Post your thoughts: SASS/SAC 8/15

#1
nice win. nice to see a good bounce back game (esp after the last game) from Kristin. Hopefully she'll play like she did in the playoffs last year. She kept us in there and especially in the fourth when we came back to get the lead. Having had a pretty down year so far, she deserves this. She also had a steal that wasn't in the box score (given to Scho) and I thought she should have gotten one less TO. Overall, it was a good game by everyone. Nice to see Yo and TP back.

:)
 
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6th

Homer Fan Since 1985
#2
What a great win. I have to agree with something that Krista said in the post game show. The Silver Stars did not blow their lead. They did not lose this game, as much as the Monarchs simply won it.

There were lapses tonight, but the M's played hard, and several people came thru. The crowd really got into it in the 4th and just kept encouraging the M's to keep playing hard.

I have been down on Haynie...too many T.O.'s, but tonight I didn't even notice how many she had. She was taking shots when she had them and making them. Good for you, Kristin.

Brunson's 4 blocked shots were dynamite. Nickie and Sho-Time each had 4 steals, and I swear they were all down the stretch. At least that is what it felt like.

It was good to see both Ticha and Yo playing well. Ticha's aggressiveness to the hoop was rewarded with 8 trips to the line. That was instrumental down the stretch.
 
#4
Great win tonight!!... I was wondering what is the Discover Card Fan Lounge?... bc I got an email that Powell was going to be there on Friday night... and since she is my favorite player I was just wondering how it all works.... thanks :D
 

6th

Homer Fan Since 1985
#6
more game thoughts later...but now that Captain Yo was back on the floor, its time for the (un)official 4,000pt watch...

I have her unofficially 21 points away :)

That includes the 10 pts she got tonight?

She is listed at 266 in 2007 through 30 games. We have played 32 games. Did Yo only sit out 1 game this year?
 
#8
An important win against our probable first Round Opponent ...

The M's showed mental toughness to overcome the hefty deficit they had in the 3rd quarter. I agree that the M's won this game, rather than SASS losing it ... that being said, SA is a GOOD team, they are tall, play together, don't hesitate, and they are pretty deep ... not an easy team to beat ... good for the M's for knocking them off! ... It’s gonna be even tougher if Ruth Riley plays!

I loved seeing Haynie in the mix and on the scoreboard like that. I guess there was no room for Froh ??? So glad that Yo and Ticha were healthy enough to go, and didn't get any more hurt, hopefully K-Law is okay after her late game ankle tweak ...

Becky Hammon sure can get off a shot in no time, she's pretty strong for such a little player too. Helen Darling plays a pretty physical game! Finally, it was great to see Chantelle again ... also saw Lady Grooms at the game too ... Can't wait for the playoff schedule to come out ...
 
#9
Last night's game was awesome!!!:D A total team effort. The value of our two leaders Ticha and Yolanda, can not be measured. Down from 29 turnovers one game to 12 the next.

But I would be lying if I did not say that "The Wheel of Concern" has fallen upon Adrian Williams. She is getting beat like a drum on the defensive end, and offensively she has hands of stone. OR IS IT JUST ME!!!!:mad: But didn't it seem like last night that when she was in the game the Silver Stars were productive, and when she was out of the game, the Monarchs were productive???? Williams for the most part has had a good year, but man if we had to depend on her if Yo got hurt we would be in trouble. She seems to be out of position on defense a lot. And offensively I cringed everytime they threw the ball into her because i did not know what she was going to do.
 
#10
A-dub ...

But I would be lying if I did not say that "The Wheel of Concern" has fallen upon Adrian Williams.
I do like that A-dub is being more aggressive of late, as the season has progressed ... she surely can't make shots she doesn't even take, so I'm happy when she does take it right back up ... Yo's fabulous shoes are nigh on impossible to fill though ... I feel that A-dub is at her best when she is feeling confident, and plays aggressively, when she hesitates, she gets lost ...

Is there a stat guru who can tell us what the plus/minus is when she is in/out the game?

p.s. Forgot to mention: Rebekkah Brunson going sooo high up in to the air for a rebound is a THRILL !!!
 
#11
Yeah A-Dub is hit or miss.

