Post your thoughts: LAS/SAC 7/24
- Thread starter mdme
- Start date
In the prediction game, RDub predicted:
"
" indeed!
Ticha actually scored 19, but whatever! Great call! Probably hardly anyone thought that Tornicha, er, I mean Ticha, would have the kind of scoring game she had! WTG!!!
I didn't go to the game, and didn't watch it because I didn't want to jinx our gals!
From the WNBA site, here's the boxscore and the recap:
http://www.wnba.com/games/20070724/LASSAC/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20070724/LASSAC/recap.html
OK, gals. Let's get the Fever on Thursday morning!
Top Monarchs scorer: Ticha 16
" indeed!Ticha actually scored 19, but whatever! Great call! Probably hardly anyone thought that Tornicha, er, I mean Ticha, would have the kind of scoring game she had! WTG!!!
I didn't go to the game, and didn't watch it because I didn't want to jinx our gals!
From the WNBA site, here's the boxscore and the recap:
http://www.wnba.com/games/20070724/LASSAC/boxscore.html
http://www.wnba.com/games/20070724/LASSAC/recap.html
OK, gals. Let's get the Fever on Thursday morning!
Ahh, yes...those are our Monarchs! Where to start--Ticha & Yo combo was like the days of old Fewer turnovers, spectacular passes, much better ball movement, and Ticha
I love this--two games in a row where my all-time favorite WNBA player scores in double figures! Ticha was 6 for 6 on field goals for 100%, 7 of 9 from the free throw line, had 4 boards, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Spectacular!
Everyone played markedly better. Now lets have a repeat on Thursday. Ticha--let's make it three games in a row in double figures--okay?
Fewer turnovers, spectacular passes, much better ball movement, and Ticha I love this--two games in a row where my all-time favorite WNBA player scores in double figures! Ticha was 6 for 6 on field goals for 100%, 7 of 9 from the free throw line, had 4 boards, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Spectacular!
Everyone played markedly better. Now lets have a repeat on Thursday. Ticha--let's make it three games in a row in double figures--okay?
Let me tell you how smooth her game was last night. I did not realize she scored as much until I looked up on the scoreboard right before her last two free throws, and it said she had 17 points!!! I said to Mrs. Reign, "that is a scoreboard malfunction isn't it"? But after the two free throws the tally went to 19, AND I WAS SHOCKED!!!! Overall, we got a win which is the most important, but it was nowhere near where this team needs to be. There is a lot of work that needs to be done before the post season:
POSITIVES
1. For Brunson to get 9 boards on that leg, speaks volumes. I hope she gets better. If she does, we will be hard to deal with. But it is clear that our defensive rebounding is suffering because of Rebekkah's injury. There was one stretch where LA got like 3 offensive boards. And then at the next whistle, Rebekkah went to the bench clearly deflated. Hopefully she heals by the playoffs, she is key. I thought relatively speaking, she was great.
2. The defense was much, much, much better last night. The long distance shooting was non existant for the Sparks (3-19 from 3). And the typical Monarch killers (Spencer, Mbeka, Baker, Fernandez) was a combined 11-36 from the field, 2-17 from 3. Rotation was much better. EVEN WILLIAMS DID NOT GET BURNED IN THE POST for a change.
3. Taking care of the ball is getting better. A combined 7 turnovers from the starters, 3 of them from Powell.
NEGATIVES
1. I hate to beat a dead horse, but the offense was absolutely pathetic, Thank God for Ticha's fourth quarter agressiveness. When have we ever said that? Choppy, run down the clock, not much movement, depend on one on one play with under 5 seconds, with no break down the defense type player. Spacing was absolutely horrible!!! Outside of Ticha's 6 for 6, the Monarchs shot 28 percent. That is not going to get it done.
2. Last night's bench play offensively was the worst of the season. Atkinson seemed to fumble and kick the ball all over the court. Lawson was on the bench more than on the floor in the second half. Haynie seems to be done for the season. I would like to know, what has happened to our Kristen. Not only was she ineffective, but her body language and lack of energy is very noticeable.
But.......we got the win, and that is all that matters.
