READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Sports Extra!



SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

FOR THE RECORD
LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA


Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
Wicked witch is dead? Reaction to Shock's streak-busting win
Published: 8/27/2011 10:00 AM
Last Modified: 8/27/2011 11:17 AM

The Tulsa Shock had lost 20 consecutive games and 23 road games in a row -- both WNBA records -- before Friday night, when Sheryl Swoopes cashed a jump shot with 2.9 seconds left to provide her team with a 77-75 triumph over the Los Angeles Sparks.

Reaction?

“Unreal. Right now it’s unbelievable,” Shock coach Teresa Edwards said after the game.

“We’re working hard, we’re busting our chops, we knew we can do it, we’ve been in games and lost leads on this team -- it was just a matter of time.”

In two home games last week, Tulsa squandered a 15-point lead in a home loss to Los Angeles and rallied from a 12-point deficit to give league-leading Minnesota a scare. Finally, Edwards -- promoted to interim head coach following Nolan Richardson’s dismissal -- was rewarded with her first victory. It came in her 16th try.

“We’re just so happy for her,” Tiffany Jackson said. “We know how hard she’s pushed us and how she’s just been trying to keep us positive. For us to get that win -- it was huge for her.”

Shock players signed a basketball for Edwards after the game. Jackson said she thinks an assistant coach came up with the idea.

“We went ahead and signed a stat sheet,” Jackson, who produced 20 points and 11 rebounds, said. “We’re going to get it framed for and give her the game ball.”

Los Angeles had tied the game on a DeLisha Milton Jones basket with 22 seconds left.

Asked about last-possession strategy, Swoopes said, “Coach T said ‘this is the play were going to run’ and honestly I wasn’t thinking about ‘Okay, I’m going to pass to somebody’. It was more of I wanted to look at the clock. I didn’t really want to give (the Sparks) another shot at it. The worst thing that could have happened was if I missed it and we go into overtime. I was just really looking at the game clock trying to see how much time was on it before I took the shot.”

Milton-Jones said the game-winner was “classic Sheryl Swoopes. She’s been doing that for years. It was due time for her to really show her true colors.”

Swoopes, 40, was asked about being “open” for a potential game-winner. She said it wasn’t really a matter of being open. She got off over defender Jenna O'Hea.

“I think at that point in the game it was more of being a veteran on this team and probably being in that position more than any other player, it was more of I really wanted it.”

She got it.



Reader Comments 3 Total
Danomite Dandy Dan (last year)
Congrats and build on it!
owen (last year)
Glad the streak is broken. I know that the players had to have felt pressure from the press and fans. Now, here's to more wins!
Strato2 (last year)
I am Shocked!
3 comments displayed


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.


Games People Play

Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

Follow Jimmie Tramel on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog


Archive

 
Jimmie Tramel's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  5/2007  4/2007  3/2007  
2/2007  1/2007  12/2006  11/2006  10/2006  9/2006  
8/2006  





Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.