3C
SPORTS/HJe Ci^atlone #o«t
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Smith already in form
Smith
Continued from page 1C
the impact of his return to
the team and Smith’s.
Folks, that
isn’t meant to
diminish the
importance of
Davis, another
VIP. - Very
Important
Panther. Hey,
ever since he
arrived here in
2003, Davis’
downhill running style has
been a commodity that
opens up a potent passing
game for the Panthers. But
let’s face it: We also know
Davis is a very replaceable
player.
The team’s other prized
running back, DeShaun
Foster, is good enough to
make the loss of Davis a
minimal drop-off And, if
things go awry with Foster,
reserve Nick Goings showed
last year that he is a valu
able option (821 yards and a
team-record-tying four con
secutive 100-yard games as
a fiU-in in 2004).
With Smith, there exists no
such alternative.
I know, I know: After
Smith went down last sea
son, former Panther Muhsin
Muhammad stepped up his
game and led the NFL with
1,405 yards and 16 touch
downs. Who knows where •
the Panthers would have
been vrithout Muhammad?
But the fact is,
Muhammad isn’t a play-
maker.
Smith is.
Muhammad almost
always made the big catch
when the Panthers needed it
last year. He put them in
position to win on various
occasions. However, a play-
maker, such as Smith,
makes the impossible a pos
sibility He turns short cross
ing routes into 80-yard
touchdowns. He doesn’t just
make the big catch; he
makes the catch that just
doesn’t appear... uh... catch-
able - when the game is on
the line.
That was the element the
Panthers were lacking last
year — and what they
absolutely cannot do without
this year. Now, though, it’s
back.
This season, or as long as
Smith remains healthy, the
Panthers have a chance to go
back to the Super Bowl. We
know that absolutely is a
reality
Yes, even after that one
stinking preseason game.
■ E-mail columnist C. Jemal
Horton at
seejemaiwrite^'aolcom.
Darling steps up after Staley deal
Continued from page 1C
filling her box score vrith season highs across
the board, with 11 points, seven assists and
four reboimds.
‘It’s an adjustment,” Darling said of her
new, prominent role. ‘Tm dealing with it, as
are my teammates, and I think they’re adjust
ing to it weU.”
Since the trade. Darling has played 125 out
of 130 minutes, including a career-high 47 in
Charlotte’s double-overtime vrin over the
Detroit Shock.
“From three minutes to 40.” Darling said,
feigning a gasp for breath ‘T think it is every
body’s dream to be able to play 40 minutes,
and I’m being given that opportunity I’m just
trying to take that opportunity and do well,
get my team to win in the 40 minutes.”
After four years at Penn State, Darling, a
Columbus, Ohio, native, began her career in
state, drafted in the second round by the
Cleveland Rockers. Darling spent the next
four years in Cleveland, imtil the Rockers
were contracted following the 2003 season In
the ensuing dispersal draft. Darling was sent
to Minnesota, where she spent a season as the
Lynx’s starting point guard before being trad
ed to Charlotte.
Once with the Sting, Darling was relegated
to backup duty, a role that she hadn’t held
since her rookie season. With Staley as a fix
ture in Charlotte, Darling’s prospects of
cracking the starting lineup appeared unhke-
ly.-
‘It was extremely difficult to let go of
Dawn,” said Sting General Manager Ibudi
Lacey “But keeping our eye on the big pic
ture, we wanted to give her a last gift, which
was the opportunity to win a WNBA champi
onship. Obviously, that wasn’t going to hap
pen for us this year. She’s coming toward the
end of her career, and we just wanted to do
that for her.”
Staley’s gift helped Darling, who has flour
ished since the trade. In a time of transition
for the Sting, Darling has been the rock on
which new coach Muggsy Bogues relies on.
“She’s steady” Bogues said. “She’s comfort
able with everybody on the floor. She gets
everybody in the right place at the right time.
She just has a steady game, and doesn’t have
many turnovers. She does an excellent job
locating and understanding mismatches and
exposing that”
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