Chasing the Title

A Sense of Urgency

2009-09-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

As we approach Game 2 of another playoff series with the Storm down 0-1, we will hear people talk about the same things:

Lauren Jackson's injury
Sue Bird's performance
A lack of perimeter depth

All of these three are truly important, and we can add in the need for BOTH Bird and Cash to step up in the abscence of Jackson.

Having watched all four game 1's so far this post season, though, I will step out and say that I think the key for the Storm in the next game and beyond will be one simple directive.

Play with a sense of urgency.

We saw this in Detroit as the Shock overcame a significant deficit to hold serve on their home court.

We saw this in San Antonio as the Silver Stars pushed on every weakness they could expose on the Phoenix defense and stars found their games in the waning moments of what we knew would be a tight game.

We saw this in Washington as the Fever refused to let the lower seed win that first game despite their inspired play early on.

We did NOT see this from Seattle or LA in their game 1. Seattle allowed themselves to be punished early and despite a late push could not recover. LA was in control of the game and then relaxed enough to allow Seattle to challenge them.

With their backs against the wall, the Storm will need to play with that sense of urgency. I don't mean that they should change their style of play or take badly rushed shots. I mean they need to put every ounce of effort on what they do best. Every player on the floor, all eight of the available players, will need to play like every possession matters, because it will.

LA has enough bravado to avoid playing their best game. They don't play Seattle with a sense of urgency. They are sure enough of themselves that they will expose themselves to a focused attack and true hustle.

Players like Little, Wright and Walker play like this every game, but the rest of the lineup needs to take that cue and play with the same grit, determination and hustle. Talent will not win this series, I doubt it will win a game for Seattle with Jackson on the bench. In my opinion, LA has Seattle beat EASILY on the talent meter at the moment.

Hustle, passion and a sense of urgency are the things that will win this series for Seattle, the question is whether they have the desire to express them.

Lineup Info

2009-09-17T10:18:00.001-07:00

I am only a third of the way through the season data, but here is a quick look at the first 11 games of the season....

Top Performing Lineups

Bird-Wright-Cash-Little-Jackson +68 (146 minutes) +18 per 40 minutes

Bird-Wright-Cash-Jackson-Burse +16 (28 minutes) +23 per 40 minutes

Bird-Wright-Gearlds-Little-Jackson +10 (18 minutes) +22 per 40 minutes

Top Player Pairs

Bird-Jackson +103 (318 minutes) +13 per 40 minutes

Bird-Wright +97 (286 minutes) +14 per 40 minutes

Bird-Little +74 (253 minutes) +12 per 40 minutes

Luck of the Draw

2009-08-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes fate just smiles on you.

My wife is out of town, and I was only able to get a babysitter for 2 of the next 4 home games while she is gone. It just so happens that the games I get to attend as a fan (since I have no sitter, I get to bring the kids to the game) are the returns of Tully Bevilaqua and Iziane Castro Marques.

It will be nice to get to be a part of the crowd on those two evenings, as I was able to do for the All-Decade Team game as well.

Indiana will be a true test for this Storm team and their home court prowess.

Proud of Storm All-Stars

2009-07-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Seattle has a lot to be proud of with regards to the WNBA All-Star game this season. Fans voted three of the Storm's players to start in the All-Star game and all three performed very well. Surprise starter, Swin Cash showed any doubters that she deserved her spot in the game and she gave those fans quite a show. Cash set a WNBA All-Star scoring record with 22 points, eclipsing the 21 point record set only minutes earlier by first time All Star, Nicole Powell from the Sacramento Monarchs. Cash added six rebounds and four assists to earn All-Star MVP as her Western squad reclaimed the All-Star crown in a 130-118 scoring battle.

Lauren Jackson was a perfect 3-3 from long range in the first half but sat out the second half to rest her injured achilles tendon. When questioned about her remarkable performance despite injury, the ever humble Jackson claimed innocence. She said she just ran up to the line and shot without playing any offense or defense in the game.

Sue Bird played a solid game herself, with the only double-double of the afternoon, 16 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.

