May 2024 WNBA Thread, part II | Page 54 | The Boneyard

May 2024 WNBA Thread, part II

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hoopsnloops32 said:
I wish they’d jump right to the playoffs tbh, not looking forward to another 15 meaningless regular season games for each team after the last 2 weeks of athletic excellence. Might have to ignore the league for a few weeks until we get into real games in September. Severely uninterested in picking the toxic ROY narrative back up.
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You and I are on the opposite sides of the spectrum here. I was frustrated by this Olympic team and I am ready to see some team ball with players who have developed that chemistry. I think the month off could level the playing field a little bit. Some of these young teams have been in the lab working on making their team better so that they can make a playoff push. I think we're about to hit off with an exciting second half to the season and I've got my popcorn ready!
 
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GamecockFam said:
You and are on the opposite sides of the spectrum here. I was frustrated by this Olympic team and I am ready to see some team ball with players who have developed that chemistry. I think the month off could level the playing field a little bit. Some of these young teams have been in the lab working on making their team better so that they can make a playoff push. I think we're about to hit off with an exciting second half to the season and I've got my popcorn ready!
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Your thoughts are similar to what I've been thinking. Indiana has had their entire team available to train after they had some time off. Can they maintain the momentum they seemed to have gained before the break?

Dallas has Sabally coming back and Seigriest may be back soon. Adding those two could help with scoring which has been a challenge. We've yet to see the entire roster one game together yet this season.
 
Flip side is how tired are the players who were in Paris, and how does that effect their teams when they get back to WNBA play. Aces, Liberty and Mercury provided the bulk of the U.S. roster, but then there are quite a few international players in the WNBA who were competing in the Olympics for various countries.
 
GamecockFam said:
You and are on the opposite sides of the spectrum here. I was frustrated by this Olympic team and I am ready to see some team ball with players who have developed that chemistry. I think the month off could level the playing field a little bit. Some of these young teams have been in the lab working on making their team better so that they can make a playoff push. I think we're about to hit off with an exciting second half to the season and I've got my popcorn ready!
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I never said anything about this Olympic team so I’m not sure what you are referring to. The athletic greatness I was referring to was the Olympics as a whole. Two straight weeks of incredible games, matches and meets with the best athletes in the world competing for something they’ve been training for their whole lives all day every day. Now we get a bunch of regular season game between banged up WNBA players when 3 teams have been essentially eliminated from playoff contention, 5 teams have essentially locked in their playoff spot.
Some players have been in the lab but some players have been on the beach. I’d actually expect more teams to look disjointed and sluggish after a month off than in peak form.

The only real interesting storyline until the playoffs start is where some of these international players might land and how they impact those teams. Otherwise, as Greenday says, wake me up when September ends.
 
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hoopsnloops32 said:
I never said anything about this Olympic team so I’m not sure what you are referring to. The athletic greatness I was referring to was the Olympics as a whole. Two straight weeks of incredible games, matches and meets with the best athletes in the world competing for something they’ve been training for their whole lives all day every day. Now we get a bunch of regular season game between banged up WNBA players when 3 teams have been essentially eliminated from playoff contention, 5 teams have essentially locked in their playoff spot.
Some players have been in the lab but some players have been on the beach. I’d actually expect more teams to look disjointed and sluggish after a month off than in peak form.

The only real interesting storyline until the playoffs start is where some of these international players might land and how they impact those teams. Otherwise, as Greenday says, wake me up when September ends.
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@GamecockFam @cancontent

I, too, enjoyed watching the Olympics, from track and field (athletics) and gymnastics on the (mostly) individual sports to volleyball and Team Handball (what a hoot -- the U.S. should develop a program for this sport) and the women's soccer tournament, among others.

