See you Thursday and why don’t you bring three or four friends out to the Key?

Awards Time
Posted on August 22, 6 p.m.

It is the next step in building greatness. Key Arena deserves as much credit as anything for hanging last year’s banner and this year, barring another upset, Seattle will have to win it with an increased level of mental toughness.

That is what builds dynasties and don’t kid yourself - if Seattle wins it again, it is a dynasty with this amount of young players.

Moreover, if things don’t pan out, Seattle will get the same brutal reminder that has propelled Sacramento all season, home-court matters and therefore you can’t blink in the regular season.

MVP and First Team All-WNBA
The Most Valuable Player award seems to be as debated and deep as it ever has been. Honestly, I don’t know who the MVP of the league is for the 2005 season. Obviously, I favor LJ watching her every night, but the outings of Sheryl Swoops, Tamika Catchings and Yolanda Griffith against the Storm have been nothing short of MVP performances.

I do know that the Sacramento’s broadcast team leaving LJ off their top five MVP candidates is laughable. There is no question that LJ is the best player in the world. There is no player that is game-planned for on a nightly basis the way LJ has been. Moreover, every time someone decides not to change their plan for LJ she rips them up. Two improvements in her game have gone unnoticed. Her defensive effort this season has been vastly improved and her leadership on a very young team has emerged impressively. To not include her in the top five candidates is beyond understanding.

There are 6 players who could legitimately receive a MVP vote: LJ, Swoopes, Catchings, Griffith, Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Nykesha Sales. This list doesn’t even include last year’s All-WNBA First Team guards, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.

This is where things get crazy. Try filling out a First Team All-WNBA ballot. It gets even more difficult when you have to do it by position. The top five is tough enough. The three most dominant players in the league are all forwards - Jackson, Swoopes and Catchings. Does that mean one of those players isn’t First Team All-WNBA?

Bottom line, this league has become loaded with talent. Let’s play out the exercise of First Team All-WNBA.

I would love to put Swoopes as a guard because it would make life a lot easier, but truly Janeth Arcain and Dominique Canty are the Comets guards, along with newcomer Dawn Staley. Bird, who will win her first assist title, should get another season as a First Team All-WNBA guard. The next guard could be Detroit’s Deanna Nolan, Taurasi, Lindsay Whalen from Connecticut or New York’s Becky Hammon.

The forwards are insane. The aforementioned Jackson, Swoopes and Catchings are followed by McWilliams-Franklin (unless you call her a center), Chamique Holdsclaw in LA, Sales and DeMya Walker, who was Sacramento’s MVP for the first month. Cheryl Ford and Penny Taylor don’t even get a sniff for First Team and they are both terrific. How do you decide?

Unless you slide LJ to center, the battle is between Yolanda Griffith and Taj McWilliams-Franklin for the First Team with Lisa Leslie and Michelle Snow lagging behind.

If I have to commit I would have Bird and Nolan as my guards with Swoopes and Catchings as the forwards while sliding LJ to the center. My second team becomes Taurasi, Whalen, Sales, McWilliams-Franklin and Griffith.

Depending how this plays out, you could have a Third Team All-WNBA team of Becky Hammon, Alana Beard, Chamique Holdsclaw, Ann Wauters and Lisa Leslie. That doesn’t include DeMya Walker.

There is no question about the talent in the WNBA.

A few more awards thoughts
I really don’t like the Most Improved Player award. Last year, I thought it was almost an insult to vote for Betty Lennox. Here was a former Rookie of the Year that finally got a head coach to put her back in a position to succeed. Lennox didn’t improve so much as she was given an opportunity. She has always been very good.

I feel the same way about Nicole Powell is Sacramento. She was the third pick in the draft - how can she be improved in her second season? John Whisenant just did a great job using her correctly.

Janell Burse will be my vote for most improved. She has truly changed her game. Her strength around the basket is vastly better. Her ability to get open and finish is dramatically different.

However, the other three players that I really think should be mentioned as most improved are Ann Wauters, Michelle Snow and DeMya Walker. All of them have taken their game to a totally different sphere into the realm of impact players. That is the toughest step to take in the game. That is my definition of improvement.

Truly, the most improved player this season is Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who has been a career 11 pts, 7 rebound player and this year has led her team to the best record in the W.

