Join the thread as you watch the game!
Who: #1 Seattle Storm vs. #4 Los Angeles Sparks
What: The Storm are in Los Angeles trying to wrap up their first playoff series win since 2004. The Sparks have other ideas.
Where: Staples Center -- Los Angeles, CA noon PST || TV: ESPN2 || Online: ESPN3
The Story:
Storm Seal First Playoff Series Win Since 2004 In Los Angeles (SBN Seattle)
Seattle Storm WNBA Playoff Push: The Quest For A Title Continues In LA (SBN Seattle)
0 recs | 128 comments
Hoping to get a win today
Treat this Staples Center crowd to something they really need to experience more often: watching their team get eliminated on their home floor.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
My favorite chant in all of basketball – Beat LA!!!
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
I am not liking the Phoenix series
We’re going to have to defend better than ever before. But hey, we didn’t lose against this team all year, so surely this is a team we can beat
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Already looking ahead, eh? LOL
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
As I like to say
It ain’t cocky if you can back it up
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Burn.
Good thing there are tons of Seattle homers here on Swish :)
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
tons?
juststop - August 28, 2010
You don’t think tons? LOL
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
It won’t be long now…
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
I really thought San Antonio could put up a better fight than this
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Any series gonna go three games?
Thoughts??
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
we better not
we need to wrap this up and get on to the next round
you don’t know what’s gonna happen down the road
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
I did, too ... but only with Holdsclaw
RP_45 - August 28, 2010
Listen to the LA coach
does she think this is all some kind of joke?
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
What did I miss?
Recap please :)
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
she was laughing in the “wired”
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
oh look
people in the crowd wearing kobe jerseys. How lazy.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
this crowd sucks so bad
this stadium doesn’t deserve the Lakers. This looks like a pickup game. I’ve seen Nets games that were less empty than this.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
LA came to play I guess
early lead – wonder how long it’ll last…
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
At least five minutes. Wowza.
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
I expected this
I expected LA to come out with a lot of emotion, a lot of energy, and a lot of hype. It’s about how we respond to it. Until we start playing like a team and not as individuals, we’re not going to get into this game.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Agreed.
I figured LA would be hungry to prove they belong in the playoffs…but I didn’t figure that Seattle would start so discombobulated.
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
So that Seattle offense
seems to be having trouble w/ the 3/4 front and early double teams in the post
Seth Pollack - August 28, 2010
at this point
we’re never going to figure out LA’s defense
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Yes indeed.
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
7-0 run
I’m not worried about our offense. The points will come when we make good decisions. I’m upset with the defense. We allowed LA to score 12 points way too quickly
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Are you Brian Agler?
Or a close relative?
I swear he’s thinking the same thing.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
HAHAHA
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
It's obvious
We don’t win games by trying to outscore opponents
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
True
but you are going to need to score more than 70 to beat Phx :)
Seth Pollack - August 28, 2010
But with that Phoenix defense...
:)
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
Right
Phoenix doesn’t play defense :)
Seth Pollack - August 28, 2010
I say, I say, I say
That there no call was horseshit!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
20 points
way too many. The question is not “how are we down 5?”. The question is “how are we down ONLY 5?”
And I am really getting sick of that “All Eyes on Me” song. Why not something cool, like the NBA on CBS theme?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC0WdLyGETc
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
was that laziness or stupidity?
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
What the Storm's season comes down to...
No answer for LJ
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
i wish everyone thought were just the LJ show
then we’d win all time
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
swin cash finally coming alive
two straight 3s
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
First lead of the game
where you at, freelantz?
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Ooops!!!
Hereeyeeeammmm!! (Go Storm)
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
Good to see Parker's not playing Scattergories
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
Ditto.
I thought today would be chinese checkers with Shelden actually.
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
Monopoly is a good game too
Long, involved.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
Or Risk?
Or is that too much thinking for that pair?
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
Candace Parker being interviewed
hahaha where’s jack nicholson?
