Dream-Storm Preview

Posted Sep 13 2010 7:16PM

SEATTLE (AP) Whether it was the clincher in the Western Conference Finals against Phoenix or hitting a 16-footer to give Seattle the lead in the final moments in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Sue Bird feels completely at ease with the ball in her hands and the seconds ticking away.

She's been doing it since she was a kid.

``For me at an early age that was just something that happened. Whether it's AAU or high school, into college, now WNBA it's just something that - situations I was put in at a very early age so it's kind of - I don't know, you get confident the more you do things and the more successful you are at them,'' Bird said after Seattle's 79-77 win over Atlanta on Sunday. ``I think at this point in my career, it's something that I enjoy.''

Bird's jumper to give Seattle a 1-0 lead in the best of five series with the Dream was her second game winner in a week. In the conference finals against Phoenix, Bird drilled a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to give the Storm a 91-88 win and send them to the league finals for the first time since 2004.

She topped herself on Sunday.

Tied at 77, Bird worked off a pick-and-roll from league MVP Lauren Jackson and hit the free-throw line jumper. Angel McCoughtry had a last-second try for the Dream, but her long 3-pointer from the left side bounced off the rim.

``I think Sue really has a calm disposition and it helps in tight situations, you know, she's the one who has the ability to be in the fray and keep an open mind and take what's given to her,'' Seattle coach Brian Agler said. ``I think a lot of times people, most people in those situations, they get one thing in their mind and they're going to do that no matter what happens instead of coming through, coming off the play and making a read.

``It's not like you have a lot of time to make a read, but when you have the ability to play with an open mind like Sue does, usually you're going to make good decisions.''

Bird stole the spotlight at the end with her winning basket, but her coach was irritated Monday when Bird was not named to the all-WNBA first team. Bird was a second-team selection, while Jackson was named to the first team.

``Obviously there's a lot of good players in this league. There's no question in my mind that Sue Bird does her job and plays her position better than anybody else,'' Agler said. ``Now, there's a lot of people who evaluate what a good job is and what is not. I think a lot of times people look at numbers. To me as a coach and knowing who we're talking about there is no one who does it better. She makes people around her play at their maximum.''

Atlanta's concern Monday was over the condition of McCoughtry. The Dream star wore a Band-Aid on her forehead Monday, the result of three stitches after a collision early in the fourth quarter. Afterward, McCoughtry was feeling ill, but the team said she did not have a concussion.

Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors said McCoughtry would be ready for Game 2.

``She'll be ready to go. She's got a little headache, but she'll be ready to go. She's tough,'' Meadors said. ``I think (her) being out of the game for almost 20 minutes probably affected the outcome a little bit for us.''

The Dream were beaten by 18 and 10 in their two regular season matchups with Seattle. The narrow margin of Game 1 gave Atlanta a bit of confidence, especially considering how much McCoughtry was on the bench.

Atlanta's leading scorer - averaging 28 points in the playoffs entering the finals - played just 21 minutes, saddled with foul trouble early, before her collision with Seattle's Jana Vesela in the fourth quarter. She finished with 19 points in her limited action.

``We were very balanced. This is what you play for. You play 39 minutes to have a chance to win it at the end. I think we had a chance,'' Meadors said. ``When they were up seven to nine points and widened that gap a bit I thought that maybe they would take off but they didn't. We came right back at them. I was real pleased at the balance we did have without Angel.''

Seattle Beats Atlanta to Take 2-0 Lead in Finals

By TIM BOOTH
Posted Sep 15 2010 1:25AM

SEATTLE (AP) Brian Agler watched his team throw the ball away and miss several free throws down the stretch Tuesday night.

When it was over, the coach focused on the bottom line: The Storm are just one win away from their second WNBA title.

"It's almost like everyone is disgusted with how we've played the last two games,'' Agler said. "The point is, we're up 2-0.''

League MVP Lauren Jackson scored 26 points, Swin Cash added 19 and Seattle moved one step closer to the title with an 87-84 win over the Atlanta Dream in Game 2 of the finals.

Seattle improved to 21-0 at home this season and is hoping it won't need another game at Key Arena. The best-of-five series resumes Thursday night in Atlanta, where the Storm can wrap up their first title since 2004.

"We pulled it off, thank God. So I'm happy,'' Jackson said.

The Storm had plenty of reasons to be pleased after winning two rough and ragged games in Seattle.

Iziane Castro Marques, who kept Atlanta close with 21 points Tuesday night, might have broken her nose for the second time in two months after a first-quarter collision kept her on the bench for a chunk of the second quarter with an ice bag on her nose. Angel McCoughtry, the Dream's leading scorer, wore a Band-Aid over her left eye, the result of a collision in Game 1 that required stitches.

McCoughtry was off in Game 2, making just seven of 23 shots on her way to 21 points. She tried to salvage the shaky performance, scoring five quick points in the final 30 seconds to help Atlanta close to 87-84.

Cash missed two free throws with 2.2 seconds left but Atlanta could not get off a potential tying shot.

"I keep hearing all these like moral victories - I live in the reality of the wins and losses,'' Cash said. "For me, it comes down to whether we win or we lose.

"Bottom line we won two games at home like we're supposed to do and now we go on the road and try to steal one.''

McCoughtry, averaging 28 points entering the finals, was held to 19 points in 21 minutes in Game 1, saddled by early foul trouble and slowed when she needed stitches.

It was more of the same Tuesday night.

She continued to struggle with her shot, missing 10 of her first 11 attempts, before hitting four straight at the end of the first half. Her falling-down 3-pointer at the halftime horn trimmed Atlanta's deficit to 49-47.

But McCoughtry went cold again in the second half. She took just eight shots after the break and was flustered by the defense of Cash and Tanisha Wright, with the long arms of Jackson always lurking nearby.

To add insult to an already miserable night for Atlanta's star, Camille Little forced her way through McCoughtry's foul for a layup with 4:11 left and an eight-point Seattle lead.

"I just missed some shots. You're going to have bad days,'' McCoughtry said. "I had good looks. Usually I knock them down. I just didn't knock them down today. I just gotta stay more focused.''

Wright added 17 points for Seattle and Bird, whose 16-footer with 2 seconds left won Game 1 for Seattle, had 10 points.

Bird helped turn back the Dream in the third quarter when Atlanta tried taking control, and Cash made an open 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the game to give Seattle an 81-73 lead.

Castro Marques put the Dream in position to even the series. With an array of one-handed runners from all over the court, the former Seattle forward led Atlanta to a 62-59 lead with possession and less than 4 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Bird then drove for a layup, found Jackson on a fast break for another layup and added a left-handed drive to retake the lead. Le'coe Willingham added a quick baseline spin and basket at the end of the third to give Seattle a 69-65 advantage.

Seattle outscored Atlanta 27-16 at the free-throw line.

"I thought that we were aggressive and we got called for fouls,'' Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors said. "There were way too many fouls called in this game.''

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• Dream: --
• Storm: --

• Dream: --
• Storm: --

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Key Arena, Seattle, WA
• Officials: #55 Eric Brewton, #13 Cameron Inouye, #17 Scott Twardoski
• Attendance: 13898
• Duration: 2:25