Final: Asjha Jones scored 21 points and Lindsay Whalen registered 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, but the Connecticut Sun fell to the Detroit Shock, 88-82, Tuesday at the Palace at Auburn Hills.
Plenette Piersen led five Detroit players in double figures with 23 points as the Shock (13-6) overtook Connecticut (13-7) for first place in the East, captured the season series between the two teams and sent the Sun to consecutive losses for the first time this season.
Other key factors: The Sun were outrebounded, 35-25,and outside Amber Holt (12 points), no other Connecticut player scored in double figures. Detroit meanwhile got 17 points from Katie Smith and 16 apiece from Cheryl Ford and Deanna Nolan.
Half: Jones, Sun lead Shock at half: Asjha Jones has 16 points, Amber Holt has seven and the Sun lead the Detroit Shock, 45-42, at the half at the Palace at Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. Plenette Pierson leads the Shock with 11 points.
The Sun got off to a solid start, riding the strength of its reserves late in the first quarter to a 24-19 lead by the end of the frame. Jones continues to have good success against Detroit this season. She had 20 points in the teams' first match-up, 14 points in the first half last time at Detroit and is shooting 8-of-12 so far tonight.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Two in the hand ...
The Sun and Shock tip off in about 30 minutes in Auburn Hills, Mich. I, like most of you, am back here in Connecticut awaiting two things from this game: Can the Sun clinch the season series against Detroit (they're tied 1-1), giving them a major leg-up down the road if they can stay in contention for one of the conference's top seeds in the playoffs? And, two, can they start a game off well?
A key to winning on the road is taking the crowd out early. The Sun have rarely accomplished that, and have made many of their road wins more difficult than need be because of poor starts. Once the league's last unbeaten team on the road, Connecticut is now 5-4 away from Mohegan (where it's compiled a conference-best eight wins). Detroit, meanwhile, hasn't lost yet at the Palace (7-0). If players like Tamika Whitmore and Barbara Turner especially can start hot, that can make a big difference for everyone else, as Turner is Connecticut's top deep threat and Whitmore usually plays better when she's shooting well early. That will also help to open things up inside for Asjha Jones and Lindsay Whalen, when she's driving.
Speaking of Whalen, no word yet (as of 6:30 p.m. ET) of the selection committee's announcement on the final three players who'll be named to the Olympic team. Whalen is a candidate — and a Seattle Times report said she is expected to — but because of overseas commitments, her wedding and other factors this past offseason, she was unable to attend many Olympic camps and tournaments, which may ultimately push her to alternate status. Sun coach Mike Thibault, also an assistant for the U.S. team, said his sense is Whalen will be an alternate, but he also may be playing his cards close as he also declined to name the three players he thinks will make it. (As an assistant, Thibault is not part of the selection committee directly.)
"I'm just trying to focus on what we're trying to do here," Whalen said, referring to the Sun's season. Swin Cash told the Seattle Times in the same report late last week that she had gotten a phone call last Tuesday informing she hadn't made the team, nor will she be an alternate.
The scout box for tonight's game is below, but first, Diana Taurasi surpassed 3,000 points in her career Tuesday by scoring 30 in Phoenix's 99-94 win over Houston. I was on hand for the Sun game three years ago when Nykesha Sales surpassed the 3,000-point plateau in her career. I was covering the game for the Register (I was an intern then), and to tell you the truth, that article probably helped me land the job here at the Bulletin. If Sales did play this year, she would have needed just 46 points to surpass 4,000 for her career.
Also, WNBA.com released its weekly power rankings. The Sun are No. 3, with Western Conference-leading San Antonio moving up to No. 1.
CONNECTICUT SUN at DETROIT SHOCK
7:30 p.m. today
The Palace at Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich.
Records: Connecticut 13-6; Detroit 12-6.
Last game: Connecticut lost Saturday to Indiana, 81-74; Detroit lost July 1 to San Antonio, 79-72.
Next game: Connecticut plays at Washington on Sunday; Detroit hosts Washington on Friday.
Internet: www.connecticutsun.com
Series: Detroit leads the all-time series, 19-14, and the teams have split the season series thus far. Connecticut beat Detroit on June 24, 85-68, at Mohegan, while Detroit won two days later at home, 70-61.
Injuries: Connecticut—none reported. Detroit—Elaine Powell (left foot sprain, day-to-day); Plenette Pierson (right knee sprain, day-to-day).
Scouting report: Connecticut is 9-2 when Asjha Jones, Lindsay Whalen and Tamika Whitmore all score in double figures, though that second loss came Saturday. The Sun are 4-4 when at least one of the three does not. ... The Sun are the second youngest team in the WNBA, with an average age of 25 years, eight days. Only the New York Liberty are younger (24 years, 19 days). ... Though listed on the injury report, Plenette Pierson played 22 minutes in Detroit’s last game, scoring 16 points. The Shock have also been off for the last week. ... All three of the Sun and Shock's match-ups this season have come with the teams in first and second place, respectively, in the Eastern Conference.