The Game was a very nice Team win getting valuable contributions from everyone. Blue Squad was particularly productive and Erased an 11pt deficit. Sho-Ho-Do-Ro is really starting to come into her own. I absolutely love how she attacks the basket. And She is nice on Defense to. I can't wait to see her and Chelsea on the court together recking havoc again. (I don't remember it happening last night, but it is fun when it does happen)

Becky Hammon is the real deal, and we did a decent job slowing her down. You can't really stop a great player, just hope to minimize the damage.

As for getting burned on Defense... Yeah... A-Dub has had her "Questionable" Moments. But she got me 17 fantasy points this weekend. So I will try to go easy on her. I am amazed that she scores sometimes, but she can attack the basket from the top of the Key. So if she can be aggresive and grab a FEW rebounds that would be a big help. Hang Tough A-DUB. We need ya.

Strange that Nicole got 4 steals. She got toasted by Zolman more than a few times. And Camile backdoor her more than I care to count. But I have to give to her, she settled down and started hitting those passing lanes. SO good for THE NIC.

I think we are done with the FRO-ZINA Sightings. Which IMO is too bad. I thought she added a different look to our game. Crushing picks and Boxing out are good things. Hell, if A-Dub can't keep anyone off the boards and Sporting the Matador defense, can't see why Fro can't get a minute or two.

Thrill of the night... Hugging Chantelle.


What a sweet young lady and I totally miss her. I am so glad to see her back playing again. Can't seem to stay healthy for a solid season, but good people. How many former Monarchs Does SASS have anyway?

All and all a nice effort. Still some work to be done. But we are improving and heading into the play-offs the right way.



 
#12
...How many former Monarchs Does SASS have anyway?...
Just Chantelle and Erin. That's it.

But they do have one person who you WISHED the Monarchs had selected in last year's WNBA Draft: Shanna Crossley (Zolman). The M's had the opportunity to draft her, but chose Scholanda instead.

I like Scholanda's game, but I sometimes wonder what it would've been like if we took Shanna instead of Scho-time.

(Shanna's game log stats this season):
http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/shanna_crossley/game_by_game_stats.html
 
#13
Shanna!!!!

Actaully we had 2 shots at her...

Yeah I wanted Zolman...
But Whiz wanted Kim Smith and Scholanda. Sho-Ho-Do-Ro seems to be working with our system. Smith Is similar to Zolman in that they were good shooters. Smith ran a defensive system similar to the White Line and therefore He though she would be a better fit.

Clearly I still think Zolman was a better choice than Smith.
But maybe SASS was a better fit for her. Gave her an opportunity to maximize her strengths. For example... Look at the Year Sidney Spenser is having for LA. I doubt she would have been able to do that for us.

Just shows what the right situation can do for you.

Hopefully Whiz will take a look at who I wanted this year. We have the space for her...
Back to our regularly scheduled Posting...
 
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#14
But they do have one person who you WISHED the Monarchs had selected in last year's WNBA Draft: Shanna Crossley (Zolman). The M's had the opportunity to draft her, but chose Scholanda instead.

I like Scholanda's game, but I sometimes wonder what it would've been like if we took Shanna instead of Scho-time.
Crossley Zolman can shoot from the parking lot and has a lot of flair to her game (i.e. "Diana Superstar":rolleyes: ). But she does not nearly play the defense "Sho-Time" does or have the intensity I feel to play the frenetic defense the Monarchs play.

My question is What has happend to Marie Ferdinand?:eek: Why is she buried so deep on the San Antonio bench? Physically she looks well. For those who follow the league, has she lost some of her game? Has she lost a step? It can't be that she has played out of the rotation because other players are better...is it?
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#15
My favorite play of the night was definitely when Yo Griffith pulled down that one-handed and the ball went from Griffith-to-Lawson-to-Powell-to-layup in five seconds; the ball never touched the court.

