Final score: Storm 60 – Sting 52 (W) (5-4)

Attendance | 4016

Anthem Xtra Notes | In odd spots

Anthem High Note | Can't give it to them

Anthem Style | Classroom

Fan Noise | Anemic

Signs | 2 really big ones

Fan Psyche | Hopeful

Halftime | Kid's scrimmage

The best way I can describe this game is that it is a carbon copy of the last two, only without the playoff-caliber opponents. Because the Sting are currently occupying the league basement, a place we are all too familiar with, the Storm are able to play relatively poorly overall and still pull out a victory.

Maybe because it is yet another lightly attended game, but the Storm seem to be stuck in low gear. There is not the same feeling that the earlier wins had about them. The last few games have felt more like a grind instead of the energetic, free-flowing defense and offense we saw earlier. Coach Dunn does bring in the energizers (Jamie, Michelle, Stacey, and Charmin) earlier and gives them all more playing time tonight. But even with their spark, the Storm can only build their lead very slowly. Honestly, this game looks a lot like the Cleveland game just with the Storm coming out on top. A 6- or 8-point lead is almost insurmountable because of the game’s pace and stifling defenses. It’s an ugly one, but we’ll take it.

Let’s talk about the crowd for a moment, using the term crowd in the loosest sense. If it weren’t for the random pockets of squealing girls, the Key could have been mistaken for a lawn bowling tournament. The Loud Guy was missing. At one point, the Sting bench was actually louder that the Storm fans. This cannot go on. We need to be rabid, frothing at the mouth, hopping up and down, screaming until our vocal cords give out fans. Not salad eating, wine drinking, sitting on your hands, golf clapping, fair weather goobers. Yes, there is an new View article in the works. Stay tuned.

There is a new wrinkle to the whole zone defense problem tonight when Lauren plays a little “zone offense” and passes to a area of the floor instead of to a person. Of course, she did expect Michelle to be there and both have a laugh about it on the way back up the floor. The funny part is that the Sting do the exact same thing later in the game.

Kamila goes down in the second half in a major collision while the Storm are on defense. It looks like she may have gotten a knee in the upper thigh or solar plexus. She is slow to get up, but does limp back to the bench. We hope that it isn’t serious. She has been playing much better lately and it would be a blow to the team if she is unavailable (especially with Alessandra still on the injured list).

Lauren comes out for a postgame interview with David Locke. He points out that she scored a career-high in rebounds and assists. She is surprised about the assists because she isn’t known for that. He asks her about the technicals (seems like she’s averaging one a game) and how expensive they are getting. She laughs and says that if she doesn’t start watching herself, she will be going back to Australia without any money. She says that the team doesn’t have any expectations for the upcoming road trip, but that they are just going to come out, play hard and try to have fun.

While Lauren is speaking to David, Michelle comes back out and gets in some postgame free throw practice. She only shot 3 for 7 during the game, including some key attempts during the final part of the game. We like her intensity and dedication.

Notes:

Michelle Marciniak takes a few moments during the warmups to introduce herself and talk to Jack, a grateful 2-year-old in the first row. She may have just made a lifetime WNBA fan.

It is Junior Staff night tonight and kids get to help out with the operations of the game. The girl who works the announcing table slips a couple of times on “Marciniak” and “Vodickova” (who doesn’t) but does a great job nonetheless.