Time For Geno To Give DT A Quick Call

[Brad Palmer]

And tell her to stop acting like such a Jack*** on the court.

When the constant complaining w refs occurs in the NBA, fans go crazy with complaints. Same rules should apply here. When things go her way, DT is a joy to watch; when some adversity hits it's painful to watch her act. The refs were poor but at some point just shut up and play.

Diana nearly put her team's season in jeopardy with her 4th qtr outburst after fouling out. Her multiple screams of " S!" were embarrassing to watch. We love ya DT, but it's time to grow up.

 

[UConnCat]

And tell her to stop acting like such a Jack*** on the court.

When the constant complaining w refs occurs in the NBA, fans go crazy with complaints. Same rules should apply here. When things go her way, DT is a joy to watch; when some adversity hits it's painful to watch her act. The refs were poor but at some point just shut up and play.

Diana nearly put her team's season in jeopardy with her 4th qtr outburst after fouling out. Her multiple screams of " S!" were embarrassing to watch. We love ya DT, but it's time to grow up.

I agree. It is painful to watch. It's not just the profanity-laced outbursts, but also the hard fouls on opponents when she's upset. Her current coach clearly enables the behavior. I hope someone whose opinion she values can step in and help her get back on track.

 

[DEK1234]

She's seven years removed from playing at UCONN. I don't think it's Geno's responsibility to tell her how to act and conduct herself on a basketball court anymore. I understand she plays for USA Basketball, but I think what she does in a Phoenix Mercury jersey is the responsibility of the Phoenix coaching staff.

 

[UConnCat]

She's seven years removed from playing at UCONN. I don't think it's Geno's responsibility to tell her how to act and conduct herself on a basketball court anymore. I understand she plays for USA Basketball, but I think what she does in a Phoenix Mercury jersey is the responsibility of the Phoenix coaching staff.

Geno and Diana are very close. She has confided in him during some of her most difficult times, including the DUI arrest and the Turkish lab fiasco. I think the suggestion in the original post is that Geno should advise Diana as someone whose opinion she values and who has played a mentoring if not parental role in her life. Seems to me this happens quite often in sports and in life. The Phoenix organization surely has a responsibility in taking steps to encourage her to change her behavior, but so do her family, friends and mentors.

 

[ttizzle999]

To be fair, that 6th foul called on her was complete bull. It was a win-or-go-home game against Seattle, it's biggest rival, and a team that it has lost to about 10 of 12 times or so and hasn't beaten in Seattle since 2009. The officiating was abysmal, as is pretty typical in WNBA games, so I understand Taurasi's frustration with them. Granted, Taurasi could have shown more restraint, but her emotion and fire are what make her great. Yes, sometimes it can be over the top and hard to watch when she goes off on refs and gets angry, but oftentimes these bouts of anger or frustration fuel her greatest play. She played very well in the 3rd quarter and helped her team trim the lead and even in the start of the fourth. It was unfortunate that she had already accumulated five fouls in the fourth quarter, but that 6th foul should not have been called, especially with the level of physical play that was seen throughout the game. Tensions were high, and I probably would have been dropping f bombs too if I fouled out of an elimination game against my biggest rival. I expect Taurasi to go off on the next team they play (either Minnesota or San Antonio). Seattle has been Phoenix's kryptonite for the last few years, so beating them in Seattle in a Game 3 is huge. I think Phoenix has a great chance of winning the championship this year, and I'm sure Taurasi's turning her frustrations into inspired play will be a huge part of it.

 

[DEK1234]

Cat, I understand where you're coming from. It would definitely make sense to confide in him during difficult personal times. If her attitude on the court was spilling into her personal life or was a result of something going on in her personal life, I can see where it may be necessary. But I think this outburst may have been a result of the pressure situation the Phoenix Mercury were in during that game. People get emotional during games, so I don't really feel it's a big enough issue to require Geno's intervention.

 

[HuskyNan]

Just to be a contrarian - if Rip Hamilton or Caron Butler acted that way, would people be as upset?

 

[DaddyChoc]

C. Little fouled out... she went staight to the bench and sat down. (not one word)

 

[ThisJustIn]

"abysmal officiating" is typical in every sport. It's also used as an excuse in every sport for behavior that wouldn't (or shouldn't) be tolerated in the "real" work world. Is what you saw from Dee what you want to see in your work place?

 

[JRRRJ]

...I think this outburst may have been a result of the pressure situation the Phoenix Mercury were in during that game. People get emotional during games, so I don't really feel it's a big enough issue to require Geno's intervention.

