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Dana Squires blogs the 2009 Seattle
Storm season with photos by Toni Holm
(Click
here for additional Storm & Mixx 96.1 pictures)
September 20, 2009
We Didn't Beat LA!
As Sue Bird said in the press conference, “Yes, it’s frustrating
to lose in the first round again; no, we don’t like it; yes, it’s
tough to lose to the same team again. That’s pretty much it.”
I feel much the same way and will try, happily, to put tonight’s
game out of my head. The Storm did not play well, the reffing was, frankly,
terrible, and worst of all – LA won.
Let us stick with the good memories of the 2009 season. There are many.
• The gutsy 14-second comeback for the win
over LA in game two of the playoffs forcing a game 3. The loud arena,
the frustration on the LA players' faces, Ashley Robinson doing jumping
jacks disrupting LA’s inbounds play, Camille Little’s steal,
Tanisha’s quick pass!
• The amazing triple overtime win – again
over LA. (It is always great to beat LA, and in triple overtime –
exhausting!)
• All the overtime games. Overtime again and
again. And again.
• Suzy Batkovic-Brown stepping up in the playoffs,
including her three 3-pointers in game one. And her block of Diana Taurasi’s
shot in the last home game of the regular season – even if it was
called a foul, we know it was not.
• Swin Cash coming back from back surgery and
playing “like the old Swin,” always playing hard, rebounding,
slashing, and posting up.
• Tanisha Wright becoming a fan favorite after
several years in the fan’s doghouse. Hurray for T – who made
huge plays again and again and again. And then was so matter-of-fact about
the whole thing.
• The last tremendously exciting 18 seconds
of the win over Minnesota on June 20. (Camile taking the charge! For that
matter, Camille consistently making the highlight reel with big plays.)
• The pregame video to Michael Jackson’s
"Beat It," with the entire KeyArena clapping in time. Side note
- sitting as I do next to the opposition’s bench, I get to see their
reaction, and someone always starts dancing: Duwanna Bonner (Phoenix),
Armintie Price (Atlanta), Nicole Powell (Sacramento), Brianne January
(Indiana.)
• Janell Burse’s block at the buzzer to
punctuate the end of the Connecticut game. Not in my house, girlfriend!
• Replacement player LaTangela Atkinson stepping
into an injury-diminished Storm, crashing the boards, infusing the Key
with energy, and making a difference (as well as earning herself a spot
in next year's pre-season camp).
• Ashley Walker for a glimpse of the future.
• Shannon "PeeWee"
Johnson – thank you for coming to Seattle before retiring.
• Sue Bird for being Sue Bird on the court
and holding court post-game in the locker room. Sue was always there handling
media questions with grace and sly humor.
• Lauren Jackson. I feel privileged to have
watched LJ grow from a shy teen to the best player in women’s basketball.
I feel privileged each and every year that I get to watch LJ play. Certainly
one of the highlights of the 2009 season was that LJ didn’t sign
with Phoenix and continued to do her thing in Seattle.
I am sorry the season ended last night, but there were some good times
along the way.
BONUS AUDIO: Never a big media star,
PeeWee Johnson nevertheless has had her impact on women’s basketball.
She has left her mark on several WNBA teams, and on the world stage at
the Olympics. Starting her career in the ABL and the championship Columbus
Quest with coach Brain Agler, it is fitting that she ends it now in Seattle
with Brian yet again. PeeWee talks about
what Agler taught her and about retiring from the WNBA. I wish her
all good things in her continued career overseas.
September 18, 2009
Anything is Possible
"This is not a very promising situation for us," Sue Bird thought as she watched Tina Thompson go to the line to extend the LA advantage. The situation: 13 seconds on the clock and LA up by 4 points. An LA win would eliminate the Storm from the Western Conference playoffs. No, things did not look good. "If I am on the team that is up by 4, I am thinking to myself 'All we have to do is not mess up.'"
LA didn't exactly mess up. As Brian Agler says, "We made a couple plays." Play one: Sue ducked under a defender and banked in a huge 3. 10 seconds. LA is only up by one. Sue continues, " T [Tansiha Wright] recommended that ARob (Ashley Robinson) guard the ball" on the inbounds from midcourt. "I am tall; it is hard to see over me," Ashley elaborates. "I was doing jumping jacks out there. [My teammates] knew [LA's Nicole Quinn] couldn't see." ARob tips the inbounds pass. There's a scramble. Out of bounds. LA ball. Again, same situation, but on the other side of the court. This time ARob's pressure on the inbounds pass gives Camille Little the extra split second she needs to get in the passing lane and deflect the ball. "I got a hand on [the ball], Tina [Thompson] was scrambling, I kept going…." "Camille tipped it," said Tanisha. "I was able to get another touch, grab it and gather it, and pass it…" to a flashing Camille, who laid it into the basket. Storm by one.
LA had their chance. The Storm pressured another inbounds play, but LA got it in cleanly. Lisa Leslie gets the ball with a few seconds on the clock, attempts an off-balance shot, where it falls to Delisha Milton for the last-second tip. No go. Buzzer. The Storm win.
"For Camille to steal the ball and win the game like that, it's amazing," Sue Bird in the happy locker room after the game. "I mean, getting a steal when you actually need it to win the game? That doesn't happen very often."
"Anything is possible," Tanisha comments. But as Agler says "It doesn't happen very often." Tonight it did. The Storm stay alive to play the decisive game in the three-game series against LA on Sunday afternoon. Anything is possible. After tonight's game, it just feels a little more possible.
BONUS AUDIO: Sue Bird will admit
that player by player, LA might have more talent. However, that doesn't
mean they are the better team, and she adds, basketball is all about playing
as a team. When asked by another
reporter if the Storm played "above themselves" to win this
game, Tanisha Wright has a few words about what it takes.
September 12, 2009
Sue Really Likes Us!
