Fred Williams likely out as reported on halftime ESPN2

[eebmg]

Dallas's free fall will likely end in his ousting as reported at the halftime ESPN2 report following an intense altercation.

Probably necessary. Too much talent for them to be in the position they are now.

Maybe Erin Phillips steps in.

See Michelle Voeple reporting at bottom of link.

Dallas head coach Fred Williams, executive Greg Bibb involved in altercation

 

[Bigboote]

Is Williams or Bibb ultimately responsible for releasing Chong?

From my POV, this losing streak isn't getting old. If Saniya is rehired, I'll start rooting for them again, but it's much more fun to root against Skyler, Glory, and especially Liz.

 

[Kaizen]

Is Williams or Bibb ultimately responsible for releasing Chong?

From my POV, this losing streak isn't getting old. If Saniya is rehired, I'll start rooting for them again, but it's much more fun to root against Skyler, Glory, and especially Liz.

Same here. I will cheer for whoever the team beats Dallas ...

 

[HuskyFan1125]

IMO this isn’t just on Fred Williams. There has been some trouble under the water for some time particularly with leadership and executives. There are some BIG personalities on the floor that don’t always mesh and the issue with trading Powers and her run in with Kaela Davis. Lots of things going on there and i think it may have reached its peak unfortunately and right at the end of the season

 

[Carnac]

IMO this isn’t just on Fred Williams. There has been some trouble under the water for some time particularly with leadership and executives. There are some BIG personalities on the floor that don’t always mesh and the issue with trading Powers and her run in with Kaela Davis. Lots of things going on there and i think it may have reached its peak unfortunately and right at the end of the season

You can remove the "likely" out of the headline of this thread. Taj McWilliams-Franklin has been named interim coach the remainder of the season effective immediately. That profanity laced altercation with President and CEO Greg Bibb, was one Williams could not win. You don't get to cuss out the boss and keep your job. It appears that Williams not only lost Bibb's confidence and support, it's also is likely there were philosopical differences as well. Williams is a respected veteran coach with over 30 years of experience that will no doubt surface somewhere again soon.

Their game with the Aces in Las Vegas on Friday will determine who gets that final playoff spot. The Wings will lose Tuesday on the road against the Sun, falling back to the Aces at 14-18. The Aces will beat the Liberty on Wednesday (15th), and go up by 1 game at 15-18. The Aces must win Friday's game.
The Dream have won the first two games they've played against the Aces this season. The Aces have failed to cash in several opportunities to win games this season that they lost.

With 3 games left, they can still make the playoffs. Neither team should win their last game. The Aces host the Dream, the Wings travel to Seattle. With Angel McCoughtry unavailable for that game, the Aces may have a puncher's chance to win that game.

The players won't play any harder fot Taj than they did for Williams. As HuskyFan 1125 said, "IMO this isn’t just on Fred Williams. There has been some trouble under the water for some time particularly with leadership and executives". The players had a large part in the team's underachievement this year. There's some turmoil going on behind closed doors that they have managed to keep on the down low.

They've already indicated they will begin a search for a new HC immediately at the end of the season. I also suspect that players that can't/don't get along with other players, or can't/won't buy in to the Wings' overall team philosophy will not be on the team's opening day roster next year.

In other news -

• Veteran Lynx guard Lindsey Whalen announces her retirement at the end of this season.
• Atlanta Dream sign Adaora Elonu (TA&M) to a 7 day contract due to Angel McCoughtry's season ending injury.

 

[UConnCat]

Dallas's last game is against a Seattle team that may have already clinched first place and may want to rest its players.

 

[Carnac]

Dallas's last game is against a Seattle team that may have already clinched first place and may want to rest its players.

That is a possibility. That's the only way the Wings will win that one. If Seattle doesn't play to win that game, and loses, Dallas backs in to the post season. I'm pulling for the Aces. I like both teams, but I'd rather see LV in the post season after posting a league worst 8-26 record last year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Dallas completed fairly well today. Azura was hot early on and had about 13 points in the first quarter (3 treys). The score was tied after 1, but then EDD gave Washington a lead by hitting 3 treys quickly. Dallas trailed by 14 at the half and at least 21 in the 3rd quarter, but they cut the lead to 6 before losing by 13. They played without Liz Cambage and Kaela Davis.

