Mind still racing after all that scoring

  Some semi-randomly connected thoughts after points-a-palooza:      

   *-So if you watched Tuesday’s first game of the WNBA finals, you may understand why such games can be difficult to write a good column about. Because they’re really so exhilarating to experience live that recounting them never seems to do them justice. 

  Plus, the Mercury’s 120-116 victory didn’t have that one or two players who were really the focus; so many people played well. Katie Douglas’ 30 points and the way she did so many clutch things right – save missing that last 3-pointer, where she had to create her own shot – was a key figure, but so was Ebony Hoffman for the Fever.

  And the Mercury really showed its versatility and depth; it was a team performance that wrapped up why Phoenix can be such a fun team to watch.  

  I’ll flat-out admit I was surprised that the Fever could score that many points. I feel I really underestimated Indy in that regard.

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Mercury move on … and I stay put

   I overpack for every trip … yet still often manage not to bring something I need. This trip to Phoenix was, as I wrote Friday, a pleasant surprise, as I wasn’t expecting to travel until the WNBA finals started. So I was a little rushed in packing … meaning I only had like 24 hours to do it. 

 So I forget my toothbush, which I can’t even believe since it’s usually what I’m most obsessive about, but that’s remedied easily. However, I also forgot to bring my parka, and I’m not going to buy one here. I’ll just have to do without it.

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Countdown to Game 3 in the West

   Watched some of the Mercury’s shoot-around this morning here in Phoenix and how they were drilling to prevent the Sparks from getting deep in the lane the way they were able to in Game 2.

   LA and Phoenix have now played six times this season, so they all know everything about each other. Still, there were points that Mercury coach Corey Gaines went over and over to make sure everybody understood that all it takes is a half-step of indecision to be “too late.”

   After the shoot-around, I asked Phoenix’s “big three” – yes, even if she’s not starting, Penny Taylor is still one of them – about what had to be different tonight for the Mercury compared to Friday.

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Off to Phoenix

   The folks at ESPN.com decided the various plot lines of the Western Conference finals were compelling enough to send me out to Phoenix, a development that thrilled me … and was pleasantly surprising.

  The economic disaster of the last year-plus has affected everybody, of course. And although I know some folks just assume that ESPN prints money, it doesn’t. ESPN and its affiliate ESPN.com have had to make hard decisions like any other business about what it can and can’t do.

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Looking back on a “sudsy” past

     Last week, I did something I haven’t done in many, many years: Watched the “Guiding Light.” The soap opera had been on television since 1952, but the changing world did it in. Not so many people are home during the day anymore trying to get their fix of hot doctors hooking up when they’re not performing brain surgery … and besides, they can get that in more risque fashion at night anyway.

  There’s been an overall decline in soap opera viewership, and the wrecked economy has hurt all those shows.”GL,” though, was deemed no longer viable. So after 15,762 episodes, it ended Sept. 18.

  I wanted to watch the conclusion only for nostalgia reasons. A long time ago, I was addicted to “GL.” It feels ridiculous to say such a thing now, but it’s true. From about 1979 to 1983, in particular, it was utterly absurd. Whatever was going on in fictional “Springfield” was more important than anything actually going on in my life.

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Goodbye to an advocate of women’s sports

  The first day of the WNBA playoffs is in the books, and I wrote for ESPN.com about the victories for Detroit and Los Angeles.

  Earlier in the day, I saw the news that Pacer/Fever co-owner Mel Simon had died, which of course raises more questions on the Fever’s future. Then in the afternoon, I saw more sad news from Indianapolis: NCAA president Myles Brand had passed away, too.

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Uggh, it’s that time again …

  Time to make picks for the WNBA playoffs, that is. I will say it again: I loathe picking. But it’s one of the things ESPN.com requests that I do, so …

  Today, the first full day of the NFL season, I briefly watched the guys on CBS go through their picks. They each pushed a button in front of them, and then it came up with team’s logo to show what team everyone had picked. They seemed to be really enjoying it, of course. I think this is pretty much normal – that people like to “inject” themselves into competitions that they aren’t actually involved in so they have a chance to “win.”

  Which means I’m abnormal, because I don’t want to be part of the competition in any way.

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Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend

  That’s what it’s going to come down to with the final WNBA playoff spots, and it’s pretty cool. I just did my award picks for ESPN.com, and I hope I covered all the right bases there. If not, I’m sure someone will let me know.

 Somehow, I’m thinking Detroit is a team not to be underestimated. 

   Been rather busy this week, writing about the upcoming 4Kay Golf Classic, C. Vivian Stringer going into the Hall of Fame and Lisa Leslie playing her final regular-season game at the Staples Center. 

  At any rate, I’ll be weighing in on more of the WNBA race to the finish later in the day. Like when I’m not watching Serena Williams vs. Kim Clijsters.

  And, yes, there was news that the results of runner Caster Semenya’s gender testing had come in, and it suggests she has intersex physical traits. If the reports are true, I can honestly say that’s what I expected.

  However, the IAAF has not made an official comment on the tests. When track’s governing body does that, I’ll have some further thoughts on the situation.

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The ‘gender’ question: Part 3

   The latest news in the Caster Semenya situation is disheartening, but unfortunately not surprising. Wilfred Daniels, one of the supervising coaches for the South African track program, resigned. He told the Associated Press he was ashamed of the way South African officials had dealt with Semenya, the 18-year-old runner who is facing questions about her gender.

   Daniels said that those in South African track’s governing body never explained to Caster that the tests she was undergoing were to ascertain her gender. The president of the organization, Leonard Chuene, refutes that. The one who sounds credible, though, is Daniels.

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And the MVP is … uh …

  I started worrying about MVP voting in the WNBA a few weeks ago, so I’ve already had plenty of time to overanalyze it. And there’s still just over a week left to keep fretting.

  David Woods of the Indianapolis Star covers the Indiana Fever, and we chatted by phone Thursday about the MVP race – how difficult it is to try to pick from all the deserving candidates. Even if you looked at just the top team in each conference, you’ve got four people high on the MVP list: Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, and Indiana’s Katie Douglas and Tamika Catchings.

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