2021 WNBA MVP

[maccca3232]

Based on my post from last year, only once has a player won a WNBA MVP without being in the Top 6 for both Win Shares (WS) and Player Efficiency Rating (PER).

This season there are 3 players who meet that criteria:

• Jonquel Jones - 1st WS and 2nd PER
• Brittney Griner - 2nd WS and 1st PER
• Sylvia Fowles - 4th WS and 3rd PER

Who is your pick?

Articles: ESPN, CBS Sports, WNBA WARP

 

[bballnut90]

Gotta be Jonquel Jones and my guess it's close to unanimous (or she'll get at least 75-80% of the votes).


Charles isn't a realistic candidate with her team missing the playoffs. Jones has better overall numbers and more team success than Stewart/Wilson. I don't see any logic for picking either of those over Jones.

Griner maybe has a shot for votes but Phoenix hasn't been nearly as good as Connecticut (19-13 compared to 26-6). Similar argument can be made for Fowles, but I don't think she's as strong of a candidate as Griner is.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Yeah, I think it comes down to Jones and Griner. Somewhat similar stats for all those post players, FG% has to count against Stewart and Wilson. Plus Seattle tanking down the stretch hurts Stewie.

 

[EricLA]

I voted for Tina - not because I think she has a snowball's chance in hell, but rather because she had such a tremendous season with almost no help. No Delle Donne, no Meeseman, sure she had Atkins (another Olympian), but she seriously needs to rethink where she signs next season.

 

[Bigboote]

I voted for Syl. I tend to give more weight to defense than other people. Jonquel is having a great season, and has played great D too. Both players have had huge impacts for their teams, and both teams have had great seasons. I give the nod to Syl simply because she's played more.

 

[CBus13]

I voted for Tina - not because I think she has a snowball's chance in hell, but rather because she had such a tremendous season with almost no help. No Delle Donne, no Meeseman, sure she had Atkins (another Olympian), but she seriously needs to rethink where she signs next season.

Where else would you see her fitting and having a championship’s chance?

I feel like the only team she could slide into and possibly improve them to making a championship run would be Dallas. But would that be ideal for her?

Would she go back NY? I forget why she left exactly.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Where else would you see her fitting and having a championship’s chance?

I feel like the only team she could slide into and possibly improve them to making a championship run would be Dallas. But would that be ideal for her?

Would she go back NY? I forget why she left exactly.

I don't remember why she left, but I keep feeling like NY is a jinxed train wreck, not helped by the change in ownership. Maybe the Knick jinx stuck.

Unfortunately (at least according to a fan) they made the playoffs, this fan wanted them to have a higher draft pick. Unfortunately, according to me, they are matched up with the only team I root for more - the Merc. Am very pleased with the play of Benijah Laney for the Libs this season.

 

[undersized]

I voted for J. Jones but seriously no votes for Griner???

 

[Geew1992]

I voted for Syl. I tend to give more weight to defense than other people. Jonquel is having a great season, and has played great D too. Both players have had huge impacts for their teams, and both teams have had great seasons. I give the nod to Syl simply because she's played more.

She won defensive player of the year

 

[Reypl21]

Where else would you see her fitting and having a championship’s chance?

I feel like the only team she could slide into and possibly improve them to making a championship run would be Dallas. But would that be ideal for her?

Would she go back NY? I forget why she left exactly.

Tina Charles is one of my favorite players in basketball, men or women period. She has always been on teams where she is the only option and where she gets no help. She is accustomed to taking a lot of shots, but I know in a heartbeat she would gladly take 10 less shots per game if she was playing with another star of her caliber.

Washington was supposed to have EDD and Meeseman. Idk if EDD will ever be able to pull another healthy season together. I feel for Tina. She should be on a team that is competing for a title. Not riding her back to miss the playoffs.

 

[Reypl21]

I voted for Syl. I tend to give more weight to defense than other people. Jonquel is having a great season, and has played great D too. Both players have had huge impacts for their teams, and both teams have had great seasons. I give the nod to Syl simply because she's played more.

There are two sides to basketball, and I will admit that defense is normally the side ignored in playoff votes... But Jonquel is very good at both ends, and her versatility offensively is what makes her the MVP. She dominates her defender because if they are a shot blocking presence, she takes them outside and shines. And if she doesnt score, Bonner or Jones (most improved player imo) feast on their matchups with the center out of the way.

 

[eebmg]

JJ took AP POY.

 

[Shades]

Based on my post from last year, only once has a player won a WNBA MVP without being in the Top 6 for both Win Shares (WS) and Player Efficiency Rating (PER).

