Whoa! Wait Wait Wait.
I think you may be jumping to some BIIIIG conclusions here.

I don't know, but who selects the MVP? Seldom JUST the senior coach.

AND, what's the criteria for the MVP? I'm sure different people would put a VERY different perspective on it's meaning. A coach? A fan in the stands? A team mate? Bottom line is Sam won it because the majority of the people judging the title thought she was IT.

And hasn't Sam had a SENSATIONAL season!!!???!!! Who would begrudge her the accolade? Not me for one - and I'm sure not many others.

Sam has had a good season, maybe she should have won the most improved award?
I just think that she is not our "Most Valuable Player" like this award should have gone to.
To suggest that she is our "IT" player like you would like to believe, is laughable.
Whether Chris isnt the only person to select this award or not, he is the coach and i am damn sure he would have the final say. You think he could at least do one thing right this year... I guess not!

Jacq.
I don't know who you are or if you're related to Erin but you are one of the poorest judges of basketball that I have ever read. MVP means Most VALUABLE Player not the flashiest player. Sam has had an outstanding year and has been the player that has stood up in games where the rest of the team has stumbled. I have seen every home game this season and whilst Erin has been spectactular in some games, Sam has always been the strength of the team. To belittle her award and in particular blame Chris for the selection smacks of ignorance and an obvious bias against Chris. Your obvious passion for Erin has clouded your judgement??? As Derryn Hinch says, "Shame, Shame, Shame".

Told you so Woosha, Good job!!! B

Not a single mention of Phillips in Boti's write-up. Worth reading into?

Other awards: Coaches' Award to Foley, Best team Person to Gahan, Sporn Encouragement Award to Lorenzini and Duke was judged Most Improved.

I too have been to EVERY home game to watch the lightning.. How can you honestly believe that Sam has been the strength of the team? Please try and convince me otherwise rather with just your opinion.
Did you read the paper today?? If you did, you would clearly see that in Boti Noagy article it will tell you that even Tracy Gahan had a better percentage than what Sam did this year.
Chris' comment "Whenever we struggled through games, Sam was the one who put her hand up" - Please Chris, what about our final game against Dandenong?? Sam was the one who threw the ball away in the most critical moments of the game. To use her hand as an excuse is crap, cos if that was the case it should have affected her shooting aswell.
Erin may be the "flashiest" player but she is Adelaides Most Valuable Player, and lets face it, if Erin didnt injure her knee we would have been playing in the Grand Final this week - FACT!!

Jacq - who are you?? Are you related to Erin?? Why do you hate Chris so much?? Please note that everyone else has picked up on the fact that you have an obvious problem and also poor judgement. Also the award is over the whole season and not just the Dandenong game which you appear obsessed with. And obviously your crystal ball is clouded, unfortunately like your judgement, if you are able to state that we would have been in the GF if Erin had not been injured!!

isaac, I thought that myself when i read the article this morning. Phillips has put in so much this year and not a mention on her efforts. The poor girl does her knee for gods sake playing for that club, she is now unable to go back to the US this year to play and to get nothing in return is disgraceful. She must be feeling like crap this morning, so erin if your reading this, last night was a joke and to not be given a thankyou for all you have done for the team this year is pathetic.
Im sure someone is about to tell me otherwise now Im sure..

ANON12, Im not even going to waste my breath on you if you are going to be so pig headed. Im Erin's boyfriend Ivan and i strarted this topic while i was sitting next to her at the dinner with my lap top under the desk on my lap... feel better?

Jacq, I will say that if you are a lightning supporter then please do not criticise your captain for winning this award.

Same has had a fantastic season
Erin also has had a solid season and I hope the Lightning re sign her very soon.

Congratulations Sam, you deserve this award and will be even better next season.

Jacq(IVAN). I am not being pig headed - I am being impartial and unbiased (which unfortunately you are unable to do). Yes, you started this topic but every reply disagrees with you. Everyone feels sorry for Erin and wishes her well for the future and hopes that she recovers quickly - it will be great to see her back on the court. And it should be noted that Chris did make reference to Erin's contribution during the season and also wished her well in her recovery (you forgot to mention that in your tirade against Chris).

WTF, I am an athelete myself and i hate it when awards are handed out to the wrong players.. this isnt the first time this has happened and it certaintly wont be the last(im not talking just about the lightning, im talking about all sports)
Sam was not our best player this year, she is a good captain, yes, but is she our mvp? no. just calling it how i see it. im sorry if i am hurting peoples feelings, but its my opinion and i just hate seeing players getting walked all over when thet put in so much.

Erin, some words of advice.. go to another club next season cos Adelaide dont give a crap about you.

ANON12, ok lets talk about Chris' mention to Erin last night. All that man said was "in closing i would like to wish Erin all the best with her rehab" THATS IT. What more would you like me to tell you?

Jacq, it is very obvious that you are a fan of "philips" as aposed to the lightning which is great because she is an outstanding athlete.

I would think that Erin would have gone close to winning the award but missed several games and in an even team Sam would be the only other candidate for the award imo

It is not fair to bag Woosnam just because you are disapointed for Erin.

