Springfield Spirit vs. Birmingham Power
Mohegan Sun, CT- 2/14/03

 

My friend and I were planning to arrive one hour before the game starts, but I ended up leaving work late and had to deal with friday night traffic on the way there. I couldn't believe they had a game on Valentine's Day! The reason why I went there anyway was to distribute my company flyers to the crowds, but didn't get there early enough to do so. Good thing that my boyfriend is a very understanding guy! We will spend time together on Saturday instead. I don't feel too bad, since the players probably have to do the same as well.

We missed few minutes of the first half, but glad to be there after a long drive. It didn't take long for us to start screaming and covering our face when Spirit players missing their shots. The game was pretty much the same as the previous day, where they need immediate help on their defense and rebounding. Their shooting percentage made it even worse! Sue Bird certainly did not play well at all. She only made 3 out of 12 field goal attempts and 0-3 from 3-point range. In addition to her poor shooting, she had 6 turnovers. However, we have to give her credit for 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. The team was trailing when Sue was on the bench for 3 minutes but I was glad at the same time that she finally got the rest she deserves. As much as wanting to see her out there on the floor, I really do not want to see her getting worn off going into WNBA season.

Few UConn coaching staffs were among the crowds cheering for the Spirit. They goofed around most of the times. I guess they were trying to get away from their stressful job at UConn. As usual, the referees were booed through out the game. We were not happy with some of the calls they make!

I could not identify which is Kelly and which is Coco Miller. They are identical twins who keep their appearance exactly the same, except their shoes. Just to clarify once and for all, assuming that they will not exchange jerseys: Coco - #9 and Kelly - #8.

I cannot understand why the Spirit players haven't been able to out rebounds their opponents by a lot! They have the height advantage to grab most rebounds, to block and to set up tough defense. Instead, they allowed their opponents to shoot over their heads, having clear path for layups, and grab more offensive rebounds. This type of play has to stop somehow! They haven't face tough teams as yet! Houston Stealth, the defending champion with Cheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Michelle Snow will definitely give them a hard time! Chicago Blazer waiting for Tamika Catchings to join their squad, which will make them a stronger team.

In my opinion, with talents and luck, the Spirit has been able to survive their first 3 games. I am still waiting to see them play better defense, grab a lot of rebounds, reduce the turnovers and be more aggressive. Each player has her own strengths and weeknesses. It is necessary to maximize each player's strengths whenever possible. Kara Wolter is a big girl! She should intimidate everyone on the floor, be a strong presence inside and grab all rebounds, but we haven't seen her using her size and height advantage to the full as yet. Swin Cash and Rebecca Lobo are great forwards! They are smooth and two of the leading scorers for Springfield Spirit. I think they have done a great job so far except the turnovers. Aside from today's game, Sue Bird has been great on the floor. She directed traffic and contributed a lot of points for the Spirit. However, from the turnovers, we can see that she is still in the process of adjusting to her new team.

Now, aside from the stars, how about the rest of the players? Two things I can point out are "Confidence" and "Consistency". Without Rita Williams, someone has to take her place helping Sue Bird on the backcourt. They just acquired a new guard from Detroit Shock, Stacy Clinesmith and we do need to give her enough time before she can play comfortably with the rest of her teammates. Nicole Conway played a lot of minutes in this game, and she's one of the candidates to be Sue Bird's backcourt partner. She needs to have more confidence to take the open shots, and work on some skills to match with Bird's vision. It was nice to see that she actually played better as the game progresses.

Jamie Cournoyer is a good player, but she needs to work on her consistency and to be able to finish off shots. I think she catches the ball better than Kara Wolters. Yatar Kuyateh is definitely a hustler! She grabs rebounds whenever possible, which is great! She is a great player coming off the bench. However, she needs to work on her shooting, especially free throws. Because of her strong effort inside, she gets to the line quite often, and it is important for her to be able to convert those into points. Kristen McCory is another bench player that needs to work on her consistency. She doesn't play much, but it is important to have sparks off the bench. It is not a good news for Cindy Blodgett. She's been ill and she actually went to the emergency room because of it. I hope she's okay and recovering in no time.

Overall, I would love to see more efforts from every player on the defensive end! Do not let them shoot over you with ease! And one more time, please grab the rebounds!! If someone takes a shot, there's always a chance for that player to miss, so the others need to anticipate quickly with either offensive rebound or defensive rebound. Heart and Hustle girls!!!

The Spirit will have back to back games: at Tennessee on Sunday and then at Mohegan Sun vs. Grand Rapids on Monday. It will not be easy.

Good luck Spirit!!!