Lacy Expects Better From Herself

Originally Published: May 18, 2010 6:13 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma – Her first game in Tulsa didn’t quite go the way she had planned. Natasha Lacy looked the part, in her gold No. 3 Tulsa Shock jersey, but the first-year guard didn’t play the part of the team leader she and head coach Nolan Richardson expect her to be.

“Just with his system, I think the guards have a lot of responsibility,” Lacy said after a Tuesday morning workout. “It’s a fast pace, but we also have some dominant post players so we have to slow it down, and get it to Kara(Braxton) and Plennete(Pierson).”

Lacy finished with a respectable stat line in the season opener against the Lynx. She scored 26 points to go along with her five rebounds, five assists and three steals. The numbers were better than most Shock players, but she still wasn’t satisfied.

“I had five turnovers,” she revealed. “Maybe if I had two or three we could have had more shots, and maybe even had a chance to win that game.”

Richardson said after the game that he like the effort of his players at times against Minnesota. He also said he wasn’t thrilled with the seemingly endless turnovers early in the game.

“My expectations are high for every player that I have,” said Richardson. “I expect them to play hard in every ball game. I expect them to dive for every ball. I expect them to take charges. I expect them to conduct themselves as an adult, as someone who young girls and guys can look up to.

“There are a lot of expectations to being a WNBA player.”

Lacy knows she has to improve in order for the Shock to compete over its 34-game season.

“We’re playing at a pace we’re not used to. I had five turnovers,” said Lacy. “Maybe if I have two or three we could have had more shots, maybe even had a chance to win.”

Lacy and the Shock will host the San Antonio Silver Stars Thursday at 11:30 a.m.