Semi-Final Tragedy

Wow...what a game??

There are really no words to describe our semi-final game against Australia.  We had a bit of a slow start, but things picked up quickly.  We battled back and forth with the Aussies for the first half, ending up tied 26-26 at the halftime buzzer.

No one expected what would come next...the third quarter hit us hard.  Defensively we continued to do our job, but offensively nothing went our way.  We only scored two points for the period.  At the start of the fourth quarter we knew the time had come to again battle back from being down.  And again we did...with about 27 seconds to go we were down by one.  Desiree Miller fouled out and put Amber Merritt on the line (that's number 15 from Australia).  She missed both free throws.  We got the ball over half court and Rosie (our 16 year old) got the ball as she cut down the lane and took an amazing shot.  Unfortunately it bounced off the rim and the referee called a shot clock violation.  We lost the game by one.

Our team has fought throughout this tournament.  We have battled back from the craziest of situations and we will continue to fight tonight as we go for Bronze. 

For those who watched and noticed I didn't play last night...here is the update...I separated my AC joint in our game against Canada and was medically unfit to play last night.  It was a difficult decision to make and hear, but ultimately I probably would have been detrimental to the team had I played.  So...the loads of treatment and rest have helped and hopefully you'll see my dancing and playing in the Bronze medal game tonight...

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Game 4 and Quarterfinals...

It's so terrible that I'm just getting this posted as our last two games have been ridiculously exciting.  Game 4 of pool play was against China.  Both teams were 2-1 at the start.  We started out strong defensively, but struggled offensively...we couldn't get a shot to fall!  I don't remember how far down we were at the half, but I remember that sometime in the third period we went down by 20.  Many teams would have given up but we were able to battle back and in the last seconds of regulation play we tied it up to go into overtime.  Never had I been a part of such a comeback...it was crazy!

We watched a new five minutes be put on the clock and and then it was back to the races.  The team battled back and forth with China and finally went up by three to win...the final score was 68-65.

After a crazy game against China we met Canada in the Quarterfinals at 9:15pm.  A full day of anticipation for a team we know all too well.  We beat the Canadians at ParaPans in Mexico back in November by 30+,  but we knew the Paralympic Games are always different...better games, better competitions, more on the line.  This game proved to be such a game...we quickly went down by 11.  I don't know why but we were off to a slow start again!!  We pulled within 3 just before the half.

As expected the second half was a battle for the win, but we pulled ahead and won by 12 (67-55).  It was the best team effort to date and I was more than pleased with the team's performance!

We see Australia tomorrow at 1pm/7am CDT...it's the Semi-final so wish us luck!!!

Game 3- USA vs. Mexcio- REBOUNDED (Literally)

Team USA rebounded back from our loss yesterday with a big win over Mexico!!  We got back to playing our game and really hammered down the fundamentals.  Our press defense was back on track and our offense had a really nice flow to it.  The final score was 67-33...big day for us!

We followed up our game with a quick 1 hour practice...nothing too strenuous, but we definitely jammed out to the crazy mix of Jason DeRulo, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Alabama...yep that's right!!

Tomorrow is our off day for competition so we will practice, spend time with our families, and watch our Men's Team take on Australia.

Not too much exciting going on here today...the other pool had far more to confused about...we will have to watch and see how the crossover unfolds.

Anyway...until next time...Good Night!!!

Game 2- Germany vs. USA- Bummer!!

Well...I promised more interesting and more interesting it was, but the end result...not in our favor.  The game against Germany was close throughout...it was 23-23 at the half and we felt in control until the very end.  Neither team hit a shot in the 2nd half until about 6 minutes in and then it was a constant battle.  Defense was great, but the rims are so tight everything was slamming off the backboard and basket! We ended up losing by 6!

I thought my defense was solid, but, I struggled offensively...I mean I only took two shots, but neither is worth mentioning...maybe tomorrow will be my day!!

