Nice interview with the Sparks' Betty Lennox on wnba.com. She and teammate Candace Parker get really silly most of the time during pre-game warmups.
Great Q&A with Storm center Lauren Jackson.
This week's rookie rankings are out, and the Sky's Epiphany Prince has moved up to third.
Lynx rookie Monica Wright blogs about her father.
So far the point guards are standing out at the USA U18 and U17 trials.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
WNBA President Donna Orender speaks
The head of the WNBA talks about expansion, ratings and roster sizes, among other things.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
More on....everything
Shoni Schimmel announced her college decision as she received her high school diploma. Isn't that interesting?
Kathy Goodman was probably tired today, because she stayed up late to blog about last night's Sparks win.
It's "game on" for Seimone Augustus. The Lynx star, who had three tumors removed in April, has been cleared to play.
ESPN Zone is closing their restaurants.....wow.
Kathy Goodman was probably tired today, because she stayed up late to blog about last night's Sparks win.
It's "game on" for Seimone Augustus. The Lynx star, who had three tumors removed in April, has been cleared to play.
ESPN Zone is closing their restaurants.....wow.
Sparks 92, Mercury 91
What are the odds of facing a team three times and having the outcome decided by a point on each occasion? I'd say pretty high, but the Sparks and Mercury did it anyway. This time, however, Los Angeles came out on the winning side.
Here's an accurate summary of 46 crucial seconds of the game:
Things were beginning to look grim for the Sparks when the Mercury (3-5) led, 89-84, with 56.6 seconds remaining in the fourth, but Kristi Toliver converted a three-point play after being fouled on a turnaround jumper to bring the Sparks to within two.
Noelle Quinn then made a huge three-pointer with 18.3 seconds on the clock to give the Sparks a 90-89 lead. But the Sparks then had a complete mental lapse on the other end, allowing Temeka Johnson to shoot a wide-open layup to give the Mercury a one point advantage with 8.8 seconds left.
I was sitting with two friends, and I had bonded with the friend of one of them who was sitting right in front of us. When Johnson threw down the shot, some fans went to pieces. But Margaret and I turned to each other and both said, "8.8 seconds is a lot of time!"
I guess I had a feeling they would pull it out. In this case, it was Candace Parker who did it. Thanks, CP. She told one news source that they "needed the win so bad." They sure did, and so did the fans. Hopefully this can serve as an impetus for the next game.
Betty Lennox was thoroughlly amazing with her 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Delisha Milton-Jones finally woke up and contributed 18. Diana Taurasi quietly contributed 21 points, and Penny Taylor had 17.
Box score.
Thoughts, in no particular order:
- Ticha Penicheiro, Andrea Riley and Betty Lennox all run the ball up the court when they're playing PG. Kristi Tolliver walks it up. It drives fans bat sh*t.
- At some points the Sparks looked completely confused. At many of those same points, crowd members could be heard yelling, "Set up a play! Set up a play!"
- After a third quarter timeout, Sparks players came out and some went on to the court and had to be called out by teammates; they didn't know who was supposed to be in the game or not. How could you not know just coming out of a timeout?
- A row of fans lined the railings on each side of the tunnel after the game. When Betty Lennox came off the court, they started SCREAMING and carrying on and could hardly be appeased even when she stopped to give them some love. Betty is a rock star! I hope Coach Gillom plays her more often.
.JPG)
I took this picture of Chanel Mokango, the Sparks' new player, because I thought she wouldn't get in the game again. She did later, but it was only for a few minutes.
Delisha Milton-Jones tries to hit in the third quarter, while Candace Parker and Tina Thompson watch. She warmed up more shortly after that.
.JPG)
Jennifer Gillom and assistant coach Steve Smith confer at a timeout in the third quarter.
.JPG)
Betty Lennox - she of 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists - watches the play in the third quarter.
Candace Parker speaks emphatically to the team at a fourth quarter timeout.
.JPG)
We won! We won! Booyah.
Here's an accurate summary of 46 crucial seconds of the game:
Things were beginning to look grim for the Sparks when the Mercury (3-5) led, 89-84, with 56.6 seconds remaining in the fourth, but Kristi Toliver converted a three-point play after being fouled on a turnaround jumper to bring the Sparks to within two.
Noelle Quinn then made a huge three-pointer with 18.3 seconds on the clock to give the Sparks a 90-89 lead. But the Sparks then had a complete mental lapse on the other end, allowing Temeka Johnson to shoot a wide-open layup to give the Mercury a one point advantage with 8.8 seconds left.
I was sitting with two friends, and I had bonded with the friend of one of them who was sitting right in front of us. When Johnson threw down the shot, some fans went to pieces. But Margaret and I turned to each other and both said, "8.8 seconds is a lot of time!"
I guess I had a feeling they would pull it out. In this case, it was Candace Parker who did it. Thanks, CP. She told one news source that they "needed the win so bad." They sure did, and so did the fans. Hopefully this can serve as an impetus for the next game.
Betty Lennox was thoroughlly amazing with her 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Delisha Milton-Jones finally woke up and contributed 18. Diana Taurasi quietly contributed 21 points, and Penny Taylor had 17.
Box score.
Thoughts, in no particular order:
- Ticha Penicheiro, Andrea Riley and Betty Lennox all run the ball up the court when they're playing PG. Kristi Tolliver walks it up. It drives fans bat sh*t.
- At some points the Sparks looked completely confused. At many of those same points, crowd members could be heard yelling, "Set up a play! Set up a play!"
- After a third quarter timeout, Sparks players came out and some went on to the court and had to be called out by teammates; they didn't know who was supposed to be in the game or not. How could you not know just coming out of a timeout?
