Ben York's Posts

Okay, so I know I said that I’d be posting more on Mercury Rising…and I failed miserably.

But - good news! Free time has opened up in my schedule which will allow me to go post multiple times daily (hopefully) and get back to game previews, feature pieces, interviews with coaches & players, and game recaps.

So, let’s start today, shall we?

• First, the obvious - the Mercury are officially in the playoffs. However, it really doesn’t mean a whole lot to the team with their schedule coming up and the fact that the Sparks have rattled off 5 in a row. It’s clear the top 3 teams that are formally emerging now are the Merc, Sparks, and Storm with the Silver Stars and Lynx dangerously inconsistent.
• MVP talk - Diana and Cappie are both in the hunt for the MVP this season. Though, I really can’t say for certain which one I feel deserves it more (not that it matters to either one of them). It really seems like one of them steps up every game and feeds off each other - how can one determine who is more valuable when they both do very different things on the court? However, if Indiana keeps playing they way they are it might be a moot point with the award going to Katie Douglas.
• The Rookie of the Year is all but locked up for DeWanna Bonner. There really is no legitimate case for another rookie to surpass her. DB has noticeably become more comfortable with her role on the team and gaining confidence, seemingly, by the minute.
• When will our backcourt get some well-deserved recognition? Temeka and Ketia have been a very dynamic 1-2 punch at the 1 position for Phoenix over the course of the entire year. Each one brings something different to the table and it has continually confused opponents.
• Tangela Smith has also been a very underrated player in the league over the course of her career - in the Washington game, she became just the 4th player ever to reach the 500 block mark.
• Penny Taylor - I’ve heard from several people how they are panicking regarding Penny’s integration into the team’s offensive scheme. To that, I say just be patient. Penny is here for the marathon, not the sprint, and she’ll have a breakout game soon enough.
• Coach Gaines for Coach of the Year? If not for the phenomenal season that Indiana is having under Coach Dunn, Gaines certainly would be a frontrunner. The Mercury have a much improved defense for their personnel, are the best team by far offensively, and he is very adept at key in-game adjustments.
• Speaking of the Merc’s defense, Coach Gaines has told me several times that they do a lot of things right defensively but struggle with really finishing the play. Some of this has to do with their limited size in the frontcourt.

That’s it for now - please send me an email with any questions for players or coaches.

- Ben

If you are one of the people that “doesn’t consider themselves a fan of the WNBA,” please take advantage of this rare opportunity.

I’ve partnered with the Phoenix Mercury organization to offer one (1) individual a chance to sit with me on media row at the Mercury game against the Washington Mystics tomorrow night.

I’ll be writing about our experience at the game and your opinions on the WNBA before and after. I personally guarantee you’ll have a different view of the WNBA once you give it a fair chance and see what it’s really like. Plus, I’m there, and it’s going to be fun!

To enter, please email me a brief reason of why you currently don’t enjoy the WNBA to ben.york@fanster.com. We’ll select one (1) person to join me for tomorrow’s game. Entries are due by 10:00 PM Arizona time Thursday night.

There was a great article by Terrence Thomas of My San Antonio today that talked about how the next 2 games (today and Saturday) could make or break the Silver Stars season; and he is dead on.

Are they the team that a year ago won the Western Conference championship and played for the WNBA championship?

Or are they the team that this season seems to keep tripping over its own feet?

Are they the team, with last year’s core intact, that most expected would contend for a league championship?

Or are they the team that is clinging to the Western Conference’s final playoff berth after Tuesday’s 90-73 home loss against last-place Sacramento?

The next few days could provide the answer.

The Silver Stars play Western Conference-leading Phoenix at 9 p.m. Thursday in Arizona. Two days later, the two teams play at 7 p.m. Saturday at the AT&T Center.

Depending on the outcome, the two crucial games can either boost the Silver Stars’ playoff hopes. Or continued their Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde season.

The team has won back-to-back games just twice this year, and has followed a victory with a loss in each of its past five games.

