KML?

[OldAlum]

I saw that KML was listed as "not with the team". Anybody know what's up?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Don’t know. I think she did a WNBA-sponsored internship at Mater Dei in the off-season. Beyond that, I have no idea.

 

[shizam]

For a #3 overall pick KML did not work out at all. Even UConn can have WNBA busts
2015 draft was a total bust collectively.

 

[Goodgood]

For a #3 overall pick she did not work out at all. Even UConn can have WNBA busts

Why do you say that? She obviously was not cut or traded. Do you know something that we are not aware of?

 

[shizam]

Why do you say that? She obviously was not cut or traded. Do you know something that we are not aware of?

Easy. She was chosen 3rd and she cant get on the court. Also, she is a 3 point specialist and only shoots 32%. More proof, she plays bad defense and is very slow and being out of shape isn’t helping.
Here’s her minutes played. Started one game in three years.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

 

[Goodgood]

Easy. She was chosen 3rd and she cant get on the court. Also, she is a 3 point specialist and only shoots 32%. More proof, she plays bad defense and is very slow and being out of shape isn’t helping.
Here’s her minutes played. Started one game in three years.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

Geno certainly didn't mind having her in the lineup. When she played, she played well. The coach that kept her from playing got fired. "nuff said.

 

[UConnCat]

Kaleena is still in France playing with her French team. Not sure when she'll be in Seattle but I recall reading it will be after the start of the WNBA season.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Will be very interested to find out what's what.

Aren't there several players still playing in Europe? Kiah Stokes is listed as not with the team yet either. Couldn't KML be somewhere in Eastern Europe or Turkey still?

 

[Cheddie]

I don't follow the WNBA closely, but I recall reading she tore cartilage last year and needed an operation. Would certainly account for some of her statistics. I remember her @ UConn as just a phenomenal shooter and a great teammate.

 

[eebmg]

Very concerned. KML needs as much time with the Storm during preseason as possible. I do not think her position is at any level secure. I would think there should be a way written into her international contract to leave her team and come back in time for preseason.

 

[bballnut90]

I don't think she's getting waived this year. She's a terrific shooter, but she does need to improve other parts of her game to stick. 2015 was an incredibly weak year though. Loyd has been by far the best player from 2015 and she wasn't supposed to be in that class until she last minute announced she was going pro early.

 

[j66kicker]

Very concerned. KML needs as much time with the Storm during preseason as possible. I do not think her position is at any level secure. I would think there should be a way written into her international contract to leave her team and come back in time for preseason.

Unfortunately the overseas leagues are their ‘real jobs’.

 

[Carnac]

Geno certainly didn't mind having her in the lineup. When she played, she played well. The coach that kept her from playing got fired. "nuff said.

When she returns from over seas, KML will get a 2nd chance to make a first impression with the new coach Dan Hughes and his staff. Something most people don't get to do. I hope she takes full advantage of it. Her benching during her rookie year was throughly discussed on this board. Some posters thought KML's game and body configuration was not up to WNBA (team) standards. It was said her 1 on 1 defensive skills were dreadful, and that she could not create her own shot. It was felt that opponents would have little trouble stopping or neutralizing her. It was also reported that the coaching staff was working with her daily to correct those deficiencies, but that it would take time.

Because I am a fan of KML, I was very disappointed that she was not getting ANY playing time (garbage time at the end of games at best), and wondering why they drafted her only to let her languish on the bench. Most UConn first round draft picks come in and play right away. I thought perhaps head coach Jenny Boucek perhaps did not care for her (and wondered how much input (if any) she actually had on draft day), but at the same time I also knew that Boucek had a duty and responsibility to to the organization, the fans and her players to try and win as many games as possible. She failed in that attempt, and it cost her her job.

In hindsight, one can only imagine that she did not feel that putting KML on the floor (at that time) gave her team an advantage, or the best chance to win. We'll see how KML fares with the new coaching regime. Friday marks the beginning of her 4th year in the league. I think the title of one of Elvis Presley's songs would fit her return to the Storm this year..........."It's now or never". If not NOW, when?

I for one have not given up on her yet (I haven't given up on her classmate Kiah Stokes either). I'm hoping she comes back in shape physically and mentally prepared to endure the rigors of the coming season. I want to see the KML we saw her senior year in Storrs. I want to see her have a memorable breakout year in 2018.

 

[Kaizen]

Easy. She was chosen 3rd and she cant get on the court. Also, she is a 3 point specialist and only shoots 32%. More proof, she plays bad defense and is very slow and being out of shape isn’t helping.
Here’s her minutes played. Started one game in three years.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

KML is a bench player. As a bench player she averages 5.3 ppg is not too bad.
For comparison using the same sources, the #1 pick Kelsey Plum only averages 8.5 ppg.
Kelsey Plum WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

KML is a bench player. As a bench player she averages 5.3 ppg is not too bad.
For comparison using the same sources, the #1 pick Kelsey Plum only averages 8.5 ppg.
Kelsey Plum WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

KML has played three years in the WNBA. Each year, her ppg has gone down, from 5.8 ppg to 5.2 ppg, to 4.6 ppg.

Plum has played one year in the WNBA. Not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.

