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It might have been Bird’s best performance since her NWBL debut against Tennessee on February 6. Last night, Bird had 13 points and a team-record 13 assists along with three steals. She had no turnovers for the first time all season.
"The way I play is that I will do whatever my team needs for us to win," she said. "If it is scoring, being aggressive, feeding the ball to Cindy (Blodgett), feeding the ball to Swin (Cash) or Rebecca (Lobo). Whatever we need, I will do it."
Bird was feeding and her teammates were responding.
Cash scored a team-high 21 points and had a team-record five steals while Lobo added 15 points and Blodgett popped in 12 in her first start since game two. Kara Wolters had 10 of her 13 points in the first half.
The Spirit (13-3) shot a franchise-record 63.9 percent from the floor. Springfield looked exceptionally sharp, running the floor.
"When they dig in their heels, play good defense and get the outlet passes upcourt, they are tough to stop," Spirit coach Eileen Mastrio said. "We have the youth, the speed and experience."
And they had a smiling Bird directing traffic on the floor.
"Sue is really coming into her own," Mastrio said. "She is starting to enjoy herself out there and the pressure is off. When she dials up the defensive pressure, it helps to fuel her offense and we see the Sue Bird we all know and love."
It has taken some time for Bird to learn the strengths and weaknesses of Lobo, Wolters, Kristen McCory and Nicole Conway. And her teammates now know the kind of passes they can expect from Bird, too.
Birmingham, in the final game of a six-game road trip, erased a 15-point Spirit lead with a strong opening to the second half, outscoring the Spirit, 8-2. The Power (4-9) cut the lead to four but Springfield exploded on a 27-7 run to ice the contest.
The run was capped off by a Bird layup following a steal and outlet pass from McCory. Immediately after she scored, Bird stole the ball on the Power inbounds play and fired it back out to Conway, who drained a three-point shot.
Bird had a big smile on her face, the fans roared and the Spirit had their biggest lead of the contest with 11:48 remaining, 76-52.
Part of the run was back-to-back jump shots from Blodgett off Bird assists. Inside baskets from Lobo, Cash and Wolters. Lobo made a nice move through the lane off a feed from Jamie Cournoyer.
Birmingham, which has lost five of its last six games, was able to trim the lead to 12 thanks to a 12-2 run with 9:34 remaining but the Spirit pulled away with a pair of baskets from Cash and a basket from McCory on a nice bounce pass from Bird to push the lead back to 21.
Kelly Miller and Tiffany Travis each had 21 for Birmingham while Coco Miller added 19 for the visitors.
AROUND THE RIM: Springfield travels to Chicago on Saturday but will be without Bird, Cash and McCory with previous commitments...The Spirit return home to the Civic Center on Sunday when they host Chicago at 6 p.m...fter going 0-4 against the Power in 2002, the Spirit are 3-0 this season against Birmingham...Bird broke her own assist record. She had 12 assists in the season-opening win over Tennessee..ormer Gilbert School basketball star Colleen O’Connor was one of three game referees. O’Connor, who is primarily a Division II college official, was working her second NWBL contest. She is a teacher in the Springfield school system..ouston picked up its fourth Comet earlier this week with the signing of 6-foot-2 forward Tina Thompson from the WNBA’s Houston Comets. She joins Comets’ teammates forward Sheryl Swoopes, guard/forward Kelley Gibson, and center Michelle Snow on the Stealth roster. Thompson has averaged 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in six WNBA seasons. Houston won the NWBL’s Pro Cup Tournament a year ago after going 9-11 during the regular season.
Gerry deSimas, Jr. can be reached at CTwrestling7@yahoo.com
