Final score: Storm 93 – Silver Stars 53 (W) (6-5)

Attendance | 6395

Anthem Watch | Alisa Burras showing off some vocal power.

Fan Psyche | Can we take 10 or 12 points from tonight and add them to last night's game?

Game Highlight | Everybody plays, everybody scores.

Halftime | Girls Jazz dance troupe.

Game Photos | Game Photos (Scott Larson)

That was a damn good game. I'm not sure where to begin; there was so much goodness.

A good place to start is Coach Donovan. I think you have to credit the team's aggressiveness and energy level to her "no-excuses, you're professionals so play the damn game" attitude. By all accounts in the media, she was rightfully disgusted with the Storm's performance in Sacramento and let them know it. Tonight's performance was their response. Tired or not, every game is important this year. With the conference so balanced except for the #1 team and the #7 team, the fight for 3rd and 4th playoff spots is going to be a knock-down drag-out and down to the last games of the season. Wins like this and the one in LA show what this team can do when everyone contributes and plays with confidence.

The big story from this game has to be that the bench not only produced but was in for nearly half the game. They did have a couple of tough patches that included a shot clock violation and a couple of offensive sets where they looked a little out of sync, but overall they played very well and were facing at least 2 or 3 San Antonio starters the whole time. It wasn't bench versus bench at all, even in the end when our bench extended the lead from 30 to 40 points. They scored 44 of the 93 points - that is a stat that, if consistent, can take a team to the championship.

Another point that needs to be made is that the refs called a straight-up game. From my vantage point, I only saw one really bad call near the end of the game. I think that they called enough to keep the flying elbows in check and let the 2 teams play. Their presence didn't disrupt the flow of the game, interfere with either team's momentum (when the Silver Stars had any that is), and they consistently asserted their whistles only when necessary. Thanks for a good game, refs.

It's kind of hard to tell how much Sue's knee is really bothering her. While she was only in for 25 minutes tonight, I really didn't see her performing any less effectively on offense or defense. There were a couple of times when she was juking and jiving like there was nothing wrong at all. Her shot is certainly back and she looks very comfortable with her spot-up jumpers.

Lauren is living up to her hype in just about every way right now. She down right dominated the first half offensively and defensively. I think it is safe to say that she is becoming as intimidating as Dydek is on defense. Opposing players are thinking twice about taking it to the basket when LJ is waiting there to swat the ball back in their face. Also, LJ was yet again only one rebound away from a double double. I remember a comment from Lin Dunn after the Storm drafted Lauren about looking to her to average 20 and 10. Well, she's just about doing that now and look at the Storm's success.

At the beginning of the game after Dydek made a couple of easy layups over the Storm defenders, we were joking about how the Storm can possibly stop her. Suggestions ranged from a tire iron, to pulling down her shorts or talking Coach Donovan into suiting up and getting out there. Well, the Storm figured out a more legal way of neutralizing Margo - make her play defense, get her into foul trouble and hit your jump shots to get out of the paint. All three parts of this plan were working perfectly tonight and she was a bit of a non-factor.

Semeka Randall may be wearing a different jersey, but she is still playing the same game she did in Seattle. She was on a 1 on 3 fast break, meaning her vs. 3 Storm defenders, and she took it to the basket anyway and turned it over. Several people were commenting how familiar that looked. She also seemed to be putting a little extra mustard on her screens and slaps at the ball. I don't if she was just frustrated with how the game was going or was being a little nasty because it was the Storm. Don't get me wrong, Semeka was definitely one of my favorites when she was on our team, but something seemed out of sorts there.

Speaking of out of sorts, we noticed that during the Silver Stars shoot around drills before the game, they kept getting messed up on who was supposed to pass where. Several times, players had to call for the ball when the passer was looking lost. You'd think that by this point in the season (a third of the way in) that a team would have their warm-ups figured out.

It would have been nice to have had more people at this game. All of the Storm players were on tonight. Tully was scrambling, forcing jump balls and disrupting the Silver Stars. Simone was really going after rebounds and wasn't taking any crap from anyone. Alisa showed the kind of game that produced her league leading shot percentage the last 2 years - being in position, being ready for the pass and then going strong to the basket. Adia played the kind of workman-like game we have come to expect from her. She isn't flashy, but she is always there to get the rebound and with her hands in the opponent's face. It was a great team performance that any sports fan would have appreciated.

Other notes:

Coach Donovan and Sue received their rings for winning the World Championships last year in China during a brief ceremony before the game.

Sylvia Crawley did not dunk during the warm-ups, something she did regularly during the Portland Fire warm-ups. I'm thinking that her earlier injury may still be bothering her.

Alisa was mugged by her teammates and several of the Silver Stars after she finished the anthem.

Angie and Stormrocks both got a coupon from their Hustle Rewards to shoot a 3-pointer or Free Throw before the game for Team Shop discounts before the game. They both went for the 3-pointer and both missed with nice arcing airballs.

Submitted by | Sass

Our refs tonight were very pleasant. As Admin Scott would say, they were seen and not heard. We were quite pleased about that.
 
I'll leave the tactical details to others, but we simply dominated the entire game. Every player scored for us. And we beat 'em by 40 freaking points!! It was deja vu from last year, because at the end, five players were standing up, looking at the court and smiling big big grins. Four of them were the same players that were captured doing that in our 40-point whoopin' of the Mercury last year, which made it onto a poster they've been giving out this year - Kamila, Lauren, Bird and Adia. In the place of the fifth player, the retired Marciniak, was the happy Rita Williams. (who had a damn good game tonight, I might add) Strangely enough, last year they were wearing the breast cancer awareness shirts when they were standing and had the infamous photo taken. Tonight they were also wearing the breast cancer shirts! I'm wondering if we don't need to scrap our regular warm-ups go for the t-shirts.  
 
Burras can't jump, but she can sing. Nice job on the anthem, girl.
 
A pack 'o kids came down to the floor for the "Ride the Train" song at a time out. When the buzzer sounded and they all scattered, one cute little girl ran up to Simone and asked if she could have a hug; of course Shakin' Jamaican obliged. Then the little girl shimmyed, as Simone does with Doppler during the introductions. Simone shimmeyed back. By that time, jezzie and I had laughed our asses off.  
 
Remember our four standing starters? They were getting so damn silly at the end. Lauren jumped up and ran a few feet out from the bench doing a cheerleader-type move; she did a funky arm thing a few minutes later. Bird ran up behind Donovan and tapped her knees in a fake attempt to knock her down; then she ran. Donovan turned around smiling and everyone started giggling. Then all of us behind them were laughing. Bottom line: this game was soooo much fun!
 
The Storm also set a franchise record in scoring 93 points. The previous record was 90 points in last year's 6/14/02 game against Phoenix.

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