Live From Press Row - Storm vs. Phoenix
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Storm Holds On
Final: Storm 97, Phoenix 87
It's hard to say that a game that featured a franchise record for scoring was about defense whatsoever, but if it's possible, that was the case tonight. The Storm's offense wasn't enough when the Mercury went on a run to get within four, but then the defense kicked in. After a Kamila Vodichkova jumper with 2:28 left in the game, Phoenix did not score the rest of the way as the Storm finished the game with a 6-0 run to earn the win. While the players on the floor, including reserves Shaunzinski Gortman and Tanisha Wright (who guarded Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi, respectively) deserve most of the credit, don't forget the contributions of a loud crowd of 7,753 at the Key. Gortman was really big down the stretch, grabbing three huge rebounds in the final three minutes.
Of course, the Storm's offense was pretty impressive too. Lauren Jackson's 27 points led six players in double-figures, and it was Jackson's late 3-pointer that pushed the Storm to a franchise-record 97 points. The Storm has scored 90 in all three of its wins this season, remarkably.
Phoenix did not earn the win, but boy did Cappie Pondexter win a lot of respect by scoring 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting. Paul Westhead's system looked awfully good tonight.
The Storm will be back out here Sunday, when the San Antonio Silver Stars visit KeyArena. It's a Friends and Family Four-Pack night, so get your tickets now!
Mercury Charging Hard
Fourth Quarter: Storm 89, Phoenix 85
With a Diana Taurasi 3-pointer a moment ago, the Phoenix Mercury is within four points, having made up 13 points on a 22-9 run since early in this final period. Cappie Pondexter continues to be the key; she's got a career-high 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting. The Storm's offense has been all Lauren Jackson in the late going. Shaunzinski Gortman, who has had a very nice night (two points, two boards, two assists, solid defense) gets a huge assignment in the game with 2:57 left to play.
Key Stretch
Fourth Quarter: Storm 84, Phoenix 73
With 6:43 left, we have hit a defining period in this game. The Storm leads by 11 points, but Phoenix has gone on an 8-2 run over the last 1:40 and has possession. The Mercury has been powered by Cappie Pondexter, the brilliant rookie who has a game-high 24 points tonight after scoring 26 in each of her last two games. The momentum right now is all on the Mercury side; we'll see if the Storm can put this game away.
Seeing is Believing
End Third Quarter: Storm 76, Phoenix 63
Wow, if you are not at KeyArena tonight, you are missing some dazzling individual play. It was epitomized by the last two plays of the third quarter. At one end, Cappie Pondexter isolated and crossed over fellow rookie Barbara Turner, breaking her ankles before rising for a gorgeous jumper with 5.5 seconds left. That's all Sue Bird needed. She went 94 feet for a scoop layup off glass and in to give the Storm a 13-point lead. Pondexter is just a joy to watch; she and Diana Taurasi are probably the most difficult teammates to guard in the league. Of course, Sue and Lauren Jackson (not to mention Betty Lennox) might have something to say about that.
Taurasi Won't Be Denied
Third Quarter: Storm 63, Phoenix 50
Great quote from Storm Coach Anne Donovan before the game about defending Diana Taurasi: "You've got to do the best you can do." Can't disagree. When Taurasi is on her game, she is impossible to stop. After seeing the bizarro Taurasi during the first half (1-for-7 shooting, two points), we have seen the real McCoy during this quarter - Taurasi has scored eight of Phoenix's nine points, including an NBA-range 3-pointer.But the Storm continues to lead by double-figures thanks to strong offense and balanced scoring.
Damien Wilkins shares that he will be doing color alongside Cara Capuano Sunday on FSN's broadcast as the Storm takes on the San Antonio Silver Stars. It's his first work as a color analyst, and we wish Damien the best.
Halftime Stats
Halftime: Storm 53, Phoenix 41
Fun game at halftime between some young girls. Alas, no way they could have matched the efficiency demonstrated by the Storm. Seattle posted an Offensive Rating of 129.3 points per 100 possessions in the first half, while Phoenix scored at the rate of 100.0 points per 100 possessions. Both traditional and advanced stats also show how much the Storm dominated the glass. Seattle had 22 rebounds to Phoenix's 10, while in terms of rebound percentage, the Storm had a 66.6% to 33.3% advantage.
Sonics swingman Damien Wilkins is in the house and will join us on the broadcast to start the second half.