Connecticut
22 Barbara Turner 9.5
15 Asjha Jones 16.6
00 Tamika Whitmore 13.0
13 Lindsay Whalen 14.4
1 Amber Holt 5.8
Connecticut reserves
7 Sandrine Gruda 6.1
33 Jolene Anderson 4.9
10 Jamie Carey 3.6
Detroit
30 Katie Smith 15.9
35 Cheryl Ford 8.4
34 Tasha Humphrey 6.9
14 Deanna Nolan 14.7
55 Sheri Sam 2.9
Detroit reserves
23 Plenette Pierson 11.1
45 Kara Braxton 9.1
22 Alexis Hornbuckle 6.2
A key to winning on the road is taking the crowd out early. The Sun have rarely accomplished that, and have made many of their road wins more difficult than need be because of poor starts. Once the league's last unbeaten team on the road, Connecticut is now 5-4 away from Mohegan (where it's compiled a conference-best eight wins). Detroit, meanwhile, hasn't lost yet at the Palace (7-0). If players like Tamika Whitmore and Barbara Turner especially can start hot, that can make a big difference for everyone else, as Turner is Connecticut's top deep threat and Whitmore usually plays better when she's shooting well early. That will also help to open things up inside for Asjha Jones and Lindsay Whalen, when she's driving.
Speaking of Whalen, no word yet (as of 6:30 p.m. ET) of the selection committee's announcement on the final three players who'll be named to the Olympic team. Whalen is a candidate — and a Seattle Times report said she is expected to — but because of overseas commitments, her wedding and other factors this past offseason, she was unable to attend many Olympic camps and tournaments, which may ultimately push her to alternate status. Sun coach Mike Thibault, also an assistant for the U.S. team, said his sense is Whalen will be an alternate, but he also may be playing his cards close as he also declined to name the three players he thinks will make it. (As an assistant, Thibault is not part of the selection committee directly.)
"I'm just trying to focus on what we're trying to do here," Whalen said, referring to the Sun's season. Swin Cash told the Seattle Times in the same report late last week that she had gotten a phone call last Tuesday informing she hadn't made the team, nor will she be an alternate.
The scout box for tonight's game is below, but first, Diana Taurasi surpassed 3,000 points in her career Tuesday by scoring 30 in Phoenix's 99-94 win over Houston. I was on hand for the Sun game three years ago when Nykesha Sales surpassed the 3,000-point plateau in her career. I was covering the game for the Register (I was an intern then), and to tell you the truth, that article probably helped me land the job here at the Bulletin. If Sales did play this year, she would have needed just 46 points to surpass 4,000 for her career.
Also, WNBA.com released its weekly power rankings. The Sun are No. 3, with Western Conference-leading San Antonio moving up to No. 1.
CONNECTICUT SUN at DETROIT SHOCK
7:30 p.m. today
The Palace at Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich.
Records: Connecticut 13-6; Detroit 12-6.
Last game: Connecticut lost Saturday to Indiana, 81-74; Detroit lost July 1 to San Antonio, 79-72.
Next game: Connecticut plays at Washington on Sunday; Detroit hosts Washington on Friday.
Internet: www.connecticutsun.com
Series: Detroit leads the all-time series, 19-14, and the teams have split the season series thus far. Connecticut beat Detroit on June 24, 85-68, at Mohegan, while Detroit won two days later at home, 70-61.
Injuries: Connecticut—none reported. Detroit—Elaine Powell (left foot sprain, day-to-day); Plenette Pierson (right knee sprain, day-to-day).
Scouting report: Connecticut is 9-2 when Asjha Jones, Lindsay Whalen and Tamika Whitmore all score in double figures, though that second loss came Saturday. The Sun are 4-4 when at least one of the three does not. ... The Sun are the second youngest team in the WNBA, with an average age of 25 years, eight days. Only the New York Liberty are younger (24 years, 19 days). ... Though listed on the injury report, Plenette Pierson played 22 minutes in Detroit’s last game, scoring 16 points. The Shock have also been off for the last week. ... All three of the Sun and Shock's match-ups this season have come with the teams in first and second place, respectively, in the Eastern Conference.
Connecticut
22 Barbara Turner 9.5
15 Asjha Jones 16.6
00 Tamika Whitmore 13.0
13 Lindsay Whalen 14.4
1 Amber Holt 5.8
Connecticut reserves
7 Sandrine Gruda 6.1
33 Jolene Anderson 4.9
10 Jamie Carey 3.6
Detroit
30 Katie Smith 15.9
35 Cheryl Ford 8.4
34 Tasha Humphrey 6.9
14 Deanna Nolan 14.7
55 Sheri Sam 2.9
Detroit reserves
23 Plenette Pierson 11.1
45 Kara Braxton 9.1
22 Alexis Hornbuckle 6.2
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Long time, no see
Alright, I never intended for this to happen, but here I am, back on the blog for the first time since late Tuesday. Sorry about the extended absence. But I do have a few excuses: One, I had a chunk of the holiday break off, which was spent filtering in and out of the office, in and out of Connecticut and for a couple days there, putting together one of the longest pieces I've written while at the Bulletin: a look into the friendship of Asjha Jones and Tamika Raymond, who are finally on the same team after six years apart and have impacted each other immensely in coming back together. Check it out. If it's as fun to read as it was to put together, then I think it serves it's purpose.
As for everything Connecticut Sun basketball: With Saturday's 81-74 loss to Indiana, the Sun have officially fell into a rut. They've lost 3-5, are playing .500 ball (5-5) since June 13 and have now lost the season series to the Fever, who at 9-8 are keeping in striking range at third place in the conference.
There are several reasons to point to:
(1) Opponents. Since June 18, Connecticut has faced an improving Phoenix team twice and both times, Diana Taurasi was firing on all cylinders. They also played at Detroit (the second best team in the East and perhaps the league), needed overtime to beat an Atlanta team desperate for win (and it finally got one Saturday), and most recently, fell to Indiana, who is turning into a bugaboo for the Sun. After winning 16 of 21 match-ups, the Sun now have dropped their last four to the Fever, including two in last year's playoffs. With the season series already decided, the teams meet again at Conseco Fieldhouse on August 28 for the first game back after the Olympic break.