Thus, the Silver Stars playoff hopes correlate with what type of team shows up to play the Mercury tonight and Saturday.

My guess, is they’ll be very similar to the team that beat the Mercury in San Antonio on June 23, 91-87. It was Becky’s first game back from her Russian escapades; it took a while, but you could see glimpses of how good the Silver Stars could be.

Since then, the two teams went in very different directions. The Mercury only lost 2 games in all of July and received a bonus with the addition of Penny Taylor. The Silver Stars, however, went back and forth constantly and now own a 10-12 record with 2 huge games against Phoenix in front of them.

I’d also anticipate a much better showing for the Mercury than against the Fever. You never really got the sense that the Mercury were 100% into the game and I certainly don’t expect that to be the case tonight.

Either way, look for a big-time performance from each teams respective stars - Diana, Cappie, Becky, and Sophia.

One things for sure, Diana will keep the Mercury on track. “We still have a large margin of improvement to make,” Taurasi said. “We are still pretty far from where we need to be if we want to win a championship.”

Should be a fun one.

First off, yes I’m still alive, and yes I still follow the Mercury closely, and yes I am at the games. With my new gig at DIME Magazine being more hectic than I originally thought, I sincerely apologize for not updating everyone on the status of the Mercury lately. So, here is a boat-load of updates to hopefully make up for my absence! Also, there is some very exciting stuff coming up that you’ll want to know about and I’ll be posting much more frequently. So, please, keep coming back! (Twitter - @bjyork)

Schedule

At 16-7, the Mercury are (obviously) 1^st place in the Western Conference. However, what isn’t as well-known is how they could finish the season and perhaps set a franchise record for most wins. The Mercury have 11 games left in the 2009 regular season.

· San Antonio, San Antonio, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Connecticut, Detroit, Indiana, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles

5 of those games are home, and 6 are away. The franchise record for most wins in a season was 2007 with 23. There is no reason to think the Mercury cannot win 7-9 of the aforementioned games if they play up to their ability. I see them beating San Antonio, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Connecticut, Detroit, Atlanta, and either the Storm or Sparks to close out the season. That’s 8 wins, and they could conceivably have more if they got really hot.

That would give them a potential win total of 23-25 and either tie or surpass the franchise record. Of course, this is barring any major health issues etc. Perhaps more astonishingly, the Mercury had a full, healthy roster against Indiana for the first time since early July. Before that, it was consistently a question mark too. Still, they were able to come together and play the Mercury basketball we all know and love to sit atop the West.

Hypothetically speaking, how scary could they be when they really start to click with Penny Taylor??!! If nothing else, they are now one of the deepest teams in the league.

MVP Rankings

It should be no surprise that Cappie and Diana are in the top 5 in the MVP race either. It’s hard to quantify or justify who is better, and if I’m honest, it really doesn’t matter because they play so well together and are as unselfish as they come.

This year, perhaps more so than any, DT and CP have proven what a force they are in the league and have shown no signs of letting up. The adversity the team has seen this season has only brought them (and the team) closer.

Rookie Rankings

Another no-brainer is how consistently DeWanna sits atop the Rookie Rankings on WNBA.com. DB has been there for numerous weeks already and despite only playing close to 20 minutes a game, she is becoming more and more comfortable (and in control). I compared her to Shawn Marion when the Mercury drafted her, and it seems like that is a more than fair comparison since DB gets most of her points and rebounds off intangibles, determination, and hustle.

Gaines

There shouldn’t be any question now that Corey Gaines is the perfect coach for this team. We’ve seen improvements on the defensive end of the floor, however gradual they might be, and even improvements offensively which is amazing in and of itself. He brings a disciplined, but fun, attitude to this club and the players love playing for him. Julie and Bridge add to the light atmosphere and provide the players a much needed laugh when need be. It’s great to see.

