The Sparks! Tip Off Sunday @ 3pm

#1
T

T.J.

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
1,703
Likes
2,007
#1
If this is a Lady Vol message board everyone should be at least moderately interested in this WNBA Finals game with one of the most popular Tennessee players to don a Lady Vol uniform ever will be playing in the WNBA Finals.

The passing of coach Summitt this past summer and UConn coach Auriemma hand in keeping Candace Parker off the Olympics has me in a total state of ORANGE LOVE for CP3 and her Sparks!

Candace has been in a league 8 seasons and never made it to the Finals. Now she has finally made it!

As a Lady Vol fan base we should all send Candace some good cheers and love so she has the wind of our support on her back! Also, I hope Diamond Deshields and Mercedes Russell particularly will be watching. They need to see how Candace Parker plays on the biggest stage. That should motivate them and all the current Lady Vols to be the best for their upcoming season!

And what a treat it will be if The Sparks won? The upcoming LV season would be something special, indeed. Talk about recruitment?

Lady Vol & Sparks fans UNITE!

GOSparks Beat the Lynx

& GOParker!

"5. Candace Parker. Candace Parker has done almost everything her basketball career. Individual awards, NCAA Championships and Olympic Gold Medals. She’s done quite a lot in Los Angeles, too. She has been an MVP twice, a WNBA Rookie of the Year and an All-Star Game MVP. She has, however, never played in the WNBA Finals. This is her opportunity to finally add a WNBA title to her list of accolades — the accolade that driven and motivated her to this point in her career. Parker can play the star’s role for her team, like she did in putting up 29 points to close out Chicago on Tuesday, or she can step back a bit, let Ogwumike or Toliver take the lead and help her team in myriad ways. Parker came to the Sparks and was mentored by Lisa Leslie, considered perhaps the greatest post player in women’s basketball history. Leslie won two titles here. Parker is going to go down as one of the most gifted players of all time. She badly wants the championship to go with the distinction."

Inside The W with Michelle Smith - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#2
#2
“My rookie season I thought I would be in this situation at least four of five times by now,” said Parker. “But you never know what your journey is going to hold. For me personally as an individual, I’ve learned that you’ve got to grasp the moment and when opportunity knocks, you answer it.”


In her postgame press conference, Parker summed up her journey rather simply: “Man, it’s been a long time coming — jeez.”

Answer it!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#3
#3
What channel are these finals on? Please don't tell me NBA TV. We have Charter & can't get NBA TV. I thought they would have it on one of the ESPN networks like ESPNU or even ESPN News. Thanks!
 
#4
#4
tony you're too late. The game was on ABC and OH WHAT A GAME IT WAS!

SPARKS WIN!! 78 to 76!

Game all tied with 24 seconds to go and Chelsea Gray dribbles penetrates the lane dishes off to Alana Beard on the wing for a long 2pt shot at the BUZZER!

GAME OVER!

Ba Da Ba Ba BAH I"M LOVIN' IT!!

GOSPARKS! :)

"MINNEAPOLIS -- Alana Beard hit a jumper from the baseline just before time expired to lift the Los Angeles Sparks in a 78-76 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday."


Beard's jumper lifts Sparks over Lynx in Game 1
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
#5
#5
What a game!! I believe the Sparks can take this series!! Oh yea, Alana's defense was spectacular!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#6
#6
PointGuard said:
“My rookie season I thought I would be in this situation at least four of five times by now,” said Parker. “But you never know what your journey is going to hold. For me personally as an individual, I’ve learned that you’ve got to grasp the moment and when opportunity knocks, you answer it.”


In her postgame press conference, Parker summed up her journey rather simply: “Man, it’s been a long time coming — jeez.”

Answer it!
Click to expand...

Candace answered.

Her Sparks won the game.

5 game series
L.A. 1-0
:)
 
#7
#7
well, my prediction on a sweep by Minny wasn't too good, eh? lol Happy to be wrong! Go LA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
#11
#11
Had to laugh at the look in video of Candace telling her teammates to "cut" like they want the ball and they all said "Okay" then they proceeded 2 straight times to waste the whole shot clock standing like statues...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#12
#12
ladyvosl23 said:
Now our mindset needs to be win game 2
Click to expand...

I'm not going to get greedy. Yes I would love for LA to win game 2 NO DOUBT but they are playing @ Minnesota again.

Just happy that game 1 went The Sparks way.

One game at a time.
 
#13
#13
gule said:
Had to laugh at the look in video of Candace telling her teammates to "cut" like they want the ball and they all said "Okay" then they proceeded 2 straight times to waste the whole shot clock standing like statues...
Click to expand...

Yeah but still. They won. It's all part of the game. Trust me I was screaming and cursing at Alana, Chelsea, Candace and Kristi for most of the game for some of their dumb moves. I was so happy though for Alana at the end. She made up for a lot of dumb stuff.

But her BLOCK though on Lindsey Whalen?! OMG that was SAHWEET! Alana came ALIVE in that last MINUTE! SO proud of her.