I don't have an actual count, but I would not be surprised to find that Diana leads the league in technicals (again) this year. She doesn't save the behavior for Storm games or playoff games.

And, to respond to Nan's post, there are *far* more kids at WNBA games than NBA games. There are always special kid's activities at Mercury home games during timeouts & halftime.

 

[HuskyNan]

And, to respond to Nan's post, there are *far* more kids at WNBA games than NBA games. There are always special kid's activities at Mercury home games during timeouts & halftime.

True, but that wasn't my question.

 

[Ruffian75]

Cat, I understand where you're coming from. It would definitely make sense to confide in him during difficult personal times. If her attitude on the court was spilling into her personal life or was a result of something going on in her personal life, I can see where it may be necessary. But I think this outburst may have been a result of the pressure situation the Phoenix Mercury were in during that game. People get emotional during games, so I don't really feel it's a big enough issue to require Geno's intervention.

DT spent her junior and senior year at UConn getting beaten up by opposing teams. She rarely reacted to it. She merely went out and destroyed the opposition. The classic was after being mugged by TN in the NC game in Atlanta when she nailed that trey near the Vol bench and then made her infamous proclamation while passing the TN bench"This is my ****** ******* show." While not lady like, it sure did get the point across. It is time for her to zip her lip and do what she does best....play basketball like no other we have ever seen while not allowing refs and opposing players to get under her skin.

 

[UConnCat]

Just to be a contrarian - if Rip Hamilton or Caron Butler acted that way, would people be as upset?

I don't know how others would feel, but there is nothing either Rip or Caron could do that would upset me. I didn't follow them closely at UConn and I couldn't even tell you whether they're still playing in the NBA. Now if it were Kemba who acted that way? I'd be unhappy. I'd yearn for the old Kemba much like I yearn for the old Diana.

I made excuses for Diana when this behavior first surfaced a few years ago. I'm well beyond that point. Her irrepressible joy and enthusiasm on the court have been replaced by a scowl, profanity and hard fouls. It's tough to watch.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I made excuses for Diana when this behavior first surfaced a few years ago. I'm well beyond that point. Her irrepressible joy and enthusiasm on the court have been replaced by a scowl, profanity and hard fouls. It's tough to watch.

I agree, and she's my alltime FAVORITE UConn player but geesh DT play ball

 

[JRRRJ]

I don't know how others would feel, but there is nothing either Rip or Caron could do that would upset me. I didn't follow them closely at UConn and I couldn't even tell you whether they're still playing in the NBA. Now if it were Kemba who acted that way? I'd be unhappy. I'd yearn for the old Kemba much like I yearn for the old Diana.

I made excuses for Diana when this behavior first surfaced a few years ago. I'm well beyond that point. Her irrepressible joy and enthusiasm on the court have been replaced by a scowl, profanity and hard fouls. It's tough to watch.

+1

 

[CCinCT]

Notable that Candice Dupree, who rarely even opens her mouth was also called for a technical after DT.

I think that what the Mercury experienced was the usual state of WNBA and WCB reffing (abysmal at its best) compounded by the importance of the game -

Doesn't excuse DT's behavior but even the commentators noted the ticky-tack foul called and the lack of quality in the refs - "four (that's 4) players on the floor and no foul called ?????

 

[DEK1234]

I don't know how others would feel, but there is nothing either Rip or Caron could do that would upset me. I didn't follow them closely at UConn and I couldn't even tell you whether they're still playing in the NBA. Now if it were Kemba who acted that way? I'd be unhappy. I'd yearn for the old Kemba much like I yearn for the old Diana.

I guess I'm indifferent to Diana because I was a youngster in Fairfield County when she played at UCONN. I'm definitely not condoning her actions but it's understandable, not ideal, behavior in that situation. Back to my original point, I just don't think this is something Geno should intervene in. The Phoenix coaching staff is responsible.

 

[boontonbomber]

the play that got me up and yelling at the tv was the cheap shot foul on katie smith. it should have been a flagrant foul. i'm sorry that people jumped in and held katie back.

