2018 Phoenix Mercury season thread

[thirty-two]

Dammit, that offensive rebound was killer.

 

[thirty-two]

Griner is such a frustrating big when it comes to rebounding. She just doesn’t have that tenacity.

 

[BC867]

The Mercury lose by 4. On to Game 2, Tuesday at 7:00 on ESPN2. Rest up, ladies!

 

[thirty-two]

Damn, I feel like we could have had that game.

 

[BC867]

Damn, I feel like we could have had that game.

Hold that thought for Tuesday.

 

[Dback Jon]

Good comeback, would have been great to steal it

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[BC867]

Game 2. In a low scoring first quarter, the Mercury lead by 1 point.

Griner said she was, in fact, tired from the traveling in Game 1. You can see that she is rested now.

 

[BC867]

And Seattle opens up a 12-point lead. The Mercury are not doing a good job on outside shots. It's 44-32 at halftime.

The great Bill Russell is in the stands. 'Always good to see Russ.

 

[BC867]

More of the same at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Mercury are down by 16 after being down by 19.

They're 0-for-13 on 3-point shots this game. But the Mercury are being outclassed in every aspect of the game.

 

[BC867]

Once again, the Mercury claw their way back. Diana hits the Mercury's only three 3-pointers of the game, all in the final few minutes of the 4th quarter. The last to tie the game with 3.6 seconds to go. And it goes into overtime.

An 11 point deficit with 1:46 to go and the Mercury make magic. I love this team!

 

[BC867]

Griner with a stupid foul in OT. She has fouled out. Her problem is between her ears.

On the other hand, Camille Little off the bench has been playing great defense.

But with Griner on the bench, Seattle wins 91-87.

Let's win the next two in Phoenix on Friday and Sunday.

 

[Jersey Girl]

That last foul was horrible. It was a total non-foul.

Bad officiating at the end there.

 

[thirty-two]

Thanks refs for giving Seattle the game at the end there. Horrible foul call and the horrible non foul call. Such freaking horsecrap.

 

[thirty-two]

We obviously could have played better but goddang it stings when the refs have such an effect at the end. I can’t help but be enraged by them. But it’s a Mercury loss at the end.

Next game is Friday. We are down but not out. But it’s definitely killer not to get one of these past two games.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

I'm beside myself. The WNBA does these incredible athletes a tremendous disservice by not investing in competent, professional referees. It's an issue over and over and over again.

Horrible.

 

[BC867]

I'm beside myself. The WNBA does these incredible athletes a tremendous disservice by not investing in competent, professional referees. It's an issue over and over and over again.

Horrible.

The same thing goes on in the NBA. Especially on the road, you have to "earn" calls. Griner's cheap foul (to foul out) fed into the refs' tendency to play to the home crowd.

I am so pissed at the irresponsible and inconsistent play of our 6'8" Center who doesn't even know how to rebound, as Sandy Brondello announced a couple of days ago.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

The same thing goes on in the NBA. Especially on the road, you have to "earn" calls. Griner's cheap foul (to foul out) fed into the refs' tendency to play to the home crowd.

I am so pissed at the irresponsible and inconsistent play of our 6'8" Center who doesn't even know how to rebound, as Sandy Brondello announced a couple of days ago.

Griner definitely deserved that foul. That was just an inexcusable gaffe on her part. I'm talking about the key call and no-call at the end.

And while that type of thing happens in the NBA, there are WNBA games that are on an entirely different level when it comes to the refs. (This wasn't one of them, but the calls at the end were rough.)

In the NBA, there's a lot of questionable calls. In the WNBA, there are often calls that are entirely indefensible. It's like the Lakers-Kings series every other game. So when the refs play a part in the biggest game of the season, my reaction is in part due to resentment accumulated over time.

 

[Finito]

What's the deal with Griner? I don't really follow the team all that much but wasn't Griner supposed a generational talent

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

What's the deal with Griner? I don't really follow the team all that much but wasn't Griner supposed a generational talent

She is a phenomenal talent, and she is very productive. However, she plays away from the basket far too much, makes a lot of questionable plays, and all too often seems to lack effort.

Basically, imho, she is one of the 10-15 best players in the league when she probably should be one of the top 2 or 3.

 

[BC867]

She is a phenomenal talent, and she is very productive. However, she plays away from the basket far too much, makes a lot of questionable plays, and all too often seems to lack effort.

Basically, imho, she is one of the 10-15 best players in the league when she probably should be one of the top 2 or 3.

That is a good evaluation. Right now, her claim to fame is that she is 6'8", which brings expectations. But her coach said that she is not the best rebounder on the team. She is not nearly as dominant scoring inside as her height advantage implies. And her performance over the season has been very inconsistent. A competing Center, Liz Cambage, was higher in the running for MVP consideration. That is out there for us to see.

What we can only surmise is that she doesn't have the fortitude of a superstar. As I've posted, her fouling out in overtime of a playoff game yesterday with a cheap shot for all to see raises the question, "Why?" Whether she didn't know better or didn't want the pressure of crunch time, no matter which, cost the Mercury a victory when they were on a roll. She let down her teammates and fans.

Even though Brittney is one of the Mercury's Big 3, she is nowhere near Diana Taurasi or DeWanna Bonner in terms of heart, leaving the team with a Big 2 (a Guard and a Forward) to carry the team with a game on the line, making the Mercury less competitive. It puts a lot of extra pressure on DT and DB and we saw the results. Clutch comebacks to lose by 2 and 4 points.

I suggest that the Mercury see if there is a solid role playing Center available and consider trading Griner before next season, while we still have Diana and DeWanna. After that, it will be a rebuild anyway.

 

[BC867]

Brittney Griner was the Center named to the WNBA all-defensive first team for 2018. She beat out Sylvia Fowles -- interesting name for a defender.

I am, of course, a solid Mercury fan. But I wonder how much Brittney's blocks played in her selection.

Any thoughts, Mercury fans? Other than the blocks (2.56 per game -- leading the league for the sixth straight season), was she truly the best defensive Center in the league?

I've thought back to every game I've been able to see and I really don't know. Fowles was the leading rebounder which involves her in more key plays than a shot blocker.

https://www.oursportscentral.com/se...-2018-wnba-all-defensive-first-team/n-5396271

 

[BC867]

I'm pissed that ESPN, which is not covering Game 3 in Phoenix on ESPN2, won't let us watch it on ESPNEWS without having that package.

i don't want their "news", I want to watch the damn game.

Anyway, after the 1st quarter, the Mercury are leading by ten, 26-16. Bonner with 10 points and 4 boards. Taurasi starting at Small Forward and laying low with no points or assists. Turner starting at Shooting Guard has 6 points and 3 assists. And Griner has the same.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

I'm pissed that ESPN, which is not covering Game 3 in Phoenix on ESPN2, won't let us watch it on ESPNEWS without having that package.

i don't want their "news", I want to watch the damn game.

Anyway, after the 1st quarter, the Mercury are leading by ten, 26-16. Bonner with 10 points and 4 boards. Taurasi starting at Small Forward and laying low with no points or assists. Turner starting at Shooting Guard has 6 points and 3 assists. And Griner has the same.

It's on ESPN3 (online), for what that's worth.