DT3 v. Maya

[iamcbs]

I watched the Mercury v. Lynx Game last night and I found out two things. The Women's game is superior to the Men's game from a technical BB standpoint, and while Maya Moore is a superior talent and an athletic marvel, Diana Taurasi is the best female BB player in the world, maybe the GOAT.

 

[VAUConnFan]

I watched the Mercury v. Lynx Game last night and I found out two things. The Women's game is superior to the Men's game from a technical BB standpoint, and while Maya Moore is a superior talent and an athletic marvel, Diana Taurasi is the best female BB player in the world, maybe the GOAT.

All this from watching one game?

 

[reno tony]

Someone please explain to me the addition of the 3 on the end of some sports figures names. I under stand it started with RG3, but I need to know why it is used on others. Pleeeeeeeeease, I need help.

 

[Huskies990411]

RG3 is Robert Griffin III, so I assume that's how. As for Diana or Candace Parker, not sure about the DT3 or the CP3. Diana won 3 national championships, so perhaps that has something to do with it for her?

 

[NoelAustin]

I watched the Mercury v. Lynx Game last night and I found out two things. The Women's game is superior to the Men's game from a technical BB standpoint, and while Maya Moore is a superior talent and an athletic marvel, Diana Taurasi is the best female BB player in the world, maybe the GOAT.

Maya scored 30 points, and did as well or better than Diana in every statistical category except assists....Your conclusion might be correct, but I am not sure you arrived at it from watching that one game.

 

[jerlis]

RG3 is Robert Griffin III, so I assume that's how. As for Diana or Candace Parker, not sure about the DT3 or the CP3. Diana won 3 national championships, so perhaps that has something to do with it for her?

I believe it derives from the fact that they both wore #3 in college.

 

[iamcbs]

Maya scored 30 points, and did as well or better than Diana in every statistical category except assists....Your conclusion might be correct, but I am not sure you arrived at it from watching that one game.

I didn't arrive at my conclusion based on one game, it's based on a lifetime of watching BB in general and the two principals of this thread in particular. Last night's game was an opportunity to watch the two best teams in the WNBA, both at full-strength play. It's not about the statistics its about how both players elevated their games at winning time and when their respective teams needed them the most. DT3 turned her game up a notch above everyone else at winning time, as she seems to consistently do.

 

[iamcbs]

I believe it derives from the fact that they both wore #3 in college.

That is exactly the reason!!

 

[hoophuskee]

I still don't get why the Minny coach had Maya in-bounding the ball with 2-3 seconds left.

For the record, I thought both Maya and DT were absolutely spectacular last night. At this point, Phoenix needs the ball in DT's hands more imo once Minny had Seimone come back. But Maya was spectacular even with no SA and RB as they were injured prior to their return. IMO sometimes the appreciation of a scorer like Maya gets under-appreciated. Her ability to score from the perimeter and off of that-- beat her oppoennt off the dribble as they rush toward her -to make a shot or pass is absolutely awesome. Her mere appearance causes the other team's defense to spread the floor and defenses to over-commit to her outside threat. Her "making her teammtes better" isn't as obvious because she isn't a guard.

In addition, last night we could see the old Maya with her defensive help. On one play as well she ran down a player with the ball from behind just like she did against DePaul. Her ability to help-defend and intimidate and alter shots along whle also being a sly thief on the perimter is something special. Foir example, there were times when the ball wasn't in DT's hands or their pg on the outside, you got the feeling Maya would be there to pick off passes because she did it. The pressure Minny puts on disrupts the Phoenix passing game which means DT has to handle the ball more. And you know she is up ot it. She is just so strong and has such great vision and size for a guard, you can't bump her and thus make her off- blaance.

With that said DT's defense overall still has something special. She still is strong as an ox for a guard thus her rebounding is darn good. And forget about low posting like you can do with pg's. They tried to low post with Seimone and DT threw it back with a violent stuff/blocked shot.

Both teams and the stars all put on a great show last night. And as I said on another thread both teams can play better.

 

[reno tony]

Thanks everyone. I feel better now.

 

[chrissaran]

Diana and the Mercury have won two championships. Maya and the Lynx have won two championships in Maya's three years. Diana is 32. Maya is 25. If not for Phoenix tanking and getting Griner, I don't think the Mercury would have won another championship.

 

[j66kicker]

Thanks everyone. I feel better now.

If it makes you feel really really good, they both STILL wear the number 3. Part of their brands. Nike had DT3 Nike Air shoes when Diana first came to the WNBA.

 

[ctmom04]

They are both phenomenal players but I am not sure how anyone can say DT is better than Maya-sorry I just don't agree. They both will be starters on National team and the Olympics, I think we can all agree. Maya's numbers this year are incredible while Diana's are very, very good. In my opinion Maya has taken over that top spot in the world.

 

[j66kicker]

Here goes: DT is better.

