Live From Press Row - Storm vs. Phoenix
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Overtime Magic Runs Out
Final (OT): Phoenix 101, Storm 90
In the extra session, the Storm simply ran out of gas. The team did at one point get within three on a Lauren Jackson jumper, but the Storm had just one more basket the rest of the way and was outscored 17-6 in OT. The Storm's starters all played over 40 minutes, while Corey Gaines had the luxury of resting both Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter in the fourth quarter. Also, the Mercury got a big lift from Penny Taylor. So much for the 10 minutes she was supposed to play - Taylor went over 19, including the entire overtime, and scored seven of her 18 points in OT. Her addition makes Phoenix an entirely more frightening team.
It's also worth noting that overtime in particular and close games in general are a tough way to make a living. Ultimately, just about everybody wins about half of those games, and that's what we've seen over the last stretch for the Storm. No matter the outcome, it was a valiant effort, and the Storm received a very nice and deserved ovation from the fans on the way off the floor.
Plenty of individual heroes. Tanisha Wright finished with a career-high 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, handing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds. Camille Little's 20 points were a season high and one shy of her career high, and she was a consistent presence for the Storm all night long. All five starters scored double-figures, and Lauren Jackson (18 and 11) and Swin Cash (12 and 11) both posted double-doubles. Bench production was a big difference in this game, with the Storm's reserves playing just 21 total minutes and totaling two points and a rebound.
The Storm heads out on the road tomorrow to take on the Sparks in L.A. on Thursday night. You can watch that game via LiveAccess right here on stormbasketball.com. Then on Saturday, the Storm will welcome the New York Liberty and former Head Coach Anne Donovan to KeyArena, looking to start another streak at home. 
Click here to get your tickets and join us!
Mercury Takes Command
Overtime: Phoenix 91, Storm 84
Speaking of stunned, that's about the prevailing emotion in KeyArena after the Phoenix Mercury opened the fourth quarter by scoring seven unanswered points. The run started innocuously with a Penny Taylor layup. Tangela Smith followed with a three, then after the Storm missed another point-blank attempt Cappie Pondexter got in the paint for a runner to make it a three-possession game. Still plenty of time - 3:26 - after a Brian Agler timeout, but the Storm has to get going.
More Free Basketball
End Regulation: Phoenix 84, Storm 84
Right now, there is no better bargain in professional sports than your Seattle Storm. Why? You pay for 40 minutes, but get at least 45. The Storm hadn't played overtime at the Key since, off the top of my head, 2005 before playing three straight in the last two weeks. Unreal. Sue Bird again is the hero. Diana Taurasi gave Phoenix the lead by splitting two free throws, followed by a costly Storm turnover. Taurasi made two more, forcing the Storm to attempt a three to tie it. With time running out, Bird got off yet another off-balance shot and knocked it down. A stunned Cappie Pondexter went down to the other end and missed, followed by a few seconds of drama as the referees reviewed the tape to see if Bird's foot was on the line. It was not, and so we play five more minutes.
The only real foul trouble is Tanisha Wright, who has fouled out of the Storm's last two OT games, with five.
Little's Big Shot
Fourth Quarter: Phoenix 81, Storm 81
The situation looked dire for the Storm when Cappie Pondexter's runner gave Phoenix an 81-75 lead with 1:28 to play. However, the Storm kept its composure and has tied the score with back-to-back three-point possessions created by Sue Bird. First, Bird drove and scored off the drive plus a foul. Then, after a stop, Bird set up Camille Little for a huge three-pointer that tied the game at 81 with 44.7 seconds left. Phoenix now takes over trying to reclaim the lead.
Storm on the Move
Fourth Quarter: Phoenix 76, Storm 73
Frenetic, end-to-end action over the last three minutes, and the Storm has been the aggressors. The result has been a 9-2 run that has pulled the Storm within three with 2:52 left and Swin Cash headed to the free throw line. The defense has really come alive, holding Phoenix to one bucket - that on transition out of a scrum that ended with several Storm players on the ground trying to corral a loose ball. The offense hasn't always been pretty, but it's done enough to get the Storm back in the game.
