2025 WNBA Regular Season | Page 57 | The Boneyard

2025 WNBA Regular Season

azfan said:
Wow-Edwards is looking amazing. Certainly a major difference in trajectory over the recent games for her versus Iraifen. Steph looked really good too in the first half.
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She really hasn't been given a chance since the season started. Obviously taking advantage of Iraifen getting hurt like Iraifen did at the beginning of the year
 
cancontent said:
@TheFarmFan, just watching a montage of Podz during the Valkryries victory over the Fever during the Sky-Mystics halftime break. Seriously, when is someone going to set up a livestream of him on the sidelines during games? His energy is contagious and would be so much fun to watch while their home games are on TV.
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We're about 8 rows directly behind him and it's as much fun in person as it looks on TV. And pretty much any time he's on his feet to get the crowd up, we're already on ours. Podz has been at basically every home game so far and we've laughed that he should honestly just be our mascot - hard to think of how we could do better.
 
WNBA Groupings right now are:
1. Minnesota (17-2)
Gap

2-5 (Phoenix, NY, Atlanta, Seattle) all winning teams within a game a of each other

Gap

6-9 (Indiana, Washington, Vegas, Golden State), all .500 teams within half a game of each other

Gap

10-12 (Dallas, Chicago, LA), all have losing records within a game of each other

Gap

13. Connectictut (2-16)

Early predictions for the 2nd half of the year:

1. Minnesota comes down to earth a bit but stays as the clear cut #1 team all season. They look like they're on a mission.

2. If anyone drops from the 2-5 group, it's Atlanta. Phoenix is also somewhat of a wild card. They seem to have a good thing going, and I'm not sure adding in Bonner midseason actually helps them much. They're also working Kahleah Copper into the lineup which could make them lethal, but additionally it could also affect team chemistry. NY should elevate themselves as the clear #2 team in the league but they just don't seem as dialed in this season.

3. If anyone climbs up to the 2-5 group, it's Indiana (assuming they get Clark back). They've been so inconsistent this season though. I don't really see Vegas course correcting in a major way, I think Golden State is at their peak right now and I think Washington tails off as the season unfolds.

4. I could see Dallas moving into the playoff picture as they're starting to figure things out. They're 5-5 in their last 10 and their trio of rookies are playing incredibly well. I could also see Golden State and Washington faltering a bit and fall out of the playoff picture as the season unfolds. No shade to either team but I think talent wise they're not as strong as the top 6-7 teams. I never would've expected Golden State to be 9-9 at this juncture, so I'm not counting them out.

5. Connecticut is trending toward being one of the worst teams in league history. I think they'll pull it together to win 6+ games but their last 5 they've lost by 24, 26, 16, 39 and 18. Getting Mabrey back in the next couple of weeks is a big boost for them but they're kind of screwed looking ahead. They traded away their 2026 lottery pick and haven't been able to attract any top WNBA players in free agency. I'm not sure how they'll be able to attract anyone next offseason either.
 
GamecockFam said:
Who would get your vote for most improved player in the league: Naz Hillmon or Kayla Thornton?

Also, when are we gonna start talking about Allisha Gray being a serious league MVP candidate?
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Most improved player, out of those two names. I would give the nod to Kayla. Glad that she is getting that moment to shine. Naz definitely has stepped up and shown great improvement. Glad to see her doing well and the new coach understanding how to utilize Naz in a way to showcase her skills.
 
bballnut90 said:
Washington hangs on to beat Chicago. Reese with another monster statline in a losing effort with Cardoso out: 22 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists. Fifth straight 15/15 game.
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Holy smokes! What time was the game? Great numbers by Angel. Jeez. Washington let Elizabeth Williams put up numbers like that? Well done, Elizabeth!! I can't wait to watch this game later.
 
JellyBean said:
Holy smokes! What time was the game? Great numbers by Angel. Jeez. Washington let Elizabeth Williams put up numbers like that? Well done, Elizabeth!! I can't wait to watch this game later.
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1130… it was camp day
 
bballnut90 said:
WNBA Groupings right now are:
1. Minnesota (17-2)
Gap

2-5 (Phoenix, NY, Atlanta, Seattle) all winning teams within a game a of each other

Gap

6-9 (Indiana, Washington, Vegas, Golden State), all .500 teams within half a game of each other

Gap

10-12 (Dallas, Chicago, LA), all have losing records within a game of each other

Gap

13. Connectictut (2-16)

Early predictions for the 2nd half of the year:

1. Minnesota comes down to earth a bit but stays as the clear cut #1 team all season. They look like they're on a mission.

2. If anyone drops from the 2-5 group, it's Atlanta. Phoenix is also somewhat of a wild card. They seem to have a good thing going, and I'm not sure adding in Bonner midseason actually helps them much. They're also working Kahleah Copper into the lineup which could make them lethal, but additionally it could also affect team chemistry. NY should elevate themselves as the clear #2 team in the league but they just don't seem as dialed in this season.