 

[miraclelady]

The problem was, had she not committed that ridiculous foul on Katie Smith in the first half, or committed her dumb 5th foul in the 2nd half, that last foul call wouldn't have mattered. She lost her mind and used up fouls that she didn't need to. The 6th foul, ticky tac or not, was irresponsible. You don't go reaching in and slapping at the ball when you have 5 fouls. And I agree with the poster above me. Her foul on Smith in the first half was borderline dirty. She and Katie have played aggressive against one another for years. Last night was the 1st time I thought the line was crossed. It was honestly a shame to watch. Surprised Smith held back as much as she did. While she's a joy to watch most of the time, I cringed last night.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Katie Smith is far from an angel on the basketball court. Most of the really good defensive players at the WNBA are very physical and borderline dirty (holding, pushing, etc.). Did DT go over board last night? IMO yes and there was no need for the endless f...k you she was seen saying. BUT, one thing about DT in any game is that it's great theater/show as her emotions are truly on her sleeve. In a way, you need to accept her as an amazing player (IMO the best ever) who is fueled by her emotions on the court.

 

[DaddyChoc]

when you OWN teammate has to cover your mouth thats a problem... even Dupree (during interview) said players need to shut up, stop whining to the ref and play ball.

 

[semper]

It is difficult because my love of the game rests on her shoulders and spirit. She was always so cool and let her trays do the talking. I yearn for those days to return. The fire was not diminshed at all in the days of greater restraint. She played brilliantly and with the translatable emotion of a great opera singer. It can be done; she did it.

 

[boontonbomber]

Katie Smith is far from an angel on the basketball court. Most of the really good defensive players at the WNBA are very physical and borderline dirty (holding, pushing, etc.). Did DT go over board last night? IMO yes and there was no need for the endless f...k you she was seen saying. BUT, one thing about DT in any game is that it's great theater/show as her emotions are truly on her sleeve. In a way, you need to accept her as an amazing player (IMO the best ever) who is fueled by her emotions on the court.

in no way should we be accepting of that behavior monday night. holding and pushing are a whole lot different than what she did to katie smith. in fact, i think her behavior has continued to get more erratic. rather than rationalizing by chalking it up to emotion, maybe someone should step in and encourage her to get some counseling. she was really out of control when she hit smith, and when she fouled out. having her at least sit down and watch herself "in action" might be a beginning.

 

[blkkirk]

I agree that I would like to see her change her behavior. However, I think other teams have made it clear that the way they are going to play her is to be overly physical with her. Seattle in particular made this very clear in my opinion by the way they played the series. I think the officiating has gotten worse over the past few years to where the game is not as enjoyable to watch. The officials are not consistent across the board. Watched the pheonix game and then the Min. series and unbelievable diference in what is allowed.

If you watched the game it was easy for me to see that D was retaliating to getting elbowed by Katie a few plays before which wasn't called. I still don't like it but I think she is making a statement.

Her teammate wasn't holding her mouth closed she hit her in the mouth and was apologizing. Watch the video.

It reminds of how Detroit would try to bully teams and officials. D needs to change her behavior but come on officials get a grip on the game.

 

[boontonbomber]

as talented as taurasi is, the one thing that she seems to have not figured out is that the more she complains, gets upset, and gets technicals, the more her opponents are going to hit her. and the whining certainly doesn't get officials on her side. she's certainly not the only star getting bumped constantly, but don't know of any of the best wnba players who react the way she does. some people on this board may not be bothered by her antics, but i expect the phoenix coaching staff does not appreciate the dumb fouls, technicals, and the way she takes herself ou of the game at times.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Katie Smith is far from an angel on the basketball court. Most of the really good defensive players at the WNBA are very physical and borderline dirty (holding, pushing, etc.). Did DT go over board last night? IMO yes and there was no need for the endless f...k you she was seen saying. BUT, one thing about DT in any game is that it's great theater/show as her emotions are truly on her sleeve. In a way, you need to accept her as an amazing player (IMO the best ever) who is fueled by her emotions on the court.

Agreed. Part of what makes Diana a great player is her ability to channel her emotions. She uses them to fuel her performances. They give her power, in a sense. You do not want to take that away from her.

Sure, we could use a few less f-bombs. But it is her irreverence that I find appealing, as much as her on court play. She is not the pre-packaged WNBA star that the league likes to force upon fans and potential fans. She does not give candied responses that say nothing. She is engaging and funny, and that is why she commands the respect of others, especially outside the women's game. She is a big personality on Phoenix radio, bantering with Cardinals and Suns players. When Darnell Dockett (Cardinals DE) said he could beat her one-on-one, she referred to him by his nickname (Double D) and said that his "double Ds" would prevent him from keeping up with her. This caused raucous laughter amongst the sports radio announcer who were interviewing her.

In many ways, she is a "guys' chick," a female sports figure that can banter with the guys but who male athletes and male announcers respect. This puts her in a category with athletes like Serena Williams, Mia Hamm, etc.

