If you coach a team in the WNBA and need to draw up an endgame out-of-bounds play then you would count yourself lucky if you could simply hand the ball to Candace Parker, especially on a night when the 2008 WNBA MVP and two-time Olympic gold medalist already racked up 33 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.
Unless, you're Los Angeles Sparks coach Carol Ross, who was named WNBA Coach Of The Year.
With her team trailing, 80-79, and facing elimination in the final moments of Game 2 of the WNBA Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, Carol did not make sure that her best player got her hands on the ball. Rather than Parker taking the last shot, Alana Beard tossed up a contested jumper. It missed, ending the Sparks' season.
WATCH FINAL PLAY ABOVE
Prominent among those confused by the final play was Parker's husband, Shelden Williams, who vented his frustrations on Twitter. Williams, of course, knows a few things about the game. A NCAA hoops standout at Duke, Williams spent 6 seasons in the NBA before signing with the Elan Chalon of the Euroleague in August 2012. To put it mildly, he was befuddled by the fact that his wife didn't get the rock.
With his last tweet in the postgame rant, Williams seemed to be placing the blame on Ross rather than Beard. After the loss, Ross was cryptic about what happened.
"Either it wasn't a good play or it wasn't executed very well," Ross said after the game, via Michelle Smith of espnW. "You are so frustrated with every decision you make in a one-point [loss]. I will probably spend way too much time scrutinizing it."
Right or wrong, Williams didn't need much time to scrutinize this one. Did Ross blow it? Is there any reason not to get Parker the ball?