Final score: Storm 75 – Sparks 84 (L) (9-7)

Attendance | 9820

Submitted by | jezzie

Yo Storm Peeps! Y'all know how the game went, so here's some peripheral bits.
 
LOVED hanging with the So. CA Storm fans. New Socks & Mr. New Socks should sit behind me at every game -they are damn funny. Somebody give them some Storm megaphones!
 
Ended up sitting behind some Storm fans from Seattle that we hadn't met before. Looks like the'll be joining us at future events (resistance is futile).
 
The Sporks do some kind of Electric Slide thing in the tunnel before the game, and it's shown on the big screen. It was...odd. Once again, Delisha Milton held up her hands during the anthem. This time, it was just her index fingers. Sigh...gag me. Yesterday a radio DJ referred to her as "Delisha Hamilton." Heh.
 
We got some mixed reactions from the Sporks fans around us. One lady had to move, but her family was cool. We shook hands with em after the game.
 
Our Spirit Fingers were in fine form: 15 for 17 from the line. We toyed around with some Sporks FT voodoo, and found that covering the basket with our hands kept them at 60%. Good call, New Socks.
 
We looked oh-so-fab in our raincoats and umbrella hats. Thanks again to StorminInCali's lil' bro for donning a hat with me. That was good fun.  Y'all would have loved to see Sass swingin the Diva weave. Maybe she'll break it out at the Aug. 6 game...
 
The Staples Soundtrack is dope. Good tunes throughout the game. We were boppin even when we were down by 20. The Key SO needs an upgrade.
 
There are some nice Sporks fans in LA. Who knew? Quite a few offered a "nice game" as they were leaving. Prolly wouldn't have happened if we'd won, but I'll take it. One woman made a point to explain that we're the team to beat and that they really get up for us. They better bring it August 6. Hmpf.

 
 
Submitted by | Sass

We didn't play our best game tonight. When you can't hit a thing, can't get boards and don't play D, you're not gonna win the ball game. But I honestly didn't expect them to win anyway. The Sporks don't take too kindly to being beaten on their home court, so you know they were gonna come out swinging. Unfortunately, we also came out flat. So combine the two and you've got what happened tonight. I'm proud of them for coming back to nine after being down by 22.
 
Don't be discouraged, peeps. It's only one game and the All-Star break is coming up. We had a great, great time and met THREE of our fellow Stormfans.org peeps! Three people who happen to live in LA and do not support the Sporks. Plus, they are wacky!    Needless to say, we got along well.
 
I will attempt to ease any still-remaining down feelings with a plate of chicken wangs and thangs:
 
We had agreed with New Socks and StorminCali to meet outside the team shop and then go to the nearby Fox Sports Net bar and grill. New Socks and Mr. New Socks arrived in Storm gear, and we met up shortly thereafter with StorminCali and brother. The people who run the sports bar were late in opening, which lead us to being mildly heckled by one of two women who walked by. "Ooo, Storm fans? Yuck. We're going to crush you tonight." Whatever.

Once inside, we were joined by lastormfan and other half. Woo hoo! We were waited on and given food and beverages in a courteous manner. We were not accosted. A woman even chatted with me for a moment in the restroom. Cool.

New Socks' cell phone reads, "LA Sucks Ass."  

Way, way too many people were wearing LA #12 jerseys: "Number 12 player." After about the 50th one of those walked by or sat down, we decided they must have had a sale.  
 
We went through a big ass line and the metal detector. It was weird not to swipe our Hustle Rewards Cards.
 
They had videos and music running on their scoreboard screen for an hour, all the way to tipoff. It was hard not to sneer and cuss when LL and D-Nasty were on, but I somehow kept it together and refrained. The music they played after the videos were over was so good. They should do that at the Key. It's way too quiet in there before a game.
 
When the Storm went into the tunnel after warm-ups, we all cheered for them (our seats were above their tunnel). Tully saw us first and gave us a big smile. It was sooo sooo nice to see D-Mac in uniform. I called her name and she looked up and saw me, smiled and waved. (I've talked to her many times before). It was great to see them all.
 