As the 2009 season draws to a close, Sue Bird is looking
forward. Thursday Sue and the Storm announced that she has signed with
the team for an additional two years. No big surprise, but it is always
good to have these things worked out. No one wants a repeat of the Lauren
Jackson off-season soul searching. Sue mentioned that even without Seattle's
good sushi, she would stay in Seattle, mentioning "…the way
the franchise is run, owners old and new…," the coaching, and
that she just likes the city.
BONUS AUDIO: Sue talks
about her connection to Seattle at the re-signing announcement.
Izi
I was on the DL and unable to post after the Atlanta game
August 29. Beter late (now) than never, right?
BONUS AUDIO: Although I was stuck
at the media bench, Iziane Castro-Marques came over before the game to
talk about being voted onto the Storm All-Decade Team. "I was very
surprised. And happy." It brings back fond memories for Izi of the
Seattle fans.
September
10, 2009
Getting it Done Without Our Stars
Another overtime in a season of a zillion overtimes. While
technically a loss, this OT was a victory of sorts. Missing three all-star
starters and still taking the Western Conference first place team to extra
minutes just ain't bad. Swin Cash (death in the family) is out of town.
Lauren Jackson (back - out indefinitely), Sue Bird (neck, maybe back for
Saturday's game), along with Katie Gearlds (still recovering from a knee
injury,) sat on the bench in street clothes. What they saw was a very
game (no pun intended) Storm team surprise Phoenix. This was a game where
everyone contributed. Tanisha Wright (24 points, five assists) and Shannon
Johnson (15 points) led the charge. Camille Little and Janell Burse stepped
up, adding 12 and 15 points respectively and nine boards apiece.
Ashley Walker, in her first game with significant minutes since her injury
(foot) was impressive, and played much bigger than she is.
Replacement player La'Tangela Atkinson, after only one practice, enthused both the Storm and the crowd with her energy - and eight leaping rebounds, three assists, and four nifty steals. Wow. Every Seattle player scored except another replacement player, backup point guard A'Quonesia Franklin. Brian Agler said after the game, "She is a little quarterback out there."
Suzy Batkovich-Brown and Ashley Robinson both got more minutes that they have been seeing, alternating offense/defense down the stretch. In what could have been the play of the game, Suzy blocked a Diana Taurasi scoop shot under the basket with about a minute left in overtime. The replay showed it was clean, but the ref called a foul. Whether because of the extended playing time or because her mother was in the stands, Suzy had her best game of an admittedly not very effective season.
BONUS AUDIO: I like Suzy. She is funny in the locker room, and playing for the Australian national team she has done a tremendous job. Somehow that never translated into effective minutes for the Storm. In our talk before the game she is quick to say "It has been a lot of fun, and I love the girls" but…
Note: Asked if she was surprised that Seattle played as well as it did without the core group of players, Phoenix's Diana Taurasi had this nice quote, "You're talking about a team coached by one of the best coaches in the world. You could have put in five Seattle Storm fans and they probably would have given us a game today." Props to Agler, but is she dissin' the fans here?
August 29, 2009
Falling Down on the Job
Swin Cash tweets: "A media lady fell down the stairs, so No trainer,
so I did his job!" This isn't entirely true. I didn't fall down the
stairs; I tripped on thhe loading dock and sprained my right (writing)
wrist. Storm Report blog will continue in a few days when I can type again.
August 27, 2009
Coming Through at Crunch Time
When push comes to shove - Lauren Jackson is there. Even when the optimum word is push, LJ comes through. Connecticut was making their move in the 4th quarter. After trailing the entire game, they were in striking position. With about six minutes on the clock Connecticut point guard Lindsay Whalen runs right through LJ, completely bowling her over. LJ, who has been playing through an extremely sore back, was left wincing flat on her back on the end-line. To add insult to (literal) injury, the foul was called on LJ!
"On that moving-screen foul, she got knocked down pretty hard. I think her eyeballs were a little watery. Her back really hurts, but no way was she coming out," Sue Bird said.
Sandrine Gruda scored two quick baskets for Connecticut bringing them within one point. Time out Storm. Did LJ consider sitting out? Nope. "She was really hurting. She is just so gutsy." According to Sue, in the huddle LJ told the team "Just get me the [bleep'n] ball!"
They did. LJ got the ball on the high block and went strong to the basket with an unstoppable running bank shot. "Two straight times we ran plays to get Lauren the ball on the block. She scored and got a three-point play and that pretty much put us ahead."
"The three-point play that Lauren got late, that was a big, big play," said opposing Coach Mike Thibault. "We had a chance and couldn't get a stop when we needed one."
On the other end, the Storm did get the big stops when they needed them. "We got a lot of good - big - defensive stops," said Sue. "Whether it was rebounds or forcing the turnover, we did a really good job of locking it down at the end." Yes, there was tight D, but also a crafty steal (Sue tips the ball from behind into LJ waiting hands and the break is on) and a final block by Janell Burse at the buzzer to cap off the effort. Seattle took care of their basket down the stretch and continued to score at the other end.
"I loved how we finished tonight," was Brian Agler's comment.
It looks like that mid-season series of close games paid off - composure at crunch time.
A
Colorful Game?
Much of the KeyArena crowd was wearing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Night. The Storm wore their pink shooting shirts and Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson, as the court announcer said, were "rocking the pink shoes." Connecticut were more subdued in their away dark blue. Even the players' names were in the neutral range - Tan White, Chanté Black, Keisha Brown, with just a tinge of yellow coming from Amber Holt.
Playoff Bound
With this win, the Seattle Storm clinches a playoff spot.
The Storm are currently in second place in the West. The question is where
they'll be when the playoffs begin. "Now that we are in [the playoffs]
we want to get good position," said Sue Bird. "We are playing
for that now." Although there isn't much emphasis on the exact standings
in the locker room, the players know that LA is "creeping" up,
as Sue said last week. First place Phoenix were playing third place LA
during the Seattle/Connecticut game. When told it was a close game, Sue
said, "I hope LA wins" because a Phoenix loss would put Seattle
just a game back. However, after thinking about it, she changed her mind.
