2025 WNBA Regular Season | Page 48 | The Boneyard

2025 WNBA Regular Season

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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.
 
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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. ;)
 
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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
 
Great ovation for DB. First Merc bucket DB to AT!

Cold shooting by everyone except Williams

The 1.2 million dollar coach seeks to improve his career W record to six games over 500.
 
Wow. Not only did Phx win without Sabally and Copper, but Thomas soundly outplayed Pheesa. Thomas guarded Phee, but Minny had Carleton and McBride guard Thomas. I wonder why?

The million $ coach is killing it. Fantastic hire. Good for him and Phx!!
 
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GamecockFam said:
The Valkyrie and Sparks have been kryptonite to the Fever this season. There is something about those matchups that the Fever struggle with.
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Someone was saying between the Aces last season and Valks this season, Kate Martin is undefeated in games against Clark. I haven't verified if that's true, but if so, pretty unreal (and fun) stat.
 
Of the Mercury's 20 games thus far this year, their big 3 (Satou, Copper, AT) have only played together 6 times. There have been multiple games, including the last two, where two of the three have been out with injury. And yet, Phoenix is 14-6 and sitting at 2nd in the league. This is an incredible coaching and GM job (most of the players on the roster besides the Big 3 and Sami Whitcomb have almost no WNBA experience) thus far. And as of right now, I think I'd put AT second in MVP voting (Phee still having a monster season).
 
bbsamjj said:
Of the Mercury's 20 games thus far this year, their big 3 (Satou, Copper, AT) have only played together 6 times. There have been multiple games, including the last two, where two of the three have been out with injury. And yet, Phoenix is 14-6 and sitting at 2nd in the league. This is an incredible coaching and GM job (most of the players on the roster besides the Big 3 and Sami Whitcomb have almost no WNBA experience) thus far. And as of right now, I think I'd put AT second in MVP voting (Phee still having a monster season).
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HUGE performance down the stretch for the Merc - AT was unguardable! Sami Whitcomb has been playing amazing - I had no idea she had a handle, in addition to her range. Westbelt also came up REAL big in the 4th.

Wonder how this team could have lost to Dallas. That said, the post all star portion of the season will be so interesting.

After DB dimed AT to open the scoring, later in the first half AT tried the same - DB missed the bunny, was fouled on the play. The energy and connection between the two was a joy.

Wonder about Nate as coach of the year.....hummmmmmmmmmm. In that event does he renegotiate - he was the first one million dollar coach in the W - would he then be the first two million collar coach in the W.
 
azfan said:
Wonder about Nate as coach of the year.....hummmmmmmmmmm. In that event does he renegotiate - he was the first one million dollar coach in the W - would he then be the first two million collar coach in the W.
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While I would love for Coach Nate to win, if GS continues to flirt with .500, Natalie Nakase has to be COY.
 
What a strange day. With Clark back, was sending Hull to the bench and keeping McDonald as a starter the right move? I guess nothing is really working w/ any consistency for the Fever this year, but still not what I would've done if I was coach.

Yeah, what the heck Seattle?
 
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Today was the first time that I have seen Skylar Diggins play since her Notre Dame days. She lady is a tiny twig in size. But she was talking a large bunch of crap when she was taken out of game and sitting on the bench.
 
jdote33 said:
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.
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In Nika's dreams, jdote33.
 
WNBA All-Star Game Trivia

The weird thing with the WNBA All-Star game is that they don't play them every season. The first was held in their third season and only played 21 out of 29 seasons.

Longest wait to become WNBA All-Star
Kayla Thornton becomes only the second player, joining Plenette Pierson in 2015, to make her first All-Star game during her 9th season (with an available All-Star game).

Gabby Williams becomes one of 5 players, after Tangela Smith & Tamika Whitmore in 2006, Anna DeForge in 2007 and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus in 2023, to make her first All-Star games during her 7th season (with an available All-Star game).

All the others were one-time WNBA All-Stars.

Play first 7 available WNBA All-Star games
A'ja Wilson joins 7 other players who played their first 7 available All-Star games. The others are: Griner (2021), Charles (2019), Pondexter (2015), Taurasi (2014), Bird (2011), Jackson (2009) and Leslie (2006).

Only Charles made in 8 for 8. With Bird (2013) and Griner (2022) injured and Taurasi sitting out (2015). The other three (Jackson, Leslie & Pondexter) it would be their last WNBA All-Star game. Jackson would be limited to 13 games in the only other season she played with an All-Star game. Leslie missed one for maternity and was not selected in the other (2009 at age 36) and Pondexter was not selected for 2 seasons (2017 at age 34 and 2018 at age 35).

Play first 3 available WNBA All-Star games
Aliyah Boston joins 23 other players who played their first 3 available All-Star games. The most recent players are: A'ja Wilson (2021) and then all the way back to 2013 with Nneka Oqwumike and Brittney Griner.
Note: Available 3rd All-Game Stewie was injured (in 2019, no game in 2016) and Collier only played 4 games that season (in 2022, no game in 2020).

Play first 2 available WNBA All-Star games
Clark & Reese join 36 other players who played their first 2 available All-Star games. Three of those never played another (Shoni Schimmel, Glory Johnson and Epiphanny Prince).

Play first available WNBA All-Star game
Bueckers, Citron & Iriafen join 59 other players who played their first available All-Star game. 13 were one-time WNBA All-Stars. Seven played in the first ever All-Star game (Timms, Gillom, Edwards, Bullett, Hampton, Brondello and Lobo). The others were Lennox (2000), Stiles (2001), Dales (2002), Anosike & Houston (2009) and Adams (2011).
 
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