Game 9 wrap. Leite out of the doghouse, closes out the game with Thornton in OT to beat LA; Salaun pours in 21

balanced attack and poise against the Sparks trap gets GSV the big win

• Official Box Score

Apricot In-Game Notes

• Coach Nakase in pregame availability on all the traveling calls, she actually criticized the refs for calling too many, too unevenly between teams, and at too many crucial moments. I suppose unspoken is the assumption that it happens a lot uncalled so the refs have to be selective. Like illegal screens in the NBA which happen every play.

  I am sympathetic, but there also have been a TON of Valks shuffling feet on the catch. Maybe I'll try to see if other teams are getting away with it more...

• As a creator side note, I LOVE the games in LA because their court mics pick up a lot of the on court and coach conversation.

  Vanloo has had two bad passes to the rolling bigs so far. She makes tremendous passes at the cost of wild turnovers.

  Q1.6.55.. VB makes a much safer and effective pass to the rolling Temi. Interesting... Vanloo signaled VB swing the ball to Salaun at the top instead but VB went with the pick and roll.

  5.50. Looks like they tried a HORNS Flare for JVL but pass to Salaun rolling after the flare screen. Almost worked.

• Q1. 5.13. Nakase with an odd signal like a scribble. The play is run a little awkwardly, I can't tell what it's supposed to be. Resets to a wing pick and roll. Temi forces Plum to switch to her with a hard screen and instant roll to the paint, then Burton with a tremendous entry pass over Plum.

• Q1.4.18. cool little Sparks ATO play, plum gets a back screen then loops out of the paint with a down screen. I'd like to see GSW run that for Steph.

  Q1.4.00. One of the HORNS plays, I think HORNS 4? One elbow back screens the ball, the other dives. Becomes a race to find the open player, missed the open shot.

  3.15. Leite speedily races to a free Sims turnover for 2. Let's see if she can play under control.

  2.26. Martin runs a PNR which LAS immediately blitzes and Kate ends up losing it.

  2.11. LAS with a neat elevator doors BLOB (baseline out of bounds) for Plum

  2.04. Nakase signalling oddly... it can't be the Warriors Too Small inverted pick and roll, can it? IT IS! Vanloo sets the screen in a pick-and-pop. Covered well. Kate can't finish over size though.

  1.20. Billings is doing WORK as the center on the boards. Leite bad pass to Billings. In contrast next play, (0.48) Vanloo with a great pass to Billings on the roll.

  0.18. Again Vanloo with the hook pass to Billings on the PNR and Mo with a delicious step through move. Visible difference in chemistry there. Leite can get there, but will need some work.

• Q2.9.50. Leite with an explosive drive attacking the closeout and the and-1. That's what she brings to the team no one else can do. Trying to cultivate that while living with her mistakes.

  9.20. GSV runs the same wing PNR that has been killing LAS. This time LAS blitzes, almost get Vanloo, she escapes, resets and throws an ABSURD one hand off the dribble pass to the backdoor cut.

• 8.51. I really don't like Leite pulling up for 3. JVL was signalling for the ball to swing the ball to Salaun who had the mismatch on Sims. Martin gains a possession with hustle, then gives it back with a bad early shot. They blitz Vanloo again. Let's see if there's an adjustment.

  8.14. Another signal Too Small point to Leite. That means Leite is the handler. LAS deny the Vanloo screen. Leite to JVL with another ridiculous pass. Good chaos there.

  7.44. Martin with a good call in the paint to switch on the cross screen. But the switch ends up during GSV when Stevens reaches over Martin for the OREB.

• 7.25. HORNS Flare for Leite. Bobbles it, shoots anyway. eh...

  6.32. on the fast break, Martin calls a switch for Leite to cover the corner. Leite is too far away to switch, probably a bad switch call there. Gives up a 3.

  Okay, I have to take a break from the detailed play notes...

• She’s got a lightning first step. She got past Plum in iso and left her in the dust

• Okay back for the last 5 minutes. Corporate will be happy, Always Close Enough To Hurt™ has been fulfilled.

  Q4.5.14. Another too small screen from JVL for Salaun. Loses Plum on the mismatch, but can’t hit the elbow jumper.

  4.00. Burton gets clocked and goes to the locker. Can GSV stay calm with the chaos twins running the show? JVL and Leite in case it’s not clear.

  Leite promptly blocked on the late clock elbow jumper.

  1.59. Nakase with the C like signal for angle PNR next play. But out of bounds before they can run it.

  0.50.5. Down 1 with the ball… what play will it be?

• 0.48. Sometimes the simple play is good. The play was “give the ball to Janelle”. Gets fouled on the drive. UP ONE.

  In complete random ending territory.

  Plum with the nice flare cut and Temi switches, Plum step back and then does Plum things.

• Leite with the turbo speed and she is excellent at that floater. She’s missed all her jumpers so she’s got to play to her strengths.

• 0.17. Burton looks like she’s warning people to not foul on the rip through. Oh actually it was a warning she’ll take the foul to give. Now she says “no fouls”

  OVERTIME

• Carla Leite gets the start in OT over Vanloo. Leite can get by the defender in iso and crack the defense. If it’s a floater, she’s good. If it’s a pass or pull up, not so much. But she has that turbo gear.

  4.42. GSV guarding the Plum pick and roll with a hard show and recover to stop Plum from springing free.

  4.15. LAS springs the trap AGAIN on Burton on the wing PNR. GSV needs to develop a counter to that.

• 3.50. Another blitz and no counter. Instead, Burton just muscles her way to a layup.

  3.20. The counter this time is let Leite run the PNR.

  3.05. This time LAS doesn’t blitz. Salaun was on the opposite wing as a release valve in case.

  2.30. Another show and recover to guard the Plum PNR. Plum roasts Leite.

  1.20. This time the counter v blitz is to not call a screen over and let VB ISO.

  0.40. This time they let Leite handle the blitz, Fagbenle rolls to draw the KT defender, throwback to Thornton 3. HUGE

• ONE HAND GOD REBOUND

• 0.30. Same flare play for Plum but Leite fights to power through the flare screen to reach Plum.

  That should do it. Up 6 and free throws, 16 sec left. GREAT WIN. Never a bad road win.

• Leite out of the doghouse and into the closing lineup. Great great win

• Postgame, Salaun talks about how unexpectedly physical the WNBA is and how she hit a wall after 4 games in MIN. But she’s recovered.