Meek and Ketia

How good are our PG’s?! They are similar and different at the same time. Meek has a calming presence on the floor and can direct traffic with ease. Ketia is a high-octane energy boost off the bench and is gaining in confidence with each game. For opposing teams, it’s hard to gameplan which guard they’ll face. Both Meek and Ketia are exceptional ball-handlers and are unselfish; two characteristics that not many guards have in the league. Some of the passes Meek and Ketia make are incredible and they both have a knack for knowing where the open player is; and it’s only going to get better.

The Constants – Le’coe, Tangela, and DeWanna

I mentioned this earlier, but about 95% of the Mercury’s plays are run for Diana and Cappie…which is obviously a smart thing with their ability. But, Le’coe, Tangela, and DeWanna can light up the score board at anytime if they get hot, or if the team needs that type of contribution. Perhaps more importantly, they fit in seamlessly with the type of offense and defense the Mercury run which allows freedom and accountability from everyone. They have been, and will be, invaluable come playoff time.

Penny

The Merc have done a perfect job integrating Penny into the lineup thus far. It would’ve been a mistake to throw her in there from the beginning and it also would’ve been a mistake not to play her. Gaines has allowed Penny to compete in practices at a high-level for several weeks now which allows the rest of the team to get used to her and more comfortable. Thus, when she comes in during games, it’s not unusual or weird for the other players. The best part? It’s only going to get better.

Nicole, Mazz, Brooke

They haven’t received many minutes, whether it’s due to the rotation or injuries, but there isn’t a question they all come in and contribute in one way or another when their name is called. Whether it’s getting to the foul line or defending the post by Nicole, hitting a much needed three by Mazz, or getting a key rebound by Brooke the Mercury are comfortable and can count on these ladies.

Stats

The Mercury are having an almost unbelievable year statistically. Here are some of the highlights…

· 2 of the top 5 players in scoring (Diana, Cappie)

· 1^st in ppg as a team (92.0), next closest is 83 (Atlanta)

· 1^st in FG% (45.5)

· 2^nd in 3PR% (39.1)

· 1^st in FT% (85.9)

· 4^th in rebounds (35.0)

· 1^st in assists (18.2 a game)

· 9^th in turnovers (only 14 a game)

· 1^st in blocks (5.6)

· 2 players in the top 3 in assists per game (Cappie 5.3, Meek 5.1)

Be Excited, Be Very Excited

I don’t have to tell the die-hard fans this, but I’ve said all-season long this is a special team and the way they’re playing is justifying that sentiment. It was so nice to see over 10,000 people at the arean vs. the Fever and we need that same type of support in the last 5 home games.

I could not be more excited for the playoffs to start and to see US Airways Center rocking.

Enjoy this Mercury fans, because as we all know, seasons like this don’t come along very often.

What are your thoughs about the Mercury’s stellar season so far? Let’s hear them!

I’ll start this featured article on Ketia Swanier by saying three things:

1. She is one of the most polite people I’ve ever met.
2. She has some of the best footwork by a basketball player I’ve ever seen. Man or woman.
3. Her success is a direct correlation with hard work and perseverance.

Ketia’s fantastic start to the 2009 season has been a true testament of where hard work and dedication will get you. After being cut surprisingly by the Connecticut Sun early in the year, Ketia has not only found a rotation spot in Phoenix, but a place to call home. “My experience in Phoenix has been a stepping stone for me I believe,” Ketia says. “Everyone welcomed me with open arms. I felt comfortable instantly and felt like I had been a part of this organization already.”

As for the ‘rumored’ hot weather in Arizona? “I heard it was hot out here but not hot like this. Crazy that it has only rained once since I arrived out here.”

