KML?

[willtalk]

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.

I still stand by my previous post that KML's weight problem is primarily genetics. Could she lose weight with the right diet? Certainly! It is, however true that some peoples genetics giver them a much higher mountain to climb. You just need to look at her body to see that she is more stout than fat. Some people are just naturally large. Take Charles Barkley. There was a player who you couldn't really say was out of shape or fat. Yet he was a large body. However he had the skills, quickness and athleticism to take advantage of his size. KML just is not athletic enough nor does she possess the basketball skills, She is basically a on dimensional player. Barkley was a freak.

You can see it is genetic because how quickly the change kicked in. Destiny Littleton is another example. In just one year her body made a huge change. One could see that in the 3x3 championships that she would have a hard time playing guard at a major program. Seeing the handwriting on the wall she transferred out of Texas. When boys undergo their metabolic change not only do they increase in size but their muscle mass increases as well. This does not happen with girls. Their hormonal changes do not kick in muscle development, it usually only results in size and weight gain. Even facial features often change. KML could certainly drop weight with a lot of effort, but she would never revert back to how she looked early on in college. She will always be a big girl and that certainly effects her quickness and speed. Attempt to lose to much mass and it will affect your strength.

As to your statement that KML would improve her shooting percentage playing along side better players, that can be said of anyone. The fact that she played on a loaded Uconn team certainly helped improve her shooting stats. Wings who can shoot are certainly an asset to any college team, and being on a loaded team like Uconn made it an ideal place for her. The thing is that any WNBA team is not that concerned out of getting the max out of KML, rather they want to put their best team on the floor. She basically is a one dimensional player at that level. Teams are always concerned with who a player can defend as much as they are about how well they can score. She is a defensive liability. She has also not shown herself to be valuable enough offensively to compensate for on the defensive end. . Seattle is not as concerned as KML's fans with putting her in a position of maximizing her effectiveness at the expense of the team putting their best players on the floor. The reason she is not playing with the first team is that she presents liabilities in other area's that do not make up for any advantage she might bring as a shooter. As the third player picked she was certainly given more opportunity to show what she could do than most players who are drafted lower.

 

[stamfordhusky]

It is, however true that some peoples genetics giver them a much higher mountain to climb. You just need to look at her body to see that she is more stout than fat. Some people are just naturally large. Take Charles Barkley. There was a player who you couldn't really say was out of shape or fat. Yet he was a large body. However he had the skills, quickness and athleticism to take advantage of his size. KML just is not athletic enough nor does she possess the basketball skills, She is basically a on dimensional player. Barkley was a freak.

Agree about Barkley being a tremendous athlete. But he also was an example that a large player can still get into shape. At Auburn, he weighed 300 pounds according to his own statements. Later on in his NBA career, he had dropped to 250 pounds and was clearly quicker, even as he got older.

 

[shizam]

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

She may be a bench player but she is not a good player. She doesn’t do enough. Saw her in a playoff game verse Atl Dream (during minutes that mattered) and she was a huge weakness on defense and did nothing offensively.
Atlanta won the game.

 

[shizam]

I still stand by my previous post that KML's weight problem is primarily genetics. Could she lose weight with the right diet? Certainly! It is, however true that some peoples genetics giver them a much higher mountain to climb. You just need to look at her body to see that she is more stout than fat. Some people are just naturally large. Take Charles Barkley. There was a player who you couldn't really say was out of shape or fat. Yet he was a large body. However he had the skills, quickness and athleticism to take advantage of his size. KML just is not athletic enough nor does she possess the basketball skills, She is basically a on dimensional player. Barkley was a freak.

You can see it is genetic because how quickly the change kicked in. Destiny Littleton is another example. In just one year her body made a huge change. One could see that in the 3x3 championships that she would have a hard time playing guard at a major program. Seeing the handwriting on the wall she transferred out of Texas. When boys undergo their metabolic change not only do they increase in size but their muscle mass increases as well. This does not happen with girls. Their hormonal changes do not kick in muscle development, it usually only results in size and weight gain. Even facial features often change. KML could certainly drop weight with a lot of effort, but she would never revert back to how she looked early on in college. She will always be a big girl and that certainly effects her quickness and speed. Attempt to lose to much mass and it will affect your strength.

