Is this the Year to Tank in the WNBA ?

[Wbbfan1]

Many experts have said next years WNBA Draft will be the strongest in years. Is this the Year to tank in the WNBA? Are there multiple players in the projected WNBA draft that are true transcendent player like a Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, EDD or Candice Parker that will keep a team in contention for multiple years? I'd add Stewie, but she needs another year of seasoning before she's in the class of the players I've already mentioned. Will it make a difference if a team gets the 1st pick or lets say the 4th pick in the Draft. How strong is the draft as of today.

As of today, I don't think there is a transcendent player. If I'm a team with the first pick, I might take A'ja Wilson or who knows maybe Kelsey Mitchell might be the choice based on team needs. Is there a significant difference in talent between A'ja or Kelsey or perhaps Diamond, I'm not sure. Where does Gabby Williams fit, presuming she improves her outside shooting? What are your thoughts?

When Stewie entered the draft, there was no doubt she would be the 1st pick, regardless of the team that was going to have the 1st pick. I'm not sure there is that player next year.

 

[Checkmate]

I like Wilson and Gabby a lot - not enough to tank a season though. Mitchell and DD are streaky, no thanks.

 

[stwainfan]

I do think the draft will be real strong. I think it depends on how the season goes and team needs. As far as who should be the top pick. I think Wilson, Mitchell, DeShields in no order will most likely be the top three taken. Russell, Nared, Williams should also be among the top picks.

 

[Rb335]

The draft that featured the "3 to see" was the draft I think teams most wanted to tank for. Off the top of my head, it is the draft that featured multiple transcendent players. Although Griner and Diggins haven't reached the level of EDD, I think they both have the tools to reach that level. Both seem primed for big seasons this year.

Next years draft seems to have a lot of talent, but I'm not sure how many players will become perennial mvp contenders. I more view next years draft to have a lot of first round talent that could stick in the wnba for many years as very solid role players or players that compliment a teams number one option. In my opinion, Williams and Wilson have the highest ceilings in the league. I could see San Antonio wanting Wilson to round out their roster. I'm not convinced a team will tank to potentially wind up with the 4th pick next years.

 

[HopJim]

Many experts have said next years WNBA Draft will be the strongest in years. Is this the Year to tank in the WNBA? Are there multiple players in the projected WNBA draft that are true transcendent player like a Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, EDD or Candice Parker that will keep a team in contention for multiple years? I'd add Stewie, but she needs another year of seasoning before she's in the class of the players I've already mentioned. Will it make a difference if a team gets the 1st pick or lets say the 4th pick in the Draft. How strong is the draft as of today.

As of today, I don't think there is a transcendent player. If I'm a team with the first pick, I might take A'ja Wilson or who knows maybe Kelsey Mitchell might be the choice based on team needs. Is there a significant difference in talent between A'ja or Kelsey or perhaps Diamond, I'm not sure. Where does Gabby Williams fit, presuming she improves her outside shooting? What are your thoughts?

When Stewie entered the draft, there was no doubt she would be the 1st pick, regardless of the team that was going to have the 1st pick. I'm not sure there is that player next year.

Interesting off season thread. See 6-8 strong, but not MVP, level players. With low attendance, not sure any team can afford to tank.

 

[oldude]

Lots of talent in line for next year's draft, but only 2 potentially transcendent players IMO: Wilson & Williams. So if you're not going to be one of the bottom 2 teams in the W, you're still reasonably assured of getting a solid draft choice or 2 as a result of one of the deepest drafts in recent memory.

 

[Shades]

It's a deep draft, so there's less incentive to tank unless you're in love with A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Gabby Williams, or Diamond DeShields. I could see A'ja Wilson being a franchise type player.

If it were me, I'd rather make the playoffs and still get a really nice player in the first round, rather than to miss the playoffs for a shot of one of the players listed above.

 

[noirwestern]

It's a deep draft, so there's less incentive to tank unless you're in love with A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Gabby Williams, or Diamond DeShields. I could see A'ja Wilson being a franchise type player.

If it were me, I'd rather make the playoffs and still get a really nice player in the first round, rather than to miss the playoffs for a shot of one of the players listed above.

Guess the fact that it's a Sunday and I'm taking a break from work to change out of sweat drenched t-shirt has left me in a sour mood. I do love me some Gabby but her lack of size is going to be a hurdle every trip down the court. Mitchell will all but disappear against the bristling defense even the worst WNBA team is going to throw at her and do I really need to add DD to this column? The less said the better. Wilson looks good against weaker college teams, runs amuck, but as I remember it the tandem of Stewart and Tuck brought that to a screeching halt every time they met. She has a tendency to wilt against stout defensive play so what magical thing is going to happen this year to change that? I understand the urge people have to rah rah about the next draft but how many of them watched these players play against good defensive minded teams? I don't see much to get excited over and the idea of Wilson as a franchise player? China, maybe, but not here.

