By Melody Guitierrez--Bee Staff Writer
Published 9:10 pm PDT Sunday, September 3, 2006
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/monarchs/story/14317295p-15234872c.html
With Yolanda Griffith resting her arthritic knees for most of Sunday’s game, Sacramento’s reserves filled the void and helped themselves to an 89-69 victory over Detroit in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Arco Arena. In front of an announced crowd of 15,218, the Monarchs’ bench outscored the Shock’s 42-17, allowing Sacramento to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. The potential series-clinching Game 4 is Wednesday at Arco Arena.
“We have to be the spark plug for our team,” said Kristin Haynie, who scored nine points off the bench and has been consistently dependable throughout the series. Analysts picking Sacramento to repeat as champions often cited the Monarchs’ depth in pre-Finals predictions. In Sacramento’s Game 2 loss, Monarchs coach John Whisenant said he didn’t feel he played his bench properly. He was especially conscious of how he played his reserves in Sunday’s game, looking for signs of exhaustion in his starters and rotating them out of the game.
He felt his players hit a wall in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 73-63 loss in Game 2. “When you lose, you always wonder back as a coach what you did incorrectly,” Whisenant said. “And I thought one of the things that might have changed the outcome of the game in Detroit was when I substitute.” In Sunday’s victory, Griffith rested for all but 5:21 in the second half and played fewer minutes (18) than several reserves. Griffith scored a team-high 15 points in that time. Nicole Powell finished with 14 points, while DeMya Walker and reserve Erin Buescher both scored 11.
“We need everyone on this team to contribute in order to rest people,” said rookie Scholanda Dorrell, who sank two three-pointers and finished with eight points. Every Sacramento reserve scored and five of the six were in double-digit minutes. Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer prefers to rotate seven to eight players and keeps Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith on the floor for 30-plus minutes. He said Sacramento’s style of constant rotation is just that - Sacramento’s style. “Doesn’t mean their players are better than ours, it just means they play more,” Laimbeer said. “That’s what they do. But our starters have to come and play more together. It was very disappointing in the middle of this game, we stopped playing.”
Detroit’s 23 turnovers gave the Monarchs 23 points while the home team allowed 11 turnovers for eight points. Nolan led the Shock in scoring with 22 points, but also added six turnovers to her team’s total. “Her six turnovers, three of four of them were just losing the ball for no reason, which sometimes happens to her,” Laimbeer said. “I thought she floated. She has another gear that she can put out.” But the Shock is running out of time to have Nolan find it. The Monarchs are adamant they don’t want to return to Detroit for Game 5. They want to win a second WNBA hampionship at Arco Arena. Sacramento doesn’t want to take its chances anywhere else, especially since a league title has never been won on an opposing team’s floor. “We know the fourth game is going to be the toughest game ever played from all of our players,” Griffith said. “Because you’re already anticipating a victory.”
Published 9:10 pm PDT Sunday, September 3, 2006
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/monarchs/story/14317295p-15234872c.html
With Yolanda Griffith resting her arthritic knees for most of Sunday’s game, Sacramento’s reserves filled the void and helped themselves to an 89-69 victory over Detroit in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Arco Arena. In front of an announced crowd of 15,218, the Monarchs’ bench outscored the Shock’s 42-17, allowing Sacramento to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. The potential series-clinching Game 4 is Wednesday at Arco Arena.
“We have to be the spark plug for our team,” said Kristin Haynie, who scored nine points off the bench and has been consistently dependable throughout the series. Analysts picking Sacramento to repeat as champions often cited the Monarchs’ depth in pre-Finals predictions. In Sacramento’s Game 2 loss, Monarchs coach John Whisenant said he didn’t feel he played his bench properly. He was especially conscious of how he played his reserves in Sunday’s game, looking for signs of exhaustion in his starters and rotating them out of the game.
He felt his players hit a wall in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 73-63 loss in Game 2. “When you lose, you always wonder back as a coach what you did incorrectly,” Whisenant said. “And I thought one of the things that might have changed the outcome of the game in Detroit was when I substitute.” In Sunday’s victory, Griffith rested for all but 5:21 in the second half and played fewer minutes (18) than several reserves. Griffith scored a team-high 15 points in that time. Nicole Powell finished with 14 points, while DeMya Walker and reserve Erin Buescher both scored 11.
“We need everyone on this team to contribute in order to rest people,” said rookie Scholanda Dorrell, who sank two three-pointers and finished with eight points. Every Sacramento reserve scored and five of the six were in double-digit minutes. Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer prefers to rotate seven to eight players and keeps Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith on the floor for 30-plus minutes. He said Sacramento’s style of constant rotation is just that - Sacramento’s style. “Doesn’t mean their players are better than ours, it just means they play more,” Laimbeer said. “That’s what they do. But our starters have to come and play more together. It was very disappointing in the middle of this game, we stopped playing.”
Detroit’s 23 turnovers gave the Monarchs 23 points while the home team allowed 11 turnovers for eight points. Nolan led the Shock in scoring with 22 points, but also added six turnovers to her team’s total. “Her six turnovers, three of four of them were just losing the ball for no reason, which sometimes happens to her,” Laimbeer said. “I thought she floated. She has another gear that she can put out.” But the Shock is running out of time to have Nolan find it. The Monarchs are adamant they don’t want to return to Detroit for Game 5. They want to win a second WNBA hampionship at Arco Arena. Sacramento doesn’t want to take its chances anywhere else, especially since a league title has never been won on an opposing team’s floor. “We know the fourth game is going to be the toughest game ever played from all of our players,” Griffith said. “Because you’re already anticipating a victory.”
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