As to your statement that KML would improve her shooting percentage playing along side better players, that can be said of anyone. The fact that she played on a loaded Uconn team certainly helped improve her shooting stats. Wings who can shoot are certainly an asset to any college team, and being on a loaded team like Uconn made it an ideal place for her. The thing is that any WNBA team is not that concerned out of getting the max out of KML, rather they want to put their best team on the floor. She basically is a one dimensional player at that level. Teams are always concerned with who a player can defend as much as they are about how well they can score. She is a defensive liability. She has also not shown herself to be valuable enough offensively to compensate for on the defensive end. . Seattle is not as concerned as KML's fans with putting her in a position of maximizing her effectiveness at the expense of the team putting their best players on the floor. The reason she is not playing with the first team is that she presents liabilities in other area's that do not make up for any advantage she might bring as a shooter. As the third player picked she was certainly given more opportunity to show what she could do than most players who are drafted lower.

Good point about Destiny Littleton because just from first glance she looks awful physically. If she can move and play well with that physique good for her.

 

[j66kicker]

I still stand by my previous post that KML's weight problem is primarily genetics. Could she lose weight with the right diet? Certainly! It is, however true that some peoples genetics giver them a much higher mountain to climb. You just need to look at her body to see that she is more stout than fat. Some people are just naturally large. Take Charles Barkley. There was a player who you couldn't really say was out of shape or fat. Yet he was a large body. However he had the skills, quickness and athleticism to take advantage of his size. KML just is not athletic enough nor does she possess the basketball skills, She is basically a on dimensional player. Barkley was a freak.

You can see it is genetic because how quickly the change kicked in. Destiny Littleton is another example. In just one year her body made a huge change. One could see that in the 3x3 championships that she would have a hard time playing guard at a major program. Seeing the handwriting on the wall she transferred out of Texas. When boys undergo their metabolic change not only do they increase in size but their muscle mass increases as well. This does not happen with girls. Their hormonal changes do not kick in muscle development, it usually only results in size and weight gain. Even facial features often change. KML could certainly drop weight with a lot of effort, but she would never revert back to how she looked early on in college. She will always be a big girl and that certainly effects her quickness and speed. Attempt to lose to much mass and it will affect your strength.

As to your statement that KML would improve her shooting percentage playing along side better players, that can be said of anyone. The fact that she played on a loaded Uconn team certainly helped improve her shooting stats. Wings who can shoot are certainly an asset to any college team, and being on a loaded team like Uconn made it an ideal place for her. The thing is that any WNBA team is not that concerned out of getting the max out of KML, rather they want to put their best team on the floor. She basically is a one dimensional player at that level. Teams are always concerned with who a player can defend as much as they are about how well they can score. She is a defensive liability. She has also not shown herself to be valuable enough offensively to compensate for on the defensive end. . Seattle is not as concerned as KML's fans with putting her in a position of maximizing her effectiveness at the expense of the team putting their best players on the floor. The reason she is not playing with the first team is that she presents liabilities in other area's that do not make up for any advantage she might bring as a shooter. As the third player picked she was certainly given more opportunity to show what she could do than most players who are drafted lower.

Yes the "Round Mound of Rebound" had a 'large body' - heh heh. And his large body happened to be larger when he was eating too much food and/or drinking too much beer. As someone who is 'genetically disposed' to being fat, I agree is is harder for some to maintain a fitter weight. But, even if I have to try harder, I don't want to be fat so I just try harder. Genetic disposition or not, I still maintain for most of us this is a lifestyle decision. But for a professional athlete it's a career decision. Either way, unless one truly has a medical condition, it's a decision.