Mike Thibault and John Whisenant are the obvious coach of the year leaders. Whisenant would have a slight edge in my mind. However, don’t discount two standbys. Van Chancellor has done an amazing job in Houston. He kept the team together without Tina Thompson and then has dealt with integrating Thompson who at times, understandably, has been a shell of her First Team All-WNBA self.

Lastly, Anne Donovan is three wins away from having this year’s Storm team, despite losing three free agents, playing with five rookies, having one broken nose and a major wrist injury finish with the same record as last year’s team. That is why whether she ever wins Coach of the Year or not the Storm will always have the best coach in the WNBA.

Update From Home
Posted on July 31, 2 p.m.

Let me first give my thoughts on yesterday's mega-trade sending Katie Smith to Detroit with a second-round pick for Chandi Jones, Stacy Thomas and a first-round pick.

Obviously I was as shocked, no pun intended, as the next person. Katie Smith is the Minnesota Lynx. At the same time, Chamique Holdsclaw was the Washington Mystics. It is a sign that our fledgling league is growing up. Teams are beginning to have their second generation of signature players.

Don’t count Minnesota out of the playoffs yet. They amazed everyone without Smith last season and made the playoffs. However, it is clear this is a move for the future.

A lot of this move may be about matching up with the Storm. If you were a Western Conference opponent, it has to be very daunting to look at Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson surrounded by this young core and realize that is who you have to beat in the years ahead if you are getting out of the West.

From Detoit’s standpoint this is about attitude. Bill Laimbeer has been growling all year about how his team has to click in at some point. It has become obvious that the makeup as it stood would never click in like it did two years ago. Smith the player is not the dominant force she once was. However, without an entire defense focused on stopping her she might be a terrific addition to the Shock.

Back to the Storm. These are just some fun notes from my preparation for Sunday’s huge game. The Storm is 11-6 this season when starting the primary starting line-up. How about a comparison of the Storm's performance during the streak and a comparison with what the team did before the streak:

Stat    Storm   Opp
-------------------
PPG      82.0  71.0
FG%       46%   42%
3PT%      45%   26%
FTA/G    22.8  21.0
TOPG     13.6  13.6

Stat    Streak Before
---------------------
PPG        82      71
FG%       46%     42%
3PT%      45%     31%
FTA/G    22.8    18.5
PAPG       71      72
Opp FG%   42%     41%
Opp 3P%   26%     34%
O FTA/G    21      20
Opp TOPG 13.6    13.5

A quick player note: Lauren Jackson is third in the W in free throws attempted behind Tamika Catchings and Sheryl Swoopes.

Here's a bold prediction as well: Sue Bird will record her first double-double of the season tonight against the Sparks.

Foo Fighting
Posted on June 27, 4 p.m.

Obviously, on the court the opening portion of the road trip has not gone as anyone desired. It is worth taking a moment and remembering that last year’s team was 20-14. The West is better this season and there may not a Western Conference team with more than 20 wins when the season ends.

Championships make us feel as though we should win every night, and great wins against Detroit and Connecticut further that perspective. However, it is unrealistic in this balanced a league.

The injury to Sue Bird shouldn’t be under estimated. The Storm had hit a terrific stride, almost a swagger, before her injury and have yet to regain that feeling of dominance. As Bird becomes more comfortable with the mask and the team gets one or two really good wins, that Championship swagger may return. However, even then a huge run winning five in a row or something of that sort is unrealistic in this balanced a league.

Take a moment each day and try to predict who is going to win the other games around the W. It is about impossible and it usually just comes down to who is playing at home. I have been wrong about half the time this week.

One thing that seems to be causing Seattle trouble is length in the front court. The W is moving more and more to a 6-3 to 6-4 small forward and away from a 6-0 small forward. This makes the floor get smaller and driving to the basket more difficult. Length can almost make up for a lack of quickness and make it hard to get the open outside looks.

That is enough on the floor basketball. Here are a few anecdotes from the road. In security leaving LA, the lead singer of the Foo Fighters was in line with us. Our PR director and resident music expert Jennifer Carroll recognized him. It brought a huge childish grin to a sleepy Lauren Jackson.

Is their a worse airport than LAX? It is crowded, absurdly overpriced and grungy. They wanted to charge me 3.25 for a sandwich roll. Just the roll - no meat, lettuce, just the roll. I went hungry. It was 7.50 for a plastic cup filled with fruit. Who are they kidding?

