Exclusive: Sparks rookie guard drops candid reaction to WNBA debut appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
LOS ANGELES – The moment that Tonie Morgan had been waiting for since she signed with the Los Angeles Sparks last month, finally arrived. Late in the first quarter of the Sparks’ game against the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, Morgan heard her number called.
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Before the game, Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts acknowledged that Tonie Morgan would be activated with backup point guard Monique Akoa Makani sidelined for a second straight game due to an ankle injury. Morgan, who is on one of the WNBA’s new developmental contracts and thus limited in the number of games she can appear in, had yet to suit up in a game.
The rookie guard had spent training camp and preseason with the Chicago Sky, but was one of the team’s final cuts before the start of the regular season. Her next opportunity came with the Sparks who were in need of guard help when Kelsey Plum was injured before the recent trade.
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Morgan found out on Monday during the Sparks’ day off that she would be available and would get her first career minutes, a feeling that came as an initial surprise.
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“At first I was shocked, then I was excited because I got an opportunity to go on the floor in a WNBA game, my first one,” Morgan told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview following her Sparks debut. “I was super excited and just grateful for the opportunity.”
The Sparks were unable to pull off a win against the Mercury, falling 94-87 in a game that was moved to nearby Galen Center the home of the USC Trojans, due to a scheduling conflict at their home, Crypto.com Arena.
But when the final buzzer hit zero, Roberts was pleased with what she saw from Morgan. Since the former Kentucky star joined the team, Roberts has praised her behind the scenes work in the absence of actual practice time, and had continually stated that the team was looking for opportunities to get Morgan on the court.
“It’s tough getting thrown into your first W game, but I thought she did a good job,” Roberts said during her postgame press conference. “She hit a three, she defended well, I thought she did a good job.”
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Morgan finished with three points, one rebound and one assist in six minutes of play. She took only two shots, one of which was the aforementioned 3-point make. That shot came early in the second quarter and it pushed the Sparks’ lead at the time from 25-23 to 28-23.
She also finished with two turnovers, but for the most part she did a decent job moving the ball and trying to keep the offense flowing. She played solid defense. She didn’t look at all lost for a player who had never stepped foot on the court during the WNBA regular season before.
It wasn’t a perfect game, but it was a solid one and that’s all that Roberts was asking for.
“Overall of course in your first debut game, you want to do as good as you can. I’m not beating myself up about it. I made mistakes but I think in all I played hard,” Morgan said. “That’s the biggest thing. I never gave up on any of the plays. Could I have played better, of course. But I know that I played hard.”
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With Morgan now using up one of her developmental contract games, the Sparks have only seven more games to use between her and Alissa Pili until the end of the regular season. The team has 12 games left on their schedule. Even if the Sparks were to make the playoffs, an unlikely scenario at the present time, Morgan would not be eligible to play.
But without trying to look too far into the future, Morgan is centered on the present, and that’s taking in the coaching staff’s pointers, while still giving herself time to acknowledge the significance of the moment of scoring her first WNBA points.
“Pace, [they want] to play fast, play quick and picking up the ball. Putting pressure on the ball at all times and obviously taking care of the ball,” Morgan said. “It felt great. My teammates were really exited for me. I was happy. I actually got the assist for Rae [Burrell], I’m just happy I was able to knock it down.”
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