If you are a profesional athlete then you would know that you have to take the awards with the ones that you miss out on and also that team success is more important than individual awards.

I will admit though as Isaac has hinted there does seem to be something in Boti not giving Erin a mention for her fantastic contribution this season.

Especialy since he cained her earlier in the season when she missed the road trip

Jacq, you lack credability already, no need to prove it , whilst Vic is a great player Woosh IS the Most Valuable Player. having a crack like you did is lame. Congrats to the winners, the night was really well done by the club. The guys MVP was like pulling teeth out with no-one wanting to be there

WTF, I agree with 100% with you that success is more important than individual awards.. Let me ask you this, have you ever been a player to work your guts out both on and off the court and in return not even get a pat on the back? I totally doubt that Erin has received this. Im sure she will grin and bare it and if asked she will telll you how happy she is for Sam, but deep down you cant convince me otherwise that she is hurting from this and feels like Adelaide have done her wrong!!
I would love for Boti to get on this forum and give his views on what he has against this girl.

I wonder if a joint-MVP was considered - would've allowed the club to recognise Woosnam's leadership and Phillips' statistical domination?

The vibe is certainly that there is a rift somewhere. I'm not going to make a specific comment based on what I've heard though. If possible, all parties involved need to work out what's going on and get things back on track.

Wow, saucer of milk, table 9!!

CATFIGHT!

Great work Sammy, you deserved it..
Unlucky to Erin.

I reckon I know about as much as you Isaac but Im not saying nothing and Im glad you are another person that has recognised it!
There is no way Chris would have wanted Erin to recieve an award last night... do you agree?

Jacq, can't really comment, sorry. But I wouldn't necessarily agree.

My vague interpretation is that there could be effort to be made from all parties here.

What I do know about the MVP award was that it was decided upon by each of the three coaches and, without conferring, they unanimously selected Woosnam.

It was also a very closely contested result with a handful of players ranking up there (Woosnam, Phillips, Foley, Gahan) - doesn't surprise me at all given those four players all had quality years.

Jacq, you are obviously a passionate supporter but to come out and bag Sam like that is just disrespectful and ignorant. Like many people have said Sam was the backbone on the team and that was obvious to the coaches and the team. There are a lot of little things Sam does that you obviously don't see. It's not all about being the top scorer for the team.
To give you a quick example at the highest level... In Pheonix statistically speaking Shawn Marion is the best player in that team. Statistically speaking he is close to being the best player in the league and has been that player for the majority of the season. Yet who would you say is the MVP of the Suns...Steve Nash. Has been the MVP for the last two years and my guess is he will come close to getting his third MVP award this season.
Like someone said, it's not the flashiest player but generally the most all round player.
Don't get me wrong, Erin is an unbelievable talent and if Erin can get back to her best will surely wrap up a number of MVP awards at the Lightning or wherever she plays.
Let's not forget that this is a team game...

blah blah blah.
You tell me sam is the best all round team player than maybe thats the award she should have one. "BEST ALL ROUND" what she shouldnt have one is "MOST VALUABLE" ... come on people, there is a difference.
#119450 - loved your little write up, really it was great, however what makes you think that you are speaking for everyone? Thats just your opinion like I have mine.. I do think Erin should leave and not because she didnt win an award either.. you cant tell me the club have treated her the way that she deserves after she got injured??
Let me put it to you like this.. Erin came back to Adelaide like a loyal player, she played nearly 40mins in every game (give me another player that played nearly that much time)Injures her knee which now rules her out of the WNBA (mite not be a big deal to you, but this is that girls life) Then, to get not ONE award for all she has done and not only that not even a decent mention from her coach, you cant tell me she would be sitting back today feeling great about herself.

Jacq (IVAN). You posted this topic and YOU opened the can of worms that has come with it. If it is just your opinion that Erin has got a rough deal, fine, that's up to you? A lot of people however have disagreed with you.
If you actually speaking for Erin, particularly about leaving the Lightning, then let her "COME OUT" and admit it. Erin stop being precious and letting your boyfriend do the talking for you.

Jacq,

Perhaps players who fake injuries so that they can go to parties don't deserve MVP trophies.

Perhaps her behaviour since that situation where she didnt follow the correct system to show that she had an injury is more to blame. Especially when the injury came to light the day after all the team was told that they had to be back at practice.

Perhaps some people see that Erin has always been a selfish player. Like how she left all her ITC mates to run extra 'beep tests' becasue she stuffed up. Or how she left the AIS becasue she was too good for them.

Looks to me like she is not being given a MVP award because finally somebody understands that the behaviour she tries to get away with only destroys team harmony and is not deserving of the MVP.

I for one would not be unhappy if Erin left. She seems to me to be more interested in Erin Phillips than the Adelaide Lightning.

ANON12,
This isnt Erin or her boyfriend so dont you dare try and make them look bad. For you to even say for her to stop being so "precious" is pathetic. So, you have a problem with me, then deal with it.. not them you loser.
Secondly, I did open a can of worms and I am glad that people can debate with me otherwise this wouldnt be a forum now would it?
Obviously your the one with issues if you are starting to get mad. For god sakes mate, get a life and just accept that not everyone agrees with you.

