Charde Houston

[vtcwbuff]

After early success in her career this year was a disaster. I don't know the reason, but there was a lot of DNP's, coaches decision, on her stat sheet. Will she be in the WNBA next year?

 

[uconn_nyc]

Hi vtcbuff

Re: Charde Houston. I think the style of play of teams like Atlanta or Phoenix would be better for her. I'd love to see her getting more playing time!

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

 

[John Fryer]

After early success in her career this year was a disaster. I don't know the reason, but there was a lot of DNP's, coaches decision, on her stat sheet. Will she be in the WNBA next year?

Congratulations to the Lynx, Maya and especially to Charde. Charde was part of a WNBA championship team. Wasn't she also a member of one of UConn's NC teams?

Peace,

JohnFryer

 

[Scotter]

Congratulations to the Lynx, Maya and especially to Charde. Charde was part of a WNBA championship team. Wasn't she also a member of one of UConn's NC teams?

Peace,

JohnFryer

No, Charde's class never won a national championship. They were able to get to the Final Four as seniors, which kept a streak of every class playing in a Final Four alive.

 

[Scotter]

Charde will likely be in the WNBA, but if she wants to play she has to go to an average to below-average WNBA team. Put Charde on a bad team and she can be All-Star, but put her on a good team and she will sit on the bench. Which actually isn't that uncommon of a situation for players that have grown up their entire lives as primarily scorers. More often than not there comes a point when the quality of team increases where their scoring efficiency no longer justifies their shot selection, especially when they are often not impact players in other areas of the games.

 

[semper]

I hope she is traded and has a great career. She means a lot to me; a spectacular person, and a truly great scorer.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I have no idea what kind of a person Houston is, but I don't think that has a lot to do with her ability to hang on in the WNBA.

My memories of Houston are mostly of frustration with her inability or unwillingness to buy into UConn basketball. Mel Thomas' comment about team mates not able to get through to her probably stands out the most.

I certainly did not think of her as a "great" scorer but I suppose that depends on what yardstick you use to measure greatness .

 

[DaddyChoc]

Charde was strong enough to stick around UConn all 4 yrs... that says a lot about her!

 

[semper]

Sorry, I was assuming that everyone on the Yard knew the stories about her difficult life as a child and her humanitarian activities as an adult. I shouldn't do that, I guess. She was a tremendous scorer in high school, and could have been in college too, perhaps in other circumstances. Who knows? Geno himself often commented on her ability to score; even when he was providing color commentary on some of the early games of this playoff series, he said something like "Charde never lacked the ability to score." Some of us, and I am one, always have wanted things to work out for her and follow her progress with high hopes. We were thrilled a few years ago when she was named an All-Star.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I am aware of her circumstances. Lots of college athletes have the same sort of background. I'm also aware of the huge opportunity basketball has provided and that she may well be squandering it.
For her to sit for the entire playoff indicates that there is something amiss. At UConn she had an option that she will not have in the WNBA. This year she ranked 111th in scoring. That doesn't bode well for her future.

Don't misunderstand, I don't have any ill will towards Houston but she will always be a mystery to me just as she was to Auriemma and her teammates. Sadly, it appears that her pro career is following the same path that she took in college.

 

[MilfordHusky]

By all accounts and appearances, Charde was a good teammate this year. And her team won a championship. The downside was the little faith that her coach had in her, as indicated my limited playing time. I hope she has a good winter season.

 

[dtbtbtb]

If I'm not mistaken not too long ago there was a great description (by Cam?) of Charde's game and weakness, that was on point in explaining exactly why she can't be a star on a good team.

 

[rington]

I am aware of her circumstances. Lots of college athletes have the same sort of background. I'm also aware of the huge opportunity basketball has provided and that she may well be squandering it.
For her to sit for the entire playoff indicates that there is something amiss. At UConn she had an option that she will not have in the WNBA. This year she ranked 111th in scoring. That doesn't bode well for her future.

Don't misunderstand, I don't have any ill will towards Houston but she will always be a mystery to me just as she was to Auriemma and her teammates. Sadly, it appears that her pro career is following the same path that she took in college.

 

[rington]

She has ability. There seems to be something about her mentality which prevents her from being a breakout scorer.

