May 2024 WNBA Thread, part II

[bballnut90]

I'm really concerned about our future size. BG at 6'9 is a unicorn of talent and hard to replace. Lauren Betts is probably our best bet for now but I hope we can see some more consistency from her in the years to come.

I think USA has a solid post pipeline at the moment with Boston, Stewart, Collier and Wilson all lined up for the next cycle. Not to mention Angel Reese and Cameron Brink.

Guard play is also going to be stronger than it has ever been. USA basketball has always been dominated by forwards and centers but the level of play by the guards is stronger and deeper than it has ever been with Clark, Bueckers, Watkins, Hidalgo, Booker, Fulwiley, Harmon and Miles in the mix for the next several cycles.

 

[Bigboote]

What database are you using? The one I use, WNBA Stats, lists Lloyd as 52nd in FG% at 36.2%, Ogunbowale 53rd at 35.7%. Still pretty dismal considering a 12 team league has 60 starters, but at least more believably dismal than 94th and 97th. Maybe yours includes players who have seen very limited action?

WNBA.com also has them 52 and 53. That's out of 56 qualifiers.

Basketball Reference has a field-goals-missed stat. Jewell has been in the top two each of the last three years, and Arike has been in the top 3 every season of her career.

I agree with the poster who said that they shouldn't both be on the WNT at the same time.

 

[bbsamjj]

I'm loooking at the advanced stats and the "True Shooting Percentage": Players Advanced

Two- and three-point field goals and free throws are all considered in its calculation. It is abbreviated TS%.

It is calculated by: %=2(+(0.44×))

 

[diggerfoot]

I'm loooking at the advanced stats and the "True Shooting Percentage": Players Advanced

Two- and three-point field goals and free throws are all considered in its calculation. It is abbreviated TS%.

It is calculated by: %=2(+(0.44×))

Ah, thanks. I did not pick up on the “true,” and previously in the thread someone cited 35.7%, but I see that is not you.

To clarify for those who do not hit the reply button, TS% is half the points scored divided by FGA + a fraction of FTA. Your site uses 0.44, I believe 0.475 also is used. Perhaps there are other fractions as well?

I still wonder at the 94th and 97th ranking though. That either implies that nine player rotations are common or they factor in all players, including those with not much playing time.

I agree with your point, though, their efficiency is pretty dismal even if you are only considering players with significant roles.

on edit: Just clicked on the link, it’s also WNBA Stats, oops. Should have done that first, lol. I see that it does include players with lesser roles, playing time.

 

[Dillon77]

I think USA has a solid post pipeline at the moment with Boston, Stewart, Collier and Wilson all lined up for the next cycle. Not to mention Angel Reese and Cameron Brink.

Guard play is also going to be stronger than it has ever been. USA basketball has always been dominated by forwards and centers but the level of play by the guards is stronger and deeper than it has ever been with Clark, Bueckers, Watkins, Hidalgo, Booker, Fulwiley, Harmon and Miles in the mix for the next several cycles.

Greetings from a library in a village off the Atlantic Ocean where I'm still enjoying wind and waves. I caught up on various threads and decided to add one name to this group of excellent guards. Yes, it's a homer/Domer, but she has excelled in international play, earning All-Star recognition (with Caitlin Clark) at the U-19 World Cup a few years back.

Sonia Citron is the kind of versatile glue player that makes every team better and coaches want. Offense: catch and shoot from mid- and long-distance. Excellent in the open floor and can pull up for short jumpers. Adept ball-handler. Defense: superb. Always covers opposition's best player. Can rebound when needed.

I liked "Soni" before she got to ND and think she'll be a very good pro and solid contributor to the U.S. pool.

Back to the beach. See you next week.

 

[JellyBean]

Greetings from a library in a village off the Atlantic Ocean where I'm still enjoying wind and waves. I caught up on various threads and decided to add one name to this group of excellent guards. Yes, it's a homer/Domer, but she has excelled in international play, earning All-Star recognition (with Caitlin Clark) at the U-19 World Cup a few years back.

Sonia Citron is the kind of versatile glue player that makes every team better and coaches want. Offense: catch and shoot from mid- and long-distance. Excellent in the open floor and can pull up for short jumpers. Adept ball-handler. Defense: superb. Always covers opposition's best player. Can rebound when needed.

