Liya Traded

[Basingstoke]

I think she's a player who will chew up minutes on a weak team and wind up a limited role player on a good one.

I profoundly disagree. I believe that you are severely underestimated what she can become in time & in the proper situation.

 

[JellyBean]

A little shocking but you kind of knew that something was going to happen, trade wise. I wish AE all the best.

 

[Jonathan14]

I profoundly disagree. I believe that you are severely underestimated what she can become in time & in the proper situation.

I agree with your disagreement. 😀 If you look at Aaliyah's and Kiki's senior seasons in college, they are virtually identical, with Kiki averaging slightly more points per game (18.0 to 17.6) and Aaliyah more rebounds (9.2 to 8.4). When she transferred from Stanford, she was predicted to be a first-team All-American, but, like Aaliyah, she ended up as a second-team All-American.

I think Kiki is a great player, but I also think she has marketed herself very well and has a great hype machine behind her. Note the fact that she was named to the WNBA All-Star game ahead of veteran post players (e.g., Brionna Jones, Azura Stevens, Dearica Hamby) who had flat-out better stats than hers.

I'm not arguing that Aaliyah is better than Kiki, but I'm not convinced that, if healthy and given the same number of minutes per game, Aaliyah won't perform just as well.

 

[oldude]

I agree with your disagreement. 😀 If you look at Aaliyah's and Kiki's senior seasons in college, they are virtually identical, with Kiki averaging slightly more points per game (18.0 to 17.6) and Aaliyah more rebounds (9.2 to 8.4). When she transferred from Stanford, she was predicted to be a first-team All-American, but, like Aaliyah, she ended up as a second-team All-American.

I think Kiki is a great player, but I also think she has marketed herself very well and has a great hype machine behind her. Note the fact that she was named to the WNBA All-Star game ahead of veteran post players (e.g., Brionna Jones, Azura Stevens, Dearica Hamby) who had flat-out better stats than hers.

I'm not arguing that Aaliyah is better than Kiki, but I'm not convinced that, if healthy and given the same number of minutes per game, Aaliyah won't perform just as well.

For what it’s worth, after hitting her first few shots against UConn in the Elite 8, Iriafen was pretty much taken out of the game by a combination of Sarah, Ice & Aubrey. She ended up shooting 3/15 and was not really a factor in the game. Rayah Marshall played the game of her life, keeping USC within shooting distance until UConn pulled away.

Iriafen is a very good player. But I am in agreement that a healthy Aaliyah is a comparable player.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

If I recall correctly, Miller said they had no interest in trading Arike this season. This doesn't mean that the front office isn't looking to move on, eventually. Like this post notes, Miller has collected some good players and has kept others, like Siegrist to build around Paige. Time will tell if these moves will pay off.

Maddy looked good with PB's passes to her. Siegrist was always good at finishing through contact.

The Wings remind me a little of Iowa State men's team under Johnny Orr (early 1980's) who said, "I have the best sixth man in all of the NCAAs... Too bad I don't have a starting five!"

Dallas may have their PG, and SF with PB and MS...

JJ Quinerly looked quick, and was defending well last night in the one point win vs the Fever.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

As for Miller saying he hopes Arike will stay in Dallas, what is he supposed to say? How would it look if he backstabs her in the press by saying, "nah, she can leave now if she wants.." I am also surprised that Arike gets along so well with Paige in terms of ball distribution as well as personally, it seems. I'm fine with letting things play out during the offseason and just hope she gets some more inside shotmakers to keep the ball moving.

Before Siegrist came back from injury, very few games ended with better than 43% shooting for the team, or >30% from 3 pt range (not that Maddy is great from 3, but she can finish at the rim).

Arike has been well below her career shooting averages nearly all summer, except for free throw shooting, and Grace Berger cannot find the bottom of the net lately.

Hopefully, the Wings can find five to six who can mesh for next year with the few (11) games remaining, and PB gets more assists when someone else on the team can actually score.

 

[oldude]

Maddy looked good with PB's passes to her. Siegrist was always good at finishing through contact.

The Wings remind me a little of Iowa State men's team under Johnny Orr (early 1980's) who said, "I have the best sixth man in all of the NCAAs... Too bad I don't have a starting five!"

Dallas may have their PG, and SF with PB and MS...

JJ Quinerly looked quick, and was defending well last night in the one point win vs the Fever.

Dallas will be able to protect only 6 players in the expansion draft. I think Paige & Siegrist are locks. If Arike re-ups with a new contract that’s 3. The Wings are unlikely to re-sign any of their other veteran free agents and will likely look to hold onto 3 additional players still on their rookie contracts.

At present the Wings have 7 additional players to choose from for those 3 spots: Miller, James, Quinerly, Geiselsoder, Yeuru, Jones & Berger. That means 4 will be unprotected, or perhaps only 3 if Dallas does not re-sign Arike.

The Wings will have a lot of money to spend on free agents, and just about every veteran in the W will be a free agent next season. In addition, the Wings have the best odds to secure the #1 pick in the draft….Betts?

