[81alum]

When there are 16 seconds in the game, and you're 4 points up, the last thing you want to do is to give up a 3.  That gives the other team a good chance to beat you with any 2 or even tie with a single FT (technical foul?).  Give up a 2 if you must (no fouling).  Strategically, in that game situation, trying to avoid a theoretical 2pt shot by giving up an open 3pt shot is unwise.

Given the positions on the court, Jones had no way of getting to Boston if Boston dove toward the basket.  To double Boston would require Brink to leave her player and Jones to rotate in. 

The dribbler is on her half of the court.  Jones failed to contest her player from getting the ball.  The ball handler always had an easy pass to the shooter whenever she wanted.   Tick-tock, time is running out - why give them open passes whenever they want?
(The moment the pass is initiated, Jones is about 12' away from her player.)


An uncontested shot (ok, mostly uncontested: Jones was 6' away when the ball went up.).


Considering the theory that Jones should lay off the shooter:  Coming into the game, she was 5 of 11 (45%) for the year.

As for the missed FT, to me that's not an issue.  Even the best FT shooters miss some.  Thinking that players should *really* make their FT late in the game seems like thinking they should not be as good in FT throughout the game.

(Btw, I noticed Jones blocking out on a rebound in the 3rd quarter.)


By the way, Jump played the same number of minutes as Haley.  Lepolo also played more than 40 minutes.

Great analysis, MT, of the sort you are famous for!  Appreciate the stills lifted from the video too.

So what is your theory for why Jones sagged so far off of her mark?  Clearly it was a bad outcome.  I am trying to figure out if this was on Jones or on the coaches for instructing her to defend in a particular way.  Is there any chance this was a zone?  At the very least it seems a lot like a sagging man defense, which is one of our more common defenses.  I feel that if Jones had been instructed to closely defend her player that shot would not have happened, but that she was probably doing her assignment in a sagging man.  If so, she sagged about 6' too far.

[81alum]

When there are 16 seconds in the game, and you're 4 points up, the last thing you want to do is to give up a 3.  That gives the other team a good chance to beat you with any 2 or even tie with a single FT (technical foul?).  Give up a 2 if you must (no fouling).  Strategically, in that game situation, trying to avoid a theoretical 2pt shot by giving up an open 3pt shot is unwise.

Given the positions on the court, Jones had no way of getting to Boston if Boston dove toward the basket.  To double Boston would require Brink to leave her player and Jones to rotate in. 

The dribbler is on her half of the court.  Jones failed to contest her player from getting the ball.  The ball handler always had an easy pass to the shooter whenever she wanted.   Tick-tock, time is running out - why give them open passes whenever they want?
(The moment the pass is initiated, Jones is about 12' away from her player.)


An uncontested shot (ok, mostly uncontested: Jones was 6' away when the ball went up.).


Considering the theory that Jones should lay off the shooter:  Coming into the game, she was 5 of 11 (45%) for the year.

As for the missed FT, to me that's not an issue.  Even the best FT shooters miss some.  Thinking that players should *really* make their FT late in the game seems like thinking they should not be as good in FT throughout the game.

(Btw, I noticed Jones blocking out on a rebound in the 3rd quarter.)


By the way, Jump played the same number of minutes as Haley.  Lepolo also played more than 40 minutes.

Great analysis, MT, of the sort you are famous for!  Appreciate the stills lifted from the video too.

So what is your theory for why Jones sagged so far off of her mark?  Clearly it was a bad outcome.  I am trying to figure out if this was on Jones or on the coaches for instructing her to defend in a particular way.  Is there any chance this was a zone?  At the very least it seems a lot like a sagging man defense, which is one of our more common defenses.  I feel that if Jones had been instructed to closely defend her player that shot would not have happened, but that she was probably doing her assignment in a sagging man.  If so, she sagged about 6' too far.