Who: #1 Seattle Storm vs. #2 Phoenix Mercury
What: The Western Conference Finals begins with Game 1 in Seattle, after both the Storm and the Mercury took care of their first-round opponents in just two games.
Where: KeyArena- Seattle, Washington 7:00 p.m. pst || NBA TV || LiveAccess
0 recs | 86 comments
CommentItLive isn’t working for me, so here I am in the amazing comments section!
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
The 2010 WNBA MVP award is the only award other than the championship trophy that even looks 1/2-way decent.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
Brian Agler was given....
…the ugly piece of plastic indicating the Coach of the Year.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
Didn't they give the MVP during the Finals last year?
Dunno. They aren’t consistent with when they give the awards. Not that I am complaining.
Best series ever!
fadeoutin - September 2, 2010
Yes
It was Game 1 of the Finals last year. Perhaps they went ahead and gave it out because the news leaked this year.
pilight - September 2, 2010
I might be dividing my time....
…between CoverItLive and the comments. I can hear the catcalls from Key Arena. “At least we’re not being sold!”
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
I am gonna stick down here for tonight
Go Storm.
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
4:49 left in first quarter: Sea 9, Phx 3
Unfortunately, I am not at KeyArena tonight (boo) and I’ll narcissisticly attribute the either team’s inability to make layups to that…
Even with the 9-3 lead, it’s not necessarily secure with neither team finding their groove yet.
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Q, I've forgotten why
you’re not at Key.
Sadly, we’re in Berkeley, but I did rave on so much about the W and LJ to my cousin in Long Beach that she signed up for Live Access to see what I was raving about. Chipping away, chipping away…
BearBint - September 2, 2010
A long chain of unfortunate events..
Nice on raving about the league — is your cousin enjoying? (Not the best first game… :/)
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Haven't heard back from her yet,
but she enjoyed my LJ anecdotes and would probably love watching Jackson vs. Taurasi when the latter is at full speed. I hope Sunday’s game will be a different story in some respects.
BearBint - September 3, 2010
1st Q SEA 23 PHX 14
Box scores don’t look much different but Phoenix not really playing defense. No one might be able to beat Seattle when they want to win.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
the storm in Oklahoma
Has totally wacked out my game watching/threading plans. Hope the Storm in Seattle can win game 1…
Jessica Lantz - September 2, 2010 via mobile
Got CoverItLive running for ya.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
hugs and kisses.
I owe you a beer or piece of cake or whatever suits your fancy if we ever meet face to face :)
Jessica Lantz - September 2, 2010 via mobile
I've already seen the #1 thing I wanted to see
Sue Blauch in the house! WOO!
pilight - September 2, 2010
World's Biggest Sue Blauch Fan.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
I'm actually glad to see the game evening out a little and teams playing half-decently..
Still rooting for a good series
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Where da hell's Seth Pollack?
You call this offense, Phoenix? Here’s our defense!
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Pffffft
Is this the best Diana can do? Was this what I was supposed to be afraid of?
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Um..32-23
Still plenty of time for her to do her thing…
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Taurasi is caught up...
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
That's the way she began the season too.
Just pressing too much and hurting her team in the process.
Scotter - September 2, 2010
I suppose with a player like that
You just take the good with the bad…
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
In the past there was less bad to take with the good.
In some respects it seems like she tried to be Cappie this season, instead of being herself on the court.
Scotter - September 2, 2010
Yeah - noticed that when looking over final numbers
Much less well-rounded player this season.
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
I'd say we're the worst 28-6 team you've ever
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
seen
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Elaborate.
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
For a 28-6 team
We sure don’t look dominant
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Patience grasshopper.
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Well, that's one way to get the ball back
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Lauren says the magic word?
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
Get lost, Bonner
That’s our ball
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Now, now...
I love DWB. (And BearBloke and I still intend to adopt her!)
BearBint - September 2, 2010
Oh, I'm sure you do
It was a loose ball on phoenix that i was reacting to
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
All right
We’re getting back into our groove now
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Yeah - you're seen enough Storm games...
Sometimes it takes time… but they’re not 28-6 on a fluke…
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Hey petrel, the Mercury can't play defense
That article published a while back about how the Mercury could play defense was rubbish. Holding the Silver Stars to 90+ points on your home floor and holding the Sparks to 69 points is completely different.
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Even the announcers agree with me
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
What article?
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
I assume he's referring to Seth's?
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
yeah
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
I think so.
If I did, my memory is just SHOT.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
I don't know that we should say Seattle has "held" Phoenix
Phoenix is missing very easy shots….
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
I will say the refs are somewhat friendly tonight
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
If this were the NBA
that would have been a lob and a dunk
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Actually Kara, you did have a choice
You could have chosen not to foul Lauren. After all, I think without you on the floor your team’s kinda screwed, after reading that article about you.
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
The Power of Dynamic Inertia
The Shake Weight is too funny
pilight - September 2, 2010
For men!
I’ve decided this is a massive practical joke: each person gets a letter back saying, “You got SHOOK!”
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
WNBA Uniform Sponsorship in 3...2...1....