Sylvia Fowles took two uncontested attempts to dunk the ball in the final seconds to the delight of the fans.

This was one of the better ASG's in the recent past, mostly due to the back and forth scoring. Neither team controlled the game until the fourth quarter when the West added some defense to fulfill LA Sparks forward, Tina Thompson's demand that they win this game.

Bird was unable to recover from the bad luck of shooting last in the first round and first in the second, as she squeezed by the NY Liberty's Shameka Christon by hitting her last money ball of the first round. Becky Hammon's 16 points won the second round, beating the 12 points tying Bird and Detroit's Katie Smith. Hammon and Bird showed that, while Smith may hold the current record, these two young players are going to give her a run for the money in their careers.

Cash's MVP performance in the game itself made up for her missed free throw that set her Western team behind in the Skills Challenge which was won by the other Western team made up of Minnesota's Charde Houston, Phoenix's Cappie Pondexter and San Antonio's Sophia Young.

Sportswriting

2009-07-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

I know that for some this is the dream job. You cover a sport that you love, and people read your thoughts and ideas.

I will be the first to admit, that it is harder than it seems.

I am not a great writer, though I have some skill with language. However, trying to fit your thoughts into 500-800 words after a game with cohesion and flair...that takes true talent.

I am certainly learning the craft with each piece I write, but I am also learning that I miss the role of the fan. My kids were right. I do enjoy being a fan. This role as a media representative prevents me from fulfilling that role.

I have a new respect for the pros. It is not just asking the right question at the right time. I have seen every reporter in the room get the disdainful look from a player or a coach for asking a question they feel is wasted. We all have stories to write and angles we want to pursue. Our questions are as biased and colored as the answers we get.

It is the ability to find the theme or the thread of interest that drives an article that is so very difficult.

Anyone can talk about sports.

I suspect a large, but somewhat smaller subset can write about sports. Blogging is a free form that allows us to journal our thoughts in a shared forum. Some use it exactly that way, while others strike a more formal path.

I find that I, through my commitment to covering the games, find less time to do the things that I enjoy doing about the games. The last game I ran the numbers for was the Sky game last month. By the time I finish my commitment, I find I lack the passion or the energy, or perhaps simply the time to do what I have always done.

Please forgive my delays in game analyses as I fulfill my commitments. I believe so strongly in the need to cover this league at the local and national level, that I have sacrificed some things that I WANT in order to ensure that this team is covered. I am not blogging all that much, I am not Tweeting, and my son is seeing less basketball than ever. I feel good that the tickets are paid for, but sad that the seats are empty.

I will get back to my data. It just may take a little more time than it used to. In the mean time...if the economy is slapping you around, but you want to see a game. Let me know. I have four seats begging for fans.

Game 3: Seattle @ Chicago

2009-06-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Seattle Storm

Top Shooting

Floor%: Lauren Jackson (63%), Swin Cash (60%), Tanisha Wright (50%)
eFG%: Swin Cash (71%), Lauren Jackson (67%), Sue Bird (60%), Janell Burse (50%)
TS%: Swin Cash (100%), Sue Bird (85%), Lauren Jackson (70%), Camille Little (50%)

Top Ratings

Offensive Rating: Lauren Jackson (140.98), Swin Cash (123.40), Tanisha Wright (101.97)
Individual Rating: Lauren Jackson (124.87), Swin Cash (119.40)

Plus Minus

Sue Bird +9
Lauren Jackson +6
Ashley Robinson +3
Ashley Walker +1
Camille Little 0
Shannon Johnson -3
Katie Gearlds -8
Janell Burse -9
Tanisha Wright -11

Top Performing Lineups

Bird-Gearlds-Cash-Little-Jackson +8
Bird-Wright-Cash-Jackson-Burse +4

Chicago Sky

Top Shooting

Floor%: Katie Douglas (63%), Khadijah Wittington (60%), Tammy Sutton-Brown (56%), Ebony Hoffman (54%)
eFG%: Khadijah Wittington (67%), Katie Douglas (63%), Tammy Sutton-Brown (50%)
TS%: Katie Douglas (80%), Khadijah Wittington (67%), Ebony Hoffman (60%)