 

[Scotter]

If I'm not mistaken not too long ago there was a great description (by Cam?) of Charde's game and weakness, that was on point in explaining exactly why she can't be a star on a good team.

Cam's description matched my opinion of Charde's play and observations I've made in the past. And as I said above Charde is hardly alone in this in terms of being able to star on a bad team, but be of limited use to a good team. And the opposite type of player also exists. Players that are of little use to bad teams, but impact players on good teams. And to some degree this is something Charde can't change because she can't change her childhood and adolescent experiences. Athletes can change some things, but their instincts, personality, and athletic behavior are for the most part fixed at an early age.

 

[NCorBust]

Hi vtcbuff

Re: Charde Houston. I think the style of play of teams like Atlanta or Phoenix would be better for her. I'd love to see her getting more playing time!

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

I thought I was the only one who thought what you said. Sick, Dude, SICKO!

 

[UcMiami]

Charde was certainly not the reason her college teams didn't win championships, and we would have lost a lot more games if she had decided to leave. She was never a perfect fit with Geno and one of his 'failures' in terms of getting through to her and really improving her game. I respected her for toughing it out in a situation where a lot of young players would have transferred or quit.
I was sorry that she didn't get more playing time this year, and the few regular season games I saw where she did play, she looked pretty good in the Lynx system/style of play. I think more than anything, it was a numbers game this year. The previous years the Lynx had some devistating injuries to star players and they needed Charde to contribute big time to even be competitive. This year they stayed healthy and the players in front of her were better. I suspect that she will be moved to a different team next year, especially as the Lynx have another lottery draft pick coming in next year. But I do think she could contribute to quite a few other teams, including some of the playoff teams.

 

[DaddyChoc]

or Charde may stay in Minn. why would they NEED another superstar on the team. Seimone, Brunson, Whalen and Maya make up the nucleus all others need to know their role.

We all know they want to play play play but every team has cheerleaders, check the rosters. You'll be surprised who's better than Charde but buried on the bench (you can start with her mates Wright & Hornbuckle).

If Charde is happy and the coaching staff likes what she brings to the team... why change!

Charde would NEVER be the "go to player" on any WNBA.

I appreciate her spirit to stick it out on all levels... her past made her a very humble person, appreciates whats given to her.

Where is BTurner, Ann, Mel and a ton of others... Charde is on a WNBA Team.

 

[Joe6cats]

I thought I was the only one who thought what you said. Sick, Dude, SICKO!

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

+1, +1! Not to take away from all the positive remarks about Charde who seems to deserve all the good things a WNBA career can offer, but yeah that baby elephant trunk mauling is deeply disturbing. I guess on some level you can see it like you'd look at a Roadrunner cartoon and have a nervous chuckle, but only if you don't know what you're seeing. That elephant is probably dead, if not within 5 minutes of the photo, then slowly from having had maimed an extremely sensitive and vital for survival part of its body. If that's where your head is at, why not put up a photo of a dog getting run over, or a child with her hand caught in an automatic clothes mangle?

 

[Cafe Poliziano]

I have no idea what kind of a person Houston is, but I don't think that has a lot to do with her ability to hang on in the WNBA.

My memories of Houston are mostly of frustration with her inability or unwillingness to buy into UConn basketball. Mel Thomas' comment about team mates not able to get through to her probably stands out the most.

I certainly did not think of her as a "great" scorer but I suppose that depends on what yardstick you use to measure greatness .

CH is CH, she likely sits on the bench because she can't/won't do things her coaches want her to do, nothing new there. Geno experienced the same for four years.

 

[AboutWeston]

Charde Houston no longer plays for UCONN, not even the CT professional team, the SUN. I, for one, think this discussion is off track, but then, that is just my opinion.

 

[VAMike23]

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

+1, +1! Not to take away from all the positive remarks about Charde who seems to deserve all the good things a WNBA career can offer, but yeah that baby elephant trunk mauling is deeply disturbing. I guess on some level you can see it like you'd look at a Roadrunner cartoon and have a nervous chuckle, but only if you don't know what you're seeing. That elephant is probably dead, if not within 5 minutes of the photo, then slowly from having had maimed an extremely sensitive and vital for survival part of its body. If that's where your head is at, why not put up a photo of a dog getting run over, or a child with her hand caught in an automatic clothes mangle?

