Almost everyone thought that San Antonio would get past Sacramento; few people thought the top-seeded Stars would need three games and one overtime to do it. But they did: after trailing all night in SA, the Monarchs caught up and forced OT.

The home team then reasserted themselves at the free throw line, where they ended up an impressive 31-34; Young and Wauters alone shot 18-21 from the stripe, and won the overtime one point at a time.

"Sophia put us on her back," said Becky Hammon. "She's going to need a rubdown later." Voepel says we shouldn't overlook the often-overlooked Edwige Lawson-Wade, the French guard who did a fine job leading her SASS last night.

Sacramento players, and fans, are disappointed, but not too disappointed, given the low expectations around them this year. Coach Boucek calls the season "a success," adding: "We did everything we could."

If you're the Stars, would you rather see Seattle next, in a series where you'll have home advantage (especially important against the Storm), but in which LJ might return to the court? Or would you rather face the two-headed monster of Leslie and Parker, with their one-on-one skills, their phalanx of gasping reporters, and their sometimes sketchy backcourt?