What a turnaround

6th

6th

Homer Fan Since 1985
The Monarchs played with passion tonight and it showed in the results. They walloped the Fever 82-61. Maybe the team meeting was just what everyone needed.

It was really good to see DeMya in the post. That was just what the "doctor ordered" for this ailing team. Sure enough, after a couple of nifty moves in the post, they were doubling and tripling her down low giving our perimeter shooters some space. And, Kara Lawson did not disappoint. We shot 50% from beyond the arc. Now, if we could just get Ka-Powell to catch and shoot instead of passing and dribbling, we could have some serious outside threats. Oh, and did I mention the young rookie, Sholanda Dorrell? She is rapidly improving on defense while she comes up with some nice athletic moves on offense...not to mention that she has a pretty outside jumper herself.

Everyone scored in the 1st half (except for Smith who was a DNP-coaches decision). Smith did get a bit of time in the 2nd half but she was having serious problems holding onto the ball.

Our defense basically shut down Catchings and Whitmore (who is having an outstanding season).

Yep, it was a very good night for our Monarchs.
 
How did we manage to hold Catchings to just 3-11? She is a hell of a player.

The only thing I regret about this game is we did this to Indy (who's my favorite team in the east), and not LA.
 
Very good night from the home club....if they can continue on the trend and play well in Seattle then come home and take on the Lynx and defend the home floor, I'm liking it even more. They've had a difficult time playing two great games in a row so now's about as good a time as any to get that started.

Brunson still is coming around. To Smith's credit, some of the passes she had were a little on the difficult to catch variety. The one that Yo dumped on her under the basket was scorched. DeMya worked hard tonight - very good to have her back.
 
Sirius said:
How did we manage to hold Catchings to just 3-11? She is a hell of a player.

The only thing I regret about this game is we did this to Indy (who's my favorite team in the east), and not LA.
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Same here, Sirius. We were commenting at the game that it was too bad Indy caught us when they did. While I wanted the win, it was sad to see Catchings and Co. get trounced so badly.

And, yes, Catchings is one hell of a player. I really like her, both as a player and as a class individual.
 
Just seemed like our rims worked in our favor tonight...most of our shots went in...Indy's clanked off..YEAH! As I do like the Fever as well, I was not dissapointed, our DEFENSE was intense. Like DeMaya said during the post game interview, we needed to bring back the passion & excitement to our game. Thank-you DeMaya for working so hard to get back.

Hey MBF...what did you guys do to score those courtside seats...jump up & down wildly! ''Awesome Monarchs fans gone wild!''
 
True....It was one game which was a helluva lot better than any game they've played in the last two weeks and the defense was most reminiscent of the defense they played last season - they were so focused on rebounding last night that they were often fighting each other for rebounds.

Although I'm happy with the win I harbor no illusion that this is going to change overnight. I'm looking for incremental change at this point towards a level of consistency. Especially so since they have been out of sorts - even in games they had won. They are holding on to a playoff spot despite the inconsistency, which, in past seasons when we wrung our collective hands trying to figure out what was wrong with the team - is a statement we could not have made. At the Chalk Talk, coach T made some interesting observations re: the slow start.

I also sense that Yo has no intention of taking her foot out of their @#@@@ the rest of the way and nor do they want to have her lay into them the way she did Friday night. Even the public lashing she did was uncomfortable looking. The game they have tomorrow will not be easy and they have not played well in Seattle in a while - not even sure when the last time it was we've won @ Key Arena.

Those seats were sweet....yep, pretty much we were rewarded for just generally going nuts. :) I have no shame when it comes to free stuff sometimes....;)
 
Monty'sBiggestFan said:
True....It was one game which was a helluva lot better than any game they've played in the last two weeks and the defense was most reminiscent of the defense they played last season - they were so focused on rebounding last night that they were often fighting each other for rebounds.
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Meh. I find myself emotionally incapable of feeling even the slightest bit positive about this game. The Monarchs haven't won two games in a row since May 23... which was, incidentally, also the last time they won on the road.

If the Monarchs come back from Washington at least four games over .500, then I'll try to lighten up; until then, I've got it pernamently stuck in "wait and see" mode.
 

Well Let me say this...

What is encouraging about last night's game was this.

They (EXCEPT FOR NICOLE) Looked Dominant. The Offense was Dominant. They Attacked the Basket with No Fear. Ticha took some GodAwful looking shots but, She was in a shooting situation and she shot it. And Good things Happened when she did.

To Nicole's Credit, she took a shot from the corner in the first Half and Got a Shooters Bounce. So did Haynie.

And this was not against the Sky or Seattle... This was Indiana. A team with Outstanding Defense.
So Mr. S£im Citrus too address your point...
Yes it was one game. And yes we blew out PHX and Seattle, But not like this.
We had some fast break points, But we Beat them out of our set Offense. We got Defensive stops Set up our Offense and BANG Scored. And we never let up.
Killer instinct...

