Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. We jot down NBA and WNBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
Sharpshooter Allie Quigley gets revenge for the Chicago Sky against the Las Vegas Aces.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images.)
It’s easy to get rattled when things aren’t going your way. Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky was having such a game. She was 1 for 7 going into the all-important fourth quarter. She did go 2 for 4 in the early minutes of the stanza before being taken out with 3:45 left. A 3-for-11 performance isn’t exactly going to get you back in the final moments of the game.
But the Chicago Sky had all the confidence in the world in Allie. After all, she did shoot 44 percent from behind the arc last season and she’s been one of the more steady sharpshooters in the league. And who could forget that three-point shootout in 2018?
(VIDEO CREDIT: WNBA.)
Anyway, they put her back in the game with the Aces up by two on the Chicago Sky with 21 seconds left. And then a few ticks later, the ball got to Allie. She knew what she was good at. Everyone knew what she was good at.
She knew what to do.
Watch This Play
Splash.
Allie Quigley hits the three for the LEAD! 😱 pic.twitter.com/OddAl9dRVg
— ESPN (@espn) July 26, 2020
No matter if it’s going bad on the court, the mentality is always the next play. Yes, you can go back later and check all the mistakes that happened after the game. But when a player is on the court, it ain’t over until the final buzzer.
Allie Quigley stayed ready. And as a player, that’s your job. You never know if you’re going to get the call. Whether you’re an all-star or the 12th man/woman on the team. Opportunities like these will come around. And what a shot it was.
And it’s fitting because the Aces did this to the Sky last year that caused their elimination from the postseason. While it was normally a terrible shot, Dearica Hamby made this miraculous shot that propelled Las Vegas to the WNBA semifinals.
Sure, it was only the first game of the season. But Allie Quigley got a measure of revenge for the Chicago Sky. And I’m sure they hope to get that chance again later in the season.
Always be ready.
Bullet Passes
Speaking of always being ready, we had another player who got an opportunity to show what she could do. Monique Billings went for a cool 30 points and 13 rebounds to help the Atlanta Dream put away the Dallas Wings. On Saturday, it was Myisha Hines-Allen that did the deed. For Sunday, it was Billings, who averaged 5.5 points and 6.9 boards in 29 games (only two starts) last season.
Sometimes, all people need is a chance.
Look at that very resilient Minnesota Lynx! They’re not the dynasty that they used to be but they came back from 11 down with two minutes left in the third to turn it around on the Connecticut Sun.
After a slow start, Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier scored all 11 points in the second half to help the Lynx. Rookie Crystal Dangerfield gave the Lynx a boost in the fourth quarter as she finished with 10 points.
We can’t forget Sylvia Fowles. She can still be dominant at any given time and she did that against the Sun with 17 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks. It felt like a long time ago (this is our pandemic selves talking) but she won the MVP award just three seasons ago. Respect Syl.
Let me remind you that Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 dimes, and 4 steals in this game. And she CONTINUES to play with TWO TORN LABRUMS.
New acquisition DeWanna Bonner went for 19 points, 8 boards, and 3 steals for the Sun. But she did not shoot well (6 for 18 from the field and 0 for 6 from three).
Double U Scoreboard
CON 69 (0-1) v MIN 77 (1-0)
CHI 88 (1-0) v LV 86 (0-1)
DAL 95 (0-1) v ATL 105 (1-0)
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
TNLP on FaceBook.