2025 WNBA Regular Season

[cancontent]

Washington Mystics (2-0) — the Mystics have the league’s two best rookies...

I'm guessing the writer means that's an over reaction? TBH, hard to argue with that. Paige is in such a bad situation in Dallas with a selfish ball dominant guard (Arike) that I think Paige's stats will suffer as a result. I don't think Sonia or Kiki are better than Paige, but I would not be surprised to see them both with significantly better year-long stats...

The headline and topics discussed speaks for themselves. Natasha Howard being the most important acquisition of the off-season? Phoenix's Big 3 being a larger threat than others in the league? Every statement made is an over reaction.

While it's great to see Citron and Iriafen have great starts, it's a long season. Not to mention, their first games were against the Dream and the Sun. Bueckers had Minnesota and now faces the Storm. There's no way to predict who are the best rookies without seeing them handle games against the entire league first.

 

[Dillon77]

The headline and topics discussed speaks for themselves. Natasha Howard being the most important acquisition of the off-season? Phoenix's Big 3 being a larger threat than others in the league? Every statement made is an over reaction.

While it's great to see Citron and Iriafen have great starts, it's a long season. Not to mention, their first games were against the Dream and the Sun. Bueckers had Minnesota and now faces the Storm. There's no way to predict who are the best rookies without seeing them handle games against the entire league first.

Point well taken. Having your very first game --- both for the reconfigured Wings and a rookie -- against the Lynx is not something you want to see, particularly with Courtney Williams rolling the way she did second half.

One game is, well, one game and while a discerning fan might see some elements of good/bad play, chances are it might change in the next game, depending on match-ups and the like. OK, let's bring on the next round. Glad to have the W back!

 

[WBBTakeover]

Since we're all in the mood for obvious hot takes and early season declarations/chest bumping, let's try this one:

Seattle should consider benching Alysha Clark for Zia Cooke.

Thoughts?

 

[Dillon77]

Since we're all in the mood for obvious hot takes and early season declarations/chest bumping, let's try this one:

Seattle should consider benching Alysha Clark for Zia Cooke.

Thoughts?

Hmmm.
One game and tossing Ms. Clark to the bench? Granted, Clark went for the big goose end, but most of Seattle was laying eggs in the game, from Clark to Gabby Williams to Ezi Magbegor.
Let's see how the Storm and Ms. Clark do before pulling out the hook. In fact, one can do so by watching them play the Dallas Wings, another team that already has people calling for changes.

After multiple gams, Quinn may look for different angles, but considering Clark was sought after, don't think anything is happening after one contest. Stay tuned.

 

[azfan]

Since we're all in the mood for obvious hot takes and early season declarations/chest bumping, let's try this one:

Seattle should consider benching Alysha Clark for Zia Cooke.

Thoughts?

Clark must have seen your post she hit her first three tonight.

At the quarter break Lieberman observed that Dallas was playing really good defense. Seattle scored 25 in the first frame. Love to know Lieberman's definition of terrible defense.

 

[JellyBean]

Since we're all in the mood for obvious hot takes and early season declarations/chest bumping, let's try this one:

Seattle should consider benching Alysha Clark for Zia Cooke.

Thoughts?

Zia and Skylar in the starting rotation?

 

[Stagnant]

The wings are bad on both sides of the ball. But I think especially defensively. Seattle 9-11 from 3 in the first half.

 

[azfan]

The wings are bad on both sides of the ball. But I think especially defensively. Seattle 9-11 from 3 in the first half.

Yep. I'm trying to think if Paige has ever been on a team this bad in her life. I suspect she's never played in an organization or for a team that had such a poor approach to defense.

 

[Stagnant]

Dallas should have won this game. Seattle couldn’t do anything in the second half.

 

[Dillon77]

Ogwumike, Diggins and Williams were collectively too much for Dallas to handle. Nneka, with 23 points and 19 (!) rebounds, while Sky and Gabby both shot 3-4 from three. Diggins also had 9 assists and did a good job of ensuring Seattle kept the ball moving in half-court sets.

