2025 WNBA Regular Season | Page 52 | The Boneyard

2025 WNBA Regular Season

Geew1992 said:
The book is Clark doesn’t play defense. Makes ya wonder since the defense has been way better the last 4 games she’s been out
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To be fair, the announcers also mentioned Coach White said the team's defense while Clark has been injured wasn't great in some of their losses. It could be a combination of factors, not just the fact Clark is out.
 
Sifaka said:
View attachment 110453

The absence of Ogunbowale is contributing to a fine team effort for Dallas.
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Winning on the road is hard. Only one road team was able to win last night. And, it was not Phoenix. This performance was on par with the ACES.

Interesting as Dallas only had 8 players in uni. Do we lay this broken egg at the feet of little Nate or is this a full organizational breakdown. AT struggled but then again this was a LV type effort by the Merc. Is it a one off? Or is the shine off the rose? For 1.2 million what the Merc CEO called an intentional "significant investment" one has to wonder. This was clearly a negative ROI on the Merc intentionality. Dallas has one of the worst defenses in the league - and the Merc matched it.
 
Bone Dog said:
… and Aziaha James is looking like the little engine that could. She was good in college and looks good at the next level. Part of it is the Paige-effect, I suspect, but not all of it.
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all world - how much is her and how much is this the defensive "effort" of the Merc
 
nwhoopfan said:
I really hate to say it, but I think LA is now the 2nd worst team in the league. What the heck is going on with them?
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If we all knew, one of us would either be coaching that team or be in the front office hiring some of us to help with player personnel moves. I definitely would be playing Sarah Ashlee Barker more than 5 minutes.
 
On one hand, Minnesota's 92-75 victory over Washington was a pretty straight-forward story: 'Phee Collier and her cronies came back from a 24-16 first-quarter deficit with two straight 24-17 quarters to get the win. The Lynix kept the Mystics' backcourt of Citron and Sykes in check, as well as Kiki Iriafen.

In defeat, the Mystics got two performances off the bench from their young core group:
  • Aaliyah Edwards shot 6-7 from the field and 3-4 from the FT line to score 15 points. She also grabbed 6 rebounds.
  • Guard Lucy Olsen shot 7-10 from the field and 4-4 from the FT line, en route to 1 19-pt. night.

People have been calling the Mystics about Edwards' availability. To me, this is one reason why the Mystics should hold onto AE unless there's an offer you simply can't refuse. That performance, in roughly 18 minutes, against one of the best teams in the league is an example of what she can bring.
 
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Dillon77 said:
On one hand, Minnesota's 92-75 victory over Washington was a pretty straight-forward story: 'Phee Collier and her cronies came back from a 24-16 first-quarter deficit with two straight 24-17 quarter wins to get the win. The Lynix kept the Mystics' backcourt of Citron and Sykes in check, as well as Kiki Iriafen.

In defeat, the Mystics got two performances off the bench from their young core group:
  • Aaliyah Edwards shot 6-7 from the field and 3-4 from the FT line to score 15 points. She also grabbed 6 rebounds.
  • Guard Lucy Olsen shot 7-10 from the field and 4-4 from the FT line, en route to 1 19-pt. night.

People have been calling the Mystics about Edwards' availability. To me, this is one reason why the Mystics should hold onto AE unless there's an offer you simply can't refuse. That performance, in roughly 18 minutes, against one of the best teams in the league is an example of what she can bring.
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Edwards and Olsen had more points than the starting five. Add in Engstler and those three had over half the Mystics' points. I know it's only one game, but I'm with you -- the coach oughta be playing Edwards more, and the front office shouldn't trade her unless someone offers a really good package.
 
Gotta say, I LOVE seeing Vegas continually get their butts kicked. Chicago and Vegas are 2 teams who can't lose enough for my taste. Just one fan's opinion. I know some folks on here root for them...