Sue's flip-flop makes sense. Brian Agler: "I know Phoenix and LA
are playing right now; it's a tight game in the fourth quarter. Whatever
happens there sort of benefits us. Whether we close in on Phoenix or separate
ourselves from LA a little bit. We can't really lose in that situation."
Phoenix beats LA a few minutes later. The creeping LA looms.
BONUS AUDIO: Sue Bird
talks about Phoenix vs. LA
August 25, 2009
Decisive Win
Sue Bird pushed tempo and it seemed like every Seattle player on the court made at least one 3-pointer. When the first quarter ended Seattle was already up by 14. In the second quarter the lead went up to 24. The Mystics could do nothing but stand by and watch as Lauren Jackson swatted their shots, Camille Little snatched up every rebound, and Tanisha Wright dished the ball for easy assists.
You would think that after the relatively easy win, the
locker room would be cheerful. It was, within reason. Everyone acknowledged
the defensive lapse in the second half - when the Mystics came within
14. Coach Agler referred to the Storm's play in the third period as "…a
little bit passive" and wasn't surprised that Washington took advantage.
"We were a little too comfortable with the lead," said Janell
Burse, the lead scorer in the game with 14. "I definitely wouldn't
say it's a step backward. You have to look at the overall game."
If you look at the game as a whole, the words "decisive win"
come to mind. I will leave the term "blowout" for another game.
My favorite play of the game: A break off a Sue Bird steal,
full speed within the space of the key - Sue passes to Swin, Swin gives
a touch pass back, Sue tips to Janell Burse, who lays it into the basket.
Bam bam bam BAM. Just like that.
August 22, 2009
No Let-ups
"No let-ups," is what Tanisha Wright says they
learned on the roadtrip.
.
Each player mentioned it in some way. Something clicked with the team
on the three- game East Coast roadtrip. "I think our roadtrip helped
us in a variety of ways," Coach Brian Agler says. "We talked
about a lot of things. We spent a lot of time together." The team
went one and two on the trip, but it was a learning experience. The learning
came together in Detroit. "We got better in Detroit," Agler
says simply. "I feel like we're starting to play with more of a purpose."
Sue Bird was more explicit. "We learned from the Detroit game. We
had a lead at halftime at that game as well, and within the first …
uh … minute, they took it … they came back." The Strom
were able to pull off the win in Detroit, barely. They used that experience
tonight against Indiana. The Storm ended the first half with a nice little
13-1 run and were up 12 at the buzzer. In this game, Indiana were never
allowed to make a big run and never made real headway in the second half.
There were no let-ups. "I thought tonight's game was one of the most consistent games we have played all year," Agler said of the win over the East's first-place team. "We were solid every quarter." The team was solid. The Storm came out immediately with a defensive energy that we've seen only in short spurts this year. The defense didn't fall off. Tanisha Wright and Swin Cash, especially, were on, holding dangerous duo Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas in check. Offensively, the Storm played an extremely balanced game with all of the starters plus Janell Burse recording double figures in scoring and at least four rebounds.
Janell
After she took a focusing breath before a free throw, you could read Lauren
Jackson's lips: "Ouch!" Lauren's back has been hurting her since
the Atlanta game last Saturday. It didn't stop her from scoring 36 against
Detroit on Tuesday, but this game Janell Burse gave LJ a rest. Janell
was driving and scoring - and swatting Briann January's shot out of bounds.
The play of the game was a Janell steal and break down the court for a
little dish to LJ under the basket. LJ, however, denied Janell the assist,
passing it right back to Janell for the lay-up. "I just broke out
the overseas game," Janell laughs at her active game. Coach Agler
drily jokes, "She is showing a little versatility out there; maybe
we ought to put her on the wing." Janell indicated that she will
stick with the post position.
August
8, 2009
Flirting with Danger
"We kind of flirted with overtime" said Janell Burse of the 1-point win over the New York Liberty. I think it is safe to say that everyone is pleased that the flirtation was just that, and it didn't go any further. Fans and players alike were ready for an old-fashioned blowout after three of the last four Storm games went into OT. The Storm were in position for, while maybe not a blowout, a solid easy win, but it wasn't to be. "We lost our focus a little bit, lost momentum," Janell continues. "They went on a pretty good run." In fact, with the "pretty good" run, the Liberty caught up and took the lead for the first time since the beginning of the game.
Sue Bird concurs. "In the fourth quarter, we had a lead we kind of gave up. They score three straight… Janel McCarville made the little floater to take the lead…that's when it kind of hit us. We needed to do something to get it back." Sue stepped up offensively, scoring 9 of her 12 points. And the team clamped down defensively. After taking back the lead on a Bird free throw at the 3:11 mark, the Storm didn't allow New York to score again. "When it came time in the last minute and a half, we really gutted it out." No overtime this time. "That wasn't the thought," Sue laughs. "I just wanted to win."
Starting on a 3-game road trip, the winning mentality of the game's last minute needs to take over for the Storm. Sue is taking a leadership role. The midcourt post-game huddle took longer than usual. Sue had some "choice words" for her teammates. "We had a couple of tough games, and it is time for us to get on the up and up…uh…I just wanted to share that [with my team]." She just wants to win.
Bench production: With Katie Gearlds injured and Camille Little in foul trouble, Janell Burse saw more minutes than usual of late - and had 10 points on five or six shooting and four blocked shots. Suzy Batkovic-Brown had her best outing of the season. In only three minutes of play, she put up two points, pulled down two rebounds, and dished out a nifty assist. She looked more confident than she had this season. Coach Agler commented on Suzy and Janell: "… Really composed. I think we learned a lot, that we can get some minutes out of some people. I am sure we will keep going there."
