Impressions of Suns vs Lynx (from very good seats)

[msf22b]

First our UConn Alumns:

Maya had an average game (for her) statistically: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists but at points during the first half especially, every play went through her. When she was double-teamed, she found open woman, not always getting credit for an assist but making the trains run and the clocks tick. She took a modified Stewie style flop (see earlier discussion of championship game) near the final buzzer that caused the local fans to boo…Imagine: Maya being booed in Ct.
Yup, it happened.
Just to complete the record, she also got the biggest cheer in the player intros.

Rene didn't start but had a little streak-ette in the second half (two-3's in a row) in crunch time that almost (but didn't quite) get the Sun back in the game.

Kelly looks pretty forlorn, she did a nice defensive shift against Maya in the 2nd half but is not an option on offense. Looked good in practice, came in half way through the 2nd quarter, took a shot which didn't go in and that was it. She's going to have to figure out how to be a presence on offense in order to have a pro career.

The Sun are not a well-coached team. Offensive sets are weak and they are soft on defense. Minny got too many gimmees. They are one coach and a player or two from being competitive. This afternoon Chiney was stymied and Katie Douglas couldn't buy a bucket and was left to shout expletives. When 2 out of your 3 threats are impotent, you can't win, can barely compete. As a result, this game was never in doubt and Minny could take their feet off the pedal for extended stretches without fear of upset and they did just that. The 2nd quarter was quite un-entertaining in that respect.

Kelsey Bone was aggressive and effective at times, Alyssa Thomas did what she does, and Alex Bently was
effective in the 1st half.

Kayla Pedersen also looks down in the dumps but I bet a good coach could get something out of her. I always thought her game would translate well for the next level but to date it hasn't. There's something there;
bubbling beneath the surface but I suspect Donovan won't find it

The Lynx on the other hand had lots of subs that could contribute, so that neither Maya, Lindsay or Seimone or anybody else for that matter needed to play extended minutes. At one point in the 2nd quarter, all three were on the bench and Monica Wright, Devereaux Peters and Tan White did just fine. (on Edit) you look at the stats and it sure seemed like the starters played a whole lot but at the game it seemed like much less and I don't have an explanation. Perhaps its Minny's penchant for subbing 2 or even 3 at a time.

Minny plays pretty good D, and gets folks open for shots that are made with good consistency. Seimone, especially looks like she's hardly missed a beat. Brunson was tough on D and on the boards, McCarville was 5 for 7 and Whalen looked a whole lot better than the hands of stone at the All-Star game.

They look like absolutely like the 2nd best team in the league…really good…but I think Phoenix will kick their but this year.

 

[ocoandasoc]

The Sun are not a well-coached team.

You can say that again.

 

[JBMudd]

That begs the question (sorry if this should be a new thread) - How much more time does Donovan get at the helm? With the talent that was acquired through the draft and trades, the team should have shown much more improvement. We have had our share of injuries this season but other teams in league have had key players out and still played better than the Sun. I know as fans we all second guess substitution decisions. But when you're down by 20 in the fourth quarter and the starters are just going through the motions - send a message and yank them all out. And this has nothing to do with which players are on the bench. Send the message that if you don't hustle when you're on the floor, you're going to get benched. Gee, that sounds familiar!
So, are two seaons of being in the basement enough? Does Donovan deserve another year to fully implement her vision (IMHO, an emphatic NO!) If the Sun get rid of her, who should be considered as a replacement?

 

[Striper69]

The Sun are not a well-coached team.

You can say that again.

Minny makes a lot of teams look like that.

The Sun are just depending on two rookies at this point. Next season will be a lot better with Chelsea Gray and the next lottery draft pick...KML(?).

 

[DICKG]

That begs the question (sorry if this should be a new thread) - How much more time does Donovan get at the helm? With the talent that was acquired through the draft and trades, the team should have shown much more improvement. We have had our share of injuries this season but other teams in league have had key players out and still played better than the Sun. I know as fans we all second guess substitution decisions. But when you're down by 20 in the fourth quarter and the starters are just going through the motions - send a message and yank them all out. And this has nothing to do with which players are on the bench. Send the message that if you don't hustle when you're on the floor, you're going to get benched. Gee, that sounds familiar!
So, are two seaons of being in the basement enough? Does Donovan deserve another year to fully implement her vision (IMHO, an emphatic NO!) If the Sun get rid of her, who should be considered as a replacement?

 

[DICKG]

Next year we have Grey and probably two lottery picks. Donovan and the GM should go. I would like to see Debbie Black given a chance to coach. I love her fire and enthusiasm.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Was Chiney matched up with Brunson? That sounds like a battle of studs, with Brunson having the edge based on experience if healthy.

 

[DishNSwish]

Was Chiney matched up with Brunson? That sounds like a battle of studs, with Brunson having the edge based on experience if healthy.

No, McCarville. Janel is like a tree stump down low, and Chiney could not get position against her.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Anne Donovan is the worst coach in the WNBA! I have been in a war of words/emails with the Suns GM for the last 2 years and he thinks she's among the best coaches in WBB! Her Olympic and Seattle Championships had so much talent that ANYONE could have coached them to victory! She doesn't have a clue! Something to think on, They fired Mike T. on Nov. 20th and hired AD on Jan. 2nd! Who fires a great coach without having their replacement right there? With all that time the best they came up with was AD?
I second the choice of Debbie Black! she'd kick butt & take names! And if they gave 1/2 the effort Debbie gave in the WNBA there would be a 100% improvement on the SUN! She's loved by the Sun fans!
It doesn't matter what players are coming in next year with the Sun, Anne Donovan would screw it up! She can't coach a Middle School team!

