March Game Capsules: Playoffs? Playoffs? We talkin bout playoffs??

3-14 ASAC COMUNICACIONES ADBA VS. ISOLUX - CORSAN ALCOBENDAS 51-62
20pts (5 for 13) (1 for 1 3pt) 10 rebs...28 value....36 mins

This game right here! We played soooo bad!! We were down by like 15 at halftime!! It was so bad yo we had yet another quarter where we didn't score in double figures!!! You can't do that I don't know why that is happening to us. But its a trend...anyways we came out of half and we played harder and started our comeback. 4th quarter it was ours we locked down on defense and they scored 15 points total in the second half. I started bad but ended strong!! I was beastin and I hit a 3 to put the icing on the cake. My friend from home was there it is so good to see somebody you know in the stands. Great feeling. Good win though.



3-21 ISOLUX - CORSAN ALCOBENDAS - PIO XII 63-76
16pts (7 for 12) 16rebs...31 value...27 mins

This was a great game...for 3 quarters! We were back and forth and alot of lead changes. We were up by 7 or 8 at half. But once again we had a quarter where we scored like 8 points!! Problem...it was the 4th quarter!! I don't know the hell our problem is because this single digit scoring is going to show up again but i'll get back to that later. Anyways, I played well I was gobbling every single board it seemed like but that wasn't enough. The wierd thing is that my minutes are going down...because I'm hurt? I feel no pain in the games and I think I only had 1 foul...i don't know though I honestly think when we had the lead I shouldn't have sat so long because I got back in it was a 1pt lead and they had the momentum and it was a rap from there. So I don't know I guess me being the top player 1pt lead down 1pt whatever I have to be the one to get it done so yea blame on me...but I don't get touches either 12 shots in the game half were probably from offensive rebounds...something to think about...


3-28 MOGUERZA REAL CANOE N.C. - ISOLUX - CORSAN ALCOBENDAS 83-58
8pts (4 for 9) 7rebs...8 value...33 mins

This game was rediculous. Yea I said it. The first half was close we were back and forth. The game was really physical which of course is another teams advantage especially at their home court so they can get away with everything. In international basketball physical is the name of the game anyway so I wouldn't expect nothing less. But in the second half, yo you can hang it up. The fourth quarter I think he had 6 points total and they had 30. Our coach got throwed out of the game. It was just a mess. I just didn't play well at all. I wasn't feeling very well but still I have no idea why I slumped like that. This game was important for both of us because of the playoffs. They needed the win to stay in and we needed the win to get one game closer and we would have beat this team twice so we would win the tie break if it came down to that. So yea I didn't step up apparently. But again I give you something to think about…I took 9 shots…3 was offensive rebounds…as a post player I depend on other people to get me the ball so how can I do my thing if I don’t have the ball…something else to think about.

So basically a couple trends…my minutes are weird right now and my shot attempts. I am not one to complain about shots. I am not a selfish player, I am an extremely good passer and I look for shooters first but I only average probably 10 shots a game and 3 off rebs a game so basically im getting 7 shots 1 on 1 and I am statistically the best player that doesn’t add up you know. But hey its ok I just hope my teamates start making shots so the inside can open up more and I can help. I still need to work harder rebounding in traffic. That’s the goal for this next month…Traffic Rebounding and better post position.

Playoffs??? Well here is the latest standings...

1. PROFFASA BADAJOZ EXTREMADURA (20-5)
2. CAJA RURAL PROMOGEST VALBUSEND (19-6)
3. MOGUERZA REAL CANOE N.C. (19-6)
4. UNIVERSITARIO DE FERROL (18-7)
5. ARRANZ - JOPISA BURGOS (18-7)
6. PIO XII (18-7)
7. ISOLUX - CORSAN ALCOBENDAS (16-9)

So we sitting pretty at 7th place (16 teams total). The TOP 4 TEAMS go to the playoffs. We are 2 games back with 5 games left in the season. The only playoff team we play is Ferrol in a couple of weeks everybody else is at the bottom of the bracket. Soooo, if we win all 5 and a couple of these teams beat up on each other...we might still have a chance. If we would have won against Canoe we would have had a better chance. Key thing is that its basketball...anything can happen!