When Shin Oga decided to go back to Japan to recuperate from wrist surgery, the Mercury were sorely in need of a back-up point guard to Temeka Johnson. Ketia was the perfect fit for this up-tempo Phoenix offense; she handles the ball phenomenally, has fantastic court vision, and consistently looks to get her teammates involved. Perhaps most importantly, she takes care of the ball averaging only 0.8 turnovers per game. To illustrate how effective Swanier is at protecting the ball, Ketia has just under 20 turnovers in the entire season thus far – an amazingly low number for a point guard in the Mercury’s offensive system. “I just live by taking days one day at a time,” Swanier told me. “Staying focused (hard work and dedication are a big part of it), and thanking God for everything.”

More so than anything, what makes Ketia such a great fit for the Mercury is her personality and attitude. A soft-spoken and incredibly polite person, Swanier does exactly what Gaines and his staff ask of her and gives 100% every day, regardless of the situation. If the Mercury need a bucket, Ketia is fully capable of either scoring or creating scoring options for other players. If they need energy and a boost off the bench, she’ll come in and give you everything she has at full-speed for her time in the game. “I think I have a little bit of speed and Phoenix being an up tempo run and gun type of team fits me perfectly” Ketia said. “My speed is a strength and being able to use that on a consistent basis is a plus because I’m able to work on a lot of transition situations.  Playing behind Temeka is also a plus because she is also considered a quick PG and she stays in my ear consistently helping me get better.”

In addition, her passion for giving back and improving lives add value to the Mercury. Ketia has a 501©(3) non-profit organization called Ketia4Kidz which provides support to the children of deployed and severely injured active duty military service members of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It also provides enrichment activities and tutoring to children while their parent(s) are away in service. “Growing up as a military brat was tough,” Ketia said. “My parents were always deployed and I had to grow up in a single parent home for a considerable amount of time in my life.  Basketball helped keep me grounded and I was able to stay focused from it.  Times are a lot harder now for the military child world because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the things that come with it.  I wish someone was able to tell me to have dreams and goals other than my parents who you hear it from all the time.  I would’ve got a better outlook on life I believe and maybe even strived for more.”

Ultimately, Ketia loves to give back because it’s simply the right thing to do. “I love that I can put a smile on someone’s face for something real simple,” Ketia said about her passion for philanthropy. “Everybody can have a positive influence on somebody’s life.  I just want these kids to know they can make a difference in the future and be very successful if they have the right mind set.”

College scholarships and academic excellence programs will be provided to children on military bases. For information on how to get involved, visit http://ketia4kidz.org.

The Mercury just couldn’t muster up enough of a spark to get the job done tonight.

Throughout the entire game, the Mercury seemingly found their groove and got within closing distance but never could get over that hump in a 99-86 loss.

Sometimes, recaps are overrated. This is one of those cases. There isn’t a whole lot of statistical analysis that I could offer up that would be different than what anyone else would write. Quite simply, the Lynx made shots and the Mercury didn’t. The Lynx came out with more energy and sustained it throughout the game, while the Mercury ran out of energy. The Lynx came up with the big plays when they needed them and Phoenix wasn’t able to close the gap.

“We missed layups, were out of sync,” Gaines said. “They made shots, we missed ours. I have to hand it to them, they’re a good team.”

When asked to clarify, Gaines said he couldn’t be much more clear. “They made shots, they beat us,” Gaines said. “It just didn’t happen tonight.”

Cappie echoed Gaines’ sentiment that sometimes you’re just off and you’re going to lose some. “Any loss is tough and I don’t want to make excuses,” Cappie said. “I really think it was the lack of energy in the 1st half; the lack of effort and defensive energy.”

Like their last loss in Minnesota, you just have to put it behind you. “Lesson learned and we’ll move on. We’ll regroup coming into this break,” Cappie said. “We’re a great team and we just have to focus to stay on top in the West.”

Again, sorry for the lack of analysis, but this really isn’t a complicated game to figure out sometimes. The Lynx just played better than the Mercury did tonight.

On to a much needed All-Star break…

Okay, hopefully I didn’t jinx it. But I KNOW that’s what you’re all thinking.

Taking on the Lynx at home, the Mercury will need another team effort to pull out a win.

