Live From Press Row - Storm vs. Los Angeles (Game 3)
Want to enjoy the electricity of at KeyArena even if you're thousands of miles away? stormbasketball.com's Live From Press Row in-game blog is your best bet. All night and all season long, Kevin Pelton will be bringing you pregame quotes, analysis and observations from the game. E-mail Kevin at web@stormbasketball. Make sure to keep coming back or refreshing so you get the latest content.
Encore
Final: Los Angeles 75, Storm 64
After the Storm's players and coaches headed off the floor, Doppler brought everyone back to the crowd's applause. Storm CEO Karen Bryant addressed the crowd, thanking players as well as the fans.
Storm Falls in Three Games
Final: Los Angeles 75, Storm 64
In hindsight, the task might have been too much to ask. Could the Storm beat a star-studded L.A. team at less than full strength? Through two games, the teams were close, separated by just six points. This afternoon, however, the Sparks showed the killer instinct that has been lacking much of the year and completely owned this game. Their size and strength, their talent and their execution was top-notch. The Storm wasn't at that level during the first half, and the deficit was too much for the Storm to overcome. The KeyArena crowd, appreciating the effort, gave players a loud standing ovation as they congratulated L.A. at the end of the game and then headed to the locker room.
Nobody worked harder than Swin Cash, who led all scorers for the third consecutive game. Cash scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, making 10 free throws in 12 attempts. Sue Bird and Camille Little were the only other consistent scoring threats for the Storm. Tanisha Wright did rally in the second half to give the Storm good minutes after first-half foul trouble, and Suzy Batkovic-Brown hit some timely shots. Still, the Storm was lacking in contributors, and the depth issue was evident when both Wright and Shannon Johnson picked up four fouls in the first half. Ordinarily, Katie Gearlds would have gotten the call, but she is watching in street clothes. Oh, yes - so too is the world's best player, Lauren Jackson.
Over the next couple of days, we'll start to look ahead to 2010 on stormbasketball.com in addition to recapping this year. Already, two of the Storm's biggest offseason issues have been addressed with Sue Bird and Head Coach Brian Agler signing contract extensions that will keep them in Seattle. Still, the Storm will have several key free agents, including Jackson. Stormbasketball.com will be the place for coverage throughout the offseason, so keep checking in as we prepare for the second decade of Seattle Storm basketball. Then I hope we'll see you all back at the Key next May. 2010 season tickets are now on sale, after all.
No Quit in Storm
Fourth Quarter: Los Angeles 70, Storm 56
Time is certainly working against the Storm right now, with 2:59 on the clock. Still, give the team credit for fighting to get as close as 14 points. The crowd has certainly appreciated the effort, rising to its feet. There was also a standing ovation for Shannon Johnson, who fouled out a moment ago to end her phenomenal career.
Celebrating Pee Wee
Fourth Quarter: Los Angeles 65, Storm 47
With the Sparks maintaining an 18-point lead, we're likely looking at the last six minutes of Shannon Johnson's WNBA career. Johnson will retire after 11 WNBA seasons (and three more in the ABL) as the league's third-leading all-time assister, a four-time All-Star and a three All-WNBA Second Team pick. In addition to
the feature and
photo gallery who had on the Web site on Friday when Johnson announced her retirement, we've gotten statements from several key WNBA figures about Johnson. Look for that up shortly.
Also, you can leave your own message for Johnson on the StormTracker blog. We'll print those messages out and give them to Johnson in a scrapbook after the season.
Sparks Open it Up
End Third Quarter: Los Angeles 60, Storm 40
Not only did the Storm not make up ground in the third quarter, the Los Angeles Sparks actually opened up the lead. As we head to the final 10 minutes, the Sparks hold a 20-point lead, tying their largest of the night. I don't think you can fault the Storm's effort in that quarter whatsoever, and the execution wasn't bad either. So what was the issue? Well, L.A. is pretty good. There's a reason the Sparks were the favorites to win the championship back in May and June.
Los Angeles is especially capitalizing on its height advantage. The offensive boards started to really go the Sparks way during the third quarter, and the team has been able to post up smaller defenders. On the other end, the Storm is having a tough time navigating the long-limbed L.A. defense. The Storm is still shooting 26.1 percent from the field.
Storm Puts Together Back-to-Back Buckets
Third Quarter: Los Angeles 45, Storm 30
Down 20, the Storm's offense has stirred to life with a three-pointer from Suzy Batkovic-Brown. That was followed by a steal and a Swin Cash transition layup to make it a 15-point game and get the crowd into things. Michael Cooper, wary of the Storm building on the run and the crowd's support, immediately signals for a full timeout. There is still 7:56 left in the third quarter, which is another extremely long stretch of basketball without a stoppage barring one called by either Cooper or Brian Agler.
First Half to Forget for Storm
Halftime: Los Angeles 41, Storm 25
No Storm player got hurt. That about sums up what went right for the Storm during the first half. The team shot 20.0 percent from the field (6-of-30), went the final 6:57 of the second quarter without a field goal and was whistled for 17 fouls. Both Shannon Johnson and Tanisha Wright were called for four personal fouls, leaving the Storm to finish the second quarter with Swin Cash playing shooting guard as part of an unorthodox big lineup. Just four Storm players scored, and Tanisha Wright had one point on a technical free throw. Basically, all the Storm's scoring has come from the trio of Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Camille Little, and that hasn't been nearly enough.
So where does the Storm go from here? (After the Seahawks Blue Thunder drumline finishes its halftime performance, that is.) The Storm needs to maintain the edge it played with in the second quarter, but combine that with better decision-making. The Storm had nine first-half turnovers and has not been moving the ball well on offense, with just two assists on six field goals. The Storm has come back from larger deficits, but against a talented, veteran Sparks team digging a hole this big will make things very difficult the rest of the way.
