espnW's countdown of the top 25 players in WCBB

[Plebe]

Counting down the top 25 women's basketball players for 2017-18

They're revealing five each day this week. Today was the second installment.

25. Ruthy Hebard, Oregon, So.
24. Myisha Hines-Allen, Louisville, Sr.
23. Morgan William, Mississippi State, Sr.
22. Monique Billings, UCLA, Sr.
21. Mercedes Russell, Tennessee, Sr.
20. Brooke McCarty, Texas, Sr.
19. Shakayla Thomas, Florida State, Sr.
18. Rebecca Greenwell, Duke, Sr.
17. Tynice Martin, West Virginia, Jr.
16. Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State, Sr.

 

[YellwJcket999]

My guess-3 Huskies in the top 10. 2 huskies in the top 5.

 

[EricLA]

I would like to see Nurse get some love. I hope she's not overlooked. As the leading scorer in the preseason, and given that we now expect Crystal to start, and Kia to remain as the 2G, her scoring options will be greater, and it would not surprise me to see her average close to what Napheesa and Lou do...

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

I expect all the Core 4 to be in the top 10, though Nurse could unfairly slide a bit lower. At least 2 top 5's, 3 top 7....

 

[Orangutan]

*Puts on homer hat*

Will be curious to see if they include anyone from ND.

Maybe Arike is in the next installment but if not then there likely won't be.

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

*Puts on homer hat*

Will be curious to see if they include anyone from ND.

Maybe Arike is in the next installment but if not then there likely won't be.

They will almost certainly include one Domer..... Arika... between 10 and 15, I'd guess

 

[BostonCanuck]

I would like to see Nurse get some love. I hope she's not overlooked. As the leading scorer in the preseason, and given that we now expect Crystal to start, and Kia to remain as the 2G, her scoring options will be greater, and it would not surprise me to see her average close to what Napheesa and Lou do...

Me too, big time. Moreover, why even try to rank the top 25 players until at least mid-season?

 

[nwhoopfan]

I think Billings is underrated, she should be ahead of several of the players she is ranked behind. Anigwe, Canada and Ionescu must be in their top 15. Probably no Stanford players on the list, can't imagine any of them being rated that high.

 

[Bigpetunia]

I think it's reasonable for us to assume, with a certain well-deserved smugness, that Lou, Gabby and Napheesa will all be included in the top five. What interests me more is the order in which those three alone will be ranked. Speaking personally, I would place Gabby first among our Elite Three, which I can guarantee this particular exercise will not do...these rankings are always more predicated on gaudy offensive numbers than anything else, meaning that the undisputed #1 defensive player in the country is more likely to be placed third (among the three). A'ja, of course, will be ranked #1 overall, but if I was composing the list she'd come in second place behind our #15, with Napheesa third and Lou fourth...just my bias.

 

[Bgillon]

*Puts on homer hat*

Will be curious to see if they include anyone from ND.

Maybe Arike is in the next installment but if not then there likely won't be.

She should be in the top 25. She is an electric player.

 

[triaddukefan]

Lemme try to guess the top 15 from the top of my head in no particular order. Jordin Canada, #20 from Oregon, lexie brown, Kalani brown, Asia durr, aja Wilson, Kia nurse, collier, Samuelson, Gabby Williams, Mitchell from Ohio state, Sophie Cunningham. That's 12... I guess the center from Cal makes 13.... And thats all I got. .... I can't see them putting Nared in the top 15. But stranger things have happened

 

[CocoHusky]

Lemme try to guess the top 15 from the top of my head in no particular order. Jordin Canada, #20 from Oregon, lexie brown, Kalani brown, Asia durr, aja Wilson, Kia nurse, collier, Samuelson, Gabby Williams, Mitchell from Ohio state, Sophie Cunningham. That's 12... I guess the center from Cal makes 13.... And thats all I got. .... I can't see them putting Nared in the top 15. But stranger things have happened

Did that Joanne P. Mccallieism that you slipped into (referring to players by #) have anything to do with her knocking your team out of the tournament last year?

 

[Plebe]

Lemme try to guess the top 15 from the top of my head in no particular order. Jordin Canada, #20 from Oregon, lexie brown, Kalani brown, Asia durr, aja Wilson, Kia nurse, collier, Samuelson, Gabby Williams, Mitchell from Ohio state, Sophie Cunningham. That's 12... I guess the center from Cal makes 13.... And thats all I got. .... I can't see them putting Nared in the top 15. But stranger things have happened

#20 from Oregon? Does it pain you to speak her name?