One thing the Lynx do well is play hard; and for the entire game. In their last game in Minnesota, the big ‘3′ (would be 4 if Augustus wasn’t injured) stepped up in a huge way.  Charde Houston, Candice Wiggins, and Nicky Anosike all propelled the Lynx to a 29-point whooping of the Merc. To be fair, the opposite happened for the Lynx in Phoenix when they received a whooping of their own on June 17th (104-80).

Mercury fans are hoping the trend of home-teams winning continues in Phoenix tonight.

As I mentioned above, they’ll need another collective effort from the entire squad. In the Mercury’s first game without captain Diana Taurasi, Phoenix had big games from Meek, Le’coe, Cappie, Ketia, DeWanna, and Tangela (aka, basically the entire team). A couple big reasons which led to the Mercury’s victory was how well they took care of the ball (only 10 turnovers) and free-throws (19-23).  I’m 99% certain that Mazz will still start in place of Taurasi, but I’d also expect DeWanna to get 20-30 minutes in this one in an attempt to combat the Lynx’s athleticism.

The Mercury will again be very limited in personnel tonight as Nicole Ohlde will be nursing her recently repaired wrist. Thus, only 8 women will suit up for Phoenix tonight. Perhaps this is the best possible time to have numbers be so limited as this is the last game before the All-Star break - which will be sorely needed for the Mercury to get some rest.

Should be a fun one; I’d expect the Mercury to come out intense and ready to battle so they can get that 13th win.

Cappie Pondexter of the Phoenix Mercury was named the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, July 13 through Sunday, July 19.  Pondexter becomes the first player in league history to win three consecutive Player of the Week awards.  She shares the weekly spotlight with Shameka Christon of the New York Liberty.

Pondexter earns her third consecutive Player of the Week Award and the fifth of her career.  She led Phoenix to its third straight 2-0 week with averages of 19.0 points, 11.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds.  She led the WNBA in assists for the week with five more assists per game than any other player.  Further, she was tied for fifth overall and second in the Western Conference among the league leaders in scoring.

She set a franchise record for assists in a game, tying the second-highest single-game total (Ticha Penicheiro, 16 twice and 15 once) in league history, with 15 against the Monarchs on July 15.  She added 12 points in the game for her second double-double of the season. Pondexter ended her week with 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in an overtime win over the Detroit Shock on July 18.  Her points and assists totals were both game highs, while her seven rebounds were the most among Mercury players.

Pondexter ranks second (20.3 ppg) in the WNBA in scoring, only 0.4 points behind teammate Diana Taurasi, and first in assists (5.9 apg) in 2009.  She’s one of two players (Becky Hammon) to be ranked in the top five of both categories.  She was named a reserve for the 2009 WNBA All-Star game, marking her third All-Star selection.  Pondexter is an Olympic gold-medalist and the 2007 WNBA Finals MVP.

Phoenix Mercury forward/center Nicole Ohlde has undergone successful surgery to repair a fractured scaphoid bone in her left wrist, the club announced today.  The surgery took place this morning and was performed by Dr. Beth Purdy, a hand specialist at Gateway Surgery Center.  Ohlde is expected to be sidelined 2-3 weeks.

The 6-5 Ohlde suffered the injury on July 11 at Sacramento.  After missing the first six games of the season due to a broken left foot, she’s appeared in every game since and has averaged 3.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks for the Mercury.

Cappie Pondexter received a text message from their other leader, Diana Taurasi, right as the game ended (9:20) that said, “Yeah!! Tell everyone good S***!!!”

Even though Dee wasn’t physically in a Mercury uniform or in the arena, she wasn’t completely absent…

With all the drama/excitement of the past week, it’s easy to forget there was a game to play; and an important game at that. The Shock came to Phoenix winning two in a row and the Mercury have been on fire winning their last 5.  However, a huge piece was missing in the Mercury’s lineup tonight as captain Diana Taurasi is serving game #1 of her 2 game suspension. Also without newly acquired Penny Taylor, the Mercury were extremely short-handed (9 players) in an already short rotation. Thus, to win this game, the Mercury would need a big contribution from not only Cappie and Meek, but from the entire squad.