3. If anyone climbs up to the 2-5 group, it's Indiana (assuming they get Clark back). They've been so inconsistent this season though. I don't really see Vegas course correcting in a major way, I think Golden State is at their peak right now and I think Washington tails off as the season unfolds.

4. I could see Dallas moving into the playoff picture as they're starting to figure things out. They're 5-5 in their last 10 and their trio of rookies are playing incredibly well. I could also see Golden State and Washington faltering a bit and fall out of the playoff picture as the season unfolds. No shade to either team but I think talent wise they're not as strong as the top 6-7 teams. I never would've expected Golden State to be 9-9 at this juncture, so I'm not counting them out.

5. Connecticut is trending toward being one of the worst teams in league history. I think they'll pull it together to win 6+ games but their last 5 they've lost by 24, 26, 16, 39 and 18. Getting Mabrey back in the next couple of weeks is a big boost for them but they're kind of screwed looking ahead. They traded away their 2026 lottery pick and haven't been able to attract any top WNBA players in free agency. I'm not sure how they'll be able to attract anyone next offseason either.
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Time out. Dallas has one 5-star talent at rookie (you can guess who that it is) and the other two have been playing well as of late. However, you're telling me Washington is not as strong talent wise, when - rightly or wrongly -- two of their top rookies are just named all stars and GM's all over the league are trying to poach Aaliyah Edwards from the young talented front line of Edwards, Iriafen and Austin? Plus, Brittany Sykes is having her break-out year? My guess for both Dallas and Washington is how well both neophyte coaches can maximize the talent they have into a cohesive stretch down the road. Dallas might like to play some defense.
Not sure if Coach J is riding with these players or even a little visa versa. We'll see.
 
Dillon77 said:
Time out. Dallas has one 5-star talent at rookie (you can guess who that it is) and the other two have been playing well as of late. However, you're telling me Washington is not as strong talent wise, when - rightly or wrongly -- two of their top rookies are just named all stars and GM's all over the league are trying to poach Aaliyah Edwards from the young talented front line of Edwards, Iriafen and Austin? Plus, Brittany Sykes is having her break-out year? My guess for both Dallas and Washington is how well both neophyte coaches can maximize the talent they have into a cohesive stretch down the road. Dallas might like to play some defense.
Not sure if Coach J is riding with these players or even a little visa versa. We'll see.
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I'm not saying Dallas is better than Washington, just that they're the most likely of the teams in 10-12 range to move up to be a playoff contender. And if anyone from the 6-9 range falls out of the playoff contending tier, I think it's Washington or Golden State rather than Indiana/Vegas (although if A'ja's out for any period of time, Vegas could tank). I'm not saying any of teams above necessarily will rise or drop from their current standing, just that they're the most likely teams to move up or down from their current tier.

Regarding the rookies, Citron is a stud. Iriafen seems to be hitting a wall as of late and isn't playing great but has proven she's pro ready and is having a very good rookie season. Aaliyah Edwards has great trade value for a lot of teams but isn't the right fit for Washington with Iriafen/Austin in the lineup IMO. She had a good game vs Minnesota but has only hit double figures once in the last month. I don't think she's going to be a difference maker for the Mystics this year unless Iriafen's production continues to tail off and Edwards takes her minutes. Sykes is great and should've been an all star. I think the Mystics are a solid middle of the pack team, I just don't think they're going to elevate to the level of where Seattle/Phoenix/NY are at.

For Dallas, they started horribly but are trending upward, winning 5 of their last 8 which has coincided with Li Yueru joining the team and Aziaha James enter in the lineup. James has been tearing it up, averaging 15.8 in the last 7 games and hitting double figures every night. I think her/Paige/Arike are a lethal backcourt lineup since they are all solid passers and can create their own shot. I hope James stays in the lineup when Carrington comes back, I don't think Dijonai is a good fit with Arike. Dallas' front court leaves a lot to be desired but Yueru has been an upgrade from Smith/McCowan and I think Dallas is trending in the right direction and could move up into the playoff contention tier if they can continue build on this momentum.
 
I see Annika Soltau in the box score for the Liberty. They must've just signed her. One time U. of Washington recruit from Germany, opted not to play in college, went undrafted by the WNBA.
 
JellyBean said:
I do hope that A'ja Wilson is okay and not out for any extensive time. She suffered a hard fall in the game tonight and sat out the rest of the game.
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Yeah, it looked a lot worse when she went down initially based on how she landed. I thought something happened to her left shoulder initially. Turns out the injury was her right wrist and she was able to rejoin the team on the bench.

What struck me was how quickly her team mates and Cloud surrounded her when she went down. A lot of camaraderie right there which was nice to see.
 
