Welcome back to the Hater Building for our weekly meeting of the minds. We’ll take attendance and official minutes and get right into our agenda because we’ve got a good bit to discuss as to who’s Under Surveillance.

Andrew joined Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage MN to discuss some Lynx basketball…

Tyler breaks down last night’s Liberty vs. Aces game and discusses Kelsey Plum’s injury diagnosis (She’ll be out for the next four weeks)

And if you missed Luxury Tax, Andrew welcomed on Deyscha ‘Sway’ Smith, WSLAM Features Writer and Connecticut Beat reporter for The IX Sports.

Ok on our previous episode of Ball Up Top, I said that men were stinking up my beautiful league and they are currently under surveillance. Specifically Tyler Marsh, head coach of the Chicago Sky. Now this entry is really me crying as I pull the trigger like Wesley Snipes, because I like Marsh Man, but the evidence is damning. 

The Sky just suffered a jaw dropping 29-point to the now 3-15 Connecticut Sun, dropping the Sky to 4-12. We understand Rickea Jackson is out, we understand Dijonai Carrington and Courtney Vandersloot (she will be under HEAVY surveillance upon her return) are still out, but losing to Brittany Griner and the live action Rugrats in such a dramatic fashion doesn’t make a lick of sense. And this isn’t the first instance where they’ve suffered an embarrassing loss at their incredibly large led ages, hence the 12 in 4-12. To be frank, this roster should be better and more competitive than it is and the fact that it’s not, means the coach’s seat temperature has to go up a couple hundred degrees. 

About 1500 miles west is a man who also should feel the heat on his glutes, and that’s Mr. Girl Dad himself Nate Ribblets. The Mercury FUNKING STINK after appearing in the finals a few months ago. They just had an ultra embarrassing showing against the Indiana Fever. Embarrassing in my book because how do you get rage baited by pointing. Please be a little more foreal. Kahleah Copper was seen flexing on miniature Kahleah Copper up in Seattle the other night and I need some shame to be located and acquired. Men got these vets acting unusual and I want them put on tried for their crimes against basketball!

Ok this team is always under surveillance just cuz, but that Mercury game let me know
something that the league should prepare itself for; the Fever are no longer afraid to be dickheads. Indiana appeared, at least to me, to be a more muted and bottled up team for the most part during Caitlin Clark’s rookie season and for good reason. The block was entirely too hot for all the wrong reason and any antics would’ve just bumped the s--- storm up to a category 5.

Playing nice didn’t make the Fever any friends around the league so it appears they’re lettin it all hang out and I’m wit it. If my existence is going to piss you off anyway, #MinusWell have fun with it. NWO Fever era is here, and it appears there’s nothing Stephanie White can do to stop it. Which is actually quite interesting when you look at it and go back to the rumors that she’s lost control of the ship. Caitlin is about to earn an unpaid vacation due to technicals and has basically said she regrets nothing and Steph is oddly kinda chill about this to me. If all of this leads to a mutiny, it will go down as one of the wilder chapters in WNBA history.

Speaking of the Indiana Fever, them fans set up in their gaming chair and took things seriously as the second wave of votes came back.

Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark are not first and second in votes with A’ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers and Breanna Stewart in the 3-5 spots. Jessica Shepard is 6th . I’m only mentioning it because she throws a wrench in my Han Xu agenda. There’s still time, but it’s not looking good as she’s not even listed in the top 40 ;-(

O Miles hype experienced a slight hiccup due to a normal lil rookie stinker. Nothing too serious, BUUUUUUT when you are as braggadocious on the court (WHICH I LOVE!) as O Miles is, and you have a recent history of beating your chest before petering out by season’s end, you have the recipe for the perfect Lynx Pack. A pack that a number of fan bases will gladly light and smoke at this point. She got back on track with 22-5-6 in a win against the Mystics, but like she said, those are basically college kids. They don’ t count. We will be monitoring the situation.

Minnesota Lynx (13-4) vs. Washington Mystics (8-7): 7:30 PM ET

My initial impulse is to throw Mercury vs. Fever on tonight’s Watch Guide for the drama. But ultimately I think the refs are going to make an effort to call the game tight upfront to avoid a similar show that we got just a night or two ago. Instead, I’m interested in if the Washington Mystics have truly turned a corner after a pair of big wins over the weekend. Georgia Amoore will have her hands full with Olivia Miles but may get a chance to have a game of her own since the Lynx rookie point guard isn’t exactly a lockdown defender.

The Mystics have quietly been stringing together really great performances and a statement win against one of the best teams in the league would be another feather in the cap for a crew that wants to contend, even if they might be a bit early.

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