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Alexa PhilippouESPN
Playoff basketball collection are typically decided by the chess match between opposing coaches, and the most important-spherical showdown between the No. three seed Connecticut photo voltaic and the 6-seed Dallas Wings has been no fully different. After Dallas’ 6-foot-7 starting center, Teaira McCowan, struggled to get getting into recreation 1 — a ninety three-sixty eight photo voltaic victory — Wings coach Vickie Johnson modified issues up heading into recreation 2, bringing McCowan off the bench and starting Isabelle Harrison in her place.
the selection might want appeared minor — McCowan nonetheless logged 24 minutes — however it certainly performed a pivotal function inside the Wings’ capacity to bounce again to take an 89-seventy nine win and power a winner-take-all recreation three at their place on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Wings acquired information late Tuesday that main scorer Arike Ogunbowale is possible Wednesday after lacking the previous six video games with an stomach harm. however how effectively the photo voltaic can counter Johnson’s transfer and guarantee McCowan can not repeat her recreation 2 success — and the means quickly McCowan and the Wings reply to that — stays a deciding take into account figuring out which crew advances to the WNBA semifinals subsequent week.
McCowan’s emergence — in her first season with the Wings after being traded by the Indiana Fever this previous offseason — was a massive a component of Dallas’ surge down the stretch of the common season. Since being inserted into the starting lineup after the All-Star break, the earlier Mississippi State star averaged sixteen.2 factors and 10.zero rebounds in 26.5 minutes per recreation to close the common season; these marks have been 7.6/5.1/thirteen.9 in her 20 prior appearances this season. furthermore, the 9.2-level differential per a hundred possessions in Dallas’ web rating with McCowan on the floor versus on the bench was the second-biggest mark for any Wings participant, behind Allisha grey‘s 14.1.
The Wings went eight-5 following McCowan’s insertion into the starting lineup, collectively with 6-2 heading into the playoffs, and McCowan took house the most important participant of the Month Award of her profession in August.
however in recreation 1, she was largely neutralized, a component of the photo voltaic’s method to include McCowan, grey and Marina Mabrey.
With reigning MVP and perennial All-Defensive crew selection Jonquel Jones matched up in the direction of her, McCowan had a extremely effective time attending to her traditional spots and getting touches. McCowan accomplished with six discipline objective makes an try (2-for-6 from the sector), seven factors and 5 rebounds. Defensively, she was primarily matched up in the direction of the uber-bodily Swiss navy knife Alyssa Thomas, who might pull McCowan out of the paint and take her off the dribble — not basically McCowan’s sturdy swimsuit.
The photo voltaic accomplished recreation 1 plus-sixteen inside the paint and plus-7 on the glass, and additionally they held the Wings to solely seven second-probability factors.
“there’s not any means we’re in a place to win with Teaira solely taking six photographs,” Johnson mentioned after recreation 1. “we have gotten to pound the ball inside and play inside out.”
Johnson approached McCowan between video games 1 and a pair of to see how she felt about being launched off the bench. It wasn’t that McCowan was being punished or handed over for Harrison, Johnson mentioned. reasonably, it had the whole lot to do with matchups.
collectively with starting the 6-foot-6 Jonquel Jones, the photo voltaic have been bringing in 6-foot-three Brionna Jones — the WNBA’s reigning Most Improved participant and a favourite for Sixth participant of the 12 months — off the bench.
Jonquel Jones can match McCowan’s size and has the sting in physicality. Johnson anticipated placing McCowan up in the direction of Brionna Jones would play to the Wings’ benefit. And it largely did.
Harrison did her half in matching Jonquel Jones in recreation 2, particularly early on, whereas Kayla Thornton helped decelerate Thomas. Then McCowan and Brionna Jones each checked in on the 4:35 mark of the most important quarter and have been matched up in the direction of every fully different the the rest of the rivals. in the direction of a smaller and fewer mobile defender — and with a renewed intention by Dallas to get the ball inside — McCowan seemed rather extra comfy working inside the paint, ending with 17 factors (second biggest on the crew) on eight-for-thirteen capturing, whereas additionally coming away with eleven rebounds, collectively with eight on the offensive finish, and three assists.
“It was actually to match B. Jones,” Johnson mentioned of the selection to change the starting lineup. “B. Jones acquired here in, [McCowan] acquired here in. That was the exact focus behind the whole lot. She wished to match B. Jones, she’s the one who can do it, and additionally they went head-to-head all of the evening time.”
McCowan and the Wings flipped the script from recreation 1, beating the photo voltaic on the glass (plus-three), narrowing the hole in factors inside the paint (minus-2) and doubling them up on second-probability factors (23-eleven).
“It feels good figuring out I might even be on a crew the place they’re going to use me inside the biggest means i am alleged to be used,” McCowan mentioned, referring to her current success with Dallas as in contrast with Indiana. “I really feel like simply coming in and staying true to my function, that is what I even have been doing.”
After a putrid first quarter all by means of which the photo voltaic managed simply seven factors, the Joneses nonetheless had regular performances offensively, ending with 20 factors apiece in recreation 2. however protection and rebounding are what Connecticut constructed its success on this season, and the crew felt that was lacking most of recreation 2, a component of what allowed McCowan to go off for a large evening time.
Brionna Jones admitted that the photo voltaic want to increase their assist protection round McCowan and do a greater job of retaining her off the glass when the teams meet as quickly as extra Wednesday. If the photo voltaic can effectively include her and extra broadly administration the paint and boards, they’re extra extra possible to advance to the semifinals for the fourth straight 12 months.
And if Dallas is ready to interrupt by means of with the upset — and safe the franchise’s biggest playoff run because it was located in Detroit — it is going to little doubt be in consequence of labor of McCowan and Dallas’ fully different bigs in worthwhile that battle.
“McCowan is so massive to maneuver that you merely’ve acquired acquired to do your work early,” Jonquel Jones mentioned. “And as quickly as she will get in that place, basically the most you almost certainly can do is simply try to tip it out. We simply want to be extra proactive and do our work early.”
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