Also the Fever got an unlikely offensive source during Saturday's win. Tully Bevilaqua (she of all of 6.2 points per game) hit all five 3s she took to finish with 17 points. She ignited the opening period, making 3-of-3 to start the game, and then plucked away at certain points late. Take away her night and the Sun make a few more 3s (conceivable, considering they 2-of-17) it's a different game.
But that's all shoulda, woulda, coulda.
(2) Youth. The Sun are young, inexperienced and full of rookies. A lull is expected at some point in the season, and this is largely it. Fortunately for the Sun, they've managed to hold the top spot because other teams are going through the same thing. For example, Detroit, which also plays three rookies regularly, have also lost three of five. In one of those games, Tasha Humphrey, Alexis Hornbucle and Olayinka Sanni combined for one point. In another loss, they combined for zero.
On the flip-side, the league's most experienced teams are surging. San Antonio and Seattle both have won three straight, pulling them in line with Los Angeles (which has lost three straight), while Houston has won eight of 10. The Comets are also relying on rookies (especially Matee Ajavon and Erica White) but neither are starting regularly and they have very-veteran players at those same positions (think Pee Wee Johnson).
(3) Shooting. Obviously, every team has its own problems outside of struggling rookies that will explain slip-ups and some teams are doing things that transcend basic experience. The Sun's been hurt by shooting woes in certain areas (they outshot Indiana, 44.8 percent to 38.8, overall, but of course, missed 15-of-17 from 3 and made 12 free throws to Indiana's 21). And at times, there have been defensive lapses. Sun coach Mike Thibault said Saturday he may have made a coaching mistake but switching between man-to-man defense and zone.
But if you take the last three losses, if the Sun simply shot better in one area, it would have made a difference. They started out poorly at Detroit, couldn't hit all game against Phoenix (35.4 percent, 6-of-28 from 3) and then, Saturday was Saturday. Sometimes it's as simple as that. The Sun have good outside shooters, but players like Barbara Turner and rookies Amber Holt and Kerri Gardin can tend to be streaky. That also includes post players like Tamika Whitmore and Asjha Jones, who at times settle too much from the outside, which adds to the team's woes when, A) they're not hitting, and B) no one's underneath to rebound because its post players were the ones shooting.
Now it's on to Detroit, a huge game that will decide the season series and undoubtedly play a major role later in the season as far as tie-breakers. I'll have more on this tomorrow and Tuesday.
As for everything Connecticut Sun basketball: With Saturday's 81-74 loss to Indiana, the Sun have officially fell into a rut. They've lost 3-5, are playing .500 ball (5-5) since June 13 and have now lost the season series to the Fever, who at 9-8 are keeping in striking range at third place in the conference.
There are several reasons to point to:
(1) Opponents. Since June 18, Connecticut has faced an improving Phoenix team twice and both times, Diana Taurasi was firing on all cylinders. They also played at Detroit (the second best team in the East and perhaps the league), needed overtime to beat an Atlanta team desperate for win (and it finally got one Saturday), and most recently, fell to Indiana, who is turning into a bugaboo for the Sun. After winning 16 of 21 match-ups, the Sun now have dropped their last four to the Fever, including two in last year's playoffs. With the season series already decided, the teams meet again at Conseco Fieldhouse on August 28 for the first game back after the Olympic break.
Also the Fever got an unlikely offensive source during Saturday's win. Tully Bevilaqua (she of all of 6.2 points per game) hit all five 3s she took to finish with 17 points. She ignited the opening period, making 3-of-3 to start the game, and then plucked away at certain points late. Take away her night and the Sun make a few more 3s (conceivable, considering they 2-of-17) it's a different game.
But that's all shoulda, woulda, coulda.
(2) Youth. The Sun are young, inexperienced and full of rookies. A lull is expected at some point in the season, and this is largely it. Fortunately for the Sun, they've managed to hold the top spot because other teams are going through the same thing. For example, Detroit, which also plays three rookies regularly, have also lost three of five. In one of those games, Tasha Humphrey, Alexis Hornbucle and Olayinka Sanni combined for one point. In another loss, they combined for zero.
On the flip-side, the league's most experienced teams are surging. San Antonio and Seattle both have won three straight, pulling them in line with Los Angeles (which has lost three straight), while Houston has won eight of 10. The Comets are also relying on rookies (especially Matee Ajavon and Erica White) but neither are starting regularly and they have very-veteran players at those same positions (think Pee Wee Johnson).
(3) Shooting. Obviously, every team has its own problems outside of struggling rookies that will explain slip-ups and some teams are doing things that transcend basic experience. The Sun's been hurt by shooting woes in certain areas (they outshot Indiana, 44.8 percent to 38.8, overall, but of course, missed 15-of-17 from 3 and made 12 free throws to Indiana's 21). And at times, there have been defensive lapses. Sun coach Mike Thibault said Saturday he may have made a coaching mistake but switching between man-to-man defense and zone.
But if you take the last three losses, if the Sun simply shot better in one area, it would have made a difference. They started out poorly at Detroit, couldn't hit all game against Phoenix (35.4 percent, 6-of-28 from 3) and then, Saturday was Saturday. Sometimes it's as simple as that. The Sun have good outside shooters, but players like Barbara Turner and rookies Amber Holt and Kerri Gardin can tend to be streaky. That also includes post players like Tamika Whitmore and Asjha Jones, who at times settle too much from the outside, which adds to the team's woes when, A) they're not hitting, and B) no one's underneath to rebound because its post players were the ones shooting.
