Last Night's Game: Washington @ Atlanta

Thoughts on last night's Mystics-Dream game

* I had the chance to sit courtside last night, and let me tell you, it is worth it.  If you ever get a chance to get courtside seats, or even have to pay for courtside seats, do not pass it up.  You will not regret it.  Hearing all the little conversations, hearing the coaches yelling, the players talking, adds a new dimension to the game.

* I got to shake hands with WNBA referee Eric Brewton.  He must have thought I was someone important.

* About the Dream's woes.  One of the people (not a coach or a player, by the way) I spoke with thought that the Dream's problems stemmed from their lack of 3-point shooting.  The theory goes that the only player on the roster who can beat anyone off the dribble is Angel McCoughtry, and in order for McCoughtry to get rolling opponent defenses have to be spread.  But without anyone shooting threes, defenses can just pack the lane and kill any momentum that McCoughtry might get in a drive to the basket.

* I believe McCoughtry has four technical fouls now.  Shades of Taurasi a couple of years ago?

* Only seven players played last night for the Dream, and Burdick was among them.  The current roster looks like:

McCoughtry *
Lyttle *
de Souza *
Hodges *
Ajavon *
Wheeler *
Burdick *

Carter
Colhado
Logic
Milton-Jones
Schimmel

Tiffany Hayes and Aneika Henry will return to the roster.  So who goes?

Hodges will stay since she's a vet and was a significant free agent signing.
Ajavon will stay since she's healthy this season.
Wheeler will stay because a) Coach Cooper seems to like Wheeler, and b) she's from Rutgers, which gives Ajavon someone to chat with.
Burdick will stay because a) Coach Cooper wanted to draft Burdick, but she wasn't available, and b) according to Cooper, Burdick gives him the opportunity to try different things on the court.  He's played Burdick a lot, he likes her, and the fans like her.

So that leaves the bottom five players listed as targets for cuts.

My personal theory is that Carter is gone.  But who is the other player?

Colhado?  Nope.  Colhado can back up de Souza when Atlanta needs size.
Schimmel?  Nope, not unless we get something for her in a big trade.

That leaves Milton-Jones, who has been in the league since what, 1999, or Logic, a player who was probably in diapers when Milton-Jones was graduating high school.  Use your common sense.  Who do you think is going to go?

Ros Casares Victory over TTT Riga Second Largest in Euroleague History

Just found out this factoid from Marca.com, namely that the 118-38 drubbing of TTT Riga on Ros Casares's home court was the second biggest win in Euroleague history:

It was on 27 February 2001, when the Lotos VBW Clima (Poland) beat by 107 points (146-39) Sporting Athens (Greece). The 80 points of income achieved Ros Casares are the major difference that Valencian team has ever achieved in Europe's top competition.

Delisha Milton-Jones added:

I do not remember so bloated victory in the Euroleague, perhaps had won overwhelming victories and of some national league, but never in the premier cup competition.

...

Maybe it was a bad night of Riga or a great work of Ros, I suppose a bit of both.

It's a win both sides can be proud of, if you think about it - TTT Riga's pride comes from not abandoning the game and playing it out to the end. Trust me, TTT Riga is looking forward to the Baltic Women's season.