Chasity Melvin.com

Welcome back everyone. I just finished my season with the Mystics and I had planned to still be competing for a WNBA championship. My goals were demolished by the Atlanta Dream but still life goes on.

So because I love the game and I enjoy  watching the players and the playoffs I’ve decided to cover the 2010 WNBA playoffs over the next three weeks. So check out my blog here at chasitymelvin.com for previews, interviews and just quick post about what’s going on around the playoffs from a player’s perspective.

Im sitting here watching the game tonight and came up with a quick preview of Western Conference Showdown on NBA TV.

Western Conference Finals  Phoenix Mercury (LifeLock) wins series 2-1 against the Seattle Storm(Bing)

Eastern Confernce Finals NY Liberty wins against Altanta Dream 2-1

The future post should will be interesting funny and memorable.All of this coming from a players perspective.. Yall come back now ya hear…lol..

The playoffs in any sport are about either two things players stepping up and giving it their all and  having just the right amount fortune on your side, last night the  N.Y. Liberty  had both and it has advanced them to the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals.

I blogged earlier in my preview of the game that it would be the front-court from the Liberty and the Fever that would be the X-Factor in determining who which team got the W.  I also stated Center Kia Vaughn hadn’t given NY a boost off the bench yet this season and that in a win or go home game anything could happen.  Simply put- the New York Liberty beat the Indiana Fever because Kia happened. I got a chance to speak with Kia’s College coach at Rutger’s University, Vivian Stringer after the game, she also wrote in her blog that Kia Vaughn would be the X-Factor for NY.

Kia Vaughn stepped up big making critical free throws down the stretch

Because of a freak inicident during  shoot-around that sidelined starting center Janel McCarville center Kia Vaughn played more minutes than she had all season. The energy, fight, passion and  the need to prove herself was displayed all over the court. She was instrumental in doing the little things-blocking shots, rebounding and  the big things-hitting clutch free throws and finishing around the basket. She was the X-Factor in tonight’s game and the biggest reason for the Liberty’s win..

I’ll be continuing my coverage from of the Eastern Conference Finals in Atlanta next week so stay tuned.

I was able to get a few impromptu interviews after the game. Find out what her former coach Vivian Stringer, current coach Anne Donovan and teammate Cappie Pondexter had to say about her.

Tonight will be the night that Cappie Pondexter shows everyone that she is capable of leading her own team in the playoffs without sharing the duties with her former teammate Diana Taurasi.

Diana has already led her team to the conference semifinals even though no one suspected anything less. Cappie on the other hand has yet to meet those expectations. Cappie’s tattoo on her shoulder says  “The Future .” When I see that tattoo I look at it as saying she is the future of the WNBA and she has quite proven herself. Tonite that saying can take on a double meaning because a loss tonight and she has no future . This may be Cappie’s biggest game of her career thus far and she will be doing it solo. I think she will come through, “what about you?”

Tamika Catchings  who lost in the WNBA finals last year has still yet to catch her Star (ring that is). She has gotten numerous awards, just received WNBA Defensive Player of the Year  and the Sportsmanship Award but the championship has eluded her. Tonight she is fighting to make it to the next round of achieving that goal. She started her Catch the Stars foundation encouraging kids to catch their dreams one star at a time. Will she reach her dream this season or will she have more Stars to catch.

I know the two stars above will come out to play tonight and will do everything to keep their team from losing. The  X Factors in this deciding game  is the front-court play of each team. Will Ebony Hoffman and Tammy Sutton-Brown win the battle against the Liberty’s Taj McWilliam’s Franklin and Janel McCarville. Whoever wins that fight will win the war. I’m giving a slight edge to Indian’s front-court because Jessica Davenport is coming off the bench to give them a huge lift. Kia Vaughn has yet to give NY a boost off the bench. Tonight it’s win or go home so anything can happen.

I’ll be enjoying the game live and hope to get a few interviews after the game for my readers. If you get a chance leave a comment of some questions you might have and I’ll see if i can get some answers for you.

Shaq signed with the Boston Celtics  . . . wrote a story about it- want to hear it??. . .  herrrrrre it goes . . . .

He was drafted by the Orlando Magic as a kid only to evolve in LA as a man. He won  3  NBA championships in LA but lost the fight to Kobe for the title of  “Da -Man” .

Ego hurt  he leaves for the Heat -In Miami  and teamed up with Da # 3 -D Wade to got NBA ring # 4. Again after that he was out the door.

Next up Phoenix is where he  went and everybody  knew  that wasn’t a good mix. Although he  actually had a pretty good season but staying for 1 more well  he had no reason.

So he packed his bags and left for Cleveland. Keeeping in the back of his mind that fifth ring he had planned on winning.                          Injury ended up doing him  in and King James let him down at the Boston Garden.