Seeing the way that the veterans took over down the stretch when San Antonio got back in it reminded me of my favorite line from Geno Auriemma during the '05 Finals: "Sacramento's best offense is a missed shot." After re-watching the fourth quarter for the fifth time today, though (hey, it's my day off...), I have to say that's not "entirely" accurate: Sacramento's best offense is a missed shot from Penicheiro. The Monarchs are a thousand percent more dangerous offensively when Penicheiro attacks the basket, because when she's looking for her shots, it almost invariably leads to one of four outcomes:

1) Basket for Penicheiro
2) Free throws for Penicheiro
3) Assist from Penicheiro
4) Wide-open offensive rebound for Griffith or Brunson.

When 21 attacks the basket, the other team is forced to react, which is practically like turning a paint into a runway for Brunson; giving her any room is like giving her carte blanche to score on the putback. And, of course in Griffith's case, no matter what she's averaging this season, anytime she's anywhere near the basket, I expect her to pull down that rebound.

Adrian Williams' play exacerbates something that has troubled me about the bench all year, and it relates in large part to why I'm so critical of Atkinson as well. With Walker out again, Brunson has stepped up admirably, as we all were hoping she would have done last year. But the problem isn't that we didn't have a player who could fill Walker's shoes, the problem is that we don't have a player that could fill Brunson's shoes: sure, Brunson has come in and given us what we were getting from Walker, but Williams has largely failed to replace what Brunson (and Walker, essentially) were giving us off the bench, namely reliability in our 4/5 rotation.

Having said that, I'm still personally willing to give Williams a little more of a pass than Atkinson. I mean, after all, Williams wasn't meant to be the first big off the bench; it's not her fault that Walker got injured again, and we weren't prepared. Williams was probably going to be a 10-12 minute a game player before Walker got injured. But, as near as I can tell, Atkinson was expected to be more than she has been. I can't imagine that Whisneant let Buescher and Maïga-Ba walk unless he thought that his swing position rotation of Powell, Newton, Robinson and Atkinson was going to be good enough; that tells me that he expected Atkinson to contribute... and, in my opinion, she hasn't done the job. Now, to be fair, I put that on Whisneant more than I do Atkinson, and I certainly haven't been quiet about my criticism of him in the last two years, but I find it astonishing that he let Buescher and Maïga-Ba go, and then looked at Robinson and Atkinson and thought, "Eh, that's good enough." I'm mostly bothered because the way the bench has been playing puts too much pressure on Lawson, in my opinion; there have been times when I've seen the reserves, led by Lawson, on the court and thought, "Lawson's the only player on the floor that's even remotely an offensive threat!" We've needed for the bench to be able to give Griffith and Penicheiro all the rest they need to be ready for the playoffs, and I'm not confident that they've done a good enough job at that.

My question is What has happend to Marie Ferdinand?:eek: Why is she buried so deep on the San Antonio bench? Physically she looks well. For those who follow the league, has she lost some of her game? Has she lost a step? It can't be that she has played out of the rotation because other players are better...is it?
Didn't she sit out all of last season on maternity leave? As near as I can tell, she basically lost her spot due to pregnancy... I'm not sure if that's a precedent the league wants to open itself up to...

Having said that, you have to also keep in mind that this is Dan Hughes' second season as head coach of the Silver Stars and, in his first season, he didn't have Ferdinand-Harris. It's not inconceivable that she isn't in his starting rotation simply because he wasn't planning on her to be an impact player.
 
#16
...My question is What has happend to Marie Ferdinand?:eek: Why is she buried so deep on the San Antonio bench? Physically she looks well. For those who follow the league, has she lost some of her game? Has she lost a step? It can't be that she has played out of the rotation because other players are better...is it?

Marie didn't play last year because she was on maternity leave. Also, the team itself has greatly changed (adding Hammon, Buescher, Helen Darling, Vickie Johnson and trading for Ruth Riley), and, as a consequence, Marie's role on the team has also changed. The Silver Stars are much more team-oriented and not relying mostly on Marie these days.

This article might explain it better:
http://www.wnba.com/features/silverstars_070810.html

In some ways, the Silver Stars kinda reminds me of our M's! :)
 
#17
My favorite play of the night was definitely when Yo Griffith pulled down that one-handed and the ball went from Griffith-to-Lawson-to-Powell-to-layup in five seconds; the ball never touched the court.