 

[shizam]

Yes the "Round Mound of Rebound" had a 'large body' - heh heh. And his large body happened to be larger when he was eating too much food and/or drinking too much beer. As someone who is 'genetically disposed' to being fat, I agree is is harder for some to maintain a fitter weight. But, even if I have to try harder, I don't want to be fat so I just try harder. Genetic disposition or not, I still maintain for most of us this is a lifestyle decision. But for a professional athlete it's a career decision. Either way, unless one truly has a medical condition, it's a decision.

Shoni Schimmel is another. Disclaimer I am a Schimmel fan though I don’t think she would have done much in WNBA even if she was in great shape because of her style of play.

 

[j66kicker]

Shoni Schimmel is another. Disclaimer I am a Schimmel fan though I don’t think she would have done much in WNBA even if she was in great shape because of her style of play.

Would have been nice to find out, though.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree that Kaleena would benefit from being lighter and in better shape. I also recognize that the professional game is a level above WCBB, but Kaleena has a skill that few others have. Her shot was legendary in high school. She was a 3x All-American in high school and a 2-time (would have been 3-time if not for injury) All-American in college on national championship teams. Her shooting stats for her sophomore and senior years were .528/.492./.895 and .518/.488/.895. She was the best 3-point shooter in terms of volume and accuracy in WCBB ever and held the career record for a couple of years. I still think she has been under-utilized in Seattle.

 

[Hayven]

yeah KML is a terrible player...so much so that, today, Seattle extended her contract per the WNBA News Transactions

 

[MilfordHusky]

Would have been nice to find out, though.

Shoni was picked up by Las Vegas.

 

[j66kicker]

Shoni was picked up by Las Vegas.

That's great to hear. What I meant, though, was it would have been nice to find out how she would play if she was at "fighting weight." Maybe we will.... ?

 

[MilfordHusky]

That's great to hear. What I meant, though, was it would have been nice to find out how she would play if she was at "fighting weight." Maybe we will.... ?

Shoni has skills. Can she play with discipline, defend, and run as much as needed? I haven't seen her this season. I hope she is fairly trim--or committed to getting trim.

 

[MilfordHusky]

This is Kaleena at her trimmest. If not for Stewie's heroics, K could have been the Final Four MOP.

 

[trisailin]

She may be a bench player but she is not a good player.

@shizam: I don't know what KML did to you but please pick up a bit of objectivity. I do hope you realize that she's recognized BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR PAYCHECK ON THE LINE as being one of the top 150-175 women basketball players IN THE WORLD. Are you in the top 175 people IN THE WORLD in anything? I'm pretty sure I'm not.

 

[stamfordhusky]

@shizam: I don't know what KML did to you but please pick up a bit of objectivity. I do hope you realize that she's recognized BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR PAYCHECK ON THE LINE as being one of the top 150-175 women basketball players IN THE WORLD. Are you in the top 175 people IN THE WORLD in anything? I'm pretty sure I'm not.

She's a great player IF you are comparing her to the entire population of the world. She is not a good player if she is being compared to the players in the WNBA. If she wants to earn playing time, the latter is her competition.

 

[OldAlum]

KML was a great shooter in HS and college. I loved watching her at UConn. I recognized that she had limitations. And no matter how fit or thin she becomes, she will still be slow and short for her position - maybe less so, but I dont think the change would be dramatic. She is kind of the anti-Gabby - not a lot of athleticism, but a pure shooter.
I thought she could be a valuable role player in the WNBA. However, she needed the right situation to maximize her abilities. I dont think she got that with the former coach. I have hopes that she stays healthy this year and that the new coach uses some plays to get her into the flow and let her re-find her rhythm and sweet shot.

 

[baggerbob]

KML was a great shooter in HS and college. I loved watching her at UConn. I recognized that she had limitations. And no matter how fit or thin she becomes, she will still be slow and short for her position - maybe less so, but I dont think the change would be dramatic. She is kind of the anti-Gabby - not a lot of athleticism, but a pure shooter.
I thought she could be a valuable role player in the WNBA. However, she needed the right situation to maximize her abilities. I dont think she got that with the former coach. I have hopes that she stays healthy this year and that the new coach uses some plays to get her into the flow and let her re-find her rhythm and sweet shot.

