This was a fascinating game, even if it was often sloppy and chippy. At one point in the 3rd quarter, the commentators noted some extracurriculars:
Holly Rowe: "Well, there is a real personal battle brewing out here on the floor. Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi have been having words all night. Every time Diana makes a basket, she gives the death glare to Candace Parker. I've seen a few, I will call them "pleasantries" but they're not so pleasant, back and forth. And you can see things getting even more heated today."
LaChina Robinson: "You're right, Holly. It has really gotten heated between those two. Pam, you mentioned earlier the fact that Candace Parker was left off of the Olympic team and definitely has something to prove, and Diana's coming back from the Olympics on top of her game. With two passionate players like that going head to head, and you add to that a rivalry ... this is going to be fun."
And a little latter:
LaChina: "You know, I was just thinking about this. I think Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi would both be on the all-trash-talk team of the WNBA."
And in the postgame interview:
Holly: "You and Candace Parker ... I felt like, this is a rivalry, but it got really back and forth tonight. Why is it ratcheting up tonight?"
Diana: "I mean, she's a great player. She can do it all. She can dribble, pass, shoot, steal, block ... I mean, she does it all. So it took a team effort, and she still had a great game ..."