Now it's on to Detroit, a huge game that will decide the season series and undoubtedly play a major role later in the season as far as tie-breakers. I'll have more on this tomorrow and Tuesday.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
OT, DT and Three T's
Yes, it's been a crazy few games for the Sun. First it was an unexpected overtime battle with the Atlanta Dream on Friday. Then, Diana Taurasi rolled in, scored 25 points and blew sarcastic kisses to the crowd in the waning seconds of a Phoenix win. And finally, three Sun players received technicals in less than five minutes in the third quarter Tuesday -- only to go on a 10-2 run to finish the period en route to a 78-68 win over the Houston Comets.
When you go by X's and O's, the Sun improved to 13-5 because of three things:
(1) Employing a bigger lineup of Tamika Whitmore, Asjha Jones and Sandrine Gruda for most of the second half, Connecticut was able to limit Houston's rebounds and reduce the effectiveness of Michelle Snow and Sancho Lyttle, while putting Lyttle into foul trouble. (She later fouled out.) Gruda also hit several key shots, finishing with a career-high 14 points and Jones, as usual, was effective, registering 15 points and eight rebounds.
(2) The Sun shot far better in the second half (45.2 percent, 48 points) than compared to the first (36.4 percent, 30 points). Mike Thibault said Monday that sometimes people make this game far more complicated than it is. The point is to put the ball in the hoop. The Sun did that in the final two quarters.
(3) When Lindsay Whalen is playing well, the Sun are. She scored 13 points in the second half, grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists. For the game, she had nine assists, pushing her career total to 744, breaking the Sun's franchise mark of 737, held by current Houston guard Shannon Johnson.
"I think everybody keyed in on it, everybody started hitting the boards, making shots and making plays," said Barbara Turner, who scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds in her first regular-season game against her former team. "A lot of that had to do with our captain and our leader over there (referring to Whalen). She controlled the game really well."
But, of course, most of the post-game questions were about the technical fouls, including: Had anyone ever seen three technical fouls called in one quarter before?
"No," Tamika Raymond said bluntly.
"If anyone gets the tech it’s usually Coach (Mike Thibault)," Lindsay Whalen said. "I don’t know what to say about it."
Here's the description of what happened. First, with Jones: Taking an up-court pass from Barbara Turner, Jones went in for a lay-up but was hit while being blocked from behind by Hamchetou Maiga-Ba with 5:15 to play in the third quarter. The referees only saw the latter part of that sequence, even when Jones went flying into the cameraman behind the basket, and the forward shot up, got in the face of referee Marat Kogut to argue her case and promptly earned a technical.
"I’ve been pretty quiet all season, but I couldn’t hold back on that one," Jones said. "I was upset and I had to get it out. I ended up into the camera so I wasn’t happy about that."
Less than three minutes later, Lindsay Whalen drove through the right part of the lane, split a pair of defenders and scooped in a lay-up attempt that rolled out. She appeared to draw contact. Latasha Byears rebounded the miss and as the Comets started to push it up the floor, Kogut blew his whistle and gave Whalen a technical.
Asked of what she did to earn it, Whalen said, "I think I kind of raised my hands," she said. "I think it was a gesture. Probably was a little too aggressive in what I said and how I said it more than anything."
"So you did say something?" Whalen was asked.
"I don’t remember," she said, shrugging her shoulders and putting on a wry smile. "It was a momentary lapse."
With 28.2 seconds left in the quarter, Whitmore stepped in front of Byears near the free throw line and appeared to draw the charge but instead was called for a blocking
foul. She didn't approach the ref to argue, but instead sat on the floor with her arms folded, got up with help from a few teammates, though she looked highly agitated, and stood there in silent defiance, perhaps making a comment or two to the three or four teammates around her before referee Cameron Inouye T'd her up.
"Whit’s was weird," Jones said of the technical foul. "She was kind of in a group of our teammates when she got hers. So I don’t even know if that was warranted. She was amongst teammates and she didn’t go toward a referee or anything. I don’t know about that one."
Afterward, Thibault said, "I don't even want to talk about the technicals because I don’t think two of them were warranted," most likely referring to Whalen's and Whitmore's calls.
"That’s my own opinion," Thibault added. "Sometimes those guys (the officials) have to walk away. They have to learn to walk away, too. Especially on a very controversial play. If a player hasn’t cursed them and hasn’t gotten in their face, then they need to walk away, just like players do, too."
Afterward in the locker room, past all the reporters' questions about the T's, the players were talking about it, too.
"Hey Barb," Tamika Raymond asked. "Did you get a tech yet?" Turner did, at Detroit last week.
Despite all that controversy, the Sun persevered. They ended the Comets' four-game win streak, and with Detroit's loss to in overtime to San Antonio, they own the league's and the East's best record. In their five-game-in-eight-day stretch, they also finished 3-2, not bad considering the circumstances. They'll now enjoy a day off Wednesday and travel on the 4th of July in preparation for Saturday's game at Indiana.
"It was a great (second) half," Jamie Carey said of Tuesday's game. "It did get a little heated there in the third quarter, but I think that's good. It made people more focused."
