RebKell's Junkie Boards

[WfanFrJmp]

Nice win for Atlanta! Way to step up! LA truly drives me batty...*le sigh* Next game!

[Luuuc]

I don't know about title contender ... Angel is a lot to lose ... but then again I wrote off the Fever in 2012 as well so what do I know.

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Thanks for calling. I wait all night for calls like these.

[pilight]

[WfanFrJmp]

[zune69]

To be honest,every team in the playoffs is a title contender...There's no real dominant team this season.

[mercfan3]

Atlanta is such a fun team to watch. Very feisty.

What a tough first without Angel for Hayes..gets guarded by Beard and has to guard Gray. Sheesh.

Really good team win too. Angel is a lot to lose, but Atlanta has a huge strength in the post, a great perimeter defense, and confident guards. I think they’re still a threat.

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“Anyone point out that a Donald Trump anagram is ‘Lord Dampnut’”- Colin Mochrie

[Randy]

Only 2.5 out of first! Dream have tie breakers against Seattle, LA, DC, the Lynx and the Sun. Plus LA and DC have to play so that's a sure loss for one of them.

[lethalweapon3]

phew!

When Sykes blocked Candace's shot and flexed, I was like, "noooo Britt. You don't wanna do that." Flex, if you must, AFTER you win the game!

[TigerVol]

Sparks players all extended their post game "hand shake" line all the way to Angel at the end of the dream bench.

I know many are teammates in one place or another so there is a relationship but still a classy thing to do. Especially after a tough loss.

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"Never put an age limit on your dreams" - Dara Torres 2008

[hangtyme24]

Im not even upset at LA for losing this one. Didn't expect much on the back to back. Could've between a W but im hoping we finish the season strong lol

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HERE 2 STAY!

[Randy]

[jap]

[Silky Johnson]

[mercfan3]

[Silky Johnson]

[Rock Hard]

If Atlanta wins the championship without Angel it will be a bigger upset surprise win than the Indiana championship.

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You can win, as long as you keep your head to the SKY! Be OPTIMISTIC!

[Michelle89]

[pilight]

re: voting on this poll

The RebKellians are wrong, as usual

_________________
I'm sick and tired of the stories that you always tell
Shakespeare couldn't tell a story that well
See, you're the largest liar that was ever created
You and Pinocchio are probably related
Full of criss-crossed fits, you lie all the time
Your tongue should be embarrassed, you're a threat to mankind

[lethalweapon3]

FWIW: I have a habit of "voting" the other team, so I don't jinx the Dream.

[WNBA 09]

[WNBA 09]

Parker's back seems to be health again , she's playing alot more spry this season . Normally back to backs you see a major drop off in her production but not this year. Happy CP3 is back full strength. The real story of this game was where the hell was Nneka ?

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3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol

[willtalk]

Some observations- Beard is not the defensive lock down player she once was. She does still have sequences where she shows it, but she is no longer consistent through out games. Her on the ball defense is not as tight or relentless. It's been like that most of the season. She seems to take defensive breaks and isn't as quick to react to switches etc. I think she should probably retire after this season is over.

Nneka does not look even close to 100%. She looked like she was playing tired the last two games.

Candice--- I concur with previous posters about her sporadic defensive efforts. When she chooses to play defense she is really good, but to often she just mails it in. Those mail in's cost the team a few close games this season. I remember watching the old NBA and often offensive stars would not give as much effort on defense saving their energy because the team needed their offense. I think Candice has that attitude. The thing is that you have to recognize in what games that is applicable. The Sparks often do not need what Candice wants to do, but rather what she chooses not to do.. Often they need her to focus on defense and not offense. There were critical times in their recent series of games when just an average effort on D would have made the difference between a win and a loss. The Candice fans seem to close their eyes to those instances. They see her stats and numbers but those do not always tell the whole story.

Another thing I noticed about Candice is that she often makes up her mind about what she is going to do in any particular series and becomes oblivious to any other options. She likes, and is very good at, the two man game. That is when she sits on the parameter and looks to pass in to the post or to a cutter. That is very effective because of her height. The problem with that is she will often hold the ball to wait for what she has already decided to do to open up. This stops the ball movement. If you are not going to make a move towards the basket or hit an open player pass and move the ball anyway. She is not someone who can create shots for someone else off the dribble in the half court. I mean she does not pass off of her movement but rather of those she passes to. If a player is not obviously open she often makes bad decisions.

That is one reason the team is very bad in looking to get a hot player shots. I agree that Williams should have gotten more looks in the fourth Quarter. The Sparks are generally bad at that aspect of the game. There was one sequence when Candice had the ball on the left side of the court. Chelsea who had been shooting the three well was open and totally uncovered waving her arms, Well Candice passes the ball across the court to a Spark on the right who then after putting the ball on the floor to get an angle passes it to Chelsea who by now is jumping up and down. Well Chelsea who is now upset and out of rhythm misses the shot. Candice does stuff like this all the time, Some time ago, at the end of a game, she missed a red hot Carter on the wing for a three and instead passed into a double teamed Nneka who missed an out of position and double teamed shot. Candice had already made up her mind where she was going as she was bringing the ball up the floor. Her tunnel vision was totally oblivious to how wide open Carter was in the corner. A Carter 3 would have created a three possession lead with little time left, but instead Sparks eventually lost.

When she is on Candice might well be the best player in the game, but when she is not she often causes the team to lose through her bad decision making.

[Michelle89]

[WNBA 09]

[willtalk]

Candice is on of the best players to ever play the game. However, that ability is not always displayed on the court. Every basketball player has off games. Sometimes the body and mind are out of sync or the ball just does not drop. The thing with Candice, and I believe that is what most critics object too, is that with her the production on the court is often her own choice. Her defensive lapses happen too often for it to just be a question of fatigue.

She has games when she plays both great offense and defense. But when she is not feeling it on offense her effort on defense also takes a dive. In basketball when the ball does not drop for us we can always contribute in other ways, especially through hustle and defense. Candice does not do that. She seldom leaves it all on the floor. She is much like a running back who will not give a 100% unless the opportunity to make a big gain presents itself. She seldom if ever gives her all unless it is for her opportunity to shine. She is the epitome of a basketball Prima Donna.

I recognize her talent and what it brings to a team, but the never using her potential to help the team win games doing some blue collar work when it is needed is what makes me lose respect for her as a player. I also believe that is why they do not want her on the National teams. The games when she leave it all on the floor are far and between if ever. She will never give her all on defense because she has fallen into the pattern of saving her energy for offense.

She is a player who also could also excel on defense. She could be on of the best in the league, but she seldom gives the effort on that end of the floor. Even if she just would give an effort close to her ability at select times in games the Sparks would have won many of the close games they dropped.

I see an ingrained selfishness in her play and I suspect that is what most of her critics do not like about her game. I don't propose that she is a selfish person by nature only that on the basketball court. Very talented players often fall into patterns and habits at lower levels that becomes ingrained and stays with them though out their careers. Unless the hit a reality check, but if you are talented enough your talent outweighs the negatives and you can get away with it. Prima Donna's are not born they are created.