March 30, 2007 My Dream Deferred: This is my Testimony

Well I am a couple of days late marking the anniversary of my dream staring me in the face but injury suddenly halted that dream. I apologize I just don't keep track of days here all I know is that I go home in 33 days!! Anyways, today I had a long walk this afternoon to the store and sat down on a bench and just stared into the mountains and said to myself, "Damn, I've come a long way". I then started reminissing on my journey and this is how it began...

March 30, 2007
First day of WNBA Pre-Draft Camp: I am excited as ever. Ready to prove myself and show what I can do. My story to glory wasn't like a majority of the other top 50 players. I wasn't an all american, I didn't start for 4 years, shoot i didn't even average double figures until my senior year! I mean I played with 2 WNBA players, my sisters, LaToya Bond and Christelle N'Garsanet who were a year ahead of me. I didn't have to score I had to lock down defensively and thats exactly what I did that was my claim to fame...6 foot 3 and could defend every single position on the floor. My senior year my role changed, I switched from playing Small Forward to Center and I went to work. Putting up great numbers against All-Americans, top teams I was ready that day to prove to those GM's that I was legit. I was in tip top shape, I was shooting well, my nick nack injuries from the season disappeared I was ready to raise my stock from a 3rd round pick to a late 1st round.

Get to the gym go through warm-ups I'm a little nervous but I'm about to put it all out here. Split up into teams, do Auborn Shooting and a little 3 on 2 drill, then a 3 on 3 drill. I'm doing pretty good at this point. Now time for 2 on 2 and I'm in the first group. I'm on defense I'm good lets go! Now we are playing on one side of the court but the girl was not paying attention and went to the other side, so I'm off balanced, I catch up to a half a step behind her, I jump off one leg. Knee buckles immediately as I jump I come down twist and the pain of my bones crashing together. I immediately start crying...I limp through the drill and walked to the side. I already knew my knee was done (afterall I blew my other knee out in 2000). Initial tests said I was cool I got taped up and tried again but I couldn't. Went to the hospital and got my MRI...results...torn ACL and MCL. My heart dropped. I'm here living my dream 3 days from being drafted. All I ever wanted to be was a professional basketball player sense I was a little girl. Gone right before my eyes.

May 15
I waited until after my graduation to get surgery. I went under the knife. I had to go through hell once again but I had fight left in me. Beginning stages of rehab is always the worst. I went through excruciating pain everyday trying to get my range of motion back. For some reason this go round I just couldn't straighten my leg...at all. They tried everything even strapping my knee to the bed. You talking about the pain I went through man, I can't even put it into words. But I had enough motion to go back to Mizzou who offered to help me with rehabilitation. Months passed and I still wasn't making any progress. Still on a crutch, no full range of motion and I'm in rehab everyday for 2 to 3 hours plus working at my apartment. Nothing. That was when I wanted to quit. They said if I don't have full range of motion then I will never be the same. No progress other ACL rehabbers who had surgery around the same time as me are running on the treadmill, actually doing sports related things and here I am can't walk. I am probably at my lowest point. My life in general was in shambles not just my knee so it was just a tough time in general. But eventually they put me on the court. I couldn't run it was too painful. By october I was running...not fast but at least I was moving and that's when I saw progress. I got better and better and by December I was back practicing with the Mizzou girls. I told my agent lets make this happen. He set me up with a personal trainer in Florida to get me in shape to send me overseas. I worked hard got in shape now I had to show I was back by playing in an exhibition game against Rutgers University. That game against Rutgers exposed me. I was scared, tentative, and gimpy. They attacked my knee and took advantage. My agent was like "Tish you not there yet" Killed me but it was true I wasn't ready. So here I am 7 months post-op and I aint nowhere near elite status like I used to be. So my overseas goals where put on hold and I went back to rehab. 3 more months of rehab was hard. 10 months in total!! Finally, I was where I needed to be.

September 2008 I finally stepped back on the court in Alcobendas, Madrid Espana. International basketball is something else I tell you! It took me a while to adjust but every week I was jumping more and more, my timing was getting better. My confidence and trust in my body got higher and higher and it was showing. Here it is March 31 2009 and I am one of the best players in the league doing great things on the court.

