Western Conference
Seattle Storm 2-0
Los Angeles Sparks 1-0
Sacramento Monarchs 2-1
Phoenix Mercury 1-1
San Antonio Silver Stars 1-1
Houston Comets 0-1
Minnesota Lynx 0-3
Eastern Conference
Detroit Shock 2-0
New York Liberty 1-0
Indiana Fever 1-0
Connecticut Sun 1-1
Washington Mystics 0-2
Chicago Sky 0-2
San Antonio defeats Connecticut 74-71
Silver Stars- Shanna Crossley: 16 pts, 4 rebounds
Sun- Katie Douglas: 21 pts, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal
Seattle defeats Phoenix 100-87
Storm- Lauren Jackson: 31 pts, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Mercury- Cappie Pondexter: 31 pts, 5 assists, 1 steal
Thursday, May 24, 2007
May 22--WNBA Recap
Western Conference
Seattle Storm 1-0
Phoenix Mercury 1-0
Los Angeles Sparks 1-0
Sacramento Monarchs 2-1
Houston Comets 0-1
San Antonio Silver Stars 0-1
Minnesota Lynx 0-3
Eastern Conference
Detroit Shock 2-0
New York Liberty 1-0
Connecticut Sun 1-0
Indiana Fever 1-0
Washington Mystics 0-2
Chicago Sky 0-2
Detroit defeats Minnesota 85-75
Shock- Deanna Nolan: 21 pts, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Lynx- Seimone Augustus: 19 pts, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Sacramento defeats Washington 70-52
Monarchs- Yolanda Griffith: 11 pts, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Mystics- Alana Beard: 17 pts, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Los Angeles defeats Chicago 81-64
Sparks- Taj McWilliams-Franklin: 13 pts, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Sky- Dominique Canty: 18 pts, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Seattle Storm 1-0
Phoenix Mercury 1-0
Los Angeles Sparks 1-0
Sacramento Monarchs 2-1
Houston Comets 0-1
San Antonio Silver Stars 0-1
Minnesota Lynx 0-3
Eastern Conference
Detroit Shock 2-0
New York Liberty 1-0
Connecticut Sun 1-0
Indiana Fever 1-0
Washington Mystics 0-2
Chicago Sky 0-2
Detroit defeats Minnesota 85-75
Shock- Deanna Nolan: 21 pts, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Lynx- Seimone Augustus: 19 pts, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Sacramento defeats Washington 70-52
Monarchs- Yolanda Griffith: 11 pts, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Mystics- Alana Beard: 17 pts, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Los Angeles defeats Chicago 81-64
Sparks- Taj McWilliams-Franklin: 13 pts, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Sky- Dominique Canty: 18 pts, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Monday, May 21, 2007
May 20--WNBA Recap
Western Conference
Seattle Storm 1-0
Phoenix Mercury 1-0
Sacramento Monarchs 1-1
Los Angeles Sparks 0-0
Houston Comets 0-1
San Antonio Silver Stars 0-1
Minnesota Lynx 0-2
Eastern Conference
Detroit Shock 1-0
New York Liberty 1-0
Connecticut Sun 1-0
Indiana Fever 1-0
Washington Mystics 0-1
Chicago Sky 0-1
New York defeats Chicago 83-71
* Weird box score
Sacramento defeats Minnesota 74-64
Monarchs- Kara Lawson: 19 pts, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Lynx- Seimone Augustus: 28 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Seattle Storm 1-0
Phoenix Mercury 1-0
Sacramento Monarchs 1-1
Los Angeles Sparks 0-0
Houston Comets 0-1
San Antonio Silver Stars 0-1
Minnesota Lynx 0-2
Eastern Conference
Detroit Shock 1-0
New York Liberty 1-0
Connecticut Sun 1-0
Indiana Fever 1-0
Washington Mystics 0-1
Chicago Sky 0-1
New York defeats Chicago 83-71
* Weird box score
Sacramento defeats Minnesota 74-64
Monarchs- Kara Lawson: 19 pts, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Lynx- Seimone Augustus: 28 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Sunday, May 20, 2007
May 19--WNBA Recap
Western Conference
Sacramento Monarchs 0-1
Seattle Storm 1-0
Los Angeles Sparks 0-0
Minnesota Lynx 0-1
Phoenix Mercury 1-0
Houston Comets 0-1
San Antonio Silver Stars 0-1
Eastern Conference
Detroit Shock 1-0
New York Liberty 0-0
Connecticut Sun 1-0
Indiana Fever 1-0
Washington Mystics 0-1
Chicago Sky 0-0
Results:
Detroit defeats Sacramento 75-68
Shock- Plenette Pierson: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Monarchs- Kara Lawson: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Connecticut defeats Washington 89-80
Sun- Lindsay Whalen: 18 points, 3 rebunds, 3 assists, 4 steals
Mystics- Chastity Melvin: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal
Indiana defeats Minnesota 83-64
Fever- Tan White: 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Lynx- Nicole Ohlde: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Phoenix defeats San Antonio 81-72
Mercury- Diana Taurasi: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
San Antonio- Sophia Young: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Seattle defeats Houston 82-69
Storm- Lauren Jackson: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Houston- Ashley Shields: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Sacramento Monarchs 0-1
