Nothing From KML?

[malevocalist#]

Again huh? I'm starting to get tired of this song.

 

[sarals24]

I was at the game last night - they could have used her. Didn't seem to be many scorers on the floor except for Stewie, who is just so, so good. If they had a real center on their team she'd be even better, she was guarding Courtney Paris most of the night and probably giving up 100 pounds. Did pretty well, though, had a few blocks. Offensively she is just so smooth.

 

[bschwartz]

Beyond KML, that team consistently underachieves given their talent. Maybe they are going for 3 #1 picks in a row.

 

[Zorro]

Who will be #1 this time around?

 

[msf22b]

I don't think the coach (norSue) has found a way to get them all to have decent nights at the same time...seems like one of their big three always has an off night when one or two of the others shine.

If Sue, Jewel and Stewie all play well, they'll be hard to beat

 

[Roger G]

Again huh? I'm starting to get tired of this song.

She should be a star. With her shooting ability. And it would be such a boon to her team if she would just start acting like herself. You see her missing open looks and it is incomprehensible. It probably has a lot to do with the coaching. And the expectations (from people who don't really know her) when they see her body type. She doesn't look athletic, so maybe they just assume she can't make it. Then maybe that gets in her head and she starts believing it. She seemed to do well in France. Her team featured her picture on their website and they went pretty far in their playoffs.

 

[bschwartz]

Who will be #1 this time around?

2017 WNBA Mock Draft - WNBA - DraftSite.com

 

[dtbtbtb]

The 2017 draft seems very weak. I guess either DD or Coats can help the Storm as it's seems they could use a 3 or a 5.

 

[Orangutan]

Beyond KML, that team consistently underachieves given their talent. Maybe they are going for 3 #1 picks in a row.

They are 10th in the standings, but only 1.5 games behind 5-6 Chicago. Here's teams 5-10 in the standings:

Chicago (5-6)
Washington (5-7)
Phoenix (4-6)
Dallas (4-7)
Indiana (4-7)
Seattle (4-8)

To me, all those teams are interchangeable. They are basically trading wins and then losing to the top 4. It's tough to break out of the group without a superstar. Minnesota has Maya and Syl, LA has Nneka and Parker, NY has Charles, Atlanta has McCoughtry. Stewart will be on that level eventually -- I'd guess probably by next year. But she's not there yet.

And that team is not deep at all either. KML, as little as she is playing, is still 8th in mpg for the season so far. So there are only two bench players getting more minutes and neither of them, O'Hea or Tokashiki, is setting the world on fire. Their starting 5 looks pretty good but they are too dependent on those 5.

Look at last night - Seattle's bench has just 9 points. Dallas got 13 from Aerial Powers off the bench and 10 from Glory Johnson. Stewart and Loyd are the top scorers for Seattle and if they don't have great games every single night, Seattle is cooked. That's a lot of weight to put on a 21-year-old and a 22-year-old.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I cannot understand why Seattle's coach, after expending a #1 draft choice on KML, who, in turn is a first team All American, isn't using her. The coach puts her in for a grand total of 31 seconds last night? Against a mediocre team? Seriously? She seems in good physical shape; no talk of injuries.

Is it time for Seattle to either play her or trade her? This is ridiculous!

 

[Carnac]

Beyond KML, that team consistently underachieves given their talent. Maybe they are going for 3 #1 picks in a row.

Last year, I posted a comment about Storm head coach Jenny Boucek's minimal use of KML, and how odd it seemed, given that first round draft picks usually get more than an occasional brief insert during games.
If you remember, Kaleena got very little playing time during the first 2/3 of the season. After the Storm had been officially eliminated from post season consideration, her minutes increased. I suggested at that time that perhaps it was a mistake for Seattle to have drafted her, and perhaps she would do better with another franchise. That observation was met with several opposing comments and counter takes.

The Boneyard consensus at that time was that her weight (which was never an issue at UConn, or here in the yard) and her inability to play defense at an acceptable level, were thought to be the main stumbling blocks to her getting more floor minutes.
Fast forward to today. After spending a season overseas, and having time to condition her body for the rigors of professional play, one would think season two would be radically different. Not so. Through 10 games this season (following stats were taken from the official Storm web site), Mosqueda-Lewis has appeared (through yesterday) in 10 games off the bench, averaging 11.2 minutes, shooting 33% from the floor, 20.8% from beyond the arc, 71.4 % in free throws.

