Friday's Play of the Day

An awesome fast break by Crystal Smith is tagged as "WNBA Play of the Day".

Stayin' Alive With 11th W v. Sacramento

In another tight and exciting game in Toyota Center, the Comets defeated the 17-13 (3rd in the West) Sacramento Monarchs, by a score of 83-75.

At times a dirty foul filled mess, the game was much closer than the score indicates.

Turnovers: Comets 19, Monarchs 11
Fast Break Points: Comets 8, Monarchs 6
Biggest lead: Comets 12, Monarchs 6
Unanswered Points: Comets 2, Monarchs 0
Points in the Paint: Comets 28, Monarchs 24
FG%: Comets 47.5, Monarchs 34.8
3FG%: Comets 50.0, Monarchs 61.5
FT%: Comets 82.8, Monarchs 82.6
Rebounds: Comets 38, Lynx 20

Terrific performances from those we've come to count upon:

Tina Thompson 25
Tamecka Dixon 19
Sancho Lyttle 14
Hamchetou Maiga-Ba 6
Crystal Smith 6
Michelle Snow 6
Latasha Byears 4
Roneeka Hodges 3

Erin Grant had 15:56 minutes, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, but didn't score. Swoopes, Turner and Williams didn't play.

Kara Lawson was lead scorer for the Monarchs, with 14 and, very sadly, Yolanda Griffith (10 points) went down with an apparent leg injury, early in the fourth quarter. No matter the rivalry or stakes on the line, I hate seeing ANY player injured.

So... at 11-19, the Comets are another game up over the 9-20 Sparks and closing in on the 14-17 Storm. However slim the chances, hope is still alive for the Comets to make the 2007 playoffs. If only we could call a 'mulligan' on the Tuesday night game against New York!

Then There Was Nine. Then There Was Ten.

Nine: Storm 84, Comets 71.

Ten: Monarchs 75, Comets 63.

Writing this blog has lost its thrill... for the last couple of days, anyway. We'll see what developments next week brings.

Make That O(MG) and 7

The Monarchs beheaded us tonight, 82-67.

If we learned anything from tonight's game, perhaps it is that Tina Thompson cannot win the game by herself, in spite of her outstanding performance (33 points, just one short of half of our total).

Observations of others:

• The Chronicle points out that this was the first game in which the Comets never held the lead. Well, we're all about firsts!
• A friend of mine who listened to the WNBA webcast told me that one of the hosts said, "If I was Tina Thompson, I would ask to be traded". Isn't that a lovely thing to say?. Am I just naive... or do you think the League's webcast should provide neutral commentary? I'm assuming, for the purpose of economy, that they broadcast Sacramento's radio programming, but still...

Number 1 Meets Number 7, In Game 7

While Houston has struggled to find their first win (not to mention a rebound and a basket in the second half), Sacramento (5-3) has ridden the strong play of Rebekkah Brunson (coming off the bench to start for the injured forward DeMya Walker) to set the best record in the West.

Sacramento coach Jenny Boucek remembers, though, that the Monarchs have lost three straight in Houston and are 3-15 all-time here. (...Of course, the Monarchs swept the Comets from the playoffs in the last two consecutive seasons, and the two teams have yet to play this year). Still, Boucek had this to say:

"That is the West in the WNBA. There is no easy game. Now we go down to a
winless Houston who is very hungry with nothing to lose. We've got a big
dogfight on our hands down there."

...Again with the "dog" talk!

"Every game is tough, every game matters, and every game you've got to come collectively ready to play and to work. You cannot have lulls in this league or you'll lose."

I think we could probably write a book on "lulls"!

Hopes Dashed, Comets Swept... And Yet It Was Still A Good Time

One great thing about Comets' games... is that you're afforded the opportunity to meet terrific people who share your interests... people you might not meet, otherwise.

I met two people who I now consider a couple of my best friends, by having seats adjacent to them... season after season. And we stay in touch, year round.

So I suited up and headed out to their house in Suburbia, for today's game with Sacramento, since it was "away" Game 2 in the Western Conference Finals (after we blew the game here on Thursday).

The game was awful. We lost 65-74. It was as if we went there, knowing it was not our game to win. And there's nothing more I want to say about it.

Setting that matter aside, however, I had a great time! Good drink, good food and great company always makes for a great time!

We got robbed last night

As I mentioned, it's my opinion that the Comets were robbed last night.

And there's no doubt that we should have guarded the three point shot during Sacramento's last possession, or fouled Powell immediately.

"It never should have come to that," Snow said. "We should have fouled her the
second she touched the ball. We never should have put her in position."

Had the Comets fouled her immediately, Powell would have gotten two foul
shots. She couldn't have tied the game with two foul shots.

It's what happened after regaining possession with 4 seconds left, that leaves me incensed at the season-long record of extremely poor officiating.

First, Snow took it to the basket and was fouled. Second, Thompson got the rebound and was fouled. Both were obvious fouls, but not a single whistle was blown.

"Chancellor fumed on the sideline, wondering how a foul that would have been called at almost any other point in the game wasn't called.

"I think the referees just feel they're not going to decide the game," Snow said. "Whether it's right or wrong, you're never going to get that call."

Chancellor agreed. He second-guessed himself, but he was really second-guessing the notion a referee should decide the game.

The tie at the end of regulation, called for a 5 minute overtime, but we never recovered. The Comets lost by 4 points.Saturday is another day. If nothing else, Game 1 should have indicated to our collective psyche... that "WE CAN DO IT!!!".

Sucking in OT, Game One of Conference Finals

I had a great time at the game. There's nothing more fun that cheering and partying with old friends. And I met some new friends tonight. It was a blast!

The Comets had a three point lead with under 10 seconds to play in regulation, but the Monarchs evened the score. Tina was very obviously fouled at the very end of regulation, but it wasn't a shooting foul, and even though they had 7 team fouls, it wasn't called.

Frankly, OT sucked the life out of the party and the Comets Came Up Short... as the game ended with a 73-69 overtime loss.

Check in with me Saturday night, to see if the party has been revived.