 

[UConnCat]

I agree that I would like to see her change her behavior. However, I think other teams have made it clear that the way they are going to play her is to be overly physical with her. Seattle in particular made this very clear in my opinion by the way they played the series. I think the officiating has gotten worse over the past few years to where the game is not as enjoyable to watch. The officials are not consistent across the board. Watched the pheonix game and then the Min. series and unbelievable diference in what is allowed.

If you watched the game it was easy for me to see that D was retaliating to getting elbowed by Katie a few plays before which wasn't called. I still don't like it but I think she is making a statement.

Her teammate wasn't holding her mouth closed she hit her in the mouth and was apologizing. Watch the video.

It reminds of how Detroit would try to bully teams and officials. D needs to change her behavior but come on officials get a grip on the game.

I'm not going to say anything more about Diana's behavior the other night. My position on that is clear. But I do want to say a few things about the officiating and physical play.

I don't know what more the officials could have done to "get a grip" on that game. When officials are concerned that physical play may get out of hand they usually will call the game close from the start so that the players understand what will and will not be tolerated and can adjust. Seems to me the officials did that the other night and the players failed to adjust. The results were 47 fouls and 3 players fouling out. It was ridiculous, particularly on Seattle's part. Several players lost control of their emotions and continued to commit stupid fouls. That's on them, not the officials.

Seattle is a more physical team than Phoenix largely because of style of play and personnel. I don't think anyone who has followed the WNBA is under any illusions about Katie Smith or Lauren Jackson or Diana. They all give as good as they get and that's been the case for years. If part of Seattle's strategy was to be physical with Diana, it was also part of Phoenix's strategy to be physical with Bird (Gaines said he wanted Sue to have to "adjust her ponytail" after every play). Physical play has always been part of basketball and I certainly don't object to it. There's a difference, however, between playing tough physical defense and intentionally committing a hard foul.

I honestly don't know if the officiating is as bad as many say it is. I know the officials get calls wrong, but that's true in every sport. Are there more bad calls in the WNBA? I honestly don't know. But I do know that the officiating is getting too much attention. Players complain incessantly during games and after games. The same is true with coaches. I believe Lin Dunn questioned the officiating during an in-game interview Monday night. This stuff is distracting and I think the league needs to figure out a way to clamp down on it. Part of the solution needs to include a good hard look at the quality of the officiating and part of it needs to include a tough stance on players' reactions to officials' calls. If that means more technical fouls, then so be it. I hope the new president will address these issues in the off-season.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Are there more bad calls in the WNBA? I honestly don't know. But I do know that the officiating is getting too much attention. Players complain incessantly during games and after games. The same is true with coaches. I believe Lin Dunn questioned the officiating during an in-game interview Monday night. This stuff is distracting and I think the league needs to figure out a way to clamp down on it. Part of the solution needs to include a good hard look at the quality of the officiating and part of it needs to include a tough stance on players' reactions to officials' calls. If that means more technical fouls, than so be it. I hope the new president will address these issues in the off-season.

WNBA officials, if they are any good, get promoted to the men's game. The officiating for WNBA games is like minor league baseball in that respect. So there are a lot of missed calls, a lot of excessively-officiated games, and a general lack of consistency from game to game, or even within a particular game (or even in a particular quarter of a game).

The players have improved and the quality of play has improved (though it still could be better, especially around the basket). The officiating has not kept pace with the improvement in the quality play; in other words, there has not been an equivalent in improvement in the officiating.

 

[blkkirk]

It seems to me that the game is getting more and more physical. Yes, the athletes are becoming more athletic and stronger. However, I don't think allowing that type of play is good for the women's game. Take for instance the moving screen. It has become a joke and almost every screen has become a moving screen. Why, because the officials aren't calling the foul. If they did consistently call the foul the players wouldn't continue to set illegal screens.

You can blame the players if you want but in my opinion it starts with the officials. Why do you think Dupree (who I've almost never seen lose her cool) got a technical foul. The officials have let things get way out of control.

 

[Icebear]

It seems to me that the game is getting more and more physical. Yes, the athletes are becoming more athletic and stronger. However, I don't think allowing that type of play is good for the women's game. Take for instance the moving screen. It has become a joke and almost every screen has become a moving screen. Why, because the officials aren't calling the foul. If they did consistently call the foul the players wouldn't continue to set illegal screens.

You can blame the players if you want but in my opinion it starts with the officials. Why do you think Dupree (who I've almost never seen lose her cool) got a technical foul. The officials have let things get way out of control.

It is one of the reasons I don't watch the WNBA/NBA. I have no interest in such play.