Candace played some good defense for stretches especially in the 1st half. She didn't even need to score that much. She only had 14pts. I just wish she would shoot so many fade away shots.
Doesn't matter. They won anyway!:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
#14
#14
I always thought Beard was the weakest link on offense for LA. She disappears for whole games at a time... :(
 
#15
#15
T.J. said:
Yeah but still. They won. It's all part of the game. Trust me I was screaming and cursing at Alana, Chelsea, Candace and Kristi for most of the game for some of their dumb moves. I was so happy though for Alana at the end. She made up for a lot of dumb stuff.

But her BLOCK though on Lindsey Whalen?! OMG that was SAHWEET! Alana came ALIVE in that last MINUTE! SO proud of her.

Candace played some good defense for stretches especially in the 1st half. She didn't even need to score that much. She only had 14pts. I just wish she would shoot so many fade away shots.
(Doesn't matter. They won anyway!:)
Click to expand...

Candace does not have the greatest lateral speed which is much to do with chronic knee issues but she was incredibly good all game on the defensive side. She was great helping off ball screens. She had two great blocks on Sylvia and Maya that were called fouls. She kept Sylvia from getting deep position that she is so good at getting. Syl got most of her points on cleanup plays so Parker and Nneka got caught a few times not blocking out but that is going to happen for how often Nneka and Candace trap off screens. LA was not great from the 3 and didn't rebound as well as they need to so they have a lot of room for improvement/efficiency.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#16
#16
They only had a 8 plus rebounding advantage. I thought trapping screens were good in the first half then they backed off in the second smart you can not let minny have a consistent defense. Toliver is made for the big moments. Candace does not need to go off when you have KT AND NEKA GETTING THERES . Adjustments quit fouling except game 2 to be called more physical stop letting Whalen walk the ball up so set u up to drive to the hoop. Except them to not over play as much and to trap KT on screens
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#17
#17
T.J. said:
tony you're too late. The game was on ABC and OH WHAT A GAME IT WAS!

SPARKS WIN!! 78 to 76!

Game all tied with 24 seconds to go and Chelsea Gray dribbles penetrates the lane dishes off to Alana Beard on the wing for a long 2pt shot at the BUZZER!

GAME OVER!

Ba Da Ba Ba BAH I"M LOVIN' IT!!

GOSPARKS! :)
Click to expand...

Well, shoot. I didn't think there would be any games in this series on ABC. Are the upcoming weekly games going to be on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU? Glad the Sparks took game #1. Yes!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#18
#18
tennparker3 said:
Candace does not have the greatest lateral speed which is much to do with chronic knee issues but she was incredibly good all game on the defensive side. She was great helping off ball screens. She had two great blocks on Sylvia and Maya that were called fouls. She kept Sylvia from getting deep position that she is so good at getting. Syl got most of her points on cleanup plays so Parker and Nneka got caught a few times not blocking out but that is going to happen for how often Nneka and Candace trap off screens. LA was not great from the 3 and didn't rebound as well as they need to so they have a lot of room for improvement/efficiency.
Click to expand...

That one block in the post on Maya was called a foul on Candace. The replay showed it was clean. Oh well.

THEY WON, anyway! :)
 
#19
#19
tonybologna said:
Well, shoot. I didn't think there would be any games in this series on ABC. Are the upcoming weekly games going to be on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU? Glad the Sparks took game #1. Yes!
Click to expand...

Sorry that you missed it.

Yes the rest of the games will be on ESPN and ESPN2 check your local listings.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#21
#21
Good all around game from the Sparks. Essence and Alana may not have scored much, but they played excellent perimeter defense, especially Essence on Maya in the 1st half. Even though Maya scored 18 in the second half, Essence did a great job defending her. All of the shots she hit were tough ones with a hand in her face. Chelsea and Jantel were the only subs who played for LA, but they outproduced Minny's bench. Natasha Howard has been huge for Minny off the bench, and Jantel just steamrolled through her.

It was also good that most of the starters played less than 30 minutes. That bodes well to steal game 2 on the road, and set up to clinch the championship at home.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#23
#23
DaddyChoc said:
sounds like a plan
Click to expand...

A good plan indeed. I hope LA comes with more fire and tenacity in game 2. Maya and Augustus are both going to be hoisting them up in game 2 and we need Toliver and Gray to continue to deliver on offense and Beard and Carson to deliver on defense. If Dabo and Gruda can give us 10-20 good mins off the bench in game 2 that would be the icing on the cake. Great game by both teams. Although Alger didn't play his bench much I like how both Parker and Nneka got rest in the second half. Kudos to Jantel and Chelsey off the bench :rock:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#24
#24
T.J. said:
That one block in the post on Maya was called a foul on Candace. The replay showed it was clean. Oh well.

THEY WON, anyway! :)
Click to expand...

That is what I was implying. Two great block and refs rewarding the players who got their lunch stuffed... cleanly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top