psconn
Proud Connecticut WBB Fan
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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Before we leave the semis completely behind and move on to today's Game #1...
I have watched and re-watched that final quarter of Sun v. Sky AT LEAST six times since the game ended. I'm a die-hard Sun fan and season ticket holder, but after that awful 3rd quarter I had all but given up hope. The Sky were always the unflappable, clutch play-makers and shot-makers over the past 2 years of this rivalry. It seemed unlikely that the Sun could generate enough against the Sky's stifling D to catch up.
Basketball is such a mental game. The problem for the Sky was they thought they had it in the bag also. Three minutes into the 4th they were up by 11, two uncharacteristic Sloot turnovers and Sun jumpers and it's down to 7. The Sky seemed to tighten up at the point, both Meesseman and Quigley missed open shots but a Copper layup kept it at 9. Then the inexplicable Bonner/Copper thing happened and the Sky were visibly shaken by the fact that Maj Forsburg clearly called a double tech and that SHOULD have DQ'd Copper for the remainder of this game and a Finals game (if they got there). The Sun on the other hand used the long break to take a deep breath and realize there was a long time left on the clock and that they were only down seven. When the refs decided nothing happened (inexplicable - I counted 4 technical fouls!) the relief on the Sky side was palpable. This was the 2nd time this series that the refs failed to give Copper a tech for OBVIOUS violations, but that's a whole other rant. Bonner's free throw makes the Sun deficit 6. At that point the Sun looked locked in and fierce on the D but even more, the Sky looked tentative and worried. They were getting open looks.
Then the game deciding sequence occurs... Quigley gets her shot blocked for a Sun runout layup, Quigley misses another shot by a mile and AT rebounds and ends up making 2 free throws and the Sun are down only 2. JJ then volleyball spikes a Meesseman shot and there's a runout to tie the game. The Sky are completely rattled at that point you can see it on their faces. Copper misses an open layup (!?), JJ then gets the go-ahead layup and-1. Mees has a bad miss of an open 3 (!?), next Sky possession Sloot throws a terrible pass off the backboard (!!!???) and Courtney comes down and delivers the dagger pull-up J. Sloot and Quigley both miss 3s to close the game. Where was Parker through all this? Mostly sitting on the 3 point line she had opportunities but didn't take them. 4 seconds after the buzzer Parker is shown running off the floor while her team is huddled up on the court. Bad look IMO.
My point in recounting all this was to document the HIGHLY uncharacteristic collapse of a team that ALWAYS seemed to make the clutch shot, the great cut and pass and the tenacious defense. It was all about what was going on between the players' ears. Wade ended the game with (I think) 3 timeouts in his pocket. WHY? He needed to address the mental state of the team and passed on 3 opportunities to do so.
What the Sun did, to their credit, was to just keep the intensity up, stay focused and make some shots. They were 16 for 16 from the FT line... that is remarkable for this team. But 23 turnovers? When has a team ever won a pivotal playoff game with 23 turnovers? Better clean that up ALOT for the next round or it will be ugly.
GO SUN!!
I have watched and re-watched that final quarter of Sun v. Sky AT LEAST six times since the game ended. I'm a die-hard Sun fan and season ticket holder, but after that awful 3rd quarter I had all but given up hope. The Sky were always the unflappable, clutch play-makers and shot-makers over the past 2 years of this rivalry. It seemed unlikely that the Sun could generate enough against the Sky's stifling D to catch up.
Basketball is such a mental game. The problem for the Sky was they thought they had it in the bag also. Three minutes into the 4th they were up by 11, two uncharacteristic Sloot turnovers and Sun jumpers and it's down to 7. The Sky seemed to tighten up at the point, both Meesseman and Quigley missed open shots but a Copper layup kept it at 9. Then the inexplicable Bonner/Copper thing happened and the Sky were visibly shaken by the fact that Maj Forsburg clearly called a double tech and that SHOULD have DQ'd Copper for the remainder of this game and a Finals game (if they got there). The Sun on the other hand used the long break to take a deep breath and realize there was a long time left on the clock and that they were only down seven. When the refs decided nothing happened (inexplicable - I counted 4 technical fouls!) the relief on the Sky side was palpable. This was the 2nd time this series that the refs failed to give Copper a tech for OBVIOUS violations, but that's a whole other rant. Bonner's free throw makes the Sun deficit 6. At that point the Sun looked locked in and fierce on the D but even more, the Sky looked tentative and worried. They were getting open looks.
Then the game deciding sequence occurs... Quigley gets her shot blocked for a Sun runout layup, Quigley misses another shot by a mile and AT rebounds and ends up making 2 free throws and the Sun are down only 2. JJ then volleyball spikes a Meesseman shot and there's a runout to tie the game. The Sky are completely rattled at that point you can see it on their faces. Copper misses an open layup (!?), JJ then gets the go-ahead layup and-1. Mees has a bad miss of an open 3 (!?), next Sky possession Sloot throws a terrible pass off the backboard (!!!???) and Courtney comes down and delivers the dagger pull-up J. Sloot and Quigley both miss 3s to close the game. Where was Parker through all this? Mostly sitting on the 3 point line she had opportunities but didn't take them. 4 seconds after the buzzer Parker is shown running off the floor while her team is huddled up on the court. Bad look IMO.
My point in recounting all this was to document the HIGHLY uncharacteristic collapse of a team that ALWAYS seemed to make the clutch shot, the great cut and pass and the tenacious defense. It was all about what was going on between the players' ears. Wade ended the game with (I think) 3 timeouts in his pocket. WHY? He needed to address the mental state of the team and passed on 3 opportunities to do so.
What the Sun did, to their credit, was to just keep the intensity up, stay focused and make some shots. They were 16 for 16 from the FT line... that is remarkable for this team. But 23 turnovers? When has a team ever won a pivotal playoff game with 23 turnovers? Better clean that up ALOT for the next round or it will be ugly.
GO SUN!!