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Lauren Jackson is our own Dwight Howard
except with more basketball skills.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
That's why the Duncan/Nowitzki combo comparison works better
She defends in space/perimeter much better than Howard
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
another 3 for swin cash
largest lead of the game, chumps!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Will never say that she is the MVP of the team...
But an argument could be made that her competitive drive/emotion has turned around a number of games for this team…
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
4-4 for swin cash
This is Steve Kerr esque!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Insane 3PT% right now...
Nice.
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
Ahem
Vesela-esque
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
Vesela doin' work again!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
We're shooting like the Orlando Magic right now
Except we can actually shoot when playoff teams put up stern defense
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
And there's the small matter of the point guard position not really being a concern at all...
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
more like the forward position is not a concern at all
Vince Carter? Rashard Lewis? pffft.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
In other words...
This team is better than the Magic at doing what the Magic do. :)
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
6 point halftime lead
we got this
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
7 2nd quarter threes
ties a WNBA record. Vast difference from the first half for the Storm. Almost like they were just toying with the Sparks in the first 10 minutes…
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
now you see why i was looking ahead? :)
I knew the points would come once Seattle found a rhythm. We just needed to slow down the Sparks’ pace.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
hahaha
not in such a laughing mood now, are ya coach?
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
you can make the extra pass all you want
but if we play good one on one defense, it’s really not going to help
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
this is sue bird’s first basket?
LA’s right. We haven’t done all we can to intimidate them.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Nope...
A-ROB hasn’t even gotten started on them!!!
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
FUCK
swin cash is hurt
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
I think you'd have to sever Swin's limps
(multiple) for her to come off the court in the playoffs.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
Hey sue
It’s not that you’re not playing well…it’s that you’re playing BAD. I know you can win games when you’re not playing well, but you have to play well in the playoffs.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Halftime stats: for those of you that love when stats confirm what you already know
As Agler said, the Sparks’ free throw rate caused problems for the Storm in the first quarter (61.5%).
In the second quarter, they both limited the Sparks’ free throws (14.3%) and had a blistering effective field goal percentage of 82.14%.
The combination = Storm outscoring the Sparks 21-16. Simple.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
tossing your scrunchie into the crowd
hey, whatever got you into the playoffs
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Gotta love Camille Little...
She’s fallen off a bit in the second half of the season but is just a workhorse in the paint.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
great inside layup
8 point lead, largest of the game, suckaz!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
What would inspire you to leave Bird open...
…ever…?
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
it happens.
it happens in every game. Guys will somehow get wide open.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Defense anyone?
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
well, i'm sure you're having fun playing against Lauren right now...
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
DMJ cracks me up...
She says it’s fun…but then openly refuses to shake hands after the game…
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
wow. really?
what’s up with that?
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/08/the-sparks-delisha-miltonjones-avoids-handshake-line-after-wednesdays-loss.html
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
gm of the year...Agler or Blaze?
juststop - August 28, 2010
agler's our coach
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
And Director of Player Personnel...
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
I go Blaze...
The quantity of moves and quality…and having faith in Mitchell who ended up being MIP is enough to sway me.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
But Agler deserves credit in this regard...
He made the right moves: Svet and Willingham and then identifying and signing Vesela.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
What about Ashley?
I thought you weren’t so sure about the Ashley’s moves….
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
Yeah, but realistically...
He didn’t use her much…
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
How is signing Temecka Johnson to an offer sheet
showing faith in Mitchell?
Scotter - August 28, 2010
Because you later cut Loree Moore...
And brought in Nikki Blue…thus putting the entire thing on Mitchell…
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
Wasn't Moore released before TJ was signed to an offer sheet, though?
Plus Ashley Houts isn’t exactly setting the world on fire.
RP_45 - August 29, 2010
I believe you're correct
I think it’s not entirely clear exactly how that happened…
When the Pondexter trade was made (March 30) part of the Mercury’s reasoning was to help keep Johnson.
