in on the offensive and defensive meetings to make sure the postgame excite

NEW YORK -- Katie Smith is getting a chance to be a head coach for a game.The Libertys associate head coach will lead New York on Tuesday night against the Washington Mystics.Being an associate head coach has given me a taste of what its like to do it, but you have no comprehension of all the things that go through your head when youre in charge, she said. Its a learning experience.New York head coach Bill Laimbeer is happy to step aside and give Smith a chance.I should have got kicked out a couple games earlier, he said jokingly. Let her run a couple games. She wants to learn and its a natural progression. The hardest thing for me will be to keep my mouth shut.All kidding aside, Laimbeer was proud that the Liberty has been one of the organizations at the forefront of giving former players positions in the organization.Thats my belief. Thats our franchises belief. Get former players involved in the coaching ranks whether its in the WNBA or college, he said. You see our staff is former players and will continue to be such. Thats our giveback to former players.The league has had a handful of former players serve as head coaches in the league, including current ones Stephanie White, Sandy Brondello and Jenny Boucek. There will be at least two coaching vacancys next season in the league when Indianas White heads to Vanderbilt and San Antonios Dan Hughes retires.I really appreciate (Bill), hes always willing to let you learn, Smith said. Its something Ill be able to grow from and experience.The Liberty already have clinched the third seed in the postseason, so the game means nothing in the standings to them, while Washington would need a lot of help to still make the playoffs. New York also remained third in the AP Power Poll this week.---POWER POLL: Minnesota still No. 1, back to unanimous choice. A look at this weeks WNBA poll:1. Minnesota (26-5): With homecourt clinched throughout the playoffs, the Lynx can rest some of their veteran group in the final week.2. Los Angeles (24-8): The Sparks are backing into the playoffs having struggled since the Olympic break with five losses in eight games.3. New York (21-11): Liberty are looking for more consistency heading into playoffs.4. Atlanta (16-15): Angel McCoughtrys temper got the best of her as shes forced to sit out a game for accruing seventh technical foul .5. Indiana (16-15): Lot of emotions this week with Tamika Catchings playing her final regular-season home game on Sunday against Dallas.6. Chicago (16-15): Suffered a huge blow with Elena Delle Donne having thumb surgery on her injured right finger.7. Seattle (15-17): No one has been playing better than the Storm since the Olympic break with a 6-2 mark.8. Phoenix (14-17): One more victory or a loss by Washington gets Phoenix in the playoffs. A dangerous eight seed if they do make the postseason.9. Washington (12-19): Injuries have hampered the Mystics all season.10. Connecticut (11-20): Made a push for the postseason after the Olympics, but had too big a hole to climb out of.10. Dallas (11-21): Finally ended an 11-game winning streak. Lot of talent to build on for next season.12. San Antonio (6-25): Dan Hughes is retiring. So is Jayne Appel-Marinelli. The Stars would love to send them out with a win or two.---PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Breanna Stewart has done it all for the Seattle Storm in her rookie season. She has raised her game over the past week averaging 20 points, nine rebounds and 1.7 blocks to help the Storm win all three of their games. Others receiving votes included: Indianas Lynetta Kizer, Atlantas Angel McCoughtry and Minnesotas Maya Moore.---GAME OF THE WEEK: Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever, Sunday. Tamika Catchings has meant so much to the Fever and the city of Indianapolis. They will get a chance to say thank you in her final regular season game.---This version corrects day of Catchings final regular-season home game to Sunday, not Saturday.---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg Ronde Barber Jersey . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Wholesale Buccaneers Jerseys . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. http://www.cheapbuccaneersjerseysauthentic.com/ . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Buccaneers Jerseys Authentic China . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys China . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- National rankings and bowl games didnt matter a whole lot to Brandon Bell when the linebacker committed to Penn State, a program then under unprecedented NCAA sanctions.Four years later, the usually stoic linebacker found himself considering his teams sudden ascension Tuesday after its biggest win in front of more than 107,000 fans and a national audience.Its great, definitely, Bell said. Its definitely not over though.With five games left, No. 24 Penn State (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) can make a run at a conference championship but faces plenty of hurdles.Before considering theyd need No. 2 Michigan and No. 6 Ohio State to lose some games, the Nittany Lions first need to find their game away from the friendly raucous of Beaver Stadium. Theyve lost seven straight true road games and eight of 10 since 2014 but can turn that around against Purdue (3-4, 1-3) with a win at Ross-Ade Stadium.A player who enjoys being smack-talked and says he thrives on hostile energy, Bell has always liked the challenge of playing on the road. Bells played in all but two of those road games and said the trick is to maintain your energy level throughout the game, something thats easier to do with an atmosphere like the one Penn State last played in.With Ross-Ade Stadium less than half the size of their facility, Penn State coach James Franklin said players will have to bring their own juice.Penn State players know theyll need it. Some had already taken notice of Purdue before taking the field following a massive pyrotechnics display on Saturday night. As he waited to head over to the stadium, tight end Mike Gesicki watched parts of Purdues 27-14 loss to No. 8 Nebraska.I think that people are kind of disrespecting Purdue, Gesicki said. They gave Nebraska a very tough time in the first half and Nebraska is obviously one of the toughest teams in the country.And one that pplays an offensive style Penn State hasnt faced yet.ddddddddddddPurdue quarterback David Blough has passed for more than 767 yards with seven touchdowns in his last two games. He completed nearly 60 percent of his throws against Nebraska working Purdues short and intermediate passing game in its first game since Darrell Hazell was fired.These type of teams, they kind of pass it to open up the run, Bell said. At the same time, definitely got to be more read-oriented on the wide receivers and tight ends. The teams going to try to make you look this way and then throw it back this way. Definitely got to be able to keep your head on a swivel.Interim coach Gerad Parker will coach his second game after changing up the Boilermakers approach in the wake of Hazells Oct. 16 dismissal.Change has happened, so we changed a lot of things in our routine, Parker said. You need to demand out of yourself that you believe and think a different way, that the minds a powerful thing and then take off and move faster out on that practice field so youll move faster during the game.Despite its road woes, Penn States practice plan wont change, although Franklin altered his schedule due to a funeral on Tuesday. He did opt for one adjustment earlier in the week, however. On Sunday, Franklin sat in on the offensive and defensive meetings to make sure the postgame excitement from the Ohio State win had died down.We dont need to change our approach on the back end, and you know, its business as usual for us, Franklin said. It was a great game. It was a great environment and it was great to see our players go out and play well and it was great to see the fans enjoy it so much, and our alumni and Lettermen and all those things. But again, its on to the next game