Lou's play in the WNBA

[Jlong231]

I don’t think anyone is really suggesting it’s anyone’s fault, I think people are just saying she maybe just hasn’t found the perfect situation to fully compliment her game, and yes sometimes the players/teams you are on can hinder that, especially If it’s not the right fit. Imo I think she is doing better and improving this year, just like someone mentioned she is just going to have to continue adapting her game, right now her getting minutes is because she has become a better defender/rebounder, and the ball moves better when she is in the game. She will get better with becoming more aggressive scoring when needed. I actually think Dallas is a good team for her. The more minutes she gets, the more comfortable I see her getting offensively.

 

[Waquoit]

LOL at these posts suggesting its the Wings players fault she's not as successful in the WNBA .

I'm hoping that she doesn't run out of teams.

 

[WFFL]

I don’t think anyone is really suggesting it’s anyone’s fault, I think people are just saying she maybe just hasn’t found the perfect situation to fully compliment her game, and yes sometimes the players/teams you are on can hinder that, especially If it’s not the right fit. Imo I think she is doing better and improving this year, just like someone mentioned she is just going to have to continue adapting her game, right now her getting minutes is because she has become a better defender/rebounder, and the ball moves better when she is in the game. She will get better with becoming more aggressive scoring when needed. I actually think Dallas is a good team for her. The more minutes she gets, the more comfortable I see her getting offensively.

I think she needs to expand her offensive game . Not being able to create her own shot really hinders her skill set . She's added a dribble drive which helps alot and gives her increased minutes , but i dont see her overtaking Sabally or Thornton's spot anytime soon until she develops a 1 on 1 game. That's where the WNBA is trending towards and most successful players can make it happen themselves.

 

[Jlong231]

I think she needs to expand her offensive game . Not being able to create her own shot really hinders her skill set . She's added a dribble drive which helps alot and gives her increased minutes , but i dont see her overtaking Sabally or Thornton's spot anytime soon until she develops a 1 on 1 game. That's where the WNBA is trending towards and most successful players can make it happen themselves.

This is very true, I do feel like she is capable of doing that now, I just think that with this team and the team she was in before it’s not really required for her to be the “scorer” if that makes sense. I think if she was on a team like pheesa, where she came in, and was expected to be the main person right away, we would see her being more aggressive offensively. But she’s in situation were she is just basically used to hit open shots, when she is open. I think if she felt like she had the green light to score when she wanted to like arike, we would see her being way more aggressive. Right now her success in the league will be her doing the little intangible things that help your team win, that often goes unnoticed in the box score. That’s why I’ve said I don’t necessarily think she is struggling this season, I think with the role she has with this team she is doing fine, the scoring will come. Imo if coach went and told her Lou I need you to score at least 10-15 points a game, we would definitely see a more aggressive Lou. I think she could easily score 10-15 points a game if she wanted to.

 

[Bigboote]

I don’t think anyone is really suggesting it’s anyone’s fault, I think people are just saying she maybe just hasn’t found the perfect situation to fully compliment her game. . .

I often tell people that I believe in luck, but one is responsible for one's own luck. I think Lou works hard enough and has a good enough attitude that she'll find a good fit. I disagree that Dallas is a good fit for her, at least not as long as it's the Arike show with sidekicks.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Face it, Lou is a system player. A system that caters to setting her up for shots. This is how it was in high school and at UCONN. She is a shooter, like KLM, but not a total basketball player. Athletically she average at best. She, at best, will float float around the league as the 3rd to 5th option off the bench.

That makes her "float" through games and "disconnected". I guess you dont see her set screens, roll to the basket and hardly ever get the ball passed to her. She is one of the best at switching on defense, in a man to man, and often results in mismatches. Thats not floating or disconnected, thats being responsible as a teammate. Amazing what some people see on their TV or computer screens and then read the box scores to see how "involved" a player is. There are so many intangibles that aren't in the score sheet, Lou does a lot of them. Watch some replays and see how many touches she gets, not many. There are a few "me" players on the Wings, including 2 from ND. Mayberry, in 8 games since staring at pg still averaging under 3 apg. Is that what a pg should be doing? AO, has never seen a shot she wont take. One on three, she will take it, One on two no problem One on one, I got this. 2 on 1, hell no I aint passing. This is a young team, that hasnt played as a team in many games. Maybe its the coaches fault or maybe its all he has to put on the court, They only played 7 players last night, and Lou got 26 minutes. She would have had more if she didnt get her 5th foul. Pretty good for a "floater". I suppose she was picked on all of those Team USA teams as they needed a player that floats and is disconnected from the game, Amazing

 

[SVCBeercats]

I think Lou is getting more and more playing time because Agler likes her defensive play - yes her defensive play has been great all season - as well as her bb iq.

Wrong! Agler just doesn't want anymorwe calls and harassment from Lou's mother.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I often tell people that I believe in luck, but one is responsible for one's own luck. I think Lou works hard enough and has a good enough attitude that she'll find a good fit. I disagree that Dallas is a good fit for her, at least not as long as it's the Arike show with sidekicks.