Now I'm sitting on a park bench like man, look at me. Look where I am at. Look what I have accomplished. You know what I still to this day can't straighten my leg all the way but dammit you are not beating me up and down the court my speed is there, my agility is there. I admit though laterally I am not so good and I will go back to rehab this summer and work that out. But, through it all I made it, I overcame the odds, and as many times as it looked like I was working so hard and saw no progress and wanted to give up. Something in me wouldnt let me. My mind would wonder off and say "Tish look at you, you are getting nowhere just quit" but my heart said "No" and I stayed in the fight.

So its days like this where I sit back and say Thank You Lord. The goodness of God brought me out. Thank you Lord for not letting me give up. Thank you Lord for these gifts that you have blessed me with. The talents that you gave me and only me. Gifts to share with the world and look where you sent me...Spain. You have truly been there for me every step of the way and when I wanted to give up on myself you never gave up on me and I thank you.

Through all the struggles, the pain, sorrow, the hurt I picked myself up and I'm right back doing what I love to do. I was born to do this. I am destined for greatness and I know with God on my side that I can accomplish my goals.

This is my testimony.

Game Capsule: March 7, 2009: Alcobendas vs. Badajoz

Score: 53-73
Statline: 8pts...6rebs...26 minutes...6 value

Ok. Statistically one of my worse games. It wasn't that they played good defense because they play lax D because they have 7 players and they don't want to pick up silly fouls. But I couldnt hit wide open jumpshots or make semi contested lay-ups. Matter a fact nobody on my team could make wide open jumpshots or semi-contested lay-ups. To make it worse we made one field goal in the 4th quarter...that's why we lost. The game was close the first three quarters. The biggest lead we had was 7 but it was back and forth back and forth in the makings of being a hell of a game...down to the wire. But we went zone at the end of the 3rd and ol girl from the other team knocked down two threes in a row and we couldnt respond. 4th quarter comes along and we got absolutely nothing going and they had everything going right. So bam there you have it a 20 point loss.

My problem: I know I have to play big from here on out. I got the attention of the entire league people saying im this im that and in big games my ass is not showing up. It's wierd because in College big games I beasted especially when I'm playing against somebody who is considered better than me...so why am I struggling right now I have no idea. A 6 value at home is inexcusable. What happend was that I let the coach get to me. I would shoot a open jumpshot (that on any other day I would make) he would yell get inside get inside...I go inside and pick up an offensive foul and he still yelling that I wasn't inside but I was on the block. The reason I chill at the high post is because the ball doesnt get reversed an the other post is down there posting but I get yelled at. Another example, on D the girl on the other team curled I stopped the curl I wasnt switching but my teamate switched guess who got yelled at for switching...ME! Therefore I was conscious of everything I was doing, making me second guess myself. On top of that my teamates are iffy looking at me when I post up. 3 out of the 7 they look at me first...everybody else pays no attention. Then one point guard doesnt look up and when she does look up she is not strong enough to make a full court pass when I'm running the floor, or the proper over the top pass when i'm cutting. So most of the time I feel like its a waste of energy. But, I have to keep doing in to prepare for my future. My next team might have amazing passers so I just keep working. I just say to myself go rebound I'll have better luck because depending on them to get me the ball, at least for right now, is for the birds.

Basically you can see I'm extremely frustrated. If Coach dont want me to shoot unless I'm inside fine. If he can't realize that I am really struggling right now to get anything one on one inside and is more affective at the high post what can i do? Or the fact that I work hard inside for position and don't even get looked at...hey aint nothing i can do then either. So, I have to work hard on the glass and run the floor. That's all I can do because playin our offense 5 on 5 is not working with me on the floor nor is me not even being looked at with good position.

If what I've been successful at doing all year is suddenly not working for you then they can find a "better" post player and send me home. I'd be more than happy to go. Please don't be fooled because basketball is going absolutely wonderful for me that my numbers are great and team record is great, oh no the mental battle is on another level. The past 6 months have ben a nightmare. Isolation can literally drive you to the point of insanity. To Be Continued...