[Gabrielle's View] [Xena's Rebuttal]
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Liberty vs. Mystics Equals Xena vs. Gabrielle
Gabrielle's Thoughts
8/23/02

Those that have read about us on the web site know that this is a stressful time in our relationship. The 2002 WNBA Eastern Conference Championship between the Liberty and the Mystics is for all the marbles in this household. Xena is in complete denial over the current situation (Mystics lead the series 1-0 after their win at home on Thursday August 22) and still believes that the tired old Liberty will once again make an appearance in the WNBA finals. Well the time has come to publicly state that the Liberty's time has come and gone. They will NOT WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SEASON!! Once they fall short yet again, it will be time to dismantle an aging team that never had enough to go all the way. Now that I am expressing these thoughts in a public forum, I have just taken the enormous step of securing a dry spell in my personal sex life for the sake of honesty. Even if the Mystics do not win the championship this year, they are clearly on the rise while the Liberty are on the decline.

**Note to readers, it is true that we sleep on Liberty sheets and are covered with a Liberty comforter at night. Even though my honey and I do not agree on which team to root for, do not ever let it be said that I am not a good gift giver. Also, the Mystics never sell anything cool like the bed set. If they did, we would be ROTATING comforters:)

Liberty vs. Mystics Equals Xena vs. Gabrielle
Xena's Rebuttal
8/23/02

Okay! I've had enough of listening to Mystics fans over the past three years. You jump at every bone they throw you. I was at the game on the 10th when NY crushed Washington at the MCI Center. The Mystics had no defense. Even if the Liberty had cleared a path for them to the basket, they couldn't have gotten the ball to go in. But every time Washington scored, the crowd went wild. It was like the game was over. Not even close. NY was on fire.

On my way to the game on the Metro, I was dressed in my T-Spoon jersey with my Liberty wrist watch and Liberty hat. Mystics fans gave me dirty looks, told me how disappointed I would be that night, and just laughed at times. Funny, nobody talked to me on the ride home. It was a nice quite ride on the Metro for me. If nothing else, it was great to have quiet Mystics fans around me.

New York may be the older team, but as we have seen with Stacy Dales-Shuman, youth isn't everything. In this game, experience can (and will) make a big difference. New York knows how to come back from a loss like the one they had at the MCI Center on Thursday night. Talk about a team that wants a championship. New York has been close enough to taste it more then once. They want to win if for no other reason then so some of the players can retire with a ring. Sue Wicks may be getting older, but the woman can still play and isn't going anywhere without a championship ring on her finger.

And what about the magnificent Teresa Weatherspoon. You can't rule her out either. She was born to play the game of basketball and if anyone wants the championship, it is her. She can taste it. She has a fire in her eyes. I wonder how different the game would have been on Thursday had she not gotten hurt? Hummmm....I don't think Gabrielle thought about that one. (On a side note, I got to meet T-Spoon in New York recently. Not only is she a really beautiful woman, but she was super nice and really took a lot of time with all the fans. She was just fantastic.)

All in all, there are seven reason's why New York will win.

Oh, yes we sleep on Liberty sheets and under a Liberty comforter. What Gabrielle forgot to mention was that she bought that for me after betting that the Liberty wouldn't make the playoff's last year. They did and I won the bet.

Another thing you all should know. Gabrielle was a Liberty fan when we met. Finding out that she changed her allegiance really made me re-think this relationship. I was seduced under false loyalty. When we moved to DC, she quickly changed her team. Us New York' ers don't do that! I've been a fan of the NY LIberty since game one in 1997 and will stay a fan of the New York Liberty till I die.

All in all, I believe that NY will walk away not only with the Eastern Conference Championship, but with the WNBA Championship as well. Thursday's loss was it for NY. They won't let that happen again. Especially not in the Garden, which has a great fan base and can be really loud too. NY 'ers know how to yell and cheer better than DC fans!!! We have more to cheer about.

UPDATE - 8/25/02

Time for the rubber match...well you know what I mean!
Gabrielle's Thoughts
8/25/02

Well folks, it comes down to one final game between the Mystics and Liberty to determine who will have household bragging rights for the next year. Last night's performance by the Mystics left a lot to be desired, particularly on the defensive end, but let's not forget to give the Liberty their kudos. Very few teams will lose a basketball game when they shoot 71% from the floor (Hence the defense comment. Would someone on the Mystics PLEASE take the baseline drive away?) Anyway...the look on Chamique's face at the end of last night's debacle said it all for me. Tonight 'Mique will NOT BE DENIED!! The game will be an extremely tight, hard fought battle between two talented teams. I want to thank both teams for their contributions to a tremendous 2002 WNBA season!! It is a shame that one of the teams (the Liberty) will not be able to continue in the playoffs.

Time for the rubber match...well you know what I mean!
Xena's Rebuttal
8/25/02

Oh, look how nice Gabrielle is being now. I haven't known her to be this quiet in the entire time I've known her. No smart ass comments last night. Nothing. It was great! I notice she is sucking up to me now. She is worried. She should be. NY played such an amazing game last night. 96-79! Wow! What a game it was. NY did what I thought they would. They came out to win the game. They were not going to let Washington kill their championship hopes at the Garden. No way! Tonight's game will be very interesting. I expect it to be a bit closer, but NY will win. Tari Phillips is on fire. That woman can get the ball in the basket from anywhere on the floor. Along with Phillips, Hammon, Withmore and Johnson all scored in double figures. Johnson made all five of her 3-point shots. Now, the Mystics also had four players who scored in double figures. But when Jones and Bullett don't score at all, it really doesn't mean much for Washington. How about 71% from the floor for NY. That is how you win a game.