Don't you think it will be someone else's show no matter where she plays? I think she will experience the WNBA is a similar fashion as KLM.

 

[Waquoit]

Don't you think it will be someone else's show no matter where she plays? I think she will experience the WNBA is a similar fashion as KLM.

Good point, she's a journeyman now. It's up to her to find a way to fit.

 

[sivad40]

Great analogy.

Face it, Lou is a system player. A system that caters to setting her up for shots. This is how it was in high school and at UCONN. She is a shooter, like KLM, but not a total basketball player. Athletically she average at best. She, at best, will float float around the league as the 3rd to 5th option off the bench.

It's telling that the system that most people believe that Lou would fit in best is one that would allow her to basically float on the perimeter and take 3 point shots.

 

[Huskee11]

She just turned 23, and is starting in the WNBA. So calling her a journeyman is idiotic.

If by being a "system player" you mean someone who actually gets the ball passed to her when she is open, yeah.

 

[nwhoopfan]

She just turned 23, and is starting in the WNBA. So calling her a journeyman is idiotic.

Plenty of starters in the WNBA could be described as journeymen. I'll give you that 23 is on the young side for being tagged with that label. But I'd also point out that she's started 2 out of the 40 games she's played in, so calling her a starter needs a rather large asterisk. Especially this year with a bunch of opt outs and injuries. Every team has been juggling their lineups throughout the season.

 

[baggerbob]

Uh, Clark is probably the best perimeter defender in the WNBA right now, and the heart and soul of the Storm. Obviously nowhere near their most talented or most important player, but she's critical to their success. KLS could not replicate what Clark does for them. Not to mention for a supposed 3 point shooting specialist, Samuelson is at 31% for her career thus far. It wasn't always a strength of Clark's, but she's become absolutely deadly. 48% each of the last 2 seasons. One of these things is not the same as the other.

Alysha was drafted in 2010, didn't make it into the league until 2012. Wasn't a starter until 2015, she worked at her game overseas to become the glue player she is.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Alysha was drafted in 2010, didn't make it into the league until 2012. Wasn't a starter until 2015, she worked at her game overseas to become the glue player she is.

That's all true. There's plenty of time for Samuelson to add to her game. I guess I was looking at it like plugging in KLS for Clark in the immediate future.

 

[Bigboote]

Don't you think it will be someone else's show no matter where she plays? I think she will experience the WNBA is a similar fashion as KLM.

I'm not sure how to interpret that. Most teams aren't, to go back to the post you were responding to, one player's show with a bunch of sidekicks. So in that sense, I do think she could wind up on a team that's not someone else's show.

If you mean, the team won't be Lou's show, I'm absolutely with you. I don't think she'll be a star. She may wind up a KML-level player, but I think it's equally likely she'll wind up a 10-15 point scorer for several years.

 

[pvdoggy]

In tonight's game Lou played 30 min, 3rd most on the team, and yet took the least amount of shot attempts by a wide margin. Either she is not willing or able to take the shots, either way it's a problem. Geno has said this before, you can't play 4 on 5 and expect to be able to win at this level. Lou's mentra of willing to do other things to help the team win other than scoring is not going to work in the long run. She needs to go have a chat with her old coach so he can kick her butt in gear.

 

[Dokey]

In tonight's game Lou played 30 min, 3rd most on the team, and yet took the least amount of shot attempts by a wide margin. Either she is not willing or able to take the shots, either way it's a problem. Geno has said this before, you can't play 4 on 5 and expect to be able to win at this level. Lou's mentra of willing to do other things to help the team win other than scoring is not going to work in the long run. She needs to go have a chat with her old coach so he can kick her butt in gear.

The butt that needs kicking is Arike’s, as in off the team. She once again scored in the high 30s, Dallas lost. The commentators love talking Arike up but the harsh truth is that she’s a hot dog—a very good hot dog, mind you—and Lou isn’t the only person on the Wings who is suffering as a result. UConn is team play, Dallas is Arike.

 

[pvdoggy]

The butt that needs kicking is Arike’s, as in off the team. She once again scored in the high 30s, Dallas lost. The commentators love talking Arike up but the harsh truth is that she’s a hot dog—a very good hot dog, mind you—and Lou isn’t the only person on the Wings who is suffering as a result. UConn is team play, Dallas is Arike.

No way I would trade Arike. Lou has to take responsibility for playing 30 min and taking only 3 shots. Everybody else seems to have no problem getting more shots with less minutes, not as many as Arike but more than Lou. Arike is playing the way she is clearly with the coach blessing. If one person has to go between Arike and Lou, it is clear who that would be.

 

[Dokey]

No way I would trade Arike. Lou has to take responsibility for playing 30 min and taking only 3 shots. Everybody else seems to have no problem getting more shots with less minutes, not as many as Arike but more than Lou. Arike is playing the way she is clearly with the coach blessing. If one person has to go between Arike and Lou, it is clear who that would be.

