2024 WNBA Season: Playoffs

[oldude]

Just a few thoughts on last night’s game. So far the W has delivered a really competitive championship finals series between two really talented and tough teams, both of which play their hearts out to the last whistle.

The packed house last night in MN was electric. Stewie & Pheesa both put up huge games. But in the end, Ionescu’s bomb at the buzzer was a career defining shot from maybe the best shooter in WBB, although I suspect fans of CC might disagree.

I am hoping this series goes the full five games.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Just a few thoughts on last night’s game. So far the W has delivered a really competitive championship finals series between two really talented and tough teams, both of which play their hearts out to the last whistle.

The packed house last night in MN was electric. Stewie & Pheesa both put up huge games. But in the end, Ionescu’s bomb at the buzzer was a career defining shot from maybe the best shooter in WBB, although I suspect fans of CC might disagree.

I am hoping this series goes the full five games.

What I sometimes look for is the amount of men in the stands, and the amount of men that comment on social media after the game; esp. NBA players. It's been a lot. That's also a good sign for growth. And games like last night certainly don't hurt.

 

[oldude]

What I sometimes look for is the amount of men in the stands, and the amount of men that comment on social media after the game; esp. NBA players. It's been a lot. That's also a good sign for growth. And games like last night certainly don't hurt.

While watching the game with me, my wife commented several times, “This is great for women’s sports.” Clearly the W is on the precipice of becoming part of the American sports psyche for both women and men, with young girls leading the way. CC has added a new dimension, the Olympics were fabulous, expansion is coming and Paige Bueckers is one season away from taking the W to yet another level of fan enthusiasm.

 

[cancontent]

Smith got hurt late in the first half. Returned briefly in the second half but clearly wasn't very mobile or feeling very good. Lynx went with a heavy dose of Hines-Allen, and the Lib sagged off her on D constantly. Why not give Juhasz some minutes, she can stretch the defense like Smith.


Will the Lib please start calling out screens so Fiebich doesn't get knocked into next week? Well, she already has been knocked into next week, but maybe they can prevent it from happening for what, the 4th or 5th time?

I'm surprised that this has happened as much as it has during the playoffs. Rebecca Lobo was very animated about it for good reason, because it's common sense especially from a player safety perspective. And by her count it's a total of 4 times that this has happened so far.

 

[cancontent]

Oooof, (cheering for Minn) well we got that answer in the last 5 seconds tonight.

Many pick on Plum, Clark, Ionescu etc for lack of defense, but they bring a lot on offense and points are needed to win.

Fans and media like offense too. Both Ionescu and Clark made the all WNBA teams.

Ionescu hasn't been that weak on defence, but she has improved a lot this season too. Her defence against Williams late in Game 2 helped cause that turnover which led to Fiebich's game clinching 3. Wish I had bookmarked a montage of her defensive plays that I saw on Twitter. She deserves more credit for her defence than she's given.

 

[GoUconn7961]

While watching the game with me, my wife commented several times, “This is great for women’s sports.” Clearly the W is on the precipice of becoming part of the American sports psyche for both women and men, with young girls leading the way. CC has added a new dimension, the Olympics were fabulous, expansion is coming and Paige Bueckers is one season away from taking the W to yet another level of fan enthusiasm.

I'm hoping Stewie and Phee's "Unrivaled" will take off now that TNT and it's affiliates will be showing the games.

 

[Rb335]

This game will largely be remembered for Sabrina’s shot, but without Stewart, that shot isn’t possible. She carried them on her back offensively to get back within striking distance. And was an absolute menace on the defensive end. She did just enough to put her teammates in a position to make shots to close out the game. An all time performance by Stewart, and an all time shot by Ionescu.

 

[JellyBean]

Great game. I loved that we packed the Target Center! I believe it was our largest crowd ever that turned out for the game. Love seeing so many folks showing up to support not only the Lynx but also the Liberty. Great game by all. We all know that it is never one play or one player that wins or loses a game. It takes everyone out on the floor doing something, rebounding, passing, blah, blah, blah. Stewie is/was a beast out there! She would not let the Liberty lose. I tip my hat to her and the Liberty.

My Lynx did well out there. They just could not close the deal. Players stepped up and did what they needed to do and gave their best shot out there. We will just have to even the series up on Friday and win it all back in New York. Hang in there, Minnesota.

 

[chj001]

This game will largely be remembered for Sabrina’s shot, but without Stewart, that shot isn’t possible. She carried them on her back offensively to get back within striking distance. And was an absolute menace on the defensive end. She did just enough to put her teammates in a position to make shots to close out the game. An all time performance by Stewart, and an all time shot by Ionescu.

It should not be remembered for Sabrina's shot it should be remembered for Stewie and Stewie alone. She had 30 points. No one else had more than 13. She had 11 rebounds No one else had more than 5. She had 4 blocks including a crucial one in the closing minutes. Until the last minute or two Sabrina had only 6 points. Stewie's 14 in the 3rd quarter got them back in the game.

 

[JellyBean]

Speaking of offense. I find it hard to believe that Juhasz cannot contribute more on offense than Hines-Allen.