If she shows she can play average defense , her ability to shoot would be an improvement on Clark, who has to be the worst small forward in the league. She can't rebound and is not a good shooter, or passer, they always say she plays good defense, but I have never been impressedi when watching her.

 

[MilfordHusky]

If she shows she can play average defense , her ability to shoot would be an improvement on Clark, who has to be the worst small forward in the league. She can't rebound and is not a good shooter, or passer, they always say she plays good defense, but I have never been impressedi when watching her.

I'm not impressed by Clark either. She's undersized and doesn't offset that, in my opinion.

 

[jimazee]

KML was a great shooter in HS and college. I loved watching her at UConn. I recognized that she had limitations. And no matter how fit or thin she becomes, she will still be slow and short for her position - maybe less so, but I dont think the change would be dramatic. She is kind of the anti-Gabby - not a lot of athleticism, but a pure shooter.
I thought she could be a valuable role player in the WNBA. However, she needed the right situation to maximize her abilities. I dont think she got that with the former coach. I have hopes that she stays healthy this year and that the new coach uses some plays to get her into the flow and let her re-find her rhythm and sweet shot.

I smiled when I recalled Geno's saying that (about 15 years ago for those who may not recall...) about a beloved point guard of days gone by. "She has got that wonderful combination. She may be short but she is slow."

 

[TitleTown]

KML struggles so much in the WNBA because she is out of shape, undersized as a 3, can't handle the ball well enough to be a 2, and can't create her own looks. At UConn she was so good because they could her the ball in rhythm to shot open jump shots. That's what she does best.

 

[BostonFan]

Agree about Barkley being a tremendous athlete. But he also was an example that a large player can still get into shape. At Auburn, he weighed 300 pounds according to his own statements. Later on in his NBA career, he had dropped to 250 pounds and was clearly quicker, even as he got older.

I'm not sure Barkley is a good analogy. He was in very good shape throughout his long career. Look at videos of him on the Dream Team or the NBA finals (past his prime) & he is stacked. Of course, once he retired, he let himself go & that continues to this day..although he's fine joking about it.

 

[BostonFan]

Yeah, the weight gain on KML was very apparent in the 2nd half of her Uconn career (20-30 pounds heavier). It could have been the meds she was on. She was hurt much of the time her last 2 years.

 

[UConnCat]

She was hurt much of the time her last 2 years.

Not an accurate statement. She missed a total of 12 games during her junior season due to the elbow injury sustained against Stanford and later due to a bout of mono. She started 38 games as a senior.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Kaleena's "thin year" was her sophomore year and the beginning (pre-injury) of her junior season. The rest of the time in college and high school, her body looked more or less the same.

Looks at the Notre Dame game that I linked to earlier in the thread. That was K's thinnest period in at least 10 years.

 

[shizam]

If she shows she can play average defense , her ability to shoot would be an improvement on Clark, who has to be the worst small forward in the league. She can't rebound and is not a good shooter, or passer, they always say she plays good defense, but I have never been impressedi when watching her.

Clark is a weak link in Storms starting line up. They get hurt by her inconsistency

 

[shizam]

KML struggles so much in the WNBA because she is out of shape, undersized as a 3, can't handle the ball well enough to be a 2, and can't create her own looks. At UConn she was so good because they could her the ball in rhythm to shot open jump shots. That's what she does best.

This comment above describes KML perfectly. She was a terrific college player in a perfect system for her. WNBA different story.

 

[shizam]

Shoni has skills. Can she play with discipline, defend, and run as much as needed? I haven't seen her this season. I hope she is fairly trim--or committed to getting trim.

Shoni made the Aces opening season roster. However, when McBride and Plum return I don’t hink Shoni survives. Eleven players on active roster now including a rookie guard from LSU. So Shimmel has a chance if they carry 12.