My buddies had work and golf to attend to today, so I ventured to Verizon Center by myself. I texted Striper but couldn't connect. I sat in the 2nd row behind the Lynx bench with my new friend Debbie, who is originally from Cleveland and a big fan of Maya, Geno, and the Huskies. She thought she was Maya's biggest fan--until she met me.
Minny started nicely, going up 25-15 and then 25-18 at the quarter. But they were outscored 71-38 over the last 3 quarters. It was a pre-season game, so take it with a grain of salt.
The Mystics started Messeman, Vaughn, Hartley, Lawson, and Cloud (I think Cloud). The Lynx started Dantas, Harris, Moore, Augustus, and Whelan. Brunson was in street clothes and Asjha and Anna Cruz were not there. I think the web shows both rosters at 16 or 17, so about 5 cuts need to be made. Is the roster size back to 12 or still at 11?? Latta and Ruffin-Pratt were among those not playing for Washington. I think Ivory has a spot on the team; I'm not sure about Tierra.
I was chatting with my new friend and had some trouble seeing from such a low vantage point, so my game report is limited. Plus, my powers of observation are limited. But here are a few thoughts, FWIW:
--Maya got fouled a few times in traffic and seemed annoyed at getting no calls. She's so versatile and athletic, though she shot poorly today.
--Lindsay Whalen is a bull, as we know. A true hockey player.
--The camaraderie on the bench was strong, seemingly for both teams. Lots of cheering from Maya and Seimone.
--Coach Reeve was upset multiple times and called TOs. Dantas was the object of her anger once.
--Amber Harris seemed to do little. Considering her size and athleticism, I was disappointed.
--The second unit for Washington looked good and essentially won the game.
--Several players for the Mystics impressed me. Some of it was making shots, but I thought the following looked good:
--Kara L. is such a smart player and a good shooter.
--Tayler Hill, who was out for childbirth last season, looked great and shot the ball well.
--Kalana Greene looked confident and aggressive on offense and smooth on defense. She still has a nice pull up jumper and rebounds with players 3" taller. She was added to the Washington roster in midseason last year and didn't play much. I had thought she was vulnerable in terms of making the roster, but she has had 2 good games. She can definitely still play in this league.
--Natasha Cloud from St. Joes can play. I was wondering about the wisdom of picking her in the first round, but not any more.
--Bria is a smart, tough, and athletic player. She looked pretty good, though 2 outside shots missed badly. Great shooters like KML miss only long or short. A couple of Bria's shots were offline as soon as they left her hand.
--The big girl with the cotton candy hair can play in this league too, though she is vulnerable to getting called for moving screens, as her timing is borderline. She still has a nice touch and passes well. I think she's adjusting to the speed of the game. I'd like to see her strengthen her hands, as a couple of rebounds got knocked away.
--Blake Dietrick got about 15-18 minutes and didn't seem out of her element, though the competition is far better than the Ivy League. She didn't do anything awful or outstanding. Considering she was undrafted and the team needs to cut 5 or so players, I don't think she'll make it, based on what I saw today. Cloud and Greene were much better.
--I think Ally Mallot made a basket. She's smart and skilled, but I wonder if the game is too physical or fast for her at this level, at least for now. The transition is tough for a rookie.
I don't know the official crowd size, but it looked well under 1,000.
I hope to go back during the regular season a few times, including for the Lynx in mid-August. I hoping for June 6 vs. Tina, Swin, Kiah, et al.