Back from the Sun Game

[psconn]

Sun hung in for almost 3 quarters then 'poof'... 10 pt Sky lead...
Poor ref'ing + poor shooting (32%) + poor record = lots of negativity in the building by fans, coaches and players. Frustration is bubbling over. Donovan and 2 players T'd up. Not a great time.

Booing was the order of the day, I guess... the refs were getting boo'd during time outs and coming on/off the court. Referee Tom Mauer was jawing with KT and Alex Bentley so bad after a totally blown call (should have been a Sky backcourt violation) that Kelsey Bone had to steer him away he walked away briefly and then went right back at them jawing very unprofessionally (lord only knows what they were saying back). In my opinion, he either calls a T (or more than one 'cause he had already T'd up KT) and/or tosses someone out, or just has to walk away. The verbal exchange was bad form. Donovan had a thing going with ref Kevin Sparrock almost from the opening tip. He T'd her up during the game and I was sure at several points she was going to get another. At the end of the game she took several steps onto the court, pointed at him and shouted something I could not hear... he looked none too happy about it but did not react.

Like I said, a lot of negativity.

 

[msf22b]

No Chiney?

 

[RadyLady]

no Chiney

 

[psconn]

Chiney had some kind of dental procedure done and was not in the arena.

 

[DICKG]

Sun hung in for almost 3 quarters then 'poof'... 10 pt Sky lead...
Poor ref'ing + poor shooting (32%) + poor record = lots of negativity in the building by fans, coaches and players. Frustration is bubbling over. Donovan and 2 players T'd up. Not a great time.

Booing was the order of the day, I guess... the refs were getting boo'd during time outs and coming on/off the court. Referee Tom Mauer was jawing with Alex Bentley so bad that Kelsey Bone had to steer him away he walked away briefly and then went right back at her jawing very unprofessionally at her (lord only knows what she was saying back). In my opinion, he either T's her up and/or tosses her out, or just has to walk away. The verbal exchange was bad form. Donovan had a thing going with ref Kevin Sparrock almost from the opening tip. He T'd her up during the game and I was sure at several points she was going to get another. At the end of the game she took several steps onto the court, pointed at him and shouted something I could not hear... he looked none too happy about it but did not react.

Like I said, a lot of negativity.

I know Chiney wasn't playing but the offense seems to have no purpose. There is a lot of standing around and someone dribbles and tries to get a shot and then passes the ball to someone else to do the same.

I think it is time to change the entire coaching staff and the GM. They have some good young players and probably two of the top four picks next year plus Grey coming in next year after sitting out this year.

 

[Beemer]

I was very surprised at Anne Donovan doing/saying something to get a T. Granted I've only watched her coach the past two seasons. She always seems super calm out there so I was shocked when she went completely ballistic on the refs. I was delighted too- I thought it was good that she showed fire & stood up for her team because there have been other times when I thought she was too calm & needed to get in the officials' faces. Normally I don't applaud a coach or a player for getting a T but sometimes it is justified. Last night was one of those sometimes.

 

[Beemer]

Chiney had some kind of dental procedure done and was not in the arena.

According to the announcers she had an abscessed tooth that needed to be drained. Ugh. That is painful to be sure.

 

[bruinbball]

I am still very surprised with the Sun's poor offensive production. Last in the league in FG% and Assists per game speaks a lot about who controls the ball most of the game and the teams mentality. KT and Bentley do well at not having a ton of TO's but IMO they do not look to move the ball through the offense enough and are too willing to take a quick and often bad shot. I really hope Chelsea Gray comes back healthy next year as the Sun could use a PG that is a better distributor of the basketball.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

One of my many problems with AD is she has no offense game plan just like stated above! Pass the ball around then shoot, no offensive philosophy evident! Even with Allison Hightower hurt this team should be in the hunt for the #2 or #3 seed. With Mike T. they'd be in the playoffs already not in last!

 

[RadyLady]

According to the announcers she had an abscessed tooth that needed to be drained. Ugh. That is painful to be sure.

having an abscessed tooth is the WORST pain. I would imagine that having it drained is a lot less painful than waiting for antibiotics to kick in. Had three teeth abscess in the space of two years. It was awful!

 

[ctkaiser]

One of my many problems with AD is she has no offense game plan just like stated above! Pass the ball around then shoot, no offensive philosophy evident! Even with Allison Hightower hurt this team should be in the hunt for the #2 or #3 seed. With Mike T. they'd be in the playoffs already not in last!