That has been the biggest mystery this whole season! On one hand, I can see why Coach Reeve sticks with Hines-Allen. MHA has a toughness and experience that Dorka lacks. But on the other hand, I could see where Dorka could help; size, rebounding, passing, and inside/outside game, where we (Minnesota fans) are screaming "Put Dorka in!". I sit five rows behind the Lynx bench and trust me, that is me every game "Get Dorka in the game!" or "Get Alissa in the game!". I still believe that those two players could give us a little spark. Dorka with her size and other skills. Pili with her size and ability to use her body to draw fouls and make shots. Win/Win in my book. But we shall see, especially with Smith and her situation. I hope that it is not something too serious.

 

[SCyankee]

Great game. I loved that we packed the Target Center! I believe it was our largest crowd ever that turned out for the game. Love seeing so many folks showing up to support not only the Lynx but also the Liberty. Great game by all. We all know that it is never one play or one player that wins or loses a game. It takes everyone out on the floor doing something, rebounding, passing, blah, blah, blah. Stewie is/was a beast out there! She would not let the Liberty lose. I tip my hat to her and the Liberty.

My Lynx did well out there. They just could not close the deal. Players stepped up and did what they needed to do and gave their best shot out there. We will just have to even the series up on Friday and win it all back in New York. Hang in there, Minnesota.

That has been the biggest mystery this whole season! On one hand, I can see why Coach Reeve sticks with Hines-Allen. MHA has a toughness and experience that Dorka lacks. But on the other hand, I could see where Dorka could help; size, rebounding, passing, and inside/outside game, where we (Minnesota fans) are screaming "Put Dorka in!". I sit five rows behind the Lynx bench and trust me, that is me every game "Get Dorka in the game!" or "Get Alissa in the game!". I still believe that those two players could give us a little spark. Dorka with her size and other skills. Pili with her size and ability to use her body to draw fouls and make shots. Win/Win in my book. But we shall see, especially with Smith and her situation. I hope that it is not something too serious.

The coach appears to have decided that going small is the answer, a big mistake in my opinion. I believe but did not check that Dorka was the main reserve when the Lyns beat NY 3 out of 4 including the Commissioners cup. Since then, the Lynx have been very, very fortunate to win 1 game against the Liberty's big team. Also, I believe Diamond Miller is healthy but never plays. Both Dorka and Diamond made the all-rookie team last season.

 

[Geew1992]

The coach appears to have decided that going small is the answer, a big mistake in my opinion. I believe but did not check that Dorka was the main reserve when the Lyns beat NY 3 out of 4 including the Commissioners cup. Since then, the Lynx have been very, very fortunate to win 1 game against the Liberty's big team. Also, I believe Diamond Miller is healthy but never plays. Both Dorka and Diamond made the all-rookie team last season.

Phee is the main reason the Lynx beat the Lib 3 outta 4

 

[cancontent]

It should not be remembered for Sabrina's shot it should be remembered for Stewie and Stewie alone. She had 30 points. No one else had more than 13. She had 11 rebounds No one else had more than 5. She had 4 blocks including a crucial one in the closing minutes. Until the last minute or two Sabrina had only 6 points. Stewie's 14 in the 3rd quarter got them back in the game.

Disagree because this game was more than just Stewart. She was the primary reason yes, but we also need to remember this:

• Ionescu took on more of a facilitator role which helped open things up for the entire team, including Stewart.
• Sabally's minutes in the game helped to give Stewart and Jones breathers which kept them fresh for the final quarter.
• Fiebich's efforts on both sides of the floor had impact throughout the entire game.
• Minnesota losing Smith made it a lot easier for Stewart and Jones defensively because they could roam instead of having to guard her because of her outside shot.
• This also made it easier for NY to get whatever they wanted offensively because Hines-Allen doesn't provide a defensive challenge like Smith does for Stewart or Jones.

Stewart didn't do this alone. It's myopic to think the Liberty won the game solely because of her.

 

[SCyankee]

Phee is the main reason the Lynx beat the Lib 3 outta 4

Phee is the main reason the Lynx win every game, but

Phee is the main reason the Lynx beat the Lib 3 outta 4

Phee is the star in every game. Dorka is a better match up against the Liberty. We'll see if Smith is unavailable next game.

 

[WBBTakeover]

That shot, IMO, killed Minnesota's title chances. Even if the Lynx win Game 4, there's almost zero chance that they win Game 5 in Brooklyn against Sabrina.

Back to the drawing board, Cheryl!

 

[JoePgh]

I think Coach Reeve decided, as many coaches in all sports do, simply to shorten her bench in the playoffs so that she has fewer players to give reps to in practice, or to coordinate on offense and defense. The Liberty aren't going very deep in their bench either, nor did the Sun in the semifinal series, where Olivia barely got minutes despite strong play through most of the season.

I am rather surprised that Diamond Miller has barely played lately, and not at all in any playoff series, despite being the #2 overall draft pick a year ago and having had an excellent rookie season. But I think that also is a case of Coach Reeves shortening the bench for the playoffs.

