Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks - 8/21/18 | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Minnesota Lynx @ Los Angeles Sparks - 8/21/18

Who will win this game?

  • Total voters
    3
  • Poll closed .
Undercovervol said:
Why do you think lobo is biased against sparks?
Chelsea gray is just as clutch as any player in the league...she won that game 1v1
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I just don’t think she likes Parker much, whether it’s due to her complaining to refs or that she has a tendency to settle for perimeter shots rather than be aggressive...anything complimentary by Lobo usually comes with a negative undertone. Sparks have been centered around Candace the last decade, so im guessing it stems from that. Similar to why a lot of people here actively root against the Sparks but praise both Nneka and Gray.
 
Undercovervol said:
Mystics vs Sparks should be an excellent game. Can Parker rebound and play better? She looked dead in the water at times tonight. Riquana Williams starting is the right move. If she can score consistently, LA is a tough out even with Parker playing slowly.
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The TV announcer said that Parker was feeling ill tonight. At times on the verge of throwing up. :confused:
 
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Chelsea Gray and Nneka went into beast mode. Brian Angler threatened to take Chelsea out of the game, and Chelsea and Nneka caught fire. Nneka yelled in the huddle, and it was all she wrote. Wow, that was some true motivation. I don't like the Sparks, but Nneka and Chelsea wouldn't be denied.
 
Shorty Dee said:
Chelsea Gray and Nneka went into beast mode. Brian Angler threatened to take Chelsea out of the game, and Chelsea and Nneka caught fire. Nneka yelled in the huddle, and it was all she wrote. Wow, that was some true motivation. I don't like the Sparks, but Nneka and Chelsea wouldn't be denied.
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The "out"Angler was referring to was her being out of the playoffs not the game. Even at the level she was playing it was still better than anyone else he could replace her with. He was referring to her taking charge of the offense. Her problem as it has also been with most of the team is deferring to Candice. He wanted her to become aggressive on offense, which she responded to and did.
 
bballnut90 said:
Lynx look toast. Dynasty is almost officially over...they had an incredible 7 year run.
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Thank goodness their run is over. They were boring as heck this year. Whalen, Augustus, Brunson WERE terrific but not this year. How did Augustus and Brunson make an all star team? Hope to see those slots filled by younger deserving players next year. They were a great team for 7 years. Sparks should have won it all last year but Maya found a way.
That series two years ago was epic.
 
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bballnut90 said:
I just don’t think she likes Parker much, whether it’s due to her complaining to refs or that she has a tendency to settle for perimeter shots rather than be aggressive...anything complimentary by Lobo usually comes with a negative undertone. Sparks have been centered around Candace the last decade, so im guessing it stems from that. Similar to why a lot of people here actively root against the Sparks but praise both Nneka and Gray.
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Parker is very good for the league. Will she mix it up at the basket? No but she can do everything else. Love her versatility.
 
triaddukefan said:
Chelsea (Expletive Deleted) Gray :cool:

@stwainfan tell your girl Candace that she needs to take Ms Gray to dinner later at one of LA's finest dinner establishments :D:cool::p;)
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She did have a big game. Maybe someday she can join Parker in the HOF. :) ;)
 
Orangutan said:
I half expect to find out that Moore has been carrying some sort of secret leg injury. Was not herself at all down the stretch, missing free throws and coming up way short on a 3.
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Shocking performance by Moore tonight, especially down the stretch as you mentioned. One for five from the charity stripe, including two misses in a row late in the game that I believe would have put her team within one. Yikes!
 
shizam said:
How did Augustus and Brunson make an all star team? Hope to see those slots filled by younger deserving players next year. They were a great team for 7 years. \
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Come on. Pay attention. Brunson was added late by Brondello to replace Nneka. Why? Because the game was in Minneapolis. It was a way to honor a great player and champion in all All-Star game on her home court. Augustus too was on the team to honor her in an All-star game on her home court. Those are nice ways to celebrate the accomplishments of great players who are nearing the end of their careers.
 
If Lobo is biased against Parker -- something I haven't heard -- it would balance out the play-by-play guy who loooovvvveees Parker. Of course, there's also the camera guy whose job it is to follow her every move and gesture. I call it the Parker cam.

Poor Candace. Once again the victim. This time it's big, bad Becca.
 
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The 2016 finals series was the last time I've watched the WNBA and it was incredible. Now it appears age has caught up to the Lynx. Whalen had a great career. Brunson and Augustus have a lot of miles on them and while they can still put up good numbers it could be time for the Lynx to look ahead. Of course Moore and Fowles are two of the best in the world but they need another consistent scoring option.
 
Tough to watch this game last night. As a huge Minnesota Lynx fan, I could see the writing on the wall at the start of the season. The Lynx just did not have that...intensity. That desire to crush other teams. Up 11 points and could not sustain that lead. Hey. I tip my hat to the Sparks. They just wanted it more. With CP and Ogwumike hurting and playing a bar or two below their standards, their team played well.
 
