Game 18 wrap. GSV can't overcome turnovers, ATL bigs warping defense; Gray closes out the game
on to the next one
Apricot’s Live In-Game Notes
Q1
Carla Leite is available tonight!
Monique Billings revenge game incoming?
10.00. Valkyries in drop defense Griner guarded mostly one on one in the post but Tip Hayes in from the ark, causing grinder to kick out missed three.
Atlanta court looks like it was designed by the same architect who brought you Mordor.
7.45. More GSV drop defense, daring their big to shoot.
6.50. Atlanta is guarding the pick 'n roll with drop. Also, and Hayes is happy to pull up. Sadly and illegal screen was called.
5.11. Burton calls horns looks like the horns play where you get a screen on one elbow, but then swinging back to the other elbow for a dribble handoff to the corner. But VB just fires it. 3.
4.44. Wow another three with one shoe on. This could be the next market inefficiency.
4.15. Veronica Burton calls another play (I think the same play as last play), but ends up just firing it again when they go under the screen on her. 3.
4.00. Leticia almost with a huge wide block. Almost. Then travels on the next play. Currently the uncontested goddess of chaos now that Van has been waived.
3.49. Griner posts up, Billings guards her one on one with the lurking help of Chen in the paint which makes Griner spin, baseline, and take a tough jumper which she travels on.
That was the Chaotic good of Leticia, Coast to coast rebound and the in control dump off to billings for the and-1.
2.53. Chen on an island defending Canada and she absolutely stays with her with pure feistiness. Then feeling emboldened she fires up a quick three on the other and nothing but net.
1.51. OK, maybe I'm wrong and Chen is the DPOY. Surprise full court pressure causes another turnover from Canada.
1.26. Oh my God, Laeticia just treated a decent defender Jones like a traffic cone.
1.08. Leticia almost with her second straight barbecuing, but instead it was a travel. Truly, the goddess of chaos.
0.55. That was low-key a wild play. Kate Martin helps at the nail, switches on to the ball handler off the wing pick and roll, the ball handler kicks out to Martin’s previous mark except Martin anticipates it and just yoinks it out of the air.
Q2
9.40. If you want to see what happens when show and recover defense goes wrong, ATL recovery happens way too early, and Kate Martin never stops running until she gets the open layup.
9.05. Kaitlyn Chen on track to prove everything I've ever said about her wrong, blowing by on the pick and roll and finishing over Jones in the paint?!
8.27. Kind of brutal minute for Temi. First missed the point black alley-oop layup, then looked late on the inside rotation on the postop. (not sure it was her rotation, but she would've had a better chance than Kate Martin rotating to the big). Then coughs up the ball on an awkward drive.
7.20. Burton calls the horns 1 play, same as the previous horns play I discussed. Billings misses the free-throw jumper. But gets a big and–one play.
6.10. Good counter by Atlanta. Ball enters to the post and they expect Burton to dig in to help in the paint so her mark cuts hard to the basket, gets the ball and gets free throws.
4.07. Griner keeps on getting deep position on billings and shooting over her. Atlanta also going 4 out to make it hard for anyone to help in the paint.
3.49. Burton with interesting signals. Seems to be calling an angle play, which would mean a wing pick and roll on the next play. Then Coach Nakase making some kind of play signal that looks like horns, then a twist.
The answer was that it was HORNS with a fake handoff for KT at the elbow. Foul.
3.35. Fantastic pass. KT sealed her in the paint so that only she could reach a pass over her head and Burton obliged her.
2.38. Tremendous cut by Gray. The ball enters to the post, GSV helps off the perimeter, but instead of that open player cutting, the next player over cuts.
2.25. Hayes blazes into the paint, help comes off the opposite side corner, leaving Laeticia open, but she cuts to the basket when Hayes expects her to stay in the corner and she bullets a pass way too hard for Laeticia to handle.
1.25. Amihere and an off-balance defender? Smells like a barbecue. Chaotic good.
Fair conclusion. Valkyries up by two at the half.
Q3
I believe this is not only a revenge game for Monique Billings, but also for LA and (in absentia) Iliana Rupert.
OK… Tip Hayes just body slammed someone on the fast break into the stands, no call.
6.02. Can't quite hear what Veronica is yelling at the team on the play. Tip ends up taking a quick shot so we won’t know the full plan.
3.26. Atlanta going back to the feed the post and wait for the help to come offense. This time they cash in with a three.
2.55. Coach Nakase signaling slant again with her hand? That would suggest a wing pick and roll… it's the wing pick and roll.
2.25. GSV seems comfy with Chen guarding Canada. Then a good dig down double team from the blind side, but gets a tough foul.
1.40. This time Chen comes to double team, her Mark cuts, LA with an excellent rotation off the weak side, but ATL scores anyway on the OREB.
1.20. Blob (baseline out of bounds play), great rip screen by Martin for Thornton.
0.50. Great to see Kate shooting those open 3s so decisively.
Q4
7.37. That was an extension of the last post and find offense for Atlanta. Chen helps in the paint, her Mark cuts down the middle, LA rotates off the weak side, this time the help for LA comes from the top of the key, but Atlanta calmly throws it to the open player at the top for an open 3.
6.30. This time GSV does not bring help in the paint from the strong side, they sneak it over from the weak side with Billings coming in.
Coach Nakase seems to be negotiating with the players. First calls the fake handoff at the elbow, then shakes head and signals a wing pick and roll.
5.00. Fagbenle, this time fronts the post, which keeps them from entering it into the post.
Nakase signals 1. Which is horns one.
4.24. More signals from the bench on the play it's a pick and roll, but anticipated by Atlanta with the near pick-two except for a great defensive play from Veronica.
3.40. Tip injured again.
3.09. GSV getting frazzled. Bad turnovers and Kate with a weird inbound turnover.
2.41. GSV going to rue getting out-toughed on defense down the stretch.
1.45. ATL makes it look easy punishing GSV’s heavy help paint scheme with two straight 3s.
ATL showing why they’re a top team. Good execution and playing well off the advantage with their bigs, Griner and Jones.
In the meantime, GSV kind of punting on re-integrating the Eurobasketeers. No Zandalasini, just a hint of Salaun, no Leite. I don’t know if that’s easing them back in or resting them after a crazy tournament and travel, but NN mainly goes with the non-Euro scrappy team.
Let’s start on a happier note. Iliana got married today, just like the French press had reported!
Now, onto the game. Q4 was rough to watch, as usual, and it’s definitely something the team still needs to find a solution for. I know a lot of people have been pushing hard for a “star player” to close games, but I honestly don’t think that’s what we need. The obsession with that label feels a bit misplaced especially with an expansion team. It kind of reminds me of the Giants (lololol) everyone thought adding Devers would fix the offense, but the real problem had always been there. It just looked better before because our pitchers were carrying everything. Same idea here: a slight system tweak in the fourth quarter might matter more than adding a “star,” like trusting the bench more instead of overworking heavy-legged starters.
On a side note, we need to remember that Janelle joined the team late after the season had already started, and still debuted as a starter in the Washington game. I think Nat, the coaching staff, and even the gen public might be overthinking the challenge of integrating Ja and Ceci.
Some weird coaching moments today (though none of it would overcome the turnovers regardless lol) but none close to as bad as failing to challenge the facially incorrect inbounds violation call.
Separately: what a horrible process and call from that ref lol
Anyway man do things get tight in the fourth quarter for our Valks! Too bad, but two straight road losses against top four teams in which they were right there coming into the stretch - frustrating closings but I’ll take it tbh
Great analysis as always Eric. Would’ve liked to see Carla today, hoping she can be a spark against the fever