May 2024 WNBA Thread, part II

[nwhoopfan]

Vegas might actually have legit depth for once, well at least in the backcourt.

Yeah, still awfully thin in the front court. Gustafson is only playing 11 mpg, Cannon doesn't even count. Clark must be playing the 4 a fair bit.

 

[baggerbob]

The calls in the past game were pretty egregious. I almost turned off the game in the 3rd because I was so frustrated with the refs. For context, I am not a personality that easily gets frustrated and/or blames the refs. There was no consistency and it seemed like each ref had a different idea on the allowable amount of physicality, so that compounded the issue and made it confusing to the players and viewers.

IMO the allowed amount of physicality in the W does not make it fun to watch at times, and if they want to keep viewers, I think they need to tighten up the whistles and set new (and consistent) expectations.

The officials in the WNBA, are worse this year then last.
There is way too much physical play in the league. It needs to be cleaned up quickly or some of the stars are going to be injured.
They are allowing as much contact as a Rugby scrum.

 

[cancontent]

Because CC critics referred to her as "the golden goose of ESPN."

That moniker has no relevance to the point you're trying to make.

 

[yhun89]

That moniker has no relevance to the point you're trying to make.

It means she was basically unique, and someone who ESPN liked above all the rest because she was one of a kind. Hence why I said she got away with stuff no other player could do. She was favored on the media, she was favored on the court, and she was favored by the whistle.

 

[cancontent]

It means she was basically unique, and someone who ESPN liked above all the rest because she was one of a kind. Hence why I said she got away with stuff no other player could do. She was favored on the media, she was favored on the court, and she was favored by the whistle.

Referencing the media regarding hype and popularity, placing the onus on the media is valid.

You said earlier, you weren't implying the media/ESPN had impact on calls. If your point was that she was "favoured", that's on the BIG10 and the NCAA. Put the onus on the party/group that is responsible for it.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I suggest watching the games. She's been getting mauled several times a game when she drives to the basket with no call and then has been getting whistled for committing invisible tick tack fouls. Here are a couple from tonight:

x.com

x.com

x.com

x.com

A couple from previous games:

x.com

x.com

x.com

x.com

Yes the league is physical, but if you've been watching games, she's received the brunt of a lot of the extremely physical plays in the early season.

I’ve watched every game and you could pull clips like this for every player. Those aren’t egregious no calls to me anyways in this league based on the officiating. Both potential foul falls would have been before the shots anyways imo.

It’s true silliness to act like she’s gotten the brunt of extreme physical plays this season, the link some very soft foul no calls that every player deals with and ignore the most egregious no call of the season so far was when she locked Sami Whitcomb up in a bear hug in the first Seattle game.

The conspiracy theories need to stop and just support the narrative around Clark fans delusion with her. She’s having a great rookie season stats wise, one of the best rookie years in a long time. The refs and players aren’t out to get her specifically. She needs to adjust tot he WNBA, not the other way around.

 

[IArick]

Keep in mind this is the same player who was ESPN's golden goose in college and got away with just about anything. You can't tell me that if any other player bounced a ball off their head out of anger that they wouldn't get a technical. These refs just don't take BS from anybody because everybody's a star in this league. Plain and simple.

How would she be ESPN's Golden goose? ESPN doesn't have any media rights to the BIG Ten. The only time they have any rights would be the NCAAs and if they happen to play a team that is associated with ESPN.

 

[Geew1992]

How would she be ESPN's Golden goose? ESPN doesn't have any media rights to the BIG Ten. The only time they have any rights would be the NCAAs and if they happen to play a team that is associated with ESPN.

I’m not sayin she’s the golden goose but she is all ESPN has been speaking about. Last year this year… shoot I saw one of the shows asking if Indiana can turn their season around. Doesn’t matter that the big 10 didn’t have media rights

 

[Bigboote]

Yeah, still awfully thin in the front court. Gustafson is only playing 11 mpg, Cannon doesn't even count. Clark must be playing the 4 a fair bit.

Clark led the nation in scoring three times as an undersized post in college. I know the WNBA has more size ( a LOT more than whom she was playing at Belmont and Middle Tennessee), but she's a legit front-court player. 5-15 minutes at the 4 in the W is just fine for her.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Tip Hayes is a HUGE pickup! Didn't even think she'd be interested in a return to the W. I wonder what was the reason (or if there were 100,000 reasons).

 

[VA Huskie]

Wilson outdueled Collier in a battle between the two MVP frontrunners although at this point it’s abundantly clear to me Collier should’ve gone #1 in 2019 and probably most other years too.

Who did go #1 in 2019? Or 2,3,4,5 for that matter?

 

[JDuro]

Who did go #1 in 2019? Or 2,3,4,5 for that matter?