Seattle Storm 1-0
Los Angeles Sparks 0-0
Minnesota Lynx 0-1
Phoenix Mercury 1-0
Houston Comets 0-1
San Antonio Silver Stars 0-1
Eastern Conference
Detroit Shock 1-0
New York Liberty 0-0
Connecticut Sun 1-0
Indiana Fever 1-0
Washington Mystics 0-1
Chicago Sky 0-0
Results:
Detroit defeats Sacramento 75-68
Shock- Plenette Pierson: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Monarchs- Kara Lawson: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Connecticut defeats Washington 89-80
Sun- Lindsay Whalen: 18 points, 3 rebunds, 3 assists, 4 steals
Mystics- Chastity Melvin: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal
Indiana defeats Minnesota 83-64
Fever- Tan White: 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Lynx- Nicole Ohlde: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Phoenix defeats San Antonio 81-72
Mercury- Diana Taurasi: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
San Antonio- Sophia Young: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Seattle defeats Houston 82-69
Storm- Lauren Jackson: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Houston- Ashley Shields: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
May 19--Storm Rallies Past the Comets 82-69
Holy crap, what a great way to start the season!!!!! It was probably the most frustrating first half ever with the Storm going down by 20 points or so. Then that frigging unbelievable comeback. It would have been nice to have an easier game (just for the heart), but it's a good sign that the Storm is as gritty as this. If the Storm can come back like this against Houston, with Swoopes and Thompson, on opening day when our two stars haven't practiced nearly enough with our current unit, then I think it bodes well for the season.
Izi was the hero of the first half, really keeping us relatively close. At one point she had hit all six of her shots. She was the highest scorer in this game. This is awesome. We now know that we have five legitimate starters who can step up when they need to. LJ of course would be the first option to score at will. But if she feels crappy that day, Betty will knock her shots down. If not Betty, find Izi who's quick and deceptive and can definitely shoot really well. If that shot is not going down, then pound it down the middle to JB who has become so good at laying those shots right in. The ball will be in Sue's hands and she'll look for these options but if they are all not working, which is kind of frightening, then she can run her pick and roll and knock down her own shot. Then we have Gearlds and Palmer off the bench, one inside and one outside option if our starters are tired. Did I mention I love my team? Anyway, here are the stats.
Birdy
11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers
B-Money
15 points, 5 rebounds 4 assists, 1 turnover
- Okay, I love this stat line for Betty. She shot well (50%), she only had one turnover which both mean that she wasn't forcing anything and was in control the whole time. Very balanced as well in terms of 4 assists. This, for me, is the best Betty. What a stat line.
Izi
25 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover
LJ
23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 1 turnover
- Classic LJ performance, including a half court shot to end the game. Classic, meaning spectacular of course.
JB
3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 3 turnovers.
- She only played 13 minutes. I wonder if something is wrong.
Okay, I'm not even gonna bother with the bench because no one did anything great. No one played horribly but they just weren't a factor. This was probably due to the fact that we were trying to mount a comeback and needed our starters in more than usual. Still though, I wonder when we can get a viable threat from our bench. A-Rob seems to be our choice for that and she had two blocks.
Anyway, Seattle Storm, 1 and freaking 0 for the season.
1-0
1-0
LET'S GO STORM!!!!!!!!!
Izi was the hero of the first half, really keeping us relatively close. At one point she had hit all six of her shots. She was the highest scorer in this game. This is awesome. We now know that we have five legitimate starters who can step up when they need to. LJ of course would be the first option to score at will. But if she feels crappy that day, Betty will knock her shots down. If not Betty, find Izi who's quick and deceptive and can definitely shoot really well. If that shot is not going down, then pound it down the middle to JB who has become so good at laying those shots right in. The ball will be in Sue's hands and she'll look for these options but if they are all not working, which is kind of frightening, then she can run her pick and roll and knock down her own shot. Then we have Gearlds and Palmer off the bench, one inside and one outside option if our starters are tired. Did I mention I love my team? Anyway, here are the stats.