Top Ratings

Offensive Rating: Katie Douglas (150.28), Khadijah Wittington (119.73), Ebony Hoffman (18.36), Tammy Sutton-Brown (117.03)
Individual Rating: Katie Douglas (122.74), Khadijah Wittington (120.20)

Plus Minus
Tammy Sutton-Brown +17
Ebony Hoffman +11
Tully Bevilaqua +7
Yolanda Griffith +3
Katie Douglas +2
Tameka Dixon -2
Briann January -3
Khadijah Wittington -3
Christina Wirth +5

Top Performing Lineups

Bevilaqua-Douglas-Catchings-Sutton^Brown-Hoffman +13
January-Dixon-Douglas-Sutton^Brown-Hoffman +5
White-Douglas-Catchings-Sutton^Brown-Hoffman +4

Game 2 Seattle vs. Sacramento

2009-06-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Storm

TOP SHOOTING

Player	Floor %	eFG%	TS%	Points
Katie Gearlds	64%	83%	83%	5
Janell Burse	61%	75%	82%	8
Lauren Jackson	56%	66%	74%	25
Camille Little	55%	50%	51%	11
Sue Bird	53%	63%	58%	15

TOP RATINGS

Player	Offensive	Individual
Katie Gearlds	159.77	154.98
Lauren Jackson	126.71	121.09
Janell Burse	119.76	117.88
Sue Bird	114.76	112.80
Camille Little	111.83	95.07

PLUS/MINUS

Sue Bird: +21
Lauren Jackson: +19
Swin Cash: +12
Tanisha Wright: +10
Camille Little: +9
Ashley Robinson: 0
Janell Burse: -2
Katie Gearlds: -5
Shannon Johnson: -6
Ashley Walker: -8

MOST EFFECTIVE LINEUPS

Bird-Wright-Cash-Little-Jackson: +10
Bird-Johnson-Wright-Little-Jackson: +5

Monarchs

TOP SHOOTING

Player	Floor %	eFG%	TS%	Points
Nicole Powell	60%	67%	74%	14
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba	54%	50%	82%	8
Chelsea Newton	52%	63%	63%	5
Kara Lawson	50%	68%	67%	17

TOP RATINGS

Player	Offensive	Individual
Nicole Powell	143.66	128.59
Chelsea Newton	123.95	113.02
Kara Lawson	123.17	116.52
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba	121.76	107.60

PLUS/MINUS (My numbers for this game do not align with the WNBA)
Kara Lawson: +8
Courtney Paris: +8
Nicole Powell: +4
Chelsea Newton: +3
Crystal Kelly: -2
Laura Harper: -3
DeMya Walker: -5
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba: -10
Rebecca Brunson: -15
Scholanda Robinson: -16
Ticha Penicheiro: -22

MOST EFFECTIVE LINEUPS

Lawson-Newton-Powell-Walker-Kelly: +7
Lawson-Maiga^Ba-Powell-Kelly-Paris: +4

Game 1 Seattle @ Sacramento

2009-06-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Storm

TOP SHOOTING

Player	Floor %	eFG%	TS%	Points
Lauren Jackson	82%	75%	96%	23
Katie Gearlds	51%	64%	64%	9
Tanisha Wright	47%	63%	58%	21
Ashley Robinson	41%	100%	100%	2

TOP RATINGS

Player	Offensive	Individual
Ashley Walker	233.33	200.00
Lauren Jackson	189.09	151.95
Katie Gearlds	147.13	112.41
Shannon Johnson	113.67	76.86
Sue Bird	111.61	66.84

PLUS/MINUS

Lauren Jackson: +30
Sue Bird: +23
Tanisha Wright: +17
Katie Gearlds: +14
Janell Burse: +2
Shannon Johnson: +1
Camille Little: +1
Ashley Walker: -6
Ashley Robinson: -14
Swin Cash: -18

