Mechelle Voepel: Ogwumike should win WNBA MVP

[Kaizen]

Her vote:
MVP: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles
Rookie of the Year: Breanna Stewart, Seattle
Sixth Woman: Jantel Lavender, Los Angeles
Most Improved Player: Elizabeth Williams, Atlanta
Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota

The MVP should be between Tina Charles and Maya Moore.
Why Mechelle Voepel likes LA Sparks so much ???

Why Sparks' Ogwumike should win WNBA MVP

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

The MVP should be between Tina Charles and Maya Moore.
Why Mechelle Voepel likes LA Sparks so much ???

Why Sparks' Ogwumike should win WNBA MVP

With all due respect, "should" is your opinion, not necessarily a statement of fact.

Voepel uses advanced stats, a very Kevin Pelton-like way of determining efficiency. As she states:

Pelton also uses a value stat called "WARP," which stands for wins above replacement player. His top five in WARP this season has Ogwumike in the lead at 10.4, followed by Stewart at 8.4, Moore 8.2, Delle Donne 6.7 and Charles and Parker tied at 6.5.

Other advanced stats in which Ogwumike leads the league include player efficiency rating (PER) at 31.9 (best in league history is Lauren Jackson's 35.04 in 2007); win shares at 9.3; and offensive rating at 136.2. Ogwumike is the only of my six MVP candidates, in fact, who is in the top five in both offensive rating and defensive rating.

She also discusses why she picked Ogwumike over Charles.

Voepel has very valid reasons for her selection. I cannot say she is "wrong" or that her opinion is not supported by statistics/evidence. And I am sure you have valid reasons for your top candidates as well.

 

[VAMike23]

Nneka would have my vote this year. I agreed with all of her picks except for Coach of the Year. I think Agler has done a good job getting the Sparks to perform much more consistently.

 

[EricLA]

I think it would be a runaway for Nneka if the Sparks performed better since the Olympic break. But they have been pretty bad lately. But the Liberty have not been any better really. And Nneka's efficiency is so high that it's in uncharted territory at this point.

Having said that, the award is for MVP - Most Valuable Player, not player with the best stats, or best player, or player who has insane efficiency numbers. Which team has launched themselves into 1st place while LA sputtered? Minnesota. Maya is the best player on the best team. She would have my vote and Nneka would be a close 2nd. I'd actually put Stewie 3rd given how bad Seattle was last year, and how strong they have come on late in the season. I would have put EDD 3rd but she's injured and may get some votes, but at this point, hard to give her any support.

Having said that, I think Nneka wins by a pretty wide margin. It seems that the stars are aligned for her and she has the momentum from the incredible first half of the year.

 

[Gate81]

I think it would be a runaway for Nneka if the Sparks performed better since the Olympic break. But they have been pretty bad lately. But the Liberty have not been any better really. And Nneka's efficiency is so high that it's in uncharted territory at this point.

Having said that, the award is for MVP - Most Valuable Player, not player with the best stats, or best player, or player who has insane efficiency numbers. Which team has launched themselves into 1st place while LA sputtered? Minnesota. Maya is the best player on the best team. She would have my vote and Nneka would be a close 2nd. I'd actually put Stewie 3rd given how bad Seattle was last year, and how strong they have come on late in the season. I would have put EDD 3rd but she's injured and may get some votes, but at this point, hard to give her any support.

Having said that, I think Nneka wins by a pretty wide margin. It seems that the stars are aligned for her and she has the momentum from the incredible first half of the year.

Eric, with all due respect and in full knowledge that this is a UConn blog, instead of saying "the stars are aligned for her" we should give her some due: Nneka ALIGNED the stars!

 

[CocoHusky]

Eric, with all due respect and in full knowledge that this is a UConn blog, instead of saying "the stars are aligned for her" we should give her some due: Nneka ALIGNED the stars!

Well said. I put it a little differently.

"Ogwumike's true shooting percentage -- which takes into account 2-pointers, 3-pointers and free throws -- is 73.8. That ranks as the best in league history."
"Then there is this stat: Charles has missed almost as many shots this season, 349, as Ogwumike has taken, 357."
Mic drop for Neka.

 

[EricLA]

Eric, with all due respect and in full knowledge that this is a UConn blog, instead of saying "the stars are aligned for her" we should give her some due: Nneka ALIGNED the stars!

Perfectly said! Best comment about Nneka I've read on the board!

 

[UcMiami]

No problem with Nneka.
An interesting comment in the last Lynx game from one of the announcers - of the five Lynx starters only when Moore is on the bench does the opponent outscore the Lynx or to state it another way, as long as Maya is on the court, the Lynx are winning.

 

[MilfordHusky]

No problem with Nneka.
An interesting comment in the last Lynx game from one of the announcers - of the five Lynx starters only when Moore is on the bench does the opponent outscore the Lynx or to state it another way, as long as Maya is on the court, the Lynx are winning.

As good as the rest of the Lynx starters are, the team is indeed much better when Maya is in the game.

 

[HuskiesU]

Charles by far you take her off the Liberty they struggle to win 10 games. LA without Nnemka will still do fine because of Parker. Their Numbers are about the same so my MVP is TINA

 

[CocoHusky]

Charles by far you take her off the Liberty they struggle to win 10 games. LA without Nnemka will still do fine because of Parker. Their Numbers are about the same so my MVP is TINA

Then by that logic (subtracting players) Stewie would be your MVP not Tina. Since you can't really subtract players, NY has roughly the same record as last year where as Seattle has been elevated into playoff position by Stewie & Sparks were sub .500 team last year and have 2nd best record in the league. Who would we credit for the Sparks improvement? Chelsea Gray?