JellyBean said:
Most improved player, out of those two names. I would give the nod to Kayla. Glad that she is getting that moment to shine. Naz definitely has stepped up and shown great improvement. Glad to see her doing well and the new coach understanding how to utilize Naz in a way to showcase her skills.
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Agreed on both points. They're both having great seasons and deserve the recognition they are getting.
 
bballnut90 said:
I'm not saying Dallas is better than Washington, just that they're the most likely of the teams in 10-12 range to move up to be a playoff contender. And if anyone from the 6-9 range falls out of the playoff contending tier, I think it's Washington or Golden State rather than Indiana/Vegas (although if A'ja's out for any period of time, Vegas could tank). I'm not saying any of teams above necessarily will rise or drop from their current standing, just that they're the most likely teams to move up or down from their current tier.

Regarding the rookies, Citron is a stud. Iriafen seems to be hitting a wall as of late and isn't playing great but has proven she's pro ready and is having a very good rookie season. Aaliyah Edwards has great trade value for a lot of teams but isn't the right fit for Washington with Iriafen/Austin in the lineup IMO. She had a good game vs Minnesota but has only hit double figures once in the last month. I don't think she's going to be a difference maker for the Mystics this year unless Iriafen's production continues to tail off and Edwards takes her minutes. Sykes is great and should've been an all star. I think the Mystics are a solid middle of the pack team, I just don't think they're going to elevate to the level of where Seattle/Phoenix/NY are at.

For Dallas, they started horribly but are trending upward, winning 5 of their last 8 which has coincided with Li Yueru joining the team and Aziaha James enter in the lineup. James has been tearing it up, averaging 15.8 in the last 7 games and hitting double figures every night. I think her/Paige/Arike are a lethal backcourt lineup since they are all solid passers and can create their own shot. I hope James stays in the lineup when Carrington comes back, I don't think Dijonai is a good fit with Arike. Dallas' front court leaves a lot to be desired but Yueru has been an upgrade from Smith/McCowan and I think Dallas is trending in the right direction and could move up into the playoff contention tier if they can continue build on this momentum.
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Fair enough, all the way around.
With both teams, I think they're destined -- at least this year -- to be fighting for the last of those playoff spots (if at all). The bright side for both is next year.

With Washington, I'd be paying strict attention to how their frontcourt does individually and collectively over the course of the season. Iriafen is young in her class and is most certainly running into a wall. As much as I admire Austin's gumption and energy, she's got to hit those gimmies and free throws to cash in of the work done beforehand. Edwards needs minutes. All three are good....which ones will do it best for DC and what kinds of offers are coming in?

You're right this year about Dallas' backcourt: lot of firepower there and most the guards can swing it around.
Next year will be really interesting, depending on what the Wings/Arike decide to do, given she's a UFA.
 
JellyBean said:
I do hope that A'ja Wilson is okay and not out for any extensive time. She suffered a hard fall in the game tonight and sat out the rest of the game.
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This is the major reason I felt the team made a major mistake not taking LA pick this year rather than sending it to Seattle for loyd. They lost the opportunity to get Malonga who the could definitely use right now. This season appears to be lost anyway and Loyd is a bad fit. They could have built for the future. Wilson wants to play like a forward anyway. Malong is also a hybred to they could have formed a great tandom for next season and on. Right now they have to play Gray on the front line and that effects her efficiency. They admitted their mistake by their trade for Smith who they overpaid for out of desperation. She will help but not enough to warrent what will be a high draft pick. Another bad trade to fix a previous one.
 
Veronica Burton is a trip. Lol. Ive always liked her since her northwestern days. She kinda reminds me of Nika. Shes 5'9 but strong/physical especially on the defensive end. And she can create her shot offensively. She can look like one of the best players on the court or an offensive liability from game to game . She's putting up numbers today against the Fever.
 
Yikes - how did Indiana beat Minnesota for the Commissioner's Cup??? They just got steamrolled by Golden State, who, while no slouch, is not the best team in the league.
 
EricLA said:
Yikes - how did Indiana beat Minnesota for the Commissioner's Cup??? They just got steamrolled by Golden State, who, while no slouch, is not the best team in the league.
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Fire Elmo GIF

The chaos with some of these games this season, however this is Golden State's second victory against them. This GIF feels appropriate right now, though. ;)
 
cancontent said:
The actual quote from her interview on ESPN, per this Sports Illustrated article. On one hand it can sound like the Fever are better without Clark. On the other it can sound like the team can survive while she gets healthy as they don't have to be dependent on Clark.

People are going to take it the way they want to.

www.si.com

ESPN Analyst Claims Fever Are 'More Dangerous' Without Caitlin Clark

The Indiana Fever blew the Las Vegas Aces out on July 3, beating them by a score of 81-54 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena. This marks the second consecutive
www.si.com www.si.com

""I think that Indiana is even more dangerous when Caitlin Clark doesn't play," Peck said during a July 3 episode of SportsCenter, per an X post from Ken Swift. "Because she's a ball-dominant guard. The ball is in her hands a lot, so you know what you need to try to take away. But when you look at Indiana now, they've got so many weapons.

"When you have a point guard like Kelsey Mitchell, and Aari McDonald making plays on the perimeter, and a post like Aliyah Boston, I'm gonna tell you: Indiana, they are a threat. And it's specifically on the defensive end," Peck added."
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Fever made Peck look like a genious today
 
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