Great insights. Regarding your last point, I don't know if there will be a dominant position, because of the players you've listed above. Not to mention forwards like Joyce Edwards, posts like Betts, regardless of one's thoughts on her potential are waiting in the wings. And considering these are only a few names, it's a great problem to have as a WNBA fan.
It firmly establishes her as A goat and candidate for THE goat. However, there is a factor to THE goat title that she has yet to achieve: longevity of greatness. We will see, but she’s about halfway there
She also missed 25% of the season though. I’m shocked the voting wasn’t significantly closer than it was but it appears that was a much more widespread factor to voters than anticipated.
Wow! Both missed some time, and Jackson wasn't even remotely close to the best player on her team. 3rd at best, maybe 4th. Some of the voters need to be replaced. And Howard of course is behind Gray on her team.
I have more general thoughts I'll share later, but does anyone think there's anything Betts can or will do better than Malonga? Having watched Betts closely at Stanford, she's older and more experienced than Malonga and I'm already much more impressed with Malonga's game. Not to say Betts won't have a great pro career, but she is way less mobile and has no perimeter shooting game as compared to Malonga.
A'ja was 50/40/86. Whatever other criteria you are using, shooting FTs slightly better when both are very efficient at the line is hardly a credible argument for winning MVP. Not to mention Wilson made 248 FTs to Collier's 155, so what are we even talking about FTs for?
No.
She missed 30% of the season and NY badly underachieved. She wasn't deserving of a top 5 spot this year.
To be honest I don't think she needs to maintain a high level of play for more than 3-4 more years to cement herself as #1, especially if Vegas wins it all this year. If they do, she'll have 4 MVPs, 3 Defensive POYs, 3 titles and likely 2 Finals MVP trophies which is a more rounded case than anyone else in league history when looking at a combination of titles and accolades. And she's only been in the league 8 years and is in the prime of her career.
Looking at her overall career and her accomplishments, I don't see anyone disrespecting what she's done for the sport and the league. From your perspective, how exactly has she been disrespected?
Has she ever had a major injury, college or in the pros? I can’t recall one.
right right right, but then why hasn't aja done it? its also not about winning, but then why through the first half of the season was no one expecting aja to be the MVP.
What exactly is the argument here regarding 50/40/90? Two people in the history of the league have accomplished this. Not sure if it makes a point here.
Hard to believe (apparently), but some people value things like “who is the better player” or “who is the most productive” over “who had the better FT percentage”
Why hasn’t Collier led the league in blocks?
Well, the season is 44 games. Collier obviously jumped out to a big lead early on, but while she was sitting on the shelf Wilson had one of the best month+ runs in WNBA history. How you finish is usually more important than how you start in these kind of things.
Minnesota had several Olympians (Collier, Smith and Carleton). I know for me, this didn't matter.
It is interesting the first 3 players you listed each won 3 MVP's, so 9 in total.
not tall enough
Gosh. Guess I shouldn't focus on a secondary statistic that even casual fans know will always favor a center over a wing.
What Collier does at 6'1" is truly extraordinary. She plays like she's much taller but she moves and shoots like a true shooting guard. Technically her height should make her a tweener (a challenge top college players like Haley Jones, Diamond DeShields, and Michaela Onyenwere have confronted) but she's anything but - she's an everything-er.