2024 WNBA Season: Part 2 (August ---)

[bballnut90]

Yeah, someone a few days ago (Deb Antonelli?) said, “I’m no longer thinking of Clark as rookie of the year, but as MVP.”

My opinion, through my own cloudy lens, is that if Alyssa Thomas wasn’t MVP last season, no way should Clark be in the conversation this year.

Funny, people seem to think Clark is next in line behind Wilson

As much as people want to snark at it, Clark's having a 1st Team All-WNBA caliber season. Not sure how Alyssa Thomas not winning MVP last year (she finished 2nd but was 1st in MVP votes) is in anyway relevant to Clark being in the MVP conversation. Since Indy's brutal start to the year (11 games in 20 days against a loaded schedule), she's played as well as anyone in the league besides maybe A'ja and her team has gone 11-6 since.

Overall, I don't see a strong case for CC largely due to the rough start, but if she continues on her tear she could move up the MVP ladder and it's worth keeping an eye on. Right now I see the tiers as:

Tier 1:
A'ja Wilson

Tier 2:
Napheesa Collier
Sabrina Ionescu
Breanna Stewart

Tier 3:
Caitlin Clark
Alyssa Thomas
Kahleah Copper
Jackie Young
Nneka Ogwumike

 

[GirlBoo1020]

Ah the Clarkistas have once again tricked y'all into turning a conversation that has nothing to do with her into an opportunity to talk about Caitlin Clark. Very well done, a tip of the cap, but I will not go for the bait.

I think someone else said it up thread but a conversation might be worth having is how much the Ace's have regressed versus how much have other teams improved? Would last year Ace's team be number 1 in the league? I am not convinced they wouldn't be around 3/4th place in this years league.

 

[Bigboote]

As much as people want to snark at it, Clark's having a 1st Team All-WNBA caliber season. Not sure how Alyssa Thomas not winning MVP last year (she finished 2nd but was 1st in MVP votes) is in anyway relevant to Clark being in the MVP conversation. Since Indy's brutal start to the year (11 games in 20 days against a loaded schedule), she's played as well as anyone in the league besides maybe A'ja and her team has gone 11-6 since.

As I said, my own dirty lens, which is hoping for some consistency among the voters. Yeah, I know, herding cats. Thomas had a better year last year (leading the league in assists and rebounds on a top-three team), and A'ja is having a better year than anyone did last year.

Clark's having a good year, no argument from me on that.

 

[baggerbob]

I'd pencil A'ja in, but not in ink. In terms of the team, Vegas has 10 losses and likely will finish with 12-15 losses. Most likely they will finish between 3rd and 5th. Their defense is weak, and only 3 players are playing well.

In terms of individuals, A'ja would have to slump, almost regardless of what anyone else does. I think her scoring is still at or near a record pace. I agree that Stewie and Phee are likely also in the top 3. If their teams go on a long streak and either player puts up 20 and 10 consistently, we could have a fairly close vote. Maybe Bonner or Copper has a very outside chance. As of now, I see A'ja winning comfortably, maybe not unanimously, with Stewie and Phee tied for second. No one else gets a first-place vote.

Las Vegas right now is terrible defensively, and A'ja, and Young are good defenders, but part of that.
A'ja will get the award because of her offensive stat's but defensively the entire team has been bad.

 

[bballnut90]

Ah the Clarkistas have once again tricked y'all into turning a conversation that has nothing to do with her into an opportunity to talk about Caitlin Clark. Very well done, a tip of the cap, but I will not go for the bait.

I think someone else said it up thread but a conversation might be worth having is how much the Ace's have regressed versus how much have other teams improved? Would last year Ace's team be number 1 in the league? I am not convinced they wouldn't be around 3/4th place in this years league.

Aces last year appeared to be one of the best teams of all time when they were healthy a year ago. With Parker in the lineup they went 16-2 with Parker in the lineup and looked darn near unbeatable in stretches. Even without Parker they still got the job done, and took home the title despite missing Chelsea Gray in game 4.

This year they're a very different roster due to the absence of Chelsea Gray and being overly reliant on their Big 3. They don't have any consistency outside of Plum/Young/Wilson which has seriously hampered their title chances. The Liberty are better this year and playing with more cohesion after adjusting to new roles last year, but I think a healthy 2023 Aces team would easily be #1 in the league this season.

 

[GirlBoo1020]

Aces last year appeared to be one of the best teams of all time when they were healthy a year ago. With Parker in the lineup they went 16-2 with Parker in the lineup and looked darn near unbeatable in stretches. Even without Parker they still got the job done, and took home the title despite missing Chelsea Gray in game 4.

