I’m coming to you from the capital of Cal-ee-forn-ya, where we are in town to play the fifth and final game of this west coast swing on Friday night. The city of Sacramento, of course, brings good and bad memories for the Sun, most noticeably the end of the season in the 2005 WNBA Finals. But, we also chalked up a great overtime win here last year. Hopefully this time will be more like the latter.

Here’s a quick recap of what’s happened since I last wrote:

After the Minnesota win, we headed to L.A. and immediately trekked to the Staples Center to watch the Sparks take on everybody’s favorite Detroit Shock. L.A. pulled out the victory (a developing theme) and we left the building impressed but not intimidated. The next night, though game 4 of the Lakers-Celtics series was taking place in the very same building, we decided to stay near the hotel and have a team dinner-slash-watch party. The main factor in this decision was that tickets were selling for a meager $425 for upper-level seats. I looked in my wallet and found $3. That settled it. The team dinner turned out to be great – we saw a 24-point Celtics comeback and Barb Turner’s Laker dreams were crushed, to general delight amongst the group. Tamika Raymond particularly enjoyed sticking it to B.T.

The following night meant a return to Staples for our game against the Sparks, which turned out to be a thriller. All roads led to a 5-point overtime loss, and it’s really a shame that it was not a nationally televised game. It was back-and-forth, full of drama, and most importantly, well-played by both teams. I won’t go into detail about the actual action of the 4th quarter and overtime, because I’ll just get angry.

The quick pick-me-up for that gut-wrenching defeat was a trip to my favorite city, Seattle (at least until we’re in Chicago next month). My dad and I took the opportunity to finish the travel day by visiting relatives living near Mount Ranier, and then it was time for Storm preparation, only to be interrupted by the unbelievable Tiger Woods. Seriously, how good is that guy? That was incredible before we found out he was truly playing on a useless knee.

On Monday, the game in Seattle was tight throughout – and after a topsy-turvy 4th quarter we pulled out a squeaker for our second win on the trip. It wasn’t our best performance, but it was a gritty game that turned into a fantastic road win. Sadly, there wasn’t much of a chance to get out and see the city this year, but we had great weather and an even better view of Puget Sound from the hotel.

That brings us to our most recent stop – Phoenix – which Tamika Whitmore believes sits “On top of the gates of hell.” It was hard to argue, considering it was a cool 114 degrees outside upon our arrival. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of the hot-but-dry climate. I’ll take 80 degrees with a breeze any day. Our first night in the desert involved watching the Celtics win the NBA title, which the media labeled as a roadblock to the “coronation” of Kobe Bryant. (Who was giving the coronation, you ask? Surely not the media.) While I hoped the Celtics’ performance and celebration might be motivation for the Sun in the game against the Mercury, it appeared not to help. To be fairly honest, we produced a dud in the 2nd half, and ended up falling 102-81. So back to .500 on the trip.

So there we are...all caught up. Today was another travel day, and flying commercial early in the morning after a bad loss is not the most fun ordeal. It ranks slightly above “practice the day after a loss,” which was on tap for this afternoon in Sacramento. The coaches and players worked out some of the kinks in a brief-but-intense session, and everybody seemed in better spirits as we left Arco Arena.

All focus now is on Friday night, when we look to close out the trip on a winning note and with a winning record. A victory would also bring the Sun’s overall tally to 10-3, making us the first team to ten wins. No doubt Sacramento will be hungry after a 5-day layoff, as well as wanting to seek revenge for an earlier defeat at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Should be a feisty contest.

I’ll check back in after the game. Be sure to follow along/listen on WNBA.com, and maybe your telepathic support will give the players the edge they need to topple another Western Conference contender.

Until next time,

-Eric

I’m coming to you today from 40,000 feet up (I’m guessing), en route to Los Angeles from Minneapolis. If I had to guess, I would say we are traveling somewhere near the Wyoming/South Dakota border, judging by the uneventful landscape and the handy map in my NWA WorldTraveler magazine. I’m in a good mood because, among other reasons, I have an aisle seat. Fortunately, I’ve only been drilled once by the beverage cart thus far, and I was able to avoid getting dripped on by the scalding hot coffee pot. A good day.

Of course, the big news is last night’s thrilling win over the Minnesota Lynx, which you all (hopefully) watched on ESPN2. The first half, as you may have noticed, was not a work of basketball art. We scored only 28 points, which paled in comparison to our unofficial total of 187 turnovers. That being said, Minnesota played well and finished the half strong, and there was a call for some adjustment-making at halftime.

The longer I hang around Coach T, Coach Hawk, and Coach Mattox, I come to believe that turning a game around in the locker room is far less about rah-rah-let’s-dig-deep-down-and-win-one-for-the-gipper speeches, and more about practical basketball tactics. The fire-and-brimstone routine has its place, and works maybe once or twice a season. It has, in certain instances, been effective in the Sun locker room in past years. But more often than not, finding a better way to cover pick-and-rolls or get more open shots pays bigger dividends than screaming at a group of professionals.

As last night’s second half might suggest, the coaches were able to remain (relatively) calm, and the players’ execution improved dramatically. The main problem areas – turnovers, offensive rebounding, the unreal talents of Seimone Augustus and Candice Wiggins – were addressed, and allowed the team to win the second half by 18 points. Most importantly, even though it sounds cliché, the win was a total team effort – all 11 active players got an opportunity and everybody contributed. Most noticeably, Barb Turner provided a scoring punch again off the bench, including a deep deep deep 3-pointer to extend the lead. Jamie Carey and Ketia Swanier helped Lindsay Whalen control the game, and each made a crucial 3-pointer of their own. Though it’s starting to sound like a broken record, Lindsay, Asjha Jones, and Tamika Whitmore did a good bit of scoring and their collective experience showed down the stretch against a very solid Lynx team.

