espnW's countdown of the top 25 players in WCBB

[MilfordHusky]

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

10. Kalani Brown
9. Azura Stevens
8. Sabrina Ionescu
7. Asia Durr
6. Jordin Canada

View attachment 26023

A SOPHOMORE at #8. That's impressive!

 

[nwhoopfan]

Thats right because only guards can be athletic and mobile. Sorry Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker and Elena Della Donne, I guess you are just not mobile or athletic enough!

Come on now. I said less mobile, not immobile. Are any of those players anywhere near as athletic as Gabby? I think not. Name me a 6-5 player that can move and jump like Gabby. Pretty sure such an individual doesn't exist.

 

[Orangutan]

Come on now. I said less mobile, not immobile. Are any of those players anywhere near as athletic as Gabby? I think not. Name me a 6-5 player that can move and jump like Gabby. Pretty sure such an individual doesn't exist.

Jonquel Jones might not be too far away.

(I agree in principle with your point, just throwing that out there).

 

[Plebe]

Come on now. I said less mobile, not immobile. Are any of those players anywhere near as athletic as Gabby? I think not. Name me a 6-5 player that can move and jump like Gabby. Pretty sure such an individual doesn't exist.

Zach LaVine?

 

[nwhoopfan]

Zach LaVine?

Yes, men's basketball players 6-5 or taller that can jump like Gabby are a dime a dozen. I almost added a caveat about it being a female player, but thought it was implied enough. Can you imagine how much women's basketball could be revolutionized if men were allowed to play?

 

[Go/huskies]

Come on now. I said less mobile, not immobile. Are any of those players anywhere near as athletic as Gabby? I think not. Name me a 6-5 player that can move and jump like Gabby. Pretty sure such an individual doesn't exist.

IF said player does exist I hope Geno is around to coach her.

 

[shizam]

This is incredibly BAD for WBB...

Yes not a good look for WBB overall. Doubt there has ever been 4 players from one team ranked in top 10 and 5 in top 13. What a job by Geno.

 

[shizam]

Not a UConn fan but I’d take Gabby Williams as my first pick of all college players this year.

 

[shizam]

Kia started the season slowly, possibly feeling some pressure as the conference pre-season POY; however, she finished the season hot. In the first 2 rounds of the NCAA tourney, she shot 6-7 and 9-12 from the arc. Those are numbers that Lou, Maya, Diana, Kaleena, or anyone else would he happy with.

Kia was the only weak link on the team early in the season. She was shooting so bad you felt sorry for her. I didn’t realize she was recovering from hernia surgery.

 

[shizam]

Azura probably won’t be on this list. Not because she isn’t very good but exactly because of the reason you stated...

Everything we know about Azura so far is from her time at Duke and the expectation that she’ll be a better player because she’s now being coached by Geno. Can’t really place a player off of expectation alone.

FWIW, Allisha Gray wasn’t on this list last year either, likely for the exact same reason. It’s not far fetched to think that Gray was one of the top 25 players in the country last year.. Had Gray returned, she would be on this list. I suspect Stevens will be on the list next year if she returns.

Gray was a better pro her first year in WNBA then she was her last year at SC. She really surprised me. Not as much as Chong did by making the team and playing decent when she got playing time despite her injury. She is good. Chong was the X factor in the Sweet 16 vs UCLA. 16 points and nice defense

 

[shizam]

Did you miss the NCAA tournament? Kia established an all time record hitting an amazing 22 of 32 3-pt shots (68%)

Yes I didn’t see her good shooting nights which were most when you shoot 46% overall . Saw the bad ones and they were bad. She had no confidence early in the year. Did she improve.

 

[oldude]

Yes I didn’t see her good shooting nights which were most when you shoot 46% overall . Saw the bad ones and they were bad. She had no confidence early in the year. Did she improve.

Yes she did. Did you read my prior post?

 

[cbraarj]

1. Williams
2. Wilson
3. Mitchell
4. Lou
5. Collier

Finally someone got the first 2 right!!!

 

[cbraarj]

Come on now. I said less mobile, not immobile. Are any of those players anywhere near as athletic as Gabby? I think not. Name me a 6-5 player that can move and jump like Gabby. Pretty sure such an individual doesn't exist.

You said if she was 6-5 she wouldnt be that mobile! Stewie was mobile and athletic! Gabby is a world class high jumper that was the best athlete in CBB last year men or women according to Jay Bilas!

 

[nwhoopfan]

What if games are kinda fun, although inherently silly. If you stretched Gabby Williams and made her 6 inches taller, I tend to doubt she would be exactly the same player she is now, only 6 inches taller. If it was that simple, any player + 6 inches would probably have quite a bit more impact. Can you imagine Kelsey Plum being exactly the same, only 6-2 or 6-3? She might've averaged over 40 points and maybe 8 or 9 rebounds per game last year. And A'ja Wilson would be pushing 7 feet tall. As would Kalani Brown.

 

[nwhoopfan]

the best athlete in CBB last year men or women according to Jay Bilas!

I don't care if Bilas said it, that's just ridiculous. If she was competing against men, her athleticism would not set her apart from her peers the way it does now. That's a case of hyperbole is what that is.

 

[Plebe]

A SOPHOMORE at #8. That's impressive!

ESPN's top 25 is a very upperclassmen-dominanted group, with 14 seniors, 9 juniors, and only 2 sophomores. However, all 9 of the juniors are in the top 17.

It's interesting as well that Ruthy Hebard at #25 is the only other sophomore on the list. I'm glad she's getting recognized because I was a big fan of hers all last year when hardly anyone was talking about her.

Last year, it was Slocum, Ionescu, and Holmes who got all the publicity as potential NFOYs. Interesting that they decided to leave off Holmes, I suppose because of her suspension? And I can't help but wonder where Slocum would be ranked if she hadn't transferred.

 

[Reypl21]

Jay Bilas said that Gabby had the most complete season in cbb.

 

[DeeHusky]

So Jaime Nared didn’t make the list and Mercedes Russell did??? I wouldn’t put Ionescu that high. I would put Kalani Brown and Azura ahead of Asia Durr and Ionescu. I thin Brown has the potential to be Top 5, I just don’t want to say she’s better than any body in the top 5 except for Mitchell and depending on what kind of improvements she has made, Samuelson.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[nwhoopfan]

Thank you for the 2 clarifications. "Most complete player" is an entirely different statement than "best athlete."

 

[DeeHusky]

My top 5 would be:

1) Gabby
2)Wilson
3)Collier
4)Brown
5) Lou

ESPN probably will be
1) Wilson
2) Mitchell
3)Gabby
4)Napheesa
5)Lou

 

[YellwJcket999]

A SOPHOMORE at #8. That's impressive!

She is a walking triple double. She should be in the top 10.

 

[UConnCat]

ESPN's top 5

1. Wilson
2. Mitchell
3. Collier
4. Williams
5. Samuelson

The top 25 women's basketball players for 2017-18

 

[YellwJcket999]

Come on now. I said less mobile, not immobile. Are any of those players anywhere near as athletic as Gabby? I think not. Name me a 6-5 player that can move and jump like Gabby. Pretty sure such an individual doesn't exist.

I can't name a 6'5 player. I can name a 6'4 player.

Monique Billings is every bit as athletic as Gabby.

She is an ambidextrous finisher, she can sky, rebound and block shots just as good as the top players in the country. She is very quick, very mobile.