 

[oldude]

Guess the fact that it's a Sunday and I'm taking a break from work to change out of sweat drenched t-shirt has left me in a sour mood. I do love me some Gabby but her lack of size is going to be a hurdle every trip down the court. Mitchell will all but disappear against the bristling defense even the worst WNBA team is going to throw at her and do I really need to add DD to this column? The less said the better. Wilson looks good against weaker college teams, runs amuck, but as I remember it the tandem of Stewart and Tuck brought that to a screeching halt every time they met. She has a tendency to wilt against stout defensive play so what magical thing is going to happen this year to change that? I understand the urge people have to rah rah about the next draft but how many of them watched these players play against good defensive minded teams? I don't see much to get excited over and the idea of Wilson as a franchise player? China, maybe, but not here.

Gabby will most certainly be a guard or wing in the pros. At 5'11" her size will be fine. IMO, her incredible athleticism and consistently improving basketball skill set will allow her to dominate opposing players.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Guess the fact that it's a Sunday and I'm taking a break from work to change out of sweat drenched t-shirt has left me in a sour mood. I do love me some Gabby but her lack of size is going to be a hurdle every trip down the court. Mitchell will all but disappear against the bristling defense even the worst WNBA team is going to throw at her and do I really need to add DD to this column? The less said the better. Wilson looks good against weaker college teams, runs amuck, but as I remember it the tandem of Stewart and Tuck brought that to a screeching halt every time they met. She has a tendency to wilt against stout defensive play so what magical thing is going to happen this year to change that? I understand the urge people have to rah rah about the next draft but how many of them watched these players play against good defensive minded teams? I don't see much to get excited over and the idea of Wilson as a franchise player? China, maybe, but not here.

In the W the players you and others mention will have different coaches, play in a different style of play, have a different role amid different teammates. They will (if judged worth it, which I think all these will be) be put into a position to either succeed or not, and if they cannot, they will not be in the "W" anymore. I do not think you can (that easily) dismiss these players out of hand, any more than you can automatically declare that they will be first rate stars.

I suspect that they all will have some success, the premise of the thread has been, top to bottom, that they are relatively unlikely to be franchise players.

 

[stwainfan]

A'ja Wilson I think will do well in the WNBA. Diamond I think has the most potential of all players in draft. Mitchell has talent needs to play more team concept.

 

[stwainfan]

See UConn and Tennessee can team up.

 

[Shades]

Gabby but her lack of size is going to be a hurdle every trip down the court.

Does anybody have an idea where Geno will play Gabby next year: SF, SG, or utility off the bench? If she comes off the bench, I could see her dropping out of the lottery, but not too far. It's hard to imagine her not getting heavy minutes even off the bench. I consider her the heart & soul of this year's team. Hopefully she's working on her outside shot or she could be another Alyssa Thomas only with better defensive skills, which still sounds like a lottery pick to me.

Mitchell will all but disappear against the bristling defense even the worst WNBA team is going to throw at her

She definitely has what it takes for the next level. She could have a Plum-type year since she'll be in pursuit of the career scoring record. Plum was nothing to get that excited about before her senior year.

I really need to add DD to this column? The less said the better.

Kaela Davis seems to be transitioning well so far. DeShields is probably a little better.

Wilson looks good against weaker college teams, runs amuck, but as I remember it the tandem of Stewart and Tuck brought that to a screeching halt every time they met.

At the pro level, they won't be able to throw the whole team at her. She won the championship, so is there a little bitterness at work here? There's no better pro prospect next year.

I understand the urge people have to rah rah about the next draft but how many of them watched these players play against good defensive minded teams? I don't see much to get excited over and the idea of Wilson as a franchise player? China, maybe, but not here.

Compare the four names above with 2017's Top 4. Pretty stark difference, I would say. Not sure if you'd rather have a different 4 names or you consider the whole class weak.

 

[SCGamecock]

Guess the fact that it's a Sunday and I'm taking a break from work to change out of sweat drenched t-shirt has left me in a sour mood. I do love me some Gabby but her lack of size is going to be a hurdle every trip down the court. Mitchell will all but disappear against the bristling defense even the worst WNBA team is going to throw at her and do I really need to add DD to this column? The less said the better. Wilson looks good against weaker college teams, runs amuck, but as I remember it the tandem of Stewart and Tuck brought that to a screeching halt every time they met. She has a tendency to wilt against stout defensive play so what magical thing is going to happen this year to change that? I understand the urge people have to rah rah about the next draft but how many of them watched these players play against good defensive minded teams? I don't see much to get excited over and the idea of Wilson as a franchise player? China, maybe, but not here.

