Evina starts tonight for the Lynx
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E started and finished the game playing 15 minutes. She scored 2 buckets in the paint, had 1 asst, 1 rb and two blocks. The blocks were on the perimeter, 1 against KLS. She played tight defense and kept her opponent in front of her except once when she turned her head and Britney Sykes scooted past her. She played some point and some off guard. The color commentator said she had absorbed a lot of information in a short time to earn the start. I'm guessing she also impressed in practice. Ariel Powers went to the bench so the Lynx would have scoring punch coming off the bench, ironically the same reason Evina went to the bench for UConn.
In what ended as a thriller with Nneka icing the win, the two centers played to a draw.
Liz opened the game on fire scoring the first seven points of the game for the Spark and ended the game with 6 of 10 shooting and 15 points.
The crafty vet also scored 15 for the Lynx and while she has slowed a bit out rebounded her counterpart and but for not hitting free throws would have topped 20 points.
This was the game to watch yesterday and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Refreshing after suffering through the Mercury debacle. Really no excuse for their performance and the defensive deficiencies of DT and her teammates have been glaringly obvious this season with BG absent. I really admire and appreciate DT's career but having Kristy Wallace take her to the cleaners should be a hint that this season return may have not been one of Diana's best ideas.
While it was fun to see Megan Walker feast on the absent Phoenix defense, it's a wonder she is in the W. Speaking of wonders how can Kristin Anigwe can set foot on any basketball court for pay.
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Why do you say this? Overall, I'm not arguing because I don’t follow WNBA much but I'm just curious why you state she "feasted on Phoenix" when in fact she wasn't as efficient as taking in stats for entire season prior to Phoenix. Before Phoenix she was 54.76% EFG%. That's very good.
Very odd looking at the shooting stats - that her 1st 3 games she was shooting extremely extremely well and averaged about 14 minutes. The next game she only gets 7. Then the next game she shoots terrible in a blowout then it's back to the bench for 2 straight games with only 4+ minutes.
OFC there are other facets of the game. SO maybe she is doing poorly there. However one of her prime characteristics was that she was a very good shooter. Which is why I suspect she got drafted in round 1. If one of her strengths is coming to fruition, just wondering why you think it being a wonder that she is in the W? Don’t teams also need good shooters? In this case, Walker is young. And if she is hitting, why shouldn’t she be in the W?
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Right on! Give me the dunk-o-mania of the NBA anytime!
Walker lacks the quickness, physicality and handle to contribute defensively. During her 3 years in the W her rebounding total has fallen each year and her turnover total has risen. While she has a tremendous ability as a spot up shooter she cannot create her own shot.
Given the athletic nature of front court players in the professional game she just can't body up and is consistently beaten off the dribble.
As you correctly pointed out she was drafted based upon her ability to shoot from range. Notwithstanding recent performance over her 3 year "career" she hits under 25% from three land, 32% from two land and under 66% from the free throw line. Underwhelming for a player drafted for shooting prowess.
Roster decisions at the end of the bench I think are based on salary considerations. I'm always surprised by some of the roster decisions on the last three spots on the bench. I guess it didn't hurt that Megan attended Uconn and had a solid career there.
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She should be defending sg's and small forwards. When you speak of " physicality" - I hope that doesn't mean they have used her at Power Forward other than a minute or 2 to set up a 3 pt shot in a specific offensive set. So are you saying she isn't physical enough and quick enough to guard shooting guards (some are spot-up primarily aren't they?) and small forwards? I can understand the "elite" players but other teams have players that struggle to shoot too as an example. I am not arguing but if she is defending a spot up shooter, then how is it that she can't be physical enough to defend other spot up shooting guards or even spot-up wings? She was an athletic, physical player for her size at UCONN. That's all gone?
I understand your point about looking at her career when it comes to shooting. But for players that are known as shooters, if they struggle early on, then over time their stats have accumulated to such a degree that you'd never justify playing the younger player ever again even if said player has now turned their shot around.
And on the defensive side the basketball-reference site has her defense graded as 98 this year. That’s pretty good. Yes her other two years were poor but how would you ever justify playing a young player if all you do is look back at the years they struggled and not the current year they are performing?
It just seems to me that if the player's strengths are coming to fruition - then her passing and assist which weren't strong suits from her past either -- then these are reasons why you have a coach. It shouldn't be the player doesn’t belong -- "yet." Maybe she doesn't- btu she is too young and potentially her shot too explosive. It should be to see if the coach can get the young player to start improving her passing as her shot is starting to become more of a weapon. Her shooting 46.7% from 3 is a weapon.
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"She was an athletic, physical player for her size at UCONN. That's all gone?"
The professional game is much different than the college game. Megan Walker is one of many examples of college players finding that out. Most college players and their game do not translate well to the W.
The professional game is much more physical at all positions and the athletes are much quicker. I'm not sure if an additional year would have helped Walker but it's clear that she's an end of the bench player at best.
So the skills she had in college or not gone they just haven't developed to be competitive at the professional level. The announcers in the televised game in which again earn some mop up duty indicated she spent hours after practice shooting. I'm not really certain how productive time spent and shooting is when the real challenge is her need to adjust her game to entirely different style.
Don't mistake my observation for a lack of respect or admiration for any of these athletes Megan Walker in particular. She was an above average college player if you remember there was some inconsistency and as her junior year progressed it appeared she was developing a bit of that consistency although her game has always been spot-up shooting from the three-point line
Contrast that with the development of KLS both in college and now in the W. Like Walker Katie Lou began as a freshman as a spot up shooter from the three line. As her career developed under the coaching of Geno and CD she was challenged to diversify her game and to challenge players in the paint. As we've seen her game now in the W she does not hesitate to seek out contact and play through that contact. She's become a fine defensive player and a very strong rebounder.
I think she has more physical gifts than Megan Walker but with that said the contrast couldn't be more stark.
That said I'm glad that Megan Walker is getting her a cup of coffee. It will be interesting to see how her career develops if at all.
eebmg
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A little payback on "Air McDonald" for the UConn / Az game
Evina definitely has that pro body.
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Article on Moma E from the Pioneer Press Via Yahoo.
www.yahoo.com
Evina Westbrook thrown into fire in rookie season with Lynx
Evina Westbrook was drafted in the second round by Seattle, then cut during the Storm’s camp. That’s the end of the story for a lot of draft picks. It’s difficult to make it in the WNBA with just 12 teams and small, hyper-talented rosters. But Minnesota’s injury issues were the UConn product’s...