I said to Mrs. Reign, "that is a scoreboard malfunction isn't it"? But after the two free throws the tally went to 19, AND I WAS SHOCKED!!!! Overall, we got a win which is the most important, but it was nowhere near where this team needs to be. There is a lot of work that needs to be done before the post season:POSITIVES
1. For Brunson to get 9 boards on that leg, speaks volumes. I hope she gets better. If she does, we will be hard to deal with. But it is clear that our defensive rebounding is suffering because of Rebekkah's injury. There was one stretch where LA got like 3 offensive boards. And then at the next whistle, Rebekkah went to the bench clearly deflated. Hopefully she heals by the playoffs, she is key. I thought relatively speaking, she was great.
2. The defense was much, much, much better last night. The long distance shooting was non existant for the Sparks (3-19 from 3). And the typical Monarch killers (Spencer, Mbeka, Baker, Fernandez) was a combined 11-36 from the field, 2-17 from 3. Rotation was much better. EVEN WILLIAMS DID NOT GET BURNED IN THE POST for a change.
3. Taking care of the ball is getting better. A combined 7 turnovers from the starters, 3 of them from Powell.
NEGATIVES
1. I hate to beat a dead horse, but the offense was absolutely pathetic, Thank God for Ticha's fourth quarter agressiveness. When have we ever said that?
Choppy, run down the clock, not much movement, depend on one on one play with under 5 seconds, with no break down the defense type player. Spacing was absolutely horrible!!! Outside of Ticha's 6 for 6, the Monarchs shot 28 percent. That is not going to get it done. 2. Last night's bench play offensively was the worst of the season. Atkinson seemed to fumble and kick the ball all over the court. Lawson was on the bench more than on the floor in the second half. Haynie seems to be done for the season. I would like to know, what has happened to our Kristen. Not only was she ineffective, but her body language and lack of energy is very noticeable.
But.......we got the win, and that is all that matters.
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Yeah, I miss the HAYNIE that used to dive for the ball , trying to make steals.
She seems to be having major confidence issues? We gotta get her back to that ''no fear'' style. The bench did have a off night, but Scho-time & Adrian gave us some energy & hit some big baskets.
I liked that Yo,Ticha & both of our shooters were in the game at crunch time.
Brunson was very active on the boards, missed some easy shots, must not be getting enough lift on that sore leg. Props to her for her heart.
Ticha...GAME BALL!
Got a bit worried with the missed free-throws in crunch time, thankfully it didn't cost us the game.
Agree we have to get sharper, this was a must win & the team worked hard.
Now lets go get alot of rest for that early start on Thursday!
GO MONARCHS!!!
She seems to be having major confidence issues? We gotta get her back to that ''no fear'' style. The bench did have a off night, but Scho-time & Adrian gave us some energy & hit some big baskets.
I liked that Yo,Ticha & both of our shooters were in the game at crunch time.
Brunson was very active on the boards, missed some easy shots, must not be getting enough lift on that sore leg. Props to her for her heart.
Ticha...GAME BALL!
Got a bit worried with the missed free-throws in crunch time, thankfully it didn't cost us the game.
Agree we have to get sharper, this was a must win & the team worked hard.
Now lets go get alot of rest for that early start on Thursday!
GO MONARCHS!!!
First things first...
I rarely say this so mark this on your calender...
This was by far the best performance I have seen Ticha have. The fact that she had 19 points was not even the story. The fact that she actually had control of the game from beginning to end was the biggest story. She took shots immediately, she drove and actaully attacked the basket. And we were aggressive on the break as well and didn't let up.
If she can stay aggressive we are in decent shape. Out of all the things we did well I think the thing that really keeped us ahead of LA was that we got out on the break when they turned it over and attacked the basket.
That was big. Besides Ticha performance the thing that got us over the hump.
Defense was very spry... Had a pep in its step. Everyone flying to the ball. That was nice to see. And I Love Sholanda Hosten Dorell Robinson. She is off the hook. This was a much Improved Team. Yeah we have a ways to go, but at least there was some progress.
As for Haynie...
Well I looked up her numbers for the night...10 minutes 0-3 2 assist 2 T.O. one I think should have gone to Niocle. And Then I looked at her play last night. It wasn't memorable. But she is not on the floor to be memorable.