Anne Donovan walked into KeyArena before the game greeting everyone a big smile. She had handshakes for arena Staff, hugs for Storm staff and her former players. This is Donovan's first appearance in the Key since she resigned as Storm head coach to focus on her Olympic coaching duties. Just last week she took over as interim head coach for New York. "It was great to see her before the game," said Sue Bird. "It is great to catch up and chat…I know she is enjoying herself." It is true, Donovan looked as relaxed and as happy as I have seen her. New York is in the basement in the east, so maybe there is no pressure. Any improvement is positive, and the Liberty won on the road the night before. With no assistant coaches, she warmed up the team herself, laughing with the players, then came over to sit on the scorer's table to talk to the media. Asked if she felt emotional coming back to play where she coached the WNBA championship team, she said, "It's just great to be back" and then wonders if the fans will remember her time in Seattle. We just laugh, knowing Seattle fans have a long memory, and yes, the fans do remember that Anne Donovan was a big part of the 2004 championship run, giving her a big ovation during the introductions.
BONUS AUDIO: Anne
Donovan talks about coming back to Seattle
August
5, 2009
Not OT Again!
The final six seconds of the game, the Storm are down by three, and the Seattle Times reporter, Jayda Evans, was pleading to the basketball gods. "Please don't go into overtime, please don't go into overtime." It was an understandable wish, as the previous two home games both ran late and her deadline loomed. But the feisty basketball gods were up to their same old tricks. Tanisha Wright got the ball to Sue Bird, who hit a déjà vu last second three-ball. Overtime.
Only this one didn't play out in the Storm's favor. "They pretty much got on top of us early in the overtime and we couldn't get back," said Lauren Jackson. That says it all. Seattle scored only six to Phoenix's 17 in the extra inning. And the game was over.
It didn't help Seattle that Aussie Olympian Penny Taylor has rejoined Phoenix. Although only her second game back with the team after ankle surgery, she put up 18 points in just 19 minutes. Taylor adds another weapon to an already loaded team.
It should be noted, however, that Tanisha Wright had a great game. She tied her season-high 21 points in the first half of the ball game, and went on to have a career high 25. But that isn't what is important to Tanisha. "I don't necessarily think it had anything to do with the offense tonight," she said in the locker room. "We scored enough points to usually win a basketball game … It doesn't matter what happened in the first half, who scored what, this that and this. It matters that we didn't get stops in the second half." That is why Tanisha is known as a defensive specialist.
August 4, 2009
Three More Things about the San Antonio Game Before We Move On
1. Kudos to KB's quiet acknowledgement
Karen Bryant, the Storm CEO, said just the right things at Saturdays'
All-Decade Team celebration. She spoke of the legacy of Storm basketball
but didn't ignore the fact women's basketball has a longer history in
Seattle than the 10 years of the WNBA. Probably it went unnoticed by most
of the people in KeyArena, but the sentence … "bringing back
professional women's basketball to Seattle," was significant to those
that lived through the demise of the ABL and the Seattle Reign. The WNBA
has a tendency to dismiss or ignore the ABL and the Reign, but KB and
many of us remember it as a special time in women's sports. KB was the
general manager of Reign Basketball, and has brought a bit of that special
something to the Storm.
2. Does Jimi support the Seattle Storm?
San Antonio coach Dan Hughes apologized before the game. "I am
kind of drab tonight. I am sorry. I feel bad. I just have a plain silver
tie." It seems logistics prevented his ritual trip to Seattle's Jimi
Hendrix Museum and the purchase of a Jimi Hendrix tie to wear to the game.
In the last outing in Seattle, he wore a Hendrix tie with psychedelic
colored swirls - very '60s. Hughes says he is superstitious, but may be
having some doubts about his choice of tie helping the Silver Stars. "You
know, we lost last time I wore [a Hendrix tie.]" And I say, well,
what do you expect? Would Jimi Hendrix back the Silver Stars over his
own Seattle Storm? I don't think so, Coach Hughes.
3. Good things come in threes.
An interesting factoid: at least three people in KeyArena Saturday
night have close connection to triplets. San Antonio's Megan Frazee is
a triplet herself. Teammate Helen Darling is the mother of triplets, as
is Astou Ndiaye-Diatta, briefly on the Storm and a former Seattle Reign
center, who was at the Key for the All-Decade Team celebration. I was
concerned that the game might go into triple overtime…Ok, bad joke.
Sweating Out the Close Ones
"These games are so emotional!" Brain Agler was referring to the Storm's tendency to close games of late, and specifically of Saturday's overtime win over San Antonio. He was speaking for himself, but could have been speaking for everyone in Key Arena. The Storm had just lost a close one at San Antonio with a last-second shot by Sophia Young on Tuesday. The last home game was the triple overtime win over Los Angeles. Emotionally charged games all.
"Overtime games are never easy," said Sue Bird.
The Storm were not shooting well, but luckily San Antonio weren't either. Down by three in the closing seconds, the Storm gets it to LJ for a 3. Oh, but "I looked down and my foot was on the line," she said. "I was like, 'I don't have enough time!' So I kicked it [to Sue in the corner] and thought, 'Please, God, make it.'" Sue did, and the game went into overtime.
The lead changes three times in the extra period, Tanisha Wright fouls out (shades of the L.A. overtime) by tumbling over Helen Darling, Sue is 0-3, but LJ, still not shooting at her best, hits them when they count. Becky Hammon, definitely a big-time clutch player, had the chance to send it into another overtime, but had to force it through a wall of white jerseys. She was mad and thought she had been fouled. The fans all sighed with relief. I am not sure we had it in us for another overtime battle.
A Decade of Emotions
Emotions were all but used up after the halftime celebration
of the Storm organization's 10th anniversary and the honoring of the Storm
All-Decade Team. Current players Sue Bird, LJ, Janell Burse, and Swin
Cash, along with Kamila Vodichkova, flown in from the Czech Republic,
and fan favorite Simone Edwards were all present at the Key, while Tully
Bevilaqua, Iziane Castro Marques, and Betty Lennox, currently playing
for other WNBA teams, could not attend but sent videos instead. Betty
was especially heartfelt and touching. In a somewhat corny but sweet gesture,
the Storm raised a jersey to the rafters of KeyArena honoring the famous
sixth player of the team - Storm fans, #6. It is a cliché for players
to thank their fans for being the best, but in Seattle, it rings true.