I particularly enjoyed the intensity of everybody on and around the bench last night – my favorite moments, in order:

1. The momentary collective silence and intake of breath while Barb’s long-range bomb hung in the air, followed by the group “ohhhhHHH-YEAAHHHH!!!” as it went through the net.
2. Having about 15 new coaches screaming “Pull it out!” after an offensive rebound in the 4th quarter, including every player, the training staff, and a couple of Minnesota Vikings players sitting by the bench. A true moment of panicky unity.
3. Trainer Jeremy Norman spotting a fantastic 10-90 mullet (10% in the front, 90% in the back) on a fan behind the basket. Just a work of art.

So now it’s on to L.A. with an 8-1 record, tops in the WNBA. People have asked if I’m going to be in attendance for game 4 of the Lakers-Celtics series on Thursday night. And yes, I have asked that question myself to the proper authorities. The answer, I’m afraid, is no. I considered trying to scalp a ticket, but instead decided that I would rather pay for running water and electricity next semester. A tough call, but one I had to make.

I’m not sure what’s in store during my stay in the city of angels. Last year, I did a bit of touring – saw a Dodgers game, tried to find O.J.’s house – you know, the usual. Despite having a couple days in the city, I might just try to get out in the sun and shed my ghostly façade. It will also keep me from going all “Hollywood” on everybody. In fact, just as a precaution, you have the right to slap me if I roll back into Uncasville in designer shades and some Louis Vuitton. It’s only right.

Anyway, that’s all for now. My laptop battery is running out of gas, and I’m out of reading material. Really excellent planning on my part.

I would be happy to answer any questions about the team/road trip. In fact, it would be a great way to fill up the pages. I’ll check back in Friday-ish, either before or after that night’s battle with the Sparks.

Go Sun.

-Eric

On the heels of the team’s big win in Chicago, I felt the need to once again put my fingers to my Mac and fill you in on all the scuttlebutt about your Eastern Conference co-leaders.

Before I begin, thanks to those who inquired about my writing on Coach T’s chat with The Day. Still, I’m mad he didn’t take my question, which was “Whenabouts could I have some gas money?” The answer is still being withheld. However, I did notice that people were wondering about my ‘blogs.’ Yes, I have used that word in the past. But I now find it fairly annoying, especially as it is being used as an activity, such as “I’m going home to blog.” Wrong. The blog is where your writing is kept. You don’t say “I’m going home to television.” You watch television. Anyhow, this summer I will be sharing my thoughts in what I’m calling ‘Eric’s Intellectual Sun-themed Pieces.’ I’m open to suggestions on the name, just don’t use the b-word. Sorry for the rant.

As for my role in this summer’s events, I am once again titled “Assistant to the Coaching Staff,” and I even have my own workspace in the depths of Mohegan Sun. The little room is filled with giveaway items for future games, so if anybody needs a blue Blaze bag, Sun wristband, or an extra kazoo, let me know.

Of course, the theme of the season thus far, other than winning, has been the new faces on the team. I had not actually seen the team play, in person or otherwise, until the home opener after the 20-hour drive from Missouri. I had seen Amber Holt, Jolene Anderson, Danielle Page, and Ketia Swanier play in college, and knew the Tamikas and Barb Turner from years past in the league. I had never seen Kerri Gardin or Sandrine Gruda, however, and like all of you I was excited to see how it all fit together. Early results are promising, and the more of Sandrine you see, the more I think you’ll like her.

Though the familiarity that I had with the old squad is still developing, it’s really been a fun group through these first two-plus weeks. The energy level at practices and games has been excellent, and it’s nice that Tamika Whitmore steadfastly believes that I’m 16 years old. I have also been fortunate enough to not get caught in the dancing circle (more on this in a later edition), though I’m confident that I’ll deliver the goods when the time inevitably comes.

I think that this exuberance from the team has been appreciated by the fans, which has made for some great atmosphere at the first few home games. At no time was this more telling than in the Indiana game – there was one point in the second half where we scored a couple baskets to cut the Fever’s lead to like, 18, and judging by the noise you would have thought we had taken the lead. We need that type of character on the court and in the seats, as momentum from the crowd has swung more than a couple games in our favor since 2003.

I’m going to stop there with the Sun talk. I wasn’t with the team this weekend in Chicago so I don’t have any stories from the road, but there will be plenty in that department next week from the West coast.

On a different note, I would imagine that many of you Sun fanatics double as Celtics fans (some of you dating back as far as October of 2007!). I’m really pumped for the NBA Finals, especially since the most recent Lakers-Celtics title match up was during the year I was born. Amazingly enough, the Sun and myself will be in L.A. during that series, so don’t be alarmed if you see me on ABC with Jackie Nicholson and David Beckham. Speaking of Beckham and soccer (what a transition!), the European Championships are coming up on ESPN, which has me psyched. If nothing else, give them a look for the crowd noise and passion – Sun fans would appreciate it.

That’s all for now – I think we’re fairly well caught up so I can get down to business from the road next time.

Be sure to fill up the M.S. Arena on Friday and Sunday, and make it loud!

- E.T.