Momentum-Killers
Fourth Quarter: Phoenix 74, Storm 64
What I remember most about the Storm's series with Phoenix in the 2007 playoffs, the first step in the Mercury's path to a championship, was how quickly Phoenix dissipated the Storm's momentum. Tonight is reminding me of that. The Storm had consecutive scores early in the quarter to get within two points, and both times Cappie Pondexter followed with a bucket within five seconds - the latter a three-point play to push the lead to five. Then, a key moment as the Storm was unable to convert a layup attempt at one end and Phoenix quickly scored at the other, turning what could have been a three-point game into a seven-point one just like that.
We'll see if the excitement of the Doppler Train can spark the Storm. It's being led by (who else?) a certain 6-5 Jamaican member of the Storm's All-Decade Team.
Looking for a Comeback
End Third Quarter: Phoenix 64, Storm 59
The Storm heads to the fourth quarter playing from behind. It's a five-point ballgame after the Storm got a stop on Phoenix's final possession. All told, the defense wasn't bad in the third quarter, allowing just 19 points to the Mercury. However, the Storm was limited to 16 points and must do better against the Phoenix defense. We haven't seen the Storm consistently execute over an extended period since the first five minutes of the game. Turnovers were especially costly late in the third quarter.
A very special guest in the house was introduced on StormVision during the quarter break. Legendary NBA player Bill Russell drew a great ovation from the crowd and smiled at the adoration. Russell is on the record as being a big fan of the WNBA's style of play.
Don't Blink
Third Quarter: Phoenix 62, Storm 55
The danger in playing the Phoenix Mercury is that even a brief slip-up in focus and execution can turn into a run. Such was the case for the Storm, which pulled briefly within one only to see the Mercury rattle off six unanswered points to open up its biggest lead of the second half. Penny Taylor capped it with Phoenix's ninth three-pointer of the evening.
As was the case on Saturday, the officiating has really tightened up in the third quarter, which has taken away much of the flow the teams built up in the first half. The Storm - which certainly benefited from some close calls where Lauren Jackson got the benefit of the doubt - will have to adjust.
LJ's Turn
Third Quarter: Phoenix 56, Storm 53
After a quiet first half, Lauren Jackson has come alive since intermission. She's scored all 10 of the Storm's points and drawn four fouls on Mercury defenders. Jackson is doing a fine job of doing her work early and establishing post position. Credit her teammates for getting Jackson the ball. Smaller Phoenix defenders have been helpless to stop Jackson, either having to foul her or watching her score.
During the timeout, the Storm highlights Joan Bonvicini, in attendance, on StormVision. Bonvicini was introduced today as the new head coach of the Seattle University women's program. She is best known for her lengthy tenure at the helm at the University of Arizona, where she notably coached Storm color analyst Adia Barnes. Good luck to Coach Bonvicini and the Redhawks!
At Half, Storm Down Two
Halftime: Phoenix 45, Storm 43
Thank goodness for Tanisha Wright. If it weren't for a career night for Wright, who knows where the Storm would be after a first half in which Lauren Jackson did not make a field goal (all four of her points came from the free throw line) and the three All-Stars combined for 12 points on 3-of-15 shooting. Wright scored 21 points, matching her season high and two off her career high. She shot an impressive 7-of-11 from the field and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, including a pair of three-point plays.
Really, the first half was determined much more by the Storm's offense than its defense. When the team scored, it kept up with or outpaced the Mercury. It was during extended droughts that Phoenix took control. We saw something similar in the Valley of the Sun last month. Overall, the Storm's Offensive Rating of 107.5 points per 100 possessions is strong, but it came with peaks and (well) valleys. Each team had about 40 possessions, which is a little faster than the Storm might like but below Phoenix's usual pace.
Three Giveth, Three Taketh Away
Second Quarter: Phoenix 38, Storm 34
The Storm reclaimed the lead on a long Sue Bird three-pointer, but the Phoenix Mercury has followed with consecutive triples by Diana Taurasi and Kelly Mazzante to go up four. For a while there, the Mercury had been stifled beyond the arc, but now Phoenix is 7-of-15 - 46.7 percent. Whether the Storm can control the three the rest of the way will go a long ways toward determining the outcome of the game.
Simone Edwards is back in the house tonight, giving the Storm a very tall cheerleader next to the team's bench. Edwards and Astou Ndiaye-Diatta, both of whom are assistant coaches at the collegiate level, observed the Storm's practice yesterday to get an idea of how Brian Agler runs things.
