Holdsclaw Wouldn’t Trade This Night for Anything
The two players involved in the WNBA’s biggest off-season trade faced each other on the court Thursday, each hoping for a big night against her former team.
One player had such a night.
Chamique Holdsclaw had 27 points and 10 rebounds against her former Washington teammates, her third double-double in three games, and the Sparks defeated the Mystics, 84-75, in the MCI Center in front of an announced crowd of 12,243 that included new Mystic owner and President Sheila Johnson.
Holdsclaw became the sixth WNBA player to pass 3,000 points in her career, joining teammate Lisa Leslie, Houston’s Tina Thompson and Sheryl Swoopes, Detroit’s Andrea Stinson and Minnesota’s Katie Smith.
“Coach told me today even though I was pushing the ball upcourt, I was backing out and setting up,” Holdsclaw said of Henry Bibby. “He wanted me to attack the basket, and that was my focus tonight.”
Meanwhile, former Spark DeLisha Milton-Jones, who came to Washington in the Holdsclaw trade, had a disappointing night. She made the first basket of the game, a three-pointer, but scored only two more points, and fouled out with just over a minute to play.
It wasn’t a one-woman show for the Sparks. Nikki Teasley, despite making only two of 10 shots, had 11 points and eight assists. And Tamika Whitmore, beginning to thrive in the starting lineup, had 21 points and five rebounds.
“The first two games I was aggressive on the defensive end but not too aggressive on the offensive end,” Whitmore said. “Tonight I concentrated on doing both.”
Said Bibby: “Chamique may be the second player people look at -- it’s Lisa’s team -- but she quietly gets you the tough baskets. And Tamika is a hidden weapon.”
Washington (1-2) dropped its second consecutive game despite making a league-record 15 three-point baskets (in 29 attempts). The old record, 14, was set by Minnesota in 1999 and equaled by Sacramento in 2001.
Charlotte Taylor-Smith led Washington with 17 points, and Chasity Melvin scored 16.
The Mystics shot well (27 for 59) but could not make a 40-36 halftime lead stand up, mainly because the Sparks (2-1) outrebounded them, 33-25; shot a bit better (25 for 51, 49%) and had a huge edge at the free-throw line. The Sparks were 30 for 33; the Mystics had 12 attempts, making six.
Holdsclaw had expected this return to Washington to be easier, at least emotionally, than the exhibition game the Sparks played here on May 10.
“The first time I came it was the reality of ‘Yeah, I’m not playing [in Washington] anymore,’ ” Holdsclaw said. “But I’m done with it.
“Tonight I looked at it just like any other basketball game. What was going to make me feel good was walking off the court with a victory.”
As for Milton-Jones, she said she tried to approach the game like any other. “I just saw it as, I saw some old friends and they happened to be the opponent. That was it. I really tried to take the emotions out and just play the game.”