In Other News... WNBA Finals Game 3

[DaddyChoc]

Sparks win... 92-75

First Night made us all forget about this game tonight

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I wish I could care, but I don't. Horrible confession, but Maya has never excited me, and I'm just following my UConn favs in the WNBA. Don't know why. Maya is, of course, one of the greatest of all time. May be her ho hum, matter of fact off the court style.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Minnesota's defense was also at First Night. It certainly wasn't in L.A.

 

[j66kicker]

I watched the game (AND First night, which I thought was ho-hum). Maya didn't show up. Lynx just didn't bring any energy. I really think they are the better team - maybe they can't really get excited til their backs are against the wall. We'll see Sunday

 

[Plebe]

I had a third-row seat behind the baseline for tonight's game (or most of it). I can't even remember the last time I watched a major sporting event in person from anything other than the nosebleeds. The size and athleticism of the players just can't be fully appreciated on a screen. They're so impressive in terms of their mere stature and presence.

Coming from Santa Monica and taking the new light rail extension for the first time, just getting there was a bit of an adventure. The Galen Center (USC's arena) was used because of a hockey game at Staples Center. Although it's a nice arena, I found it a bit quirky. I'm accustomed to being able to see players' names and basic stats up on an electronic scoreboard at these pro sports arenas. Well, they had a big video screen above the court but it was only used for live video and replays (and crowd shots during breaks). The only scoreboard was on the small strip that ringed the arena and separated the lower from the upper seats. And it was just that: score and clock, no stats, nothing else. Sometimes during a break they'd even take the score away to display ads, and at those times there was literally no score to be seen anywhere in the building, unless you cheated via phone.

I arrived midway through the 2nd quarter (work kept me late) with the score 42-23. (And I saw afterward in the box score that at one point in the 1st quarter, LA was up 30-8. Yes, eight!) Minnesota did finish the half well, cutting the lead from 20 to 8. But they'd get no closer. The teams mostly traded buckets through the 3rd quarter, and the Lynx just couldn't string together stops and makes. The Sparks, after finishing the first half very cold, just seemed to click and got significant contributions from role players and subs. Beard hit shots. Lavender hit shots. Carson hit three 3-pointers as LA pulled away late. That included one she hit on the last possession, as LA — up 14 and with less than a one-second differential between game and shot clocks — elected to run offense and shoot rather than just take the shot clock violation. If the Lynx needed any additional motivation, they surely got it from that bit of rubbing-it-in.

Candace was very impressive in person, just physically speaking. So tall, long arms and legs, and such long strides. Brunson (assigned to guard Parker while Fowles understandably, as the Lynx's best interior defender, guarded Ogwumike) frankly seemed small next to Parker. Less impressive to me was how Candace was complaining vehemently to the refs during seemingly EVERY dead ball about EVERY call or no-call that didn't go LA's way. But maybe that was just part of her being engaged in the game.

Defensively, LA was clearly focused on stopping Maya and did a great job limiting her looks. They were often helping on Maya before she could even take one step on the dribble. Even though she had 9 points in the game, she still seemed to always be in the middle of anything good that happened for her team. Lots of deflections and hockey assists and stuff that doesn't necessarily end up on the stat sheet.

On a sad note, McCarville went down after a scrum for a loose-ball rebound and had to be helped off the floor. Hate to see that.

Now we get to see if Minnesota can respond, playing on the road, with its back against the wall. If LA does win, it will be well deserved.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I had a third-row seat behind the baseline for tonight's game (or most of it). I can't even remember the last time I watched a major sporting event in person from anything other than the nosebleeds. The size and athleticism of the players just can't be fully appreciated on a screen. They're so impressive in terms of their mere stature and presence.

Coming from Santa Monica and taking the new light rail extension for the first time, just getting there was a bit of an adventure. The Galen Center (USC's arena) was used because of a hockey game at Staples Center. Although it's a nice arena, I found it a bit quirky. I'm accustomed to being able to see players' names and basic stats up on an electronic scoreboard at these pro sports arenas. Well, they had a big video screen above the court but it was only used for live video and replays (and crowd shots during breaks). The only scoreboard was on the small strip that ringed the arena and separated the lower from the upper seats. And it was just that: score and clock, no stats, nothing else. Sometimes during a break they'd even take the score away to display ads, and at those times there was literally no score to be seen anywhere in the building, unless you cheated via phone.

I arrived midway through the 2nd quarter (work kept me late) with the score 42-23. (And I saw afterward in the box score that at one point in the 1st quarter, LA was up 30-8. Yes, eight!) Minnesota did finish the half well, cutting the lead from 20 to 8. But they'd get no closer. The teams mostly traded buckets through the 3rd quarter, and the Lynx just couldn't string together stops and makes. The Sparks, after finishing the first half very cold, just seemed to click and got significant contributions from role players and subs. Beard hit shots. Lavender hit shots. Carson hit three 3-pointers as LA pulled away late. That included one she hit on the last possession, as LA — up 14 and with less than a one-second differential between game and shot clocks — elected to run offense and shoot rather than just take the shot clock violation. If the Lynx needed any additional motivation, they surely got it from that bit of rubbing-it-in.

Candace was very impressive in person, just physically speaking. So tall, long arms and legs, and such long strides. Brunson (assigned to guard Parker while Fowles understandably, as the Lynx's best interior defender, guarded Ogwumike) frankly seemed small next to Parker. Less impressive to me was how Candace was complaining vehemently to the refs during seemingly EVERY dead ball about EVERY call or no-call that didn't go LA's way. But maybe that was just part of her being engaged in the game.

Defensively, LA was clearly focused on stopping Maya and did a great job limiting her looks. They were often helping on Maya before she could even take one step on the dribble. Even though had 9 points in the game, because she still seemed to always be in the middle of anything good that happened.

On a sad note, McCarville went down after a scrum for a loose-ball rebound and had to be helped off the floor. Hate to see that.

Now we get to see if Minnesota can respond, playing on the road, with its back against the wall. If LA does win, it will be well deserved.

Thanks for the report

 

[Bliss]

Unless Maya shows up in the scoring column for the last two games the Lynx are doomed.

 

[stwainfan]

A WNBA championship is the only thing missing. From Candace Parker's hall of fame career.

 

[DaddyChoc]

A WNBA championship is the only thing missing. From Candace Parker's hall of fame career.

and a 2016 Olympics Gold Medal