MOST EFFECTIVE LINEUPS

Bird-Wright-Gearlds-Jackson-Burse: +9
Bird-Johnson-Wright-Little-Jackson: +8
Bird-Johnson-Wright-Gearlds-Jackson: +7

MONARCHS

TOP SHOOTING

Player	Floor %	eFG%	TS%	Points
Laura Harper	70%	57%	74%	11
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba	68%	50%	58%	8
Rebecca Brunson	60%	50%	58%	8
Ticha Penicheiro	51%	33%	58%	11

TOP RATINGS

Player	Offensive	Individual
Laura Harper	147.95	127.12
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba	128.94	98.28
Rebecca Brunson	127.02	99.05
Ticha Penicheiro	105.63	80.36

PLUS/MINUS

Chelsea Newton: +13
Crystal Kelly: +1
DeMya Walker: 0
Courtney Paris: -1
Rebeccas Brunson: -1
Kara Lawson: -3
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba: -9
Ticha Penicheiro: -9
Nicole Powell: -9
Laura Harper: -10
Scholanda Robinson: -21

MOST EFFECTIVE LINEUPS

Lawson-Newton-Powell-Brunson-Harper: +8
Penicheiro-Newton-Maiga^Ba-Walker-Kelly: +3

Atkinson and Terry Cut

2009-06-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

With this next round of cuts...only rookie Parham and 2nd year player Franklin remain in camp and on the bubble. Given the significant playing time and subsequent play from Gearlds and Robinson, it looks like the roster is decided. I am not sure of the reasoning for keeping Parham and Franklin at this point...

Preseason Game # 2 Stats

2009-05-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

Storm

TOP SHOOTING

Player	Floor %	eFG%	TS%	Points
Ashley Robinson	37%	50%	50%	4
Ashely Walker	52%	36%	45%	12
Tanisha Wright	45%	40%	48%	16
Katie Gearlds	29%	40%	40%	8

TOP RATINGS

Player	Offensive	Individual
Ashley Walker	108.81	84.89
Tanisha Wright	97.92	84.91

PLUS/MINUS

Ashley Robinson: +5
Tanisha Wright: +2
Ashley Walker: +2
Sue Bird: -2
Katie Gearlds: -2
Camille Little: -5
Shannon Johnson: -6
Janell Burse: -9

MOST EFFECTIVE LINEUPS

Bird-Wright-Gearlds-Little-Robinson: +4
Bird-Wright-Gearlds-Walker-Little: +4
Johnson-Wright-Gearlds-Walker-Robinson: +3
Johnson-Wright-Gearlds-Little-Burse: +2

Mercury

TOP SHOOTING

Player	Floor %	eFG%	TS%	Points
Diana Taurasi	52%	60%	60%	13
Temeka Johnson	43%	65%	65%	13
Brooke Smith	31%	100%	69%	2
Laurie Koehn	38%	60%	60%	6

TOP RATINGS

Player	Offensive	Individual
Laurie Koehn	115.13	108.72
Temeka Johnson	111.81	111.50
Allison Bales	108.83	106.38
Diana Taurasi	107.28	102.46

PLUS/MINUS

Allison Bales: +17
Laurie Koehn: +13
Brooke Smith: +10
Le'Coe Willingham: -1
Cappie Pondexter: -3
Dewanna Bonner: -8
Temeka Johnson: -9
Diana Taurasi: -10
Tangela Smith: -12

MOST EFFECTIVE LINEUPS

Oga-Brooks-Koehn-BSmith-Bales: +8
Johnson-Pondexter-Mazzante-Willingham-TSmith: +6
Johnson-Taurasi-Pondexter-Bonner-TSmith: +5
Brooks-Quigley-Koehn-BSmith-Bales: +4

Guest in the Key

2009-05-25T11:05:00.001-07:00

Read Q's great post on his visit to Key Arena for last week's preseason game.

