Storm Season Getting Near

Took me this long to realize that I did change. I no longer get panicked over basketball news. I missed the Final Four — heck, even the Final Game. UConn won, btw. Geno won awards. Maya Moore swept this year’s POY awards. Tina Charles brought it on big time during the whole NCAA Tourney. I just knew all that from reading the recaps and not by listening to the game (which I did all the time these past few years). Sadly, I wasn’t that mad about March Madness anymore.

The Storm drafted Cal’s Ashley Walker. If she’s Camille Little 2.0, then I’m all up for it. The Storm needs a heck lot of front court talent IF LJ doesn’t sign with us and goes over to Phoenix instead. But anyway, I ain’t losing sleep over that. I’m not even that much excited about the opening in May. :p Let’s just wait and see what’ll happen once the season is underway, though. I might get my enthusiasm back.

First Round Game 2

22 Monday Sep 2008

Posted by kilcher in Sports, Work

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

2008 playoffs, basketball, l.a. sparks, seattle storm, sheryl swoopes, sue bird

No exits yet, everyone’s tied!

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: DET 81, IND 72 | Box | Video

Game 2: IND 89, DET 82 (OT) | Box

Game 3: IND at DET (9/23, 7 p.m. ET)

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: NYL 72, CON 63 | Box | Video

Game 2: CON 73, NYL 70 | Box | Video

Game 3: NYL at CON (9/22, 7 p.m. ET)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: SAN 85, SAC 78 | Box | Video

Game 2: SAC 84, SAN 67 | Box | Video

Game 3: SAC at SAN (9/22, 9 p.m. ET)

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: LAS 77, SEA 69 | Box | Video

Game 2: SEA 64, LAS 50 | Box

Game 3: LAS at SEA (9/23, 9 p.m. ET)

***********

Wooo! The Storm worked out some awesome Key Arena mojo, holding the SpOrks to just 50 points with no person in their roster over 11 points (LL with 11, CP3 with 10, DMJ with 11). The Storm, on the other hand, got another solid game from Sue Bird (20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and Shery Swoopes (16 points, 4 steals).

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to wake up for this game (waaaah) and I dunno if the dotcom webcast~ed this game. Haaay. But it’s all good, it’s all good.

Ow, WTF

20 Saturday Sep 2008

Posted by kilcher in Sports, WNBA

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

2008 playoffs, basketball, l.a. sporks, seattle, seattle storm, storm, tanisha wright

My happiness does not depend on whether the Storm wins at Sta(b)les Center today. I repeat, My happiness does not depend on whether the Storm wins at Sta(b)les Center today.

I was telling that to myself when I woke up this morning. And well, with that in mind, why am I so *ugh* freakin’ irritated and annoyed and owwww what the hell!

The story of the game is L.A.’s usually unreliable guards bringing it big time AND the Tanisha Wright (G SEA) that I was harping on about last season reappeared! Talk about those turnovers. Maaaaan, what a major choker. She better redeem herself in Game 2 or else…

On second thought, Sue might have just been sucessful as a one-woman-wrecking crew. Seriously. If not for those bloody turnovers and those breaks that we didn’t capitalize on, we coulda won this game.

But oh well, it’s over. I think we were down 17 at some point, then chipped away at the lead til we got it down to 6, and then the breaks went in favor of L.A. and then it was over. Bloody hell, the game was over.

Argh.

Get back to Key Arena, Stormies. And play better next time. And please, Brian Agler, sit Tanisha Wright when she’s fumbling passes and making sloppy plays. Srsly.

Sinusoidal Sunday

07 Sunday Sep 2008

Posted by kilcher in Life Oh Life, Sports, TV/Movies, WNBA

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

cheerdance competition, minnesota lynx, seattle storm, shery swoopes, sue bird, uaap 2008, up pep squad, WNBA

Well, I didn’t wake up in time for that Mt. Fuji-Viewing Grape-Picking Wine-Tasting Tour.

Boohoohoohoo.

I spent about 4 hours sulking on my bed (oh so comfortable airbed), which prolly was the main reason why I didn’t wake up at 4 freakin’ AM (the bed, not the sulking).

