Game 2: Sabrina Ionescu kicked ass, and everything else you need to know
It took Ionescu exactly one (1) game to figure out how to dominate at the pro level. lmfao
Hello, it’s me, Matt Ellentuck.
Wanna hear something scary? We’re nearly 10 percent of the way through the regular season. Yeah, the season’s gonna go by like that, so please appreciate every game we get.
With that said, let’s review everything that’s happened over the last 48 hours.
I’ll shut up now.
Here’s Basketball.
Sabrina Ionescu told us all to FOH with her rookie struggles
Ionescu did whatever she wanted against the Dallas Wings in the second professional game of her career on Wednesday. She scored 33 points! 33! She had seven assists and seven rebounds, too. Ionescu made 6-out-10 threes and 11-of-20 shots total. Just nuts. This was nothing like Game 1 against the Storm, where she missed all eight of her three-point attempts.
Like look at this freakin’ stepback:
When the hell did lefty running hooks become a thing from her?
Her entire night was a highlight reel:
Now I know what the nerds are gonna say. The Liberty got clobbered by a team not expected to make the playoffs. Dallas won, 83-70, and it was even worse until the closing minutes. But this year isn’t about winning for the Liberty. It’s about watching the future run point.
And, I mean, look:
The Mystics are better than we thought
Without Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles, Natasha Cloud and LaToya Sanders this season, as well as the departure of Kristi Toliver, Washington was supposed to be a fringe playoff team. Yet after two games, they’re perfect, with wins over the Fever and Sun. And they’ve won with two different stars leading the way.
Myisha Hines-Allen was the story of Game 1, but it was Aerial Powers, a candidate for Sixth Woman of the Year last year, who ran the Mystics’ offense in Game 2. She scored 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-6 from range. She’s a sharpshooter, a shot creator, and a finisher. The complete package.
Washington is still to be feared. DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas’s 57 points on 39 shots weren’t even enough.
The Sky are really good, too.
Ok who had [checks notes] Kahleah Copper and Azura Stevens pushing the Sky into title contention. Oh, you? You did? You’re a freakin’ liar.
Chicago’s hot start is so bizarre not because it’s happening, but because of how it’s happening. Diamond DeShields, a presumptive MVP candidate, is clearly injured, playing at just a fraction of her potential, and starting center Stefanie Dolson didn’t even play on Tuesday. Yet Chicago cruised by the Sparks in Game 2, 96-78. Copper had 21 points on 16 shots, Stevens had 21 points on 14 shots. Of course, Courtney Vandersloot was good, with 11 points and 10 assists, and Allie Quigley pitched in 11 points as well. But it’s been the kids who’ve moved the Sky into the upper echelon.
To me, they’ve been the second best team in the league.
Sue Bird, drop the anti-aging routine
She’s going to be 40 years old this year. WTF. How is she still doing this.
In two games, the Storm are also perfect, rolling over the Lynx, 90-66 in Game 2. In that one, Bird scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three. She also had four assists to no turnovers. Despite last year’s knee injury that cost her the entire season, she’s moving down the floor incredibly. Never leave us, Sue.
Breanna Stewart stopping this 2-on-1 is frightening af
She cut off the ball-handler and then SPUN AROUND AND BLOCKED THE SHOOTER. Huh?
Now, let’s talk about the bad…
Andre Iguodala’s tweets back-and-forth with Aerial Powers sucked
Iguodala was watching when AP scored 27 points against the Sun, and sent out this tweet:
That didn’t sit well with Powers.
Powers wasn’t asking for much. Players in the WNBA are often overlooked and under-appreciated. And this wasn’t hard. She wanted Iguodala to take five additional seconds to Google her name. It isn’t hard to find. Powers is a reigning champion, and was a star for Michigan State. Hell, you can use the keywords of his tweet to find her name on said Google machine.
Iguodala came back with an awful response.
Powers responded to that by showing this excerpt from TMZ:
Be better, Andre. It’s great that you’re finally watching the WNBA, but give full effort in doing so.
Karima Christmas-Kelly tore her Achilles
This just sucks. Christmas-Kelly saw each of her last two seasons cut short due to knee injuries, and now she’ll miss all of 2020 with the Lynx due to a torn Achilles. She went down without contact against Seattle:
I feel awful for her. And the Lynx are now down a big piece of their offense. The team is, at least, expected to get Odyssey Sims back at some point in the next few weeks. But Christmas-Kelly’s absence will be tough to replace.
It’s time to start worrying about the Mercury
Sure it’s only been two games, but it’s been an ugly two games for the Mercury — and remember, there are only 20 more to go in the regular season. First, they got destroyed by the Sparks on opening day. And now, they lost to the Fever — a fringe playoff team — 106-100, despite Indiana missing its No. 3 pick Lauren Cox and All-Star Erica Wheeler.
Against the Fever, Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith combined for 18 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Just nine shots! Brittney Griner and Bria Hartley played well, but again, the Mercury lack depth. If all three of their top players aren’t playing at their best, they have little cushion to succeed. Alanna Smith looked better in this one, scoring 14 points with seven rebounds, but it wasn’t enough.
I’m a little concerned!
Also noteworthy…
Teaira McCowan didn’t start again
Marianne Stanley,,, great win over the Mercury, but what are you doing? McCowan played a huge role, scoring 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. She played 31 minutes, so that’s a huge improvement over Game 1’s 14. Maybe Game 3 will do the trick?
Kia Nurse was back
Nurse returned for the Liberty’s second game despite going down with an ankle injury over the weekend that looked like it’d cost her some time. She played for 22 minutes and only scored two points, but it was good to see her out there.
Matt’s power rankings:
Seattle Storm
Chicago Sky
Washington Mystics
Las Vegas Aces
Los Angeles Sparks
Connecticut Sun
Indiana Fever
Minnesota Lynx
Phoenix Mercury
Dallas Wings
Atlanta Dream
New York Liberty
Matt’s MVP rankings:
Breanna Stewart
A’ja Wilson
Alyssa Thomas
Sylvia Fowles
DeWanna Bonner
Matt’s Rookie of the Year rankings:
Sabrina Ionescu
Chennedy Carter
Satou Sabally
Ezi Magbegor
Ty Harris
And that’s the end of the second recap of the season.
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