After watching the tremendously exciting game last night in Vegas the Mercury have to be very encouraged preparing for the final.
While the Aces scored 106 in OT and Wilson, Young, and Chelsea were magnificent, they struggled to beat a team without Kelsey in the second half and very limited Boston due to foul trouble who eventually did foul out.
Indiana particularly in the second half was able to score consistently. Odyssey Sims' performance made one wonder why she hasn't had a career rather than a journey in the w.
So even with Wilson and Young getting theirs the Fever had an opportunity to win this game on the road, 10 and elimination game. White, her staff and team did an amazing job confronting and almost overcoming adversity. Couldn't help but think of Hoosiers.
I really think the first finals game in Vegas will be indicative of the series and it's odd that the road team may have a slight advantage. I will say this is going to be a great opportunity to see two of the greatest players in the game.
Plus it's only a 2-hour drive to Phoenix rather than a 4-Hour drive to Vegas. And I can stay away from Griff Town while enjoying a playoff game.
I will say the atmosphere at the Mandalay Bay arena was electric.
I was thinking about my time and cost and whether it was worth it. With gas and parking as well as the ticket it was 150 bucks plus 8 hours to get there. So the single game consumed the same resources I invest for an entire season with either the lopes, jack's, or Sun devils.
It was worth it. Couple of indications of why this entertainment, which was 20 to 30 times the resource cost of a single college game, was the experience of playoff basketball at the professional level.
I'd do it again.
The atmosphere. 11, 000 fans who were totally in the game. Plus I got Vegas Aces towel. .... With the queen of hearts. Couldn't help but think of Juice Newton as the Fevers failed while playing with the queen of hearts.
The level of basketball with perhaps the exception of Aces' defense was completely off the hook. These professional ballers can do unbelievable things offensively. One example which hasn't been mentioned by any of the pundits came late in the evening.
After the game went into overtime the Arena is going insane with everyone twirling the queen of hearts. The teams come out and for the first time that I can remember in a long time the Aces won the tip. Anyway the first two made shots in the OT..... Jewel Lloyd threes. I was stunned as her performance in regulation would have to be described as pedestrian at best. And yet here she is she rises to the moment. All her points in the OT. And that 6 point lead held up!
In any event, this type of storybook scenario is one that I've only rarely seen at the college level. And never in an arena packed with screaming fans (I'm thinking of the Lopes overcoming a 19-point lead against Saint Mary's with 7 minutes left in the game).
But indicative of the entertainment value of this game came after the conclusion. Typically what happens when I'm leaving the college game is I walk out of the arena get in my car and I get home within 15 minutes. Given the bizarre Mandalay Bay egress and the full house it took 15 minutes to get out of the arena. The entire time you could hear the fan screaming Aces! I mean it really took me back to my youth and a Steely Dan concert. So I take the escalator up to the 4th floor of the Mandalay Bay parking garage which is even worse than the egress from the arena. I sit outside my car and read a book for about 25 minutes until the garage empties. Then the drive home.
I guess what I'm saying is these examples of unbelievable fan engagement at a scale are for me a major part of the experience. And much more intense, vivid and to share with thousands or other hundreds it for a memorable experience
That said these finals should be very intriguing and if the Mercury are able to generate enough offense against the Aces and I think they will this may be an opportunity to hang another championship banner in Phoenix. I'm just thinking of a team that at one point had former Mercury players Turner, and Peddy, as well as Powers on the floor at the same time.... and they were able to hang with the Aces. I think the Mercury would have had very little problem expandingly with that trio on the floor.