She is on the floor to be a back up.
Her confidence is down???
Really???
Well lets think about it for a sec. Not to kill the Buzz or anything
But DAMN...
She did not ask to be drafted by the Monarchs.
She never said she was better than Ticha in fact she often states how much she has learned from her.
And it was not her fault that Ticha was offensively challenged up until last night.
None of that was her fault.
She is out there to be a back up point.
Something that Seattle and a few other teams in the league would kill for.
And you know what?
She isn't a bad one.
This kid has gotten crapped on the whole time she has been here for not being Ticha Jr. Some resent her for Coach T saying that she will replace Ticha. And even when she comes in and does a decent job she can't get a break. In fact there is a large contingency that would love nothing better than to see this kid fall on her face. People are looking for reasons not to like her.
Why is that?
I have been one of the Bigger Critics of Ticha.
But I never wanted her to fail. I didn't look forward to seeing her struggle. And you know what. Last night I was one of the first to say "This is how Ticha is suppose to be. She is having a hell of a night."
Some how we as fans have made this into a Ticha or Haynie thing. "If Ticha had a good game then Haynie had a bad one" thing. Strange that when Ticha struggles the arguement is Well Haynie didn't do better.
So yeah I wonder why her confidence is down.
Personally if I were Haynie, I hope I am not protected. I'd want to get out of here.
Why can't we just relish in the fact tht Ticha had an AWESOME game?
P.S.
This is not directed at anyone in particular on this board per se, But I get accused of being a Ticha hater, because I want her to shoot. But Hell it seems to be open season on Haynie because she ain't Ticha.
That is my rant of the day.
I rarely say this so mark this on your calender...
This was by far the best performance I have seen Ticha have. The fact that she had 19 points was not even the story. The fact that she actually had control of the game from beginning to end was the biggest story. She took shots immediately, she drove and actaully attacked the basket. And we were aggressive on the break as well and didn't let up.
If she can stay aggressive we are in decent shape. Out of all the things we did well I think the thing that really keeped us ahead of LA was that we got out on the break when they turned it over and attacked the basket.
That was big. Besides Ticha performance the thing that got us over the hump.
Defense was very spry... Had a pep in its step. Everyone flying to the ball. That was nice to see. And I Love Sholanda Hosten Dorell Robinson. She is off the hook. This was a much Improved Team. Yeah we have a ways to go, but at least there was some progress.
As for Haynie...
Well I looked up her numbers for the night...10 minutes 0-3 2 assist 2 T.O. one I think should have gone to Niocle. And Then I looked at her play last night. It wasn't memorable. But she is not on the floor to be memorable.
She is on the floor to be a back up.
Her confidence is down???
Really???
Well lets think about it for a sec. Not to kill the Buzz or anything
But DAMN...
She did not ask to be drafted by the Monarchs.
She never said she was better than Ticha in fact she often states how much she has learned from her.
And it was not her fault that Ticha was offensively challenged up until last night.
None of that was her fault.
She is out there to be a back up point.
Something that Seattle and a few other teams in the league would kill for.
And you know what?
She isn't a bad one.
This kid has gotten crapped on the whole time she has been here for not being Ticha Jr. Some resent her for Coach T saying that she will replace Ticha. And even when she comes in and does a decent job she can't get a break. In fact there is a large contingency that would love nothing better than to see this kid fall on her face. People are looking for reasons not to like her.
Why is that?
I have been one of the Bigger Critics of Ticha.
But I never wanted her to fail. I didn't look forward to seeing her struggle. And you know what. Last night I was one of the first to say "This is how Ticha is suppose to be. She is having a hell of a night."
Some how we as fans have made this into a Ticha or Haynie thing. "If Ticha had a good game then Haynie had a bad one" thing. Strange that when Ticha struggles the arguement is Well Haynie didn't do better.
So yeah I wonder why her confidence is down.
Personally if I were Haynie, I hope I am not protected. I'd want to get out of here.
Why can't we just relish in the fact tht Ticha had an AWESOME game?
P.S.
This is not directed at anyone in particular on this board per se, But I get accused of being a Ticha hater, because I want her to shoot. But Hell it seems to be open season on Haynie because she ain't Ticha.
