Sydney Flames/Arizona State observations
Saturday 16 August 2003
It was cold, wintery and I was quite ill - but the things we do for basketball!
Who was there for the Flames - Belinda Snell, Shelley Hammonds, Narelle Lindsay, Kelly Wilson, Michelle Musselwhite, Rebecca Cotton, Emma Randall, Jamie-Lee Samuels, Briana Hennessy, Adrianne Gilbert
A decent crowd turned up at Sydney University Sports and Aquatic Centre though they slowly dribbled in. Even a cheerleader squad turned up - they were quite tepid at first but they warmed up a bit at the end of the game. It's a nice, intimate venue and considering the Flames do not draw hordes of people, it will be more than adequate for the WNBL season.
Interestingly enough, the game was played with international rules but with four 12 minute quarters. ASU may have had some problems with the timing. They regularly rotated players but ran out of steam in the second half. The 24 second shot clock also gave them a few problems.
There's a decent game recap at WNBL.com.au so I won't repeat that but will jot down a few thoughts instead.
Sydney: It's pretty much business as usual with the Flames. Uptempo offense, fast breaks, quick ball movement - offense should not be a problem with the Flames in this upcoming season. The new acquisitions complement the Flames' style well. Wilson and Musselwhite fit in perfectly with their penetrating ability and even Cotton and Randall can put it on the floor. Both are also good offensive rebounders. I was impressed with Cotton's tenacity and Musselwhite's improved jumpshot. If Nat Hughes doesn't return to the Flames, she could fill in nicely. Gilbert has noticeably improved, probably due to her busy offseason with the Bruins and the Tall Ferns training squad.
The one concern the Flames have is interior defense. Cotton and Randall are not exactly "big" posts and players like Grima and Crouse would probably take advantage of them. Tammy Hoare is solid in this regard and I hope she does come back for the Flames (unsure of status?).
And a quick note about Belinda Snell - if her performance was a sign of things to come, this should be a GREAT season for her. And she better make the Athens squad!
Arizona State: Jill Noe has *it*. She scores off the dribble, knocks down perimeter shots, plays hard on the defensive end and shows good leadership. Noe was very impressive and was one of the few who troubled the Flames all night long. Kristen Kovesdy was the other player who impressed me. She has good fundamentals and is reliable.
It is hard to really judge ASU as they are playing with international rules in the depths of their offseason. Besides Noe, their perimeter offense was looking a bit lacklustre but reportedly frosh Alisha Godette will be a big help in this regard. They run a good halfcourt set and are extremely well-coached. Their inside plays were a joy to watch especially in the first half. The second half was just plain sloppy from ASU and they went for a large stretch in the fourth quarter without scoring a field goal (four or five minutes at least). ASU did not defend that well off the dribble and fouled a lot but they were facing a team with greater experience and talent and a coach on par with theirs. Belinda Snell and Shelley Hammonds are All-American calibre players (and probably future WNBA players) and Arizona State did well to contain the Flames in the first half. I will be following them closely in the college season and I predict great things ahead for Jill Noe.
Officiating: This deserves a mention. A refreshing change from WNBA games - they called EVERYTHING in this game. This is better than not calling anything at all but it did detract from the flow of the game especially in the second half. Also calls started to be severely skewed against ASU in the second half and I can empathise with Charli's frustration at the refs. I might have heckled them a bit if my throat wasn't so sore. On the other hand, I don't think Karen said anything at all to the refs during the game. However it's not really Karen's style to get vocal with the refs.