 

[TheFarmFan]

View attachment 101147

I don't think the Aces regret their pick one bit. Nor Dallas at 5. Agreed Collier should be in the mix with those two. Interesting that at this point Smith and Ezi would rise to being in the mix for the top 5 of this draft.

 

[Geew1992]

I don't think the Aces regret their pick one bit. Nor Dallas at 5. Agreed Collier should be in the mix with those two. Interesting that at this point Smith and Ezi would rise to being in the mix for the top 5 of this draft.

Probably not but what has Dallas done since picking arike?

 

[bballnut90]

I don't think the Aces regret their pick one bit. Nor Dallas at 5. Agreed Collier should be in the mix with those two. Interesting that at this point Smith and Ezi would rise to being in the mix for the top 5 of this draft.

It's well on pace to being one of the best draft classes ever IMO:

-Jackie Young: 2 Championships, 2nd Team All-WNBA, current MVP candidate
-Napheesa Collier: 2x All-WNBA, current MVP candidate
-Arike Ogunbowale: 2x All-WNBA, current MVP candidate
-Ezi Magbegor: 2x All-WNBA Defensive team, turning into one of the better centers in the league, likely All Star this year
-Marina Mabrey: double digit scorer each season besides her first, likely All Star this year
-Teaira McCowan: double digit scorer every year
-Alanna Smith: double digit scorer this year
-Sophie Cunningham: double digit scorer 2 years
-Natisha Hiedeman: starter on WNBA runner up team
-Brianna Turner: 2x All-WNBA Defensive team

Plus others who have carved out solid careers as role players like Jessica Shepard, Katie Lou Samuelson, Kalani Brown, Megan Gustafson, and Bridget Carleton.

If I redrafted today, I'd probably go Young/Collier/Arike/Magbegor/McCowan/Mabrey/Smith for my top 7.

 

[DRR25]

Last I saw Bell was in a walking boot. But... Don't know how much she would play even if she was healthy

I think if Bell were healthy, she'd be getting more minutes than Martin, who has stepped up in the absence of both Gray and Bell.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Looks like Sloot is out tonight.

Man...Storm kept K. Williams and Muhl, and shipped out Melbourne. I think that was a mistake.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Atlanta beat Vegas. Plum and Young gotta shoot better than 10-33 combined.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Connecticut over Dallas by 2, New York beat Washington by 11.

Minny thumping Phoenix currently.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Lynx win by 24. Their bench went off. 20 for Pili, Juhasz 13, Zandalasini 12.

 

[Dillon77]

Connecticut over Dallas by 2, New York beat Washington by 11.

Minny thumping Phoenix currently.

Maddy Siegrist shot 8-8 from the field against the Sun while playing 33 minutes for the Wings.
She and the Wings had their chance to win this, aided by Alyssa Thomas missing clutch free throws down the stretch, but Arike's mid-range jumper rimmed out and a great entry pass attempt to Siegrist was tipped away at the last milli-second by Ty Harris.
Great effort by the Wings, though.

Big T McCowan and Kalani Brown played well up front, which is necessary against a team like the Sun. When Sabally and Howard get back, the Wings could match up well. Having Siegrist getting experience -- and doing well -- will only help.

 

[JellyBean]

Maddy Siegrist shot 8-8 from the field against the Sun while playing 33 minutes for the Wings.
She and the Wings had their chance to win this, aided by Alyssa Thomas missing clutch free throws down the stretch, but Arike's mid-range jumper rimmed out and a great entry pass attempt to Siegrist was tipped away at the last milli-second by Ty Harris.
Great effort by the Wings, though.

Big T McCowan and Kalani Brown played well up front, which is necessary against a team like the Sun. When Sabally and Howard get back, the Wings could match up well. Having Siegrist getting experience -- and doing well -- will only help.

Way to go, Maddy!! I am happy that she is finally getting minutes and making the most of them.

 

[JellyBean]

My beloved Minnesota Lynx!! What a game!! Our reserves stepped up and showed out last night!! I am so happy that Alissa Pili got some minutes and did well out there. Dorka. Looking and playing better. She looks so much more comfortable out there compared to last season. But our bench putting up 50 was pretty impressive. But I am just happy for Pili. Playing behind Phee, Smith, Dorka, Carleton, and Zandalasini is tough, but Pili stayed ready and did well out there. Way to go, Minnesota!!

 

[GamecockFam]

I'm excited for today's game! I hope to see Cardoso face against Boston. I think that will be fun, though I doubt Cardoso will get more than 10 minutes since this will be her first game in the W and she is returning from an injury.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I just hope to see a less discombobulated Indiana team on the floor today than their last outing. They've had a couple days of rest I think.