I thought it was me. I have never seen any evidence of Sun offense running plays. Complete freelance system. More often than not it puts the ball in the hands of Kate Douglas and she shoots a lot without the desired results in many games. I hardly ever see them post up Chiney. What a concept! That's why she was the #1 pick!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

UCONN & ND runs a motion offense that has no set plays but relies on players knowing the options available read & react!
AD/Sun doesn't run the motion but has NO set plays so it looks like a fire drill!
Concerning AD as a good/great coach, It's like the GOOD OLE BOYS Managers Club in MLB, they keep rehiring the same names that have been around forever! Management very rarely go out of the box with a new person! Same thing with AD she was a great player and her record has been pretty good so hire her! Ask yourself this ?, Why would a great coach leave a pro job with the Liberty to become the head coach at SETON HALL???? If you were to go BACK to the college ranks wouldn't you chose a proven winner with administration backing to make the program #1 not Seton Hall that has proven it doesn't care about WCBB!

 

[01Neaggrad02]

I met Ephinanny Prince on the elevator at the hotel and we have a nice friendly conversation on Monday night. She seemed very polite pleasant. I was even wearing my UCONN Dual National Championship shirt... but it was a great conversation. I just remember watching her play and thinking she had a bad attitude and not thinking very highly of her. I was wrong on that account and it was a pleasure to talk to not only her but Big Syl as well.

Oh and I wished her luck at the game on Tuesday and she asked me why I was not rooting for the Sun to win, and I told her when Anne Donavon goes then I will support the Sun again. Prior to Anne being the coach there were six players on the roster that were UCONN players.. now they have two... It is a shame.

 

[Beemer]

I met Ephinanny Prince on the elevator at the hotel and we have a nice friendly conversation on Monday night. She seemed very polite pleasant. I was even wearing my UCONN Dual National Championship shirt... but it was a great conversation. I just remember watching her play and thinking she had a bad attitude and not thinking very highly of her. I was wrong on that account and it was a pleasure to talk to not only her but Big Syl as well.

Oh and I wished her luck at the game on Tuesday and she asked me why I was not rooting for the Sun to win, and I told her when Anne Donavon goes then I will support the Sun again. Prior to Anne being the coach there were six players on the roster that were UCONN players.. now they have two... It is a shame.

Even if Anne Donovan is fired that is no guarantee the Sun will draft/sign more UConn players in the future. The Sun aren't in existence to provide employment for ex-UConn players and while I enjoy having former Huskies on the team it isn't necessary in order for me to support them.

 

[DishNSwish]

I met Ephinanny Prince on the elevator at the hotel and we have a nice friendly conversation on Monday night. She seemed very polite pleasant. I was even wearing my UCONN Dual National Championship shirt... but it was a great conversation. I just remember watching her play and thinking she had a bad attitude and not thinking very highly of her. I was wrong on that account and it was a pleasure to talk to not only her but Big Syl as well.

Oh and I wished her luck at the game on Tuesday and she asked me why I was not rooting for the Sun to win, and I told her when Anne Donavon goes then I will support the Sun again. Prior to Anne being the coach there were six players on the roster that were UCONN players.. now they have two... It is a shame.

So then having UConn players is the criteria for you rooting for the Sun? And you think Anne doesn't choose UConn players for the team? Have I got that right?

Nothing wrong with rooting for the UConn players, and hoping they are on your local pro team.

BUT, this is the pros, not UConn, and the Sun have to win games, not stockpile Huskies. One doesn't necessarily mean the other.

The WNBA is a different game, different style, different type of player than college ball. Some translate well, some don't. Moore, Hayes, Charles, yes....Faris, Swanier, to an extent even Montgomery, not as much.

The Connecticut Sun have never had six UConn players on their roster. They had five a couple of times, but never six. And the year they want to the finals, in 2005, there were...TWO, same as now.

The coach would be foolish to not take a player because of their college affiliation if they could win with them.

Donovan had Sue Bird & Barbara Turner in Seattle, Ashley Battle & Kalana Greene in New York. She has not shown that she doesn't want UConn players.

I'm not saying she's the world's greatest coach, or that none of the Sun issues are on her. I am saying that to just blame her for the team's woes or the lack of UConn players on her and/or that being the cause of their woes, is not fair and correct.

Oh, and I love Piph. Really nice kid. Quiet, somewhat shy, very nice.

 

[DishNSwish]

Why would a great coach leave a pro job with the Liberty to become the head coach at SETON HALL???? If you were to go BACK to the college ranks wouldn't you chose a proven winner with administration backing to make the program #1 not Seton Hall that has proven it doesn't care about WCBB!

I don't know, maybe if I were from New Jersey, had family there I wanted to be with, and the AD that was there made lots of promises to support women's sports that didn't get followed through on?

There's always more to a story than what appears to the naked eye.

Really, personal attacks on the coach's past decisions is pretty poor taste if you ask me.

But the Sun should hire Debbie Black, who has never been a head coach at a major college level even because she was an aggressive fan favorite as a player, right? She's better qualified?

 

[Striper69]

Bad year for the Sun but things look brighter for next year with the high draft picks and more experienced players.

 

[Icebear]

Even if Anne Donovan is fired that is no guarantee the Sun will draft/sign more UConn players in the future. The Sun aren't in existence to provide employment for ex-UConn players and while I enjoy having former Huskies on the team it isn't necessary in order for me to support them.