A few other quick notes: (1) The Sun are 8-2 at home. Last year, they started 1-6. ... (2) Tamika Whitmore was limited offensively, scoring four points on 2-of-9 shooting. Asked of what he thought was behind her struggles, Thibault said, "I don't have an answer for that." He added he would have to look over film to identify why Whitmore hasn't been producing more. Before Friday's 28-point performance against the Dream, Whitmore had failed to score in double figures in four straight games. (3) Asjha Jones has taken over the team lead in rebounding (6.2 to Whalen's 6.0 per game.) (4) Jamie Carey sandwiched two misses from 3 in the fourth quarter Tuesday around two huge makes, hitting one a trey to put the Sun up 64-60 with 5:19 to play in the game and later, one with 1:21 left that made it 72-67. The second all but sealed the Sun's win.
"Every shot you shoot you expect to make and everything is magnified in the stretch," said Carey, who looked visibly frustrated on the bench after her second miss. "You just want it to go down."
Carey, by the way, has continued to be solid off the bench this season. She's hit 16-of-42 3s (38.1 percent), is averaging 3.7 points (but has 10 and nine in her last two games) and is tied with the fewest turnovers on the team with Ketia Swanier, though she's played more than double the minutes of the rookie.
When you go by X's and O's, the Sun improved to 13-5 because of three things:
(1) Employing a bigger lineup of Tamika Whitmore, Asjha Jones and Sandrine Gruda for most of the second half, Connecticut was able to limit Houston's rebounds and reduce the effectiveness of Michelle Snow and Sancho Lyttle, while putting Lyttle into foul trouble. (She later fouled out.) Gruda also hit several key shots, finishing with a career-high 14 points and Jones, as usual, was effective, registering 15 points and eight rebounds.
(2) The Sun shot far better in the second half (45.2 percent, 48 points) than compared to the first (36.4 percent, 30 points). Mike Thibault said Monday that sometimes people make this game far more complicated than it is. The point is to put the ball in the hoop. The Sun did that in the final two quarters.
(3) When Lindsay Whalen is playing well, the Sun are. She scored 13 points in the second half, grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists. For the game, she had nine assists, pushing her career total to 744, breaking the Sun's franchise mark of 737, held by current Houston guard Shannon Johnson.
"I think everybody keyed in on it, everybody started hitting the boards, making shots and making plays," said Barbara Turner, who scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds in her first regular-season game against her former team. "A lot of that had to do with our captain and our leader over there (referring to Whalen). She controlled the game really well."
But, of course, most of the post-game questions were about the technical fouls, including: Had anyone ever seen three technical fouls called in one quarter before?
"No," Tamika Raymond said bluntly.
"If anyone gets the tech it’s usually Coach (Mike Thibault)," Lindsay Whalen said. "I don’t know what to say about it."
Here's the description of what happened. First, with Jones: Taking an up-court pass from Barbara Turner, Jones went in for a lay-up but was hit while being blocked from behind by Hamchetou Maiga-Ba with 5:15 to play in the third quarter. The referees only saw the latter part of that sequence, even when Jones went flying into the cameraman behind the basket, and the forward shot up, got in the face of referee Marat Kogut to argue her case and promptly earned a technical.
"I’ve been pretty quiet all season, but I couldn’t hold back on that one," Jones said. "I was upset and I had to get it out. I ended up into the camera so I wasn’t happy about that."
Less than three minutes later, Lindsay Whalen drove through the right part of the lane, split a pair of defenders and scooped in a lay-up attempt that rolled out. She appeared to draw contact. Latasha Byears rebounded the miss and as the Comets started to push it up the floor, Kogut blew his whistle and gave Whalen a technical.
Asked of what she did to earn it, Whalen said, "I think I kind of raised my hands," she said. "I think it was a gesture. Probably was a little too aggressive in what I said and how I said it more than anything."
"So you did say something?" Whalen was asked.
"I don’t remember," she said, shrugging her shoulders and putting on a wry smile. "It was a momentary lapse."
With 28.2 seconds left in the quarter, Whitmore stepped in front of Byears near the free throw line and appeared to draw the charge but instead was called for a blocking
foul. She didn't approach the ref to argue, but instead sat on the floor with her arms folded, got up with help from a few teammates, though she looked highly agitated, and stood there in silent defiance, perhaps making a comment or two to the three or four teammates around her before referee Cameron Inouye T'd her up.
"Whit’s was weird," Jones said of the technical foul. "She was kind of in a group of our teammates when she got hers. So I don’t even know if that was warranted. She was amongst teammates and she didn’t go toward a referee or anything. I don’t know about that one."
Afterward, Thibault said, "I don't even want to talk about the technicals because I don’t think two of them were warranted," most likely referring to Whalen's and Whitmore's calls.
"That’s my own opinion," Thibault added. "Sometimes those guys (the officials) have to walk away. They have to learn to walk away, too. Especially on a very controversial play. If a player hasn’t cursed them and hasn’t gotten in their face, then they need to walk away, just like players do, too."
Afterward in the locker room, past all the reporters' questions about the T's, the players were talking about it, too.
"Hey Barb," Tamika Raymond asked. "Did you get a tech yet?" Turner did, at Detroit last week.
Despite all that controversy, the Sun persevered. They ended the Comets' four-game win streak, and with Detroit's loss to in overtime to San Antonio, they own the league's and the East's best record. In their five-game-in-eight-day stretch, they also finished 3-2, not bad considering the circumstances. They'll now enjoy a day off Wednesday and travel on the 4th of July in preparation for Saturday's game at Indiana.
"It was a great (second) half," Jamie Carey said of Tuesday's game. "It did get a little heated there in the third quarter, but I think that's good. It made people more focused."
