#game 34

Starting: WASH: Atkins, Dolson, Edwards, Sykes, Vanloo (Austin ankle injury) PHX: Cloud, Copper, Cunningham, Griner, Taurasi (Allen knee)

1st Quarter We're in Phoenix and they are playing a 4-guard lineup as has been a hallmark of their season. Frankly, I think this will suit the Mystics just fine. Taurasi with the 3 to open the scoring. Now Slim takes it to the rack over DT. JVL and Aaliyah work a beautiful two-person game on the left side for 2. It's a corner 3 for JVL now. Aaliyah snags the rebound after a Stef trey misses and tussles a little with Cunningham but ultimately puts it back. Strong work from the rook. Phoenix is running just about everything through BG. They look like they are in a bad mood. DC offense looks very good. There's none of the frenetic energy from last game. Earl jumps in 2 points. We work 23 seconds off the clock on D and the Tash puts up a gorgeous floater. Ok Tash, you can have that one. Ooh Karlie did not look like she expected the ball a few paces behind the arc, but when she caught it she immediately drained the 3. Footprint Center is siiiiileeeeent. Kah gets too casual and Aaliyah pokes the ball way from behind. The Mercury can't get their heads in the game. Shatori calls her own 3 and makes it falling over style. Karlie gets an off-balance buzzer shot after being harangued by Cloud. Celeste Taylor shoots a 3 then fouls Karlie on her attempt to answer. Jado learns what we can only call a valuable lesson going against BG and Mo Billings, but the ball lands with Engstler who puts it up for 3. Kah flails into Jade now and gets the call. Justice is served as she misses 2 of 3. 24-15.

2nd Quarter Again we go into the 2nd quarter with a strong lead and outplaying the other team—can we sustain it better tonight? Stef with an easy jumper to start us off. Sug comes in and gets a steal but Earl's 3 rims out. Earl cooks and Coach Tibbetts needs time already. Mo spoils a good defensive stand with perfect positioning for a rebound. Koné is not afraid to put it up for which I am grateful. Somehow Sug beats out BG for a rebound. A few consecutive DC misses have let the Mercury off the hook. Now a great passing sequence finds Earl for 3. Another easy possession as Sug finds Stef. Karlie gets an elbow to the face on a jump ball and very fortunately it missed her eye because she immediately has a huge goose egg right above the eyebrow. I've never seen that intense of a goose egg that fast wow. She gets back on the court and drills a 3. With that we pull ahead 36-20. Tash hits a 3 after a timeout—she's still a shooter, people. Aaliyah with some nice moves under the hoop. Karlie draws an offensive foul and hits the deck. It's a physical game for her as has been the case all season. When Karlie catches the ball in her shot pocket, she immediately starts her shooting motion, then pulls out if she needs to pass. It's rote, automatic. She drops it off for Engstler now for an easy bunny. Engstler blocks Cunningham and JVL gives a little step back action to shoot it over BG. We find JVL unmarked now in the corner for 3. Engstler tries to get too fancy with it and trips but gets the call. This one is perhaps controversial because Engstler tripped by trying to dribble between her legs at full speed and stepped on the back of Sophie's shoe, but I understand why the call was made anyway—Sophie was in her path technically. The fans aren't happy, fair enough. Engstler redeems herself with a spin move inside. And Sophie gets hers with a 3 over her. Karlie answers in the final seconds. 50-32!

3rd Quarter 56% shooting in the first half. Let's goooo. Slim is ready to get herself some points. Karlie goes again from 3. She's 4 for 4. Slim goes at Kah for a second time this quarter and puts up a pretty bucket again. BG fader is the bread and butter of the Mercury and it's really all they're eating tonight. Aaliyah with a nice move but no finish. JVL is marked by BG and blows by her for a layup. Tash takes it on her back with a quick 3. Karlie steals and Slim takes care of it. It's 61-37. Still, I wouldn't put it past us to lose this one. BG blocks Stef. Slim beats the buzzer by a millisecond. Now Engstler gets a block on Kah, but the possession ends in a buzzer 3 from Cunningham. Nice pass inside to Slim and she is racking it up this quarter. The Mercury are looking completely ineffective on both ends. Shatori steals and runs it out. She does it at least once a game. Taylor 3 followed by a wild sequence on both ends where no one can hold on the basketball ends with bodies on the floor. Now Tash takes on Koné but Tori is there for the block. Engstler gets a steal and JVL slows it down wisely. She takes and makes another 3 over BG. Engstler hits from deep, then turns around and gets a steal. It's been pretty lights out. 75-53.

9 characters revealed for HeR Interactive’s upcoming Nancy Drew game, The Mystery of the Seven Keys

I was looking at it though closer and I noticed a few details! Someone has already caught these (considering the nature of our fandom haha) but I wanted to bring them up!

This reminded me right away of the cookie cart in SPY but upon closer inspection, it’s a marionette theatre cart! You can also see the two masks near the center bottom. This is so cute and I’m a bit excited about if there’s a mini game or puzzle or if it’s like the little storyteller machine in SEA.

Also, this could mean nothing, but just the fact that this grate is open…makes me wonder if we’re gonna be using the sewers at all haha. Nancy loves some underground tunnels!

I was inspecting the key a bit more as well, but it’s just an elaborate key, no defining symbols or anything. It’s going into a wooden door, so I’m just curious if we have to find seven keys to unlock a generic door? if it’s wooden you can indeed break that down Nancy (btw). It’s giving treasure in the royal tower.