Sports Blog from a Players Perspective

Marynell Meadors wants that WNBA Finals trophy to add to her hardware.

This years WNBA Finals will consist of two teams that are very similar in the way they like to play basketball. Marynell Meadors who has been around the league since it’s conception, has her Atlanta Dream team back in the Finals for the second time in two years.  It is not typical for any of the new franchises in the WNBA  to make it to the playoffs much less make it to the finals for two straight seasons. Coach Meadors has learned the do’s and don’ts  from  her past experiences with the former  Charlotte Sting and the  Washington Mystics. From her experiences she  has mastered what it takes to build and have a good team in the WNBA.  Hopefully Coach Meadors will take what she learned from  last year’s lost in the Finals and win her first WNBA title.

Will Cheryl add another Finals trophy to her collection as a Head Coach?

Cheryl Reeves has also been on a similar learning curve, started out in Charlotte and Cleveland and went on to learn under the  infamous Bill Laimbeer with the former Shock. team.  She knows what type of team is needed to make the playoffs and what you need to do do to win when you get there.  Many  players enjoyed playing for Bill Laimbeer saying he was a players coach. I think Coach Reeve may have picked up some cues from him. With  her all-star studded team, a players coach is instrumental in keeping egos satisfied and the team together.

These coaches both implore a run and gun type of game style but will also slow it down and play a half-court game by pounding the ball inside. It is great to have two women coaches whom have worked their way up in the league in the WNBA Finals.  To bad their can be only one winner.

Which Lindsey or Say gets to the paint the most will determine alot.

These coaches must really be excited  going into the Finals with  two great players at the  most important position on any team (pt guard position). In Minnesota their is Lindsay and in Atlanta their is  Lindsey and although it sounds the same (Say or Sey) will be the X Factor in who’s team wins the trophy. Lindsay has gained more confidence in her shot. Long gone are the days of her not taking the wide open shot, she is now shooting the ball well and hitting game winners.

The other  Lindsey has learned that it’s not all about scoring as she did in DC, but getting the players on her team the ball when they need it. I think Lindsey has improved on her decision making, like when to drive and when to set up the offense. It will be exciting seeing both of these guards getting in the paint and finishing their unorthodox lay-ups. They also both have great court vision and will find players cutting to the basket.

Okay okay I know everyone is saying what about Moore, McCoughtry,  Agustus, Castro, Wiggins, Price and all these athletic guards in the WNBA finals. Well as a player  I know these guards will cancel each other out. These guards are so athletic and talented they are going to do their things and it’s just going to be so exciting to watch.

Now for the ladies that  I had to personally battle against McWilliams-Franklin, De Souza, Lyttle, Brunson. Well these ladies are going to  go hard in the paint. They have great pt guards to find them in the right positions and they are going to be battling hard on the boards. Which duo wins the battle of the boards will give their teams the edge in the series.

So who will win the Finals this year. I like Atlanta and I like Minnesota and it really doesn’t matter to me who wins. With that being said, I still believe that  the Veteran  Taj McWilliams-Franklin  will lead her team to a championship and win for the second time in her  career.

Tonight the Naismith Hall of Fame will induct the best guard that I’ve ever played with in my professional career and that is T  Teresa Edwards. I first remember T when she was a guest speaker at an AAU tournament I played in. She said in her speech with her gold medals wrapped around her neck that it doesn’t matter if you come from a small town as she did,  you can still reach your dreams. That really stuck with me because I had big dreams and I was also from a small town.

I got a chance to play with her my first year pro in the ABL with the Philadelphia Rage. T Teresa Edwards took me under her wing and always taught me the little things that could help me be a better player. In practice I would just watch as T shut down anybody she guarded. T was just as persistent on offense as she was on defense. She was a workaholic and the  passion and energy she played showed each and ever game.  Playing with T was the first time I had met someone that hated to lose more than me.

In practice and games I often caught myself watching her and even though she was doing everything on the court she would catch me and say “YO Baby Steps (her nickname for me) Wake UP!” I used to get picked on by the other rookies on the team because T was always pulling me to the side to get on me or tell me little things. I remember she had me on the sideline one day just  trying to get me to  make harder and more crisp passes. She taught me that my follow through on my passing was just as important on my shot.  T stayed on me and taught me alot and I know I became a better player for it.

I’m excited to see her get inducted tonight and it was a blessing to play with her.  The media has been saying her name is one of the lesser known names to be inducted tonight  but for me it’s the most well known. Teresa Edwards set the standard for women’s basketball she was one of the most fierce players to ever play the game and an even better leader. Congrats T Edwards!