Sparks in Complete Control
Second Quarter: Los Angeles 34, Storm 21
A disastrous stretch of three-plus minutes for the Storm. Since getting within five at 26-21, the Storm has gone scoreless for 3:38 while allowing L.A. to score eight points to open up a 13-point lead, the largest for the Sparks tonight. At this point, the Storm can't allow things to get any worse before halftime, and they probably have to get a little better. The Storm has gotten little production from the center position tonight and also from shooting guards. Tanisha Wright, now out with four fouls, is 0-of-7 from the field with two ill-advised turnovers. Backup Shannon Johnson hasn't been much better off the bench. The Storm is still shooting just 23.1 percent from the field. Winning ugly has become the Storm's M.O., but it is impossible to win with that level of offensive execution.
Storm Needs Stops
Second Quarter: Los Angeles 28, Storm 21
Swin Cash has gotten the Storm's offense going. She's got four points in the quarter, all at the free throw line, and now eight for the game. Still, the deficit remains seven points because the Storm hasn't been able to get enough stops in this quarter. L.A. is 3-of-5 from the field and has four three-pointers, which is a huge difference in a low-scoring game.
Let's look around the crowd at KeyArena, which is filled with some celebrities. Legendary former Sonics Head Coach (and player) Lenny Wilkens is sitting courtside alongside Storm CEO Karen Bryant. Former Storm player Sheryl Swoopes has been at both of the playoff games, as has former Storm Assistant Coach Jenny Boucek. Also, Clarence Lennox is our own celebrity. He and his wife are decked out in matching pink today, with Clarence in a bright pink jacket and pants with a light pink shirt, tie and hat. It's something to behold.
Storm Playing Uphill
End First Quarter: Los Angeles 20, Storm 13
Ultimately, the officiating evened out by the end of the quarter. The Storm got nine free throw attempts to L.A.'s 10, while the Sparks were called for seven fouls and the Storm nine. L.A. has its own starter with thee fouls, forward Tina Thompson.
So why does the Storm still trail by seven points? The shooting has yet to completely even out. The Storm was 3-for-17 from the field, with only two Sue Bird pullups keeping the Storm from threatening records for quarter futility. The Storm also missed both of its threes, while the Sparks knocked down a pair of shots from beyond the arc. Still, the Storm heads to the second quarter with some momentum and a chance to even this game up with a quality run.
Not the Start the Storm Wanted
First Quarter: Los Angeles 14, Storm 5
A year ago, the Storm spent nearly the duration of Game 3 against Los Angeles playing uphill after falling behind early. It looks like that might be the case tonight too. While the Storm has certainly not benefited from the way this game has been officiated, the things within their control have not gone especially well either. The Storm has little rhythm on offense and has committed back-to-back turnovers as part of a 6-0 Sparks surge to take a nine-point lead.
Whistle-Fest Early
First Quarter: Los Angeles 10, Storm 5
A couple of ticks past the midway point of this first quarter, the defining feature of this game has been fouls. Our officiating crew of Denise Brooks-Clauser, Kurt Walker and Roy Gulbeyan has called nine fouls in that span and the two teams have already shot nine free throws. There may be somce concern on the part of the officials about this game getting physical at the culmination of a hard-fought series, but so far the only frustration has been with the calls.
The Storm has been aggressive attacking the basket and L.A.'s shot-blockers, but without much in the way of results thus far. The Storm is 1-of-9 from the field, the only bucket coming from Swin Cash from the perimeter. Those have been good looks, and they'll go at some point. Bad news for the Storm is that three of the early fouls have been called on Tanisha Wright, who won't be able to play at least the rest of this quarter.
KeyArena Comes Alive
Pregame
After Caspian Coberly's terrific rendition of the National Anthem on electric guitar, Storm fans begin chanting "Beat L.A." I'd love to be able to track this statistic - how many times will that be chanted over the course of this series?
Keeping it Loose
Pregame
Despite the magnitude of this game, both teams appeared pretty loose before the game. Storm guard Pee Wee Johnson, who on Friday announced her retirement at season's end, had a little pregame dance in the Storm's locker room for her teammates. Meanwhile, the Sparks were running a mini-nursery near their bench. Five Sparks players are mothers, and Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and Tina Thompson all have their young children here tonight.
No Secrets
Pregame
This will be not only the third game of this series but the seventh between the two teams this season. Surely there will be adjustments from both head coaches, but everyone already has a pretty good idea of the keys.
"I don't think anything's changed," said Storm Head Coach Brian Agler. "We've got to be able to rebound basketball, we've got to play efficiently at the offensive end. Hopefully we can get to the free throw line a little bit more."
Agler did say that Janell Burse will start at center for the Storm. Burse did not play during the second half of Game 2, partially because she took a hard hit on her hip late in the first half but more because Suzy Batkovic-Brown was playing so well for the Storm at center. Even though she won't start, expect to see Batkovic-Brown early and often in this game.
Signing On
Pregame
It all comes down to this. We're nearing tip-off at KeyArena of the deciding Game 3 between the Los Angeles Sparks and your Seattle Storm. 40 minutes of basketball from now, one of these teams will be headed to the offseason while the other prepare for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The Storm will be looking to reclaim the magic of the second half of Friday's Game 2 and in particular the final 14 seconds, which saw the team erase a four-point deficit with Sue Bird's three-pointer and "The Play" - Camille Little and Tanisha Wright teaming up for a steal that turned into Little's game-winning layup. Stay with us all throughout the game for updates from the Key to complement the coverage on ESPN2 and 1150-AM KKNW.
Live From Press Row Archive