Kaleena has been, and remains a developing roll player to this point. Whereas other first round draft picks Jewel Loyd and Breanna Stewart have established themselves as frontline players, and moved into the starting lineup. Why has KML not flourished at the next level as many of her "first round draft pick" contemporaries? Did the Storm make a mistake in their assessment of her? Is the coaching staff ill prepared/equipped to develop her, and bring her along? Are they misusing her? Has she not being given a fair chance of getting more floor time? Is she a bust? On draft day a year ago, she burst onto the scene with lots of media fanfare and rousing cheers from their fan base. Bringing her and Loyd into the program gave Storm fans a sense of hope, pride and a wealth of unbridled optimism. Fade to black. What happened? What's going on here? Will she forever be relegated to an off the bench "support" roll?, or do her potential fortunes lay with another team?

 

[Mdoggie]

Tune in next week to find out. Same bat time. Same bat channel!

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Last year, I posted a comment about Storm head coach Jenny Boucek's minimal use of KML, and how odd it seemed, given that first round draft picks usually get more than an occasional brief insert during games.
If you remember, Kaleena got very little playing time during the first 2/3 of the season. After the Storm had been officially eliminated from post season consideration, her minutes increased. I suggested at that time that perhaps it was a mistake for Seattle to have drafted her, and perhaps she would do better with another franchise. That observation was met with several opposing comments and counter takes.

The Boneyard consensus at that time was that her weight (which was never an issue at UConn, or here in the yard) and her inability to play defense at an acceptable level, were thought to be the main stumbling blocks to her getting more floor minutes.
Fast forward to today. After spending a season overseas, and having time to condition her body for the rigors of professional play, one would think season two would be radically different. Not so. Through 10 games this season (following stats were taken from the official Storm web site), Mosqueda-Lewis has appeared (through yesterday) in 10 games off the bench, averaging 11.2 minutes, shooting 33% from the floor, 20.8% from beyond the arc, 71.4 % in free throws.

Kaleena has been, and remains a developing roll player to this point. Whereas other first round draft picks Jewel Loyd and Breanna Stewart have established themselves as frontline players, and moved into the starting lineup. Why has KML not flourished at the next level as many of her "first round draft pick" contemporaries? Did the Storm make a mistake in their assessment of her? Is the coaching staff ill prepared/equipped to develop her, and bring her along? Are they misusing her? Has she not being given a fair chance of getting more floor time? Is she a bust? On draft day a year ago, she burst onto the scene with lots of media fanfare and rousing cheers from their fan base. Bringing her and Loyd into the program gave Storm fans a sense of hope, pride and a wealth of unbridled optimism. Fade to black. What happened? What's going on here? Will she forever be relegated to an off the bench "support" roll?, or do her potential fortunes lay with another team?

Strikes me that she's on good shape. She's a strong young lady with broad shoulders. She's not a Shimmel who is clearly overweight. KML's conditioning was never a problem at UConn, nor did she show signs of lack of stamina. She played strong defense at UConn. And, perhaps most important, she was an amazing 3-point shooter. That shouldn't change in the WNBA. And, if I recall correctly, she shot well in Europe this winter.

KML is averaging over 12 points per 40 minutes, which is respectable. Yet her playing time has gone from low to almost nothing. She cannot have simply forgotten how to shoot a three. Is she not being given a real chance? Is she not being properly integrated into the team? She's got her former teammate Breanna there. Shouldn't they know how to play together effectively?

Sorry, but this one is on the coach. If a first team All-American is languishing on the bench, then it means that the coach either won't use her, or doesn't know how to use her.

Something's very wrong. Let's see an enterprising reporter ask Coach Auriemma about it. He'll have the answers.

 

[JudgeSCR]

I start from a couple of assumptions:
1) If you are proving yourself in practice and/or games the coach will play you. The coach has every incentive to put the people on the floor who will help the team win.

2) College and the WNABA are two very different animals and the jump is much like the one from high school to college. The players are bigger, faster, stronger, more physical, smarter and more skilled. Because you were a star at one level does not necessarily portend success at the next level.