Teddy Bear Toss
Second Quarter: Phoenix 32, Storm 30
The Storm's Teddy Bear Toss is only in its third year, but it's quickly become one of my favorite KeyArena traditions. Hundreds of fans brought teddy beards and began winging them toward the court during this timeout as Storm employees, the Dance Troupe and (of course) Doppler collected them. Right in front of me, one couple brought five or six bears to toss. We also saw a few that (ahem) didn't quite make it to the court and needed an assist from those of us sitting in the first couple of rows.
The best thing about the Teddy Bear Toss is that it's for a great cause. It's part of Warm 106.9’s Teddy Bear Patrol campaign that provides local police, firefighters and hospital workers with bears to use for children in emergency situations. So thanks to everyone who participated. If you forgot, keep it in mind for next year!
Terrific Tanisha
End First Quarter: Phoenix 23, Storm 23
The Storm and Mercury are tied after one quarter, but they've done it in very different ways. While Phoenix has had balanced scoring, with no one getting more than five points in the quarter, the Storm has depended upon Tanisha Wright. She's got 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, proving adept both at getting to the basket and at hitting from midrange. That makes this a nice time to check out
Patrick Sheehy's feature on Wright at Sports Page Magazine.
"Basketball is a team game," Brian Agler told Sheehy. "Obviously you have to have what you consider star players to be a good team. But you also have to have the Tanisha Wrights on your team if you want to be successful."
Taylor Returns
First Quarter: Phoenix 20, Storm 19
The Storm's offense has slowed down, getting just one bucket since Tanisha Wright's two free throws after the timeout. The team is still getting good looks, but having to work harder for them against the Mercury defense the last couple of minutes. Maybe it was just that Wright got a quick rest. She's got a game-high nine points.
In for Phoenix for the first time is Penny Taylor, who made her 2009 debut on Saturday, having joined the Mercury late after ankle surgery on May 4. Corey Gaines says he's limited to about 10 minutes of Taylor, but Brian Agler noted that's still more than enough time for her to make an impact. Agler described Taylor as essentially the equal of higher-profile teammates Cappie Pondexter and Diana Taurasi, while Gaines called her "one of the top 10 in the world." Certainly, she'll help a Phoenix team that was already plenty scary without her.
High Scoring Early
First Quarter: Storm 15, Phoenix 13
There are probably more points on the board than Brian Agler would ideally like to see, but for now it's working for the Seattle Storm, which leads Phoenix 15-13 a little over halfway through the first quarter. It's been Camille Little and Tanisha Wright who have been getting the good looks early, combining for 13 points. Wright knocked down a fairly rare three-pointer when she got the ball with the shot clock running down. The concern for the Storm is a familiar one - three-point defense. Three of Phoenix's five buckets have come from beyond the arc.
The Storm is almost certainly playing tonight without Suzy Batkovic-Brown, who has been battling the flu. Batkovic-Brown is dressed, technically, but did not participate in pregame warmups and is highly unlikely to play.
"She's not been feeling very well," explained Agler. "She's been in bed the last two or three days. I'm not going to push it with her."
Pacing
Pregame
Throughout tonight's game, we'll be keeping an eye on the pace of play because of the major stylistic difference between the two teams. The Storm is the league's slowest-paced team, averaging just over 70 possessions per game, while Phoenix is way up in the 80s and - naturally - the league's fastest team.
"I think Phoenix, if they get in their groove, they're very, very good," said Storm Head Coach Brian Agler. "They're going to be good almost any way they play, but they have their own style and their own way to play. They want to get a certain number of shots up. They really put a high priority on not turning the ball over. They get a lot of shots on goal. From our standpoint, we have our own style. We put a high emphasis at the defensive end and we want to make people run their offense against us."
Signing On
Pregame
Hello from KeyArena, where the top two teams in the Western Conference are preparing to square off as the Storm hosts the Phoenix Mercury. These two teams, who always stage very entertaining contests, have played twice this season - both in the Valley of the Sun. The Storm hosts tonight and again in September with a chance to win the season series after splitting in Phoenix. We should have plenty of points and lots of excitement against a team on track to become the first in league history to average 90 points per game, so stay tuned for the latest.
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