 

[psconn]

Dallas Wings Relieve Fred Williams Of Coaching Duties - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

Fred Williams was very popular with the players. I wonder how much "Tibeault effect" there will be. Will doing this now fire up the players going into the last few games, or demoralize them? IMO seems like a move destined for failure in the short term.
EDIT: Just read the Howard Megdal article linked in another post above. WOW. I guess Fred made waiting til the season was over a non-starter.

 

[Striper69]

Is Williams or Bibb ultimately responsible for releasing Chong?

From my POV, this losing streak isn't getting old. If Saniya is rehired, I'll start rooting for them again, but it's much more fun to root against Skyler, Glory, and especially Liz.

I think it's OK for Saniya to sit out the rest of the season and rest for her overseas team where she makes most of her money. Wish I could see her play then though.

 

[Roger G]

It's pretty obvious watching Dallas that they don't have a lot of fun on the court. My guess is that it starts with Diggins. One observation of mine was that Azura, who used to smile a lot, stopped smiling much a few weeks into playing for them. I hope she does well in a losing effort. I also like Alisha Gray. She seems to be a real sweetheart.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Is Williams or Bibb ultimately responsible for releasing Chong? From my POV, this losing streak isn't getting old. If Saniya is rehired, I'll start rooting for them again, but it's much more fun to root against Skyler, Glory, and especially Liz.

I would normally agree with you, however, I now dislike the Aces even more. Since the Wings can block the Aces from the playoffs, I have to hope they win.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Apparently there are some major chemistry issues going on with the Wings. I've wondered if it was coaching, player issues or a combination of the two.

The Wings have no consistent scorer outside of Diggins or Cabbage and both have had some down games this year. The other pieces aren't bad but there isn't anyone else who can really deliver when one of those are cold or being well defended. Phoenix at least has Bonner who can easily put up big numbers to help Griner and Taurasi. Dallas doesn't have that.

I don't really care which of the teams makes the playoffs. Seattle has been gang busters all season and Atlanta has been a huge surprise. It should be a very competitive post season.

 

[Carnac]

It's pretty obvious watching Dallas that they don't have a lot of fun on the court. My guess is that it starts with Diggins. One observation of mine was that Azura, who used to smile a lot, stopped smiling much a few weeks into playing for them. I hope she does well in a losing effort. I also like Alisha Gray. She seems to be a real sweetheart.

I watch a lot of Wings games. I didn't notice players not smiling, I was watching and looking at their games from a different perspective. I thought they rooted and cheered for each other. It appears I missed it. I'll look at their last 3 games and note any display of dissension.

I like Alisha Gray too. I like her game. Shae always plays hard, and expression never changes. She played the same way in college. Agree that she does appear to be a sweetheart.

 

[shizam]

I would normally agree with you, however, I now dislike the Aces even more. Since the Wings can block the Aces from the playoffs, I have to hope they win.

I dislike the Aces and the Wings equally. Strangely both were my fave teams starting the season. Neither team makes me want to root for them now for different reasons.
Alisha Gray’s expression is funny. She’s got that childlike worried look all the time but it’s cute

 

[Carnac]

Apparently there are some major chemistry issues going on with the Wings. I've wondered if it was coaching, player issues or a combination of the two.

The Wings have no consistent scorer outside of Diggins or Cabbage and both have had some down games this year. The other pieces aren't bad but there isn't anyone else who can really deliver when one of those are cold or being well defended. Phoenix at least has Bonner who can easily put up big numbers to help Griner and Taurasi. Dallas doesn't have that.

I don't really care which of the teams makes the playoffs. Seattle has been gang busters all season and Atlanta has been a huge surprise. It should be a very competitive post season.

