The schemes largely worked in Game 2, limiting Delle Donne to 12 points on 5-for-14 shooting from the field and Cloud to 2-for-8 shooting inside the arc, but Cloud punished Seattle from behind the arc. Quinn was willing to give up 3-pointers to other players if it meant limiting Delle Donne, but for Game 2 in particular, she was also worried about containing Cloud’s drives to the basket. Quinn told reporters that Seattle’s defensive strategies throughout the series focused heavily on Delle Donne, including double-teaming and trapping her, switching, and trying to take away her space to shoot and drive. Cloud’s contributions helped the Mystics keep the game close for a half, even as the Storm shot 55.6% from the field and 58.3% from 3-point range against a Mystics defense that was the league’s best in the regular season.Ĭouldn't get the win but went for a career-high 21 points in a playoff game dropping five three-pointers of her own and giving the Mystics the momentum when they needed it. A third 3-pointer with under a minute remaining in the quarter gave her 11 points. She assisted on a 3-pointer by Elena Delle Donne, buried one of her own, grabbed a defensive rebound, and sank two free throws on the other end. That feeling was quickly confirmed when Cloud scored the Mystics’ first points of the game on a 3-pointer from the top of the key.įollowing a short rest early in the second quarter, Cloud subbed back in and promptly ignited an 11-4 run that gave the Mystics a one-point lead. Mystics head coach Mike Thibault said postgame that he had had a good feeling watching Cloud warm up for Game 2, particularly as he watched her shoot 3-pointers. … You can see she’s a leader for that team, she’s a heartbeat for that team, and I think she knew the magnitude of the moment and wanted to step up.” “… She likes these big moments and she prepares for these big moments. “There’s something about the postseason that Cloud gets to another gear,” Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said after Sunday’s game. She rose to the occasion after averaging 10.7 points on 39.9% shooting from the field and 31.9% from behind the arc in the regular season. Seattle limited her playmaking ability and challenged her to make open jump shots. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.Ĭloud, the WNBA’s regular-season assists leader, finished the two-game series averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 70% from behind the arc. The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom But the Mystics had trouble finding their rhythm on either end and lost 97-84, ending their season without a playoff victory. She became only the fourth player in WNBA playoff history - and the first since 2011 - to record that combination of points, rebounds and assists along with five made 3-pointers. On Sunday, Cloud did everything she could to fulfill her latest guarantee, scoring 21 points on 7-for-16 shooting (5-for-8 from behind the arc) and adding six rebounds and five assists in nearly 34 minutes. It wasn’t the first time Cloud had guaranteed a win: In 2019, she famously promised that the Mystics would win the deciding Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, and she delivered, helping the franchise win its first championship. “And I’m gonna give you a ‘guaranteed, facts, period.’” “We’re going to come back, we’re going to do it the hard way, and we’re going to take it back to D.C.,” she said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |