Back fron SUN vs. WASH and...

[psconn]

...a bit depressed. 84-76 OT loss... ugh. A very winnable game for the Sun, and with LA coming in next, it was as close to a must win as you can have in the 3rd game of the season. There was improvement to be seen but until Alex Bentley finds her shot again (24%; 6-31 in the last 2 games), or someone else displays a reliable 3-pt game, the kind of offense Coach Miller wants to see out there will be hard to find. Morgan had a few good plays as did Jones. Banham no so much... lots of zeros on the score sheet.

Another double-double for Kelsey, ho-hum. Alyssa lead the Sun scoring with 18. I love the intensity and athleticism she plays with - charging up the court like a runaway locomotive, strong, quick and determined. Attack, attack, attack. If I recall correctly, she was also either 2-2 or 2-3 from the mid-range... at least she's taking a few this year. Here I go again... if she ever develops a reliable outside game, she'll be playing in a bunch of all star games. One big roadblock to that is her very odd shooting motion. Shoots like a natural righty forced to shoot lefty. Not pretty.

One last note: Jasmine Thomas has a huge heart. Not the most talented in the league, but she leaves it all on the court every night. She's leading the Sun in minutes (34) and averages 11 pts., 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals per game.

I have to drown my sorrows in a Fudgesicle now.

 

[DaddyChoc]

what did Faris do... is she taking a spot away from a "sharpshooter from 3pt land"?

 

[trb123]

Faris did not score.
Faris' offensive game has been very consistent throughout her career at college and in the pros.
I have occasionally wondered what sort of offensive player she was in high school.
Certainly after I read here (Boneyard) that Geno always looks for players with a good offensive skills - defense on the other hand can be taught.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Faris did not score.
Faris' offensive game has been very consistent throughout her career at college and in the pros.
I have occasionally wondered what sort of offensive player she was in high school.
Certainly after I read here (Boneyard) that Geno always looks for players with a good offensive skills - defense on the other hand can be taught.

or smart and gritty... team player

 

[UNHAlumInCT]

What was up with "music" blaring while play was ongoing??? Made it seem like a Black Wolves game rather than a professional basketball game! Would much prefer to hear the sneakers squeaking, picks being called (or not called ) and other sounds of the game .

 

[JoePgh]

I was at the game, and I have several observations (nearly a day later):

1. The most important observation is that the Sun could have won the game if Camille Little (a 10-year veteran) had simply avoided fouling Stef Dolson with a couple of seconds left in the game. Stef was in the process of throwing up a desperation shot from an impossible angle -- her chances of making it were less than 10 percent. If she had not been fouled and had missed the shot, the Sun would have won the game by 1 point in regulation. You expect the Sun's young players to make that kind of mistake, but their most experienced player never should.

2. Other than that, the deciding event in the game was in the 3rd quarter. The Sun had a 43-35 lead with about 6 minutes left in the quarter, and they committed their 5th foul of the quarter. That meant that for the next 6 minutes, the Mystics would shoot free throws on every foul, and the Sun continued to foul with extreme frequency. Yes, the officials were calling it tight, but that appeared to be the case at both ends of the floor.

3. Cheney still did not play a lot of minutes, even though she was not in major foul trouble. She wasn't overly effective, particularly at the offensive end. If she and Bentley don't get untracked rather soon, it will be a long year.

3. I admit to being biased, but Rachel Banham still looks like a total bust as the #4 overall draft pick. She seems to be slotted as the backup point guard, but Jasmine Thomas is playing huge minutes because it doesn't appear that the coaches have enough confidence in Banham to put her in. She didn't take a single 3-point shot last night, because she is not mobile enough to get her own shot.

4. Kelly may have some minor injury. She was doing stretching exercises on the sidelines with the trainer when she was not in the game. Even so, I think she will soon be the third guard on the team, behind J. Thomas and Bentley. The Sun have left themselves rather short-handed in the back court by keeping only four guards on the roster.

5. Bria Hartley played a really good game for the Mystics. I believe she had 14 points. It may have been her best game as a pro. She was heavily relied on down the stretch and in overtime. It appears to me that the Sun should be a better team than Washington: assuming everyone plays to their potential, the Sun's top 3 of Ogwumike / Bentley / Bone should be better than the Mystic's top 3 of Dolson / Messeman / Hartley. But right now 2 of the Sun's Big 3 are playing well below their potential.

