2025 WNBA Regular Season | Page 87 | The Boneyard

2025 WNBA Regular Season

No one should have never been comparing any other rookies with Paige in the first place but people love to argue about these awards. They did this last year too with Clark and Reese even though that was equally pointless. Sorry just my opinion. I like all the players involved.

MVP is more interesting. It really looked like Phee was running away with it but A’ja has made a heck of a push while Phee has unfortunately been injured. A’ja is truly playing out of her mind!
 
Minnesota is on a two game skid, losing to both the Liberty and the Dream this week. Atlanta seemed keen on letting Minnesota steal the game with how they managed the last 30 - 40 seconds of the game however.

Personally, the Dream fully deserved to lose the game because of how they inbounded the ball and managed the clock. Especially the two half court violations. Sure, just give Minnesota the ball back on their end of the court with a full shot clock. Lovely idea. 🤦‍♀️
 
Aces are beating Phoenix like a rented mule.

Silly when ESPN said earlier today it was unreal to believe Las Vegas could finish top 3. Looks even dumber when they are top 3 sixteen hours later.
 
JstVisiting said:
Aces are beating Phoenix like a rented mule.

Silly when ESPN said earlier today it was unreal to believe Las Vegas could finish top 3. Looks even dumber when they are top 3 sixteen hours later.
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They’re red-hot now with 9 straight wins. Most encouraging from tonight’s blowout is that they did it with a relatively human game from Wilson.

It’s a forgiving schedule the rest of the way for the Aces. Of their 7 games left, they’ll be favored in all but one (Lynx) and possibly the Dream. But 6-1 is doable in which case they’ll wrap at 29-15 and almost certainly nab the #2 seed. Definitely not where anyone saw them a month ago. Hammon rises from the ashes.
 
Collier’s MVP throne, which seemed anointed until July, is starting to get hot. 9 games missed now on the season. If she misses another and is into double digits it could become a talking point. It’s not helping her cause that the Aces have an inside track for a top-3 seed now.

Collier been the best and most consistent player in the league and the clear MVP if you’re going off impact and production. The best ability is availability though. Minnesota’s lead over the rest of the league is bouying her but it’s fairly close now IMO.
 
I think it’s time to have the conversation about whether Rhyne Howard is truly one of the best wings in the league. Very good defender and has shown some nice playmaking skills this year but her efficiency is really poor. Down to 34% on the season. At 6’2” I’d think that percentage would be respectable just by virtue of being able to post up most guards. Probably not as many opportunities in a system with Griner and Bri Jones though.
 
GoChips20 said:
I think it’s time to have the conversation about whether Rhyne Howard is truly one of the best wings in the league. Very good defender and has shown some nice playmaking skills this year but her efficiency is really poor. Down to 34% on the season. At 6’2” I’d think that percentage would be respectable just by virtue of being able to post up most guards. Probably not as many opportunities in a system with Griner and Bri Jones though.
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She takes a lot of shots that would have me pulling out my hair as a coach. Her biggest weakness this season has been shot selection. To give her some grace though, she has been in and out with injuries and I think it is pretty obvious she is playing through some pain.
 
GamecockFam said:
She takes a lot of shots that would have me pulling out my hair as a coach. Her biggest weakness this season has been shot selection. To give her some grace though, she has been in and out with injuries and I think it is pretty obvious she is playing through some pain.
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Agree her shot selection is maddening. Her efficiency would be so much better if she didn’t force so many threes.
 
GoChips20 said:
I think it’s time to have the conversation about whether Rhyne Howard is truly one of the best wings in the league. Very good defender and has shown some nice playmaking skills this year but her efficiency is really poor. Down to 34% on the season. At 6’2” I’d think that percentage would be respectable just by virtue of being able to post up most guards. Probably not as many opportunities in a system with Griner and Bri Jones though.
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Jumper33 said:
Agree her shot selection is maddening. Her efficiency would be so much better if she didn’t force so many threes.
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I'm not sure Howard is a great fit alongside Jones, Hillmon, and Griner, as you say. This is pushing her out and I understand why she's jacking threes - that's the Simisko system.

And as much as Atlanta has turned it around this season, when you have four multi-time WNBA all-stars, you should expect a solid run. I'm not exactly sure who to blame between the GM and the coach, but the personnel do not match his system, and I feel like Howard is proof positive of this. Gray and Canada, by contrast, have flourished.
 
TheFarmFan said:
I'm not sure Howard is a great fit alongside Jones, Hillmon, and Griner, as you say. This is pushing her out and I understand why she's jacking threes - that's the Simisko system.

And as much as Atlanta has turned it around this season, when you have four multi-time WNBA all-stars, you should expect a solid run. I'm not exactly sure who to blame between the GM and the coach, but the personnel do not match his system, and I feel like Howard is proof positive of this. Gray and Canada, by contrast, have flourished.
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Funny you should mention this because Howard's name needs to be added to this list. She had input on this coaching hire. I remember hearing this during a game broadcast. Was able to find a link to an article with some quotes.

www.atlantanewsfirst.com

Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard refreshed for 2025 season

The two-time All-Star spelled out what she needed, and the front office listened.
www.atlantanewsfirst.com www.atlantanewsfirst.com
 
TheFarmFan said:
I'm not sure Howard is a great fit alongside Jones, Hillmon, and Griner, as you say. This is pushing her out and I understand why she's jacking threes - that's the Simisko system.

And as much as Atlanta has turned it around this season, when you have four multi-time WNBA all-stars, you should expect a solid run. I'm not exactly sure who to blame between the GM and the coach, but the personnel do not match his system, and I feel like Howard is proof positive of this. Gray and Canada, by contrast, have flourished.
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@cancontent

I'm not sure "blame" -- at least for the short term -- is something I'd be looking to point at either GM Dan Padover and/or Karl Smesko, at least this year. Atlanta went 15-25 and was the last team in the playoffs in 2024. While @TheFarmFan expects a solid run with four All-Stars, I'd say that this was the exact idea. The Griner-Jones double signing might've been overkill given Hillmon's improvement. However, the team is doing markedly better.

On one hand, I thought the emphasis on front court may or may not work, but Griner and Jones have always been pretty good at moving the ball inside out.

Is this line-up best for sustainable improvement? I doubt it, but I also think Padover knows it: Griner, Jones, Canada, Walker-Kimbrough and Gray are all UFA's after this year, so expect a different line-up. I suspect that the personnel will match up with Smesko's preferred kind of players. Note, however, that the player in question who started this -- Howard -- is signed.

Should be interesting....


p,s,. My gut is Padover bought time for himself and Snesko. Griner and Jones might be overkill, but with Gray and Howard gave Smesko solid personnel to get his coaching used to the NBA. And it allowed him to now scout and make some major makeovers for 2026.
 
GoChips20 said:
Collier been the best and most consistent player in the league and the clear MVP if you’re going off impact and production.
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A'ja is 1st in player efficiency, 1st in win shares (in 22 wins each), 2nd in rebounds, 2nd in scoring (and closing), 1st in blocks, and the best player.

This has always been Collier's Barkley-esque "she deserves one," perennial All Star, best player on best regular season team MVP. Missing this many games should cost her the trophy. She's pushing a full quarter of the season.
 
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