KeyArena is infamous around the league as a difficult place for opposing
teams due to the fan support - Storms fans are acknowledged as smart and
extremely loud, giving support and energy to the players at critical time
in the games, and interfering with the opposition's ability to communicate.
Brain Agler has reason to know if Seattle fans are something special.
"I have been in all the arenas and coached 4 or 5 different places,
and there is no comparison," he says seriously. "No comparison."
Link: For more on the wonderful Storm fans, see Storm
Fans' Loyalty is as Enduring as the Team, a nice article by Jerry
Bewer of the Seattle Times.
"Oh, her energy!" LJ says of All Decade Team
player Simone Edwards. She may not have been one of the best Storm players,
but Simone would get the joie de vivre award hands down. Always dancing,
always singing, always pumping up the crowd, she was just plain fun. She
hasn't been in a Storm uniform for a few years, but Saturday night she
stepped right back into the limelight. She shimmied with Doppler, danced
in the kids' dance train and with the Storm dance troupe, and led the
cheering from her courtside seat. While on the Storm, Simone would lead
the player huddle in a little Jamaican motivational singing. Outside the
huddle, we never could hear what she was saying.
BONUS AUDIO: In the hubbub of celebration after
the game, I asked Simone to give us a sample Storm huddle song.
July
24, 2009
After the Battle
After the jubilation on the court following the thrilling triple-overtime win on Wednesday, you would think, a) the Storm locker room would rocking, or b) the players would be in an exhausted but happy daze. However, neither option would be correct. Because this was the last game before the all-star break, the players flew out of Key Arena. Many had red-eye flights to catch to wherever they were going. In the locker room, instead of players chatting and putting on shoes, it was practically empty, except for Sue Bird, who had taken over in the 3rd overtime. "We needed to win as soon as possible, or else I would have some people mad at me!" She sat in her usual chair, all alone in front of her locker, politely waiting for us to come ask her the usual questions. As usual, she was delightful, telling anecdotes about talking to herself after her airball, "I was like, 'You look horrible, you need to snap out of it.' I generally don't talk to myself, but it was something I needed to do." Meanwhile, poor Camille Little was in the training room taking care of her cramping legs by sitting in a giant tub of ice. PeeWee Johnson, ice packs Saran-wrapped to her knees, hobbled out to sign autographs for the waiting fans, in that post-game ritual. Ah, the glamorous life of the professional athlete…
July 22, 2009
THE Game (Storm Beat L.A. in Triple Overtime!)
It started out like any other game. In fact, there were some distinct similarities with Sunday night's game - Tanisha "Crunch Time" Wright running the court for a jump shot to take the lead with seconds to go, the crowd screaming their excitement. But then it wasn't like Sunday. Tanisha fouled out trying to take a charge from the Sparks' Noelle Quinn, who fortunately only made one of two free throws to tie the game at 67-67.
Overtime.
Emotions in KeyArena move up a notch and the game takes
on a surreal feel.
The overtime rolls out much as regulation had -
physical play and answers by L.A. to every Storm point. The Sparks bench
is loud and on their feet. Vanessa Hayden, in particular, already warned
by the ref to stay off the court, is over the top. All 6'4" 240 pounds
of her, prissily poking her toe over the line, talking to herself and
laughing, "I am over the line! Now I am not. Ohhhh … I am over
the line …"
Seattle's defense keeps L.A. from getting a last shot. First overtime ends 8 to 8.
Second overtime.
KeyArena is louder, if possible. Candace Parker - bad pass/ Lauren Jackson - the steal/ Camille Little bank shot. 77-77. Quinn makes an "...and 1" to put L.A. up by three. Little answers on the other end.
LJ and Delisha Milton-Jones (known around the league as D- Nasty because of her, shall we say, aggressive play) get tangled up under the basket and have to be separated. LJ is fuming. Double technical - LJ is ejected from the game and stomps off the court swearing.
The emotional temperature raises yet another notch.
Play continues. This overtime ends on a strange note. Milton-Jones is called for a delay of game for over-guarding the inbounds play. I have it on good authority (fans sitting next to the play) that the ref warned Milton-Jones to stay back and allow room for the inbounds pass. She agrees and proceeds to ignore his warning.
Third overtime.
It is a cliché, but in this case it's true. The game has the feel of a playoff game. By this time, players and the crowd are running on emotional fumes - but the emotions are big. It is so loud that L.A. is having trouble communicating. Kristy Harrower is trying to run a play from the top of the key, gesturing wildly for players to move here and there. A shot is forced but the Storm have bodies all over the rebound . Camille grabs yet another huge rebound. Sue hits a 3. Swin Cash drives to the basket, loses the ball in midair but recovers and makes the shot. Sue hits another 3. Milton-Jones fouls out to the delight of the crowd - she goes to the bench swearing. Camille hits the 1+1. Storm up by seven with 1:30 to go. Sue has a look of relief. She knows they are over the hump. For good measure, Sue hits another 3 - and Swin follows suit. Game over. Sue throws the ball straight into the air at the final buzzer.
The Storm win 98-87 and the playoff atmosphere continues. Coach Brian Agler uncharacteristically waves his arms to pump up the crowd and then uncharacteristically hugs Sue (23 points, five assists) and PeeWee Johnson (stats don't show her disruptive defense!) as they come off the court. He breaks off to hug Swin (16 points, five assists, six rebounds) and Camille (17 points, 14 rebounds).
"I am pooped," says Sue Bird.
We all are.
BONUS AUDIO: Sue Bird "gives her props" to Camille Little.
July 20, 2009
The Final 18 Seconds
18.1 seconds on the clock. 68-69. The Storm are down by one out of the timeout.
Sue Bird: "Literally the last thing Brian said [in the huddle]: 'Don't be afraid to make plays, don't be afraid if they drive - take charges.'"
The Storm take the floor. Tanisha Wright has the ball and ambles down the court.
Tanisha: "[Coach Brian Agler] was screaming to hurry it up, but the more relaxed I am, the better for me."
