Submitted by | Norwester

Given the fact that this game was nationally televised, I feel a bit less of a burden to provide play-by-play type details. I'll probably still include plenty (because I just can't help myself), but mostly I'm still reeling a bit from the emotional highs and lows, which accounts for the lateness of this report.

I started out the day with my equilibrium already off. It's a good thing TiVo is smarter than I am, because I had it in my mind for some reason that the game started at 1:30, so I arrived at the arena just before noon. Fortunately, this was really no problem. I got my replica ring, stood in some average-length concession lines, and made it to my seat just fine. I know you're relieved. I blame it all on staying up until 2 AM that morning seeing Star Wars. Hence, it was all the more disorienting (and yet amusing) to see a guy in a Storm Trooper uniform in the Key.

I don't want to give anything away, but you know how Anakin becomes Darth Vader? (A spoiler!) That's rather how this game went in my opinion. We started out all "chosen one" with our ring ceremony and banner raising, jumping out to a 19-6 lead, and slowly, bit by bit crumbled from there, despite our best intentions. Not that LA didn't show up to play, particularly in the second half, but I almost feel like we lost rather than they won. It was very reminiscent of the first Finals game in Connecticut last season. Everyone looked out of sorts by the end, jawing at the officials, scowling. Nothing, I mean nothing seemed to be clicking. The offensive possessions with no points just piled up and though we had music and our girls, we had no rhythm. Yeah, I could ask for a lot more.

The ring ceremony wasn't particularly emotional for me, probably because I'm a robot. It was rather sad that so many people (including Adia) declined to appear. I was looking forward to giving her a good send-off. They just poured lemon juice in our collective paper cut by showing a season-5 retrospective-clips montage featuring so many of our missing favorites...and yet, who doesn't like a good montage (no matter how familiar the clips)? There were too many "thank everyone who ever did anything to bring this about." Like the boring part of the Academy Awards. Not that they don't deserve many thanks, particularly all the hard-workers in the organization who put blood, sweat and tears into this team. But just get to the players and coaches already! Well, they finally did to the great appreciation of the fans. It was striking how few players from that team we have left.

The banner-raising rather redeemed this to me, however, despite the fact that I was behind the banner. I guess that's what the arena-vision thing is for. The players were clearly emotional, and it got to you. It was touching. I didn't even feel bitter at the time that we don't apparently get a Western Conference Champions banner. At least I have the t-shirt.

There were some grumblings in the crowd before the game about our Storm players who "took the money and ran" versus all the Sparks players who stuck around. Hmph. These people were a bit off the mark, and that was clear when you saw only like 8 players suited up for LA. I don't know how many injured or foreign-league players they're waiting on, but I think we all know that they play with a lighter roster, and criminally underpay some of their players, in order to keep everyone that they have.

I was very happy to see that there was a flag at center court for the anthem. My neck thanks you. I'm still waiting for the opening video to grow on me. I'm reserving judgment for a couple of games. The smoke and lights in the entrance tunnel as they were bringing out our players was tres cool, though.

Both players missed the opening tip, and I think LJ got clocked, but whatever. We re-jumped, LJ stole the ball, Teasley got called for a travel, and after a bunch of back-and-forth #54 Mandisa Stevenson scored our first points, followed quickly by a Finals!Betty shot. Janell Burse was making her presence felt early, drawing fouls, blocking shots, etc. and we were playing with a lot of energy.

There were early cracks (like Betty lowering that shoulder and driving reminiscent of the beginning of last season, or her old bad habit of driving into the tall trees and having no where to go with her shot or a pass), but we were able to overcome them with tenacious defense and a fairly consistent offense. Sure LJ missed a couple of 3s that bounced high off the iron and over the backboard, but Sue had a nice stop-and-pop jumper that looked smooth and put us up 8-2. LA was forced to call a timeout 4 minutes in after yet another turnover.

Back in play, they switched sides with LJ, and she hit one of her signature 3s, just like old times, with was followed by an offensive foul on LL! Betty followed this with a 3 of her own, and in just 5 minutes we were up 14-2.