Agreed, there is some rumbling and player discontent in the kingdom. While I like the Wings and Aces, I also like the Sparks and the Liberty. Other than the Sparks, I never for a moment thought any of them had a snowballs chance of winning the championship this year. I commented on another thread that I believe this year's championship is Seattle's to lose.

 

[VAUConnFan]

It's pretty obvious watching Dallas that they don't have a lot of fun on the court. My guess is that it starts with Diggins. One observation of mine was that Azura, who used to smile a lot, stopped smiling much a few weeks into playing for them. I hope she does well in a losing effort. I also like Alisha Gray. She seems to be a real sweetheart.

You have obviously seen more Dallas games than I have. Based, however, on yesterday's courtside observation, Dallas, at least, competed very hard with their top scorer and rebounder on the bench unable to play. Early in the game, they were down 10 and came back, later in the game they were down 20+ and cut it to 6. You may be right about Diggins being a difficult teammate with whom to play. I have yet to read or hear such criticism.

 

[Roger G]

I would normally agree with you, however, I now dislike the Aces even more. Since the Wings can block the Aces from the playoffs, I have to hope they win.

Why do you dislike the Aces? A'ja Wilson seems to be a great baller and a real good person. Moriah...how can you dislike her? Is it the coach? Is it Plum? Is it McBride? Hamby? Alright, I'm starting to see your point. But I would like to know why you don't like them.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I think there's been some backlash against the Aces because of the game they forfeited.

 

[eebmg]

I am still an Aces fan. Not playing was not the greatest look and they have been penalized accordingly (no real choice) but I really like the way they play. I think they have a great nucleus of players and a coach that knows how to motivate. Seattle, Atlanta and the Aces are the teams I like watching the most at the moment

 

[Bigboote]

It's pretty obvious watching Dallas that they don't have a lot of fun on the court. My guess is that it starts with Diggins. One observation of mine was that Azura, who used to smile a lot, stopped smiling much a few weeks into playing for them. I hope she does well in a losing effort. I also like Alisha Gray. She seems to be a real sweetheart.

I would have guessed that if there's a player at the root of it, it's Cambage. The w\Wings all seemed to have a lot of fun lat year with Skyler the obvious leader. The thing that's changed among players who have some power is Liz. Plus she seems very self-centered and quite nasty. I obviously could be wrong and her private persona could be entirely different from her public (Griner comes to mind in that way), but she really seems like a piece of work from this side of the screen.

 

[Carnac]

I think there's been some backlash against the Aces because of the game they forfeited.

That observation definitely has merit.

 

[Carnac]

I would have guessed that if there's a player at the root of it, it's Cambage. The w\Wings all seemed to have a lot of fun lat year with Skyler the obvious leader. The thing that's changed among players who have some power is Liz. Plus she seems very self-centered and quite nasty. I obviously could be wrong and her private persona could be entirely different from her public (Griner comes to mind in that way), but she really seems like a piece of work from this side of the screen.

And her on court demeanor has become boorish, and getting worse as the season progresses. Every technical foul she receives hurts her team, and angers the coaches and players. I love players like Maya, Sue, Moriah and Stewie that can play under control and not hurt their team with technical fouls or whiney attitudes or body language when they don't get calls they think they deserve.

 

[j66kicker]

I would have guessed that if there's a player at the root of it, it's Cambage. The w\Wings all seemed to have a lot of fun lat year with Skyler the obvious leader. The thing that's changed among players who have some power is Liz. Plus she seems very self-centered and quite nasty. I obviously could be wrong and her private persona could be entirely different from her public (Griner comes to mind in that way), but she really seems like a piece of work from this side of the screen.

Bingo. I've always thought of Cambage as the Hope Solo of Australian WBB. Another thought - possibly Skylar doesn't care for not being the "obvious leader".....?

 

[psconn]

Liz has stated herself that her on court demeanor and behavior is markedly different from her "real" personality. In an interview from (I think) last year, she stated "On the court I am a horrible person...". Once the game is over, "I'm everyone's best friend again."