The Lynx lost not because of a lack of intensity or "want to;" they lost because of a lack of talent, particularly at the guard spot. Whalen and Augustus had nothing left in the tank especially against guards as talented and big as Gray and Williams. The Lynx emptied the tank last year when they won their 4th championship in 7 years. The Sparks's struggles this year show just how difficult it is to accomplish what the Lynx accomplished with its core group. Hats off to them for a remarkable run. Changes are now gonna come. . .

It’s clear we’re headed for changes,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We’re a team that’s been together a long, long time, now eight years. That means we had them at 25, 26, 27. Now, they’re getting to a place where they just can’t keep going.

“We’re going to do our very, very best to look at everything open to us. We have a lot of flexibility in our contractual situations. We’ll start right away looking at free agency and, obviously, the collegiate draft. We have a lot of work to do with our roster.”

 
nwhoopfan said:
They just said Nneka has been battling mono this year. First I've heard that.
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All I've heard/read til now is that she's been ill, nothing more than that. Thankfully it is just mono, it could have been much worse.
 
shizam said:
Parker is very good for the league. Will she mix it up at the basket? No but she can do everything else. Love her versatility.
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I agree...I’ve defended her on here several times against the masses. She didn’t play well yesterday but historically has been one of the best crunch time players in the league and has her best games on the biggest stages. A big game from her and Gray and I think they knock off the Mystics.
 
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UConnCat said:
The Lynx lost not because of a lack of intensity or "want to;" they lost because of a lack of talent, particularly at the guard spot. Whalen and Augustus had nothing left in the tank especially against guards as talented and big as Gray and Williams. The Lynx emptied the tank last year when they won their 4th championship in 7 years. The Sparks's struggles this year show just how difficult it is to accomplish what the Lynx accomplished with its core group. Hats off to them for a remarkable run. Changes are now gonna come. . .

It’s clear we’re headed for changes,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We’re a team that’s been together a long, long time, now eight years. That means we had them at 25, 26, 27. Now, they’re getting to a place where they just can’t keep going.

“We’re going to do our very, very best to look at everything open to us. We have a lot of flexibility in our contractual situations. We’ll start right away looking at free agency and, obviously, the collegiate draft. We have a lot of work to do with our roster.”
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We knew a change is coming, but when a team wins a championship, you have to give them the opportunity to defend it. They've earned that right!! That's what the Lynx did. As mentioned, the Lynx have gotten "long in the tooth". Maya was the only starter under 32. The rest of the starting 5 were geriatrics. Time to re-tool, get younger, and see if they can capture magic in a bottle again. That group of core players captured 4 championships. That's not bad. The only other WNBA franchise to win 4 championships was the Houston Comets. That Lynx core group had an excellent run over 6-7 years. Their season is over. Time to look at becoming a coach or a media analyst.
 
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shizam said:
Parker is very good for the league. Will she mix it up at the basket? No but she can do everything else. Love her versatility.
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I love Candace's skills, but not her inconsistent effort or frequently poor attitude.
 
Orangutan said:
I half expect to find out that Moore has been carrying some sort of secret leg injury. Was not herself at all down the stretch, missing free throws and coming up way short on a 3.
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I don't know what's up with Maya. She's only 29 and in shape, but she has been slow and had several mediocre games this year. Her scoring and rebounding dropped when Sylvia joined the team, not because Maya had lost anything, but because Syl became the primary scorer and rebounder. It was their best approach to winning. But this season, other than leading the league in steals, she seemed a little off--off her lofty standards. Second-team All-WNBA is not too shabby, but it's a drop from her history. First-team All-WNBA Maya would have scored in the 4th quarter last night to grab the win.
 
MilfordHusky said:
I don't know what's up with Maya. She's only 29 and in shape, but she has been slow and had several mediocre games this year. Her scoring and rebounding dropped when Sylvia joined the team, not because Maya had lost anything, but because Syl became the primary scorer and rebounder. It was their best approach to winning. But this season, other than leading the league in steals, she seemed a little off--off her lofty standards. Second-team All-WNBA is not too shabby, but it's a drop from her history. First-team All-WNBA Maya would have scored in the 4th quarter last night to grab the win.
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I have three theories on why Maya wasn’t as Maya as we’re used to this season. Two of them are feasible and possibly related. The other might be a stretch but maybe they all apply to a degree.

1. Fatigue from overseas play. Usually Maya plays in the Chinese league, which finishes at least a month before the WNBA season. This year Maya played in the Euroleague for UMMC, where they went on to win both the Euroleague and Russian championships. With Maya joining the team, Taurasi took later half the UMMC season off, which may explain some of her freshness this season. Maya went from Euroleague to the WNBA with only a couple days break. This was the first training camp that Maya missed basically the whole thing.