There are elite athletes who possess the superior physical and mental gifts to make the jump seamlessly. The star of stars. In my view KML was not one of them in college. Her game was somewhat dependent on her teammates setting her up. She couldn't just take someone off the dribble (Jewel Loyd), or have the ball thrown to her in the post (Stewie). She needed screens, inattentive opponents and a point guard who is looking for her. That gets much harder at the WNBA level where almost every player is more gifted than the best player you faced on your opponents in college. In the WNBA she will not get 6-8 open uncontested looks a game like she did at UConn. The defenders stick closer and fly at her faster. Opposing coaches can scheme to take that away.
I think KML can be a good pro IF she works her game to come closer to the superior physical shape of the WNBA players and continues to develop moves with the ball in her hands. That takes work and time.

 

[pvdoggy]

You make too much sense for some other people to follow.

I start from a couple of assumptions:
1) If you are proving yourself in practice and/or games the coach will play you. The coach has every incentive to put the people on the floor who will help the team win.

2) College and the WNABA are two very different animals and the jump is much like the one from high school to college. The players are bigger, faster, stronger, more physical, smarter and more skilled. Because you were a star at one level does not necessarily portend success at the next level.

There are elite athletes who possess the superior physical and mental gifts to make the jump seamlessly. The star of stars. In my view KML was not one of them in college. Her game was somewhat dependent on her teammates setting her up. She couldn't just take someone off the dribble (Jewel Loyd), or have the ball thrown to her in the post (Stewie). She needed screens, inattentive opponents and a point guard who is looking for her. That gets much harder at the WNBA level where almost every player is more gifted than the best player you faced on your opponents in college. In the WNBA she will not get 6-8 open uncontested looks a game like she did at UConn. The defenders stick closer and fly at her faster. Opposing coaches can scheme to take that away.
I think KML can be a good pro IF she works her game to come closer to the superior physical shape of the WNBA players and continues to develop moves with the ball in her hands. That takes work and time.

 

[ricky]

KML does have a heftier body style for sure. But she proved in college that she has good foot work, strength and balance to get the shots she wanted. Her ball handling skills also helped and she really didn't need anyone to set her up. Of coarse everyone needs an occasional screen to work themselves through the obstacles. Maybe she could use a change of environment.

 

[MJL243]

Swish Appeal had an interesting article before the 2015 draft, evaluating KML's WNBA prospects:

"Mosqueda-Lewis quite clearly projects as an elite specialist who would certainly spread the court by forcing opposing defenses to account for her. The major predicament is that 3-point specialists essentially went extinct in the 11-roster era and barely made an impact last season — part of respecting the league is respecting the fact that it's evolved to a point where versatility is more valuable to most teams than doing one thing exceptionally well. She's yet another case where we might learn a bit more about what it takes to be successful in the league."

2015 WNBA Draft prospects: The promise and predicament of UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I start from a couple of assumptions:
1) If you are proving yourself in practice and/or games the coach will play you. The coach has every incentive to put the people on the floor who will help the team win.

2) College and the WNABA are two very different animals and the jump is much like the one from high school to college. The players are bigger, faster, stronger, more physical, smarter and more skilled. Because you were a star at one level does not necessarily portend success at the next level.

There are elite athletes who possess the superior physical and mental gifts to make the jump seamlessly. The star of stars. In my view KML was not one of them in college. Her game was somewhat dependent on her teammates setting her up. She couldn't just take someone off the dribble (Jewel Loyd), or have the ball thrown to her in the post (Stewie). She needed screens, inattentive opponents and a point guard who is looking for her. That gets much harder at the WNBA level where almost every player is more gifted than the best player you faced on your opponents in college. In the WNBA she will not get 6-8 open uncontested looks a game like she did at UConn. The defenders stick closer and fly at her faster. Opposing coaches can scheme to take that away.
I think KML can be a good pro IF she works her game to come closer to the superior physical shape of the WNBA players and continues to develop moves with the ball in her hands. That takes work and time.

But you're making assertions that you don't know to be true. You're simply assuming that she's not good enough; that she is bound to under-perform' and that she needs picks in order to put up threes. Well, I've been watching the WNBA for some time, and you can't go more than a minute or two before a player sets a pick to get a player an open three.

Sorry, but she is an elite athlete whom the Seattle team picked way before anyone else. Either they were lousy at scouting, or else they don't know how to use her. KML has proved herself in Europe, and at the top level of the college game. Let's recall that other players have blossomed after a change of scenery. Coaches are fired for not getting the most out of their players. And I think that's what's happening here.