And then, at 1130~ish (JST), the Storm hosted the visiting Minnesota Lynx. And for most of the game, they were being massacred by Seimone Augustus, Lindsey Harding, Candace Wiggins, and Anna DeForge. But then during the 3Q, Sue Bird (0 for 4 during the first half) keyed in about 10 points in a heart-stopping run that chipped down the Lynx lead until eventually we got the game. Sue Bird dropped 22 monster points again. When will the dotcom people ever see her as a huge candidate for that prestigious award?

BTW, there was a scary moment in the game where Sheryl Swoopes went up to block Candace Wiggins’ shot and came down on the floor — and didn’t get up for quite a while. A stretcher was brought out and my God, the 9000~ish that attended the record-setting game (for most wins in a season in franchise history) fell eerily quiet. I just read from the Storm Blog that Swoopes was unconscious for a few seconds but came to and recognized everyone around her. Good thing it was just a concussion. I thought something happened to her back, or head, or neck, or whatever. Kevin Pelton reports that Swoopes is fine.

21 wins 10 losses – best conference record in franchise history. 15 wins 1 loss – best home record in franchise history (and prolly the league, I just haven’t checked yet). We’re atop the Western Conference and if we continue playing like this, the chance to win that trophy is looking really really good. And gads, LJ isn’t there. I can’t imagine what’ll happen to the Storm when she gets back from surgery. Freakin’ awesome, this team is.

Okay so the good things don’t end there. I now think that the universe must be conspiring to make me happy and feel better about missing the trip (that I was waiting for for weeks, mind you). I ain’t gonna diss Paulo Coelho today. Some other time maybe.

After the Storm game I had to figure out how to watch the 2008 UAAP Cheerdance Competition. I’ve always watched that contest since I was in freshman year (whoa, it feels like eons already). Last year I missed out on one of the best performances by UP in ages because I was stuck recuperating my lungs inside a hospital in Chofu.

So anyway, thanks to Lau who told me to get TFC so I could watch the competition (because I’m stuck here and not with the gang in the trip), I was able to witness the performances. And wow, I mean, wow. I admit that UP’s routine wasn’t perfectly clean but man, there’s only so much oomph that one can handle and the UP Pep Squad brought it, really brought it. The concept was just whoa, and I like the theme, and the music (pinikpikan) and aaargh, it feels pretty good to be a UP grad right now.

Why?

Because we freakin’ won, that’s why!

I’m saving the commentary for later when the fog inside my head clears. I’m just happy that the UP Pep Squad won. Here’s their routine btw:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkIfsBvvvac

So anyway, I glanced outside my window and it is raining hard (complete with thunder and lightning very very frightening) and I just thought that, okay fine, I feel a whole lot better already, universe. Thank you very much for this day. 🙂

ETA: A much much better view of the routine [ here ].

Playoffs, Here We Come

05 Friday Sep 2008

Posted by kilcher in Sports, WNBA

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

basketball, chicago sky, seattle storm, sue bird, WNBA

Clinched a spot after winning this game:

Seattle 70, Chicago 62

Preview – Box Score – Recap

(20-10)


	1	2	3	4	Total

Seattle	10	19	19	22	70	Final

Chicago	20	14	18	10	62

(11-18)

Birdy Statline:

Name

Min

3Pt

+/-

Off

Reb

Ast

Stl

Pts

S. Bird

35:25

8-12

3-5

0-0

So freakin’ awesome and the game was even on webcast. Hope they archive it soon so I can watch. I only caught the last few minutes of the game (was travelling to the office during game time).

ETA:

Standings: 1st Place (WC)

A Case for Birdy

01 Monday Sep 2008

Posted by kilcher in Sports, WNBA

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

basketball, seattle storm, sue bird, WNBA

Apparently the W is now allowing fans to vote for MVP. Those daily votes would account for 25% of the total tally. Since when had the MVP award been turned into a popularity contest? We have the frikkin’ ASG for that, people.