Birdy
11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers
B-Money
15 points, 5 rebounds 4 assists, 1 turnover
- Okay, I love this stat line for Betty. She shot well (50%), she only had one turnover which both mean that she wasn't forcing anything and was in control the whole time. Very balanced as well in terms of 4 assists. This, for me, is the best Betty. What a stat line.
Izi
25 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover
LJ
23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 1 turnover
- Classic LJ performance, including a half court shot to end the game. Classic, meaning spectacular of course.
JB
3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 3 turnovers.
- She only played 13 minutes. I wonder if something is wrong.
Okay, I'm not even gonna bother with the bench because no one did anything great. No one played horribly but they just weren't a factor. This was probably due to the fact that we were trying to mount a comeback and needed our starters in more than usual. Still though, I wonder when we can get a viable threat from our bench. A-Rob seems to be our choice for that and she had two blocks.
Anyway, Seattle Storm, 1 and freaking 0 for the season.
1-0
1-0
LET'S GO STORM!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Closing Up the Duke Season
I've been so absent from this blog and so much has happened in Duke Women's Basketball.
First, Coach G left Duke and went to the Longhorns. It feels weird typing this out because it happened ages ago. Stupid schoolwork. Needless to say, I was pretty upset about it for a while. Okay, very down about it actually. I actually cried, which is really all dumb and all. I was mad for some time as well, both at her and at that stupid school down in Austin. You'll be happy to know that I'm totally over it now and am even ashamed at my initial anger. Still, how sweet would it be for the Devils to beat Texas next year? Both coaches (more about our new coach later) seem to not want to play that game. The players want to though and hell so do I. I'd love to watch that game.
Okay, so Coach G left and is now a Longhorn. What about the Devils?
For the next few weeks, there was a lot of chaos surrounding the program, with people calling for heads to roll (particularly that idiot AD). Joanne Boyle, a Duke alum, an assistant coach at Duke for a long time in the 1990s, who is now the head coach at California, turned down the position in a shocking move that I totally did not expect. I was already reading up on Coach Boyle when she turned it down.
Through this all, the Duke players hung tough and took leadership of their program that had suddenly been left in the dust. Immediately after Coach G spoke to them, they had a team meeting by themselves and reaffirmed their commitment to their team. They contacted recruits for both 2007 and 2008 and assured them that the world at Duke was not going to fall apart. Finally, they made it clear to the Athletic Department that they were going to be involved in the process of finding a coach. All of these helped to ease the fears of Duke fans and alums and, more importantly, recruits. As of this time, all three of our recruits for next year are still coming and Shay Selby, the next great Duke point guard is still intent on going to Duke. What they did also sent a clear message across the women's basketball world. This team was not going to flame out. This program was not going to flame out. This program is strong and, gosh darn it, full of talented players. Watch out. Very impressive job by the players and I'm truly proud to be a Duke fan.
Our new coach was finally hired. Joanne P. McCallie, formerly of Michigan State, has an impressive resume filled with a national championshoip game and numerous NCAA tournament appearances. From what I've read and watched of her, she's passionate, energetic and intelligent. She obviously knows basketball well enough to coach at a top school in a good conference. She also seemed excited to be at Duke, calling it her dream job. Okay, OT but what is it with all these coaches saying their new jobs are their dream jobs? Coach G did it when she went to Texas, Coach P did it and the MSU replacement did it. It upset me when Coach G did it and while i felt better when it was said about the school I'm rooting for, it still didn't seem right. Sure, before you took that new job, your old job was the best in the world. Why don't you just say that it's a great opportunity and a great job for you at that time? Anyway, rant over.
Coach P, in my opinion, is a great choice. I've heard initial negative reactions but I think she's done enough to soothe Duke fans' fears a bit. I mean, she's one of the most well known coaches, which is great for Duke. We deserve a well known and reputable coach. Also, it's not like we can get anyone so obviously better than what we had. I think we actually have had the highest winning percentage in the last few years.
After that helluva month of Duke women's basketball, I'm ready for next season to start. I'm looking forward to Abby Waner showing another huge jump in her game (she improved dramatically from her freshman year to her sophomore year), Joy Cheek becoming an even more consistent bruiser down low, Carrem Gay continue to put up all around good numbers, the freshman Thomases coming in and living up to their billing, Wanisha Smith emerging as a tried and true leader, Chante coming back strong from her injury, Brittany and KJ coming back for their second year of actual playing more experienced and more productive and Bridgette becoming an even bigger offensive and defensive threat in the paint. I'm looking forward to Coach P's first year on the bench wearing Duke blue, along with her assistant coaches, Al Brown, one of the most well respected assistant coaches in the world, Samantha Williams and Shannon Perry, who decided to stay at Duke and show her loyalty to the program and provide some familiarity for the team.
