Los Angeles Sparks vs Phoenix Mercury WNBA WCF

SparksNation stand up! The L.A. Sparks are one series away from the promise land. This time the road to the finals run through the “desert” and believe me the Mercury are thirsty. Even though they are only a year removed from the championship, the 3 headed monster of Diana Taurasi, Cappie Poindexter, and Penny Taylor are in desperate search of that opportunity again. They have one problem, for the land of sun, beaches and pool parties, the Sparks are more thirsty than they are. It’s been 7 long years since a championship came to the L.A. basketball community and coincidentally, the last time the Lakers won a championship, so did the Sparks! The Lakers with a three-peat, and the Sparks making it a back to back championship celebration. So if history repeats itself, there is about to be another celebration in L.A., this time for the Sparks.

It’s only fitting that the “Queen” of the WNBA and USA basketball(which doesn’t get enough shine in my opinion) finish her career holding that WNBA trophy. And this is the year to do it. I think a lot of us are so caught up in the fact that this is Lisa’s last year (as we should) that we are forgetting that with another Sparks title, Tina Thompson will have an unprecedented 5 WNBA titles, which is the most of any WNBA player, active or retired. Now that’s putting in work. Had she been our “6th woman”, she would have had that award this year as well. What I’m loving most, is watching this team play with everyone healthy. With this entire team intact, the Sparks have lost only 3 games (?) including the playoffs.

The challenge against this Mercury team is not about our DEFENSE, yea you read right, the challenge is us scoring against the ZONE! Since the beginning of the season the Sparks have yet to figure out how to score against an opponents zone. In the first game of the season versus Detroit, the Sparks came out and began to destroy the Shock (the Shock was playing one on one..lol) and then the dreaded zone came out, and it was turnover after turnover. We have a zone buster and her name is Noelle Quinn. Noelle is the starting point guard w/ the four olympians, they are going to leave her open and she needs to hit the shots. One thing is for sure, they will double Candace and Lisa down low, which it’s funny because Tina Thompson can lead this team in scoring on any given night. Delisha Milton Jones needs to begin and end this series as D Nasty. DMJ is like Lisa’s little sister, who loves to “take over” Lisa’s fights for her…lol.You would have noticed that during the regular season when Lisa was out and we were battling the Storm. DMJ and Lauren Jackson stayed into it. She is like the Dennis Rodman on the team.

We can allow Cappie all the shots she wants, but you must not allow Tangela Smith, Dewanna Bonner, or Tameka Johnson to beat you. Tameka did damage against us during the regular season, so we must make her a non factor. Anytime they have her matched up against Noelle Quinn, I would take her to the block, and force them to help, leaving an olympian open…yea I like those odds..lol. Betty Lennox is and should have a field day if she can play under control versus Cappie. I say that because Cappie is a scoring machine, but she is known to get into foul trouble as well. We will be watching the two best two guards teh league has to offer. It will be like watching Kobe and Ray Allen on the court.

But when it’s all said and done, I expect the LA Sparks to be marching into the finals. Candace Parker will be leading the Sparks in scoring and rebounding. (The woman is simply the best) Everyone can see she got her “swagger” back. Now if I can see that “R U Serious” face R U Serious 1:15 it wil all be complete. Go ahead Candace, all the veterans are on your team, so show no mercy to the opponent.

Will Candace get to play against Detroit after all this season? It may not be as bad, seeing that Pierson is out with a shoulder injury, but they are certainly plenty of storylines their and the media will have a field day. The road to the championship will not be easy, but it will BE!

 

Diana Taurasi Cited for DUI

Associated Press

PHOENIX — Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi said Friday that she’s embarrassed after being cited for drunken driving a few hours after she helped lead her team to victory over the Seattle Storm.

An officer stopped Taurasi early Thursday for speeding, police spokesman Luis Samudio said. The officer smelled alcohol and gave the player several field sobriety tests, according to a police statement.

Taurasi, the WNBA’s leading fan vote-getter for the July 25 All-Star game, was then driven to a mobile DUI van, where she gave a blood sample, then was cited and released. Authorities did not know her blood alcohol content.

The team said Friday that Taurasi notified the club immediately but would not comment further until it knows more of what happened.

But after Friday’s practice, Taurasi told reporters that her DUI citation was “just something that’s embarrassing and unfortunate for my family and the organization.”

Taurasi said she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the incident because it was a legal matter “but personally, I’m going to have to do some things to make it straight.”

The former Connecticut star said she plans on playing in the Mercury’s next game Sunday night in Los Angeles.

Taurasi scored 22 points and blocked four shots Wednesday night in the Mercury’s 93-81 win over the Storm.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press