Megan Walker Goes Pro [merged thread]

[UcMiami]

One thing that has occurred to me is if some of you say she knew all along to go pro this year. Why not do what Sabally did and announce sooner and have a senior night with CD and gang. I think she was still mulling the decision.

Senior night is for seniors, so I doubt Uconn would allow a junior to participate in a 'senior night' festivity even if the announced they were not going to return. The exception might be if they were on schedule to graduate in three years - something that is unlikely for athletes due to their heavy time commitment to their sport. The players like Morgan and Azura that have left prior to using their 4 yr. eligibility were academic seniors and in at least Morgan's case were offered the chance to participate, with the specific proviso that they would not be invited to participate a second time should they stay.

 

[uconnever]

This team sure could have used some of that vocal leadership, ;leadership by example, or a spark THIS season. Megan did not deliver it. Even on a team that included KLS and Napheesa there was room for leadership and an occasional spark as was delivered (at times) by freshman Christyn Williams and junior Crystal Dangerfield.

I think maybe she is the kinda person that lets her seniors lead until she has no choice. Like I’ve said before, this was her training year. We could have used her to lead more, but I believe she did a lot of that by example. The games we lost, we just weren’t the better team. Doesn’t matter now but I truly believe next year, she would have been dominant as only juniors who already are, can leave for the draft early and get drafted early.

 

[Mam4720]

I agree that there are players like Sabrina, Hebert, sabally, Cox in the mix, but she is from UConn and that sometimes ups the value of a draftee, IMO.

Fair point....uconn players are often sought after because they are winners..but it doesnt guarantees significant playing time..

 

[ccwarrior]

I disagree, she was our alpha and this was her learning year as to how to lead and be a team leader vocally or physically. I think people forget she only really played one season before this one. Next year had she stayed, she had all of the qualities to be an alpha and lead this team to the title. Pheesa and Lou just left so this was new to her. There’s not a doubt in my mind that she would have led us to the promised land next year......not a doubt!

Agree to disagree.

 

[oldude]

I knew that they were BFFs at UConn but didn't know that they were close friends before arriving in Storrs.

Yes. They played together on several HS/USA basketball teams, as well as the national championship 3x3 team.

 

[Jmsdawg]

So, if the WNBA cancels their upcoming season in the near future, what are Megan's options? Can she "undue" what she has done and return to UCONN for her senior year?

if they sign her I believe she will get paid even if the season gets canceled. I am not sure about WNBA but in other sports you must remove yourself from draft within a certain timeframe to be eligible to return to college. Coming back after leaving is probably not possible if she sign a contract even if the season is cancelled.

 

[Centerstream]

if they sign her I believe she will get paid even if the season gets canceled. I am not sure about WNBA but in other sports you must remove yourself from draft within a certain timeframe to be eligible to return to college. Coming back after leaving is probably not possible if she sign a contract even if the season is cancelled.

I asked the same question earlier in this thread or in another thread and the reply I got was that when a player declares for the WNBA, they forfeit their remaining eligibility. BUT, I have no idea how Sabally was able to declare before the PAC-12 Tournament and still compete unless it's another quirky NCAA rule that the declaration is only effective once the team's season is completed.
Or maybe she got a waiver to declare early.

 

[oldude]

This is an entirely unprecedented situation when it comes to the WNBA. The draft is scheduled in about a month on April 17 with training camps set to begin on April 26. While it’s possible that the worst is behind us by that time, it is far more likely that the US is dealing with a situation that’s even worse than it is right now. Under those circumstances, we could anticipate either a delay or cancellation of the WNBA. As for playing overseas, while there is no guarantee that the virus will be under control, at least there’s a 6-7 month window before decisions have to be made.

Under the circumstances, I would expect the NCAA to allow players like Megan and Sabally to petition for reinstatement if the W is cancelled and there is uncertainty regarding playing overseas.

 

[BBallF]

Diana left without her degree as did many others. They finished up online after they leave school. And we have no idea if Meg needs 8 more classes or 1.

FWIW, Geno won’t let his former players return to campus until they complete their degrees

Thank you. I think that is great about Geno. There is another aspect to this as well though. D was in school for 4 years and had no eligibility left and she was D. No one would have expected her and the others you referred to to just stay in school and not play pro ball if they could. Correct me if am wrong, but the only ones besides Walker who did have eligibility left and who went pro and who were noteworthy were Stevens and Tuck and they both, I believe, had already attended college for four years. That is not the case here with Meg. She had both a year of eligibility and a 4th, not 5th, year in school left if she wanted them. She is the first one to give up both and many of us including Mike Anthony of The Courant think it was a mistake for a variety of different reasons including but not limited to the academic one.