http://rethinkbball.blogspot.com/2009/05/wnbas-west-coast-pre-season-opener.html

Preseason Game # 1 Stats

2009-05-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Storm

TOP SHOOTING

Player	Floor %	eFG%	TS%	Points
La'Tangela Atkinson	61%	67%	64%	5
Ashely Walker	63%	50%	54%	10
Shannon Johnson	52%	67%	64%	5
Janell Burse	54%	50%	56%	10
Kimberly Beck	51%	75%	75%	3

TOP RATINGS

Player	Offensive	Individual
Kimberly Beck	153.73	139.69
Ashely Walker	124.31	99.81
La'Tangela Atkinson	117.99	114.24
Janell Burse	112.47	99.19
A'Quonesia Franklin	100.45	93.49

PLUS/MINUS

Katie Gearlds: +11
Shannon Johnson: +7
Kasha Terry: +7
La'Tangela Atkinson: +7
Aja Parham: +3
Kimberly Beck: +3
A'Quonesia Franklin: +2
Camille Little: +2
Ashley Robinson: +1
Janell Burse: 0
Mara Freshour: 0

MOST EFFECTIVE LINEUPS

Johnson-Atkinson-Gearlds-Little-Burse: +4
Johnson-Atkinson-Gearlds-Little-Terry: +4
Franklin-Johnson-Gearlds-Walker-Burse: +3
Franklin-Gearlds-Little-Walker-Burse: +3

Monarchs vs. Storm 5/21

2009-05-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

I do intend to run the numbers for this game, but I have a badly sprained ankle that makes sitting to type rather uncomfortable. Hopefully it will start to feel better soon.

I completed my first game from press row, and it was definitely a new experience. I still get to enjoy great professional basketball but my focus and my enjoyment of the game is more analytical and less personal. I am not sure yet how I feel about that change.

It was a new skill to perform post game interviews with the coach and players, and I definitely had some rookie jitters, but am looking forward to improving over the course of the season. I got the quotes I was looking for with regard to my post game article, but also took some time to talk with the three rookies about their first WNBA game. Parham and Freshour particularly seemed surprised to have someone interested in speaking to them. They both handled themselves well, however, and gave me some good quotes for a rookie story I am considering.

It great to see a nice size crowd for an exhibition game, looking forward to a much more packed house on opening night.

My first Media Day

2009-05-19T13:41:00.001-07:00

I survived.

My rookie nerves had me ready to fall flat on my face, ask a stupid question, miss the key interview or just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Thankfully, the Storm PR staff are pros and they made sure everything moved along smoothly. Other members of the press were very helpful, sharing logistical advice and being very friendly in general. I was not the only rookie, and I appreciated that fact.

I enjoyed watching the seasoned pros at work in the process, and took my time, watching and learning through the early interviews, waiting for my spot. As the morning wore on, I felt a little more prepared and asked a few more questions. We had just a handful of us around for many of the players with other interviews with Sue Bird and Brian Agler being more crowded.

I listened to my interview recordings on my run this morning...searching for a theme for my first piece. There is so much material, I understand now why I was told Media Day could provide me a foundation for the entire season.

I am looking forward to covering my first game this Thursday.

Storm Media Day

2009-05-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

So, I have not been posting much of late.

It has been the combination of a number of things:

* Slow News
* Busy Schedule

but the kicker has been over my decision to change my role covering the Storm this season.

I have agreed to cover the Storm in an official capacity for Sports Page Magazine. As a result, I will have access to more information, however, my content will be at SPM's site.

I will continue to provide statistical analysis here on the team, but most of my writing will be done in official capacity.

I have to make a few sacrifices to take on this role, and perhaps the hardest will be surrendering my fan experience. My kids were the ones who were most concerned about that aspect, and perhaps they are showing some key insight. We shall have to see.

I will be attending Storm Media Day tomorrow, and I will likely share my personal experience here on the blog, though the interview content will be on SPM's site.

I am excited about the new challenge and the opportunity that SPM has offered me to increase the depth of my coverage and convert from a casual blogger into a more official, journalistic role. I hope those that follow me here will continue to follow me over at SPM.