 

[Plebe]

Lemme try to guess the top 15 from the top of my head in no particular order. Jordin Canada, #20 from Oregon, lexie brown, Kalani brown, Asia durr, aja Wilson, Kia nurse, collier, Samuelson, Gabby Williams, Mitchell from Ohio state, Sophie Cunningham. That's 12... I guess the center from Cal makes 13.... And thats all I got. .... I can't see them putting Nared in the top 15. But stranger things have happened

I'd say those 13 are solid locks. I have a feeling that Ogunbowale of Notre Dame will be one of the other two. The last and final spot must be someone slightly off the radar. Maybe Jill Barta of Gonzaga or Katelynn Flaherty of Michigan?

This is my predicted order (*not* where I think they *should* be, but where I predict espnW will put them):
15. Barta 14. Nurse 13. Ogunbowale 12. Ionescu 11. Cunningham
10. Canada 9. Anigwe 8. Durr 7. K. Brown 6. Williams
5. L. Brown 4. Samuelson 3. Mitchell 2. Collier 1. Wilson

Edited to add: Wait, what about Azurá? She's gotta be in here somewhere. I'm actually not convinced that they'll put Kia Nurse in. Hmmm.

 

[Txhoopsalot]

So the preseason polls list Texas as high as 2 or 3, but the Horns' best player is only the 20th best in the country. No sign of any Longhorns on most first and second team preseason all American lists. I think one of the preseason expectations has to be wrong. For the Horns to finish in the top 4, someone has to play like a top 10 player. I would say top 5, if UConn players weren't sucking up 3 to 4 of those spots.

 

[mhshuskies]

I think it's reasonable for us to assume, with a certain well-deserved smugness, that Lou, Gabby and Napheesa will all be included in the top five. What interests me more is the order in which those three alone will be ranked. Speaking personally, I would place Gabby first among our Elite Three, which I can guarantee this particular exercise will not do...these rankings are always more predicated on gaudy offensive numbers than anything else, meaning that the undisputed #1 defensive player in the country is more likely to be placed third (among the three). A'ja, of course, will be ranked #1 overall, but if I was composing the list she'd come in second place behind our #15, with Napheesa third and Lou fourth...just my bias.

I would anticipate A’ja will be #1 and probably POY, but will she be the top draft choice? Gabby is so versatile, disruptive and flexible in her role on the court that she should be drafted quite high.

 

[CocoHusky]

So the preseason polls list Texas as high as 2 or 3, but the Horns' best player is only the 20th best in the country. No sign of any Longhorns on most first and second team preseason all American lists. I think one of the preseason expectations has to be wrong. For the Horns to finish in the top 4, someone has to play like a top 10 player. I would say top 5, if UConn players weren't sucking up 3 to 4 of those spots.

I agree that Brooke is too lowly rated in this list and that your entire conference might be under represented with only 2 players in top 25 and two Teams in the top 5.

 

[triaddukefan]

#20 from Oregon? Does it pain you to speak her name?

Did that Joanne P. Mccallieism that you slipped into (referring to players by #) have anything to do with her knocking your team out of the tournament last year?

Just typing from my phone, and instead of butchering her last name.. Figured it would be easier just to type her jersey number instead. How about I just type Sabrina I.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Just typing from my phone, and instead of butchering her last name.. Figured it would be easier just to type her jersey number instead. How about I just type Sabrina I.

It's even harder to pronounce than it is to spell it.

 

[cbraarj]

*Puts on homer hat*

Will be curious to see if they include anyone from ND.

Maybe Arike is in the next installment but if not then there likely won't be.

If not maybe at the end of the season when it counts.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

The Vivians fascination continues. Their writeup says she isn't engaged enough in things other than scoring, can't hit threes, and doesn't rebound well. Yet, there are only 15 players better in the entire country.....

 

[bizarro aj]

Why does everyone put Collier in front of kls? Kls is a much better shooter and passer and ball handler then collier. Where was the AA collier against miss st.? Only gabby and kls showed up in the final 4.

 

[YellwJcket999]

Logically speaking, you would think that the 12 ladies that made the USA U23 roster and the 3 players (5 minus the 2 duplicates) that made the USA national team training camp roster would be in the top 15. I'm just saying - the best of the best college players (U23) + college players good enough to make the national team.

So in all of this where does Azura fit. Does she make the list at all?
I agree. Kia should be in the top 15 at the very least (Top 10).

 

[Plebe]

Why does everyone put Collier in front of kls? Kls is a much better shooter and passer and ball handler then collier. Where was the AA collier against miss st.? Only gabby and kls showed up in the final 4.

You're cherry-picking. Guards are generally expected to be better outside shooters, ball-handlers, and passers than post players. Collier shot 68% from the floor on the season. She also had a lot more rebounds. Not saying I'd pick one over the other, but you can't base it off of one game. There were a number of games where Lou struggled and Collier dominated.

 

[YellwJcket999]

Why does everyone put Collier in front of kls? Kls is a much better shooter and passer and ball handler then collier. Where was the AA collier against miss st.? Only gabby and kls showed up in the final 4.

Please. Not this again. Collier's body of work speaks for itself. Yes she had a moment in the FF but so did the entire team.