The coach was involved with the KML draft pick. If she was such a bad judge of talent then, then get a new coach. Or else give KML a real chance to show her stuff. Again, she's right up there in scoring per 40 minutes. So it's not as if she is just standing around when she gets in the game.

Sorry, but the claim that KML just isn't good enough for the professional game is nonsense.

 

[willtalk]

Time will eventually answer the question as to how well KLM will do in the WNBA. If she is indeed on the wrong team and will do better one another one she will most certainly end up on another team.

It is also understandable that UConn fans would want to see their teams alumni do well. It seems that this has caused the distorted perspective on the priorities a WNBA coach should hold. While it is often true that coaches often miss the boat in respect to their rosters rotations, it is not their job to adjust their team or offense to make the best use of a individual specialist. They usually try to fit that sort of player into the teams needs. KLM is more of a specialist who Geno was able to make the best use of in the system he ran.

As has often been pointed out a team or system will impact the product-ability of any player, especially specialists. Stokes was someone who was positively impacted offensive wise, after leaving the Uconn system. It should therefore not be that much a surprise that it might also have an opposite affect on a different player.

 

[JudgeSCR]

But you're making assertions that you don't know to be true. You're simply assuming that she's not good enough; that she is bound to under-perform' and that she needs picks in order to put up threes. Well, I've been watching the WNBA for some time, and you can't go more than a minute or two before a player sets a pick to get a player an open three.

Sorry, but she is an elite athlete whom the Seattle team picked way before anyone else. Either they were lousy at scouting, or else they don't know how to use her. KML has proved herself in Europe, and at the top level of the college game. Let's recall that other players have blossomed after a change of scenery. Coaches are fired for not getting the most out of their players. And I think that's what's happening here.

The coach was involved with the KML draft pick. If she was such a bad judge of talent then, then get a new coach. Or else give KML a real chance to show her stuff. Again, she's right up there in scoring per 40 minutes. So it's not as if she is just standing around when she gets in the game.

Sorry, but the claim that KML just isn't good enough for the professional game is nonsense.

You are right I don't know every bit of her situation, but neither do you.

I didn't say she wasn't good enough for the professional game. So please don't put words in my mouth. In fact I said "I think KML can be a good pro IF she works her game to come closer to the superior physical shape of the WNBA players and continues to develop moves with the ball in her hands. That takes work and time."

Here are the facts no one can dispute: She is in her second year. Her minutes are small. Her shooting from three is really, really bad .208 (on a small sample size). Her team is not winning (so I am willing to make the assumption that if her coach had any reason to believe she could light it up -- like she was killing it in practice -- she would put her in the game).

At this time she is NOT an elite athlete when compared to the other WNBA players. It's hard to understand how one would even dispute that. To look only at UConn players in the league -- where would you place her on an athleticism scale in comparison to Maya, Tina, Stewie, Diana, Faris, Sue, Montgomery, Hartley, MoJet ...? I would rate her at the end of that list.

I like KML a lot and was a defender of her when she was at UConn. Against college competition I thought she was great and her athleticism was high (in comparison to her competition). But if you don't recognize that she has taken a giant step up "class" in the WNBA and that affects her ability to perform at a high level then feel free to go ahead and blame it on the coach.

 

[msf22b]

She loses 20 pounds, she'll make an important contribution, if not semi-stardom.

 

[OldAlum]

When I saw KML play the Sun, it looked like she was playing really hard on both ends of the floor. I have wondered about her lack of playing time. I wonder if she has difficulties in the "instant offense" role off the bench. It may be that she simply needs to play more consecutive minutes and be in the flow of the game to show the kind of shooter and player we remember.

 

[stamfordhusky]

She played strong defense at UConn.

No, she didn't. She played adequate defense - but had trouble staying in front of quick players. There are a lot of WNBA players who are very quick.

 

[TitleTown]

KML does have a heftier body style for sure. But she proved in college that she has good foot work, strength and balance to get the shots she wanted. Her ball handling skills also helped and she really didn't need anyone to set her up. Of coarse everyone needs an occasional screen to work themselves through the obstacles. Maybe she could use a change of environment.

No, she didn't. She was almost exclusively a spot up 3 pt shooter because of the fact that she had trouble creating her own shot. In the WNBA everybody is even bigger, stronger, and faster than in college and KML is struggling with the increased athleticism at that level.

 

[stwainfan]

2017 WNBA Mock Draft - WNBA - DraftSite.com