Dribbling, dribbling. Tanisha at the top of the key. Sue is set up in the corner next to the Minnesota bench. Swin is somewhere on the other side of the floor. Dribbling, dribbling. 12 seconds. I am getting nervous.
Sue: "Oh, there was enough time… It was at her rhythm and that's best."
Tansiha drives to the basket. Anosike is there, but Tanisha muscles it up - and in. 70-69. The Storm take the one-point lead.
Tanisha (very matter of fact): "Ah, Brian [Agler] just made a play, drew up a play, told me to turn the corner - and if it was open to take it … I just did, that's all."
Sue: "She did a great job of just reading the defense and taking what they gave her. I know it was a layup, [but] it wasn't easy by any means. She hit a tough shot."
There are 10 seconds left on the clock.
The crowd is incredibly loud. Minnesota runs a play for Candice Wiggins at the other end. She circles the defense and drives to the basket. The ball rims off. A Minnesota player grabs the rebound and puts it up - but the Seattle players are celebrating. At the media bench we can't see, don't know what is happening. Camille is lying on the floor. Tanisha is jumping up and down and seemingly hitting Camille.
Camille (laughing): "She was trying to kill me!"
An offensive charge had been called on Wiggins. Camille had taken the charge. No basket.
Camille (understated): "I'm happy I was there to take it and they didn't score off it and we got the call."
Tanisha: "That was great! That was awesome!"
Sue: "Camille has been making defensive plays for us since Day 1, especially charges. She's probably the only one …" she looks around the locker room to make sure nobody is listening, "who gives up her body like that."
3.7 seconds. Tanisha is fouled and makes both free throws. Seattle wins. 72-69.
BONUS AUDIO: Coach Brian Agler talks about Tanisha Wright & the last play
July
16, 2009
Coming Back Stronger
I think it is fair to say, after the second straight home loss, that the Storm are now officially in a slump.
"One thing I have learned is that basketball is a game of runs," Sue Bird has said, "the important thing is to have your run at the right time." She was referring to individual games but that same idea could be applied to seasons. Throughout a season each team has their spurts and go through their lulls.
The box score shows five Storm players in double figures, but they lacked the defensive intensity that shuts down opponents. In Wednesday's loss against Detroit, the Storm did clamp down in the third quarter, but one quarter of defense rarely wins games.
If last year is any indication, the Storm will learn from these losses and come back stronger. It was about this point in the 2008 season that the defense clicked and the Storm looked unstoppable. It was also about this time last year when they Storm had their only home loss of the season and Coach Brian Agler was saying much the same thing as he said Wednesday after the game: "We're still improving, and I think there a lot of teams in the league that are still improving. We're going through an evolution here and at some point I think we'll find ourselves. …We're not quite at the halfway point. We've had a couple of tough losses, but we're going to keep moving forward."
"It is not the end," said a subdued Sue Bird of the loss, "[but] sometimes you need a good kick in the butt." Let's hope the Detroit kick is the kick that was needed.
INJURY UPDATE: Lauren Jackson sustained a strained left Achilles in the July 15 game vs. Detroit. She did not travel with the team to Sacramento and will remain in Seattle to undergo treatment. She is listed as day-to-day.
"We are flat and we have to figure it out,"
said an unhappy Swin Cash in the locker room after the second-straight
home loss.
BONUS AUDIO: Swin expands upon that here.
July 14, 2009
Lauren & Sue Slumping at Same Time
Every player goes through periods when they aren't falling, so it should be no surprise that Lauren Jackson does also. Except it is. Her game against San Antonio, where she only scored three points, was written off as one of those games. LJ's shooting from the floor has improved the last two games, although it has failed to reach her unusual sizzling hot level, and free throws annoyingly are still rimming out. Frustrating. The shooting woes haven't stop with LJ. Sue Bird was 1-10 from the floor in their home loss to Chicago, and missed a huge one that might have won the game for Seattle. Coming off a high pick and roll, "I had a very good look," she said, but still she missed. "If we had to do it again," said Brian Agler after the game "I'd take that shot again." It was the shot the Storm wanted, by the player they wanted to take it. I don't know how many times I have seen Sue make impossible shots in the last seconds of game. If the pressure is on, Sue is there. Except this time. "It will come," LJ says, speaking matter of factly of her own shooting. She could be speaking for Sue also. "Eventually, they have to drop. I am a good shooter." They both are.
July 9, 2008
New Shoes
Important
things first: shoes. The last few games Camille Little and Swin Cash have
been sporting some flashy new shoes. Camille's have a yellow sole, Swin's
a yellow saddle. The yellow nicely highlights the yellow in the Storm
logo, and the yellow shirts of the ball kids. On Thursday night, however,
all eyes in KeyArena were on the new yellow shoes in town. Sue Bird took
it a step further with the shiniest brightest heel-to-toe yellow shoes
imaginable. No mere fashion statement these, this shoe has a message.
Sue's shoes are LIVESTRONG Zooms, Nike and Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG
organization's call to action promoting cancer awareness. This past year
a good friend of Sue's, Olympic soccer player Michelle French of Kent,
was diagnosed with cancer. Sue wore the shoe on this nationally televised
game for French and the fight against cancer, as well as in support of
cancer survivor Lance Armstrong's current bid to win the Tour de France
("his millionth straight win," says Sue, which is a slight exaggeration).
Did the shoes help Sue's game? "Obviously not!" she laughs about
her 3 of 12 shooting. Although I have to say, a seven-point, six-assist,
five-rebound game is not shabby.
Swin Cash and Tanisha Wright always draw the hardest defensive matchups.
Thursday it was Sacramento's sharpshooter Nicole Powell. "I just
try to give her hard looks and be in her space," said Swin after
the game. "In her space" does not do justice to Swin's dogged
defense of Powell. Powell was always on the move and Swin was right there
with her every step of the way, like a terrier at a bone. Powell didn't
even get many "hard looks," Swin limited the touches so effectively.
Last year's Swin played in pain, but an off-season operation on her back
worked wonders. She is a different player out there on both ends of the
court. Her active all-out deny defense helped hold Powell to five points.