A few other quick notes: (1) The Sun are 8-2 at home. Last year, they started 1-6. ... (2) Tamika Whitmore was limited offensively, scoring four points on 2-of-9 shooting. Asked of what he thought was behind her struggles, Thibault said, "I don't have an answer for that." He added he would have to look over film to identify why Whitmore hasn't been producing more. Before Friday's 28-point performance against the Dream, Whitmore had failed to score in double figures in four straight games. (3) Asjha Jones has taken over the team lead in rebounding (6.2 to Whalen's 6.0 per game.) (4) Jamie Carey sandwiched two misses from 3 in the fourth quarter Tuesday around two huge makes, hitting one a trey to put the Sun up 64-60 with 5:19 to play in the game and later, one with 1:21 left that made it 72-67. The second all but sealed the Sun's win.
"Every shot you shoot you expect to make and everything is magnified in the stretch," said Carey, who looked visibly frustrated on the bench after her second miss. "You just want it to go down."
Carey, by the way, has continued to be solid off the bench this season. She's hit 16-of-42 3s (38.1 percent), is averaging 3.7 points (but has 10 and nine in her last two games) and is tied with the fewest turnovers on the team with Ketia Swanier, though she's played more than double the minutes of the rookie.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Sun-Comets Game Thread
Final, Sun 78-68: Lindsay Whalen finished with 14 points, nine assists and five rebounds, and Sandrine Gruda has a career-high 14 points as the Sun held off Houston, 78-68. Asjha Jones added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Sun while Barbara Turner came close to a double double with 10 and nine.
After missing two 3s in the final five minutes that could have gave the Sun some much needed breathing room, Jamie Carey hit a big one with 1:21 left to make it, 72-67, Sun. Connecticut hit five of its next six free throws to ice it.
End of 3rd quarter, Sun, 55-50: An interesting quarter. Three different Sun players (Asjha Jones, Lindsay Whalen, Tamika Whitmore) were all called for technical fouls for arguing foul calls (or non-calls) -- and the Sun still lead. Connecticut went on a 10-2 run to open the quarter and finished the frame on a 9-2 run. Apparently, these Connecticut players know how to respond well to emotion.
End of 2nd quarter, Comets, 38-30: The Sun's shooting struggles from Sunday have carried over, as they made 12-of-33 (36.4 percent) and fell behind as many as 14 after going scoreless for more than 4:20. Sandrine Gruda has a team-high seven points while the Sun's starting frontcourt of Asjha Jones and Tamika Whitmore both have four points on 2-of-6 shooting. They combined to make 7-of-27 last game against Phoenix.
Similar to Sunday, the Sun are also not rebounding their misses. Houston, led by Matee Ajavon's nine points, is winning the rebounding battle, 25-20, and has 10 offensive rebounds already.
Whalen broke the Sun's career assist mark early in the first half, driving and kicking to Barbara Turner for a 3-pointer 4:44 into the frame.
End of 1st quarter, Comets, 20-12: Matee Ajavon hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Houston up eight. The Sun went 5:05 without a field goal during one stretch, and shot 5-for-16 for the quarter.
Lindsay Whalen tied Connecticut's all-time career assists record with a crosscourt pass to Amber Holt for a 3-pointer with 7:18 left in the frame. She now has 737, matching Shannon Johnson, who coincidently, is guarding her.
After missing two 3s in the final five minutes that could have gave the Sun some much needed breathing room, Jamie Carey hit a big one with 1:21 left to make it, 72-67, Sun. Connecticut hit five of its next six free throws to ice it.
End of 3rd quarter, Sun, 55-50: An interesting quarter. Three different Sun players (Asjha Jones, Lindsay Whalen, Tamika Whitmore) were all called for technical fouls for arguing foul calls (or non-calls) -- and the Sun still lead. Connecticut went on a 10-2 run to open the quarter and finished the frame on a 9-2 run. Apparently, these Connecticut players know how to respond well to emotion.
End of 2nd quarter, Comets, 38-30: The Sun's shooting struggles from Sunday have carried over, as they made 12-of-33 (36.4 percent) and fell behind as many as 14 after going scoreless for more than 4:20. Sandrine Gruda has a team-high seven points while the Sun's starting frontcourt of Asjha Jones and Tamika Whitmore both have four points on 2-of-6 shooting. They combined to make 7-of-27 last game against Phoenix.
Similar to Sunday, the Sun are also not rebounding their misses. Houston, led by Matee Ajavon's nine points, is winning the rebounding battle, 25-20, and has 10 offensive rebounds already.
Whalen broke the Sun's career assist mark early in the first half, driving and kicking to Barbara Turner for a 3-pointer 4:44 into the frame.
End of 1st quarter, Comets, 20-12: Matee Ajavon hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Houston up eight. The Sun went 5:05 without a field goal during one stretch, and shot 5-for-16 for the quarter.
Lindsay Whalen tied Connecticut's all-time career assists record with a crosscourt pass to Amber Holt for a 3-pointer with 7:18 left in the frame. She now has 737, matching Shannon Johnson, who coincidently, is guarding her.