6. Morgan Tuck had 5 points and made a few nice plays on offense. But she continues to have trouble guarding the quicker forwards in the WNBA. Messeman beat her rather easily at least twice in last night's game: once for a score and once to draw a foul. I think she will learn to guard those players, but she's not there yet, and that will limit her minutes this season until she shows that she can do it.

 

[psconn]

I was at the game, and I have several observations (nearly a day later):

1. The most important observation is that the Sun could have won the game if Camille Little (a 10-year veteran) had simply avoided fouling Stef Dolson with a couple of seconds left in the game. Stef was in the process of throwing up a desperation shot from an impossible angle -- her chances of making it were less than 10 percent. If she had not been fouled and had missed the shot, the Sun would have won the game by 1 point in regulation. You expect the Sun's young players to make that kind of mistake, but their most experienced player never should.

2. Other than that, the deciding event in the game was in the 3rd quarter. The Sun had a 43-35 lead with about 6 minutes left in the quarter, and they committed their 5th foul of the quarter. That meant that for the next 6 minutes, the Mystics would shoot free throws on every foul, and the Sun continued to foul with extreme frequency. Yes, the officials were calling it tight, but that appeared to be the case at both ends of the floor.

3. Cheney still did not play a lot of minutes, even though she was not in major foul trouble. She wasn't overly effective, particularly at the offensive end. If she and Bentley don't get untracked rather soon, it will be a long year.

3. I admit to being biased, but Rachel Banham still looks like a total bust as the #4 overall draft pick. She seems to be slotted as the backup point guard, but Jasmine Thomas is playing huge minutes because it doesn't appear that the coaches have enough confidence in Banham to put her in. She didn't take a single 3-point shot last night, because she is not mobile enough to get her own shot.

4. Kelly may have some minor injury. She was doing stretching exercises on the sidelines with the trainer when she was not in the game. Even so, I think she will soon be the third guard on the team, behind J. Thomas and Bentley. The Sun have left themselves rather short-handed in the back court by keeping only four guards on the roster.

5. Bria Hartley played a really good game for the Mystics. I believe she had 14 points. It may have been her best game as a pro. She was heavily relied on down the stretch and in overtime. It appears to me that the Sun should be a better team than Washington: assuming everyone plays to their potential, the Sun's top 3 of Ogwumike / Bentley / Bone should be better than the Mystic's top 3 of Dolson / Messeman / Hartley. But right now 2 of the Sun's Big 3 are playing well below their potential.

6. Morgan Tuck had 5 points and made a few nice plays on offense. But she continues to have trouble guarding the quicker forwards in the WNBA. Messeman beat her rather easily at least twice in last night's game: once for a score and once to draw a foul. I think she will learn to guard those players, but she's not there yet, and that will limit her minutes this season until she shows that she can do it.

Can't disagree with too much of what you say but lets pick a few nits (this IS the Boneyard, after all). Cheney is definitely being handled like a porcelain doll. Low minutes, heat pad when she's sitting. Not what I expected when the word was that she is 100% ready to go.

Banham - I mentioned before how surprised I was that they picked her in the #4 spot, I was SURE it was going to be Powers or Jones. That said, I can't declare her a bust yet. It is still too early in the season and we expended to much getting her to give up on her. I won't be ready for the bust label unless there's no improvement by sometime mid-next season.

Kelly is definitely hurting. She spent a very long time standing at the end of the Sun bench rather than sitting.

Mystic top 3 versus Sun top 3 - Those 6 you name, with everyone playing at their "potential"... Bone/Dolson is nearly a wash with Bone better by a bit, Emma brings more to the table than Cheney unless you think its in Cheney's "potential" to have some kind of midrange game. Cheney is former all star and ROY... high energy and huge on put-backs and other under the basket work, but Emma is an offensive threat all over the court, plays ok D, and may be a better fit for Curt Miller's offense. Hartley/Bentley... yup Bentley, IF she is at her potential. Right now she'd have a hard time throwing the ball into the ocean. In addition I would say that the D.C. 3 are mentally tougher that the Uncasville 3. Both Bone and Bentley get down on themselves and don't always respond to adversity that well. We Bria went through at UConn playing through injuries and slumps; and of course Bria is, was, and always will be, the Bomb.
Emma definitely owned Morgan a few times... not a good matchup for Morgan at this point. Like you said, I think she will get better guarding those kind of players, hopefully much better.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Chiney... I not E