WNBA RESULTS FROM JUNE 8TH AND 9TH

 Balladeer’s Blog’s coverage of the Women’s National Basketball Association continues with a look at the five games last night and both games scheduled for today.

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH – The NEW YORK LIBERTY registered their first road win of this young season last night with a 76-70 defeat of the WASHINGTON MYSTICS. It was the Liberty’s first win in Washington, DC since 2009,  which is surprising since road teams often thrive in the Black Hole of Sports that the District of Columbia has become in recent years (except for the Capitals). New York improves to  3-5 after starting the year 0-5.

UNDERCOVER ANGEL – Angel McCoughtry, the undisputed leader of the ATLANTA DREAM, helped rally her team in the cause of ending their two- game losing streak in a 60-57 home stand against the SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS. Though dominant early the Dream had to toughen up late to withstand a 4th quarter run by the Silver Stars when it looked like Atlanta might give away a third straight game in the final minutes. The Dream have won the past two Eastern Conference championships in a row but have looked vulnerable this year without Erika De Souza, who will rejoin the team later this season after service with her Brazilian homeland’s national team.

AN EPIPHANY JAMES JOYCE NEVER DREAMED OF – The CHICAGO SKY’s Epipphany Prince sank a three from downtown last night to force overtime against the TULSA SHOCK. The Sky wound up winning in the extra session by a final score of 98-91. The winless Shock went on an 11-1 run to start the 4th quarter but still don’t seem to have the roadmap for finding their first win of the season. Tulsa plays again tomorrow night when they will likely be the latest victim of the 8-0 MINNESOTA LYNX, who are playing to tie the WNBA’s best season-opening run at 9-0. 

SPARKS ROUT THE MERCURY – Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker notched 25 and 23 points respectively to lead the LOS ANGELES SPARKS (“Sparks is Sparks” as my sister Debbie says – she’s such a card) over the PHOENIX MERCURY by a score of 90-74. It was the first winning basketball the Staples Center has seen in a while (Oh no he didn’t!) and was the fourth straight victory for the 6-1 Sparks. That’s the good news for LA fans. The bad, or at least grounding, news is that those wins have come against teams that are a combined 3-17 for the year so far. 

CATCHING AN ELBOW – Reigning WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings missed part of the 3rd quarter due to an accidental elbow to the face from teammate Tammy Sutton- Brown in the INDIANA FEVER’s 89-81 loss to the CONNECTICUT SUN. It was a REAL accidental elbow, not the Ron Artest kind (Again, “Oh no he didn’t!”) and the Fever saw the Sun go on an 8-0 run with Catchings on the bench. Connecticut next takes the court against Atlanta on Sunday while Indiana has a week off before a road trip to Washington, DC.

JUNE 9TH RESULTS

NINE AND O, BABY! – The MINNESOTA LYNX still have no losses for the year and the TULSA SHOCK still have no victories. As expected the Lynx thwacked the Shock 93-73, moving Minnesota to a perfect 9-0 record. This ties the WNBA record for consecutive wins to start a season, the record previously held only by the 2001 and 2003 LOS ANGELES SPARKS. The Lynx take it on the road this Friday to battle the PHOENIX MERCURY and try to notch a new all-time record for a season- starting streak of victories.

BENCH PLAYERS SHINE FOR SAN ANTONIO – The reserve players for the SAN ANTONIO SILVER STARS outperformed the team’s starters 41-30 from the field to lift the Silver Stars over the SEATTLE STORM 80-67. This ends San Antonio’s 4- game losing streak and validates coach Dan Hughes’ faith in his bench players, whom he saw as a key to ending the spate of losses. Shameka Christon sank a three point shot to give the Silver Stars their first lead of the game at 7-5 and the ladies never looked back.