On a brighter note...I think the team is in a good place and a loss in pool play is not bad...we can work with it and will...I'm confident we got better and will continue to do so.

I'm off to sleep...we play Mexico early tomorrow morning!!

Game Day 1- USA Defeats France

The first day of competition is always interesting...the jitters are there and the team is always pumped to play someone other than ourselves.  But it is especially interesting when the opponent is a team we haven't played in about six years.  As far as I can remember we haven't played the French since the cross-over of World Championships in 2006.  Needless to say it had been a while and we didn't really know what to expect.  Our coaching staff had met with coaches from other teams and had briefly discussed some key points to note about the French...but we were still going in blind.

After a few minutes we were off to the races and our team found a great rhythm...next thing you know its 41-8 at the half.  The 2nd half was a bit more forced as the intensity had to drop and our momentum consequently slowed.  We still outscored the French and finished the game 63-24...all in all not a bad day's work.

Tomorrow we meet the Germans...our rivals to the bitter end.  They finished 2nd to the US in 2008 and 2010, so as you can imagine there is a definite desire to beat us on this stage.

I wish there was more to say...but that's about it for now...I am sure tomorrow will be more interesting!  Until next time....

Opening Ceremonies

After hours of preparation...last night dressed in our finest Ralph Lauren (i.e. a blue blazer, while collared shirt, a cream-colored skirt, cashmere socks, and a beret...all fashioned after the 1950's Opening Ceremonies attire) we walked a little less than a mile in the chilled London air (thankfully it was dry, as it had rained most of the day) to a stadium filled with people, cameras, and lights.  The Queen and the Royal family were all in attendance and the crowd was so excited for the start of the Games.

We walked in to the sound of a roaring crowd and it was (as always) incredible.  After trying to navigate the track (which was covered in cords and various props) and trying to snap a few photos during the process we were finally seated.  Front and center we watched the end of the show.  Steven Hawking narrated as a show about a young girl named Miranda was continued.  She took a journey on a boat through waves (of people) and read some books.  There was some apple throwing and a bit of dancing at a protest about equality, which included a giant balloon statue of a naked disabled body (gender unknown).  Clearly I am not an artist because most of the time it really does go straight over my head, but I loved every minute of it nonetheless.

The torch entered the stadium by a retired wheelchair athlete who descended from the sky right in front of us and then was carried to the flame by a couple of British athletes.  All very cool!  The night ended with a lovely fireworks show!

Anyway...we rushed back to the village to get some food and sleep in an effort to be completely prepared for our game against France today!  I think it'll be a great start to an amazing tournament!

We play at 3:15pm...hope you'll all be watching!!!

Until later...all the best!!  a

Welcome Ceremony- Oops My Bad...

So imagine dancing clown-like court jesters, singing to Queen as the queen of ceremonies rides in on a golden chariot pulled by more clown-like jesters on stilts...and you have the opening of our Welcome Ceremony/Flag Raising Ceremony! While this sounds incredibly entertaining some might say the highlight of this poetic, dancing performance was when yours truly joined in song to "We are the Champions" and continued with a solo during the crowd's silence of "...of the world." (hopefully you know this Queen song or this story will make even less sense)!!

Interestingly today we practiced at one of our game facilities (i.e. the marshmallow), which is directly next to the Village...I mean literally right across the street...however the way the streets were designed we had a 15 minute ride to the gym...apparently this was easier than walking...oh boy!!  Additionally we learned that the transport mall does not want wheelchair users to transfer into seats on the bus because the empty wheelchairs are a safety hazard for others if the bus driver brakes...we quickly advised them that the balance issues of those of us in chairs were accentuated by staying in in our chairs and we are working to fix the problem...trust me no one wants falling paraplegics in a moving bus!  The rest of the day was filled with practice and more practice and more practice, but tomorrow will be a nice resting day with only one practice on the competition court!!!

Anyway...it's getting late and it's time for us to watch a little Alias...have a great day/night (depending on where you are)!