MEEK AND HER 1,000 CAREER ASSIST!

Hello there everyone!

I truly hope that all is well. I know that it has been some time but I am back. I have been focusing on our team and trying to get better. I hope you all don't mind.

I want to share with you how much better we have gotten as a team. We have won a couple of much needed games and have been feeling much better as a unit.

On last night we came away with a good win against the Atlanta Dream. They are a very talented team that is fully of athleticism as well as speed. Through it all we were able to come away with our first road Win.  We also found out that our Australian teammate will not be returning this season, and it was causing a lot of up roar for people. I will just say this, I think Liz did what she thought was best for her. I can not make or pass judgement on a situation that I don't know all the details to. I don't want to do what everyone else is doing and just assume anything. I have not spoken to Liz so I don't know the true reason. As of right now we are doing what we can with what we have and I think that we are all still growing and learning in this process.

On a good note I was able to obtain my 1000 assist in my WNBA Career in this game, and I want to thank every teammate that I have had during this process to make this possible. This is not just for me it is for you all as well.

Meek

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLORY

Hey world in yesterday our Rookie Glory Johnson celebrated her birthday. Yep she is a whopping 22 lol, and she says she's getting old! I just laughed and looked at her.  Her is a picture of her being blind fold as a few of our friends take her out on the town. I think she had a pretty good time, and we were happy that we could help her bring in her birthday.

Happy Birthday lil homie!

Meek

EXTENDED FAMILY

Here is my new mom Mrs. Johnson.

Mrs. Mercy is Glory Johnson's mom -- but I promise she has treated me like I was one of her own since we met. She is so caring, loving, God fearing, supportive, fun, etc. I really don't think I could come up with enough words to describe this lovely lady. I just wanted to take this time to say thank you from myself and my mom for adding me as an addition to the already Johnson Family!

Thanks Mrs. Mercy!

Meek 

VISITING WITH A PIONEER

Here is a proud moment. While in Knoxville with my teammate Glory Johnson over the break. I had the opportunity to go and visit Coach Summitt. I joked with Glory about never ever wanting to be in Tennessee, due to the SEC competitiveness that we all have, but that went out the window for this moment. It was and honor to chat with one of the coaches that has done so much for our game as has dedicated herself, her life to make it better as well as setting a high mark for others to follow. It was a great time, and I really did enjoy Knoxville and the Johnson family. It was not the SEC battles that's always talked about when we meet up, it was fun times with new friends. I'll take that always.

Meek

AN APOLOGY

I come to you today embarrassed as I let my emotions get the best of me. Today while facing Minnesota I was ejected from the game, something that is so uncharacteristic of me. I am not only embarrassed but upset with myself because as the leader that's not suppose to happen. Leaders don't allow others to rattle them to the point of leaving their team out to battle alone. This is definitely a growing season and another lesson learned for me. As we head to the Olympic break I have a lot of time to reflect on the first half of this season and I will do just that. In the mean time I will take some much need rest but will be routing the USA Team on all the way. I want to wish all of them good luck and I believe they will bring back home the gold.

Temeka

A STATISTICAL PICTURE OF OUR IMPROVEMENT

I'm certainly not accustomed to losing on the basketball court so at times this season it has been very frustrating because we have been close a number of times.  Last week I had a long discussion about this with my college coach at LSU, Bob Starkey.  Coach Starkey also serves on my HOPE Foundation board and has been a big supporter of me and my mission.

He obviously follows our team closely and he made a very profound statement to me.  He said that I should be more "process-oriented" as opposed to "result-oriented." He reminded me that I was coming into an organization that had won only 3 games last season and it was unfair to expect a massive turn around in one season.  Coach Starkey said that the improvement on our team had been impressive and that I and my teammates would miss out on that fact if we just looked at the win-loss record.

I started to give it some thought and realize that it is really true.  Then Coach Starkey emailed me some statistics that prove that very point.

Last year we averaged losing games by 13 points.
This year we average losing games by only 6 points.

This year, we have lost four games by 3 points or less.
Last year, we had no losses by 3 points or less.

Our worse loss this year is one by 20 points and another by 18.
Last year we had losses by 39, 31, 30, 28 and five more by 20 or more.

We are getting better...it is evident if you look close enough.  Now make no mistake about it, we want to win -- and we are going to win here in Tulsa!  But it's about baby steps and making progress. We are competing!!!

As I was told -- it's about the process!

Meek

MECHELLE VOEPEL REPORTS ON THE SHOCK

Recently I did an article with Mechelle Voepel of ESPN.com.  Mechelle is one of my favorite writers because she is so passionate about sports -- especially women's basketball.  Not all journalist are knowledgeable on the subject they are reporting on -- that's no the case with Mechelle!

Here are some excerpts from her article:

Temeka Johnson always heard she was too little, and just never paid any attention. Courtney Paris heard she was too big, and tried to ignore it. Now, here they both are with the Tulsa Shock, the team that wants so much to fit in.

In its third WNBA season in Oklahoma, the Shock's record so far isn't much different than the first two seasons, when they won a combined nine games. Tulsa is 2-12, pretty much the categorical opposite of Western Conference-leading Minnesota, at 13-2.

But is there light at the end of the tunnel? Or is it just a mirage? The Shock has lost four games by three points or fewer. You don't need to be completely delusional to picture Tulsa as 6-8, in which case it would be hanging with Seattle and San Antonio in playoff contention.

At least, I don't think you have to be delusional. There seems to be hope in Tulsa … or at least not abject despair.

Johnson wasn't expecting to be here, having spent the past three seasons starting in Phoenix, where she was part of a WNBA championship team in 2009. But she was traded for Andrea Riley on Jan. 12. The move basically was the Mercury's way of saying, "We just don't want you anymore."

Johnson said she hasn't dwelled on that. Instead, she has focused on the fact that Tulsa did want her.

"Once I heard about the trade, I was in Russia, and I accepted it," Johnson said of getting the news when she was playing overseas. "I'm not sure I really understood what I was getting myself into, but I just believed I was here for a reason.

"When I talked to Coach Klop, it was about leadership. This allows me to grow as a person. I like getting better as an individual."

That's certainly an optimistic way of looking at it. And Johnson says she has been encouraged by the fact that Tulsa supporters have welcomed her.

"The fans are loyal, and they're holding on," Johnson said. "They have told us they're going to stick with us, and believe we're going to turn things around. Everybody is looking for that ray of hope. OKC found it, and Tulsa is looking for it."

You can read the entire article here: http://es.pn/P8IiX2