Final score: Storm 81 – Sky 69 (W) (4-3)

Submitted by DwgsStormFan

Game tickets - $40
Heineken - $7.50
Watching Sue Bird keep the Storm in a game (until the rest of the team is ready to step up) - PRICELESS!

And that's what it was. Thank goodness that Sue is realizing that someone has to keep us going when the situation is looking bleak. She did it in Sacramento, and last night in Chicago. (Unfortunately the SAC game didn't turn out as well as last night.)

So the last two weeks I have been in Arco Arena and UIC Pavilion, Clay Bennett - quit crying about the KEY. It's a mansion compared to what we've played in the last few games. Granted, UIC Pavilion is a university's facility, but Arco's insides are old ... ancient looking compared to the KEY. But enough about the buildings. Ok - not. The UIC Pavilion felt like a high school gymnasium, but at least Chicago has a team, and although there aren't many people there - I wouldn't have guessed over 2500, they are loud. Part of it may be that they throw enough t-shirts and balls out so that everyone in the place should have caught one. It's almost non-stop.

The game - well, it was UGLY, at least in the beginning, and from our end. (Chicago looked like the team we're supposed to be.) Our team wasn't focused, couldn't hit a basket, couldn't hang onto a rebound, and could only seem to do one thing right - FOUL. When was the last time we saw Lauren get 3 fouls in a half - and then just as quickly turn around and get a 4th out of the gate of the half. Ugh. And shoot - no way. Her touch was so off last night. Yes, I know she finished with 19 points, but that was primarily in the 2nd half, and a few of them were at the stripe towards the end.

Betty couldn't hit the broad side of a barn - kept running into people much taller than her, was just off her game completely ... again, I might add. She isn't doing well these days.

But Sue Bird - zipping in and out of people, keeping them away from the ball .... and scoring. Oh my - she was such a breath of fresh air. I brought 3 other people with me, one of which had seen us play against Chicago in the Key last year - the other two not at all. One of them was so impressed with what Sue was doing, that she starting cheering for the Storm for the rest of the game - just because Sue was so dazzling last night.

But Katie - Katie Gearlds - there's a different thread asking to weigh in on Katie and where she is. Last night - she MADE IT! She showed us all what she was drafted in to do. What I noticed last night, if she gets the ball and just shoots, she's in. If she dribbles around and then has time to think about it and look for a shot, she either is too late and is no longer open, or she misses. Last night, she kept getting passed the ball, and would just shoot - like those rapid fire 3 point contests they do. It was outstanding. This girl needs more minutes. She still doesn't notice the other opponents around her when she's trying to dribble out of something (or even straight up the court), she is still stolen from. But her shoorting last night - incredible. PRICELESS!

As to the earlier question, was KB in the house - yes she was there. She was sitting behind me about 4 rows up until after half time, when she and the 2 males sitting with her moved down to court-side seats. There were lots of seats open down there - I wanted to holler down to Karen and have her tell the ushers that I needed to be down there too.

So Storm fans, it's another win, albeit a scary one - at least until the 2nd half, when everyone decided to get into the game. I don't know what Anne said at half-time, but something along the lines of get your heads out of your ..... might have been part of the message. She was certainly steaming in the 1st and 2nd quarters.

Tonight will not be so "easy". We have got to have our A-game, and Lauren can't afford to be missing the touch. Last night she was missing chippies, and I don't think she put in a single 3-pointer. Tonight has to be different or we're in for a terrible experience. We need everyone to step up and join Sue in playing agressive Storm ball.

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