 

[ocoandasoc]

Minny makes a lot of teams look like that.

The Sun are just depending on two rookies at this point. Next season will be a lot better with Chelsea Gray and the next lottery draft pick...KML(?).

You're kidding, right? The Sun were a playoff team and a championship contender two years ago. They fired a very good coach, and replaced him with a very bad one who has/is leading the Sun to another last-place finish. Talent is not the biggest issue. AD needs to go. And anyone in the Sun's management that doesn't get that should go as well.

 

[psconn]

First our UConn Alumns:

Maya had an average game (for her) statistically: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists but at points during the first half especially, every play went through her. When she was double-teamed, she found open woman, not always getting credit for an assist but making the trains run and the clocks tick. She took a modified Stewie style flop (see earlier discussion of championship game) near the final buzzer that caused the local fans to boo…Imagine: Maya being booed in Ct.
Yup, it happened.
Just to complete the record, she also got the biggest cheer in the player intros.

Rene didn't start but had a little streak-ette in the second half (two-3's in a row) in crunch time that almost (but didn't quite) get the Sun back in the game.

Kelly looks pretty forlorn, she did a nice defensive shift against Maya in the 2nd half but is not an option on offense. Looked good in practice, came in half way through the 2nd quarter, took a shot which didn't go in and that was it. She's going to have to figure out how to be a presence on offense in order to have a pro career.

The Sun are not a well-coached team. Offensive sets are weak and they are soft on defense. Minny got too many gimmees. They are one coach and a player or two from being competitive. This afternoon Chiney was stymied and Katie Douglas couldn't buy a bucket and was left to shout expletives. When 2 out of your 3 threats are impotent, you can't win, can barely compete. As a result, this game was never in doubt and Minny could take their feet off the pedal for extended stretches without fear of upset and they did just that. The 2nd quarter was quite un-entertaining in that respect.

Kelsey Bone was aggressive and effective at times, Alyssa Thomas did what she does, and Alex Bently was
effective in the 1st half.

Kayla Pedersen also looks down in the dumps but I bet a good coach could get something out of her. I always thought her game would translate well for the next level but to date it hasn't. There's something there;
bubbling beneath the surface but I suspect Donovan won't find it

The Lynx on the other hand had lots of subs that could contribute, so that neither Maya, Lindsay or Seimone or anybody else for that matter needed to play extended minutes. At one point in the 2nd quarter, all three were on the bench and Monica Wright, Devereaux Peters and Tan White did just fine. (on Edit) you look at the stats and it sure seemed like the starters played a whole lot but at the game it seemed like much less and I don't have an explanation. Perhaps its Minny's penchant for subbing 2 or even 3 at a time.

Minny plays pretty good D, and gets folks open for shots that are made with good consistency. Seimone, especially looks like she's hardly missed a beat. Brunson was tough on D and on the boards, McCarville was 5 for 7 and Whalen looked a whole lot better than the hands of stone at the All-Star game.

They look like absolutely like the 2nd best team in the league…really good…but I think Phoenix will kick their but this year.

Just back from a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons (the reason I gave up the Lynx tickets) and I'm catching up. Glad you enjoyed the seats for what was a predictable outcome. Thanks for posting the report also. The Lynx and the Mercury are the clear class of the league. A little perspective on Maya getting boo'd... when I started going to Sun games in 2003, it was not unusual for opposing players (UConn alums) to be cheered when they scored against the Sun. I remember Sue Bird in one particular game scoring a key basket and you would have thought the Sun just won a playoff game. I remember looking at the Sun bench an seeing the (WTF) looks on the Sun players faces. Embarrassing. Now the alums always get a big cheer on introduction but get treated more or less like everyone else after that. This is a good thing. It sounds from what you said about the Maya booing, that the fans were more upset with the call... not like when D laid out Jamie Carey a player with a dangerous history of concussions) on an unnecessarily vigorous screen... that was an EPIC UConn alum booing.

 

[msf22b]

Just back from a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons (the reason I gave up the Lynx tickets) and I'm catching up. Glad you enjoyed the seats for what was a predictable outcome. Thanks for posting the report also. The Lynx and the Mercury are the clear class of the league. A little perspective on Maya getting boo'd... when I started going to Sun games in 2003, it was not unusual for opposing players (UConn alums) to be cheered when they scored against the Sun. I remember Sue Bird in one particular game scoring a key basket and you would have thought the Sun just won a playoff game. I remember looking at the Sun bench an seeing the (WTF) looks on the Sun players faces. Embarrassing. Now the alums always get a big cheer on introduction but get treated more or less like everyone else after that. This is a good thing. It sounds from what you said about the Maya booing, that the fans were more upset with the call... not like when D laid out Jamie Carey a player with a dangerous history of concussions) on an unnecessarily vigorous screen... that was an EPIC UConn alum booing.

Absolutely yes, mostly the call but also Maya embellishing it.

The Tetons will forever be my happy hunting ground, used to climb every season in the mid-60's on
Until I took a leader fall on Symmetry Spire in '73 and that was the end of that.
But I still go back and love the place; also the Winds.

 

[pinotbear]

Heading out to Yellowstone and the Tetons in September. It'll be my third visit, but, my first in 20 years. Looking forward to reacquainting myself with the mountains, the critters, and Moose Drool ...