Final score: Storm 71 – Comets 64 (W) (17-16)

Attendance | 7786

Anthem Watch | I'm pretty sure "proof" doesn't have an "s" in it.

Fan Psyche | That felt damn good.

Game Highlight | Sue coming out firing to start the game and Simone with a monster rejection to end it.

Halftime | Native American dancers.

Game Photos | Game Photos (Scott Larson)

That was a great game, not just because it helped wash away the nasty taste of a 5-game losing streak but because it was simply a great game. Neither team was able to get a big lead. Both teams had big offensive and defensive plays. The stars for both teams put on a show. People who are critical of us Storm fans can say what they want, but when Arcain, Snow and Thompson were pulling off amazing plays they heard our appreciation.

Before the game, the big discussions centered around how the Storm would come out - down and out, maybe rest the injured and let the bench / developmental players get some PT, or looking to make a statement and play for the win and pride. I think the answer should have been obvious since none of these women are the type to not compete as hard as they can no matter what has already been decided. The Storm certainly did not look down or like a team that had lost some tough games. They were loose and comfortable during the warm-ups and were having their usual fun during the introductions. That was a definite good sign for the game that was about to happen.

Sue started the game shooting tonight which is not what the Comets were expecting and was most probably the game plan. Knowing that the Comets would be doubling LJ non-stop, Coach Donovan must have told Sue to look for her offense early and often to hopefully open things up underneath for LJ. I think it worked as much as it could have. The Comets were still very wary of LJ any time she got into the low post, but she also saw more one-on-one opportunities than she did during the last game in Houston. Later in the game, the Comets were testing Sue's knee by having their guards drive hard to the basket off of high screens forcing Sue into a lot of lateral movement and hard pivots to keep the slashing Houston guards from getting to the basket. They ran that play several times late in the second half and while Sue was successful in keeping up most of the time, she was visibly limping and wincing. I don't fault the Comets for going at Sue when they know she is playing with an injury - our coaching staff would and should do the same thing to our opponents - but it was hard to watch. She was a complete trooper though and played all but 3 minutes of the game.

LJ wasn't able to totally have her way with the Comets' post players because even with the outside shooting from the Storm guards, the Comets were still doubling LJ most of the time. After the game, LJ talked to David Locke and he asked her about the addition of her baseline shot that she used several times in tonight's game. She started to answer that when she does that, "No one can stop her." She stopped and changed it to "They can't double team on the baseline." She was right the first time. One-on-one, no one can stop her regardless of where she is. She had a good battle going on with Michelle Snow and Tina Thompson. When she was being doubled she was passing out and reposting immediately to try and get the single coverage. If she got the ball quickly enough, she was good to go and would make her move. This is one shortfall that I think the Storm perimeter players need to work on - getting the ball into the post player's hands before the defense has a chance to set up. Anyhoo, LJ was still missing from long range, but she was very efficient from inside. She didn't light up the Comets, they did slow her down a bit. She only got 22 instead of 30.

Huge kudos have to go out to the Amanda / Tonya tag team for tonight's game. Not only did they do a great job at defending Sheryl Swoopes, they also both contributed key baskets, rebounds and yet another block for Amanda. I have to say that I like Tonya Massaline's game. She has a great looking shot and she has found her way to rebounds that looked like they were going the other way. Amanda is another one of those players who doesn't get a lot of attention but consistently brings a solid performance each game. The one facet of her game that I think catches her opponents off guard is her shot blocking. It's the kind of unexpected play that can fire up the crowd and fire up the Storm offense. Amanda is #16 in the league in blocked shots.

Simone had another good night as the starting center. She made most of her shots, only missed a couple of free throws, and did okay with the rebounds. The biggest play of the night for Simone wasn't any of that though - it was her monster, putting-some-stank-on-it block in the final seconds of the game that I'm sure she'll be remembering for some time to come. The Comets were trying everything to keep the game from slipping away. I'm not even sure who drove into the lane with the ball - all I saw was Simone's arm come flying out of nowhere to crush the ball and the Comets' hopes for pulling out a win. It was a fantastic play and one that put the crowd into a frenzy. The Comets had to foul the rest of the way to work the clock, but that was pretty much the end of the game. Way to go Simone.

I do have to comment about the Comets a bit. Janeth Arcain, Tina Thompson and Michelle Snow all had great games. All of them hit some big shots. Snow had one play in the first half where she stole a rebound from one of the Storm players, went back up with the ball and missed, got it again and went back up again and hit it - all in just a few seconds. That girl can get some serious air. Janeth can hit anything from anywhere. The slightest bit of open space and she's launching one. Tina was also working hard and was hitting from everywhere. She did have her hands full inside when LJ was guarding her, but she and Janeth both hit some shot clock beating shots that were daggers to the heart. The Storm would play excellent defense and force them into off-balance fade away jumpers and they both kept hitting them. I'm glad the Storm beat them, but still - wow.

The bad news is that the Storm are still out of the playoffs. That was decided and no end of the season heroics are going to change it. The good news is that the Storm are guaranteed at least a 17-17 record and if everything goes according to my plans - crushing the Monarchs so brutally that they still feel it next season - we'll end up at 18-16. A record, by the way, that would guarantee a playoff spot in the East.

Other notes:

The Adia Barnes Foundation got off to a good start tonight with the silent auction. The high item was a pair of game worn Sue Bird shoes which sold for $1,100. The two bidders were a woman who was bidding for her son (I think) and the guy who won the game of Horse with Sue in the Yahoo Breast Health auction. The woman won, but only after the two of them kept writing in bid after bid after bid, with the rest of us egging both of them higher. He finally called it and she got the shoes.

I didn't get his name, but he was a pretty nice guy from New York. He and Sue played the game of Horse on Friday and he said, with a smile, that she kicked his butt. He said that it was a lot of fun and that she was great. He said that when he first made a bid, he only went $500 and intended that to be him limit. A buddy told him that he had been outbid. He couldn't monitor it himself, so he gave his buddy his password and info and let the buddy watch the auction. The next day, his buddy told him that he had won - $2,475.

Speaking of game shoes, Sue was sporting some new yellow heeled shoes tonight. I hope they help with her knees because I don't think the yellow is working. At least she wasn't wearing the super-shiny, neon-enhanced, rubbed-to-a-glistening-sheen-with-baby-oil shoes that Sheryl Swoopes had on. Man, those things were like portable disco lights for your feet.

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