Shaquille Oneal soon to be Hall of Famer NBA Center has played around the world and still can’t find his baby ( 5th ring).  So he’s signed with the Boston Celtics and  has  joined a group of talented veteran players. Teaming up  with (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett) Boston’s Big Three, he will be stress free.

Low maintenance and low expectations can only bring about a Shaqavalation.(okay  I made that up).   I can’t see Shaq in the Celtic Green, but Shaq always gives you something that you have never heard or seen.

So I’m glad he’s still playing and yes I’m a fan  . . .  and come on if Brett Favre can still play then of course Shaq can….

Here I am trying to score two for Obama and Sasha.

Wow what a day I got to play basketball  in front of the 1st African American President Barack Obama. Just in case you didnt  know.  He’s the 44th President and I wear jersey #44 for the Washington Mystics. (Coincidence no, but it sounds nice) .. I was so hype  to play in front of him today. I wanted to have a perfect game, but ended up just doing okay. I was focused on the court, but off the court Obama was all I could think about.

I love seeing Dad's with their daughters at the games. You can tell Obama is a true fan of the game and his little girl.

I’m glad we had a nice lead so I could get a good look at him courtside.  When I say our President is fine…he is fine, good looking, handsome. sexy,  everything and more. He seemed to be enjoying the game and his interaction with his daughter was PRICELESS.

I want forget getting subbed with 4 minutes left to play in the game . The crowd  is giving a huge standing ovation.  So I’m looking around at the crowd smiling thinking this is for me. I mean it wasn’t like I had an awesome game. Then  I see  Barack Obama  leaving the game. That standing ovation wasn’t for me it was for Obama LOL.

I’m disappointed I  didn’t get a picture  with him or an autograph.  I guess  the Mystics will  have to win that WNBA championship, because I just have to see him again.

In a perfect world Lebron would have stayed in Cleveland and tried to bring them a championship. Like he said last night “there is no perfect world” ( especially not in the sports world).. Lebron made his decision on what was best for him not what was best for Cleveland.

It is ultimately about what makes him happy. Alot of people are saying that he should have been loyal to Cleveland.  In professional sports loyalty is hard to find. Professional sports is a business and it’s about making money and alot of it.

Lebron when he retires isn’t going to be remebered for his loyalty but how many NBA championship rings he did or didnt win. Can he win any with the Miami Heat? Only time will tell, but you have to admit he’s not trying to waste anymore years trying to do it on his own.

When Cleveland lost to the Celtics this season Garnett whispered something in Lebron’s ear. I would just like to speculate that he said something like Dont be a Fool You can’t win it by yourself !

People question will this taint his legacy. Does he have a legacy if he doesn’t win a ring? Lebron didnt do it for the money or he would have stayed in Cleveland or went to New York. Lebron says he  did it for the main reason I’m such a huge fan. He’s a team player and he really wants to win a championship.

To all of Cleveland- all hope is not lost, Lebron is your son born and raised in Ohio. He is going out on his own now, let him go become the Man he was born to be..In five years and after 3 NBA titles he will become a free agent again. Then he will come back home to Cleveland and retire there just as a King should. Now that would actually be a perfect world..

Me Standing Outside the Staples Center thinking "today was a good day"

Last night I was fortunate enough to get a ticket to the L.A Laker’s vs. Phoenix Sun’s game 5 of the NBA Playoffs here in Los Angeles.  I was blessed to see Kobe put on a show (30 pts, 9 asts, and 11 rebs. (I got a whole lot of respect for Kobe but Lebron is still my man

The playoff atmosphere was unbelievable and you could feel the intensity from the game even as a spectator which is a position I rarely get to be in.

Later after the game I was chilling outside  trying to avoid all the commotion from the  crowd of “superfans” . while Im trying to catch cab  back to my hotel this black chauffeured Roll’s Royce pulls up  next to the curve . I’m like “this is too good to be true” and while I was standing there thinking wow this night couldn’t get any better . Lost in the moment, Jerry Buss the owner of the Lakers made his way into that car and off it went. He was gone before I could ask him for a ride. lol

Since Jerry dissed me I started to walk away and ran into Jonah Hill.  Yeah the funny dude from “Superbad“. I also saw Macy Gray and Dustin Hoffman just to name a few. Although I’m usually not star-struck it was really cool  to come to LA and see a few celebrities.

I was all laughs when I saw this dude..He was hilarious in the movie "Superbad"!

When I started the day yesterday I had no idea I would be going to the game. I had planned  to go practice and chill out afterwards. I had no idea I would be having a  great seat to a great game and get to see the  stars of Hollywood on and off the court.

Now I’m thinking what will today bring??  I hope a win against the L.A Sparks. Let’s go Mystics!

If they don't have Perkins to go up against D Howard the Celtics are in trouble.