 

[Bigboote]

The coach appears to have decided that going small is the answer, a big mistake in my opinion. I believe but did not check that Dorka was the main reserve when the Lyns beat NY 3 out of 4 including the Commissioners cup. Since then, the Lynx have been very, very fortunate to win 1 game against the Liberty's big team. Also, I believe Diamond Miller is healthy but never plays. Both Dorka and Diamond made the all-rookie team last season.

Re Dorka’s playing time, she averaged about 20 minutes a game till Hines-Allen joined the team. Her minutes went down somewhat, and she’s played very little since she missed a few games with an injury.

 

[baggerbob]

Re Dorka’s playing time, she averaged about 20 minutes a game till Hines-Allen joined the team. Her minutes went down somewhat, and she’s played very little since she missed a few games with an injury.

And the injury may limit her mobility, and against Stewie and JJ, that would be a major liability.

 

[cancontent]

Going with something different to celebrate these numbers. Getting 1.4M viewers while competing against highly entertaining baseball play off games, hockey and NBA pre-season. Gosh darn it, this is awesome

 

[Rb335]

I think Coach Reeve decided, as many coaches in all sports do, simply to shorten her bench in the playoffs so that she has fewer players to give reps to in practice, or to coordinate on offense and defense. The Liberty aren't going very deep in their bench either, nor did the Sun in the semifinal series, where Olivia barely got minutes despite strong play through most of the season.

I am rather surprised that Diamond Miller has barely played lately, and not at all in any playoff series, despite being the #2 overall draft pick a year ago and having had an excellent rookie season. But I think that also is a case of Coach Reeves shortening the bench for the playoffs.

Diamond Miller has a lot of potential, but she needs to refine her shot. She has to become a consistent threat from 3, as she’s a wing in the W. The bread and butter of the Lynx this season has been floor spacing. They’ve surrounded Collier with sharp shooters to have an inside out attack, which gives Collier the room to operate inside 1v1. This allows collier to maximize her shiftiness to overcome her undersize quality against bigger defenders.

Beyond coming back from injury, Miller would disrupt the spacing. She’s more of a slasher who can occasionally hit from 3. I’d also suspect Reeve is weary of her tendency to force shots. Especially in the WNBA finals, you go to your bench for someone you trust to spark energy. Not someone you are fearful will make poor choices and force the action.

I hope this season motivates Miller to come back a more polished player. The league needs its young stars to grow and flourish.

 

[MilfordHusky]

This game will largely be remembered for Sabrina’s shot, but without Stewart, that shot isn’t possible. She carried them on her back offensively to get back within striking distance. And was an absolute menace on the defensive end. She did just enough to put her teammates in a position to make shots to close out the game. An all time performance by Stewart, and an all time shot by Ionescu.

And reportedly, Stewie and Marta received death threats before the game!

 

[JellyBean]

Diamond Miller has a lot of potential, but she needs to refine her shot. She has to become a consistent threat from 3, as she’s a wing in the W. The bread and butter of the Lynx this season has been floor spacing. They’ve surrounded Collier with sharp shooters to have an inside out attack, which gives Collier the room to operate inside 1v1. This allows collier to maximize her shiftiness to overcome her undersize quality against bigger defenders.

Beyond coming back from injury, Miller would disrupt the spacing. She’s more of a slasher who can occasionally hit from 3. I’d also suspect Reeve is weary of her tendency to force shots. Especially in the WNBA finals, you go to your bench for someone you trust to spark energy. Not someone you are fearful will make poor choices and force the action.

I hope this season motivates Miller to come back a more polished player. The league needs its young stars to grow and flourish.

Diamond showed a lot of potential last season. Hopefully whatever happened this off season and during the season, Diamond flips the switch and becomes what we all know she can become.

 

[GamecockFam]

Diamond showed a lot of potential last season. Hopefully whatever happened this off season and during the season, Diamond flips the switch and becomes what we all know she can become.

Diamond would be a great candidate to go to the Valkyrie. She has a very high ceiling and I think once the lightbulb comes on, she could make a great second or third scoring option. Going to the Valkyrie may allow her to play more minutes and grow at a faster pace by "trial through fire". I wonder if she will be one of the six reserves for the Lynx. If she isn't, I would have her name circled and underlined if I were in the Valkyrie management.

 

[JellyBean]

Diamond would be a great candidate to go to the Valkyrie. She has a very high ceiling and I think once the lightbulb comes on, she could make a great second or third scoring option. Going to the Valkyrie may allow her to play more minutes and grow at a faster pace by "trial through fire". I wonder if she will be one of the six reserves for the Lynx. If she isn't, I would have her name circled and underlined if I were in the Valkyrie management.

I can see Diamond playing out West for the Valkyrie squad. I can also see Diamond staying here in Minnesota and developing that potential with the Lynx. I agree. She does have a very high ceiling and I hope that she finds that fuel for her competitive fire. Like I have said before that Golden State squad should field a pretty competitive team and they could make some noise this season and be a huge problem next year.

 

[cancontent]

For those asking about Dorka, here you go.