This year they're a very different roster due to the absence of Chelsea Gray and being overly reliant on their Big 3. They don't have any consistency outside of Plum/Young/Wilson which has seriously hampered their title chances. The Liberty are better this year and playing with more cohesion after adjusting to new roles last year, but I think a healthy 2023 Aces team would easily be #1 in the league this season.

I wasn't considering the Parker ACes so much as the post-Parker Aces. The Parker Aces would probably be top of the league again but by a smaller margin. The Post-Parker Aces, idk. The Lynx are significantly better than the Sun last year. The Liberty are a step above where they were last year as well. I think the Sun might be slightly better than they were last year but that is questionable.
Regardless I do think the rest of the league isn't getting enough credit for improving and the Aces are getting too much hate for regressing when a think its a bit of both.

 

[GirlBoo1020]

Well it was a huge and historic moment for the league and women's basketball and it wasn't on national tv so I think she has a pretty big point.

 

[Gate81]

Having watched Dijonai play for 3-4 years, I think she is very bright and probably has very good judgment. She has a point. If you disagree, let's rephrase the question into if Caitlin Clark and Indiana were playing in that game at Boston, do you think it would have been on ABC? If so, then that says something.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Having watched Dijonai play for 3-4 years, I think she is very bright and probably has very good judgment. She has a point. If you disagree, let's rephrase the question into if Caitlin Clark and Indiana were playing in that game at Boston, do you think it would have been on ABC? If so, then that says something.

More relevantly if the NBA was playing a game in a new city, they’d certainly have it nationally broadcast.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Chelsea Gray is entirely a different player currently than she has been at any other point during her stint with the Aces. Especially the last 2 years she was outstanding. That's what is making this year's version of Las Vegas so different than the team that won back to back championships.

 

[packwrap]

Much of promo comes from the TV rights holder. Had this game been ESPN airing on ABC, they would have blown it up.

Once WNBA sells rights, big promo is a bit out of their hands.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Two starters down, can the Liberty survive Dallas? Now 59-58, leading by 1....Stewie having an awful game shooting (3/15). In fact, most of the Libs are not shooting well.

Anybody's game.....Arike is around but the big girls are the ones making the plays in closing minutes of the game.....interesting..

 

[Dillon77]

Two starters down, can the Liberty survive Dallas? Now 59-58, leading by 1....Stewie having an awful game shooting (3/15). In fact, most of the Libs are not shooting well.

My jaw keeps dropping watching this game. This is ugly.

• Like you said, the Liberty are shooting horribly, but they're grabbing offensive rebounds as if Dallas is a JV team (But the Wings are very tall up front!) The Liberty have 16 or 17 offensive rebounds and have taken 10 more shots than Dallas, according to the broadcast team. Can Dallas put a body on someone? Or hustle on 50-50's.
• I feel there have been some really sketchy foul calls against Dallas. Jonquel Jones just -- IMO -- ran over Natasha Howard and got an "and one" call. Howard is a good defensive player and can't buy a whistle.
• Fiebich was player of the game for me....

 

[nwhoopfan]

What was I saying about Atlanta catching Chicago? If the Dream beat the Merc and the Sky lose to the Sun tomorrow, they will be tied. Both things seems quite within the realm of likely outcomes.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Two starters down, the Liberty managed to overcome the Dallas Wings at home 79-71. a team they beat by 20 two days ago, with Sabrina playing. Although their defense has gotten better, maybe the coach has gotten the bench to play better as well. Maybe, just maybe, they are rounding out on both sides of the ball and their bench is playing more confidently. If so, the title drought may be in jeopardy.

 

[GirlBoo1020]

Two starters down, the Liberty managed to overcome the Dallas Wings at home 79-71. a team they beat by 20 two days ago, with Sabrina playing. Although their defense has gotten better, maybe the coach has gotten the bench to play better as well. Maybe, just maybe, they are rounding out on both sides of the ball and their bench is playing more confidently. If so, the title drought may be in jeopardy.

Sabrina didn't play two days ago either. Both games against Dallas were without Sabrina.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

My jaw keeps dropping watching this game. This is ugly, ugly, ugly.

• Like you said, the Liberty are shooting horribly, but they're grabbing offensive rebounds as if Dallas is playing a JV team. The Liberty have 16 or 17 offensive rebounds and have taken 10 more shots than Dallas, according to the broadcast team. Can Dallas put a body on someone? Or hustle on 50-50's.
• I feel there have been some really sketchy foul calls against Dallas. Jonquel Jones just -- IMO -- ran over Natasha Howard and got an "and one" call. Howard is a good defensive player and can't buy a whistle.
• Fiebich was player of the game for me....