2. Nagging overuse injuries. After Maya’s rookie season, it was said she suffered from tendinitis that was flaring up. That year she went from UConn to WNBA with very little rest. It wouldn’t be surprising if Maya is always contending with tendinitis but never complaining about it or using it as an excuse.

3. Knows this is her last year as a Lynx. This one is purely speculation but could explain her loss of laser focus. Wiggins’ last year as a Lynx saw a big drop in performance, so it could be a similar pattern. Maya could have been signed to an extension anytime during this season, but it hasn’t happened yet. Instead, DRob is the first player to be re-signed. Maya should be priority one.
 
Orangutan said:
I half expect to find out that Moore has been carrying some sort of secret leg injury. Was not herself at all down the stretch, missing free throws and coming up way short on a 3.
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She got kneed in the thigh in the second half.
 
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Local paper had a piece on Maya and her sub-par season.

Moore played in every game — she's only missed one in eight seasons — but perhaps the WNBA's condensed schedule this season wore her down? Maybe she was fighting a behind-the-scenes injury? Perhaps defenses were able to key on her more with older teammates contributing less?

Lynx star Maya Moore was less this season

I think it was all of the above. The Lynx's abysmal guard play allowed defenses to key in on Maya and Fowles without having to worry about the others. Maya also had to work so hard for every shot. Nothing came easy this season. There were time she was open or posting up and the guards either didn't see her or got her the ball too late.

I don't know what her overseas plans are but Maya needs some rest. Anybody think she'll bag the World Championships in order to rest? Nah, me neither.
 
UConnCat said:
Local paper had a piece on Maya and her sub-par season.

Moore played in every game — she's only missed one in eight seasons — but perhaps the WNBA's condensed schedule this season wore her down? Maybe she was fighting a behind-the-scenes injury? Perhaps defenses were able to key on her more with older teammates contributing less?

Lynx star Maya Moore was less this season

I think it was all of the above. The Lynx's abysmal guard play allowed defenses to key in on Maya and Fowles without having to worry about the others. Maya also had to work so hard for every shot. Nothing came easy this season. There were time she was open or posting up and the guards either didn't see her or got her the ball too late.

I don't know what her overseas plans are but Maya needs some rest. Anybody think she'll bag the World Championships in order to rest? Nah, me neither.
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Maya's season was sub-par only by her lofty standards. She led the league in steals and was #9 in scoring. She made 2nd team All-WNBA. But she looked off a bit. Her stats were generally below her career averages, but not career lows.

As Mike points out, with Syl down low, Maya has been forced to the perimeter. The cuts to the basket that worked well with McCarville at the high post are no longer available. Syl's arrival meant fewer points and rebounds for Maya. That was part of winning.

I think the defenses keyed on Maya and Syl this year. Brunson, Augustus, and Whalen are not the players they were 2-3 years ago.

In terms of wear and tear, I noticed something unusual at the Whalen ceremony on Sunday. Seimone had ice bags on her knees, but Maya did not. I have never seem Maya in a post-game without ice.

The 4th quarter performance on Tuesday could have been caused by the knee to the thigh.

Maya's season had been more erratic than normal. She had games with 31, 32, 34, and 38 points, along with games of 5, 7, 8, (2x), 9, 11, and 12 (5x). She looked VERY good at All-Star weekend.

One thing about Maya is that she is very proud. She does NOT like being asked about playing at a subpar level.
 
MilfordHusky said:
I love Candace's skills, but not her inconsistent effort or frequently poor attitude.
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I used to be a big critic of Parker for the same reasons. Not anymore after that championship season and since. She’s matured. I really disliked her and loved her not making the Olympic team. That was the right move. It took that to wake her up and be motivated for an entire season and win a championship.
 
UConnCat said:
The Lynx lost not because of a lack of intensity or "want to;" they lost because of a lack of talent, particularly at the guard spot. Whalen and Augustus had nothing left in the tank especially against guards as talented and big as Gray and Williams. The Lynx emptied the tank last year when they won their 4th championship in 7 years. The Sparks's struggles this year show just how difficult it is to accomplish what the Lynx accomplished with its core group. Hats off to them for a remarkable run. Changes are now gonna come. . .

It’s clear we’re headed for changes,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We’re a team that’s been together a long, long time, now eight years. That means we had them at 25, 26, 27. Now, they’re getting to a place where they just can’t keep going.

“We’re going to do our very, very best to look at everything open to us. We have a lot of flexibility in our contractual situations. We’ll start right away looking at free agency and, obviously, the collegiate draft. We have a lot of work to do with our roster.”
Expand ...
Whalen was painful to watch play this year. I remember 2014 the first year I was a fan and how good she was.
 
I love Maya but I could see the writing on the wall.

Maybe she needs to take a break...


from the Lynx next season?
 
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