Side note, Hammon needs to take it down a notch and look in the mirror. She basically has the same team of starters swapping out Loyd for Plum. It's pretty clear Plum is light years better while Loyd is fading, but come on Becky. Take some ownership. This is the 2nd or 3rd time she's thrown her team under the bus. It is shocking any of the players still want to play for her, and if I were one if them, I'd be close to a big "F-You" to Becky.

I get that she lost 2 assistants to Golden State and Chicago - so are we saying they basically ran the team while Hammon was busy doing other things - is that why her team sucks this season? Oh and while you are at it, blame the refs and the other team for playing a "rugby match". Good grief. Get her some cheese for that whine.

"That's a complete lack of professionalism to come here with that effort," Hammon said of the Aces, who at 8-9 are fifth in the Western Conference. "They played better yesterday in practice by a lot. I don't know how you step onto the floor with 20,000 people in the stands and perform like that. It is the worst offensive night I've ever seen [since] I've been here in the last four years."

"They were in the paint [getting] downhill layups all night," Hammon said. "I don't really have any answers for you. The effort and the focus just were not there. I thought they were grabbing and holding us, so it's a rugby match. My team doesn't want to play rugby, so we get our ass kicked. There has to be some fight back if they're going to allow that kind of physicality. My team has to step up and match that physicality, period."

"One team is fickle, and one team is not. One team is three steps behind, one team is not. They got all the 50/50 balls. They busted our ass in every kind of way. There's just no bones about it. It's one of the worst games I've ever seen."
 
EricLA said:
Gotta say, I LOVE seeing Vegas continually get their butts kicked. Chicago and Vegas are 2 teams who can't lose enough for my taste. Just one fan's opinion. I know some folks on here root for them...

Side note, Hammon needs to take it down a notch and look in the mirror. She basically has the same team of starters swapping out Loyd for Plum. It's pretty clear Plum is light years better while Loyd is fading, but come on Becky. Take some ownership. This is the 2nd or 3rd time she's thrown her team under the bus. It is shocking any of the players still want to play for her, and if I were one if them, I'd be close to a big "F-You" to Becky.

I get that she lost 2 assistants to Golden State and Chicago - so are we saying they basically ran the team while Hammon was busy doing other things - is that why her team sucks this season? Oh and while you are at it, blame the refs and the other team for playing a "rugby match". Good grief. Get her some cheese for that whine.

"That's a complete lack of professionalism to come here with that effort," Hammon said of the Aces, who at 8-9 are fifth in the Western Conference. "They played better yesterday in practice by a lot. I don't know how you step onto the floor with 20,000 people in the stands and perform like that. It is the worst offensive night I've ever seen [since] I've been here in the last four years."

"They were in the paint [getting] downhill layups all night," Hammon said. "I don't really have any answers for you. The effort and the focus just were not there. I thought they were grabbing and holding us, so it's a rugby match. My team doesn't want to play rugby, so we get our ass kicked. There has to be some fight back if they're going to allow that kind of physicality. My team has to step up and match that physicality, period."

"One team is fickle, and one team is not. One team is three steps behind, one team is not. They got all the 50/50 balls. They busted our ass in every kind of way. There's just no bones about it. It's one of the worst games I've ever seen."
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I definitely felt like her criticism was a little over the top. If Loyd thought Noelle was verbally abusive..

What's super fascinating to me is that when the Valks lose Nakase blames herself and the players blame themselves. Totally opposite culture. In some respects it's interesting that Nakase and Hammon seem to have clicked so well because their styles are very different off court. Maybe a yin and yang thing and Becky needs some new yin to dial her yang down a notch. Cause whether she's right about the players' efforts or not, it wasn't a good look and I don't see how that inspires rather than deflates her team.
 
JellyBean said:
After I read about how Golden State released Vanloo, it hurt a little but glad to see Vanloo got scooped up.
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The coach for the galleries said she thought doing it face to face was more professional. Also, didn’t know she skipped the celebration
 
EricLA said:
Gotta say, I LOVE seeing Vegas continually get their butts kicked. Chicago and Vegas are 2 teams who can't lose enough for my taste. Just one fan's opinion. I know some folks on here root for them...