Finding time to sleep is the first lesson every rookie must learn. These women are remarkable sleepers. It is a prerequisite for the job. Sue Bird is infamous for being able to sleep anywhere at any time, including last year at the top of a parking garage propped against a truck when we were evacuated out of LAX for a security breach.

Simone Edwards finds the biggest blanket she can and immediately places it over her head when she comes on the plane and sleeps with the blanket over her whole body each and every flight. The first purchase by every rookie seems to be one of the travel pillows. They really are only effective if you are on the window seat. Otherwise, it inevitably falls into the person sitting next to you and that is not a great way to meet a stranger.

The assistant coaches, Jenny Boucek and Jessie Kenlaw, spend the entire flight breaking down film. The turnaround is so short that they often have only the time after a game and on the plane to fix whatever is ailing the team. Right now it is defensive rebounding.

I want to add a new feature for this little blog. In preparing for every game I am shocked when I review where some players were drafted and the trades that have happened in this league. It is fair to say that certain franchises (*cough* Portland *cough), are glad they were disbanded so they don’t have to answer for some of the deals they made.

In addition, it is a great sign of the age of the league that we can go back and evaluate the drafts and trades that have taken place.

In preparing for the LA and Minnesota games these are the things that jumped out at me.

1) Tamecka Dixon is one of only two players left from the inaugural draft of the WNBA in 1997. The other is first pick Tina Thompson. Dixon was drafted in the second round. Only three players are left from the elite draft - Janeth Arcain, Vickie Johnson and Wendy Palmer-Daniel.

2) The Portland Fire traded Nikki Teasley and Sophia Witherspoon for Ukari Figgs and a draft choice that never made the league. Wow, that is a bad deal by Portland. Figgs retired two years later and Teasley went on to be an all-star.

3) A trade that never happened is interesting to debate. When the Storm traded the #6 pick to Minnesota for Sheri Sam and Janell Burse it was widely speculated that Minnesota was offering both the #6 and the #7 to Connecticut to acquire Lindsay Whalen. Therefore, the trade would have been Lindsay Whalen for Nichole Ohlde and Vanessa Hayden. That is a blockbuster. Who would make that trade today? Whalen may be so good that the Sun were right to say no. It is inconceivable that you would bypass two post players for a point guard. Lindsay Whalen is that special.

Here is to hoping for two Texas sized wins. Talk to you tomorrow night from Houston. I might explode - it is the same night of the NBA Draft, my favorite night of the year. I promise plenty of draft coverage and updates intermixed in the broadcast..

Capital Ideas
Posted on June 10, 10 a.m.

We got a nice surprise yesterday in the airport in Detroit - we ran into Sue Bird. Bird was connecting through Detroit from Hartford on her way back from Seattle as we were leaving Detroit to get to D.C. She was wearing her UConn jacket. Of course, she started the day in Hartford and I am sure that is good for an upgrade or two.

Hitting a great town like DC is hard for the players. On one hand, they are eager to see the history and the sights. On the other hand, they are exhausted and have a job to do. After we arrived yesterday, most of the players went to a crummy little food court at the base of a Metro spot and then took naps. Dinner was their time to actually get out of the hotel.

A few notes on the ball club. If the Storm win tonight, Anne Donovan will have won 60% of her games the Storm’s head coach. Amazing. She is just seven wins away from 100 in her WNBA career. Janell Burse over the past four games is averaging 14 points and seven rebounds and shooting 56%. (Editor's note: Lisa Leslie's season averages are 15 points, six rebounds and 40% shooting.) That changes the Storm dynamically. Every team usually takes their biggest post player and puts her on LJ and then leaves the shorter one on Burse. Burse is dominating those match-ups.

Flashback - recalling the incredible win last year against the Mystics at the Key when LJ blocked Holdsclaw and then Sue finished it in the open floor with that “thing” some call a layup.

I look forward to chatting with you at 4 p.m. today as the Storm look for their third road win of the season.

Storm is a HIt in Motown
Posted on June 8, 9 p.m.

What a win tonight. This was a huge win. Winning without Sue Bird in Detroit is unfathomable. So many players had great performances. Janell Burse continues to be terrific in the post. Last year, she seemed adverse to contact. This season, she is thriving on it.

When the Storm left on this trip, they still had three question marks. They needed a backup point guard, they needed another scorer off the bench and they needed a third post who could relieve the pressure on LJ. Check, check and check. The win over Detroit makes you believe that the Storm have all three.