I'm not a big fan of that avatar either but I think people should make a few distinctions before going around talking about how the mindset behind putting it up might just as well show a maimed or injured child. I don't think that kind of hyperbole is warranted and it just adds more heat (than light) to this thread.

 

[UConn990411]

I am aware of her circumstances. Lots of college athletes have the same sort of background. I'm also aware of the huge opportunity basketball has provided and that she may well be squandering it.
For her to sit for the entire playoff indicates that there is something amiss. At UConn she had an option that she will not have in the WNBA. This year she ranked 111th in scoring. That doesn't bode well for her future.

Don't misunderstand, I don't have any ill will towards Houston but she will always be a mystery to me just as she was to Auriemma and her teammates. Sadly, it appears that her pro career is following the same path that she took in college.

Yeah, you're pretty off base here.

Charde is a classic "tweener" at the WNBA level - too small to play big minutes at the 4, not quite quick enough (at least defensively) and lacks the perimeter skills to be a full-time 3. On offense, she poses a lot of matchup problems and can score (as it is evidenced by her last two seasons), but she also gives up about as many as she scores.

The past two years, Charde was good enough to play big minutes for Minnesota; this year, they had better options at her position(s) (namely, they drafted Maya Moore). I agree with whoever said she needs to be traded a bad team, or at least a team like Phoenix/Atlanta, whose style of play she'd fit better in. But Minnesota, with all its talent on the wing, is just not a good match for her anymore.

 

[Joe6cats]

I'm not a big fan of that avatar either but I think people should make a few distinctions before going around talking about how the mindset behind putting it up might just as well show a maimed or injured child. I don't think that kind of hyperbole is warranted and it just adds more heat (than light) to this thread.

Well Mike, given that its all just opinions anyway, I happen to disagree that 1) there is hyperbole (unless you want to claim human pain matters, animal doesn't), and 2) that it is out of place to complain about the posting of a very objectionable picture on a public board shared by many kinds of folk. You may disagree that it is objectionable, but three people now have objected, and you say you are not a big fan. If there is a distinction to be made here, I'm at a loss to guess what it is. Perhaps there are more people cool with it than not, but without saying unkind things about mindset, I wish it would go away. 'Nuff said.

 

[VAMike23]

Well Mike, given that its all just opinions anyway, I happen to disagree that 1) there is hyperbole (unless you want to claim human pain matters, animal doesn't), and 2) that it is out of place to complain about the posting of a very objectionable picture on a public board shared by many kinds of folk. You may disagree that it is objectionable, but three people now have objected, and you say you are not a big fan. If there is a distinction to be made here, I'm at a loss to guess what it is. Perhaps there are more people cool with it than not, but without saying unkind things about mindset, I wish it would go away. 'Nuff said.

Of course animal pain matters. And nothing is wrong with complaining on the BY. The distinction to be made is that you're assigning your own idea of equivalency--"why not put up a photo of...a child [getting maimed]?" -- to make your point about his mindset. If you don't see a distinction between the avatar in question and a hypothetical avatar of a child getting his/her hand maimed in a machine, then I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

As I posted in another thread...

Charde was an All-Star in 2009, before the Lynx acquried Brunson.

Charde has had the same issues as she had in high school. She is not a great shooter when the offense is not designed to run through her or run plays for her. She has had bursts, but when she played her best was when she was more of the focal point of the offense. It is no coincidence that her best year was 2009, the year Augustus was injured (only playing six games) and the year before Whalen (trade) and Brunson (Sacto contraction) arrived. Wiggins basically ran the point (though Miller started most games and Montgomery started some, Wiggins was the main facilitiator). Anosike was the perfect complement to Charde, as Nicky knows how to play with other talented players around her, while being effective when the ball isn't in her hands (it is not accident Anosike led the team in steals, assists, rebounds, and points, when you take away Seimone's six games...amazing, given she was the center).

When more talented players arrived, Charde could not and did not adjust. She is only an average ballhandler at best, turning the ball over several times when she puts it on the floor. She basically has two go-two offensive moves that she uses over and over: a blindingly quick spin move that almost always frees her up for a drive or short shot; and a pull-up jumper from about 10 feet that she loves to take on the run.

