Season Matters for CT Sun

[Wbbfan1]

http://www.theday.com/sports-columns/20150519/this-season-certainly-matters-for-the-sun-donovan

 

[ocoandasoc]

DiMauro is high on something. Donovan has "rebuilt" nothing. The Sun were a playoff, championship-contending, 28-win team when Donovan took over. They are nowhere near that now. And very little hope that they will be that this year. The Sun have acquired some decent rookies only because their poor performances resulted in high draft choices. And if there was dissent on the team that resulted in the loss of key players, Donovan either caused it or mishandled the situation -- there's simply no one else to blame. So by the end of her third year as coach, Donovan's team will be somewhere between worse and much worse than they were when she took over. And for that her contract should be renewed?

 

[EricLA]

DiMauro is high on something. Donovan has "rebuilt" nothing. The Sun were a playoff, championship-contending, 28-win team when Donovan took over. They are nowhere near that now. And very little hope that they will be that this year. The Sun have acquired some decent rookies only because their poor performances resulted in high draft choices. And if there was dissent on the team that resulted in the loss of key players, Donovan either caused it or mishandled the situation -- there's simply no one else to blame. So by the end of her third year as coach, Donovan's team will be somewhere between worse and much worse than they were when she took over. And for that her contract should be renewed?

To add to that, they fired Tranghese, a guy who had his team as a perennial playoff team, but couldn't "get over the hump" of winning the WNBA title. So they bring in Donovan, who drives the team into the ground....

 

[Waquoit]

Anne's plan is working to perfection. Too bad her plan only focuses on her keeping her job. Turn a perennial winner into a cellar dweller by alienating and running off her best players. Make a bunch of excuses while claiming the crew losing all these games is "young and hungry". Now all she has to do is win a couple more games than last year and she can claim "improvement". And probably ask for a contract extension to "continue the momentum". Truly a master at her craft.

 

[ctkaiser]

One thing that's consistent with the former Sun players who have left since Donovan's arrival is that they know good coaching. Geno and Pat Summit. Must be hard to take as a pro when you've had one of those two, then Thibault and Donovan is now your coach. One thing you can say about Peck is when she got Lin Dunn's players she didn't screw it up.

 

[psconn]

To add to that, they fired Tranghese, a guy who had his team as a perennial playoff team, but couldn't "get over the hump" of winning the WNBA title. So they bring in Donovan, who drives the team into the ground....

Tranghese?

 

[psconn]

For the umpteenth time. Sun Management (Etess, Sienko et al) handed Donovan a $hi+ sandwich. I have no love for her as a coach but she was not responsible for driving this team into the ground. It was the GM. She did not fire the beloved Coach T, and she came into a situation where veteran players felt betrayed and had been alienated by management. Worse, they outwardly behaved and played that way. Did she handle the mess perfectly? Probably not, but she was clearly chucked into a huge steaming pile. Even now when the locker room is in much better shape mentally, injuries continue to be a problem. Top two scorers out for medical reasons, one forever. Best perimeter defender and starting guard chronically injured and now out indefinitely after an overseas injury and surgery. This was not Donovan's doing.

I honestly don't care if they let AD go after this year but they better do it right this time, and they better have a serious plan for a quality successor to replace her. Someone who the players and fans would see as an upgrade would also help. As a season ticket holder who has witnessed every turn in this ordeal at close range, it offends me when the haters, history changers and marginal observers who don't even seem to know the names of key figures spew their nonsense over and over again. No matter how many times you say it, its still nonsense.

There's no point in responding further on this subject so have a blast.

 

[uconn34]

Donovan = Mediocrity

 

[Waquoit]

Did she handle the mess perfectly?

Did she handle it at all? Was there any kind of outreach to the vets? Didn't sound like it. Sounds like it was just the old-school my-way-or-the-highway approach. That doesn't work anymore, especially in basketball. Sienko blew it twice. First by canning Thibault, second by choosing AD over the teams best players. This is the pros, not college.

 

[lanieer]

I think that the GM was responsibe in letting go MT and alienating players like Tina and Kara. It was done In a poor way. I would love to see what Ann does with a full house like Chiney and Hightower. I'm a fan of the Sun, and also a UConn season ticket holder but also do not relate the two. I don't go to the games to see bench sitter UConn players just because they are UConn but instead love people like Alyssa Thomas and Elizabeth Williams and Chelsea Gray. To me the GM is at fault for his bad timing "dump" of Thibault. If Faris doesn't make it it is her fault and she needs to go to Europe and fine tune her offense. I'm excited about another Sun season. Let's be honest, the attendance for the Sun now matches the UConn season tickets.

 

[earl the pearl]

For the umpteenth time. Sun Management (Etess, Sienko et al) handed Donovan a $hi+ sandwich. I have no love for her as a coach but she was not responsible for driving this team into the ground. It was the GM. She did not fire the beloved Coach T, and she came into a situation where veteran players felt betrayed and had been alienated by management. Worse, they outwardly behaved and played that way. Did she handle the mess perfectly? Probably not, but she was clearly chucked into a huge steaming pile. Even now when the locker room is in much better shape mentally, injuries continue to be a problem. Top two scorers out for medical reasons, one forever. Best perimeter defender and starting guard chronically injured and now out indefinitely after an overseas injury and surgery. This was not Donovan's doing.

I honestly don't care if they let AD go after this year but they better do it right this time, and they better have a serious plan for a quality successor to replace her. Someone who the players and fans would see as an upgrade would also help. As a season ticket holder who has witnessed every turn in this ordeal at close range, it offends me when the haters, history changers and marginal observers who don't even seem to know the names of key figures spew their nonsense over and over again. No matter how many times you say it, its still nonsense.

There's no point in responding further on this subject so have a blast.

AD is a train wreck. It is hard to defend her.