I shudder to think that the award this year would go to a SpOrk (CP3 or LLL — I don’t care, I don’t like ’em both). Our previous candidate (pre-Olympics) had been reigning MVP Lauren Jackson, who actually had awesome numbers before we all took a break and focused on Beijing. But LJ decided to have surgery on her ankle and that made her unable to complete the regular season.

Right now, the bulk of the Storm’s scoring is being shouldered by (IMHO) the best point guard in the league. Birdy’s been scoring huge in the last few games (especially the Post-Olympic ones a.k.a. the LJ-less games). Sue sure is stepping up and bringing it big time (22++ points in the last three games, I think) and her leadership is still improving each and every game. I just hope she sustains the hot shooting for the remaining contests.

I know, I know, the CT Sun’s Lindsay Whalen is pretty impressive (too bad she’s injured) and is a frontrunner in the MVP race given that LJ is nowhere on the floor, and SASS’s Becky Hammon is also deserving of the award, and oh a host of other players that I’m too lazy to mention now, but Sue Bird actually deserves to be considered too. And not just because she’s popular or whatever. Because she’s carrying her team just like how an MVP should be.

Minny at the Key

06 Sunday Jul 2008

Posted by kilcher in Sports, WNBA

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

basketball, minnesota lynx, seattle, seattle storm, WNBA

Seattle 96, Minnesota 71

Preview – Box Score – Recap

(9-9)


	1	2	3	4	Total

Minnesota	23	19	13	16	71	Final

Seattle	23	24	32	17	96

(11-7)

WHAT A FREAKIN’ AWESOME GAME!

BIRDY ⇒　12 points (5-10), 11 assists
LOZ ⇒　34 points (15-22), 7 rebounds
K.GEARLDS ⇁E17 points off the bench (6-11, 4-6 on 3Pts)

I WANT A GEARLDS JERSEY WAAAAAAH!

23 && 33 for 10 && 15

04 Friday Jul 2008

Posted by kilcher in Sports, WNBA

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Tags

basketball, lauren jackson, new york liberty, seattle storm, storm, sue bird

I’ve been on a funk (well, sort of) lately. I dunno why — can we just blame STRESS just like the old times? Work, work, work. Ugh. I haven’t been updating myself with the STORM, too. That’s almost blasphemous in my world. Tsk tsk tsk.

So, anyway, I still get to listen to games but without the proper attention that I used to bestow on my favorite team on earth. And it’s not helping that we’re sort of sucking on the road (thank goodness for the 9-1 Home record or else we’re toast). And it also sucks that the SpOrks are on top of the Western Conf (wait, lemme check … oh hell no, they still are on top boooo!). Oh well, at least we’re still above .500 and are sitting at 3rd.

The last game I listened to was against the New York Liberty this morning. LJ lit up for 33 points (wooohoooo LJ!) on 12-for-20 shooting, grabbed 5 boards, blocked 2 shots, and swiped one ball. Birdy also played awesomely. She scored a season-high 23 points and assisted 6 shots. Swin played another solid game, scoring 8 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Swoopes had 9 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds. Yo Griffith had 4 points, 7 boards, and 4 steals.

The Up-Sides:
– LJ’s offensive flow has returned.
– Team has more rebounds now.
– Sue — oh Sue, keep that killer offense going. Downright awesome.
– That killer pick-and-roll is just, well, a killer. Pick your poison – LJ or Sue? Tsk.

The Down-Side:
– OMG, the bench?! The bench is missing! (I didn’t concentrate enough on listening so I dunno if they brought some hustle on the court that’s not reflected on the score sheet though).

The Game:

Score: W 81 — 74

[22–14][29–24][15–11][18–22]

Player of the Game: F Lauren Jackson (12-20) 33 Pts, 7 Rebs, 0 Assists

Box Score

Recap

Others:

– The SpOrks lost wahahahaha. To Minny. Good on Seimone Augustus, Candice Wiggins, and company. Yay.

– We’re facing Minny next though. Uh oh. Haha. Oh well, go Storm!

– What the hell? No photos of the game on the Yahoo Sports gallery?! Weird.