Bizarre moment of the night: the Sparks in the tunnel ready to come out for shoot-around. They showed them on the big screen doing a dance together, like it was coreographed! I don't even remember the song, we were all sitting there slack-jawed. Some kinda step move like they were Jacksons or some crap. Turns and everything. What the hell is that? StormfaninCali proposed that this was "so they can get loosened up to do the flopping."  
 
The anthem sucked. LL has a ribbon in her hair. Milton stands with her hands up and index fingers of both hands extended. Whatever.
 
"Your back-to-back champs" was said oh, about 1200 times. There were cheers for Bird when she was introduced, which was nice. Kamila was smiley and so was most of the team - before the game.
 
The Sporks' intro music and video kicked ass. So did the releasing the streamers before and after the game. All the Sporks music kicked major butt. It was so so so tight. Hello, Storm HQ? Can we do these things too?
 
Barfomatic moment: they introduced D-Nasty as "Delisha 'Sunshine' Milton." And then referred to her that way again when she took a free throw. Puh. Leeze. I think not.
 
It was apparently Sophia Witherspoon's birthday. They did a video tribute to her, and jezzie took a pic for Stormfan7. She also got a very warm welcome when she was put in the game at the end of the second half. I guess they like the lil towel-whopper.
 
New Socks called Teasley, "Nikki Weavesely." She also was prone to chant things like "LA blows," during the game.
 
The people in front of us were cool. They had the right idea about being civil in rooting for two different teams. The people behind us heckled us a bit at the end of the second half. But this was mostly due to the fact that jezzie insisted on getting out her umbrella hat (her mom said, "I'm so proud" sarcastically) and New Socks putting on a rain slicker. *sigh*
 
There was a guy sitting second row courtside by our bench that would stand up and make the T for timeout sign with his hands everytime the Sparks would go on a run. I guess he thinks he can coach better than Anne Donovan. What a wanker.
 
At halftime, we called Admin Scott and Stormfan7. After getting some home peep love, we headed to the restroom. On the floor they were playing more good music, which you could hear in the restroom. They were playing Chaka Khan's "I feel for you" - one of my all-time favorites. I was in the stall and started to sing the "waaa" part at the end. At the same time a woman two stalls down started to sing it. We finished together and she says to me, "that was the cut," and I say, "classic old school joint."
 
The Spark kids - equivalent of the Storm dance troup. Of course they were referred to by the announcer as the best hip hop troup around. Nah. Honestly, they weren't that good. They were coordinated and all, but not very creative moves. During their last two (of way too many) court appearances, they somehow started shedding confetti stuff. Players from both teams picked it up the first time - a weird site. The second time the confetti was dropped after a dance number, the mop women rushed on the court, and they were obviously kinda pissed. It was hella funny.
 
It was scary when Adia went down. Donovan tromped across the court and curled her huge frame down into a crouch and sat there until Sheri Hedlund and the strength coach could help Adia up. It was really cool she did that. Adia was helped into the tunnel looking like she was really in pain, but New Socks said she told someone after it was over that she was OK. I really hope that's true.
 
A little while later, Tamecka Dixon also went down clutching her knee. When she got up the announcer said, and I quote, "Tamecka Dixon is now coming out under her own power as one tough Spark." Where's that retching emoticon of Kemikal's?
 
They all did the wave. We declined. I didn't know people still did the wave. Whatevah.
 
More reaching in fouls were called than I can ever remember. What the hell. Never seen the refs before either, so maybe this is why. If we get them again, I'm sure there'll be more for reaching in. Oh, and speaking of fouls, Kamila was back up to normal tonight with 5 undeserved ones. Ditto Lauren with 4.
 
Though some people gave us dirty looks after the game, most people were really nice. We were standing outside and one woman stopped to say nice game, and said that we were the team to watch out for and beware of. I asked, so are people afraid of us and she said yeah. Also said see you in the playoffs, cause you're going. That was pretty dope.
 
Jezzie and I know you would all love New Socks and StorminCali as much as we did. We are trying to convince them to come up to Seattle for some games in non-hostile territory. Would you all help me apply some pressure?
 
Though it wasn't a win, we all had a blast. Plus, I have some really really cool songs stuck in my head now.

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