Really a weird game.....and Dallas front court is not small (McCowan, Sabally, Brown) but the Libs wanted it more.....maybe it is the hopelessness of their season. Well, the Libs breathed a sigh of relief, I guess.

I agree about Fiebich. I noticed in the prior game when she took Betnijah's place the kind of player she is: shoots well, passes well and, although not a great on-ball defender, she is fairly good position defender.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Sabrina didn't play two days ago either. Both games against Dallas were without Sabrina.

Oh, I thought she did but then I didn't watch that game.....busy with something else. Should we give credit to Dallas, then for making this a competitive game? Or, should we say the Libs managed to overcome their own incompetence on offense with excellent board work.

 

[cancontent]

Lin Dunn had 3-year plan to fix Fever. Her faith in a first-time head coach is paying off.

Fever GM Lin Dunn is confident in coach Christie Sides, who is in the middle of her second season, leading Indiana back to WNBA playoffs.

www.indystar.com

Interesting article about Coach Sides by the Indy Star. Considering where they were in 2022, she didn't have much to work with. The 2023 season saw improvement even though it was minor. Now, per ESPN they have a 94% shot of making the play-offs. Lexie Hull is even quoted in the article that there's a feeling of hope within the team which wasn't the case in previous years.

So here's the question, what do most think of her performance at this point compared to the beginning of the season? I recall there were those who didn't think she was up to the job and that Indy should move on. Is that still the case now or does she deserve credit for the team's performance and should remain the coach?

 

[JellyBean]

Lin Dunn had 3-year plan to fix Fever. Her faith in a first-time head coach is paying off.

Fever GM Lin Dunn is confident in coach Christie Sides, who is in the middle of her second season, leading Indiana back to WNBA playoffs.

www.indystar.com

Interesting article about Coach Sides by the Indy Star. Considering where they were in 2022, she didn't have much to work with. The 2023 season saw improvement even though it was minor. Now, per ESPN they have a 94% shot of making the play-offs. Lexie Hull is even quoted in the article that there's a feeling of hope within the team which wasn't the case in previous years.

So here's the question, what do most think of her performance at this point compared to the beginning of the season? I recall there were those who didn't think she was up to the job and that Indy should move on. Is that still the case now or does she deserve credit for the team's performance and should remain the coach?

I was one of a few people who voiced support for Coach Side at the start of the season when many were saying that she was in over her head coaching. Coach Side is in her 2nd year coaching and it takes a minute to build a winning team and with the Fever, they have been struggling for a while with some decent coaches (Marianne Stanley) and things just never took off. Hopefully Linn Dunn let's Side coach and continue to build Indiana into a powerhouse. They are close.

 

[cancontent]

I was one of a few people who voiced support for Coach Side at the start of the season when many were saying that she was in over her head coaching. Coach Side is in her 2nd year coaching and it takes a minute to build a winning team and with the Fever, they have been struggling for a while with some decent coaches (Marianne Stanley) and things just never took off. Hopefully Linn Dunn let's Side coach and continue to build Indiana into a powerhouse. They are close.

I think so as well, especially considering how long the team has been struggling to find the right coach. The start of their season didn't do them any favours either.

 

[Dillon77]

I think so as well, especially considering how long the team has been struggling to find the right coach. The start of their season didn't do them any favours either.

What I'm most interested in is what GM Lin Dunn does in the .5 of the third year she references. In short, what offseason moves will she make?

Kelsey Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent (if memory holds) and she's having a second straight solid season, shooting 45% from the field (39% from three), while tag-team leading the team in scoring with Clark (17.7 ppg to CC's 17.8).

As I've posted, they'd also be smart of whittle down the logjam at small forward (Hull and KLS appear to be in play now, with Wallace sitting, but you never know). And are they happy with the Boston-Smith combination or do they want to find a different power forward for Boston to play off of.

 

[cancontent]

What I'm most interested in is what GM Lin Dunn does in the .5 of the third year she references. In short, what offseason moves will she make?

Kelsey Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent (if memory holds) and she's having a second straight solid season, shooting 45% from the field (39% from three), while tag-team leading the team in scoring with Clark (17.7 ppg to CC's 17.8).

As I've posted, they'd also be smart of whittle down the logjam at small forward (Hull and KLS appear to be in play now, with Wallace sitting, but you never know). And are they happy with the Boston-Smith combination or do they want to find a different power forward for Boston to play off of.

Yes, their off-season moves are going to be something to watch closely. Personally, I think Dunn is the one we should be focusing on because her decisions will impact what Sides is able to do next season. Will be interesting to see what happens in 2025.