Buzzer beater in Bradenton -- Karen Ferguson Dayes Interview -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 SHEY PEDDY'S BOMB BLASTS MYSTICS 85-84

For three quarters last night, the Washington Mystics looked like a team that was going to advance to the WNBA quarter-finals over the Phoenix Mercury. 

Even with Mystics star Myisha Hines-Allen getting a couple of very questionable whistles blown on her and having to sit for stretches in the first and second half because of foul trouble...let's not forget that basketball is a team game and her teammates rallied to keep the Mystics in the lead. That lead looked pretty comfortable after three quarters -- Washington up 70-59. Leilani Mitchell, Ariel Atkins and Emma Messerman were not ready to see their season end. 

I suppose you had to consider that the talents of Phoenix's Diana Taurasi, Skylar-Diggins Smith and Kia Vaughn would eventually make an impact in this contest last night.

The start of the fourth quarter was a nightmare of Freddy Krueger proportions....if you are a Mystics fan. Taurasi and Diggins-Smith started connecting on the three-pointers that had been unsuccessful earlier. Vaughn was controlling the paint. A 17-0 run by Phoenix run early in the fourth not only made up the previous deficit, it propelled the Mercury to a 78-73 lead with a little less than five minutes left in the game. 

Washington, however, roared back. They erased the Phoenix lead. The Mystics fought and scrapped to a 84-82 advantage with 5.9 seconds left after Mitchell nailed a free throw. 

One chance for the Mercury to tie or even win.  

Using a time-out to advance the ball to their part of the court, the sequence played out to where Shey Peddy had the ball in the corner. Mitchell came flying at her to try and block a game-winning three attempt. Mitchell flew by. Peddy composed herself and launched the prayer. 

Shot, flight, a game-ending light illuminates on the back-board and...

The ball goes in. 

Phoenix advances to play Minnesota Thursday night. 

It may be tough for Mystics fans (like myself) to watch the sequence again, but....here it is:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1306070990825369601

Myisha ends her 2020 season with 11 points, nine rebounds and a heart as big as Texas. I still think she's the M.I.P. (most improved player) in the league. I'm proud of her, her accomplishments and her voice for social justice. The post-player who thought she was a point-guard at UofL has shown us all what someone can do if they are given a chance.

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In the other play-in-game to the quarters, the Sun eliminated the Sky.

No, that's not a meteorological revelation or occurrence...it means Connecticut wins 94-81 over Chicago to advance and face the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. Truth be told, there were no Cardinals involved and I only caught about the last three minutes of this one. 

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Be sure to check back here tomorrow, as I have an interview scheduled with Louisville head women's soccer coach Karen Ferguson Dayes that I'll be posting. 

We'll discuss the Louisville WSOC squad's upcoming season-opener at Miami (FL) tomorrow night, how the squad has looked in preparation, the upcoming season and basically anything else Coach has on her mind. I'll follow up on my request to go to Miami as a senior, senile and scatter-brained scribe. I don't think I've heard anything yet, but...it seems, I forget a lot more these days than I used to. 

NOTE:

This interview was scheduled for today (Wednesday) but moved to Thursday afternoon...I'll add it to Jared column tomorrow. 

paulie