RebKell's Junkie Boards

[Force10rulz]

[Michelle89]

[NYSports56]

The idea has been repeated in this thread several times that the officials were specifically trying to foul Taurasi out of the game.

Really??? The refs were trying to foul Taurasi out? The idea that there could possibly be a league-wide conspiracy against a legend is almost unbelievable to me. I would accept accusations that the league would give the refs instructions to keep its stars in the game, but conspiring against them? That is over the top and brings up memories of the movie Rollerball.

Before I say any more, I need to preface this by saying that I did not watch games 3 or 5 because of the games not being televised on ESPN 2. I'm just reading this thread now because I was just curious about what people were saying about the game here.

I did watch single-elimination, and games 1, 2, and 4 in their entirety though. Seeing the Mercury play so many times in a row over a short period of time has given me more perspective on their players than I have ever had before.

I usually only watch them when they're playing against the Liberty, but having now watched a lot of Mercury basketball with an unbiased eye, I will say this: Diana Taurasi is perhaps the biggest whiner I have ever seen on a professional basketball court. Whether she's crying foul on virtually every drive to the basket, or looking like she's the victim of the greatest miscarriage of justice in the 21st century every time she herself is whistled, she is up there with anybody.

I honestly don't know how Taurasi has achieved the great winning results she has achieved with the way she seems to let the officiating bother her so much. Perhaps that's part of her greatness; she is either able to push it aside or use it as fuel for enhanced greatness. Either way, it's an uncommon trait, and while her constant griping seems to have rubbed off on her teammates, her ability to rise above it has not. I've seen the constant sarcastic smirks on the faces of the Mercury every time a whistle is blown against them, and see the faces of a team who is preparing to use the officiating as a crutch to explain things when they lose.

Sorry, but the Phoenix fans' claims of biased officiating? I'm not seeing it. I didn't even realize their fans were doing it; I just noticed that the Phoenix players were acting that way in games where I felt the calls went both ways. As soon as I started this thread and read the first pre-game claim that the refs would decide the game (and knowing that Phoenix lost), I realized that I was about to read a whole lot of posts blaming the officials. I wasn't disappointed.

Fans of all teams: think the officiating is biased against your team? Get in line. I mean really, how many people here think they root for a team that consistently gets the benefit of the officiating? Like night in, night out, you watch and think, "wow, the refs are helping us again tonight, just like every night." Anyone? Raise your hands.

Again, I didn't watch game 5. Perhaps it went badly for the Mercury with respect to the officiating. That does happen. I don't think the officiating in the WNBA is nearly as bad as most people here on Rebkell, but the officials certainly can have an impact no matter how good they are. To me though. the idea that the impact is deliberate just sounds like hometown bias.

Anyway, on a non-officiating note, this serious was awesome; to me it was the two best teams in the WNBA going at it, and even if the Mystics defeat the Storm in the Finals, I'm still going to think that. Despite their regular season record, the idea of the Big 3 of the Mercury losing? Wasn't going to believe it until I saw it. Even in this series against this great Seattle team, Seattle was David to Phoenix's Goliath. I wanted to see what a team had to do to beat them. I really wish I had watched Game 5; it sounds like the intensity was amazing.

[ClayK]

Great point about Diana using her complaining to fuel her game ...

As coaches and fans, we have our personal feelings about how players should act -- but everyone gets to 100% in different ways, and actually one of the things players need to learn is what gets them there most often.

I don't particularly care for trash-talking, but some athletes use it as self-motivation -- "I have to back up what I just said so I have to play as well as I can." For me, I have to get my frustration out, usually by yelling at myself or, in my younger days, throwing things. But if I don't let the frustration out, I don't play as well, so though it's childish and immature, it works for me.

And whatever Diana does works for her, and at 36, she's not going to change (nor should she). Same with veterans we think are too lackadaisacal or don't show enough fire -- they got to be veterans by figuring out what emotional state allowed them to play at the highest level. Jewel Loyd says she needs to be loose; some players need to be focused; some players need to yell at the refs.

This is one of the things I talk to young players about -- do your actions on the court, does the attitude you have now, make you the best player you can be? If not, what should you be doing?

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