Till then… Mechelle: At the free throw line, Elena Delle Donne is as dependable as it gets
Right foot toeing the free throw line, standing at a slight angle to the basket. Three dribbles. Right arm lifted to a 90-degree position. Line up the shot. Pause. Flick of the wrist with a lift of the ankles.
That’s the routine of one of the best free throw shooters in basketball history. And the Washington Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne has done the exact same thing since eighth grade.
“For me, it’s about making the shot as simple as possible, taking away anything that could go wrong,” Delle Donne said. “Simplicity is what gives me confidence.”
For Diana Taurasi, one night sticks out in a rivalry with Sue Bird that has spanned more than half their lives and defined a generation of guard play in women’s basketball.
It is the night she beat Bird in bowling.
“It was one of those dark, cold nights in Russia,” Taurasi said in a phone interview, before the two former Connecticut and current U.S.A. Basketball teammates faced off in Game 1 of their W.N.B.A. semifinal series on Sunday. “I remember it was at this bowling place where we used go to in Moscow. Not much else to do, and bowling always got a little competitive. She’s a good bowler. I’m not a great bowler, but I did have the best score ever in Russia, that’s all I can say. That’s all I remember.”
Bird, needless to say, remembers it differently.
“Don’t let her fool you,” Bird said. “It’s me. I beat her pretty much every time.”
Listen up: @WNBAinsidr podcast episode: We recap the Sunday afternoon games and preview Tuesday night’s games. Game 2 of Mystics-Dream and Mercury-Storm semifinals series tonight on ESPN2
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SB Nation: Why Sue Bird stayed in Seattle instead of chasing a WNBA superteam
At this critical point, she had to decide what to do with the end of her career: Ring-chase, or ride it out with the Storm, who were dreadful enough to earn consecutive No. 1 picks in the 2015 and 2016 drafts. (The Storm finished 31 games under .500 in a four-year stretch after Lauren Jackson’s retirement.)
The answer wasn’t clear. Unlike the NBA, the WNBA does not allow a player’s current team to offer a longer and more lucrative contract than its opposition. While Seattle remained on the table, other situations were appealing.
Oooops! Scheduling: Tonight Sparks’ own @Candace_Parker will be on the debut of @KingJames’ “The Shop” on @HBO at 8PM PT.
Chicago Sun Times: Owner Michael Alter has big expectations for 2019 Sky
“I didn’t expect we’d be in the championship, but I thought we’d be a [playoff] team and sort of on the climb-up,” Alter said. “We’re a little behind where I hoped we’d be, based on that. Last year was kind of what I expected with all the new parts. This year, I don’t feel like we moved forward from last year as much as I would’ve hoped.
“But, overall, I love what we have from that trade and the draft.”
In other news
Buckle up: USC women’s basketball unveils schedule; Gamecocks could face every champ since 1995
Ooops! Cummings Dismissed from Toledo Women’s Basketball Team