That is my rant of the day.
I clearly do not want to make this a Ticha versus Haynie thing. Maybe last year I did. But my thing is I liked the Haynie we had in her rookie and especially her sophomore years. The confidence, the general-ship. The ability to run the offense, and not skip a beat. But we are getting none of that this year. If she was status quo and Ticha is status quo, I probably would still play Ticha. But Haynie is so far below what she has been, to the point she in my view is borderline liability just because of her turnovers alone. Look at the numbers....
Ticha 23.7 min per game
Haynie 15.7 min per game
Ticha 1.59 turnovers per game
Haynie 2.05 turnovers per game (in 8 mins less per game)
Haynie's turnovers have doubled since her first season 1.17 in '05 and 1.37 in '06. Haynie is fourth in the entire league in Turnovers per 40 minutes. Guess who is #1? Tangie Atkinson.
I love Kristen Haynie, I just am spoiled and want more. And I know she can do better, and we all hope to see it sooner rather than later.
. But my thing is I liked the Haynie we had in her rookie and especially her sophomore years. The confidence, the general-ship. The ability to run the offense, and not skip a beat. But we are getting none of that this year. If she was status quo and Ticha is status quo, I probably would still play Ticha. But Haynie is so far below what she has been, to the point she in my view is borderline liability just because of her turnovers alone. Look at the numbers....Ticha 23.7 min per game
Haynie 15.7 min per game
Ticha 1.59 turnovers per game
Haynie 2.05 turnovers per game (in 8 mins less per game)
Haynie's turnovers have doubled since her first season 1.17 in '05 and 1.37 in '06. Haynie is fourth in the entire league in Turnovers per 40 minutes. Guess who is #1? Tangie Atkinson.
I love Kristen Haynie, I just am spoiled and want more. And I know she can do better, and we all hope to see it sooner rather than later.
I clearly do not want to make this a Ticha versus Haynie thing. Maybe last year I did. But my thing is I liked the Haynie we had in her rookie and especially her sophomore years. The confidence, the general-ship. The ability to run the offense, and not skip a beat. But we are getting none of that this year. If she was status quo and Ticha is status quo, I probably would still play Ticha. But Haynie is so far below what she has been, to the point she in my view is borderline liability just because of her turnovers alone. Look at the numbers....
Ticha 23.7 min per game
Haynie 15.7 min per game
Ticha 1.59 turnovers per game
Haynie 2.05 turnovers per game (in 8 mins less per game)
Haynie's turnovers have doubled since her first season 1.17 in '05 and 1.37 in '06. Haynie is fourth in the entire league in Turnovers per 40 minutes. Guess who is #1? Tangie Atkinson.
I love Kristen Haynie, I just am spoiled and want more. And I know she can do better, and we all hope to see it sooner rather than later.
. But my thing is I liked the Haynie we had in her rookie and especially her sophomore years. The confidence, the general-ship. The ability to run the offense, and not skip a beat. But we are getting none of that this year. If she was status quo and Ticha is status quo, I probably would still play Ticha. But Haynie is so far below what she has been, to the point she in my view is borderline liability just because of her turnovers alone. Look at the numbers....Ticha 23.7 min per game
Haynie 15.7 min per game
Ticha 1.59 turnovers per game
Haynie 2.05 turnovers per game (in 8 mins less per game)
Haynie's turnovers have doubled since her first season 1.17 in '05 and 1.37 in '06. Haynie is fourth in the entire league in Turnovers per 40 minutes. Guess who is #1? Tangie Atkinson.
I love Kristen Haynie, I just am spoiled and want more. And I know she can do better, and we all hope to see it sooner rather than later.
I had a mini argument with MBF after the game last night. Atkinson and Haynie's turnovers are really bugging me. People in my area actually groaned (no booing mind you) when Haynie came in for the second time. And, I was really groaning every time Atkinson came back in. Yes, Tangie had several rebounds........but they did not help us because she immediately threw the ball away. Ack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ticha Penicheiro, along with Yolanda Griffith...easily my favorite duo ever in the WNBA. People can generally gripe and moan about Ticha all they want, but IMHO there is not now, nor has there ever been, a better Floor General in the WNBA. Way to take over and win us the game, Ticha!!!
