Katie Douglas takes over in the clutch; East down West’s best 118-113: WNBA All-Star Game Analysis -2
Western Conference conceded 17 turnovers on the night as compared to just 13 by. They however outscored East 68-46 in the points paint and 32-29 on the board.
Six players of both conferences reached double figures. In addition to that, a record group of 10 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players made their All-Star debuts before 12,540 basketball fans at the AT&T Center.
First Quarter
Both teams played a close game in first four minutes of first quarter. Tina Charles hit a three-pointer at the 06:20 mark that gave the East a two-point lead, 13-11, but Swin Cash responded with a jumper to tie the game at 13 with 05:12 to go in the quarter. East scored the next four points and went ahead by 17-13.
The West bounced back with a 12-3 flurry though and snatched a five-point lead, 25-20, with 02:58 left in the first. Essence Carson and Renee Montgomery however countered with a three each to make it 26-25, advantage East. The see saw battle ensued during the rest of the frame and with a few seconds left till the end of it, the two conferences were locked at 33 apiece.
San Antonio Silver Stars’ Becky Hammon hit a three-pointer right at the buzzer though to put the West ahead by three points, 36-33, heading into the second.
Second Quarter
West maintained their slender lead in the early part of the second frame and Diana Taurasi’s jumper with 06:50 to go in the period, gave West a 48-43 advantage. However, the East outscored West 22-17 in the period that followed and tied the game at 65. Liz Cambage hit a free throw in the closing seconds of the seconds of the first half to put the West ahead by 66-65.
Third Quarter
In a tightly contested third period, East carried a 90-88 lead with 01:22 left. Cash and Penny Taylor however scored two consecutive lay-ups for the West to retake a two-point lead. Tamika Catchings then pinned a pair of free throw to knot the game at 92 with 19 second to go. On the next possession, Hammon attempted a three but missed it and the chance to give West the lead, going into the ultimate frame.
Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter followed much of the same trend and with 01:19 left in the game, Taurasi scored a layup with to put the West on the top for the final time, 113-111.
This was where Katie Douglas took over. She hit a three-pointer and the followed it with a pair of free throws to put her squad ahead for good at 116-113, with 16 seconds remaining. The West had a chance to tie it with eight seconds to go, but Taurasi’s 3-point attempt came up short. Cappie Pondexter made a layup in the closing seconds to seal the victory for the East.
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