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
Curious choice
I wonder how many WNBA fans are really in the target market for the Shake Weight for men.
pilight - September 2, 2010
Well obviously once you get that male demographic
you need to keep ’em.
Wait…. that doesn’t fit my practical joke narrative..
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Oh. My. Funny. Laughing hyena-style!!
Jessica Lantz - September 2, 2010 via mobile
Oh look, it's Turkey vs Croatia
Hedo Turkoglu can go buy himself an ice cream cone
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Poor Angola
They win the FIBA African championship every year, but Australia just made them look like a joke.
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Tanisha's complaining
but that’s a good foul because if the whistle isn’t blown, Phoenix gets a wide open 3
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Nice block by LJ!
That’s how you win MVP!
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
I sincerely wish that Storm fans would not boo Taurasi...
I can’t help but believe she loves that…
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
This is a terrible game
If this is how they’re going to play, the ECF is the real WNBA finals.
pilight - September 2, 2010
The Storm can beat just about anyone ugly though
Have done it all season
I don’t have reason to believe the Mercury can
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
As I'm sure you already know
It’s much harder to win ugly in the playoffs. Hence the Mystics’ early exit.
pilight - September 2, 2010
I'm a bit more concerned for the Storm
that their execution is not looking very good. It’s coming down to ridiculously hot 3pt shooting….
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
All it might take is one good quarter by Phoenix. But I’ve not even seen as much as a hint that that quarter might come.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
As long as we play defense
We’ll be just fine
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
it's not ridiculously hot
it’s wide open
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
This is not to contradict your original claim
It’s not a good game
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
But I'll believe that the ECF will produce a work of art when I see it.
Scotter - September 2, 2010
Oh this game is plenty good
Cause it’s making me nervous
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
That's an excellent way to look at it :)
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
No way
the WCF is the real WNBA finals. I say whoever wins this will win it all.
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Svet has been huge tonight...
She’s done what she can to keep the momentum going the Storm’s way.
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Well, that four point lead was scary
But it’s back to 9 as we head to the 4th quarter
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
BAM
Like hitting a train
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
I nominate Diana for unsung Storm hero tonight
WaveOcean - September 2, 2010
Seattle is a veritable Shake Weight of dominance tonight.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
“Do the workout just once. If you’re not blown away return it for a full refund.”
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
Diana clearly needs to use the Shake Weight.
James Bowman - September 2, 2010
This is not going anywhere positive.
:)
Nate Parham - September 2, 2010
AW YEAH
We’re just one win away from the finals, heathens!
WaveOcean - September 3, 2010
Oh man
We can clinch it on Sunday…that game will be on ABC. How cool is that?
WaveOcean - September 3, 2010
Are they not putting the ECF on LiveAccess?
WaveOcean - September 3, 2010
I think the refs stole this game
That first foul called on Taurasi was a typical bogus foul; that didn’t look like a normal shot motion by Cash to me. The refs were dogging Taurasi all night, like they often do. And how does LJ get 17 boards and only commit one foul, while Smith gets only 4 boards but commits 5 fouls. I think LJ has been getting a pass from the refs all year, while Taurasi has been getting shafted, and I’m sick of it. I think the league needs to replace Dee Kantor, whose quality control of the officiating is almost non-existent.
OVJ - September 3, 2010
Oh no. No no no no no no.
Don’t blame the refs for Taurasi’s performance tonight. The refs can’t make the field goals for you. And they sent her to the line plenty of times. How does LJ get 17 boards? Could it have anything to do with the fact that she’s normally the main Seattle defender in the paint and she’s one of the tallest players on the court? And if you want to talk about getting shafted, and getting dogged, ask Tanisha Wright, called for a technical and two bizarre offensive fouls.
Welcome to Storm basketball…where elegance and free-flowing offense give way to force and defensive pressure.
WaveOcean - September 3, 2010
Apology to Dee Kantor
First, I would like to apologize to Dee Kantor. I’m sure she’s doing the best she can with the budget she has.
Regarding LJ and all those rebounds, I’ve got to think she’s been pushing off on a lot of them. How does she create so much space all the time? Or is it the fear of the elbows? Yes, she’s taller than most, but Braxton is the same height, and Smith is only an inch shorter.
All I’m asking for is a level playing field. Give us some unbiased officiating that treats LJ like everyone else and watch the Storm turn into a tropical depression.
OVJ - September 3, 2010
You got a level playing field, pal
We got whistled for 20 fouls and you got whistled for 22.
If you don’t want the Storm to take so many free throws, maybe you shouldn’t foul the Storm players underneath the basket so often. When the Mercury attempt layups, our defenders keep their feet set and keep their arms up so as not to get called for a blocking foul.
Of the 17 rebounds, 14 were defensive rebounds. Meaning when the Mercury missed a shot (and they missed 54 shots, mind you), Lauren was there to grab the ball 14 times. Sometimes when a team misses a shot, everyone runs back to the other side to play defense. It’s when you’re getting an offensive rebound that loose ball fouls tend to occur.
“Tropical depression”? What? Um…yeah! I like the random word generator too! Appalled Perch! Yearly Bootee! Unexpected Lithium!
WaveOcean - September 3, 2010
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