Eh, I'm not quite sure how this got to be a Haynie vs Ticha thing either. And how did some comments about Haynie's demeanor last night get turned into she's been hated since day one. I don't quite remember that being the case. Wasn't this just a thread about the game and the players in it?
Ticha played extremely well, not the best I've ever seen her play but shoot, its what I like to see from her...going to the basket with purpose and authority and playing with a some bounce. She and Yo definitely were rekindling their old school connection and that was fantastic.
I think Haynie would admit herself that she has struggled this season, so I'm not sure where the piling on is. I don't remember after which game it was, but the same beat writer who had written that there was a starting point guard battle brewing to start the season was writing about conversations she had with Haynie about why she is struggling. I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe that Haynie has pulled out of her funk. I had the same reaction Reign had after watching Haynie's body language alone. I don't think anybody's hating on Haynie, shoot I want her to get right so Ticha isn't playing 30+ mpg. That doesn't help this team and that's what ultimately matters here, this team.
I'm going to defend Atkinson again. I can't defend the turnovers, other than to say she's not being paid to be a ball handler. And if she is handling the ball and dribbling as much as she is, something’s wrong with the offensive play being called. Either that or coach has a helluva lot more confidence in her in the half court than I do. She to me is Maiga with more offensive game at a younger age. Maiga was the same way, but Maiga still gave you something in the minutes she was on the floor defensively. Atkinson is best when she is catching and going to the basket and either taking the ball to the rim herself or finding a cutter. We saw that I think a couple of games ago when she was one of the few offensive threats we had in a cold 4th quarter offensively.
The offense struck me as better - they actually RAN last night. I don’t remember the last time I saw this team run with some regularly AND have more fast break points than their opponent. They clean up some of their defensive lapses, like say the boat load of offensive rebounds they like to give up late in games, I think they get their swagger back and start feeling more confident about their ability to fall back on their defense and shut the door on teams.
Great win, gritty way to hold on. Yo says its gonna be a dog fight the rest of the way, show me the home dog is ready by winning out the rest of the homestand. Take control!
Ticha played extremely well, not the best I've ever seen her play but shoot, its what I like to see from her...going to the basket with purpose and authority and playing with a some bounce. She and Yo definitely were rekindling their old school connection and that was fantastic.
I think Haynie would admit herself that she has struggled this season, so I'm not sure where the piling on is. I don't remember after which game it was, but the same beat writer who had written that there was a starting point guard battle brewing to start the season was writing about conversations she had with Haynie about why she is struggling. I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe that Haynie has pulled out of her funk. I had the same reaction Reign had after watching Haynie's body language alone. I don't think anybody's hating on Haynie, shoot I want her to get right so Ticha isn't playing 30+ mpg. That doesn't help this team and that's what ultimately matters here, this team.
I'm going to defend Atkinson again.
I can't defend the turnovers, other than to say she's not being paid to be a ball handler. And if she is handling the ball and dribbling as much as she is, something’s wrong with the offensive play being called. Either that or coach has a helluva lot more confidence in her in the half court than I do. She to me is Maiga with more offensive game at a younger age. Maiga was the same way, but Maiga still gave you something in the minutes she was on the floor defensively. Atkinson is best when she is catching and going to the basket and either taking the ball to the rim herself or finding a cutter. We saw that I think a couple of games ago when she was one of the few offensive threats we had in a cold 4th quarter offensively. The offense struck me as better - they actually RAN last night. I don’t remember the last time I saw this team run with some regularly AND have more fast break points than their opponent. They clean up some of their defensive lapses, like say the boat load of offensive rebounds they like to give up late in games, I think they get their swagger back and start feeling more confident about their ability to fall back on their defense and shut the door on teams.
Great win, gritty way to hold on. Yo says its gonna be a dog fight the rest of the way, show me the home dog is ready by winning out the rest of the homestand. Take control!