Sun-Comets starters
As expected, the Sun plugged Barbara Turner back into the starting line-up. Tina Thompson is not among Houston's starters, meaning she'll miss her third straight game, though the Comets did make a small change. Matee Ajavon will make her second start of the season, forming a three-guard set with Shannon Johnson and Hamchetou Maiga-Ba. Here are the full lineups, with officials:
Connecticut Sun
G 13 Lindsay Whalen
G 22 Barbara Turner
F 1 Amber Holt
F 15 Asjha Jones
C 00 Tamika Whitmore
Houston Comets
G 99 Hamchetou Maiga-Ba
G 41 Shannon Johnson
G 1 Matee Ajavon
F 21 Sancho Lyttle
C 2 Michelle Snow
Officials: (13) Cameron Inouye, (12) Marat Kogut, (58) Josh Tiven
Connecticut Sun
G 13 Lindsay Whalen
G 22 Barbara Turner
F 1 Amber Holt
F 15 Asjha Jones
C 00 Tamika Whitmore
Houston Comets
G 99 Hamchetou Maiga-Ba
G 41 Shannon Johnson
G 1 Matee Ajavon
F 21 Sancho Lyttle
C 2 Michelle Snow
Officials: (13) Cameron Inouye, (12) Marat Kogut, (58) Josh Tiven
A little more on Turner, etc.
The Sun play their fifth game in eight days tonight when they host the rolling Houston Comets. Here' some notes, news and analysis entering the game (7 p.m., www.connecticutsun.com):
(1) Barbara Turner was the focus of today's preview, which centered around her finding a comfort zone back in Connecticut, thanks to an improved jump shot and the opportunity for more time within the Sun's revamped rotation.
"I'm definitely happy, and I say a lot of that has to do with my coaching staff," Turner said. "They've communicated with me a lot, especially Coach (Bernadette) Mattox and Coach (Scott) Hawk. They're constantly giving me pointers on my outside shot, constantly giving me pointers on what I need to do to become a better defender.
"I'm not saying I didn't have that in the past," she added. "It's just a lot more hands-on. It's in a way where I understand it a lot better."
There's more to Turner's story, however. One is how she got here. Like the Sun, the Comets also went through their own overhaul this season, nearly replacing their entire backcourt in the search of more experience at the point guard position and better shooters on the wing. Turner, essentially, was a casualty of that, as head coach/general manager Karleen Thomspon was in search of a pure shooter. The one she traded Turner for (Megan Mahoney) never made it out of training camp, however, with the emergence of rookies Matee Ajavon and Erica White and addition of veterans Shannon Johnson and Mwadi Mabika.
The Sun, meanwhile, viewed it as a low-risk move. Megan Mahoney, who had spent two seasons in Connecticut but never saw substantial playing time.
"We traded her for somebody who probably was going to get any more minutes than she had before with this team, especially with knowing who were going to get in the draft," Sun coach Mike Thibault said. "That's not a knock on Megan. It was just that Megan had been here a couple years and her status probably wasn't going to change. You should take a chance on another player that has a lot of upside and that's how we viewed it.
"And if it didn't work out," he continued, "we weren't probably any worse off than we were before. So it's been a huge plus for us. I can't say we were any geniuses about it, just that we did our homework on what she had done in the offseason."
I've written before about Turner's offseason work (look toward the bottom of the list of stories to the right). She took nearly 2,500 shots a day with former NBA coach John Lucas over the winter, and essentially made herself into the shooter Houston wanted.
"No, she doesn't (surprise me)," Thompson said of Turner. "She really doesn't because one thing about Barbara is she works hard all the time. She gives you 150 percent every single time, and the thing that I'm seeing she's improved on is her shooting from the 3-point arc. She was what you would call a 'tweener. So for her to be able to post up the smaller guards and then shoot from out here, it makes it hard to defend."
Thompson seemed genuine in her praise of Turner. When informed by the Comets' public relations manager that she may be asked some questions about Turner, she said that's fine. "I love Barb."
But everyone does. It'd be hard to find any player or coach who doesn't rave about Turner's work ethic or personality. She continues to stay in close contact with close friend, Tina Thompson.
"Barbara's really silly," Thompson said. "And I think that's where our personalities differ. She plays a lot, she jokes."
For one, the two have had a running joke, where if one gets a post-game interview after a TV game, she gives us a shout-out to the other. Turner has already done this at least once following her career-high 18-point performance in a win at Minnesota.
"So I said, 'Just wait, I will have my interview day and when it happens, you will be in trouble,'" Thompson said, laughing.
"She doesn't pay me mind anyway," Turner said. "We have that type of rapport. We can so tease each other all the time. I talk to her a lot of the time."
Thompson admittedly is the more serious one of the friendship. And Turner can be serious when the times come. (Did you see her against Diana Taurasi Sunday?) Of course, there are times when she's not.
"She just laughs at anything," Thompson said. "You can pronounce a word wrong or whatever and Barb will think it's the funniest thing and she'll laugh for like three minutes. It's kind of like, 'OK … go ahead and laugh, let me know when you're finished and we'll continue the conversation.'
"And it doesn't matter who it is," she added. "It can be the coach. It can be a serious pre-game meeting, and you might fumble or a word or something, and she'll just crack up laughing at the most inopportune moments."
(2) Karleen Thompson's take on the Sun:
"(Connecticut) is definitely high-energy. I think Mike Thibault is one of the best coaches in this league. He can take anything and get them to play for him. I think that's what's going on. They're just hungry, they play hard. It's good to see Barbara doing her thing. Tamika Whitmore, I've coached her. So he has those types of players that step up, against all odds."
(3) Something rare happened Sunday against Phoenix: The Sun, more specifically Asjha Jones, won the opening tip. The bench went into a mini-celebration afterward, with Tamika Raymond saying, "We got one! We got one!"
"It's weird. I haven't done it (take jump balls) since high school," Jones said. "When I don't get one everybody notices. So when I get one, I'm look, 'Did you see me get the jump ball? Did you see me? I got it.'"
