by Ethan Johnson
July 18, 2008

No, you're not imagining things. LA played Phoenix earlier this month (at home). Now it's time for the reciprocal road trip version. I'll tell you what, I'm kinda sick of the Mercury. Seems like every televised game this month (for me) has been "Phoenix and." Anyway, let's go live to the videotape:

On a technical/procedural note, I'll probably do fewer game recaps as the season wears on, as I'm not feeling particularly good at it, and I'm not sure how beneficial anyone is finding these to be anyway. Fortunately, these are for my reference first and foremost. I like to read them months or years later to get a sense of how a particular game/season went compared to whatever is happening at present. Anyway, if my WNBA section morphs into Top N lists (the 5 fanciest high-tops, for example), that's why.

Tip-off.

FSN explained at the open that Phoenix is kinda like the Indianapolis Colts of the WNBA: Hot offense, thin defense, but who cares because the other team can't keep pace with the scoring. Phoenix was 9-12 going into this game, so the hot offense thing wasn't quite erasing the thin defense problem.

Delisha Milton-Jones was the LA offense in the first quarter with 19 points. Kelly Miller (Phoenix) played well, I thought. Considering how much attention is paid to the duo of Taurasi and Pondexter, I think Miller is something of an unsung hero. I'm not in Phoenix and she could have a bronze statue for all I know, but she doesn't seem to attract media attention like Taurasi/Pondexter. Speaking of Pondexter, she hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the 1st quarter 30-23 LA.

2nd quarter: Phoenix went on a 10-0 run (carried over from the prior quarter). Long scoring runs are usually a harbinger of doom. Not always, of course, but then that means the team with the scoring runs is having a major meltdown. LA struck me as having that meltdown in the early minutes of the quarter. Milton-Jones went 0-fer after her 19 point clinic. Phoenix erased the deficit with 7:14 to go. Phoenix went on to take the lead for the first time with 6:10 remaining. LA had 8 turnovers to Phoenix's 0. Candace Parker came down gingerly on her ankle with 1:25 remaining, which is another harbinger. Diana Taurasi closed the quarter with a three-point buzzer-beater of her own. 50-47 LA at the half.

Key halftime stats: 58/38 field goal percents (LA/PHX), 13/4 Turnovers, 4/11 bench points, 5/5 3-point FGs. Turnovers and bench points are the glaring stats, to me.

3rd quarter: Untrue to form, Phoenix smothered LA defensively in my estimation. LA kept turning the ball over, which didn't help their cause. Lisa Leslie had a quiet game, which was another hill to climb. Candace Parker did manage to achieve yet another double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) with 2:20 remaining. LA was plagued with shot-clock violations. My notes say "5x SCV 0:36", and "MELTDOWN 0:18". Phoenix went on yet another 10-0 run to close the quarter. 67-77 Phoenix.

4th quarter: I was on the edge of my seat for the entire quarter. What an amazing game, despite my Mercury fatigue! Diana Taurasi picked up her 5th personal foul early in the quarter, but Phoenix coach Corey Gaines left her in the game on a gamble. The intensity of the game amped way up, and LAs Marie Ferdinand-Harris also got her 5th personal foul. Phoenix held on to a 6-point lead throughout most of the quarter. Candace Parker winced and grimaced a lot due to her sore ankle. Parker gets lots of platitudes, rightly or wrongly, but before we get out the proverbial anointing oil, I think she needs a "flu game" a la Michael Jordan. Commentators keep comparing her to Jordan, but one of the key differences is, he could essentially win a game single-handedly in the clutch, obstacles be damned. I haven't seen that out of Parker, but hey, she's a rookie. Jordan had bad games too. The closest LA got to Phoenix was within 3 points, but couldn't close the deal. Phoenix went for the kill and despite losing Tangela Smith with 6 personal fouls with 1:28 remaining, Phoenix bagged the win 92-99.

Phoenix snapped their three-game losing streak. LA had 23 (!!) turnovers. Delisha Milton-Jones (LA) led all scorers with 38, followed by Cappie Pondexter (PHX) with 27. Phoenix scored 15 off the bench, compared to just 4 for LA. Lots of zeroes on the box score for LA. I foresee major shooting drills this week. And ZERO points for Sidney Spencer (LA). Wowwwww.

The WNBA is going to be offline for a month to make way for the Olympics. Which means the last blast of scheduled games is completely insane. Since I'm not in a WNBA home market, I'm at the mercy of whatever I can see on TV or over webcasts. One thing is for sure: I'm so glad I opted to watch this game in "real time" rather than push it off until the next morning. What a thriller, despite the final score.

Next: LA travels onward to face Houston, while Phoenix stays home to host the Atlanta Dream (both on July 19). Check your local listings. <EM>

(The full WNBA archive may be found here.)