Side note, Hammon needs to take it down a notch and look in the mirror. She basically has the same team of starters swapping out Loyd for Plum. It's pretty clear Plum is light years better while Loyd is fading, but come on Becky. Take some ownership. This is the 2nd or 3rd time she's thrown her team under the bus. It is shocking any of the players still want to play for her, and if I were one if them, I'd be close to a big "F-You" to Becky.

I get that she lost 2 assistants to Golden State and Chicago - so are we saying they basically ran the team while Hammon was busy doing other things - is that why her team sucks this season? Oh and while you are at it, blame the refs and the other team for playing a "rugby match". Good grief. Get her some cheese for that whine.

"That's a complete lack of professionalism to come here with that effort," Hammon said of the Aces, who at 8-9 are fifth in the Western Conference. "They played better yesterday in practice by a lot. I don't know how you step onto the floor with 20,000 people in the stands and perform like that. It is the worst offensive night I've ever seen [since] I've been here in the last four years."

"They were in the paint [getting] downhill layups all night," Hammon said. "I don't really have any answers for you. The effort and the focus just were not there. I thought they were grabbing and holding us, so it's a rugby match. My team doesn't want to play rugby, so we get our ass kicked. There has to be some fight back if they're going to allow that kind of physicality. My team has to step up and match that physicality, period."

"One team is fickle, and one team is not. One team is three steps behind, one team is not. They got all the 50/50 balls. They busted our ass in every kind of way. There's just no bones about it. It's one of the worst games I've ever seen."
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Losing Parker, but then losing Clark who is a complete player all around, with a do whatever is needed mentality makes Las Vegas just an ordinary team. Every great team needs a dog, some one who will do all the little things. Without worrying whether anyone notices. Clark has won 3 tittles with Seattle and Las Vegas without ever being a star, but always did what was needed.
 
jdote33 said:
I'm happy for King but I kinda don't getting cutting Jones to sign King. Haley Jones did have a really good outing. King is a bit better of a rebound but Haley is a more versatile player. And I know they didn't cut Haley per se but y not resign her
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I didn't get that, either.

As someone who's watched both for multiple years, Jones > King.
 
GamecockFam said:
They've seemed to have turned a corner over these past two games. I think a big part of it has to do with Aari McDonald bringing her aggressive defense and another part is just the team starting to find an identity without Clark on the court.
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I LOVE what I've seen from Indiana the past two games! They've played like DAWGS, and it's been great to see. AB is creeping back into the MVP conversation. Stephanie White is showing a passion that I haven't seen from her since AT's 2023 MVP-esque season. KM is FINALLY getting her due as an All-Star player (and she's the better Kelsey by a mile now).

And now for the elephant in the room :D :D :D :D !!!! How much does Caitlin's impending return affect this level of aggressive defensive play? It's no secret that this is how Stephanie White prefers to play, and everyone available to her the past two games is capable of playing this way. Caitlin is the only legit weak defender on the team now and she's coming off an injury, so it's going to be interesting to see what changes they'll need to make to accommodate her the rest of the way.
 
EricLA said:
Gotta say, I LOVE seeing Vegas continually get their butts kicked. Chicago and Vegas are 2 teams who can't lose enough for my taste. Just one fan's opinion. I know some folks on here root for them...

Side note, Hammon needs to take it down a notch and look in the mirror. She basically has the same team of starters swapping out Loyd for Plum. It's pretty clear Plum is light years better while Loyd is fading, but come on Becky. Take some ownership. This is the 2nd or 3rd time she's thrown her team under the bus. It is shocking any of the players still want to play for her, and if I were one if them, I'd be close to a big "F-You" to Becky.

I get that she lost 2 assistants to Golden State and Chicago - so are we saying they basically ran the team while Hammon was busy doing other things - is that why her team sucks this season? Oh and while you are at it, blame the refs and the other team for playing a "rugby match". Good grief. Get her some cheese for that whine.