This season there are 3 players who meet that criteria:

• Jonquel Jones - 1st WS and 2nd PER
• Brittney Griner - 2nd WS and 1st PER
• Sylvia Fowles - 4th WS and 3rd PER

Who is your pick?

Articles: ESPN, CBS Sports, WNBA WARP

Never has a WNBA player won MVP while missing more than 3 games. Jonquel Jones has missed 5 games by her own choice.

In the last head-to-head matchup between Jones and Griner, Phoenix lost the game but Griner had the superior individual game. I would vote Griner. She hasn’t won it yet and this is her 9th year. Catchings was given a sympathy or lifetime achievement MVP after her 10th season, and she had tepid stats (15.5 ppg) for a MVP.

 

[maccca3232]

Never has a WNBA player won MVP while missing more than 3 games. Jonquel Jones has missed 5 games by her own choice.

Interesting but even then it wouldn't be the lowest % of a team's total teams minutes played by an MVP.

• Candace Parker played 65.4% in 2013
  • i.e. 889 of 1360 minutes from 31 of 34 games
• Jonquel Jones played 65.7% in 2021
  • i.e. 762 of 1160 minutes from 24 of 29 games
• Elena Delle Donne played 66.3% in 2019
  • i.e. 901 of 1360 minutes from 31 of 34 games

There are only two other players below 75% (71.8% by Taurasi in 2009 and 73.0% by Jackson in 2010). The average is 79.3%.

 

[undersized]

Jonquel Jones - MVP

 

[eebmg]

Jonquel Jones - MVP

Well deserved. Her game continues to grow each year.

 

[Rb335]

You have to wonder how LA feels about trading her. Chelsea Gray no doubt was instrumental in their last title run. But she has since moved on to Vegas. Jones has been consistently helping the Sun, and she only continues to get better. In the short term, LA got a ring. But they gave up having an MVP caliber player for the long run. One of the more interesting trades to analyze in recent history.

Congrats to JJ. And the class of 2016 for joining 2003 and 2008 as the only college drafts with multiple MVPs. (Jackson/Catchings and Parker/Fowles)

 

[maccca3232]

WNBA Media Release

 

[nwhoopfan]

Wow. This is what most everybody expected, but that voting is a landslide.

 

[nwhoopfan]

You have to wonder how LA feels about trading her. Chelsea Gray no doubt was instrumental in their last title run. But she has since moved on to Vegas. Jones has been consistently helping the Sun, and she only continues to get better. In the short term, LA got a ring. But they gave up having an MVP caliber player for the long run. One of the more interesting trades to analyze in recent history.

Would JJ have developed the same if LA kept her? Up until this season they had Nneka and Parker. Would they have moved one of those players? Too many variables. Gray gave them 4 very good seasons as PG, I think they are probably happy w/ what they got out of the deal.

 

[bballnut90]

You have to wonder how LA feels about trading her. Chelsea Gray no doubt was instrumental in their last title run. But she has since moved on to Vegas. Jones has been consistently helping the Sun, and she only continues to get better. In the short term, LA got a ring. But they gave up having an MVP caliber player for the long run. One of the more interesting trades to analyze in recent history.

Congrats to JJ. And the class of 2016 for joining 2003 and 2008 as the only college drafts with multiple MVPs. (Jackson/Catchings and Parker/Fowles)

Gray was fantastic for LA and a big piece why they won in 2016 and came close again in 2017. I don't think LA should have any regrets for trading for her.

If anyone botched that draft, it's actually Connecticut for taking Morgan Tuck and Rachel Banham ahead of Jonquel Jones, Aerial Powers, Kahleah Copper and Courtney Williams. All of those players turned into phenomenal pros while Tuck/Banham never amounted to much.

Ironically it worked out well since they traded for Jonquel Jones and Courtney Williams and almost won a title with both players, but realistically they could've kept the same core they had and kept Chelsea Gray who was a great backup for Jasmine Thomas and possibly pushes Connecticut past Washington in 2019.

 

[Shades]

You have to wonder how LA feels about trading her. Chelsea Gray no doubt was instrumental in their last title run. But she has since moved on to Vegas. Jones has been consistently helping the Sun, and she only continues to get better. In the short term, LA got a ring. But they gave up having an MVP caliber player for the long run. One of the more interesting trades to analyze in recent history.

Congrats to JJ. And the class of 2016 for joining 2003 and 2008 as the only college drafts with multiple MVPs. (Jackson/Catchings and Parker/Fowles)

Pretty sure it was a prearranged trade, so there’s nothing to show that the Sparks were ever interested in drafting her for themselves.