Basketball: Buescher bails out Silver Stars
Web Posted: 07/07/2007 11:46 PM CDT
Natalie England
Express-News
The legend of Erin Buescher continues to grow.
The Silver Stars look to Buescher for offensive rebounds. Or steals. Or, on Saturday night, late-game moxie.
With Seattle in striking distance after all but erasing a 23-point second-half deficit, Buescher hit a 3-pointer as the shot-clock buzzer sounded to give the Silver Stars an eight-point edge and some breathing room in the final two minutes of the game.
The Silver Stars needed it — and Buescher's career-high 27 points to go along with six rebounds and five steals — to outlast the late-surging Storm 80-73 in front of an announced 7,510 at the AT&T Center.
Buescher is averaging 23 points during the Silver Stars' three-game winning streak and is third on the team in scoring for the season at 11.9 points per contest. Buescher's scoring average has never been in double digits for a season, and before last year — when she averaged 9.7 a game to be named the league's most improved player — she had never fared better than 5.7.
"I don't know if I've seen as good of a quality player in this league as her," said Silver Stars assistant coach Brian Agler, who continues to direct the team in place of injured head coach Dan Hughes. "I'm so happy she is being rewarded now, and our team is benefiting. She's a big part of our success, and she has the respect of the entire locker room."
When asked about her recent hot streak — which has some speculating about an All-Star nod from league coaches on Monday — Buescher replies with trademark humility.
She ticks off the accomplishments of other players — like center Ruth Riley plugging the middle, Sophia Young drawing double-teams that open up scoring opportunities for others and Camille Little coming off the bench and snatching rebound after rebound.
"We have so many weapons, so many ways," Buescher said. "I think that's what true basketball is."
Young and Helen Darling, who started her third game in a row for the injured Becky Hammon, each scored 11 points. Vickie Johnson finished with 10.
"It was a total team effort," Buescher said.
After attempting just 20 shots in the entire first half, Seattle hit 8 of 19 shots in the third quarter and outscored the Silver Stars 24-16 to trim its deficit to just nine points entering the final period.
Lauren Jackson, who finished with 15 points, hit a 19-foot jumper and then forced a turnover, which led to a layup by Tanisha Wright that pulled Seattle to 70-65 with 2:37 to play.
On the next possession, Buescher got the ball at the top of the key and released a shot in front of an outstretched Jackson. It hit the front of the rim, and got a shooter's roll to fall through the net.
Buescher reacted with a spinning fist pump at center court, as the fans treated her to a symphony of screams and cheers.
"She's a dream-type player," Agler said.
Notebook: Hughes said Hammon could have played against Seattle, but the coaching staff decided to give her more time to recover from her sprained right foot. The Silver Stars don't play again until Wednesday at Phoenix.
"This is an opportunity to let her get fully healed, and get a practice under her belt before playing again," Hughes said.
η μπουσερ θαμπει για εγχειρηση μεσα στις επομενες 2 εβδομαδες...
ο προπονητης της ειπε οτι δεν εχει ξαναδει τετοια ποιοτητα παικτριας...
ΚΡΙΜΑ...
και αυτη ειναι η φωτογραφια απο το τελευταιο της καλαθι για φετος στο wnba..