Sunflower power in the WNBA finals

   There is something a little extra special about seeing players in the WNBA Finals that you got a chance to watch a lot when they were in college. Such is the case for me with Phoenix’s Nicole Ohlde (Kansas State) and Indiana’s Tamecka Dixon (Kansas).

  One or the other is going to win a WNBA title this week. It would be the third for Dixon, who won two in Los Angeles (2001, ‘02) and signed as a free agent this season with Indiana. It would be the first for Ohlde, who came to Phoenix this year in a trade from Minnesota. Both players are former starters who are now reserves and have accepted their roles well.

Interesting day in Indy

   Three months ago, I made the same drive that I did this weekend: Kansas City to Indianapolis, stopping in St. Louis along the way. 

  When I did it in July, it was to see Indiana play Connecticut; the Fever had a six-game winning streak going then and I figured I was sure to jinx them by showing up for the game and wrecking the “Fever on fire” story I was writing for ESPN.com.

 But surprisingly that didn’t happen; Indiana won 67-53 with a balanced attack and would continue on until the streak reached 11 games in a row. That July 2 night about 6,500 fans were at Conseco Fieldhouse, a relatively small gathering, and yet it didn’t feel empty or lifeless that night. It felt like how a lot of regular-season WNBA games feel: The people who are there care, and if their teams give them a reason to get up, stomp, clap and yell, they do it _ and loudly. 

 

So long Phoenix … for now?

  Packing up to leave Phoenix while feeling empathy pain for how Penny Taylor’s mouth must be hurting this morning. Talk about taking one for the team …

  Well, after a week in the Valley of the Sun, I’m heading back for a quick stop in Kansas before going to Indianapolis. I’m sure Mercury fans wouldn’t agree, but Indiana winning Game 2 was the best thing that could have happened for the series. We saw a sweep last year, and it was rather boring. 

  This way, we know we’ll get at least four games, and in a season where there was so much great play that is welcome. Plus, it guarantees a large and enthusiastic crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse on Sunday, despite the Colts being in town. The football game will be over, or very close to it, before Game 3 of the WNBA finals begins.

  I did a column for ESPN.com the other day comparing the “race” between the Mercury and the Fever to the song Beep, Beep (The Little Nash Rambler). Not so much because the analogy fits, because in a lot of ways it doesn’t, but because the song popped into my head while trying to think of something that conveyed increasing speed.

  Anyway, the Mercury is not like the Little Nash Rambler in that Phoenix is a far, far sleeker machine, albeit one that Thursday night was misfiring a lot. But the point is, the Mercury – no matter what happens – is not going to slow down. 

  Besides, I hoped at least a couple of people remembered the song, which apparently they did. If you’ve never heard it, though, just click here. And then blame me if it’s stuck in your head the rest of the day.

  Now, it’s time to head east, although I’m not going to be surprised if I’m back here a week from now.

P.S. To young Phoenix fan Brenna, who had to miss last night’s game … get well soon! The Mercury may need you back in the stands next Friday.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.