May 2024 WNBA Thread, part II

[Blueballer]

Wow. That was..something.

I really don't want to hear that there was no room for Arike (or Allisha, or Caitlin, or the other Kelsey) on this team. BULL. Team USA and these politics, man. Diana looked like Team USA's best guard by far--and she's 42. My goodness.

I also don't think that 21 shots by Breanna Stewart was necessary, but here we are.

Politics? Arike isn't a team player and never was. That's why she isn't on the team. But typically for her in a game like this she's plays with a massive chip on her shoulder and hits 8 threes. She's not going to hit 8 threes very often. It's the same with Dallas games. If she hits all those shots they win but frequently she does not. And sometimes she hits a lot of shots and they still don't win. USA basketball will be just fine without her.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Politics? Arike isn't a team player and never was. That's why she isn't on the team. But typically for her in a game like this she's plays with a massive chip on her shoulder and hits 8 threes. She's not going to hit 8 threes very often. It's the same with Dallas games. If she hits all those shots they win but frequently she does not. And sometimes she hits a lot of shots and they still don't win. USA basketball will be just fine without her.

There are multiple players currently on Team USA who play similar to Arike. They just got showed up by her on a HUGE stage. This game proved that she could've replaced any one of them.

Team USA will be fine without Arike, but that's not the point. The point is that this nonsense about "culture" and being a "team player" is just that--nonsense. Like I said, you could've put the Team WNBA guards (I mentioned MULTIPLE by name--not just Arike) on the Olympic team and there wouldn't have been a decline in production.

I shudder to think what Chennedy Carter would've done to this team given the way Arike cooked them.

 

[JellyBean]

After the game, Caitlin Clark, during post-game stuff, mention Indianapolis getting the chance to host an all-star game somewhere down the line. In all of my years following the WNBA, I don't ever recall Indy hosting the all-star game even though Indiana has been in the WNBA for going on 24-25 years now. What a shame by the WNBA. Indiana is a basketball crazed state. That state should have hosted an all-star by now. I am sure they will soon, thanks to CC's comments. But what a game!!

 

[bballnut90]

Team USA will be fine and will win the gold medal even if they lost the game yesterday. What this game highlights is how deep the talent pool is here and it allows for political decisions to be made since at the end of the day, Team USA is winning gold with their B and C rosters.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

The U.S. guards were very underwhelming and need to step it up. They could be fine and maybe this will energize them.

Team WNBA would also medal in the Olympics.

 

[Reypl21]

Arike could be a spitfire scoring option off of the bench for team USA. She has played for some select USA teams before, so it's not like she can't tame her game back. Team USA's guards weren't looking too great in that All-Star game, but they won't be playing a backcourt hat talented in the Olympics. They'll be fine.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

Arike is a great player when she's on but I often feel like she shoots her team out of games when she's not. She currently takes the most field goals in the league and is shooting a pretty horrible 37%. I feel like you take either Arike or Jewell but never both. Jewell probably got the edge due to Team USA experience.

If anything Team USA needs more two way guards. Such as Laney, Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. The perimeter defense leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

It seems “politics” is the new catchphrase for “sub-tweeting” decisions made that don’t cater to one’s preferences.

At bottom:

• do the decisions appear to be reasonable?
• were they made according to reasonable criteria?
• were they made by reasonable knowledgeable people?
• did prior similarly-made decisions produce desired results?

Even the men’s Team USA had an off-day on its fourth tune-up.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Arike is a great player when she's on but I often feel like she shoots her team out of games when she's not. She currently takes the most field goals in the league and is shooting a pretty horrible 37%. I feel like you take either Arike or Jewell but never both. Jewell probably got the edge due to Team USA experience.

Arike's not an efficient player, but neither are Taurasi, Loyd, or Ionescu (and Plum this season). I've seen Copper shoot her team out of games this year. We just saw Plum shoot Vegas out of the Sky game not too long ago (and the first Storm game also sticks out to me). Loyd's historically awful shooting had a lot to do with why Seattle started out the season so poorly.

It shouldn't have to come down to Arike versus Jewell--there either should be room for both or Arike should have a realistic shot at making a team like this. Jewell is not the type of player who should command so much respect that her spot is essentially sewn up. For that matter, neither are Copper, Plum, Young, or Ionescu. All of the guards not named Taurasi sucked last night. It was a terrible look for Team USA, considering that all of them are at least Arike's age or older.

If anything Team USA needs more two way guards. Such as Laney, Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. The perimeter defense leaves a lot to be desired.

Those three should have received further consideration for Team USA than they did (I know that Laney's out due to injury, but they toyed with her before leaving her name out of the pool this past spring). If defense is so important to Team USA, why would you construct a team that has Taurasi (a fossil), Plum (small with ZERO defensive awareness), AND Ionescu (lead feet) on it????

