Okay I'm at my computer lmao So first of all it is SO nice to look like a real basketball team. Fernandez is far from perfect but it's such a massive step up, Koclanes is a basketball terrorist that somehow made a team with Paige Bueckers no fun to watch. While I do recognize that the Fever are really good, there were definitely things that were frustrating. Alanna Smith looked ROUGH at the beginning but had a great 4th. Maddy was terrible from start to finish. Azzi did not get nearly enough touches and shied away from some of those opportunities, I hope she and the team both learn to trust her more. And Arike was such a roller coaster. At one moment she'd sink a 3 and save the game, at the next she'd cause dumb as fuck turnovers and miss wide open passes in order to force a bad shot. Eye test says there's a lot of work to do. Paige is a god though, has got to be a favorite for MVP fast depending on how others look. Few things on earth make me as happy as seeing Paige Bueckers knock down Sophie Cunningham and sink a shot over her. Odyssey Sims looked incredible. Jessica Shepard was great. And in those few times Azzi was on the court, her defense looked fantastic as did her first three. I do think if we clean shit up we can go from worst to first. All things considered, it was a good game from a team who won so few games last year and had to totally reinvent itself vs a team with as much firepower and potential as the Fever. Kelsey Mitchell looked unreal, CC had a super good 2nd half and is elevates the team so much in general, Lexie Hull is a flop machine (compliment, this is a skill do not @), so many other things to compliment but obviously Mitchell was the star of the show. Being able to get a W over a team like that is not something I could've dreamed of last season so I'm very happy.
Also officiating wasn't terrible or anything but it WAS extremely soft. A lot of weird calls that while correct just kinda felt like "let em play" moments, and some bad calls but not many at all. Didn't favor any team at all, felt like it happened to each of us at different times, just something to note (especially after the Azzi physicality comments)