22 September 2013
Quote of the Day: ESPN
Reporting on the end of the Storm/Lynx playoff game:
After Minnesota beat the Seattle Storm 58-55 Sunday afternoon, the Lynx asked the league's all-time scoring leader [Tina Thompson] if she would honor them by posing for a team photo with them. This is not the way teams generally celebrate sweeping a first-round playoff series. But then, teams don't usually end opponent's careers that are as old as the very league in which they play.
"It was a bigger than basketball moment," Lynx forward Maya Moore said. "We have so much respect for her and we just battled it out with her. And we just wanted to get a picture. 'Hey Tina, can we get a picture?' It was really kind of childlike and beautiful. And she was great. She said, 'Go ahead and win the whole thing guys.'"
Coaches generally don't break down in tears after a victory while talking about an opposing player, either, but again, that's how important Thompson has been to the WNBA. "I'm sad to see Tina go," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said, choking back tears. "She's a great player. I want her to keep playing."
Well, you could have lost Sunday to extend Thompson's season at least one more game.
"I didn't feel that strongly about it -- we wanted to send her on a fishing trip," Reeve said, smiling briefly before tearing up again. "It's hard. She's been in the league a long time. A long, long time. Coaching against Tina, in Houston and L.A., I've seen a lot of Tina. So you might think these are tears of joy to see her gone, but she's special. For our league to be moving on ... it's hard."
After Minnesota beat the Seattle Storm 58-55 Sunday afternoon, the Lynx asked the league's all-time scoring leader [Tina Thompson] if she would honor them by posing for a team photo with them. This is not the way teams generally celebrate sweeping a first-round playoff series. But then, teams don't usually end opponent's careers that are as old as the very league in which they play.
"It was a bigger than basketball moment," Lynx forward Maya Moore said. "We have so much respect for her and we just battled it out with her. And we just wanted to get a picture. 'Hey Tina, can we get a picture?' It was really kind of childlike and beautiful. And she was great. She said, 'Go ahead and win the whole thing guys.'"
Coaches generally don't break down in tears after a victory while talking about an opposing player, either, but again, that's how important Thompson has been to the WNBA. "I'm sad to see Tina go," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said, choking back tears. "She's a great player. I want her to keep playing."
Well, you could have lost Sunday to extend Thompson's season at least one more game.
"I didn't feel that strongly about it -- we wanted to send her on a fishing trip," Reeve said, smiling briefly before tearing up again. "It's hard. She's been in the league a long time. A long, long time. Coaching against Tina, in Houston and L.A., I've seen a lot of Tina. So you might think these are tears of joy to see her gone, but she's special. For our league to be moving on ... it's hard."
Labels: Seattle Storm
# posted by mamurd @ 9:32 PM 