For a #3 overall pick KML did not work out at all. Even UConn can have WNBA busts
2015 draft was a total bust collectively.

@shizam , I was ready to dispute the second part of your post, but for all intents and purposes, you are correct.

Jewell Loyd is a star, and she really had a massive leap forward in her third year. Elizabeth Williams is an All Star. Kiah Stokes and Isabelle Harrison were nice pickups at the end of the first round. But many have been cut from the first round. And if you look at the preceding draft and the subsequent one, the weaknesses of the 2015 draft are even more apparent.

 

[Orangutan]

KML is a bench player. As a bench player she averages 5.3 ppg is not too bad.
For comparison using the same sources, the #1 pick Kelsey Plum only averages 8.5 ppg.
Kelsey Plum WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

Kelsey Plum was not good in her rookie year. Not the point of reference I would use. Both have failed to meet expectations so far in their WNBA careers.

 

[Jaybird65]

Very concerned. KML needs as much time with the Storm during preseason as possible. I do not think her position is at any level secure. I would think there should be a way written into her international contract to leave her team and come back in time for preseason.

Not going to happen when these leagues pay so significantly more than the WNBA & many of those international leagues are heading into or in their league playoffs at this time of year.

 

[Kaizen]

KML has played three years in the WNBA. Each year, her ppg has gone down, from 5.8 ppg to 5.2 ppg, to 4.6 ppg.

Plum has played one year in the WNBA. Not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.
.

Then we can just compare the first year performance between KML and Plum, 5.8 to 8.5.
Is this fair enough? Is this an apple to apple comparison?

 

[Kaizen]

Kelsey Plum was not good in her rookie year. Not the point of reference I would use. Both have failed to meet expectations so far in their WNBA careers.

One is #3 and one is #1 pick. Agree both are not really good.
But just be fair not to only criticize KML alone.

 

[Shades]

Will be very interested to find out what's what.

Aren't there several players still playing in Europe? Kiah Stokes is listed as not with the team yet either. Couldn't KML be somewhere in Eastern Europe or Turkey still?

KML’s last game in France was May 9. I’d be surprised if she doesn’t make it into Storm camp soon.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

One is #3 and one is #1 pick. Agree both are not really good.
But just be fair not to only criticize KML alone.

To be fair, Plum still made the All-Rookie team, which KML did not (and 2015 was a relatively weak draft, as I set forth above).
WNBA Rookie of the Year Allisha Gray headlines 2017 WNBA All-Rookie Team - NBA.com: NBA Communications

As an aside, Dallas just cut 2017 #3 pick Evelyn Akhator. There has been no indication that KML has been cut or is going to be cut (just that she is not yet with the team).

 

[willtalk]

Easy. She was chosen 3rd and she cant get on the court. Also, she is a 3 point specialist and only shoots 32%. More proof, she plays bad defense and is very slow and being out of shape isn’t helping.
Here’s her minutes played. Started one game in three years.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

I agree with mostly everything you say except that she is out of shape. Some people just have naturally big bodies. Her body began to change during the middle of her college career, it just didn't affect her shooting and defense because of the loaded team she was on. Some players do let themselves get out of shape but sometimes it is purely genetics. Usually the change happens in high school but in KML's case it happened in college. I don't think there is much that she can do to correct the issue.

I also seem to remember there were already a lot of threads on KLM's problems at this next level already.

 

[JordyG]

I agree with mostly everything you say except that she is out of shape. Some people just have naturally big bodies. Her body began to change during the middle of her college career, it just didn't affect her shooting and defense because of the loaded team she was on. Some players do let themselves get out of shape but sometimes it is purely genetics. Usually the change happens in high school but in KML's case it happened in college. I don't think there is much that she can do to correct the issue.

I also seem to remember there were already a lot of threads on KLM's problems at this next level already.

Unfortunately I remember one of her team mates saying after her first year that KLM needed to get into "pro shape". It was clear to me while watching her during her second year that she had gained even more weight.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Look at the videos of Kaleena's sophomore year. She was as trim as I've seen her. In fact, from a distance (nosebleed seats at Gampel), she looked almost like Maya. She started her junior year well, but had that excruciatingly painful elbow injury early on. It's possible that Kaleena's meds caused her to retain weight. How long that would have been the case, I don't know. I hope that the time Kaleena spent at Mater Dei this winter was good for her.

Part of the reason for Kaleena's subpar shooting has been who she plays with. Seattle's second unit is horrible on offense. No one can get K the ball in her sweet spots. I just saw that Alysha Clark just got a contract extension. If K played with the starting unit, where Jewell and Stewie get defensive attention and Sue and Stewie get her the ball, she would do much, much better. Let's see how K does with a new coach and a new backup PG, who is also from So. Cal.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Part of the reason for Kaleena's subpar shooting has been who she plays with. Seattle's second unit is horrible on offense. No one can get K the ball in her sweet spots. I just saw that Alysha Clark just got a contract extension. If K played with the starting unit, where Jewell and Stewie get defensive attention and Sue and Stewie get her the ball, she would do much, much better. Let's see how K does with a new coach and a new backup PG, who is also from So. Cal.

That's how I felt about Megatron this past season at UConn