2025 WNBA Off-Season

[JellyBean]

McBride and Fudd are strikingly similar players now that I think about it. I know Reeve loves her UCONN players but I'm not sure if it's the right fit with KMac there. KMac plays 30+ minutes per game, I think it'd be a waste of a pick to have Fudd basically back up McBride when KMac still has several good years left and they bring similar skills to the table. I'd probably opt for Fam if she's available since she has major upside.

Good comments but if Fudd is available at the #2 spot, I would hope that Coach Reeve picks Fudd. Why wouldn't Fudd be a good fit here in Minnesota? Even with KMac on the roster, adding Fudd would be a great fit. Two snipers, possibly starting together, that would be deadly. Nobody thought that Klay Thompson and Steph Curry would work and we saw how that turned out. All it takes is a coach with a vision and one that is not scared to go outside the box once in a while. Heck. When the Comets added Sheryl Swoopes, folks were thinking that it was a wasted pick and it would not work. Well history showed that it did work and nobody expected Cynthia Cooper to be that good and the same with Tina Thompson. So, if Azzi is there at the #2 spot, we gotta scoop her up.

 

[JellyBean]

Personally, I find it interesting that Toronto let this information get out there in the first place. It also gives the fanbase an idea as to what the organization is looking for in a coach.

I think that it is good that they are letting this information out. Like you said, it gives the fanbase a peek into what the franchise is looking for in a coach and if the franchise goes in a different direction, fans can look back and say "you wanted this in a coach, but you went another way. Why?"

 

[DEpup]

Good comments but if Fudd is available at the #2 spot, I would hope that Coach Reeve picks Fudd. Why wouldn't Fudd be a good fit here in Minnesota? Even with KMac on the roster, adding Fudd would be a great fit. Two snipers, possibly starting together, that would be deadly. Nobody thought that Klay Thompson and Steph Curry would work and we saw how that turned out. All it takes is a coach with a vision and one that is not scared to go outside the box once in a while. Heck. When the Comets added Sheryl Swoopes, folks were thinking that it was a wasted pick and it would not work. Well history showed that it did work and nobody expected Cynthia Cooper to be that good and the same with Tina Thompson. So, if Azzi is there at the #2 spot, we gotta scoop her up.

I agree with you. Fudd in the back court opens up options and can keep KMac fresh for the playoffs. Folks keep talking about the front court issues but I don't buy it. Kliundikova improved a lot and will be better next year. They can bring Juhaz back and that would give them 5 good front court players.

I thought the wing was the real issue this year. BC was often points challenged, Courtney is too small, and KMac was left to do everything. Carrington made the difference IMO but then got hurt and they were back to the same problem.

That then tells me that if Azzi is on the board, you take her and sure up the wing.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Three things on this illuminating article (shared by Dillon77):

• WNBA owners, insiders on Cathy Engelbert, officiating, CBA - ESPN

First, the CBA negotiations is essentially about the NBA deciding what type of owner it is, and whether they are the same type of owner for the men and for the women (and not different from every other major U.S. sports league):

• "A lot of times that comes down to how people think about their business -- as an investment versus a true business on the day-to-day."
• Across various articles, such as this one (Front Office Sports), it is clear that the CBA talks is a referendum on the type of player compensation model that the NBA wants for women; the NBA currently doesn’t want the NBA model to apply to the WNBA;
• The NBA currently wants to recodify its pre-women’s basketball groundswell model from the 2020 CBA but with updated hard numbers (rather than the NBA’s soft salary cap system);
• By recodifying the 2020 CBA model, the NBA is deliberately ignoring its David Stern mid-to-late-80s history that showed the NBA’s soft salary cap system is viable, the conditions for which has been replicated by the WNBA entering the 2026 season;
• Switching to the NBA’s system does mean that the WNBA’s costs are borne by all owners (and not just by the WNBA teams in order to cry poverty in an opaque and vacuous way).

Second, on officiating:

• Whoever the league sources who essentially said (paraphrased) ”what problem?” and another who said (paraphrased) ”women are wuss compared to the men” (see also &1[5]) should be excluded from the new committee that will somehow “do better” than the Competition Committee;
• Sue and Ryan Rocco had constructive things to say &1 (and a direct answer &1[1] &1[2] to one team owner disparaging Napheesa);
• The WNBA, under Engelbert’s delegation to others, has repeatedly ignored NBA history vis a vis Michael Jordan and Detroit (see also &1[3]);
• The article does highlight some lack of non-personnel investment (central replay center requirements, etc.) which require investment by all (100%) not just the WNBA (42%) owners;
• But the article fails to account for the central problem &2: WNBA referees are paid by game and are always looking for an NBA salaried job; thus all the refereeing “fluff” in the article and in this lengthy one (featuring the two top WNBA refereeing officials) are just that, “fluff”.

Third, on Engelbert;

• The “ring of authenticity” players felt about Napheesa’s prepared remarks is shared by owners, due to Engelbert’s humble-brag (you should be thanking me) and derogatory way of communicating;
• Engelbert’s alleged bragging about the WNBA media rights deal was strange because it was an allocation from the NBA; but Engelbert might think it was made possible due to the costly $75M capital raise (in exchange for 16% ownership of the WNBA) specifically earmarked for marketing and branding;
• Engelbert was a former NCAA WCBB student athlete at Lehigh and was coached by Muffet McGraw before becoming coach at Notre Dame; so the lack of empathy is weirdly glaring.

&1 Sue’s podcast:

• [1] @2:33, @5:27: Ryan on Cri De Ceour women moments for effective change;
• [2] @3:55: Sue on Cri De Ceour women moments for effective change;
• [3] @7:53: Ryan “It will probably go a long way to help the conversation to just have some sort of public acknowledgement of ‘look, we’ve heard from so many of the biggest voices in our game express their feelings this year about the way game plays are unfolding, and we’re really going to give it a thorough review”;
• [4] @5:58: Ryan on Paige saying “I have to learn how to defend while fouling”;
• [5] @8:58: Sue: some of the refs for WCBB (less physicality) are the same for the WNBA, so it’s all about the mandate that is emphasized to the referees.

&2 Referees who swallow their whistles are not penalized. The rewards-punishment system does look like puny carrot, puny stick that’s probably also designed for bare minimum standards in a gig job where retention is a problem.

 

[bballnut90]

Good comments but if Fudd is available at the #2 spot, I would hope that Coach Reeve picks Fudd. Why wouldn't Fudd be a good fit here in Minnesota? Even with KMac on the roster, adding Fudd would be a great fit. Two snipers, possibly starting together, that would be deadly. Nobody thought that Klay Thompson and Steph Curry would work and we saw how that turned out. All it takes is a coach with a vision and one that is not scared to go outside the box once in a while. Heck. When the Comets added Sheryl Swoopes, folks were thinking that it was a wasted pick and it would not work. Well history showed that it did work and nobody expected Cynthia Cooper to be that good and the same with Tina Thompson. So, if Azzi is there at the #2 spot, we gotta scoop her up.

I disagree—I don’t think Fudd is the 2nd best prospect in the draft right now. Especially considering she hasn’t had a clean healthy season of basketball in 6 or 7 years.

Also, Klay and Steph work so well because they play different positions as did Cooper and Swoopes. McBride and Fudd are both shooting guards with the same height, build, and skill set. Neither is adept to being a PG in the pros and both are too small to play the 3. I think if McBride is back and planning to stick around for a few years, it make far more sense to take the likes of Fam, Miles or Betts if they’re available. I also think Flaujae is a better prospect than Fudd but don’t see her fitting in well on Minnesota compared to Azzi