So that was the biggest surprise. This performance was even More Dominant than the 40 Detroit win By comparision. Why??? Because In the Detroit win, Nicole went postal on them and broke the game wide open. In this game, no one scored over 12 points but it was just Dominant.

And I stress We didn't play "School Yard Bully" and pick on Charlotte or the Sky. This happened against a quality team, with a very good post player and a great wing in Catchings. We show some real skill and Moxy last night. Something that has been missing all year.

So although we have gotten some win, this one is the one Monarchs fans have been needing to see.
 
That's asking a lot, that's a ridiculously scheduled trip they've got coming up. Two back to backs, one which changes time zones, the other which notoriously ends up involving a mode of travel one step up from stage coaches, both back2backs sandwiched in between a stupid 4 day layover in NY. If they come off that trip and head into the allstar break 4 games over .500 - it would be hard to be skeptical about the reversal of their fortunes.

I'd like to see them go 4-2 in this stretch, and if they insist on losing a couple of games that they be games out of conference.
 
To say Haynie got a shooters bounce or roll was an understatement...that was the craziest bounce/roll EVER. :) I thought the ball had gone flat and was going to lay on the back iron. I don't remember whose shot it was, maybe it was one of Nicole's that bounced crazily too.

Here's what I think about Nicole's game right now, despite the issues on offense - she has to be the most improved defender on this team and has been consistently this season (for whatever that's worth).
 
I was encouraged....yet I am in a wait and see moment. Right now I am waiting to see the impact of DeMya for the long haul. If she does what we all expect her to do, then this team should get way beyond .500 very, very soon.

Other than that it was great to see the defensive intensity that we need to compete. To me that is what this all comes down to. How can the Monarchs defend especially around the perimeter.

Mr Slim, it seems like you may have given up on the season. I am at Arco every night and even on the road some games. I am proud to say that I am myopic, I have blinders on and I can't see the forrest from the trees. :D
 
Monty'sBiggestFan said:
Here's what I think about Nicole's game right now, despite the issues on offense - she has to be the most improved defender on this team and has been consistently this season (for whatever that's worth).
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Yeah that is the Truth... She had Mique Friday and Tamika last night. She has had some serious defensive calls. Tamika did a few moves on her that made her look bad, but the shots didn't fall. She was all over Claw.
I just would really like to see her shoot with confidence.

The Impact of DeMya is huge. For a reason that no one mentioned. We now have 11 legit players to give minutes to. Love Brittany but Coach was not playing her. We are heading for some nasty Back2backs and roadtrips. We need to have the Extra Active body on the Court. 5 post players definately beats 4.

I am still encourage.
 
You're absolutely right about DeMya's impact in eating minutes. The minutes she can eat and be effective on either end of the floor, are minutes Yo's knees aren't having to eat and fewer minutes to wear down the energy of Buescher. Brunson's also gotten more active as well which should boost her minutes from the sub 20 she's been marking. If DeMya can get better in the 12-15 minutes per night she's going to get to get her more game ready - I'll take it. She may not play more than 20 a game even once she gets more game ready - but those are minutes that aren't being expended by Yo or Erin - and keeping those two fresh over the long haul (especially with the back to backs coming) is a definite plus.

Coach T felt that Yo is getting both healthier, and more in shape. Since her off season stint was cut unusually short because of her knee problems he felt she also has been spending this time getting as game ready as she usually is when she arrives in camp from a full offseason in Russia. From the looks of the last 2-3 games Yo is friskier than she was to start the season - so between that, finding Brunson's game and getting Powell re-ignited...I'm feeling good about another Monarchs patented post allstar break push. Whatever we get from DeMya is just gravy on top.

Oh, and congratulations to the Monarchs for their 100th home victory. :)
 
Purple Reign said:
Mr Slim, it seems like you may have given up on the season. I am at Arco every night and even on the road some games. I am proud to say that I am myopic, I have blinders on and I can't see the forrest from the trees. :D
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No, I haven't "given up" on the season, I'm just not a "glass half-full" type of guy. The glass isn't half-full; it's half-empty. And cracked. And I cut my lip on the glass. And chipped a tooth.

And I think that the wound is starting to get infected... :mad:
 
Well, one thing is for sure... they ARE consistent! They don't want to shoot the damn ball. I think I saw that Nicole and Kara combined for 11 shots, and each made one. These are our shooters! At least Ticha was mixing it up in there, she was our most aggressive shooter tonight. Her shot wasn't falling, but she was taking the damn shot or attacking the lane. She was also getting knocked around and hacked quite a bit, but perhaps she needs to switch jerseys with Bird to get a call around the hoop. I swear Kara did not lay a hand on Bird when she got that And-1 call on the break.

But hey, the refs didn't blow this game. The Monarchs let it slip away. The trend continues...L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L---?
 
