This Teresa Weatherspoon steal from Ukari Figgs gave the Liberty a perfect opportunity at the end of a game. But Mwadi Mabika stole Weatherspoon's inbounds pass to Tamika Whitmore to secure the win for Los Angeles.
This Teresa Weatherspoon steal from Ukari Figgs gave the Liberty a perfect opportunity at the end of a game. But Mwadi Mabika stole Weatherspoon's inbounds pass to Tamika Whitmore to secure the win for Los Angeles.
LA SPARKS
Starting Five: Lisa Leslie, Delisha Milton, Mwadi Mabika, Tamecka Dixon, and Ukari Figgs
Game Notes: Both teams started out slow but picked it up midway during the first half. As a team, the Sparks showed a fierce intensity and desire that has seemed to evade them in past seasons. Though they had their lapses where they would return to poor decision making equalling wild shots and careless turnovers, they also showed glimpses of greatness. Despite struggling on the offensive end for much of the game, the Sparks proved that they are indeed one of the top teams, if not the top team, in the league. At first the Sparks seemed content to sit back and take any jump shot, and they were unwilling to drive which is one of their strengths that comes with athletic players like Mabika and Dixon. They also were struggling to get the ball inside deep to Lisa Leslie, something that changed in the second half. On the flip side, they showed why they have become a powerhouse. With Milton cutting to the basket for a score off a Leslie assist and other players giving up the ball, it was obvious how much this team has matured and recognized their individual roles. Besides the ocassional bad decision, only one other thing stood out; the Sparks have a tendency to get stuck. It happened a couple of times where they would be trying to work their inside-out game effectively but instead would get stuck in the corner of the floor with defenders easily covering both players. This is the time where players like Mabika can do a swing pass for an open shot on the other side of the floor. Though the Liberty challenged them to the end, the Sparks proved they were capable of putting away a fiery team without their star Lisa Leslie (fouled out).
Player Notes: The Sparks reflected a maturity and togetherness throughout most of the game but at times reverted to their one-on-one play and poor decision making. For the most part though, Los Angeles is a powerful together team. Lisa Leslie had an unusal poor first half struggling to find her shot, but was back to her smooth self in the second half before fouling out near the end of the game. The only weakness it seems in her game was an ocassional quick outside shot out of the offense. Leslie is an amusing player to watch in some ways. You see her get after it, stepping up to the physical play, dominating the inside paint. Then the next frame she's flipping her ponytail through her sweatband, eyeliner unsmudged and lipstick all in place. Her diva-like appearance comes as effortless as her game, complete with attitude but seemingly too cool to care. Or take a look after she is called for a controversial sixth foul. Though obviously frustrated, she huddles her team up, has a word with them, and sits down. A second later she's handed a cup of water and her lips clearly read thank you. Not something you would expect from a star who has fouled out on a questionable call at a crucial point in the game. After a timeout, she could be seen again encouraging and talking to her teammates though at this point she is out of the game. No sulking, a refreshing sight that reflects the new attitude of this team. Then their is her friend and teammate Delisha Milton who also has her two sides; affectionately she has been termed Sunshine and D-Nasty. Milton is one of the big reasons the Sparks are so successful. Her long arms distract anything inside the lane and make her a tenacious defender. They also are a nice aid as she corrals in seemingly uncatchable passes and picks up loose balls of offensive rebounds for an easy score. Her post moves have developed quickly; she uses her muscular but slender build to slide easily between defenders. A quick drop step and up and under moves make her a legitimate threat and an errant elbow or two is usually followed up with a quick smile. Ukari Figgs started at the point spot. She's steady and consistent though she did make a few glaring errors but its easy to see why Cooper prefers her at point. Unselfish to a fault, Figgs is usually relied on to settle the LA's sometimes sporadic offense. Behind her playing some crucial minutes is 3-point specialist and definite "spark" Nicky McCrimmon. McCrimmon was impressive as she backed up Figgs. She has an obvious feel for the game, knowing when to penetrate, how to get the ball to when, etc. Unlike Figgs, McCrimmon isn't afraid to demand the ball and is a 3-point threat who can also finish off penetration. Mwadi Mabika is one of the most skilled, athletes in the league and has become an all-around threat. A quick first step leaves her defenders lurching, and she is fearless when it comes to shooting a three with a defender in her face or driving the lane for an acrobatic shot. She has little weakness in her game as she continues to grow as a player. Her offensive rebounds were crucial as time and again she grabbed the ball from taller players and ended with an athletic finish. Perhaps the two players that best reflect the growth of the Sparks are guards Tamecka Dixon and Allison Feaster. Dixon had undeniable talent but in seasons past was often criticized for her playground style and incessant shooting. This season she seems to have better harnessed or style. Still never afraid to drive the lane and score or pull up for a shot, she now is looking more into the system and is finding other players to score. She has capitalized on her athleticism during fast breaks as she is quick to pull up and knock down a quick jumper on the run. Feaster has adjusted to a lesser role as well but has remained just as effective. Like Dixon her decisions are more team-oriented but she too still recognizes her offensive abilities and has become quite a nice defender. Clarisse Machanguana has to be the kind of player Michael Cooper adores. Though she can score with ease if necessary, she has found her niche as a defensive stopper and has been often turned to to relieve Lisa Leslie. Much like Leslie, Milton, and Mabika, Machanguana is a smooth but physical athlete who is a tenacious rebounder, hustler, and strong defender. The only other player to note is La'Keshia Frett. She didn't get any minutes in the game as usual which is surprising coming from a strong defender who contributed last year.