(4) I'll have more on the Comets in this week's upcoming WNBA notes column, but there are several keys to their recent rise after a 1-7 start. They've continued to rebound (second in the league in differential), they're playing better defense (four of their last seven opponents haven't broken 70 points) and players beyond Tina Thompson have stepped up. Sancho Lyttle has scored 23 and 15 points in her last two games with Thompson out, Matee Ajavon is averaging 9.6 points off the bench and Michelle Snow has recored three double-doubles this season, including games of 17 points-11 rebounds and 17-16 in two of her last three games.
(1) Barbara Turner was the focus of today's preview, which centered around her finding a comfort zone back in Connecticut, thanks to an improved jump shot and the opportunity for more time within the Sun's revamped rotation.
"I'm definitely happy, and I say a lot of that has to do with my coaching staff," Turner said. "They've communicated with me a lot, especially Coach (Bernadette) Mattox and Coach (Scott) Hawk. They're constantly giving me pointers on my outside shot, constantly giving me pointers on what I need to do to become a better defender.
"I'm not saying I didn't have that in the past," she added. "It's just a lot more hands-on. It's in a way where I understand it a lot better."
There's more to Turner's story, however. One is how she got here. Like the Sun, the Comets also went through their own overhaul this season, nearly replacing their entire backcourt in the search of more experience at the point guard position and better shooters on the wing. Turner, essentially, was a casualty of that, as head coach/general manager Karleen Thomspon was in search of a pure shooter. The one she traded Turner for (Megan Mahoney) never made it out of training camp, however, with the emergence of rookies Matee Ajavon and Erica White and addition of veterans Shannon Johnson and Mwadi Mabika.
The Sun, meanwhile, viewed it as a low-risk move. Megan Mahoney, who had spent two seasons in Connecticut but never saw substantial playing time.
"We traded her for somebody who probably was going to get any more minutes than she had before with this team, especially with knowing who were going to get in the draft," Sun coach Mike Thibault said. "That's not a knock on Megan. It was just that Megan had been here a couple years and her status probably wasn't going to change. You should take a chance on another player that has a lot of upside and that's how we viewed it.
"And if it didn't work out," he continued, "we weren't probably any worse off than we were before. So it's been a huge plus for us. I can't say we were any geniuses about it, just that we did our homework on what she had done in the offseason."
I've written before about Turner's offseason work (look toward the bottom of the list of stories to the right). She took nearly 2,500 shots a day with former NBA coach John Lucas over the winter, and essentially made herself into the shooter Houston wanted.
"No, she doesn't (surprise me)," Thompson said of Turner. "She really doesn't because one thing about Barbara is she works hard all the time. She gives you 150 percent every single time, and the thing that I'm seeing she's improved on is her shooting from the 3-point arc. She was what you would call a 'tweener. So for her to be able to post up the smaller guards and then shoot from out here, it makes it hard to defend."
Thompson seemed genuine in her praise of Turner. When informed by the Comets' public relations manager that she may be asked some questions about Turner, she said that's fine. "I love Barb."
But everyone does. It'd be hard to find any player or coach who doesn't rave about Turner's work ethic or personality. She continues to stay in close contact with close friend, Tina Thompson.
"Barbara's really silly," Thompson said. "And I think that's where our personalities differ. She plays a lot, she jokes."
For one, the two have had a running joke, where if one gets a post-game interview after a TV game, she gives us a shout-out to the other. Turner has already done this at least once following her career-high 18-point performance in a win at Minnesota.
"So I said, 'Just wait, I will have my interview day and when it happens, you will be in trouble,'" Thompson said, laughing.
"She doesn't pay me mind anyway," Turner said. "We have that type of rapport. We can so tease each other all the time. I talk to her a lot of the time."
Thompson admittedly is the more serious one of the friendship. And Turner can be serious when the times come. (Did you see her against Diana Taurasi Sunday?) Of course, there are times when she's not.
"She just laughs at anything," Thompson said. "You can pronounce a word wrong or whatever and Barb will think it's the funniest thing and she'll laugh for like three minutes. It's kind of like, 'OK … go ahead and laugh, let me know when you're finished and we'll continue the conversation.'
"And it doesn't matter who it is," she added. "It can be the coach. It can be a serious pre-game meeting, and you might fumble or a word or something, and she'll just crack up laughing at the most inopportune moments."
(2) Karleen Thompson's take on the Sun:
"(Connecticut) is definitely high-energy. I think Mike Thibault is one of the best coaches in this league. He can take anything and get them to play for him. I think that's what's going on. They're just hungry, they play hard. It's good to see Barbara doing her thing. Tamika Whitmore, I've coached her. So he has those types of players that step up, against all odds."
(3) Something rare happened Sunday against Phoenix: The Sun, more specifically Asjha Jones, won the opening tip. The bench went into a mini-celebration afterward, with Tamika Raymond saying, "We got one! We got one!"
"It's weird. I haven't done it (take jump balls) since high school," Jones said. "When I don't get one everybody notices. So when I get one, I'm look, 'Did you see me get the jump ball? Did you see me? I got it.'"
(4) I'll have more on the Comets in this week's upcoming WNBA notes column, but there are several keys to their recent rise after a 1-7 start. They've continued to rebound (second in the league in differential), they're playing better defense (four of their last seven opponents haven't broken 70 points) and players beyond Tina Thompson have stepped up. Sancho Lyttle has scored 23 and 15 points in her last two games with Thompson out, Matee Ajavon is averaging 9.6 points off the bench and Michelle Snow has recored three double-doubles this season, including games of 17 points-11 rebounds and 17-16 in two of her last three games.
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