- A row of fans lined the railings on each side of the tunnel after the game. When Betty Lennox came off the court, they started SCREAMING and carrying on and could hardly be appeased even when she stopped to give them some love. Betty is a rock star! I hope Coach Gillom plays her more often.
.JPG)
I took this picture of Chanel Mokango, the Sparks' new player, because I thought she wouldn't get in the game again. She did later, but it was only for a few minutes.
Delisha Milton-Jones tries to hit in the third quarter, while Candace Parker and Tina Thompson watch. She warmed up more shortly after that.
.JPG)
Jennifer Gillom and assistant coach Steve Smith confer at a timeout in the third quarter.
.JPG)
Betty Lennox - she of 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists - watches the play in the third quarter.
Candace Parker speaks emphatically to the team at a fourth quarter timeout.
.JPG)
We won! We won! Booyah.
Shoni Schimmel to Louisville!
You heard it here second: the Northwest star has finally committed, and it's to Louisville and Coach Jeff Walz.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
More on Bernert, Ashley Walker and Ariya Crook-Williams
Former Sparks president Kristin Bernert says she left because she has no passion for the job anymore. She was easily one of the friendliest people in the Sparks organization, and she will be missed.
Also today, Ashley Walker was waived by Tulsa just a week after getting there, along with second-round draft pick Amanda Thompson.
For the stat junkies, Storm Basketball has broken it down.
ESPN has an informative piece about Ariya Crook-Williams of Long Beach Poly - a longer version of my profile of the ranked prep star on May 1. Today players headed to Colorado for USA Basketball trials. Good luck to all.
OK, off to the Sparks game.......
Also today, Ashley Walker was waived by Tulsa just a week after getting there, along with second-round draft pick Amanda Thompson.
For the stat junkies, Storm Basketball has broken it down.
ESPN has an informative piece about Ariya Crook-Williams of Long Beach Poly - a longer version of my profile of the ranked prep star on May 1. Today players headed to Colorado for USA Basketball trials. Good luck to all.
OK, off to the Sparks game.......
Sparks President Kristin Bernert resigns
Kristin Bernert, president since 2008, has left the Sparks to "pursue other opportunities." Wow.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Columnist says Wooden wouldn't survive with today's athletes....and he's correct
Kudos to Mike Freeman of CBSSports for one of the best analyses I've read in a while: "Modern Players Would Make Wooden Regret Career Choice." He says today's athletes are insulated:
Today, athletes see coaches as necessary evils. Some players see them as obstacles. Few see them the way athletes did just 20 years ago, as people to be respected.
Even greatness like Wooden would need a snorkel from drowning in the throbbing athlete cynicism and entitlement plague that permeates 21st century sports......
Wooden coached at a time when collegiate and professional sports were a Christmas card. There's now a harder edge. There's little storybook about sports. The only wizards are in Tolkien novels.
Today if a coach tried to talk about a pyramid of success, he would be laughed at. Players would go to Twitter and call the coach a dumbass and openly wonder what pyramids have to do with jumpers or making bank. Blogs would've ripped Wooden as corny. Players would be texting while Wooden was at the blackboard.
Brett Favre would've told Lombardi to kiss off. Randy Moss would still run his lazy routes.
"Today on Around the Horn, John Wooden hasn't made the NCAA tournament in five seasons. Is it time for him to get fired?"
I get so excited when the absolute truth is spoken. And I love the "texting" line.
All this is true of both athletes and students at the high school and college levels. I believe this is one of, if not the reason there are so many NCAA transfers now.
It's the reason so many teams, from high school to pro, lack fundamentals. And this quote is why track times today are slower than the times me and mine ran 25 years ago:
"When you watch these guys nowadays, I don't think they could have played with us," he said. "Not because they don't have the talent, but because I don't think they could have dealt with the discipline during my era. It's almost like the kids today, with the way they're raised and the things that are given to them, they don't have respect for their elders. We were heads above all that because things weren't tolerated like they are now. That's what made you gain the respect of your coaches, because nothing was tolerated. The game is just played totally different now."
I agree with Freeman: not even Wooden could deal with today's attitudes.
Today, athletes see coaches as necessary evils. Some players see them as obstacles. Few see them the way athletes did just 20 years ago, as people to be respected.
Even greatness like Wooden would need a snorkel from drowning in the throbbing athlete cynicism and entitlement plague that permeates 21st century sports......
Wooden coached at a time when collegiate and professional sports were a Christmas card. There's now a harder edge. There's little storybook about sports. The only wizards are in Tolkien novels.
Today if a coach tried to talk about a pyramid of success, he would be laughed at. Players would go to Twitter and call the coach a dumbass and openly wonder what pyramids have to do with jumpers or making bank. Blogs would've ripped Wooden as corny. Players would be texting while Wooden was at the blackboard.
Brett Favre would've told Lombardi to kiss off. Randy Moss would still run his lazy routes.
"Today on Around the Horn, John Wooden hasn't made the NCAA tournament in five seasons. Is it time for him to get fired?"
I get so excited when the absolute truth is spoken. And I love the "texting" line.
All this is true of both athletes and students at the high school and college levels. I believe this is one of, if not the reason there are so many NCAA transfers now.
It's the reason so many teams, from high school to pro, lack fundamentals. And this quote is why track times today are slower than the times me and mine ran 25 years ago:
"When you watch these guys nowadays, I don't think they could have played with us," he said. "Not because they don't have the talent, but because I don't think they could have dealt with the discipline during my era. It's almost like the kids today, with the way they're raised and the things that are given to them, they don't have respect for their elders. We were heads above all that because things weren't tolerated like they are now. That's what made you gain the respect of your coaches, because nothing was tolerated. The game is just played totally different now."
I agree with Freeman: not even Wooden could deal with today's attitudes.
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