Jan 26, 2006

Homicide Review: Richmond Women's League

I checked out the Richmond Women's League yesterday that plays at McNeill High School (#4 Rd south of Westminister). C-Wats and Beers run with a bunch of ex-T-Birds and Falcons on a team called Evans and Friends, captained by none other than Jessie (not Jessica) Evans. As I stepped into the gym, I recognized plenty of familiar faces from the Kerrisdale Co-Ed league: Donna from Blaze, Audrey from MP Ballers, Brooke and a few others from BTR. Is the K-League the farm team for RWBL or vice versa?

The league looked fairly well organized, with two refs per game, score keepers, and functioning score board. McNeill HS is new as well, with a great floor, bright paint, and very good lighting for shooting threes. The main gym is where you want your games, with plenty of room on sidelines and baselines. The small gym next door has its issues: score clock not working, lack of heat (hey janitor, the league is paying rent!), slippery floor (hey janitor, ditto), and wooden backboards.

The league is composed of eight teams with a real mix in terms of caliber and age. Some of the established teams are long time supporters, with players in their 40's. Maybe the wheels don't run as fast as they used to but they all have game. The other teams are like Evans and Friends - young, fast, and athletic.

I stayed for the first half of the Evans Friends game. Some observations:

  • Game started sloppy. Opposing big bodies were scoring inside at will, while E&F kept throwing passes a half second too late. E&F finally got warm and started running 12 minutes into the half.
  • Jesse was popping jumpers from all over and showed lightness of foot on defence. Very deft touch - hey Lummer, why don't you get Randy Nohr to pass her the ball more often? I think she would be happier with the number of touches TT women get.
  • Finally met Chrissy, who we tried to recruit a few years back. Nice mid-range game and an astute defender. She gave me her special recipe for noodles with sauce.
  • J-Wats had trouble cutting across the slippery floor but was able to get to the hoop with either hand off the dribble. She should be playing in Europe!
  • Beers has big hands, which she put to good use on a killer hesitation right to left crossover in the open court.
  • Kelly's and Temo's son, endowed with great basketball genes, has started picking up the hoopster vibe. Didn't cry and gurgled happily on the bench as E&F went on a 10-4 run to finish the half.
Verdict: Richmond League is the only game in town if you want to play competitive women's ball. Refs are patchy, but that's expected in any league outside the campuses. E&F is the team to beat, a deadly combination of speed, size, and outside shooting.

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