Things seemed to go fairly smoothly for the next few minutes, despite some offensive missteps. Whitmore was flopping like a fish out there, and there were some LJ-LL foul trade-offs. But they (the refs) were leaving JB alone early, and she had some monster blocks. There were several possessions where we got a fast break, or a handful of offensive rebounds in a row with no conversion, but usually these problems were smoothed over by plays like LJ forcing Chamique to turn the ball over, a JB block, or an offensive foul on LA. Interspersed with game play, there were bits like the hilarious "60-second Fast Break" with Sue Bird where they asked her a bunch of questions and she responded with answers like Elaine being her favorite Seinfeld character, and then mimicked Elaine's dance! They even obliged her by showing a clip of Elaine dancing. So needless to say, the crowd remained in high spirits.

With around 9 minutes to go LA began to find a better rhythm of their own, and we stopped being able to live in denial about our disjointed offense. Our fast breaks never went anywhere. We got 3-seconds calls more than once. At around 6 minutes Zara (#7) checked in as back-up point guard. It wasn't all her fault, but besides a 3 by Chelle making it 22-10 (our second-to-last of the half), we were getting very sloppy with the ball.

I think this was bad-timing on the part of the Storm Hip Hop Squad for their debut during a break in game play. With the audience already a bit uneasy, a lot of people were wondering where the little kids were, worried that this was all we'd get in the future as far as dancing for our entertainment, so the reception the SHHS got was a little bit luke warm. Not their fault, though. I thought they were pretty tight.

A minute or so later the Sparks entered the penalty, sending Betty to the line. She made 1/2: 23-14, Storm. We were not hitting our free throws with much consistency either. Zara had some butter fingers, Betty drove into the trees, something Tanisha Wright (#30) also did repeatedly. We consistently got offensive rebound after offensive rebound within a single possession that went nowhere. #30 Tanisha Wright came in with a lot of energy to snag rebounds, but her offense was lacking. With three minutes to go we were clinging to a 3-point lead, 23-30. Our unfortunate strategy at this point seemed to be committing repeated turnovers, forcing Coach Donovan to call another timeout.

We were a bit heartened by the return of the Storm Dance Troupe. A couple of the girls tarted it up by tying knots in the back of their t-shirts, and I'm just not partial to the one-pant-leg-scrunched-up look (it's probably the OCD in me), but it was good to see them.

We opened up game play again with an LJ 3 to make the score a bit more comfortable at 26-20, but then the dreaded LL followed this by converting an &1, a crap foul was called on Janell for a block as clean as any in the game to that point, and we entered the penalty with 54 seconds to go. During this spate of foul-calling to even up the foul count (I guess) the Sparks hit their free throws, and Teasley gave them the lead for the first time 27-26.

Simone played with much energy off the bench. She came in, converted a bucket or so each time. At this point she hit 1/2 free throws, tying us back up at 27, but after getting another 3-second call and throwing it away, the half ended. LJ hit the deck several times during game play, and seemed to have heating pads or something on her legs while on the bench. I could only imagine the talk AD was going to give them in the locker room.

HT: 27-29, LA

The Beale Street Flippers were pretty cool. Later in the program during the fan dance when Doppler was trying to get individual small children to follow his dance-move lead a little girl came out and suddenly did a bunch of back hand springs. Didn't she do the same thing last year? It still amused me...but I think she's a ringer.

The most significant stats I noticed when they flashed them up on the screen during the half were the fact that LA was 7/7 from the line, vs our sad 3/6 performance, that we were 4/16 from the three-point line, and they outscored us 20-6 in the paint! Both teams shot a miserable 31% (LA) and 28% (Storm) from the floor. The unfortunate thing was that we shot even more poorly in the second half.