All in all, it was a huge Duke season. Undefeated regular season. We may not have gotten a national championship but I can guarantee you that I could not be more thrilled that I'm a Duke fan. National Championship? We'll get that next year, trust me.
GO DUKE GO!
First, Coach G left Duke and went to the Longhorns. It feels weird typing this out because it happened ages ago. Stupid schoolwork. Needless to say, I was pretty upset about it for a while. Okay, very down about it actually. I actually cried, which is really all dumb and all. I was mad for some time as well, both at her and at that stupid school down in Austin. You'll be happy to know that I'm totally over it now and am even ashamed at my initial anger. Still, how sweet would it be for the Devils to beat Texas next year? Both coaches (more about our new coach later) seem to not want to play that game. The players want to though and hell so do I. I'd love to watch that game.
Okay, so Coach G left and is now a Longhorn. What about the Devils?
For the next few weeks, there was a lot of chaos surrounding the program, with people calling for heads to roll (particularly that idiot AD). Joanne Boyle, a Duke alum, an assistant coach at Duke for a long time in the 1990s, who is now the head coach at California, turned down the position in a shocking move that I totally did not expect. I was already reading up on Coach Boyle when she turned it down.
Through this all, the Duke players hung tough and took leadership of their program that had suddenly been left in the dust. Immediately after Coach G spoke to them, they had a team meeting by themselves and reaffirmed their commitment to their team. They contacted recruits for both 2007 and 2008 and assured them that the world at Duke was not going to fall apart. Finally, they made it clear to the Athletic Department that they were going to be involved in the process of finding a coach. All of these helped to ease the fears of Duke fans and alums and, more importantly, recruits. As of this time, all three of our recruits for next year are still coming and Shay Selby, the next great Duke point guard is still intent on going to Duke. What they did also sent a clear message across the women's basketball world. This team was not going to flame out. This program was not going to flame out. This program is strong and, gosh darn it, full of talented players. Watch out. Very impressive job by the players and I'm truly proud to be a Duke fan.
Our new coach was finally hired. Joanne P. McCallie, formerly of Michigan State, has an impressive resume filled with a national championshoip game and numerous NCAA tournament appearances. From what I've read and watched of her, she's passionate, energetic and intelligent. She obviously knows basketball well enough to coach at a top school in a good conference. She also seemed excited to be at Duke, calling it her dream job. Okay, OT but what is it with all these coaches saying their new jobs are their dream jobs? Coach G did it when she went to Texas, Coach P did it and the MSU replacement did it. It upset me when Coach G did it and while i felt better when it was said about the school I'm rooting for, it still didn't seem right. Sure, before you took that new job, your old job was the best in the world. Why don't you just say that it's a great opportunity and a great job for you at that time? Anyway, rant over.
Coach P, in my opinion, is a great choice. I've heard initial negative reactions but I think she's done enough to soothe Duke fans' fears a bit. I mean, she's one of the most well known coaches, which is great for Duke. We deserve a well known and reputable coach. Also, it's not like we can get anyone so obviously better than what we had. I think we actually have had the highest winning percentage in the last few years.
After that helluva month of Duke women's basketball, I'm ready for next season to start. I'm looking forward to Abby Waner showing another huge jump in her game (she improved dramatically from her freshman year to her sophomore year), Joy Cheek becoming an even more consistent bruiser down low, Carrem Gay continue to put up all around good numbers, the freshman Thomases coming in and living up to their billing, Wanisha Smith emerging as a tried and true leader, Chante coming back strong from her injury, Brittany and KJ coming back for their second year of actual playing more experienced and more productive and Bridgette becoming an even bigger offensive and defensive threat in the paint. I'm looking forward to Coach P's first year on the bench wearing Duke blue, along with her assistant coaches, Al Brown, one of the most well respected assistant coaches in the world, Samantha Williams and Shannon Perry, who decided to stay at Duke and show her loyalty to the program and provide some familiarity for the team.
All in all, it was a huge Duke season. Undefeated regular season. We may not have gotten a national championship but I can guarantee you that I could not be more thrilled that I'm a Duke fan. National Championship? We'll get that next year, trust me.
GO DUKE GO!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)