Then NY released Moore on the 6th and the Merc signed Temeka Johnson on the 16th. Although we don’t know the exact date NYL signed Johnson to an offer sheet, we do know that they pursued her hard and Moore’s release was part.
http://www.swishappeal.com/2010/5/13/1470439/a-tale-of-two-interviews-temeka
As for Houts, I wouldn’t see drafting her as a legitimate threat to Mitchell… they needed someone to back up the point if they weren’t going run Pondexter at point.
But I think the bigger thing is that in February, Blazejowski and Donovan indicated that they were impressed by Mitchell’s play overseas… so it’s not as though they didn’t expect something more from Mitchell…
http://www.swishappeal.com/2010/8/11/1617158/wnba-most-improved-player-rankings
Nate Parham - August 29, 2010
Loree Moore was about that dolla dolla bill
Bought her out to get under the cap after the Pondexter deal.
Queenie - August 29, 2010
oh look
the meager crowd is trying to rally the team and wave towels. How cute.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
From Swish Appeal's photographer in LA:
“What crowd?”
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
agler's played our starters to death
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
no one's gonna rotate out to willingham?
Okay! Thanks!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Willingham is not playing with YOU!
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
3rd quarter comes to an end
I’m so excited. We are so winning this. That 3 pointer at the buzzer was as heroic as it was meaningful.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
lotta seattle fans in the crowd
and they just exploded at that bucket
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
3rd Quarter stats: Storm 64, Sparks 54
OK, the Storm played well in the third quarter… but a familiar bug-a-boo showed up: the Storm had 5 turnovers for a turnover percentage of 29.76%.
They have a tendency to cut turnovers down in the fourth quarter as the put the ball in the hands of Bird more… but something to watch.
Again, they outshot the Sparks with an eFG% of 61.54% – 40%
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
ANDREA RILEY!!!!
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
So they can finally stop wondering where she is.
Now I’m sure the entire face of the game will change.
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
It will.
You watch. :P hahaha
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
more like andrea mackris
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
9 minutes away from advancing!
The players should hit the floor when we win.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Everyone loves to bring up the 76-75 game
For the last time, that game meant NOTHING. This is totally different. LA ain’t comin’ back from this deficit.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
I won't say it meant nothing...
The Storm didn’t play particularly well… but I think it woke them up a little and got them pumped for this series…
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
I think we played great in the third quarter
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Not great in the fourth
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
sue bird with a fastbreak
largest lead of the game
you were saying?
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
That Saturday's game was important in their preparation process :)
Didn’t mean nothing — but wasn’t a “bad omen” either..
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
time running out, crowd starting to boo
soak it!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
LA should be glad they're still there...
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
LA yet to score in this quarter
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Still yet to score!
17 point lead, largest of the game!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
another 3 for quinn
not gonna matter
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Might want to go ahead and remove some of the key players...
No need for someone to get hurt against a desperate team..
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
put in Alison!
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
Her..
A-Rob…Abby…. LA is getting scary physical
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
hahaha
Seattle’s letting LA hang around and the Sparks can’t do diddly
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Agler for COY now?
As Petrel pointed out, Plank tanked the post-season…
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
3 pointer by Sue
The Jelloooooooooooo’s jigglin’!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
This one's done!
Yays
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
1 minute remaining
Time to revel in our long awaited vindication!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
You see that creature running off?
That’s the monkey on our back. Took us 6 years to finally get it off.
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Predictions for the WCF?
I go Seattle in three – anyone else?
Jessica Lantz - August 28, 2010
All I have to say is
Phoenix, we’re comin’ for you, ready or not!
WaveOcean - August 28, 2010
Agreed -
Seattle in three.
And I expect close games…
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
Jen Gillom
Does she ever actually discuss strategy in her in-game huddles (or even in the locker room)? Stark contrast to Brian Agler…
RP_45 - August 28, 2010
She discusses it with media...
And I did notice her at the white board diagramming some things at KeyArena last Saturday… so I’d say yes. :)
Nate Parham - August 28, 2010
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