She sure did wilt against a Stanford defense that was hellbent on stopping her in the NCAA tournament. Vandeveer, one of the greatest tacticians in this sport we love, gameplanned her entire defense to stop Wilson and they still couldn't get it done against her when it mattered...

Yeah, she totally wilts.

 

[bballnut90]

Many experts have said next years WNBA Draft will be the strongest in years. Is this the Year to tank in the WNBA? Are there multiple players in the projected WNBA draft that are true transcendent player like a Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, EDD or Candice Parker that will keep a team in contention for multiple years? I'd add Stewie, but she needs another year of seasoning before she's in the class of the players I've already mentioned. Will it make a difference if a team gets the 1st pick or lets say the 4th pick in the Draft. How strong is the draft as of today.

As of today, I don't think there is a transcendent player. If I'm a team with the first pick, I might take A'ja Wilson or who knows maybe Kelsey Mitchell might be the choice based on team needs. Is there a significant difference in talent between A'ja or Kelsey or perhaps Diamond, I'm not sure. Where does Gabby Williams fit, presuming she improves her outside shooting? What are your thoughts?

When Stewie entered the draft, there was no doubt she would be the 1st pick, regardless of the team that was going to have the 1st pick. I'm not sure there is that player next year.

I don't see anyone in this draft at the level of the aforementioned players, although I think Wilson could develop into a Tina Charles type of player.

Not the year to tank, but it's a great year to load up on draft picks if you can formulate trades at the end of the year. So much depth in this draft--you could easily see 15-20 kids making rosters and 10+ being starters in the pros. Off hand, I think the following players have potential to be regular starters in the league:
-Aja Wilson
-Gabby Williams
-Diamond Deshields
-Kelsey Mitchell
-Jordin Canada
-Lexie Brown
-Jaime Nared
-Stephanie Mavunga
-Brianna Turner
-Myisha Hines-Allen
-Monique Billings

Wilson, Williams, Deshields, Mitchell, Canada, Brown and Turner have All-Star potential. Compare that to this year, and I don't see anyone other than Plum/Gray/Coates developing into regular starters...although Kaela Davis appeared to have an outstanding game today.

 

[triaddukefan]

She sure did wilt against a Stanford defense that was hellbent on stopping her in the NCAA tournament. Vandeveer, one of the greatest tacticians in this sport we love, gameplanned her entire defense to stop Wilson and they still couldn't get it done against her when it mattered...

Yeah, she totally wilts.

Wilson could part the Red Sea.......... or feed a sellout crowd at Gampel or the XL Center with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish... and alot on here still wouldnt give her any credit

 

[noirwestern]

She sure did wilt against a Stanford defense that was hellbent on stopping her in the NCAA tournament. Vandeveer, one of the greatest tacticians in this sport we love, gameplanned her entire defense to stop Wilson and they still couldn't get it done against her when it mattered...

Yeah, she totally wilts.

Watch the games, talk to the screen.

 

[JBMudd]

Don't forget that they take the results of last season into account when determining the lottery teams. So teams that finished in the middle of the pack last season would not be guaranteed a lottery slot if they finished in the bottom this year.

 

[Roger G]

I'll be shocked if A'ja Wilson is not a star in the WNBA. She has the body, the quickness, the scoring ability. They will not be able to key on her as much. The rules will give her more freedom. Rarely do you see a player who is better fit for success in the W, although she has some ways to get to Tina Charles level. But only three players have ever led the league in both scoring and rebounding in the same year.

 

[UcMiami]

Guess the fact that it's a Sunday and I'm taking a break from work to change out of sweat drenched t-shirt has left me in a sour mood. I do love me some Gabby but her lack of size is going to be a hurdle every trip down the court. Mitchell will all but disappear against the bristling defense even the worst WNBA team is going to throw at her and do I really need to add DD to this column? The less said the better. Wilson looks good against weaker college teams, runs amuck, but as I remember it the tandem of Stewart and Tuck brought that to a screeching halt every time they met. She has a tendency to wilt against stout defensive play so what magical thing is going to happen this year to change that? I understand the urge people have to rah rah about the next draft but how many of them watched these players play against good defensive minded teams? I don't see much to get excited over and the idea of Wilson as a franchise player? China, maybe, but not here.