If I keep Siegrist, I let Jones go. I don’t want more than 1 undersized guard. So if Arike re-signs, I probably let James & Quinerly go. In addition, Berger is likely also gone. Miller is the most athletic forward on the team, so I probably keep her around. That leaves Geiselsoder & Yeuru, 2 bigs on rookie contracts with pretty nice upsides who can both shoot the rock.

So my 6 protected players next year on the Wings are: Paige, Siegrist, Arike, Miller, Geiselsoder & Yeuru.

 

[Basingstoke]

Dallas will be able to protect only 6 players in the expansion draft. I think Paige & Siegrist are locks. If Arike re-ups with a new contract that’s 3. The Wings are unlikely to re-sign any of their other veteran free agents and will likely look to hold onto 3 additional players still on their rookie contracts.

At present the Wings have 7 additional players to choose from for those 3 spots: Miller, James, Quinerly, Geiselsoder, Yeuru, Jones & Berger. That means 4 will be unprotected, or perhaps only 3 if Dallas does not resign Arike.

Do you know in what order and the timetable for roster transactions that will occur after this season? eg free agents signings, establishing a protected 6 players under contract, expansion draft, college etc draft?

 

[Crossover]

Dallas will be able to protect only 6 players in the expansion draft. I think Paige & Siegrist are locks. If Arike re-ups with a new contract that’s 3. The Wings are unlikely to re-sign any of their other veteran free agents and will likely look to hold onto 3 additional players still on their rookie contracts.

At present the Wings have 7 additional players to choose from for those 3 spots: Miller, James, Quinerly, Geiselsoder, Yeuru, Jones & Berger. That means 4 will be unprotected, or perhaps only 3 if Dallas does not re-sign Arike.

The Wings will have a lot of money to spend on free agents, and just about every veteran in the W will be a free agent next season. In addition, the Wings have the best odds to secure the #1 pick in the draft….Betts?

If I keep Siegrist, I let Jones go. I don’t want more than 1 undersized guard. So if Arike re-signs, I probably let James & Quinerly go. In addition, Berger is likely also gone. Miller is the most athletic forward on the team, so I probably keep her around. That leaves Geiselsoder & Yeuru, 2 bigs on rookie contracts with pretty nice upsides who can both shoot the rock.

So my 6 protected players next year on the Wings are: Paige, Siegrist, Arike, Miller, Geiselsoder & Yeuru.

Until recently I've been meh on Jones, but lately she and Paige have displayed amazing on-court chemistry. Jones and Seigrist have very different skill sets. Maddie is a stone cold scorer and Hailey is a creative, versatile quarter court player when she is engaged, so I would protect them both, and trust that Paige will keep Hailey engaged. Not sure that I would protect Miller. If Cheryl Reeve is not sold on her then I'm not sold on her. I agree that Yeuru and Geiselsoder are a promising post duo, and if the Wings don't draft Betts I would want to keep both.

 

[oldude]

Do you know in what order and the timetable for roster transactions that will occur after this season? eg free agents signings, establishing a protected 6 players under contract, expansion draft, college etc draft?

The first thing the W has to deal with is the expiration of the CBA which occurs right after the end of the season. Next up is the expansion draft, followed by free agency.

 

[Basingstoke]

The first thing the W has to deal with is the expiration of the CBA which occurs right after the end of the season. Next up is the expansion draft, followed by free agency.

So, if free agency follows the expansion draft does that mean that only players under contract for 2026 have to be protected (which, I believe would exclude all free agents, including exclusive rights free agents?).

 

[Basingstoke]

So, if free agency follows the expansion draft does that mean that only players under contract for 2026 have to be protected (which, I believe would exclude all free agents, including exclusive rights free agents?).

If this is true, the Wings do not have to protect Li, Luisa or Haley (in addition to Arike, Myisha and Ty - also Lou Lopez Senechal is on a club option).
So, only Paige, JJ, Zaza, Maddie, Grace and Diamond need to be protected...

 

[oldude]

So, if free agency follows the expansion draft does that mean that only players under contract for 2026 have to be protected (which, I believe would exclude all free agents, including exclusive rights free agents?).

Good question. Assuming that the league and the players union reach agreement on a new CBA, I don’t know if it’s possible to sign a player, I.e Arike, to a long term contract and then list her as one of 6 protected players before free agency. In most other sports, a player’s existing team gets first dibs before a player is eligible for free agency.

One other option comes to mind. Let’s say Arike and Curt Miller work out a verbal agreement on a new free agent contract. But Miller wants to protect 6 of his young players. So the Wings announce their 6 protected players for the expansion draft and then re-sign Arike once free agency rolls around.

 

[oldude]

If this is true, the Wings do not have to protect Li, Luisa or Haley (in addition to Arike, Myisha and Ty - also Lou Lopez Senechal is on a club option).
So, only Paige, JJ, Zaza, Maddie, Grace and Diamond need to be protected...

I think all the players you mention would have to be protected if the Wings intend on keeping them. I had not even thought about Lou.