Tonight will be a real intense time in this house. NY is one game away from playing LA (who beat Utah yesterday for the Western Conference Finals) on Thursday night. At the beginning of the season, Gabrielle was so sure that NY wouldn't make it this far. I never gave up on them. NY isn't a team you can dismiss. They may not have a championship yet, but they have at least made it to the game. They want it so bad and will not let Washington stand in their way. It will be NY all the way tonight.

Liberty Win!
Xena's Comments
8/26/02

Well, Gabrielle hasn't had a chance to write up her thoughts on last night's game and the lose by Washington. Maybe she is too depressed. I haven't noticed because I've been to busy celebrating. Oh, it was a great game. I knew it would be closer then the game on Saturday night, but didn't know it would be such a nail biter for me.

The Liberty just played a better game I think. Again, they had four players score in double figures. I think the biggest difference was the foul shooting. NY made their foul shots. That is where the winning scores came in. Washington never seemed to get into the game. I often felt like the Mystics weren't playing NY last night. It seemed to me that they were thinking about LA. That might be the difference between the experience that NY was able to bring to the game. This is their fourth trip to the Championship. They knew they needed to get through Washington first. That seemed to be their focus.

Now, can New York beat LA? Who know's. I have seen NY play against the odds before. I won't rule them out. They may have not won the Championship the first three times they played Houston, but they did score and kept a number of games close. Nobody can forget that shot from mid-court that T-Spoon made in game two of the 1999 championship against Houston to force a game three. It is still one of the most famous moments in WNBA history. But what you have to remember is that NY won because they were only two points away from tying the score. And that was against the Houston Comets when they had nothing but great talent. LA has some great players. Lisa Leslie might be one of the best players this league will have for a long time. But she is one person. Washington wasn't able to win with just Holdsclaw. NY is a team. They play like a team, they score like a team and the win like a team. So, I have hope.

Now that the Mystics season is over, I am able to enjoy the off-season knowing that NY was able to win against Washington when it counted. I don't hate the Mystics. I have so much respect for Vicky Bullett. When I went to the August 10th game at the MCI Center, I jumped up and cheered when they introduced Vicky. I was sad to read in today's Washington Post that she is considering retirement. I also have a lot of respect for how far along Coco Miller has come in her two years in the league. And how can I be a fan of women's basketball and not have a tremendous amount respect for Marianne Stanley. When I played the "Virtual GM" game at wnba.com, I picked the same starting lineup that NY had, but went with Stanley has my coach. She is amazing and needs to be given the proper praise for taking the Mystics has far as she did this year. It was her first year has a head coach in the league and she did an amazing job.

No, I don't hate the Mystics, I just love the Liberty. They are my team. And living in DC, where the fan base for the team is just has amazing as in NY, it's been hard being a NY fan. I've gotten use to the comments (both teasing and at times just mean) that I get when I go to the games. But this year, it turned a bit. The rivalry between NY and DC got worse and I was assured by many Mystics fans that NY didn't have a chance. That includes the comments that I received here at home from Gabrielle. Early in the season, I had to deal with the Washington Post left out for me showing the latest win by Washington*. I would listen to the comments about how NY was done and this was the Mystics year. I kept quiet and just watched as NY started winning games. When the top spot became a bit closer, I just smiled and watched. Then, NY took the number one spot in the east and things changed.

My prediction for 2003 is that the Mystics will come out a more mature team. They have learned a number of lessons that you can only learn through experience. They will have a better chance next season, as long as they can keep the injuries down. They are a younger team and that may work to their advantage as some older players start retiring more and more. I don't know how long Teresa Weatherspoon and Sue Wicks will stay in NY. They are just two players that may be leaving, if not next season, the season after. They may not have a choice. The talent that is coming up in the next two years from college is amazing. I think it will bring this game to the next level. Don't forget, many of the players we all cheer for have spent the first part of their careers oversea's. That is going to change. They Mystics will have the experience against those teams who are getting the fresh talent out of places like UConn and Tennessee, just to name two. They won't make the same mistakes that they made this year.

But that is the future. In the present, the rivalry between NY and Washington has heated up. Next season will be wild when the Liberty come to town. Just remember, NY didn't keep Washington from getting to the championship. Washington kept themselves from getting there. So, when you see someone with a Liberty shirt or hat walking around town (and there are many of us), say hi to us. We aren't bad people. We are just as loyal to our team as you are to yours. It just so happens that our team beat your team this year. You will have your moment in the seasons to come and we promise to be nice to you too.

*By The Way, I did get my revenge on all those articles that Gabrielle left out for me. Gabrielle awoke to signs all over the house with the Liberty logo and the words "2002 Eastern Conference Champions". It was fun hearing yelling this morning as she went from one room to the next getting ready for work. Ah...Yes, I do have bragging rights!

Watch for an Gabrielle's comments later today.

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