NY LIBERTY
Starting Five: Tari Phillips, Sue Wicks, Vickie Johnson, Crystal Robinson, and Teresa Weatherspoon
Game Notes: The Liberty started off ice-cold much like the Sparks. As Teresa Weatherspoon put it, their greatest consistency has been their inconsistency. You can see why. New York has plenty of individual talent, but they have few solid players who step up every night. They have a team of unpredictable, talented scorers who will light it up one night, and be ice cold the next. This makes them a dangerous team despite their record. Much of New York's probles seems to be in it's offensive set. Weatherspoon dribbles the ball up top for hours setting the offense up. And then the question is where is the offense? As soon as she passes it up, the ball makes its rounds around the perimeter rarely entered inside before the shot clock winds down. By then the defense is set for any penetration, and New York ends up shooting contested outside shots. With players who can create like Robinson, Weatherspoon, and Hammon, and post players like Tari Phillips and Tamika Whitmore to deliver inside, you would think New York could run a better offense.
Player Notes: New York has some real ballers, no doubt, but they just tend to be too streaky. Teresa Weatherspoon can be effective most definitely, but at times you think she is holding back. Audabato has asked her to be more offensive minded and so Weatherspoon obligingly chucked up some shots. Now Weatherspoon is a capable shooter within the scheme of things, but why doesn't she use her obvious strenght, penetration to score? Half the time she would beat her defender and get in the lane but never look at the basket, just turn her back and kick it out. Everyone knows T-Spoon can finish, or at least draw the foul. In order for NY to be successful, Weatherspoon must be willing to drive more to open up things for the Liberty's offense. And New York certainly seems capable of offense. It's no secret guard Crystal Robinson can shoot. Injuries have forced her to reload, but even though sometimes inconsistent, Robinson must be a main focus in the Liberty offense. Though she is among one of the league's best shooters with her quick release in the face of the defense, she is quick enough to drive and finish or pull up. When her outside shots aren't falling, C-Rob needs to penetrate a little more. Even when her shot is off, Robinson is a creator and has great recognition. She has a knack for finding the open player and put in some sweet passes to Tari Phillips for easy shots. But none of these are possible if she won't drive. Tari Phillips looks at home, she was one of the most impressive Liberty players. First as more of a finesse player, she had the nice duty of shutting down Lisa Leslie. And she did a great job on the defensive end against Leslie. Her low post moves are some to be replicated, from spin moves to the up and under, she knows how to shake off a defender. And for a big post player, she has incredible vision of the floor and had some nice unselfish dishes. Unfortunately, she didn't get the benefit of a few calls when she was swarmed inside, but she proved herself to be a very strong rebounder. The Liberty definitely needs to work the ball into Phillips when she is down low. Otherwise this usually happens: Phillips (or other post) comes out to screen for a guard. The guard attempts to use the screen but cannot, so hands it back to the post. By this time the shot clock is running down and a post has the ball on the perimeter going against times. This results in either a long shot from a post player, or a drive which ends in a turnover. Now as good as Phillips is down low, she isn't meant to be penetrating, thats what Weatherspoon, Robinson, and Co., should be doing!! It's hard not to like Sue Wicks but she seemed out of sync. She hustles, she rebounds, she is a tenacious defender. But at the same time she had poor shot selection (especially that last one-hander from 3!), got herself in foul trouble, and got stuck trying to dribble from the perimeter for a score. Do we see a problem? We have great posts and great guards, but the guards aren't penetrating and the posts are! If New York could set up their offense more quickly, this wouldn't be a problem because it would open up the inside-out play which the Liberty could dominate with. Tamika Whitmore came into the game and provided quite the scoring punch. She is a physical banger but has a nice soft touch around the basket. Her weaknesses seem to be when she looks to draw a foul instead of score, and on the other end, when she gets into foul trouble. Her agressiveness can be great, but it can also hurt. But then again, the Liberty would have loved to see some agressiveness on their inbounds play where Weatherspoon's pass was intercepted by Mabika. Obviously Mabika made an incredibly athletic play from nowhere, but watching it, Whitmore just seemed to be waiting complacently for the ball to come for the easy 2 points instead of going for it. On a different note, guard Becky Hammon looked better than ever. She did what no one else would do, played inside and out. She used her screens effectively, rolling one way then the other before draining a three. Then the next play she would roll off all the way to the basket for a three-point play. This girl can flat out shoot, much like Robinson. If she continues to be aggressive like this game on both end of the floor, it would be tempting to put her in the lineup over struggling Vicky Johnson who could perhaps find her game coming off the bench. All of New York's guards except maybe Weatherspoon are perfectly capable of this style of playing. Robinson and Johnson are both outstanding shooters but scorers as well, whereas Weatherspoon is more the primary creator. New York could be an outstanding team if they figure out an offense. They have all the weapons but aren't utilizing them. In order to win, the Liberty must set up their offense sooner, have their guards play a complete game, and get their posts involved inside and out.
Liberty Side Notes: The Liberty did have their share of excuses from injuries to illness. You may have noticed Sue Wicks retiring wearily to the sidelines during timeouts. Both Wicks and Vickie Johnson have been battling the flu of late. Then during the game Teresa Weatherspoon ended up with a dislocated finger on her right hand after taking a dive into the stands, and inadvertantly a camera man. Made for a nice shot, but T-Spoon could be spotted wincing in pain on the sidelines with ice at one point during the second half.
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