Cheers,
Patrick

Storm Entry Video

2009-05-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen it, you should.

Also you should read Kevin Pelton's exclusive interview and listen to the recordings. LJ was truly moved, and strangely surprised by the outpouring of genuine support from Seattle fans. She points out, specifically, how the notes wishing her only happiness without regard for her final decison swung the pendulum firmly into the Storm's camp. Her comment that "I really had no idea how passionate people were about the Storm and me coming back." were almost amusing in their true humility. Her choice of the word "family" is a key one, in fact I believe I was one of the ones who used that term in my thank you to her. She is a part of our family and we are just oh so glad she has decided to come home!

Welcome home, Lauren.

The Great Barrier Reef is Intact!

2009-05-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

LJ signed with the Storm.

'nuff said.

Swin makes some funnies...

2009-04-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

On Twitter today...Swin Cash teased that she knew where LJ had signed, but of course she ran out of room on the 140 character limit...twice.

She said she was responding the "Swin Flu" jokes on the web that she was told of by a friend, leading to the loss of Swoopes, Griffith and LJ.

Glad she has a sense of humor.

The President on Women's Sports

2009-04-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

From an AP article by Andrew Miga, the Seattle Times quotes President Obama...

Obama said that as the father of two young daughters, he especially appreciates the success of female athletes like the Connecticut team.

"My girls look at the TV when I'm watching 'SportsCenter' and they see women staring back," Obama said of the ESPN program, a personal favorite. "That shows them that they can be champions, too."

According to the article, the president played a game of P-I-G with the UCONN Huskies after recognizing them as 2009 NCAA champions.

Ashley Walker Senior Profile

2009-04-12T07:09:00.001-07:00

Here are the senior year numbers for Ashley Walker, the Storm's 1st round draft pick, the person Coach Agler called,

Probably one of the better offensive players in the draft.

Ashley was my #5 player overall based on senior performance, behind Courtney Paris, Dewanna Bonner, Angel McCoughtry and Marissa Coleman. She was my number two post performer behind Courtney Paris and just ahead of Ashley Paris. She was a very effective rebounder, ranking #7 overall on Rebounds per 40 minutes. She was not spectacular in any other area, but rose to the top because she was consistently solid in 9 of my 11 categories, ranking in the top 25 of all of them other than strict offensive rating.

Shooting/Scoring

Floor %: 57% of the time Walker attempted to score on a possession she was able to put at least one point on the scoreboard.

Effective Field Goal %: 55%

True Shooting %: 60%

Rebounding

Defensive Rebounding: Walker secured 15% of all available defensive rebounds for Cal this season. (15% of Cal defensive + Opponent offensive)

Offensive Rebounding: Walker secured 10% of all available offensive rebounds for Cal this season. (10% of Cal offensive + Opponent defensive)

Rebounds per 40 Minutes: Walker was just shy of 11 rebounds per 40 minutes this season.

Efficiency

Offensive Rating: Walker scored 77.16 points per 100 possessions.

Adjusted Indvidual Rating: With adjustment for strength of schedule, Walker had an individual rating of 101.09.

Points Produced Per Game: Just under 8 points per game can be attributed to Walker (based on partial scoring for assisted baskets and offensive rebounds)

Adjusted WinScore: 6.5

Usage %: Walker utilized approximately 30% of Cal's possessions this season.

BoxScores: Walker could be credited for 8 of Cal's 25 wins this season. In other words Cal would only have been expected to have 17 wins this season had Walker not played.

Notes
Walker was actually the top performer early in the season, going head to head with Courtney Paris in terms of numbers and overall performance. Once her front court partner Devanei Hampton returned from injury mid-season, though, her numbers dropped as the talented Hampton took advantage of some of those post scoring and rebounding opportunities.

Girls in Sports

2009-04-09T11:21:00.001-07:00

I have my first chance this year to have an early impact on girls and their attitudes about sports, athleticism and even themselves. I was conned into coaching my five year old's T-ball team, which has a nice diverse group of kids. We have 15 kids aged 5-7, of which 1/3 are girls.