Meanwhile, Swin posted a game-high 18. Advantage Swin. Her goal? To keep
getting better and to "some day make a defensive team in this league."
She laughs as if it is unlikely to happen. I think she is well on her
way.
BONUS AUDIO: Swin Cash introduces the New Swin
July 8, 2009
Lauren Jackson on a Bad Day ...
How often does Lauren Jackson shoot 0-6 in a half and end a game with only 3 points? Never. Well, hardly ever. The last time that LJ went scoreless in a half was in 2005. But that is exactly what happened in the game against San Antonio Tuesday. "I was definitely off the mark a little in the shooting area," LJ said with an ironic arch of the eyebrows. When asked what she was thinking out there on the court, she said, "What does any athlete think when they are having an off night? ... (she strikes exaggerated thinking pose, finger to her cheek, "Shit! What do I do now!? How do I get through this?" What LJ did was switch her focus. "I had to do something! It got to the point that I thought, 'well, bugger it, if I can't shoot the ball I had [better] try to rebound and play some defense.'" She came out of the half rebounding like mad, grabbing eight in the third quarter alone. And with the rebounds the team defense clicked. "I started seeing my teammates make plays defensively, get blocks, get stops." From that point the Storm took over the game.
In the locker room after the game the team was told the
Storm had outrebounded San Antonio 41-17. "When they told us the
numbers we were like, "'No way!' We thought they were joking,"
said Sue Bird, "That is just us being aggressive on the boards; that
is us controlling it … That is what probably got us this game."
About those 41 rebounds, LJ says, "I am pretty happy about that!
I guess tomorrow I will have to work on my shot."
Note: The shot clock was running down. Sue Bird was dribbling across the top of the key trying to find an opening. Nothing was there - no pass, no drive, certainly no shot. One second left, she is 25 feet out on the right shoulder, smothered by the defense. She jumps, sideways, off balance. She throws it up - and IN! "The bank?" she says after the game, "I would like to say that was all skill, … but … I don't know how, but it went in." Shooter's roll, I guess.
BONUS AUDIO: Coach
Brian Agler on LJ's three-point game and what he said to her at halftime.
June
27, 2009
Let's Talk about Betty
There is no doubt that Betty Lennox has a place on the
Storm's 10-Year Anniversary Team. She has earned a place in the starting
lineup.
When Betty came to Seattle she was considered a "difficult"
player but Anne Donovan "believed in Betty." Always full of
tough-girl personality barely concealing her emotions, with Donovan's
support Betty matured. Her personality shone through on the court, and
she became a fan favorite during her four-year tenure in a Storm uniform.
Betty was a huge part of the 2004 championship team and was MVP of the
Championship series.
She often referred to the love she could feel in KeyArena and told Seattle
that she had found her home.
Last season Lennox was not protected in the expansion draft by new coach Brain Agler and was taken from her adopted home by the Atlanta Dream franchise. New team, new teammates, new system. Life on an expansion club is difficult enough, and Lennox had some injury problems. At the end of the season, Lennox and the Dream made their only Seattle appearance. She was introduced to an exuberantly welcoming crowd; the emotion came to the surface. In the pre-game Dream huddle Betty stood crying. Seattle's love for Betty was still alive.
This season Betty is playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, the only team routinely booed by the Seattle fans. It may be difficult for some to reconcile their love for Betty with the animosity for rival L.A. She understands. "I have a target on my back now as part of the Sparks and all that, but I am happy to be part of the Sparks and if my team gets booed, I guess I do too."
Betty did not get booed in Seattle. Once again, her pre-game introduction was drowned out by the roar of the crowd. This year, Betty was a bit more prepared. She acknowledged "the love." No tears were shed but the feeling was still there.
The Sparks' appearance in Friday night's game at KeyArena was only Betty's second visit back to Seattle. "It is still very emotional and still very new to come back…it is still a personal thing, personal and emotional as well."
However, her new situation with Los Angeles seems to be working well for both Betty and the Sparks. "It is good for me. The situation is so much easier for me [than in Atlanta]. I play with ease now. I play with fun, joy, happiness. You can see a smile on my face out there on the court. I like the [Sparks] system; I like my teammates. I fit right in. I am very happy."
I am happy for her. Betty is still a crowd favorite - albeit in the uniform of the devil. She understands. "That's basketball," she says. "The Storm are now my opponent. The fans aren't my opponent."
As for living in Los Angeles, that may not be the best part. "It is too big for me!" she laughes. "I am just a little down-to-earth person and ..uh…it's big!" But as Betty also said several times, "It is what it is." And that is Betty.
June
22, 2009
On the Road to Greatness
I watched the Seattle/Phoenix game last night on TV. Watching televised Storm games always makes me nervous. I don't know if statistics support this, but it seems that the Storm play their worst games on TV for the world to see. (Is it because I only see the away games on TV?)
All my worries this time were for naught. The Storm played
a good game and gave Phoenix their first home loss of the season. Lauren
Jackson did what Jackson does - scored without effort, blocked a few shots,
and generally looked awesome (a word I am not fond of, but it does describe
her so well). Sue Bird ran the show and took over scoring when needed.
It is hard to find fault with Bird's game at this point. In the last two
games she's handed out 19 assists and had no turnovers. Swin Cash played
one of the best games she has had in a Seattle uniform. All three players
scored in the 20s. Tanisha Wright was also in double figures. Speaking
of the on-the-road team woes before traveling to Phoenix for this game,
Wright said, "We just need to put some more consistency [to the effort
and] … to string a few [winning] games together." It looks like
they're on the road (groan) to doing just that. And this time they did
it on TV. Yes!
June 21, 2009
Starting Anew Each Season
Despite the impressive-sounding 28-point win Friday night over Minnesota, the Storm are still in the process of adjusting/readjusting, connecting/reconnecting for this season. I forget each year that there is a time at the beginning of the season when the team has to start over before coming together. It is always a little frustrating to watch considering how together they were when we last saw them the previous summer. These players play overseas much of the year with different teammates and different systems and coming back to Seattle does necessitate changes.