"That's a complete lack of professionalism to come here with that effort," Hammon said of the Aces, who at 8-9 are fifth in the Western Conference. "They played better yesterday in practice by a lot. I don't know how you step onto the floor with 20,000 people in the stands and perform like that. It is the worst offensive night I've ever seen [since] I've been here in the last four years."

"They were in the paint [getting] downhill layups all night," Hammon said. "I don't really have any answers for you. The effort and the focus just were not there. I thought they were grabbing and holding us, so it's a rugby match. My team doesn't want to play rugby, so we get our ass kicked. There has to be some fight back if they're going to allow that kind of physicality. My team has to step up and match that physicality, period."

"One team is fickle, and one team is not. One team is three steps behind, one team is not. They got all the 50/50 balls. They busted our ass in every kind of way. There's just no bones about it. It's one of the worst games I've ever seen."
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If Plum is light years (I assume your using hyperbole) ahead of Loyd, then how is the LA Sparks one of the worst teams in the league with Plum as the number one option?
 
WBBTakeover said:
I LOVE what I've seen from Indiana the past two games! They've played like DAWGS, and it's been great to see. AB is creeping back into the MVP conversation. Stephanie White is showing a passion that I haven't seen from her since AT's 2023 MVP-esque season. KM is FINALLY getting her due as an All-Star player (and she's the better Kelsey by a mile now).

And now for the elephant in the room :D :D :D :D !!!! How much does Caitlin's impending return affect this level of aggressive defensive play? It's no secret that this is how Stephanie White prefers to play, and everyone available to her the past two games is capable of playing this way. Caitlin is the only legit weak defender on the team now and she's coming off an injury, so it's going to be interesting to see what changes they'll need to make to accommodate her the rest of the way.
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The Caitlin question has been rumbling around my brain ever since this last win. I'm scared her return is going to mess up their defensive rhythm. I kind of expect them to have two identities when Caitlin is on and off the floor. They'll be an offensive minded team with her playing and a defensive minded team when she isn't playing.
 
sivad40 said:
If Plum is light years (I assume your using hyperbole) ahead of Loyd, then how is the LA Sparks one of the worst teams in the league with Plum as the number one option?
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She's not. She's better, but she's not that much better.

The Plum defenders look foolish right about now. That girl made the biggest professional gamble in her career and it has not paid off. KP went from being considered the top guard in the WNBA in 2022 (by fans, players, and media) to being the 16th guard per player voting (because she was hardly on any player ballots) just three years later. And this is without her suffering a major injury of any kind during that stretch.

But yeah, let's continue to say that it was A'ja Wilson holding her back instead of it being A'ja Wilson covering up the funk.
 
GamecockFam said:
The Caitlin question has been rumbling around my brain ever since this last win. I'm scared her return is going to mess up their defensive rhythm. I kind of expect them to have two identities when Caitlin is on and off the floor. They'll be an offensive minded team with her playing and a defensive minded team when she isn't playing.
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And that (bolded) is not sustainable long term.

I've noticed that Stephanie White looks happier now than she has at any other point in the season. Sure, she loves being able to coach a generational talent like Caitlin. However, she likes playing a certain way and loves being able to play that way even more.

I'm happy for Steph, but I do not envy her one bit!
 
EricLA said:
Because Plum is surrounded by lesser players while Loyd is surrounded by Olympians.
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They lost last season in the playoffs with Plum; they just have gotten even more worse. This isn't 2023 anymore and other teams have made adjustments and improvements to their teams to beat the Aces.

I do agree with you that Plum is better than Loyd. Loyd was slowly declining in her final years in Seattle but she's falling off a cliff in Vegas.
 
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nwhoopfan said:
They barely ever had Parker. She played half a season, and she missed the playoffs. They won the second Championship without her. I look at it as they gave up Hamby for what ended up being only half a season of Parker, definitely not worth it.
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I agree with the long term, but man, they were stupid good when Parker was there. I know they won the title even with her injured but when she was healthy they looked like possibly the best WNBA team of all time.
 
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