Maya is incredible. DT is GOAT

 

[Lynx23]

DT is arguably the GOAT.
By the end of her career, Maya will be the GOAT.

 

[j66kicker]

DT is arguably the GOAT.
By the end of her career, Maya will be the GOAT.

That may be. I love them both. While at UCONN DT was better IMO. Maya is clearly more athletic, but DT has that killer instinct, that edge.

 

[Striper69]

As good as DT and Maya are I now think that Britney Griner should be the MVP.

 

[j66kicker]

I

As good as DT and Maya are I now think that Britney Griner should be the MVP.

I think she will be in a year or 2. But right now she's too streaky - when she gets dialed in she's unstoppable. But it's like she drifts in and out of that, just kinda hangs out sometimes. ??

 

[hoophuskee]

Diana and the Mercury have won two championships. Maya and the Lynx have won two championships in Maya's three years. Diana is 32. Maya is 25. If not for Phoenix tanking and getting Griner, I don't think the Mercury would have won another championship.

I don't agree with how you are going about this. While Phoenix tanked to get Griner, Minny's story was similar path in order to get Maya. Look at what happened to Seimone-- in 2009 she got hurt the whole year. In 2010 she was a shell of what she was before so they stunk , Thus when Maya came to Minny she had Seimone and Whelan "waiting for her." DT had nothing like that with Phoenix. And Brunson had her worst year in 2010 probably because Seiomne was still not healthy from the injury she sustained the prior year to take the load off. I specifically remember yapping on the old ESPN board how good Minny was going to be - though I can't remember details. I did expect Wiggins was going to be terrific too. I was way wrong there.

Maya fell into a fantastic situation.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/a/augusse01w.html

For the UCONN career I give a slight edge to DT - but not as much because I think DT "is really better." IMO Geno just happend to coach the DT teams's a bit better. He had said in Maya's sr year that there were two times he changed the game plan to get try to get Maya going to start the game. Both games they lost.

Coaches are human. They make mistakes. i still remember Muffitt being interviewed at final four 2 years ago when asked about Stewart's strong 1st half . She said she wasn't worried about Stewart and they need to worry about KML.

 

[hoophuskee]

As good as DT and Maya are I now think that Britney Griner should be the MVP.

I go with DT 1, and Maya-2. If Maya would have won Sat night- I would have gone with her. Though I have no probelm with Maya 1. IMO no one else is close. Including Griner.

DT sets up the offense- while actually being more a sg she easilay has transitioned into the team's pg for most mintues. . The offense is run by DT. I have been unimpressed with Erin Phillips. Thus Phoenix is starting 1 center, 3 forwards and 1 guard. The 1 guard is the engine. It's Phoenix's offense that has been special this year.

 

[Buzzyboy]

That may be. I love them both. While at UCONN DT was better IMO. Maya is clearly more athletic, but DT has that killer instinct, that edge.

What I remember is the pitiful performance that Dianna had in her freshman year in the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament. She KILLED the Huskies changes of winning a championship with one of the most woeful shooting performances in the history of the tournament and it cost the Huskies a title. I realize that she was only a freshman but Maya had an appreciably better result in her freshman year against Stanford though that also resulted in a Huskie loss. The only reason I bring this up is that some people make Diana up to be some infallible person who just wills herself to do anything she wants and that isn't quite the case. She's great and her 3 titles at UConn speak to her talent, particularly the latter two where she carried the team on her back. She has fallen short from time to time, as does everyone. I think they're both incredible but I am much more of a Maya fan because she doesn't come across as smug and arrogant as does Diana. Maya lights up the court when she performs and

 

[NoelAustin]

Buzzyboy, I think your first point is valid. Those who claim that DT is the best UConn player ever point to her three NCs compared to Maya's two. Though Maya won "only" two NCAA championships with UConn, it is also true that she never LOST a championship, as DT did with her 1/15 shooting performance vs. Notre Dame in 2001. In Maya's two college season-ending losses, she scored a total of 56 points. In 2008, Renee Montgomery tried to win the game from the three-point line; in 2011, the other UConn players seemed to prefer watching Maya win the game all by herself - both strategies failed. By the end of her Junior year, Maya had already passed DT's college career totals for points scored, rebounds, steals, and blocked shots. I give Maya a strong edge over DT as the best to play at UConn.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I watched the Mercury v. Lynx Game last night and I found out two things. The Women's game is superior to the Men's game from a technical BB standpoint/QUOTE]

I heard rumors that people said things like that over here but I didn't believe them.

 

[reno tony]

If I had to pick my All-Time greatest team ever from any league, any where, any time there are currently only two players I would consider with my first choice.... DT and MM. Maybe five or so years from now BS might join that same level.

45 TO GO​

 

[VAMike23]

"Diana's better!"

"No, it's Maya!"

"Diana!"

"Maya!"