I think we will see Gabby shooting much more from the outside this season and if she can get comfortable with that she has a bright future as a guard/wing in the W. If not I agree with your diagnosis.
Wilson should be good and could be very good. She has enough quickness with her height and enough strength to be effective in the W.
Mitchell - she should do well in the W - like her namesake out of SC who had a good rookie year. She is fast and a good passer as well as being a scorer. Will need to learn to play better defense.
Diamond - she is the one I question. She definitely has the athleticism to be great, but in college she has never been efficient or consistent and that is not just the lack of coaching. With mental and some physical questions (bad wheels have been an issue in multiple years) she has more 'bust' potential than the others.

 

[ConnNY85]

I don't see anyone in this draft at the level of the aforementioned players, although I think Wilson could develop into a Tina Charles type of player.

Not the year to tank, but it's a great year to load up on draft picks if you can formulate trades at the end of the year. So much depth in this draft--you could easily see 15-20 kids making rosters and 10+ being starters in the pros. Off hand, I think the following players have potential to be regular starters in the league:
-Aja Wilson
-Gabby Williams
-Diamond Deshields
-Kelsey Mitchell
-Jordin Canada
-Lexie Brown
-Jaime Nared
-Stephanie Mavunga
-Brianna Turner
-Myisha Hines-Allen
-Monique Billings

Wilson, Williams, Deshields, Mitchell, Canada, Brown and Turner have All-Star potential. Compare that to this year, and I don't see anyone other than Plum/Gray/Coates developing into regular starters...although Kaela Davis appeared to have an outstanding game today.

Wilson will DEFINITELY be a star in the W, the Tina Charles comparison is good cuz she can hit that 15 foot jumper with ease, she can rebound, block shots, moves very well, shes legit.

As a liberty fan i love to see Gabby in a libs uniform but i dont think she will slide that far in the end of the 1st round. With Bill Liambeer anything can happen. My preference if not gabby would be:

Jamie Nared
Lexie Brown
Monique Billings
Kia Nurse

 

[meyers7]

Does anybody have an idea where Geno will play Gabby next year: SF, SG, or utility off the bench? If she comes off the bench, I could see her dropping out of the lottery, but not too far. It's hard to imagine her not getting heavy minutes even off the bench. I consider her the heart & soul of this year's team.

Not exactly sure how Geno is going to use Williams next year, but I can guarantee it won't be off the bench. Probably use her as a Wing/3 type player. Although I imagine Stevens/Collier/Williams will rotate around a lot causing match up problems. Imagine the whole offense next year will be more fluid and less fixed on 1/2/3/4/5 positions. With many players who can shoot the 3 (Nurse, KLS, Collier, Stevens and hopefully Williams taking a few) and many who can post up (Williams, Collier, Stevens, and hopefully more of KLS), I think they will rotate who is playing the 1/2/3/4/5 in the offense.

 

[oldude]

Not exactly sure how Geno is going to use Williams next year, but I can guarantee it won't be off the bench. Probably use her as a Wing/3 type player. Although I imagine Stevens/Collier/Williams will rotate around a lot causing match up problems. Imagine the whole offense next year will be more fluid and less fixed on 1/2/3/4/5 positions. With many players who can shoot the 3 (Nurse, KLS, Collier, Stevens and hopefully Williams taking a few) and many who can post up (Williams, Collier, Stevens, and hopefully more of KLS), I think they will rotate who is playing the 1/2/3/4/5 in the offense.

Agree that the Huskies will exploit matchups with lots of interchangeable players. If, as I expect, Danger comes off the bench, then the starting 5 will include 5 players who can all pass and shoot, with no real ability for opposing teams to key their defense to stopping any 1 or 2 players.

My prediction for next year is that Kia will have a tremendous year, because opposing teams are going to have to give up something. With Lou, Pheesa, Gabby & Z on the court, Kia is going to be left alone a lot from the arc.

Considering that Kia set the all-time NCAA tournament record by hitting 22-3's on just 33 shots, in only 5 games, she may be the deadliest 3 pt shooter in the country next season.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Not exactly sure how Geno is going to use Williams next year, but I can guarantee it won't be off the bench. Probably use her as a Wing/3 type player. Although I imagine Stevens/Collier/Williams will rotate around a lot causing match up problems. Imagine the whole offense next year will be more fluid and less fixed on 1/2/3/4/5 positions. With many players who can shoot the 3 (Nurse, KLS, Collier, Stevens and hopefully Williams taking a few) and many who can post up (Williams, Collier, Stevens, and hopefully more of KLS), I think they will rotate who is playing the 1/2/3/4/5 in the offense.

I have this to say about that!

 

[SCGamecock]

Watch the games, talk to the screen.

Yeah. You're right, I don't watch enough South Carolina games. I'll try to watch more and hopefully get a clue in the process.