Offensive Exhibition
Halftime: Storm 53, Phoenix 41
Remarkable second quarter for the Storm. The Storm scored on 13 of its first 14 possessions during the period, making 11 of its first 12 shots. How's that for efficiency? Seattle finished the quarter 13-for-17 from the field (76.5%) and scored a franchise-record 31 points. (Okay, that's not quite as impressive as it sounds, given there have only been 18 quarters in franchise history.) The Storm's 53 points were three off the franchise record for a half, but remarkably, still a point fewer than the Storm scored in the first half at Phoenix last Thursday.
Individually, great half for the Storm's forwards. Iziane Castro Marques and Lauren Jackson combined for 24 points on 9-for-12 shooting. On the Phoenix side, strong half for Vodichkova as we've already talked about with 11 points. Also, Cappie Pondexter got to 13 points with a rare four-point play late in the half. I'm feeling real good about my fantasy-league team tonight (besides Sandora Irvin, who is inactive for the Mercury). Seimone Augustus scored 31 points, Tamika Whitmore had 26 and I've got Pondexter and Vodichkova on my roster. David Locke is struggling a little bit in our Storm Fantasy League, and you can bet I'm talking trash.
All-Star Voting
Second Quarter: Storm 36, Phoenix 28
Tonight is the first night for All-Star Voting here at KeyArena, and some ballots were handed out at the last timeout. Of course, balloting does not take place only at arenas. You can vote online now! Sue Bird, Betty Lennox, Lauren Jackson, Wendy Palmer and Janell Burse are all on the ballot - vote early and often!
Storm Rolling
Second Quarter: Storm 36, Phoenix 27
Great offensive quarter thus far for your Seattle Storm. The Storm has scored on all seven of its possessions during this quarter, opening up a lead of as many as 11 points. Kamila Vodichkova is keeping Phoenix in the game right now. Vodichkova has a team-high 10 points and is hitting from the outside in addition to putting the ball on the ground. She just went by Janell Burse for a great layup plus the foul. It's great to see Kamila playing so well.
Taurasi Struggles
End First Quarter: Storm 22, Phoenix 17
Very rough first quarter for Mercury star Diana Taurasi, who entered tonight as the WNBA's leading scorer at 23.3 points per game. We've already discussed how Taurasi picked up two early fouls. She also missed all five of her shot attempts and committed a turnover. Taurasi even threw up a pair of airballs. That is very much not the Diana Taurasi we are used to. Kudos to Iziane Castro Marques for her defense on Taurasi.
This is Quick
First Quarter: Storm 13, Phoenix 10
You can talk about the speed of the Mercury offense. You can crunch the numbers. You can even watch Phoenix on TV. But nothing quite compares to seeing this system in person. Actually, nothing compares to trying to score the game for the radio broadcast. There's not a lot of time to write plays down and still catch the following possession. One of the dangers of what Paul Westhead is doing is that the opposition can get lured into playing at the same pace, which is precisely what Westhead wants. The Storm has done a good job of avoiding that. I really like Iziane Castro Marques' aggressiveness. Izi picked up two early fouls on Phoenix star Diana Taurasi, though Taurasi will come back into the game at this timeout.
New Look at the Point
Pregame
Over the eight days since these teams last squared off, the Phoenix Mercury has made a change at point guard. That's not unusual, but what is unusual is that the Mercury did not just demote or promote a player; instead, Phoenix waived former starting point guard Tamicha Jackson and replaced her with Jennifer Derevjanik, late of the Connecticut Sun. Derevjanik was a backup for Lindsay Whalen last year, but was replaced this year by rookie Erin Phillips.
Mercury Coach Paul Westhead praised Derevjanik's speed, which should allow her to run Phoenix's high-tempo offense. Storm Coach Anne Donovan considered Derevjanik, liking her defense, before opting to add Edwige Lawson-Wade to the roster as a free agent.
"Her international experience, her age," said Donovan, explaining why she preferred Lawson-Wade. "In the Fran mold, somebody a little older that can sit on the bench and be mentally ready if something were to happen with Sue."
Signing On
Pregame
The Phoenix Mercury is at KeyArena tonight as these teams square off for the second time in eight days. The Storm is very much hoping for a repeat of the first matchup, which saw the Storm roll up 54 points in the first half and come within a point of the franchise scoring record in a 94-81 win at the US Airways Center. Just as that time, the Storm is trying to bounce back from a tough loss tonight. There's a sense of optimism in the Key, so stay tuned all night long.