 

[Reypl21]

Arike is a great player when she's on but I often feel like she shoots her team out of games when she's not. She currently takes the most field goals in the league and is shooting a pretty horrible 37%. I feel like you take either Arike or Jewell but never both. Jewell probably got the edge due to Team USA experience.

If anything Team USA needs more two way guards. Such as Laney, Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. The perimeter defense leaves a lot to be desired.

Arike hasn't had her running backcourt ate Sabally this season. Plus Howard was out for a lot of the season. Plus the Wings are just a team that drafts strange every single season. She looks good in these All-Star games because she has other top players alongside her. Which is what the Olympic team would be. As others pointed out, there's other guards that aren't efficient either. And those guards aren't on bad teams. Plum has 3 other Olympians in her starting lineup. Sabrina has Stewart and Jones (plus other really good role players). You put any of those guards om the Wings and ask them to be the main scorer and I don't think they'd be efficient either.

Arike could've been on that team. No one's second unit guards could check her. Team USA can't check her.

 

[cancontent]

It seems “politics” is the new catchphrase for “sub-tweeting” decisions made that don’t cater to one’s preferences.

At bottom:

• do the decisions appear to be reasonable?
• were they made according to reasonable criteria?
• were they made by reasonable knowledgeable people?
• did prior similarly-made decisions produce desired results?

Even the men’s Team USA had an off-day on its fourth tune-up.

Politics have always been in play, unfortunately. This isn't something new. From those questioning whether Lobo should have been on the 1996 roster to players like Ogumike never being selected.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Arike hasn't had her running backcourt ate Sabally this season. Plus Howard was out for a lot of the season. Plus the Wings are just a team that drafts strange every single season. She looks good in these All-Star games because she has other top players alongside her. Which is what the Olympic team would be. As others pointed out, there's other guards that aren't efficient either. And those guards aren't on bad teams. Plum has 3 other Olympians in her starting lineup. Sabrina has Stewart and Jones (plus other really good role players). You put any of those guards om the Wings and ask them to be the main scorer and I don't think they'd be efficient either.

Arike could've been on that team. No one's second unit guards could check her. Team USA can't check her.

Yeah, but how many playoff wins / championships does Dallas have since Arike joined the league?

“Drafting strange”: Arike has been on 6 Dallas teams (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) — a graveyard of top draft picks where some players who got out have rejuvenated careers.

Note: LV was not its championship self, until Becky Hammon came along. Whatever the issue is with Dallas — it is dead last this year — do Team USA members feel it needs a dose of Arike ball?

 

[cancontent]

Yeah, but how many playoff wins / championships does Dallas have since Arike joined the league?

“Drafting strange”: Arike has been on 6 Dallas teams (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) — a graveyard of top draft picks where some players who got out have rejuvenated careers.

Note: LV was not its championship self, until Becky Hammon came along. Whatever the issue is with Dallas — it is dead last this year — do Team USA members feel it needs a dose of Arike ball?

But is that all on Arike or the front office? In addition to the puzzling draft choices, the coaches prior to Tramell were underwhelming.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Politics have always been in play, unfortunately. This isn't something new. From those questioning whether Lobo should have been on the 1996 roster to players like Ogumike never being selected.

Politics have always been in play, unfortunately. This isn't something new. From those questioning whether Lobo should have been on the 1996 roster to players like Ogumike never being selected.

Can’t speak to Rebecca Lobo and others who have been selected prior to the current process that former Team USA members and current Selection Committee members Dawn Staley, Seimone Augustus and Delisha Milton Jones know about and are implementing.

That said:

• prior to the process, Team USA had a more robust preparation, which allows the Selection Committee leeway in selecting the 11th/12th players;
• in 2000 (Rebecca Lobo) and maybe 2004 (Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird), the Selection Committee arguably used this leeway;
• I used a “maybe” on 2004 since Team USA had no veteran formidable backcourt with experience who will be back in 2008; the Selection Committee made a bet on Sue and Diana with their stellar collegiate careers who will be entering their prime in 2008;
• in 2024, under the current process, the Selection Committee chose 5 newcomers — 4 guards and 1 forward, ending up with a team with 7 guards;
• Nneka is the most anguishing decision for me — the only one I can think of that maybe is unreasonable.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

But is that all on Arike or the front office? In addition to the puzzling draft choices, the coaches prior to Tramell were underwhelming.

The one constant in Dallas is Arike. Unlike Marina Mabrey who requested a trade to CT, there has not been any request by Arike to get traded.

Arguably, Dallas is Arike and Arike is Dallas. Any decisions of others in Dallas rests on Arike-in-Dallas as a core fact.