On Dallas, Paige B. and Maddy Siegrist were the bright spots. Big T almost had a double double in a mere 15 minutes so the new coach has got to realize that McCowan can help on boards. When Dallas had runs, Ogunbowale, Hines-Allen or Carrington would shoot themselves out of it to allow Seattle to get a layup her or a follow up there.. Whew.

 

[Hayven]

The Wings play well when Paige and Maddy are on the court together. The ball moves. But when AO and DC are on the court together, a shot goes up quickly, and usually it’s not a good shot.

Every Wings game is going to make me crash out. Looking like Toad

 

[WBBTakeover]

Clark must have seen your post she hit her first three tonight.

She wasn't bad tonight, but she also wasn't good. Plus, they were playing the Wings.

Speaking of the Wings, woof. I'm not an Arike hater, but some of those shots she took were just diabolical! I get that she might not want to be there, but goodness.

Dallas played better when Ty Harris got minutes.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I get that Nneka almost had a 20/20 game, but...it was against the Wings.

Props to Paige! Quite the performance.

 

[aceboon]

Carrington and Smith look like tank commanders, Koclanes is gonna have to come to a quicker realization than Sides did that Smith is going to tank lineups, although Sides was kinda handstrung because Temi was always injured early in the season and didn't have too many other PF options.

 

[JellyBean]

Seattle showed up! Even though it was against Dallas, the Storm showed up! Now if they can keep that same energy against Phoenix and Las Vegas.

 

[GamecockFam]

Seattle showed up! Even though it was against Dallas, the Storm showed up! Now if they can keep that same energy against Phoenix and Las Vegas.

I feel kind of mixed about this statement. Even though they won the game, they still looked off to me. I thought they played with a lot of effort for the first quarter but it quickly regressed back to individual play. Seattle feels like 5 players instead of one team, which is something to be expected at this point of the season with exception to the fact that they're a bunch of league veterans, many who have played together for years. I think their issues were masked by the Wings bigger problems.

 

[BRS24]

Watched the Wings with our son last night. He follows UConn but not a lot of other teams, and he kept repeating, what is AO doing out there - shot selection, ignoring open players to pass to, driving to the hoop out of control, etc. IMO, they played better in the 4th with her on the bench.

 

[Geew1992]

Watched the Wings with our son last night. He follows UConn but not a lot of other teams, and he kept repeating, what is AO doing out there - shot selection, ignoring open players to pass to, driving to the hoop out of control, etc. IMO, they played better in the 4th with her on the bench.

As good as she can shoot them into a game, is as good as she can shoot them out of the game. And the reason many of us didn't want Paige to go to Dallas

 

[MilfordHusky]

I thought Paige was quite good last night, especially against stellar defenders like Skylar and Gabby.

When Gabby is hitting 3-pointers and making other shots, she is absolutely Gabulous. One of the best and one of my faves.

 

[baggerbob]

The Wings play well when Paige and Maddy are on the court together. The ball moves. But when AO and DC are on the court together, a shot goes up quickly, and usually it’s not a good shot.

Every Wings game is going to make me crash out. Looking like Toad

Something about Mabrey, AO, Loyd without Stewie, and Sue. Skylar all have the habit to shoot their teams out of games. Sure they can get hot and win you a few games.
But they don't do enough other things to win.

 

[huskeynut]

No one should be surprised that Maddie and Paige can work well together. The both played on teams where ball movement was SOP. I have said Maddie should be playing a lot more. Especially now that Paige is there.

Arike shot something like 2 ro 12. That's not going to get it done. I'm an "old schooler" played my basketball days in the late 60's. AO is what we would call a gunner. She is going to put up her shots regardless. She did it at ND and she has done it with the Wings.

I have no idea no idea about the Wings new coach and what his basketball priorities are. But letting AO run wild isn't going to get it done.

 

[GamecockFam]

No one should be surprised that Maddie and Paige can work well together. The both played on teams where ball movement was SOP. I have said Maddie should be playing a lot more. Especially now that Paige is there.