The second half didn't even start auspiciously. We usually come out with a burst of energy and scoring, but it wasn't until Betty finally scored after 3 minutes of play that the crowd was able to sit down. 29-34, LA. Sue Bird was called for a crap foul that I think should have been a charge (but I was on the other side of the court, and I haven't watched it on TV yet). Still, I can be biased, and it left me wondering how long a player must camp out before LA gets called for the charge?! At this point is was Storm 4 team fouls, LA 0.

There were moments of hope. We crawled to within 5 when Sue went to the line, and LL got called for her 4th personal foul as Betty converted an &1, followed by a Betty 3 not much later. 39-44, LA. But LA always had thuggery on defense to fall back on, or the offensive answer. LJ looked totally out of sorts out there. Mostly she floated around the perimeter for missed-3 after missed-3. She was at 8 points and as time wound down along with our chances for a comeback, our only bright spot was the possibility (in vain as it turns out) that she'd reach double-digits. She rarely posted up, and when she did either the ball never reached her, or she would get hacked to the floor with no call. And it's not like she's a flopper like certain players I could name.

With 13 minutes to go we were sitting on a 5-2 foul discrepancy, and a Nikki Teasley 3 put LA up 39-51. Oy. Our players were lacking any focus, complaining to the refs, playing with no cohesiveness or chemistry.

With 9 minutes remaining we couldn't have hit water if we fell off a boat. I don't look up stats before I write these (the half-time ones I get off the arena-vision thing), but I have to think our FG% hovered somewhere in the 20s. Dixon got called for her 5th off the no-touch rule and nearly picked up a T for jawing at the ref...we can only wish.

The hits kept coming as LJ got called for charging (please), then for elbowing Teasley less than two minutes later (her 4th). With five minutes remaining it was 40-55 LA, and while possible that we would make a come-back, it was looking more and more unlikely. And to top it off LJ just couldn't find her outside touch. I was actually glad that she kept shooting, but wished they'd have run her more inside.

With three minutes remaining there was a jump ball with an officials time-out because LJ had what I guess was a bloody lip or something. I'm sure you section 113 fans can (and perhaps already have) filled us in on that account. She's bleeding, but it's a foul on her with 2 minutes to go. Whatever. Sue made a lay-up, LJ passed the ball to Betty at the end instead of trying for a total desperation shot, and the game was over. Alas.

I'm actually more broken up about ending an 84-game streak than losing one game, even if it is against LA. I accept no responsibility for jinxing us, despite mentioning the "streak" in my last game report. This is basketball, not baseball where you can never talk about anything.

I was pleased that the Pirate Guy began leading spontaneous crowd chants in the second half. You can see that this team will need a lot of work. We are not the same team as last year (and nothing illustrated it more than the small number of players in the pre-game ceremonies). But we of course have potential. It will be interesting to see where the coaching staff and players take us this season, because we have our work cut out for us. I have faith, though, and am very happy to have the season opened.

Etc.:

I got 25% off of concessions, so I guess they're reinstituting that.

As I stood in line to get my bottle of water I glanced at the TV feed behind the counter. There, front and center, was a vapidly-smiling LL, looking around, practicing her facial expressions, holding a mic. I guess she was waiting for her cue, or whatever, but meanwhile it was alternately hilarious and disturbing for those of us in line.

The "item of the game" was a $12 hat. I guess we'll see a season-long fluctuation in these prices now depending on the product.

The courtside seats still have nice covers even though the Sonics season has ended, and they even have Storm logos!

The Scout who was selling the Sue Band-Aids last season was with his father (I presume) down at the end of my aisle trying to get the attention of the Storm organization. They then wandered over to Section 113. I wonder what ever happened with them, or what they were after?

I miss the fan instruction video before the game; perhaps they're still refining it along with our roster. But no Aussie, Aussie, Aussie cheer? No high-fiving the fan next to you? There's a hole, is all I'm saying.

I don't know how the half-empty upper bowl qualifies for a sell-out. But what do I know?

Question most heard in the crowd: LL clearly has skills, so why does she have to be so mean on top of that?

It seems like every time I bring someone to a game, we lose. Hopefully that's a streak that ends soon.

1 | 2