The first few weeks of Storm games aren't usually the best basketball, and Friday's game was no exception. There were, however, some nice moments and glimpses of what might be.
My favorite move of the game was the surprising dance across the key by Ashley Robinson ("Sky-Rob" as Jayda Evans of The Seattle Times dubbed her in this case), with the bank sky hook. It was one of those "No, no, no, don't shoot….WOW!" moments. "The bank was definitely new," Robinson laughs after the game, "That is my favorite shot, going across the key with my right hand. You can't block it, you can only miss." Or not miss. And it is all the more fun when it rolls into the basket.
Then there was the time Sue Bird dribbled around the top of the key until she was open for her signature stop and pop. She stopped but didn't pop. This time everyone was thinking "Shoot it!" but instead, Janell Burse appeared out of nowhere under the basket. Bird zipped the ball between defenders to Burse for the easy layup. Two points. Assist. Just Sue Bird being Sue Bird.
The best sign that the Storm are on their way to becoming the team that they will be was the fourth quarter. The starters sat on the bench and watched the bench play. "You know the team is playing well when the coach doesn't play you in the last quarter," Lauren Jackson says of her bench time. Obviously it is great for the team to be able to have all the players get significant game time, "give the other girls a run" as Jackson says. But does Jackson mind sitting out? Nope. "LOVE it," she says, "Wish it could happen allll-llll the time." Here's to that!
Minnesota All-Star Seimone Augustus wasn't in the lineup
Friday night. She went down in the previous game with what turned out
to be a torn ACL - She is out for the season. This is a loss not only
for Minnesota but also the league. Augustus is a dynamic player who's
always fun to watch.
BONUS AUDIO: In a noisy locker room
after the game, Lauren Jackson talks about what the loss of Augustus means
to Minnesota.
June
16, 2009
The Long Road Home
The Storm return home today after a long road trip. It seems that every year there is some crazy scheduling. This year the Storm start the season with back-to-back games against the same team - Sacramento. After that one game at home, they go on the road for a week plus. As Coach Brian Agler says with raised eyebrows, "[The Storm] have 100 days to play 38 games, and we are playing five in the first eight days - and four of those on the road. To me, that is just unfortunate. It is a tough deal." The Storm had good outings two of the four away games (Sacramento, Minnesota) but lacked energy in the other two (Indiana, Chicago). I think it is fair to attribute at least some of that flat play to the scheduling. Tough, but that is the way of the WNBA scheduling guru. And now that road trip is in the past. Home (deep breath), the team gets a chance to regroup before the game Friday. One thing they need to work out is the rotation. The Storm have played much of these first games without a true Big inside. Suzy Batkovic-Brown joined the Storm late because of her wedding in Australia, and there hasn't been practice time to get her up to speed on the plays. Agler also wants to tweak Janell Burse's game a bit. He mentions working with her on her multiple pump-fake habit. Having at least the option of a true Big inside will help the team, as will having all six players on the bench ready to fit into the Agler flowing rotation.
Note: She was only a part of the Storm for one season, but I am a huge fan of Yolanda Griffith. She went to play in Indiana this season announcing in advance that this was to be her final year in the WNBA. Unfortunately, retirement came a few months earlier than expected when in last week's game against Seattle she tore her Achilles tendon. I am sorry to see her go. She is absolutely one of the best.
BONUS AUDIO: Sue Bird talks about this year's Storm multiple-guard offense.
June 8, 2009
Storm Whirlwind Begins Again
While the WNBA hypes the goodbye tour of retiring Lisa Leslie of the LA Sparks, Seattle has their own season-long celebration in store - the 10th anniversary of the Storm franchise. And how else better to celebrate than with the return of MVP, All-Star, wonder-woman Lauren Jackson?
"Lauren is one of the best, if the not the best," said Storm coach Brian Agler. Watching her turn-around, fade-away jumper, no one could argue that. Seattle is privileged to have gotten to watch Jackson grow from a tremendously talented teenager to the most captivating player in the league.
Seattle came close to losing Jackson in the off-season, however. Jackson, a free agent, considered leaving Seattle for Phoenix. Through emails, cards, and letters, Storm fans let Jackson know just how much she meant to them, and she realized that yes, this was home. I know would have had a difficult time watching LJ play for another WNBA team, and I am not alone.
And if LJ hadn't been convinced, the sellout crowd in KeyArena made it clear once again at the Storm home opener. The fans, cheering enthusiastically for every player, were especially demonstrative (read - several decibels louder) when the 6'5" forward from Austraaaliiiia - Laaaauuurrrren Jackson!!!!" was announced and made her way into KeyArena.
"I didn't expect to get that kind of reception from everybody," Jackson said later. "I didn't think it was going to be any different [from other years.] When I was walking down the stairs … it was pretty emotional." The emotion showed on her face - a shy smile, and was that a blush?
LJ, along with the rest of the team, had their game faces ready by tipoff and the anniversary season began.
I suspect that as this, the 10th Storm season rolls on, and they roll out old film clips and former players, I will be moved to reminisce myself. For now, I will just say, once again I had tears in my eyes during opening ceremonies. We have come a long way since that 6' tall athletic girl that was me in 1975 did not play high school basketball. I did not play because … well, because no one cared about girls and sports.
--------
With LJ welcomed back, the Storm got down to business early and won the first two games of the season, back-to-back games against the Sacramento Monarchs. The team had some defensive lapses and there are some kinks to work out. Sacramento was allowed to waltz in the back door for easy layups all too often. On the other hand, the Storm had moments of last year's smothering defense. "We won both, so that's a good thing," said Bird in the locker room. LJ proved her worth, started the game by putting up the first 8 points of the game, and ending it with 25 of the Storm's 80 points. She had four blocks along the way, a handful of rebounds, and several 3's. I read recently that LJ's efficiency rating is higher that Michael Jordan's. I am not surprised. I don't think Sue Bird would be surprised either.