» The WNBA: Yes, It Still Exists Options

[toons]

I went ahead and bought season tickets for the Mystics and was at the game last night against Sacramento. I thought the Mystics might actually win if they kept up their 1st half play, but then they went totally cold on offense, stopped rebounding, and just generally played like they'd never been on the court together before. Brutal.

I think the game was shown on ESPN2, so did anyone see any of it? I really wish teams would focus on filling the lower sections instead of selling tickets all over the arena. One of the main sections across from the visiting team's bench was nearly empty, which had to look horrible on TV. Despite the relatively small crowd, people were still enthusiastic and actually got pretty loud.

For my money, the entertainment can't be beat.

[Doom]

I forgot about it, then remembered. Then when I flipped it over there, it had already gone off and I was looking at some random bald dude.

[pmiller5]

I'll join you guys. I wasn't a women's basketball fan at all until I came to the states to the east coast for university and caught Husky fever. I think the main reasons the league hasn't caught on is a) the play can be painful at times, probably due to the shortened seasons and the players' resultant unfamiliarity with one another and b) most people still think only lesbians are interested. If the owners were more invested, and didn't just view WNBA teams as tag-alongs to their NBA franchises, the league would be much better off. The trend towards independent ownership in WA, Houston, and especially Conn is encouraging, but if the Seattle team is relocated, it will be a huge blow to the league as that team enjoys the best media coverage by far, and are among the best fan-supported teams.

Enough with my ramblings, all I really care about is Diana Taurasi. I will watch any game she plays in, even if it's a handicap match, pitting her against 10 dwarves. She is an amazing freak. I hope Phoenix finally manages to get into the playoffs this year because people need to see this team play. Seattle, with Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird, is cool too, but I can't figure out some of Anne Donovan's moves. Why on earth did she cut Barbara Turner in favour of Shyra Ely? Anyway, let's hope the Phoenix/Conn game next week is decent because the last two ABC broadcasts have been duds.

Speaking about broadcasts, I almost forgot to mention my what a disaster most of the "experts" are, particularly that half-wit Nancy Lieberman. Rebecca Lobo and Doris Burke are the only two I can stand. Rebecca is plain funny and Doris seems like she knows what she's talking about half of the time.

One more thing, when are TPTB going to realise mic-ing Bill Laimbeer is a crap idea. He is an abusive bully who doesn't do anything but whine about the refs. If they mic anyone, it should obviously be Taurasi. ;)

This post has been edited by pmiller5: May 27, 2007 @ 10:22 pm.

[Richyyy]

Oh absolutely, micing the coaches is an idiotic idea. Well, micing the coaches and leaving the mics on during play is an idiotic idea, anyway. They need to use it like the NFL - mic them up, then piece together the footage into a package for half-time, post-game, or a feature item the next week. It's a disaster at the minute.

Putting a mic on DT would be dangerous though - from what I hear once they bleeped out the words they're not allowed to broadcast there wouldn't be much left ;). There was a lovely moment in the Phoenix-Seattle game last week when the refs called a travel on Lauren Jackson in the paint and Taurasi came charging over and started shouting trash in LJ's face. She kept it up as long as she could until they both dissolved into peals of laughter. Bird, Taurasi and LJ are great mates and the whole game was played in a fantastic spirit even though the Mercury were getting their asses kicked.

As for the coverage, I think I suggested in my first post to immediately run away as soon as you see the name Nancy Lieberman anywhere near anything. She's an idiot, and her 'articles' at ESPN.com are riddled with factual errors even once you ignore the opinion elements. The difference between her stuff and Mechelle Voepel's on the same site is huge.

[Doom]

I'm glad ESPN(2) at least committed to showing Tuesday & Saturday games at a minimum. I don't recall that in years past, though perhaps I just didn't notice.

[toons]

I think I suggested in my first post to immediately run away as soon as you see the name Nancy Lieberman anywhere near anything. She's an idiot, and her 'articles' at ESPN.com are riddled with factual errors even once you ignore the opinion elements. The difference between her stuff and Mechelle Voepel's on the same site is huge.

So much word - Lieberman is the absolute worst and I can't take anything she says seriously in print OR on air. I love me some Mechelle Voepel, though.

This post has been edited by toons: May 30, 2007 @ 5:44 pm.

[pmiller5]

Well how quaint. I finally get a chance to watch a Taurasi game, and she loses her head and is ejected before the 1st quarter ends. Did anyone watch the game? That was hardly a flagrant, what a crap call, but expected from these awful refs. I don't think I've ever actually seen a woman ejected.

ETA I just watched the replay, and she did make contact with Lawson's head, so yeah, I guess she deserved the flagrant, but I'm still pissed she was tossed. If Laimbeer can get away with everything he says, I can't imagine what Taurasi said to warrant an ejection.

This post has been edited by pmiller5: May 29, 2007 @ 9:59 pm.

[Richyyy]

Told you that mic-ing up Taurasi would've been dangerous ;).

I only saw the second half so still haven't seen the foul, but I hope you stuck around for the rest of the game - Phoenix woke up after DT got tossed and it ended up in a heck of a finish.

[pmiller5]

Told you that mic-ing up Taurasi would've been dangerous ;).

Yeah, but it would be ratings gold! I did catch all of the game, and it was really exciting, particularly the end. Due to some horrible coincidence, the good games are never picked up on network.

In other news, Houston lost to SA, and remain winless. I guess SA is finally a legit playoff contender.

[dagny]

The Monarchs just killed me. I caught the fourth quarter. All of those turnovers. Not scoring with 10 seconds left on the clock? Gah. Phoenix just killed them by preventing the inside passing. Gotta give them credit for coming back & just frustrating the Monarchs with the D.

[pmiller5]

In contrast to the ABC game yesterday, the Liberty/Mercury match today was incredible. I'm really impressed with NY, with the Hammon trade, I chalked this year up to a rebuilding one. Taurasi disappeared in the 4th quarter after starting hot. Someone needs to tell her coach that the last shot goes to #3. Always.

[SophiaD]

I stayed up late last night to see the results of the Storm-Sparks game on the news and the idiot sportscaster didn't even mention it. Blah, blah Ichiro (who is a great player), blah blah men's basketball, but not a WORD about the Storm. The frickin' paper doesn't even have a link for the Storm on their website - you have to click and click and click again to get to them.

Washington has two women senators and a woman governor - not to mention one of the greatest WNBA players in Lauren Jackson - you'd think we'd get a clue.

[Richyyy]

Seattle actually has some of the best local coverage in the league (although that may say more about the others than about Storm coverage itself). Jayda Evans of the Seattle Times is a dedicated Storm beat writer and writes a blog on the Storm that's updated at least once a day, and the Post-Intelligencer covers them as well. Hopefully Seattle can keep the Storm even if they lose the Sonics, because it's one of the best markets that the WNBA has.

[Doom]

The WNBA All-Star game is today at 3:30 Eastern on ABC. I haven't been catching many games - anybody know how Ivory Lata is doing?

[Richyyy]

Latta's been doing alright when she gets on the floor, but to be honest Detroit is so deep that she's barely played. Her defence really isn't good enough yet to get consistent minutes for the Shock, so she mostly gets on the floor for the last play of a period as an extra shooter or in garbage time.

Her fellow rookie Lindsey Harding tore her ACL a couple of days ago and is out for the rest of the year, by the way (after so far being one of the leading candidates for rookie of the year).