By Mel Greenberg
It will get a little less luster because of distance and the WNBA's postseason is not at the championship round, but Sophia Young joined the list of great moment-makers Saturday with a game-saving buzzer beater that kept the San Antonio Silver Stars alive against the Los Angeles Sparks in the Western Conference Finals.
Of course the Silver Stars, with the best overall record in the regular season, where very much alive until the Sparks rallied from a 14-point deficit and took what appeared to be a winning lead.
But then Young, a former Baylor star of the 2005 NCAA championship, had last word.
Her shot may not have been the same as the stature of 50-foot-plus buzzer-beater by Theresa Weatherspoon in Houston when she enabled the New York Liberty to extend the Comets in what was then a three-game finals in 1999, but it was significant enough in the 67-66 win.
Meanwhile, a Liberty source in Michigan reported on the scene from Ypsilanti that Janet Jackson cancelled her concert in Auburn Hills, which now leaves the Palace, home of the Detroit Shock, expect at times in the postseason, unconflicted.
But the move comes too late to change venues and so the Shock and New York Liberty will tangle in Game 2 of the Eastern Finals Sunday at Eastern Michigan.
Now, here's the AP report on the San Antonio-Los Angeles Sparks game.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio coach Dan Hughes had no doubt who was
going to take the final shot with the Silver Stars season on the line
— Sophia Young.
Young delivered with a 14-foot turnaround shot at the buzzer to
lift the Silver Stars to a 67-66 win over the Los Angeles Sparks
Saturday, and forced a deciding game 3 in the Western Conference
Finals.
“She’s just a player you can get a lot from in those situations,”
Hughes said. “It’s not about the play, it’s about the player.”
Young finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead San
Antonio.
Los Angeles rallied from a 14-point deficit to take a one-point
lead with 1.3 seconds left on Delisha Milton-Jones’ lay-in.
After a timeout, San Antonio took the ball at half court. Young
grabbed the inbounds pass and hit the turnaround from the wing to
keep the Silver Stars’ playoff hopes alive.
“If you’ve got players who are playmakers, as a coach its’ your
job to get them the ball,” Hughes said. “I have a few of those.
That’s why we’re still playing.”
The final game of the series will be played on Sunday.
“I thought it was a very, very, very well played basketball game
by both teams,” Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. “San Antonio showed
you why they are the top in the Western Conference with the record
they have; then we showed why we are an up and coming team. The
Western Conference is at stake, so both teams will go at it again.”
Candace Parker led Los Angeles with 19 points and 17 rebounds.
Lisa Leslie, who scored 22 points in game 1, had 17 points and 12
rebounds. Milton-Jones finished with 14 points.
“It was a great shot,” said three-time MVP Lisa Leslie. “You need
a little luck to play this game. Hail Mary right?’ “But we still feel
really good about our chances.”
Los Angeles took a 64-60 lead on Milton-Jones’ layup with 1:33
left in the fourth. Young sparked a 5-0 run hitting two free throws
with 11 seconds left to give San Antonio a 65-64 advantage.
Becky Hammon added 19 points and Ann Wauters had 11 as San
Antonio is looking for its first trip to the finals. They advanced to
the Western Conference finals last year, but lost to the eventual
champions, the Phoenix Mercury.
Los Angeles is looking to return to its first Finals since 2003,
where they lost to the Detroit Shock. They won back-to-back titles in
2001 and 2002.
The Sparks have not won on San Antonio’s home floor since July
26th, 2006.
The teams split the regular season series 2-2, with each team
winning on their home floor.
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