Of course, they aren't in any obligation to draft or trade for any UCONN players. And while it might not be necessary for you to attend games some market research might indicate that doing so is a good business plan in terms of attendance. I would be paying for that research if I was Sun management. More importantly they need to put a quality team on the floor and one that has the components necessary to be successful which may or may not require a coaching change. And they need to revisit why they hired Donovan and whether it is a good choice in any way other than her dated name recognition.

 

[Icebear]

So then having UConn players is the criteria for you rooting for the Sun? And you think Anne doesn't choose UConn players for the team? Have I got that right?

Nothing wrong with rooting for the UConn players, and hoping they are on your local pro team.

BUT, this is the pros, not UConn, and the Sun have to win games, not stockpile Huskies. One doesn't necessarily mean the other.

The WNBA is a different game, different style, different type of player than college ball. Some translate well, some don't. Moore, Hayes, Charles, yes....Faris, Swanier, to an extent even Montgomery, not as much.

The Connecticut Sun have never had six UConn players on their roster. They had five a couple of times, but never six. And the year they want to the finals, in 2005, there were...TWO, same as now.

The coach would be foolish to not take a player because of their college affiliation if they could win with them.

Donovan had Sue Bird & Barbara Turner in Seattle, Ashley Battle & Kalana Greene in New York. She has not shown that she doesn't want UConn players.

I'm not saying she's the world's greatest coach, or that none of the Sun issues are on her. I am saying that to just blame her for the team's woes or the lack of UConn players on her and/or that being the cause of their woes, is not fair and correct.

Oh, and I love Piph. Really nice kid. Quiet, somewhat shy, very nice.

She is not a motivator and yes, it is fair to question everything about a coaches management of a team. No one would hesitate for a second to challenge any and every aspect of an NBA or male college coaches management of a team. The WNBA is the pros and if one doesn't like being in the fish bowl and being questioned that is tough.

 

[wallman]

The Uconn fans have a point about having Uconn players on the Sun, FAN support brings in money. They don't always have to be major players but even though I am not a fan of the way Shoni plays, she has a fan base and that is a positive for their club.

 

[DishNSwish]

She is not a motivator and yes, it is fair to question everything about a coaches management of a team. No one would hesitate for a second to challenge any and every aspect of an NBA or male college coaches management of a team. The WNBA is the pros and if one doesn't like being in the fish bowl and being questioned that is tough.

I don't think I'm getting your point Icebear.

 

[j66kicker]

The Uconn fans have a point about having Uconn players on the Sun, FAN support brings in money. They don't always have to be major players but even though I am not a fan of the way Shoni plays, she has a fan base and that is a positive for their club.

I think attendance matters even more to the Sun than most WNBA teams. The tribe doesn't care if the basketball team makes any money - they make money by bringing people into the casino. They have done a pretty good job so far, bringing in 120,000+ most years. Suspect always having a couple former UCONN stars on the roster will continue to be part of their marketing strategy.

 

[Beemer]

Of course, they aren't in any obligation to draft or trade for any UCONN players. And while it might not be necessary for you to attend games some market research might indicate that doing so is a good business plan in terms of attendance. I would be paying for that research if I was Sun management. More importantly they need to put a quality team on the floor and one that has the components necessary to be successful which may or may not require a coaching change. And they need to revisit why they hired Donovan and whether it is a good choice in any way other than her dated name recognition.

It absolutely is a good idea from a marketing standpoint for a pro team to have local players on the roster provided they can also make solid contributions to winning, which fills more seats than clever marketing ever does. Having local players for the sake of having local players only goes so far in developing fan support.

 

[Beemer]

She is not a motivator and yes, it is fair to question everything about a coaches management of a team. No one would hesitate for a second to challenge any and every aspect of an NBA or male college coaches management of a team. The WNBA is the pros and if one doesn't like being in the fish bowl and being questioned that is tough.

Not a motivator? She's got that team playing incredibly hard every.single.game.

If I have a criticism of her [keeping in mind that I am no basketball genius] it is I see an inability on her part to adjust on the fly when the game plan stops working.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

All I am going to say is that Tina was on the team and she was forced out.... granted she wanted to leave, but only after the coaching change. Kalana Gereen was cut from the team.

Kara Lawson who was not a UCONN player, but a fan favorite was traded to Washington and if I recall correctly there were comments made at the time about Kara was happy to be playing for Coach T and was not happy in CT with Donovan.

Renee and Kelly Faris are still on the team. Ashja Jones is out with injury again if I am not mistaken... but I could have sworn there was another UCONN player that was on the Sun recently.

And to go back to what someone else stated... the more UCONN players you have the more the fans will want to come and see the games and spend more money. Not a bad idea in certain places to get players who were from that area. I.E. UCONN players at the SUN, Stanford players in LA, Notre Dame and Purdue players in Indiana. Rutgers, St. John's, Penn State etc at NY... etc.