Arike shot something like 2 ro 12. That's not going to get it done. I'm an "old schooler" played my basketball days in the late 60's. AO is what we would call a gunner. She is going to put up her shots regardless. She did it at ND and she has done it with the Wings.

I have no idea no idea about the Wings new coach and what his basketball priorities are. But letting AO run wild isn't going to get it done.

I don't think taking 12 shots is "running wild". I do think that they need to have a conversation about shot selection. Arike has two problems 1) pulling the trigger to shoot before looking for a better shot and 2) Making her shot more difficult than necessary. I think if she can work on those two aspects of her game, then there will be no issues with some occasional razzle dazzle.

 

[azfan]

No one should be surprised that Maddie and Paige can work well together. The both played on teams where ball movement was SOP. I have said Maddie should be playing a lot more. Especially now that Paige is there.

Arike shot something like 2 ro 12. That's not going to get it done. I'm an "old schooler" played my basketball days in the late 60's. AO is what we would call a gunner. She is going to put up her shots regardless. She did it at ND and she has done it with the Wings.

I have no idea no idea about the Wings new coach and what his basketball priorities are. But letting AO run wild isn't going to get it done.

That's been the mo since she's been in the league.

My question is who lasts longer in the Big D Arike the rookie coach?

 

[azfan]

I don't think taking 12 shots is "running wild". I do think that they need to have a conversation about shot selection. Arike has two problems 1) pulling the trigger to shoot before looking for a better shot and 2) Making her shot more difficult than necessary. I think if she can work on those two aspects of her game, then there will be no issues with some occasional razzle dazzle.

This is what I've been wondering ever since it was apparent that Paige was headed to the Big D. It's going to take a master coach to figure out how to align the skill sets of these two guards given the entirely different type of game that they play. Or at least the type of game that one of them plays. Paige definitely knows.. .

Lieberman pointed out that while AO averages about 17 shots a game she's really more effective at least from her own point of view when she gets more. In fact isn't that AO's motto- I get more

 

[Dillon77]

This is what I've been wondering ever since it was apparent that Paige was headed to the Big D. It's going to take a master coach to figure out how to align the skill sets of these two guards given the entirely different type of game that they play. Or at least the type of game that one of them plays. Paige definitely knows.. .

Lieberman pointed out that while AO averages about 17 shots a game she's really more effective at least from her own point of view when she gets more. In fact isn't that AO's motto- I get more

Well, does the sun usually come up every morning?

This is Arike Ogunbowale we're talking about: "I (don't) think, therefore I shoot" which is either Descarte's hoop-playing brother or World B. Free.

Lieberman and you have it right: Arike has averaged 17.8 shots per game in her NBA career

I went back to her college stats and found that in the two years ND went to the National Championship game, she averaged 17.3 shots per game. So, the young woman from Milwaukee is nothing but consistent. (BTW, her running mate at guard -- one Marina Mabrey -- averaged 10.5 shot per game in those two season, primarily because she and Jackie Young split ball-handling duties.)

Arike has averaged 13.0 shots per game this year, which stands out primarily because she hit so few of the attempts. If she hit two or three 3's against Seattle, Dallas probably gets a W out of that game, because Seattle was scrapping the whole 2nd half.

But here are my druthers for late 2025 and 2026: there will be a whole new look to this Dallas team next season and I wouldn't be surprised if it does not include AO, who is an UFA. If Bueckers, Siegrist, Harris and a few of the other younger players are still around, they'll have a chance to have at it.

(p.s. This doesn't mean the season's over, btw. I could see some substitutions that, in effect, are almost like tag teaming: Paige with Siegrist, for instance. The other thing I've got to see from the new coach is how he incorporates Big T into the front-court mix. I simply can't see N. Smith and Hines-Allen holding off power forwards and/or posts in a way that Big T can for a bit.) One thing is for sure after two games: he likes Maddy Siegrist who plays all over the court!