Game five last night of the Boston(3)/ Orlando (2) series was about  emotions flaring and elbows swinging.

It is true that elbows are thrown throughout an entire basketball game whether it’s playoffs or not.  But in Game five , elbow drama caused the Celtics to lose two key players. Glen (Baby) Davis power forward of the Celtics suffered a concussion and did not return to the game ; Kendrick Perkins (Center) also got in trouble early after throwing an elbow of his own.

Kendrick Perkins was given a technical foul for throwing a baby elbow to Gortat’s stomach.  What is a baby elbow? It’s the elbow you kinda give someone when they are standing way to close to you.  You know when they are  all up in your personal space and you need some room. Well you catch my drift and that baby elbow got him a technical foul. It was such a petty  call even the refs forgot about it and shortly after “T’d” him again for arguing a call. He was  automatically ejected from the game .  Boston wasn’t out of it though they still had Big Baby to guard D Howard. That is until he got DEE Bo’d by Howard . Check it out.

TKO'd, Knocked Out, Baby and the Celtics might have just got knocked out of the series.

(Big Baby) Glen Davis got an inadvertent elbow  from D Howard of the Magic to the head last night and blacked out. In the process of getting back up he looked like a boxer who had just been T-K-O’d

Howard always  swings  his elbows after every play while begging for a foul to be called.   That’s exactly what happened on this play. Howard was  thinking he got fouled on the play but  “clearly” he had cleared everybody out  of the paint with his wailing elbows. The action made me think of  Dee-Bo from the movie Friday.   The Celtics got out of the paint and out of the game after that play. The Celtics got DEE Bo’d last night  and the now the Magic (“Majic” if you nicesty) have made it a series.

The Celtics control the wand. The Majic may still have some tricks in thier hat

Orlando surprised me with the effort they gave in game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Now there is one question being asked. “Can they make this a series” They can if you believe in Magic. I know  you have seen Magicians  pull tricks out of their hats. Coach Van Gundy the Majician behind this Magic  will have to use all of his tricks. Also Vince Carter will definitely have to bring back some of his  tricks from the past. (as in highlight reel dunks and sweet reverse layups)  This has to happen  in order for the Magic to win tonight and make this a series. More importantly it definitely has to happen to achieve  something never done before in the NBA. Winning a series being down 3-0. The Celtics are  controlling the Magic Wand in this series right now needed just one win to close the series out.  Can the Magic get in their way.

Well the Big Three (Garnett, Pierce, Allen)  and PT(Rondo) will have a chance to close the  series out tonight. Doc Rivers Celtics head coach was quoted saying  “his guys like winning  the hard way.”  ”There focus and execution wasn’t there last game and he thought they  played way to relaxed.” His team plays much more focused when no one thinks they can do it. Remember the Celtics in 2008 won every series the hard way.  They went 7 games with the Hawks. Seven with the Cavaliers.   Six  with the Pistons and  won  that decisive game  6 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  So History proves  Doc Rivers correct. His team does  like winning  it the hard way.

So if the Celtics are true to their form and the Magic bring a little Magic to the show. This just might end up being a series.

I'm BACK!!!!!!I'ma neva let you down I'm a shine on spot!!

I’m coming into my 12th year of playing in the WNBA and I must say I totally understand what it means to be a veteran.I hear all the old jokes, your slow, your not the same player anymore yada yada yada. I have listened to the media all season long talk about how old the Boston Celtics are. How they didnt bring in enough  young talent  in the offseason. They paid to much money  for a washed up Rasheed Wallace.  As I stated in my last blog if the Celtics play like the Veterans that they are.  They will go far in the playoffs.

All season long they never panicked when they lost consistently at home. When the media said they were done and their motivation was lost they had one response . We will be ready  for the playoffs. Kevin Garnett limped up and down the court all season long. He isn’t limping anymore. Paul Pierce is healthy and Ray Allen is Ray Allen.. Rajon Rondo the one young buck on  the Celtics  has learned when to let the old skool play and when he should take over.

Now they are up 2 -0 against the Orlando Magic tonight in Boston. The Magic feel like they aren’t out of it,  maybe because they are younger and they have the energy to come back. I remeber back to my days when I was young and on those young teams. I felt like I was never out of it those Vets are  too old.  Little did I know those veterans were laughing at my (immature hadn’t prooved anything yet self). The veterans have prepared for  these moments alot longer.   They’ve already been throught the ups and downs. They are smarter  and  are gonna always make better decsions. Last but not least the Vets  almost always win in the end.

LOL! We got you now..Yeah Buddy!

Orlando I said almost always so tonight you do have a chance, but that’s only  if you believe in Majic and I don’t . I don’t think Coach Gundy has a majic wand but he may need to bring one with him tonight.

The Celtics left on there plane back to Boston laughing at Orlando…but they will be all about business tonight.