Nolan: Decision Making Needs to Improve

Originally Published: May 28, 2010 4:54 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma –The Tulsa Shock battled the Phoenix Mercury as hard as they could. They clawed and scratched and fought all the way back against the defending WNBA champions Tuesday night to tie the game at 80.

“We took a 3-point shot, and we’re not really that kind of 3-point shooting team, and we never recovered from that deal,” said head coach Nolan Richardson.

The Shanna Crossley 3-pointer hit the rim and found its way into the Mercury’s hands. Phoenix went on a 7-0 run to end the third quarter, and the Shock never tied it again.

“That’s the type of thing we can’t have happen,” said Crossley. “I took a bad shot, a quick three. That was stupid on my part.”

The poor decision wasn’t the reason Tulsa lost, but it was another in questionable choice in a string of self-inflicted mistakes that Richardson wants to clean up before Saturday’s home game against Indiana.

“We’re still looking for answers,” Richardson said. “It’s difficult at this point because we’re such a new team and because we’re deficient in many areas.”
The players agree.

“It’s just (one game) that we have to learn from,” said the team’s leading scorer, Amber Holt. “Just come out and build in the next game and take it out on the next opponent.”

Tulsa tries for its first home win of the season against the Indiana Fever Saturday at 7 p.m.