When one person is taking that many more shots, often ignoring open teammates, you get a losing team. She may have coach’s blessing but that doesn’t mean coach is right. I have coached a lot of teams. This is not the path to victory. I think Arike could be a valuable asset but not until she learns to play team ball. That takes a tough coach.

 

[pvdoggy]

When one person is taking that many more shots, often ignoring open teammates, you get a losing team. She may have coach’s blessing but that doesn’t mean coach is right. I have coached a lot of teams. This is not the path to victory. I think Arike could be a valuable asset but not until she learns to play team ball. That takes a tough coach.

I am agreeing with you that Arike needs to be a better team player, BUT the coach is not doing anything to stop the way she plays. I would keep Arike and get a different coach

 

[Dokey]

I am agreeing with you that Arike needs to be a better team player, BUT the coach is not doing anything to stop the way she plays. I would keep Arike and get a different coach

I agree with you about coach. I think Arike is a tremendous talent but if you take her missed shots and spread them around team you might see a winner. If I am an opposing coach, I don’t care if Arike scores 40, as that makes it easier to keep rest of the team from scoring.

 

[WFFL]

I agree with you about coach. I think Arike is a tremendous talent but if you take her missed shots and spread them around team you might see a winner. If I am an opposing coach, I don’t care if Arike scores 40, as that makes it easier to keep rest of the team from scoring.

Keyword "You might" which most nights tends to be a No in reference to the Dallas Wings. I think some people's personal hatred of Arike and her Notre Dame days have fuzzed their brains when it comes to a WNBA team. Take off Arike and Leave lou and we win 0 games . #Period

 

[HopJim]

I agree with you about coach. I think Arike is a tremendous talent but if you take her missed shots and spread them around team you might see a winner. If I am an opposing coach, I don’t care if Arike scores 40, as that makes it easier to keep rest of the team from scoring.

Until recently, lived in Dallas and after watching several games, do not know what system is being played. Suspect a different coach would have Arike play for her shot then kick out to Lou and others when open. I hope the coach isnt on a high contract since they are not getting much for their coaching dollar.

 

[Dokey]

Keyword "You might" which most nights tends to be a No in reference to the Dallas Wings. I think some people's personal hatred of Arike and her Notre Dame days have fuzzed their brains when it comes to a WNBA team. Take off Arike and Leave lou and we win 0 games . #Period

With Arike, they missed playoffs. I certainly don’t hate Arike or Notre Dame. Dallas is youngest team and this season needed to develop a team game based on a great group of first round players with Sabally being the key, not Arike. Every time she’s heads down the court, she is is thinking “I will score,” not “we will score.” She gets a lot of free throws, partly because she gets credit for shooting when she has little chance of making a basket. As UConn fans, we’re used to unselfish team play. I blame the coach. If this continues, Dallas will continue to win enough games with Arike‘s current style to finish 9th or 10th.

 

[nwhoopfan]

So...Ogunbowale had exactly the same number of assists this season as Dangerfield--75. FWIW. Arike did play one more game than Crystal did though.

 

[pvdoggy]

So...Ogunbowale had exactly the same number of assists this season as Dangerfield--75. FWIW. Arike did play one more game than Crystal did though.

Stop messing people with facts , but seriously stat is sometimes misleading. The eye test when you watch Dallas plays tells you that Arike could be looking for her teammates (not just Lou) more.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Stop messing people with facts , but seriously stat is sometimes misleading. The eye test when you watch Dallas plays tells you that Arike could be looking for her teammates (not just Lou) more.

Yeah, I just thought it was interesting. I know Arike hunts her shots aggressively. It is worth noting that Arike isn't really the PG while Dangerfield is, correct? Although Crystal seems more like a 2 hiding in a really small body. And obviously Ogonbowale has the ball in her hands frequently.

 

[pvdoggy]

Yeah, I just thought it was interesting. I know Arike hunts her shots aggressively. It is worth noting that Arike isn't really the PG while Dangerfield is, correct? Although Crystal seems more like a 2 hiding in a really small body. And obviously Ogonbowale has the ball in her hands frequently.

True, Arike is not a PG so maybe she thinks she does not need to distribute the ball but many times she could have gotten a better shot for her open teammate instead of forcing up some crazy shot. I think Arike is a really good scorer but she could be an even better player.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Arike played 34 mpg, 2nd in the league behind Pheesa. Crystal played 30 mpg.

With Minnesota, Crystal often brings the ball over half court and initiates a series of passes. With Dallas, it seems as if a shot goes up after 0, 1, or 2 passes.

 

[donalddoowop]

Keyword "You might" which most nights tends to be a No in reference to the Dallas Wings. I think some people's personal hatred of Arike and her Notre Dame days have fuzzed their brains when it comes to a WNBA team. Take off Arike and Leave lou and we win 0 games . #Period

You don't know that. Take off Arike and some of those wild shots would not have been taken and some other player may have taken and hit a better shot. Other players may have stepped up as many players did this season. They may have won more games playing team ball. We will never know.