Actually Jacq,

You seem to be the only person who doesn't agree with ANON12 on the forum.

Jacq - sorry but I think you might have been the one to mention Ivan's name.

I know you wrote it sarcasticly but you make it hard to protect Erin and Ivan when you put them in the firing line.

Further more, you call yourself a athlete. What a joke - I would challange you on what level?

We all know that Erin put herself before the team during the season and I am sure she knows the coach would not have been happy with this.

Let's hope they have been able to put it behind them and move on for everyones sake.

Let's hope we have Sam AND Erin next year!

Errr...didn't Erin win an award?
Golden Hands??

Dana, that was a WNBL award, not a Lightning award.

Dan that award was from the league i think not the lightning coaching staff

Lightning fan, maybe you should change your name because quite clearly you are not one.
For you to make up lies is pathetic.
Funny how Chris Lucas was on 5AA after Erin injured her hamstring saying how she was getting it treated and hopefully she would be back the following week.
Why wouldnt Erin want to come home from the AIS. She got to play under the best coach in Australia, that being Jan Stirling.
You know what this is getting no where and the only person getting hurt here is Erin and thats not what this forum is about.

Jacq. Thanks to WTF for pointing out that YOU stated you were Erin's boyfriend IVAN at entry #119431.
If you aren't Ivan then you were stupid to imply that you were and thus implicate Erin and Ivan in your ramblings. Your comment that I am a loser shows that you are losing your temper, not me. I hope that what you now say is the truth and that you are not Ivan. As Lightning.Fan and others have indicated, they do not agree with your original statements about Sam and the MVP selection. Maybe that is something you are going to have to live with.

Jacq,

Exactly, Erin has put herself first every step of the way. Not the team. And I dare say Chris was saying that to protect Erin from bad publicity like a good coach does.

Put consdiering she didn't miss a game, and the injury can the day after she was told that she had to train, and that the MRI results were never made public. It isn't hard to see that Erin was basically putting herself before the team.

You are full of it. You say that Erin is unfairly being targeted. but what about your attack on Sam.

I care about the Lightning, yourself and Erin obviously only care about Erin.

Goodbye Jacq
But just so you know we still all love Erin!!!!

Hopefully, she'll get a 'write-up' from Boti about that, at least..

We all think Erin Lorenzini should ofwo\

I went to all home lightning games and have some decent first hand knowledge of the girls and I believe that when push came to shove Jess Foley was a standout player throughout the season. I am also NOT a huge Sam fan and to hear reports throughout the season that Sam was the most consistant player was a laugh. but who can argue with Halls medal and Lightning MVP maybe the powers that be see something the rest of the basketball community dont.

just so u know ANON12 (because i dont think u understood my sarcasem in entry #119431) if u think ivan would take his computer to the dinner last night shows your the age of around 13years old.. if u still dont understand me, i am of no relation to erin and am not erins boyfriend.

Good luck to the girls next year and i hope erin has a speedy recovery. i apologise to both Erin and Sam who may read this, and be hurt by it. we love you both but i guess everyone has their views on who they think should have won last night thats all. At the end of the day its just a few peoples opinion and nothing should be taken to heart.

Jacq. I knew Ivan did not have a computer at the dinner (I sat close by), but I wanted to see how far you would go with your stupidity. Your about turn and half hearted apology above to Erin and Sam really comes across as being quite lame. In the end the truth will prevail and everything will be revealed.

"Gee, bitchy, catty women.....what a surprise"

haha - was thinking exactly the same thing..

I thought when I had taken a sick day today I'd have to watch the day of our lives and then the bold and the beautiful. This is much better, thanks for the entertainment.

"The guys MVP was like pulling teeth out with no-one wanting to be there" - did you attend the 36ers MVP, lightbub??? If not, how can you comment on the night?

Let's not stop now. Surely it's Erin's parents fault she's like she is.............:)

probably caps fans trying to start an infight

Bluey, no disrespect for the guys however ask any of the guys from monday night if it was awkward with the uncertanty of next year. Vince threw a relaxed show for the girls which "erin" was one of the last to leave. If she was that upset by not winning she certanly didnt show it. i would think her knee is no 1 right now not a pat on the back

Jacq - how has Erin "been hung out to dry" since she was injured?

Just because she didnt win the MVP award? WNBL teams are not a financially sound entity at the best of times, but yet they found the money too fly her for the Canberra game last weekend.

I am a HUGE Erin fan, my photo of me with her after she won the gold at the Commonwealth Games takes pride of place on my desk at work, however if I had been asked for my votes for MVP Woos would have been #1 choice, followed by Gahan, followed by Erin.

I think your attack on Sam, and the coach (and no he DOESNT have veto powers on awards, he has a vote as do the other 2 coaches) smack of someone who is NOT a Lightning fan, but purely an Erin fan. If you are, thats great, but don't rip into the rest of the team just because yhour favourite player didn't get the award you think she should have got!