Wonder where the great defense we saw against Indy went. I know Seattle is one of the better offensive teams, but I saw some defensive breakdowns in this game that were just plain ridiculous. Stuff you would've never seen with last year's team. This inconsisteny cannot continue, especially since the Monarchs are going into road trip hell pretty soon and the West is so tied up.
 
Sirius said:
Wonder where the great defense we saw against Indy went. I know Seattle is one of the better offensive teams, but I saw some defensive breakdowns in this game that were just plain ridiculous. Stuff you would've never seen with last year's team. This inconsisteny cannot continue, especially since the Monarchs are going into road trip hell pretty soon and the West is so tied up.
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While I saw some defensive breakdowns as well, giving up only 68 points to one of the "better offensive teams" is still pretty darn good defense (IMHO). Scoring only 53 points on 31% shooting is a real problem though.
 
This felt like a repeat of Friday's game minus the Dancing Trombone guy and the utter shellacking. But they were in this game, so I can see where someone could say there was some fight. They certainly didn't hand Seattle this game, last Friday's game was served up on a platter after the M's wrapped it in a bow and each signed the accompanying card.

The Good:
They're still in a playoff slot.
They still have the tie break on Seattle
There was no Trombone Guy dancing at Joey B's
The food is still good there

The Bad
Joey B's is still winless
My mojo reversing wardrobe will need to be reworked
Their shots aren't falling and some of their shot selections at times suck
This was another conference loss


I'm not sure what the problem is offensively any more, it's not isolatable to any single thing other than they either don't take open shots, don't take good shots when they do take them or their shots don't fall. When they do get things going and their shots do fall then they usually win. It just can't seem to happen consistently on nights where their defense is working. But I'll still take .500 and in a playoff spot instead of under .500 (which for all intents and purposes is where this team should be as inconsistent as their offense and team defense is right now). Our bench outscored their bench, but our starters were trounced.

They fought longer than the 1st quarter, they just neglected to finish the 2nd and 3rd quarters better. The one good thing about viewing a televised game - better stat packages. They gave the stats on the runs they gave up to end each of those quarters. They defended pretty well up until those runs happened. The Ms scored 11 pts in the 2nd quarter, and gave up a 13-2run(or something crazy like that) to end that quarter. The quarter that killed them was the 3rd where they never got anything going offensively and their defense started to break down. But that 3rd, was another one that ended with them giving up a crazy quarter ending run to Seattle that essentially used to close the door.

We hit the 4th with nobody able to consistently find a way to score. The shot selection really went south and the interior rebounding was gone.

Again, they had a chance to take advantage of some help that they got or to continue to help themselves in the conference and couldn't do it. I knew we hadn't won in Key Arena in a while, didn't realize it hasn't been since 2001.
 
Oh, one other thing....can someone explain to me what the graphic was that had Yo, Katie Smith and Leslie on a career point thing. What was that about?
 
6th said:
While I saw some defensive breakdowns as well, giving up only 68 points to one of the "better offensive teams" is still pretty darn good defense (IMHO).
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The Storm still shot 45.6%, which is rather worse than the league average. The Monarchs and got outrebounded 23-14 over the last 3/4 of the game, and allowed the Storm to shoot 48.8% after the first quarter. That's not good defense.

The Monarchs are fourth-worst in the league in opponent's Field Goal percentage. That should be addressed first, in my opinion: they were only sixth-best on offense when they won the Championship, and they're eight-best now, so they've got bigger fish to fry, if you ask me.
 
Monty'sBiggestFan said:
Oh, one other thing....can someone explain to me what the graphic was that had Yo, Katie Smith and Leslie on a career point thing. What was that about?
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That was just their total points for their professional bball careers, right? Which is why Leslie is the first player to record 5,000 points in the WNBA. While Smith was the first player to record 5,000 points as a professional basketball player. Her 5,000 includes her ABL numbers. Yo's numbers on that graphic include her ABL points too... because it showed that she had something like 4,498 points and her WNBA profile says she has a career # of 3,465.

It was basically an excuse for Meyers to talk about LLL. ;)
 
Monty'sBiggestFan said:
Oh, one other thing....can someone explain to me what the graphic was that had Yo, Katie Smith and Leslie on a career point thing. What was that about?
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It was a list of career points scored in North America. Smith has still scored the most points overall in North America, but Leslie has scored the most overall in the WNBA. Likewise, Griffith was on that list because she's scored the third-most overall points in North America (only seventh-most in the WNBA), and Tina Thompson comes in with the fourth-most overall in North America (but second-most in the WNBA).
 
When you give up the 2nd and 3rd chance points they are giving up, yeah, somebody's going to light you up in FG% despite not being able to hit the broad side of a barn with their first chance shot. The Monarchs scored 11 pts and gave up 16 in the 2nd quarter and those 13 or so of those came during a Monarchs drought to end the quarter.
 
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