Well, that’s exactly what they got.

Cappie came up big once again with 26 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. Le’coe added 22 points and 7 rebounds. Meek had 18 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds. Ketia had another fantastic game scoring 13 points and adding a huge spark off the bench.

I’ve said it probably 20 times this season - the Mercury are one of the (if not the) most resilient teams in the league; and they demonstrated how resilient they are again tonight in a 97-90 overtime win. “We showed how great we can be as a team,” Cappie said about the win. “Even when one of our best players is not in the game we were still able to win and it shows how good of a team we are. Everybody stepped up for us today; Ketia and Le’coe in the 4th quarter and OT. It shows our growth and our potential.”

The first half was a tale of runs; the first quarter the Mercury started on fire hitting three straight three-pointers and jumped out to a 25-21 lead. Though, each team really didn’t shoot very well collectively with the Merc hitting on only 31.8% of their shots and the Shock only 40%. What the Mercury did do well is crash the boards with DeWanna grabbing 6 in the quarter and Tangela 4 in the quarter. With a good rebounding team like the Shock, being this aggressive is absolutely essential.

The Mercury continued this trend for the first 6 minutes of the 2nd quarter, but fell apart somewhat towards the end. In the last 4 minutes of the half, the Shock went on a 16-4 run (including 2 free-throws with .3 left) to go up by 2 at the half. Ketia Swanier was much more aggressive with her shot scoring 7 points and grabbing 4 rebounds while turning the ball over only once.  Cappie was her usual self with a team-high 14 points at the half to go along with her 3 rebounds and 2 assists. All in all, a somewhat average half by both teams collectively and it showed in the box score, 45-43 Detroit.

The 3rd quarter had a bit more action. Temeka and Le’coe were the go-to players with Meek scoring 8 and Le’coe 6 to keep the Mercury in the game. Ketia also played well hitting 2 three-pointers to pace Phoenix. Phoenix seemed to find their their groove on the offensive end with 28 total points in the quarter, holding the Shock to only 19. Detroit came out in the 4th quarter ready to fight (no surprise there). Katie Smith scored 7 points for the Shock to begin the 4th quarter which led to Detroit grabbing a 4 point lead at one point. In fact, the Shock went on a 14-4 run until the 5 minute mark of the 4th quarter before the Mercury pulled to within 1 with just under 4:30 to go. It went back and forth until the end where Deanna Nolan hit a three with just under 6 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

With as fast as the Mercury play, it’s no surprise how physically conditioned they are and if they need to, any given player can contribute more minutes than planned. In overtime, it’s a perfect time to wear teams down and push up the tempo even more; that’s precisely what the Mercury did in the overtime period scoring 14 points in 5 minutes and holding Detroit to just 7.  “I told them it was to our advantage,” Gaines said about heading into OT. “I told them to keep pushing the ball and to go faster. We outscored them 14-7 in OT so we were able to do that.”

The true hero in the OT period was Le’coe Willingham who scored 6 of their 14 points (including  2 big free-throws). “The most important thing was when she [Katie] hit the shot I looked around at the team and nobody looked deflated,” Le’coe said after the game. “It wasn’t really a deflating moment for us. 40 minutes is a long time to run with us; add five more minutes and that’s even tougher.”

In all, the Mercury showed true grit, heart, and determination tonight against a really good Detroit team whose record certainly does not do them justice.

Other Random Notes

• Mercury now hold a 2.5 game lead in the West
• Phoenix’s 6 wins in a row is just one shy of their franchise record (7)
• Mercury are undefeated in inter-conference play
• Mercury are 2-0 in OT’s this season
• Meek hit a career-high 4 three-pointers
• Tangela’s record of consecutive free-throws made ended tonight at 36
• Mercury are now 6-0 in July