Francesca Zara’s play at the point was enormous. She was in control. She was no longer tentative. It was wonderful to see. Zara is a really neat woman with a great energy to her and it was obvious that she was struggling. Wednesday night we got to see her real personality. Most importantly, Zara has earned the right to extended minutes and when Sue returns we could see both Sue and Zara on the floor together to rest Betty Lennox. That is what Tully did so well last year.

Suzy Batkovic is going to be terrific. The adjustment to the W is never going to be easy, but this is a remarkably talented women. Two things jumped out at me about the Batgirl. First, she has incredible hands. On three occasions she grabbed balls that I thought were out of her reach or too tough to handle. The other is her ability to pass. She sees the floor terrifically.

Batkovic also brings points off the bench and what that has done is open up the floor for all the other bench players to have a bit more room on the floor.

Tanisha Wright’s performance can’t be missed. She gave Zara just enough rest at the point guard and she played with terrific confidence.

The Storm won in Detroit without Sue Bird and with Lauren Jackson and Betty Lennox combining for just two field goals in the second half. That is an incredible tribute to this team.

Not much to tell you about being on the road. Obviously, most of the attention today was about how Sue was doing. I think in the last three days I have only been outside for about 15 minutes, it has been from airport to bus to hotel to bus to arena to bus to hotel to bus to airport and then do it all over again in the next city.

Right now I am listening to Kamila make her debut for Phoenix and am hoping they will hold on to beat the hated L.A. Sparks.

Washington D.C. should be terrific, as it is the best city in the US. The history, the power and energy are unequalled.

I hope you are feeling the excitement. This team has the potential to take us on another ride.

Stranded at Mohegan
Posted on June 7, 3 p.m.

the rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals

Shootaround went well this morning. It was the first time I got to see Suzy Batkovic. She looks really good. She has a wonderfully soft touch from the outside. She showed both a right and a left hand in the post. She is left-handed. Moreover, she is really big. I am excited to see her and LJ connect on a high low pass just like they did when playing for the Opals. Anne Donovan said that Batkovic’s conditioning could be an issue and doesn’t see her playing huge minutes. With the addition of Margo Dydek to the Sun, Batkovic's ability to hit the 15 footer may be necessary to spread the floor.

The other impression I had from shoot-around is that the Sun is loaded. What a starting line-up: Whalen, Douglas, Sales, McWilliams-Franklin and Dydek. The move from center to power forward has made McWilliams-Franklin an all-league performer. LJ has been great defensively and will have to be again tonight. Congrats to LJ for the Player of the Week honors.

After shootaround, Elise and I went to a nice lunch with Doris Burke, the analyst for ESPN2 tonight. Of course, conversation was more about our kids and parenting than it was about the WNBA. We are all still wondering what is going to happen in L.A. Consensus is that the Storm’s next two opponents, the Sun and the Detroit Shock, are the elite of the East if not the entire WNBA. Doris is a wonderful women who works very hard at her craft. You can all debate whether Elise would have been willing to go to lunch with just me.

Another Ride?
Posted on June 3, 12 p.m.

Shockingly, the answer may be yes. I have already noticed in the early part of the season that everything feels different now that we have experienced a championship and the run that goes with it. Last year, when the team looked special and I wondered if it was going to be good enough to win the whole shebang, I had no idea what that meant, what it felt like and what we are about to embark upon.

This season when the Storm again look like that special team that could win the championship, I get that incredibly tingling feeling that we all had for October. Now I know what the drive for the title feels like. I know what it was like to see Sue jump into Lauren's arms. What it was like to see the Key Arena filled to the roof while confetti feel from the sky. What it was like to see the eyes of the rock-solid Anne Donovan as she looked for her sister in the crowd.

I can now understand why someone says it was better then second time. The second time, you can go into your memory bank and know what you the ride would be like, what the emotions would be and how the city would react.

Early in the season there are positive signs that this ride may be another blissful summer. There will be pitfalls. The team is very young and for so many of these players everything is new. It was evident in the first game that some of the newcomers had the "deer in headlights" look. However, by the third home game they looked much more comfortable.

Thursday night in Phoenix was the same story. Many of the newcomers were experiencing their first road game. Hopefully, by the end of the month they will be comfortable on the road.

I mentioned that there have been some really terrific signs in the early going. Here are four of them:

There is so much more to share, but that is it for now. Get on the train and get on early because it may be another wonderful ride.