 

[cancontent]

The one constant in Dallas is Arike. Unlike Marina Mabrey who requested a trade to CT, there has not been any request by Arike to get traded.

Arguably, Dallas is Arike and Arike is Dallas. Any decisions of others in Dallas rests on Arike-in-Dallas as a core fact.

But the decisions for the players selected and playing style isn't Arike. Putting all the onus on her for how the team is performing isn't fair.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

But the decisions for the players selected and playing style isn't Arike. Putting all the onus on her for how the team is performing isn't fair.

“Arike-in-Dallas as a core fact” — decisions for and with Arike in mind, which weren’t successful with Arike having a hand on the successes, or lack thereof.

It seems we’re not going to agree on this one, so let’s agree to disagree.

 

[baggerbob]

Can’t speak to Rebecca Lobo and others who have been selected prior to the current process that former Team USA members and current Selection Committee members Dawn Staley, Seimone Augustus and Delisha Milton Jones know about and are implementing.

That said:

• prior to the process, Team USA had a more robust preparation, which allows the Selection Committee leeway in selecting the 11th/12th players;
• in 2000 (Rebecca Lobo) and maybe 2004 (Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird), the Selection Committee arguably used this leeway;
• I used a “maybe” on 2004 since Team USA had no veteran formidable backcourt with experience who will be back in 2008; the Selection Committee made a bet on Sue and Diana with their stellar collegiate careers who will be entering their prime in 2008;
• in 2024, under the current process, the Selection Committee chose 5 newcomers — 4 guards and 1 forward, ending up with a team with 7 guards;
• Nneka is the most anguishing decision for me — the only one I can think of that maybe is unreasonable.

7 guards on this team was a mistake. Now with Collier looking like she can't play you go into the Olympics with 4 frontcourt players, 2 nursing injuries in Stewie and Griner.
This could be a problem in the Olympics, playing on consecutive days.

 

[The deacon]

Arike's not an efficient player, but neither are Taurasi, Loyd, or Ionescu (and Plum this season). I've seen Copper shoot her team out of games this year. We just saw Plum shoot Vegas out of the Sky game not too long ago (and the first Storm game also sticks out to me). Loyd's historically awful shooting had a lot to do with why Seattle started out the season so poorly.

It shouldn't have to come down to Arike versus Jewell--there either should be room for both or Arike should have a realistic shot at making a team like this. Jewell is not the type of player who should command so much respect that her spot is essentially sewn up. For that matter, neither are Copper, Plum, Young, or Ionescu. All of the guards not named Taurasi sucked last night. It was a terrible look for Team USA, considering that all of them are at least Arike's age or older.


Those three should have received further consideration for Team USA than they did (I know that Laney's out due to injury, but they toyed with her before leaving her name out of the pool this past spring). If defense is so important to Team USA, why would you construct a team that has Taurasi (a fossil), Plum (small with ZERO defensive awareness), AND Ionescu (lead feet) on it????

I agree on nearly all of this, WCCTakeover, especially about Loyd. She's thought to be a good defender. I surely hope so, 'cause she plays a whole lot of bad games on offense.

 

[The deacon]

Can’t speak to Rebecca Lobo and others who have been selected prior to the current process that former Team USA members and current Selection Committee members Dawn Staley, Seimone Augustus and Delisha Milton Jones know about and are implementing.

That said:

• prior to the process, Team USA had a more robust preparation, which allows the Selection Committee leeway in selecting the 11th/12th players;
• in 2000 (Rebecca Lobo) and maybe 2004 (Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird), the Selection Committee arguably used this leeway;
• I used a “maybe” on 2004 since Team USA had no veteran formidable backcourt with experience who will be back in 2008; the Selection Committee made a bet on Sue and Diana with their stellar collegiate careers who will be entering their prime in 2008;
• in 2024, under the current process, the Selection Committee chose 5 newcomers — 4 guards and 1 forward, ending up with a team with 7 guards;
• Nneka is the most anguishing decision for me — the only one I can think of that maybe is unreasonable.

And, based on her performance last night, Nneka very much agrees with you.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

7 guards on this team was a mistake. Now with Collier looking like she can't play you go into the Olympics with 4 frontcourt players, 2 nursing injuries in Stewie and Griner.
This could be a problem in the Olympics, playing on consecutive days.

There are no games on consecutive days in the Olympics. They play 6 games in two weeks with an average of 2-3 days rest between games. Easier than the WNBA schedule.

 

[cancontent]

7 guards on this team was a mistake. Now with Collier looking like she can't play you go into the Olympics with 4 frontcourt players, 2 nursing injuries in Stewie and Griner.
This could be a problem in the Olympics, playing on consecutive days.

The team still have alternates like Brionna Jones available worst case scenario.