Some of those best athletes you mention are, of course, women basketball players. As such, I'm looking forward to seeing the WNBA ramp up again. Yes, those that played in the Olympic tournament will understandably look a bit ragged and those who were taking a break might be a bit rusty/sandy. But that won't last long. And there are some elements I'm looking forward to:
  • How will the return of Sabally (and possibly Siegrist) impact the Wings? Will lowering Ogunbowale's utilization rate help improve her efficiency and/or productivity?
  • How will Steph White incorporate Marina Mabrey into the Connecticut Sun lineup and offensive sets?
  • And, as you mentioned, will any of eligible international players sign up for a short stint and run to/being in the playoffs. Given they'll want to play for winners, it will be worth seeing who has open rosters (read: cap space) to facilitate them.

While these things are warming/ramping up, I'll pay attention to another sport I like: collegiate soccer, which starts up later this week.
Shockingly, the Geno of Women's Soccer -- Anson Dorrance of North Carolina -- announced his retirement 4 days before the Tar Heel's first game. The long-time #2 will run the team this season (their Chris Dailey), but it's a new dawn in Chapel Hill.
 
MilfordHusky said:
What playoff contender could use a great passing small forward who defends the hell out of the ball? :D
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Indiana. The teams currently above the Fever in the rankings either don't have the money (so that includes teams like the Liberty, Storm, Mercury, Sun) or do not need her (Aces--though I wish we could get rid of Kierstan Bell for her, Lynx).
 
WBBTakeover said:
Indiana. The teams currently above the Fever in the rankings either don't have the money (so that includes teams like the Liberty, Storm, Mercury, Sun) or do not need her (Aces--though I wish we could get rid of Kierstan Bell for her, Lynx).
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According to Richard Cohen, every team but Dallas has money for her if she wants to take the minimum to play on a contender.

 
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GirlBoo1020 said:
According to Richard Cohen, every team but Dallas has money for her if she wants to take the minimum to play on a contender.

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Unless she's just that desperate for a WNBA title, there's little reason to believe that a player who just had the performance she had on a big international stage will return to the WNBA for what amounts to pennies (prorated vet minimum).
 
WBBTakeover said:
Unless she's just that desperate for a WNBA title, there's little reason to believe that a player who just had the performance she had on a big international stage will return to the WNBA for what amounts to pennies (prorated vet minimum).
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I mean its only like a month of basketball and her real pay days come from Europe anyways so I do think winning will be as important as money to her decision. I would imagine her most likely land places are the Storm, the Liberty and The Sun based on history with players, program and chances at playoff run. She's already eliminated Chicago from her options on social media.
 
GirlBoo1020 said:
I mean its only like a month of basketball and her real pay days come from Europe anyways so I do think winning will be as important as money to her decision. I would imagine her most likely land places are the Storm, the Liberty and The Sun based on history with players, program and chances at playoff run. She's already eliminated Chicago from her options on social media.
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Eliminated or will never be considered after her challenges with the front office?
 
GirlBoo1020 said:
I mean its only like a month of basketball and her real pay days come from Europe anyways so I do think winning will be as important as money to her decision. I would imagine her most likely land places are the Storm, the Liberty and The Sun based on history with players, program and chances at playoff run. She's already eliminated Chicago from her options on social media.
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Winning a WNBA title may not mean as much to her in 2024 if she has to accept pennies and a reduced role. She may choose to go to a contender in 2025--when she can make a lot more money.

I don't see her going to any of those teams you listed because she's not going to want to come off the bench (she's not replacing the likes of Laney-Hamilton, Bonner, or even Horston) for a pittance and a non-guarantee (none of the teams you listed has won a WNBA title since 2020, so who's to say that they would this year?). With Indiana, she could at least fight for starter's minutes because Hull/Samuelson are not consistent.

The speculation is fun, but Gabby does not seem to be in a rush to return to the WNBA. She has the upper hand. And as much as NY Liberty/UConn fans fantasize about the reunion with Stewie, I don't think she'd want to have that "riding the pine" experience coming off the high of starring at the Paris Olympics. Maybe next year?
 
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