I liked "Soni" before she got to ND and think she'll be a very good pro and solid contributor to the U.S. pool.

Back to the beach. See you next week.

Enjoy the beach and I agree with your comments. I can't wait for Sonia Citron to be drafted in the WNBA. She is going to be a great addition to any team at the next level. The WNBA is expanding at the right time.

 

[Bigboote]

I liked "Soni" before she got to ND and think she'll be a very good pro and solid contributor to the U.S. pool.

Back to the beach. See you next week.

I like Sonia too, and was hoping that she’d go to UConn.

 

[Bald Husky]

So Connecticut Sun fans, what do you think about the team trading for Marina Mabrey. I believe she is the most hated UConn opponent that we have, but as a Sun fan how can we root for her? The answer, we have to. The Suns' Achilles heel is 3 point shooting, and they have lost games, especially the last against New York, because their outside shooting is about the worst in the league. I for one will root for her, and if she does well than I may slowly learn to tolerate her. Did it with Kara Lawson, so I guess I can do it for Mabrey.

 

[JoePgh]

So Connecticut Sun fans, what do you think about the team trading for Marina Mabrey. I believe she is the most hated UConn opponent that we have, but as a Sun fan how can we root for her? The answer, we have to. The Suns' Achilles heel is 3 point shooting, and they have lost games, especially the last against New York, because their outside shooting is about the worst in the league. I for one will root for her, and if she does well than I may slowly learn to tolerate her. Did it with Kara Lawson, so I guess I can do it for Mabrey.

Marina Mabrey is the Nika Muhl of Notre Dame. If she had played in Storrs with no change to her personality or playing style, UConn fans would have loved her. By the same token, if Nika had worn shamrocks, we would all hate her.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Marina Mabrey is the Nika Muhl of Notre Dame. If she had played in Storrs with no change to her personality or playing style, UConn fans would have loved her. By the same token, if Nika had worn shamrocks, we would all hate her.

Sorta kinda. But with all due respect to Nika, only one of them could win Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Flop.

 

[JellyBean]

So Connecticut Sun fans, what do you think about the team trading for Marina Mabrey. I believe she is the most hated UConn opponent that we have, but as a Sun fan how can we root for her? The answer, we have to. The Suns' Achilles heel is 3 point shooting, and they have lost games, especially the last against New York, because their outside shooting is about the worst in the league. I for one will root for her, and if she does well than I may slowly learn to tolerate her. Did it with Kara Lawson, so I guess I can do it for Mabrey.

I am curious to see how this all plays out for the Sun & Marbrey and the rest of the WNBA teams. I can't wait for the 2nd half of the WNBA season! Some exciting basketball is just around the corner.

 

[triaddukefan]

Now im going to be singing Big Mama all morning

 

[MilfordHusky]

Now it's back to the W in a few days!

 

[hoopsnloops32]

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.

 

[JellyBean]

Now it's back to the W in a few days!

I am so looking forward to the 2nd half of the season! If Indiana can continue their run. Ooooweee!!

 

[GirlBoo1020]

This break from the negativity surrounding the WNBA this season on social media has been nice. It was great seeing all the lovely women of team USA playing and having fun together the last month. I might just have to call it a season and pretend that France/USA game was the WNBA championship or maybe just catch the big games for the W moving forward. It hasn't been enjoyable being a casual fan this season without a specific team to root for .

 

[cancontent]

Some more insight on the situations for Williams, Johannes and Messeman. Will anything happen? No clue, but it does answer whether teams had their rights.

 

[Bigboote]

I love watching all of those players. I really miss Meesseman playing for the Mystics.

 

[GamecockFam]

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.

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!

 

[cancontent]

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!

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.

 

[nwhoopfan]

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.

 

[MilfordHusky]

What playoff contender could use a great passing small forward who defends the hell out of the ball?

 

[hoopsnloops32]

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!

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.

 

[Dillon77]

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.

@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.

 

[Dillon77]

BTW, should we start a New Thread on This? We're certainly not in May.
Like WNBA '24 Season - Part 2?