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WNBA Playoff Game Recaps

Los Angeles:69 Seattle:59 The Lisa Leslie led the L.A. Sparks with 23 points as they closed the series of the Western Conference Semifinals with a two game sweep of the Seattle Storm.

Other Sparks contributors were Tameka Dixon, scoring 15 points and more importantly scoring on two layups one of them being a three-points play, that closed out any hopes of the Storm taking the game. Rookie point guard Nikki Teasley joined in on the offensive efforts Rookie Nikki Teasley by scoring four points to trigger a 13-2 run that gave the Sparks their largest lead at 46-31 with 12:42 remaining. Teasley made two foul shots that began a sequence of events that were for the Sparks.

The Storm, definitely not giving up on the last game of their season, gave the Sparks a scare on a 14-2 run to pull within 56-54 on a three-pointer by rookie Sue Bird with just over three minutes remaining. They were still within two when a pair of free throws by Lauren Jackson cut the deficit to 58-56 with 2 1/2 minutes left to play.

Seattle's own mistakes dimished their chances, Michelle Marciniak forced up an ill-advised jumper that missed badly. The Sparks grabbed the rebound and Dixon's three-point play restored a five-point cushion.

Point guard Sue Bird Bird made six of 13 shots for 17 points to lead Seattle. Jackson, who made brash comments before the series about how the Storm would "stick it to them," made just one of nine shots for four points. It seems like her words outpowered her performace in this playoff series loss.

The defending WNBA champions advanced to the conference finals for the third straight season and will meet Houston or Utah in a series that will begin Thursday.

Washington:62 Charlotte:59The Washington Mystics led by Coco Miller with 21 points, held off the Charlotte Sting in their best of three game sweep. This is the first playoff series win in Mystics franchise history.

In the second half, Coco Miller simply took over, scoring 17 of her 21 pints in the second half. She also scored 12 of Washington's 14 points. Most importantly, being an 83 percent free throw shooter, Miller sank both with 8.3 seconds in the game, leading to the win. Her great performance was recently noted, being recently named the Most Improved Player after averaging 9.3 points during the regular season, Miller was the difference in this series.

Chamique Holdsclaw, who led the Mystics with 26 points in the series opener, had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

For Charlotte, Andrea Stinson led her team with 14 points, but was scoreless in the second half and committed a key turnover with 10 seconds remaining. Point guard Dawn Staley brought the Sting within one but missed a pair of free throws and Feaster misfired on a jumper on the Sting's next two possessions before a pair of free throws by Charlotte Smith with a minute left again brought them within one.

Another missed oppurtuninty occured when Stinson committed the key turnover of the game. After taking a pass from Staley at the top of the key, Stinson drove to her left and then attempted to make an awkward pass back to Smith. But Washington's Stacey-Dales Schuman deflected the pass off Smith and Holdsclaw batted the ball back to Miller, who was fouled by Smith.

Backing Holdsclaw up on the floor was WNBA Most Improved Player Coco Miller and Vicky Bullett, who added 12 points apiece for Washington, which shot 51 percent and limited Charlotte to 37 percent.

For Charlotte Andrea Stinson scored 16 points and Allison Feaster 15 for the Sting, who entered the playoffs on a four-game winning streak.

WNBA Playoff Schedule

That wonderful smell in the air is the beginning of a new level of competitivness called the WNBA playoffs. The first round or the conference semifinals is a best of three series.

For the Eastern Conference, the New York Liberty will be facing the Indiana Fever. Of course, New York Liberty will be the choice favorite to come out of this round, but the expansion team has excellent players who may do some damage to New Yorks tough defense. The Friday game will be on August 16 at Indiana at 7 p.m. The next playoff game is on Sunday on the 18th at 12 p.m. If necessary the Fever and Liberty will be facing off on Tueday the 20th at 8 p.m.

The Eastern Conference have another set of teams competing which has plenty of talent to share. The Washington Mystics and the Charlotte Sting will be playing their playoff opener on August 15th in Washington at 8 p.m. On Saturday Aug. 17 the Mystics will visit the Sting at the Hive at 12 p.m. On Monday, Aug. 19th in Charlotte the teams will play if necessary.

The best in the west will be facing off in a higly competitive series. Lisa Leslie of Los Angeles faces Sue Bird of Seattle for what I believe is going to be a very exciting series. At 10 p.m. the Sparks will be visiting Seattle on Aug. 15th On Saturday Aug. 17 Seattle will be in L.A. facing off at 4 p.m. If necessary the Sparks and the Storm will play on Monday in Los Angeles at 9 p.m.

Lastly the second set of teams facing off in the West is the Houston vs. Utah. The playoff opener will be on Friday on August 16th in Utah at 9 p.m. On Sunday, Houston will be at home playing against Utah. The deciding game if these two teams win will be on Tuesday August 20 in Houston. The time is to be announced.

Feature Story: Leslie Got Rim, Starting of A Trend?

Its finally been done, the much anticpated art form of throwing down the ball in the rim. Though it sounds unspectactular especially in the NBA realm, this occurrence by 6-5 center of the L.A. Sparks Lisa Leslie seems to bring shockwaves in the huge tidal pool of the WNBA. Though its been almost a week since Lisa thrown it down, WNBA fans, and new ones alike are questioning, well make it hoping that this will be a starting of a trend.

On a Tuesday night in the first half of the Miami Sol versus the Los Angeles Sparks, off a a breakaway pass from Latasha Byars, Leslie received an outlet pass from Latasha Byears, took two dribbles and dunked with one hand with 4:44 remaining before halftime. She smiled widely and spread her arms wide as she raced back down the court to the rest of her teamates.

Sparks coach Michael Cooper jumped up and down on the team bench after the jam. From a man who barely changes his disposition in the game, you can clearly tell this was something to celebrate about.

''We should have won this game for that reason alone,'' Cooper said of the dunk.

Leslie, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, dunked three times in practice during the recent All-Star weekend in Washington, but it had not been done in a game in the WNBA's six seasons.

On July 22, Leslie became the first player in league history to score 3,000 points.

Since I've covered the momemnt, lets go over what these shockwaves wlll really lead to in the future of the WNBA.

"They're saying now I've got to reverse it, and the tomahawk is next,'' Leslie said after Wednesday's practice at Staples Center.

What will be next? Sold out arenas at the Staple Center and beyond? Slam dunk highlight reels featured on Sportcenter? It could be. This dunk brought new interest and potential to the WNBA which has recently been losing and lacking a supportive fan base. This dunk addd the excitement and even an added mystery to the WNBA, never knowing what might happen next. Instead of turning around and heading for the concession stand when a WNBA player goes for a fastbreak, how would it be like if the whole crowd and audience alike holds their breath in anticpation of a slam dunk? That might just be how the WNBA will grow to become.

There are more than a handful of WNBA players who have the potential to be the next WNBA dunker, you know them ,each game their televised even the announcer shows enthusiam of maybe this can be the "game" where this player finally dunks. Players like Michelle Snow, Yolanda Griffith, and Shamiqua Holdclaw as well. I know you heard this so many times in this article but "who knows" what the future of the WNBA will become. The next famous WNBA dunker can be you, reading this article or another girl who has become inspired to do this art form called dunking. As girl ballas, lets realize our potential and fufill it.

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