Phoenix beating up on LA early

[UConnCat]

Changes need too be made on Sparks roster. As well as a head coach.

As well some heart and mental toughness implants.

 

[Beemer]

As well some heart and mental toughness implants.

I think the Sparks need these two things more than anything else. They folded like a cheap lawn chair. I realize how disappointed they must have been to lose Game 1 but it seems it carried over into this game. Not a good sign.

 

[easttexastrash]

There seems do be no chemistry on that team. That will start with the coach but personnel changes need to be made.

 

[VAMike23]

I know it isn't Diana's style, but the correct basketball play for her team was to allow herself to be pushed backward onto her ... (self-edit), and probably draw the moving screen call. In other words, to flop.

I didn't see the play yet, but how would your first sentence refer to a flop? To me, a flop is when you exaggerate or totally manufacture things that would not have happened absent the 'performance.' If she let Nneka knock her over with a moving screen while she's making a real effort to stay with the ballhandler, that's a bona fide foul on Nneka.

 

[OneTrickPony]

As well some heart and mental toughness implants.

The body language on that team is just baffling...

 

[j66kicker]

I didn't see the play yet, but how would your first sentence refer to a flop? To me, a flop is when you exaggerate or totally manufacture things that would not have happened absent the 'performance.' If she let Nneka knock her over with a moving screen while she's making a real effort to stay with the ballhandler, that's a bona fide foul on Nneka.

I missed that play too, all the comments are making me want to see it. But can't find it anywhere - just every possible angle of Griner's dunk (here, for your convenience ETT: http://scores.espn.go.com/wnba/recap?gameId=400578291) Help?

 

[wallman]

Well they already got rid of their coach!

 

[UConnCat]

I missed that play too, all the comments are making me want to see it. But can't find it anywhere - just every possible angle of Griner's dunk (here, for your convenience ETT: http://scores.espn.go.com/wnba/recap?gameId=400578291) Help?

It's at the 2:05 mark of the 1st quarter if you want to watch it on replay at the wnba site. Rebecca's analysis of the play was off and focused only on Diana's actions and not Nneka's. Interesting, during the proceeding possession Mistie Bass laid out Parker with a legal screen to free Diana for a layup. I doubt Nneka was looking to even the score but there was nothing legal about her attempt to make contact with Diana.

 

[wallman]

Agree and the refs were probably focused on Dee also and not Nneka until they watched the replay.

 

[JoePgh]

I didn't see the play yet, but how would your first sentence refer to a flop? To me, a flop is when you exaggerate or totally manufacture things that would not have happened absent the 'performance.' If she let Nneka knock her over with a moving screen while she's making a real effort to stay with the ballhandler, that's a bona fide foul on Nneka.

In baseball, if the catcher catches the ball behind the strike zone without jerking his glove, the umpire is more likely to make a strike call. It may or may not be a "bona fide" strike, but it has a better chance of being called a strike if the catcher handles the appearance factor correctly.

In the case of yesterday's play, I think everyone who has commented agrees that there was a bona fide foul committed by Nneka (whether or not there was also a foul by Diana), but it wasn't called. Why? Probably because the referees are human beings who have to make a decision quickly, and what they saw most prominently was an aggressive pushback by Diana. Diana's actions made it easy for them to call a foul on her, and easy to forget what they had just seen Nneka do. Handling the appearance factor might have reversed the outcome. But Diana would never do that because she would be concerned it would make her look like a wimp.

"Flop" has a fuzzy definition. It could mean a pure acting job, or it could mean simply allowing yourself to hit the deck when you probably could have stayed on your feet. There is nothing dishonorable about doing the latter if it will avoid a foul call on you and perhaps draw one on the opponent.

But I do understand that if there was a pattern in the game, or in several games, that the Spark's defensive plan against Diana was to push her around, then she needs to stand up to that, even if it means taking a foul. I haven't seen enough complete games between the two teams to know whether that is the case or not. I was just commenting on the play in question (in isolation).

 

[j66kicker]

It's at the 2:05 mark of the 1st quarter if you want to watch it on replay at the wnba site. Rebecca's analysis of the play was off and focused only on Diana's actions and not Nneka's. Interesting, during the proceeding possession Mistie Bass laid out Parker with a legal screen to free Diana for a layup. I doubt Nneka was looking to even the score but there was nothing legal about her attempt to make contact with Diana.

Thanks!

 

[Zorro]

(With apologies to Freckles, and channeled by your humble servant, the Poet Lariat)
Diana is her name, she seems to always get the blame
For every rough-house in the game
They always blame her
They always name her.
So when Nneka turned a big somersault
Did the zebras find her partly at fault?
No they just pointed at Diana
She always gets the blame.

 

[EricLA]

I think the Sparks need these two things more than anything else. They folded like a cheap lawn chair. I realize how disappointed they must have been to lose Game 1 but it seems it carried over into this game. Not a good sign.

Unlike the Dream who lost game one but bounced back to win game 2. I will say, though, it seemed like LA really turned up the defense in the 2nd half - they seemed to be literally in the shorts of every Phoenix player who touched the ball. But to no avail. Loved how Phx really spread the floor and didn't just rely on plan A or B when one of them didn't work. Am really looking forward to the games vs. Minny. Not even sure who to root for.

As for LA, Nneka is really the only player on that team I like a lot. It was pretty cool how they had an interview with Chiney, and side note - how they kept showing Glory and mentioning how she and Brit are engaged. Even showed Glory's ring...

The bad news for LA is that they don't get a high draft pick (not that it would matter) and will likely end up with a decent player, but not one who can give them immediate help. KML would be perfect for them, but glad there's no chance of her ending up there (unless someone trades)...

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

With all due respect to my team, anyone who doesn't think Diana flops (2nd definition - exaggerated reaction to legitimate contact) hasn't watched her. Maya does it even more-so, because Diana tends to be (as in this instance) aggressive when contacted.

Annoying at times, but this type of flopping (to hopefully ensure the call) doesn't bother me. The folks who fall over due to the "breeze" as the player moves by - that bothers me.

 

[ThisJustIn]

The body language on that team is just baffling...

I think the problem is I wouldn't call it a "team" but a collection of individuals. Seems to work in Atlanta's case, but not LAs.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I think the problem is I wouldn't call it a "team" but a collection of individuals. Seems to work in Atlanta's case, but not LAs.

Cooper seems to have helped with Atlanta...

 

[Kibitzer]

I was disappointed. I tuned in to watch a captivating interview with Magic Johnson and then some damn basketball game broke out.

Thanks Rodney.

 

[Zorro]

I was disappointed. I tuned in to watch a captivating interview with Magic Johnson and then some damn basketball game broke out.

Thanks Rodney.

Better luck next time.