She still needs to develop counter-moves...moves that she can use when her primary ones are taken away. She also needs to learn how to contribute when the ball isn't in her hands or when she isn't the focal point of the offense. She has not shown that she can do that. Her other problem is that she is basically a 5-11 power forward, the classic tweener (think LaQuanda Barksdale, Tracy Reid, etc.). She isn't big enough to play the four on a good team and isn't quick enough to play the three. So she is best suited coming off the bench, in terms of height. But her game needs to get there as well.

This is why Charde will put up great numbers on a bad team and bad numbers on a great team. Had she been on Tulsa, she might have put up 13 ppg. But until she learns these things set forth above, she is going to be on the bench for a good team...and toward the end of that bench.

The talent is there. The work in the offseason needs to be.​

 

[pap49cba]

Some in Minny are writing her off already...

"CHARDE HOUSTON, F
The skinny: The former WNBA all-star fell deeper on the Lynx's roster, appearing in 27 games as a reserve, and not at all in seven games. Averaged 2.9 points and 1.7 rebounds a game, and shot just 36.5 percent from the field. That likely isn't enough to secure a spot on next season's team"

LINK

 

[DaddyChoc]

every team has players "on the bench"... replacing Charde doesnt solve much IMO, the next person will be on the bench as long as Seimone, Whalen, Maya, Brunson, Adair, Wiggins and Im going to throw in Monica Wright... Hornbuckle & Houston may be replaced but for what type of player.
Taj may be the only REAL void they need to fill IMO and is Amber Harris the one that can replace her?

 

[VAMike23]

every team has players "on the bench"... replacing Charde doesnt solve much IMO, the next person will be on the bench as long as Seimone, Whalen, Maya, Brunson, Adair, Wiggins and Im going to throw in Monica Wright... Hornbuckle & Houston may be replaced but for what type of player.
Taj may be the only REAL void they need to fill IMO and is Amber Harris the one that can replace her?

I think (hope!) that Taj comes back next year, with somewhat reduced minutes so she can ease up a little at age 41 but still play. I think it's reasonable that the coaches challenge Amber next year to take the next step and be a bigger force. She has huge upside. This was her rookie campaign but by next year she will know the drill, and I would think she might also have some Euroball experience this winter. I like Minny's chances next year if Taj can come back and reduce her minutes, with increased in mins by Adair and Amber. Taj played 30 mins per game this year, Adair 12 and Amber 5. Adair is becoming a really good player and could easily go to 16-18 mins per game. Amber needs to be able to give 10-12 quality minutes next year. This could allow Taj to get closer to 20 mins per game to stay fresh and also give Brunson a couple less mins as needed.

It will be interesting to see how the lottery goes. This next year is not a very strong draft year but there will still be some good talent that Minny can take advantage of. I agree with you that Taj leaving would be the only CLEAR void that could need filling, but that they would fill that need from the bench. Otherwise, unless you trade the pick away for next year's draft, which is risky, you're going to get a player either directly from the draft or through a trade, so someone on your current bench would have to go. If Tulsa gets #1, they will probably take Nneka, but Minny could be still have players like Shenise Johnson, Dev Peters, and some other pretty good ones to choose from. Any of these would still be bench players obviously, just like Buck and Charde are now so it's not like you *want* to cut anybody, but what are you gonna do?

 

[EricSD]

Minny now has the benefit, with the exception of Taj, of being a really young team. i'm not sure of the average age of the teams in the WNBA, but take Taj out of the mix and you really do have a lot of youth on Minny. Taj - 12 years in WNBA, Whalen and Brunson 7, Augustus 5, and the rest of the team 3 or less years experience.

my point is i think they are set up pretty good for the next 3-4 years. when Taj finally does decide to retire, you will certainly lose a lot of experience. as VA pointed out, hopefully Adair and Harris can step up and give more minutes.

next year should be pretty interesting - hopefully Washington is healthy and Tulsa improves, but i have a feeling Tulsa is going to be at the bottom for a while. next year's draft is particularly weak with the top players being kids like Nneka, Tiff, Shenise Johnson, Glory Johnson, Shekinna Stricklen, Riquina Williams, Kizer, Prahalis, Peters, etc. i think they are solid players - role players on any team, but IMHO no super stars.

VA is exactly right - depending on what they need and what's available when their draft pick comes, they could end up with a good solid back up to the core they have now...