Not to argue with anyone here on the Ticha/Haynie thing:
I think Haynie is a great kid and would really wish her to succeed. After the finals last season, I thought that she would be ready to take the next step forward and share responsibility of the team with Ticha even more this season. But this has not happened and yes, she has not played to what people hoped for this season. Everyone here agrees that she has been in a major funk this season but I think I will have to agree with Luv13Fan's assessment about the general tone here on the boards about Haynie's play. People have been quick to dump on her throughout most of the season, esp during worst of the funk that she had (or "has" depending on some of the people on this forum). I personally think that given the playing time she has had, she has actually played decently in a back up role. Ticha's resurgence however, lately has taken away most people's appreciation of what Haynie brings for the Monarchs: a decent back up point guard who takes the minutes that she has and makes the most out of it. If you look closely, there was a span of games this season when she would have 4 -5 TOs, but during the last few games she has actually began to play better again, keeping TOs to 1-2 per game. Now, granted her playing time has progressively shortened to nearly 10 minutes per game (down from her usual 15+). But we shouldn't forget that in the same span (around 10 minutes of playing time, she also brings around 2+ assists, a few points, a steal and maybe a rebound or two. Remember she plays like what? two-five minute stints on the floor squeezed at the end or the 1st and 3rd and beginning of the 2nd and 4th? It is hard to get a good rhythm into a game when playing fragmented minutes like that. It is hard to learn tendencies of the offense when you're in so little time. It is hard to get a feel for the current game. On the games she played more minutes, she does get around 4 assists i believe. I think part of why she has played "poorly" (esp to some people here) this season is that she is probably pressured to deliver on the minutes she plays...make a turnover here or there then she's pulled out. Kinda like a dog on a short leash. I remember what Coach Wiz said in one of the finals games last year, " if you want a bench, play them". While I am saying this, I am also gonna say that part of her slump is obviously her fault too. But like Luv13Fan here, I share the opinion that very little credit is given to her and the situation that she is here: She is playing behind probably the best ever court general in the women's game (Becky Hammon may take exception), she is adjusting to a new coach, and expectations are probably high after last season. Note that if you really watch her play, I think her defense has actually improved this season, I really think so having been quite interested in how she has been playing this season. I really wish her the best of luck. I think the Monarchs are fortunate to have a back up point guard who plays her best and realizes her limitations. I'm sure deep inside she is personally hurting about her play, and would want nothing more than to give to the Monarchs whatever she can give them....and honestly, I think that's the most important trait of all.
I think Haynie is a great kid and would really wish her to succeed. After the finals last season, I thought that she would be ready to take the next step forward and share responsibility of the team with Ticha even more this season. But this has not happened and yes, she has not played to what people hoped for this season. Everyone here agrees that she has been in a major funk this season but I think I will have to agree with Luv13Fan's assessment about the general tone here on the boards about Haynie's play. People have been quick to dump on her throughout most of the season, esp during worst of the funk that she had (or "has" depending on some of the people on this forum). I personally think that given the playing time she has had, she has actually played decently in a back up role. Ticha's resurgence however, lately has taken away most people's appreciation of what Haynie brings for the Monarchs: a decent back up point guard who takes the minutes that she has and makes the most out of it. If you look closely, there was a span of games this season when she would have 4 -5 TOs, but during the last few games she has actually began to play better again, keeping TOs to 1-2 per game. Now, granted her playing time has progressively shortened to nearly 10 minutes per game (down from her usual 15+). But we shouldn't forget that in the same span (around 10 minutes of playing time, she also brings around 2+ assists, a few points, a steal and maybe a rebound or two. Remember she plays like what? two-five minute stints on the floor squeezed at the end or the 1st and 3rd and beginning of the 2nd and 4th? It is hard to get a good rhythm into a game when playing fragmented minutes like that. It is hard to learn tendencies of the offense when you're in so little time. It is hard to get a feel for the current game. On the games she played more minutes, she does get around 4 assists i believe. I think part of why she has played "poorly" (esp to some people here) this season is that she is probably pressured to deliver on the minutes she plays...make a turnover here or there then she's pulled out. Kinda like a dog on a short leash. I remember what Coach Wiz said in one of the finals games last year, " if you want a bench, play them". While I am saying this, I am also gonna say that part of her slump is obviously her fault too. But like Luv13Fan here, I share the opinion that very little credit is given to her and the situation that she is here: She is playing behind probably the best ever court general in the women's game (Becky Hammon may take exception), she is adjusting to a new coach, and expectations are probably high after last season. Note that if you really watch her play, I think her defense has actually improved this season, I really think so having been quite interested in how she has been playing this season. I really wish her the best of luck. I think the Monarchs are fortunate to have a back up point guard who plays her best and realizes her limitations. I'm sure deep inside she is personally hurting about her play, and would want nothing more than to give to the Monarchs whatever she can give them....and honestly, I think that's the most important trait of all.
