LA Sparks @ Phoenix Merc 8/12 | The Boneyard

LA Sparks @ Phoenix Merc 8/12

nwhoopfan

nwhoopfan

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An actual WNBA game being broadcast on television on ESPN2 currently. Midway thru Q1 8-7 Phoenix. Candance has scored all 7 for LA.
 
Parker is just killing Bonner. She has all of LA's points still, they are leading 12-10.

Quote of the game so far from Kara Lawson "A lot of people have about 30 pounds on Bonner."
 
Entertaining game so far. 22-21 LA after 1 quarter. Parker has 15 points and 5 boards.


I gotta give props to Samuelson and Wiese. They barely play. They know they aren't going to get in the game. But they are consistently the 2 most energetic and enthusiastic players on the bench, always jumping around and celebrating anything good the Sparks do.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Entertaining game so far. 22-21 LA after 1 quarter. Parker has 15 points and 5 boards.


I gotta give props to Samuelson and Wiese. They barely play. They know they aren't going to get in the game. But they are consistently the 2 most energetic and enthusiastic players on the bench, always jumping around and celebrating anything good the Sparks do.
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Maybe they are too tired to enter the game. ;);)
 
nwhoopfan said:
Parker is just killing Bonner. She has all of LA's points still, they are leading 12-10.

Quote of the game so far from Kara Lawson "A lot of people have about 30 pounds on Bonner."
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Rebecca: "Parker is so fun to watch when she's active like this."
 
.-.
j66kicker said:
Rebecca: "Parker is so fun to watch when she's active like this."
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And missing free throws with a "goofey smile". I will take Maya's scowl and intensity any day.
 
Phoenix pushed their lead to 10, LA cut to 4, then it went back to 10 again.

Vadeeva has given LA a nice lift. I don't know why she doesn't play more. Lavender doesn't seem to bring much from what I've seen.


edited--Vadeeva does have 4 fouls in 5 minutes, oops
 
Bonner hit about a 35 footer right before the end of the quarter, 67-54 Phoenix. I think they've gone on a run at the end of all 3 quarters so far.
 
I have heard that #3 for Sparks can play some basketball. :)
 
Bonner now leading everybody w/ 25, Parker has 23.

Sims is scoreless in 18 minutes. What happened to her? She's not having a very good season.
 
.-.
Getting out of hand now 72-54. Parker was just destroying Bonner in Q1 but since then it's been mostly the other way around. DeWanna has 28 points.
 
It's just one game, but none of LA's guards impress me. They're all score first players and none of them were hitting shots. Didn't see much play making. Sims and Beard scoreless, Gray w/ 7, Williams w/ 7 and Carson w/ 2. That is not much production. It's mostly been Parker and Ogwumike. Vadeeva has scored 9 points in 9 minutes on 4-6 shooting.
 
Another Kara quote: "She's been doing that for a long time." In reference to Diana making key shots after she hits from 25'.
 
Down to 8 point lead. Vadeeva has hit a couple 3's and has 14 points. She should get all of Lavender's minutes.
 
86-78 final.

31 points for Bonner. 20 points 14 assists for D, 20 points and 13 rebounds for Griner. Not a whole lot of production from the rest of the team but their Big 3 was enough today.
 
.-.
Vadeeva scored 16 in 15 minutes on 7-9 shooting! Riquna Williams hit couple 3's late and finished w/ 13, so they got quite a bit of bench production. Parker finished w/ 23 (15 in the first quarter). Ogwumike got it going in the 3rd quarter but didn't score in the 4th, didn't play much. Finished w/ 13.
 
As of now, it would be Minny at Phoenix in Round 1, single elimination. Yikes! Heavyweights!
 
nwhoopfan said:
Vadeeva scored 16 in 15 minutes on 7-9 shooting! Riquna Williams hit couple 3's late and finished w/ 13, so they got quite a bit of bench production. Parker finished w/ 23 (15 in the first quarter). Ogwumike got it going in the 3rd quarter but didn't score in the 4th, didn't play much. Finished w/ 13.
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Nneka is having a good year, but well below her MVP year, by about 3 ppg, 2 rpg, and 10-12 pct pts in her shooting. I don't think she's 100%.
 
nwhoopfan said:
It's just one game, but none of LA's guards impress me. They're all score first players and none of them were hitting shots. Didn't see much play making.
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Everyone has off games every now and then.... Was this your first time watching the Sparks this season?
 
triaddukefan said:
Everyone has off games every now and then.... Was this your first time watching the Sparks this season?
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I've seen them a few times. I know Gray is usually a reliable scorer. She takes some really tough fade away jumpers, look like low percentage shots but she knocks them in. Usually good driving or on on the break as well.

Huh, looking at the box score Gray and Sims combined for 12 rebounds and 9 assists. Watching the game, it didn't seem like they had that much impact. 3-13 shooting and 9 points certainly isn't getting it done for the starting pair of guards.
 
nwhoopfan said:
I've seen them a few times. I know Gray is usually a reliable scorer. She takes some really tough fade away jumpers, look like low percentage shots but she knocks them in. Usually good driving or on on the break as well.

Huh, looking at the box score Gray and Sims combined for 12 rebounds and 9 assists. Watching the game, it didn't seem like they had that much impact. 3-13 shooting and 9 points certainly isn't getting it done for the starting pair of guards.
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When L.A. gets good scoring from Candace, Nneka, and at least one guard (usually Chelsea), they typically win. When they get good scoring from only one of those three, they usually lose. When they get it from two of the three, the games are competitive.

Both L.A. and Minnesota have lost about twice as many games this season as I expected. Either could win the championship, but both look inferior to Seattle and probably Atlanta right now.
 
.-.
Biggest difference between LA last year and this year is Sims. Sims is a shadow of the players she was a year ago when she finished the season strong and averaged 16ppg in the playoffs. She isn't just missing shots either, but she's missing them badly. She doesn't look as quick and is shooting just 71% from the line this year after being at 84-89% her first 4 years. Not sure what's happened, but LA needs a reliable 4th option if they're going to be a title threat. After having a great shot at the #2 seed, LA is just hoping to nab a top 4 seed at this point. Their road game at Connecticut to end the year might be what decides their fate.
 
stwainfan said:
I have heard that #3 for Sparks can play some basketball. :)
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When she wants to. Her disappearing act in the second half is among her most impressive no shows. :)
 
Very nice to see the adjustments that the Mercury are finally making late in the season to compensate for the loss of Sancho Lyttle. This is probably the first time I've seen the team utilizing Griner so effectively, namely cutting straight in towards the basket from around the free-throw line on multiple occasions for an easy pass and layup. Great two-man game tonight between her and Taurasi, leading to a career night in assists for the GOAT.

When Taurasi came up hobbling later in the game, I almost had a heart attack upon viewing the replay and seeing her get whacked with that knee-to knee-contact. Fortunately, nothing twisted and she seems to be okay. :oops:
 
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