Adrian Williams' play exacerbates something that has troubled me about the bench all year, and it relates in large part to why I'm so critical of Atkinson as well. With Walker out again, Brunson has stepped up admirably, as we all were hoping she would have done last year. But the problem isn't that we didn't have a player who could fill Walker's shoes, the problem is that we don't have a player that could fill Brunson's shoes: sure, Brunson has come in and given us what we were getting from Walker, but Williams has largely failed to replace what Brunson (and Walker, essentially) were giving us off the bench, namely reliability in our 4/5 rotation.

Having said that, I'm still personally willing to give Williams a little more of a pass than Atkinson. I mean, after all, Williams wasn't meant to be the first big off the bench; it's not her fault that Walker got injured again, and we weren't prepared. Williams was probably going to be a 10-12 minute a game player before Walker got injured. But, as near as I can tell, Atkinson was expected to be more than she has been. I can't imagine that Whisneant let Buescher and Maïga-Ba walk unless he thought that his swing position rotation of Powell, Newton, Robinson and Atkinson was going to be good enough; that tells me that he expected Atkinson to contribute... and, in my opinion, she hasn't done the job. Now, to be fair, I put that on Whisneant more than I do Atkinson, and I certainly haven't been quiet about my criticism of him in the last two years, but I find it astonishing that he let Buescher and Maïga-Ba go, and then looked at Robinson and Atkinson and thought, "Eh, that's good enough." I'm mostly bothered because the way the bench has been playing puts too much pressure on Lawson, in my opinion; there have been times when I've seen the reserves, led by Lawson, on the court and thought, "Lawson's the only player on the floor that's even remotely an offensive threat!" We've needed for the bench to be able to give Griffith and Penicheiro all the rest they need to be ready for the playoffs, and I'm not confident that they've done a good enough job at that.
The Highlighted portions Get A Big Huge Fat DITTO.
I know that we are heading into a new CBA and that Powell and Bekkah were heading into their respective contract years. Not to mention the Class of 08 and it's projected impact. However; losing both Maiga and Erin were huge blows to this ball club. And I just didn't feel we did enough to replace what we lost.

I don't particularly agree with the disappointment in Tangie. I thnk she has been productive. She is drastically improved, and gives us length and Speed when we put our "Speed Team" out on the floor. Is she as good as Maiga? Nah... but I am okay with her output. Conversely I am not particularly please at what we did with the post.

Going into this season I thought we would lose some playing time with Yo. I just felt she would be out a game or 2. So even assuming DeMya would be playing why wouldn't you protect your bench from that? Brit was not gonna be the Answer. Bless her Heart... So I have Problem with the 2nd and 3rd round picks we took in the draft. I had this problem from the gate. I said months ago we would have an issue if one of our post goes down. I actually assumed it would be Yo. But the DeMya Injury was devastating in so many ways. And that goes back to poor drafting and not being more aggressive in maintaining or retaining FA's. If it were me... I would have kept Erin. But I would have never let them both walk.
And as a result these are the issues we see in our bench.

I still think this is a good bench. It is not comparable to The bench in the past 2 seasons but it is a good bench. Let's hope everyone is taking thier game up as we head to the play-offs.
 
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Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#18
I don't particularly agree with the disappointment in Tangie. I thnk she has been productive. She is drastically improved, and gives us length and Speed when we put our "Speed Team" out on the floor. Is she as good as Maiga? Nah... but I am okay with her output...
Clearly you and I have entirely different definitions of the word "productive."
 
#19
I would have loved to kept Buescher on the team. I was hoping that Whiz would've found a way to retain Erin, but as I recall, there was the tight salary cap space that he had to wrestle with, so he had to let Erin and Maiga-Ba go. And I can understand that.

But as fate would have it, Erin later suffered her ACL shortly before the All-Star Game. If we kept Erin and, assuming that she still would've gotten that same injury if she remained a Monarch, we would have had two starting players with season-ending injuries: Erin and DeMya Walker. And if that happened, I don't think our M's would be in the playoff hunt by now.

Hindsight is always perfect, and yes, I very much wanted (at the time) the Monarchs to keep Erin --- I would not have minded letting go of Maiga-Ba, though --- but I can accept it as a business decision.