We had our first practice last night, and I feel pretty good hearing from one Mom that her little girl's comment in the car was "Wow, T-Ball is soooo fun!" Two of our girls were so ready to play they were the only ones to show up for practice with their own batting helmets.

My first teaching moment was the first girl to bat missed the ball entirely, to hear giggles from the crowd behind her. I just whispered into her ear not to worry because she will hit the ball soon and she will still be a faster runner than any of them. She flashed a big smile and ran her heart out after she got her first hit on the ball.

I had a blast coaching, even with all the extra work I am having to spend on the T-Ball USA site learning what skills to teach, how to teach them and trying to come up with fun, engaging games to incorporate those skills in a way that 5-7 year olds can learn without knowing they are learning. I am looking forward to fall and a sport I actually know something about!

Draft Day Steals

2009-04-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

A new article at WNBA.com covers past draft day steals. There were a few names on there that I had forgotten were late rounders...

Janell Burse (#28), Erin Buescher (#23), Jia Perkins (#35), Sheri Sam (#20) and Taj McWilliams-Franklin (#32) were all 2nd or 3rd round picks who have made nice careers for themselves.

3rd round pick McWilliams-Franklin has been an All-Star (1999-2001, 2006-2007), All-WNBA (2006-2007) and All-Defensive team member (2006).

Even in what appears to be a thin draft year, a player with the right mix of skills, desire and luck can connect with the right coaching staff, team and environment to surprise all the pundits.

As an irrepressible fan of the underdog, I am rooting for all those players in the last two rounds to take off.

Here are a few I am rooting for specifically:

Megan Frazee F Liberty
Shalee Lehning PG Kansas State (could go at the end of the 1st)
Kristi Cirone PG Illinois State
Danielle Gant F Texas A&M

I will be tweeting during the draft at Noon Pacific today!

Husky Champions

2009-04-08T13:39:00.001-07:00

Well, it wasn't our own Huskies, but the other dawgs finished the school's third perfect season behind great play from Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery and Maya Moore. The game started very close, but by the end of the first half, Louisville was starting to show cracks. Coach Auriema shoved his crow bar into those cracks and yanked in the second making this game even less of a contest than the men's championship on Monday night.

Tomorrow all those draft questions will be answered as the draft airs in High Definition for the first time.

Who will go first? Will it be McCoughtry, Paris or the new favorite, Montgomery?

Which point guard is the first to go, Toliver or Montgomery?

Do the Storm pick a wing or the best player available?

What happens in the jumble that is Courtney Paris, Dewanna Bonner and Marissa Coleman?

What happens to my favorites, Lehning, Frazee and Cirone?

Which of the 15 invitees is left alone waiting for their name to be called?

Final Four

2009-04-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Louisville pulled off an upset off some emotional play by Angel McCoughtry. The game started in Oklahoma's favor early, but they failed to put the Cardinals away, missing a number of opportunities and allowing the underdog to stick around. After a tongue lashing from their coach, the Cardinals came out in the second half and took over. Oklahoma had a chance to win it with a three at the buzzer but the ball went in and bounced back out. They were unable to rebound and shoot fast enough to tie. Courtney Paris promised to make good on her guarantee to pay back her scholarship. It will take her a few years on a $45K or so rookie scale contract unless she gets some endorsement deals.

Connecticut put Stanford away quickly despite some great play by Jayne Appel. I didn't even finish this one as it was over before halftime.

Championship on Tuesday and the draft short behind.

Cleaning up the Mess

2009-04-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know what Blogger did, but it has taken me weeks to fix all the problems with the blog with disappearing text and shifted margins. Hopefully it will all hold steady for a while.

Final Four begins this afternoon..looking forward to the adventure. I intend to be live on Twitter during most of the two games, but I have been informed that I am kicked off the TV at 8pm Pacific for Amazing Race.

The big questions for me are whether Connecticut can hold up dominance for another game and whether the Paris sisters can do a better job controlling the paint this time around.