I don't think anyone has given Haynie more flak than she has deserved this season. I'm sure it's difficult for the Haynie fans to see her struggle so much this season, but she showed signs of life yesterday, so maybe things are turning around for her. Her slump is not unlike the one that Rebekkah Brunson suffered through last year. We all noticed when that happened and wondered what was going on with her. I don't equate that to being "too hard" on her.
We expect a lot out of these players. We know what they are capable of bringing to the table. And when they perform at a level that is well below what they are capable of... it is going to be brought up. Whether that be Yolanda Griffith, Ticha Penicheiro, DeMya Walker, Kara Lawson, Nicole Powell, Rebekkah Brunson, Kristen Haynie, etc etc.
There is no need to run through possible excuses to why Haynie has had such a bad season so far. Boucek is much more of a "players coach" than Whiz ever was. So I don't buy that Haynie is feeling "pressure" or is on any sort of leash. Jenny is very positive with the squad and tries to let the players play through their weaknesses. Haynie is actually averaging more minutes under Jenny than she ever did under Whiz. She has had her chances and has struggled. It happens to the best of players. It's a slump. If she's the player we all saw in 2005, then she'll come out of it like she did yesterday. End of story. In the meantime, I don't see a problem with people making comments that she isn't the same player. She's NOT. But she'll come around. Look at what Brunson has done this season.
But enough of the thread-jacking for Haynie drama. This LA game was fantastic. Ticha played great from start to finish, really controlled the tempo. It was nice to see Yo and Ticha looking like the "old" Yo and Ticha. But more importantly, the defense appears to be back! The rotations were quick. They were flying to the ball. They didn't allow Fernandez, Spencer, and Mabika to go off and bury us. The return of the defense was a great thing to see. We saw it again in the Indy game and I hope it's back for good! If the defense is indeed back, things are looking up. I think the team just needed some good quality practice time to focus on the defensive lapses. The team is still going to struggle scoring at times, but if the defense is played the way it should be, they should be able to hang around long enough to win.
We expect a lot out of these players. We know what they are capable of bringing to the table. And when they perform at a level that is well below what they are capable of... it is going to be brought up. Whether that be Yolanda Griffith, Ticha Penicheiro, DeMya Walker, Kara Lawson, Nicole Powell, Rebekkah Brunson, Kristen Haynie, etc etc.
There is no need to run through possible excuses to why Haynie has had such a bad season so far. Boucek is much more of a "players coach" than Whiz ever was. So I don't buy that Haynie is feeling "pressure" or is on any sort of leash. Jenny is very positive with the squad and tries to let the players play through their weaknesses. Haynie is actually averaging more minutes under Jenny than she ever did under Whiz. She has had her chances and has struggled. It happens to the best of players. It's a slump. If she's the player we all saw in 2005, then she'll come out of it like she did yesterday. End of story. In the meantime, I don't see a problem with people making comments that she isn't the same player. She's NOT. But she'll come around. Look at what Brunson has done this season.
But enough of the thread-jacking for Haynie drama. This LA game was fantastic. Ticha played great from start to finish, really controlled the tempo. It was nice to see Yo and Ticha looking like the "old" Yo and Ticha. But more importantly, the defense appears to be back! The rotations were quick. They were flying to the ball. They didn't allow Fernandez, Spencer, and Mabika to go off and bury us. The return of the defense was a great thing to see. We saw it again in the Indy game and I hope it's back for good! If the defense is indeed back, things are looking up. I think the team just needed some good quality practice time to focus on the defensive lapses. The team is still going to struggle scoring at times, but if the defense is played the way it should be, they should be able to hang around long enough to win.