 84. Dig it:

http://www.wnba.com/games/20080906/LASHOU/boxscore.html

Point Guard Shannon Bobbitt tied her personal assists record, equaling the 10 she garnered in the July 27 game at Target Center in Minneapolis. The Sparks shot 52.5 percent. I'll take that any day of the week.

The placings will be decided within the next week, as the regular season winds down. The first and fourth-place holders in each conference then face each other in the first round, as do the second and third-place teams.

I would be interested in anyone's opinions on how the rounds will go, and who they think will make it to the finals. I have my ideas, but I want to hear from others.

____________________

This week was my first week back to school and meeting my new students, which is why the entries here have been a little short. But I am back in my work groove, and I have some cool stuff coming up. For one thing, I had an interesting interview yesterday with a Tennessee staffer who is a semi-celebrity in her own right. I will be posting on that soon, as I will write about the Sparks' open practice on Monday, Sept. 8. I'm also doing preliminary college scouting for the fall.

Blog ideas are always welcome, so don't be shy. And also, feel free to start a comment-fest and/or a basketball dialogue. This is a year-round sport now, after all.