 

[JonathanXIV]

With Megans announcement the 2020-21 Uconn Huskies just improved from this seasons 29-3 team that didn't have an identity and chemistry to a team that knows what it wants and will bust their butts to get there! More importantly there will be an unselfishness in this team that is going to help them bond in a way Uconn teams usually do unlike this past year!

Please stop with the “we’re better without Megan” refrain. Not true.

 

[cferraro04]

Please stop with the “we’re better without Megan” refrain. Not true.

I agree with the above...but, it is fair to say that with the incoming freshmen class and the improvements from the returning players that next year's team has the potential to be better than this year's team was. Further, it should be noted that if Megan has stayed then there would have been no reason for the NCAA teams to even bother playing their games...they could save a lot of time and energy by just giving UConn the National Championship Trophy. What you say? Well, if Dawn Staley can have her hand out...then why not UConn

 

[hoopsfan22]

We're not going to be better next season. We're losing our three year starting PG who was one of the best PGs in the country, and the #1 player from the class of 2017. ONO and CW are going to have to improve big time this summer.

 

[oldude]

We're not going to be better next season. We're losing our three year starting PG who was one of the best PGs in the country, and the #1 player from the class of 2017. ONO and CW are going to have to improve big time this summer.

It’s far too soon to make that assessment. Crystal was great, but Paige could be the best pg to ever play at UConn, including DT, and she will be backed up by a really good pg in Nika with pro experience. In addition, there were two #1 players from the Class of 2017, depending on the rating group. One was Megan. The other was Evina.

Beyond that, you can absolutely take to the bank that Liv, Christyn, Anna & Aubrey will all be better next season. I also have high expectations that Aaliyah, fresh off the Canadian National team, will be an immediate contributor up front.

Let’s just see what Geno and his staff can whip up with next year’s team before we prematurely write them off.

 

[Kaizen]

Megan is crying ...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Mike Anthony was rather candid and harsh. I’m sure Meg knew she would draw some criticism. I was surprised that some folks who replied to the UConn WBB IG posting were downright nasty. Meg’s task is to prove them wrong.

In terms of the off-the-court issues, we know about:

The unexpected denial of Evina’s waiver request.

Batouly’s lingering injury.

Geno’s condition and surgery.

Jasmine’s absence and Jamelle’s return.

Kobe’s and Gianna’s deaths.

Kyla’s nasty injury last Sunday.

That’s a lot!! Was there even more? Was there something that especially impacted Meg? We don’t know. UConn is usually extremely discreet about internal matters.

 

[Kaizen]

Mike Anthony was rather candid and harsh. I’m sure Meg knew she would draw some criticism. I was surprised that some folks who replied to the UConn WBB IG posting were downright nasty. Meg’s task is to prove them wrong.

In terms of the off-the-court issues, we know about:

The unexpected denial of Evina’s waiver request.

Batouly’s lingering injury.

Geno’s condition and surgery.

Jasmine’s absence and Jamelle’s return.

Kobe’s and Gianna’s deaths.

That’s a lot!! Was there even more? Was there something that especially impacted Meg? We don’t know. UConn is usually extremely discreet about internal matters.

Add Kyla's injury ....

 

[MilfordHusky]

Add Kyla's injury ....

Thanks! That was very late in the season, but I modified my list to add it.

 

[Plebe]

Thanks! That was very late in the season, but I modified my list to add it.

Your list was off-the-court issues.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Your list was off-the-court issues.

Injuries can be off the court after they happen.

Regardless of the category, it was something the team had to deal with and was very emotional.

 

[Argonaut]

Mike Anthony was rather candid and harsh. I’m sure Meg knew she would draw some criticism. I was surprised that some folks who replied to the UConn WBB IG posting were downright nasty. Meg’s task is to prove them wrong.

In terms of the off-the-court issues, we know about:

The unexpected denial of Evina’s waiver request.

Batouly’s lingering injury.

Geno’s condition and surgery.

Jasmine’s absence and Jamelle’s return.

Kobe’s and Gianna’s deaths.

Kyla’s nasty injury last Sunday.

That’s a lot!! Was there even more? Was there something that especially impacted Meg? We don’t know. UConn is usually extremely discreet about internal matters.

I think you could also add that she was the only member of her recruiting class left. She comes in expecting to play four years with those girls and she wakes up her junior year as the last chicken standing. Psychologically, that has to do something to you.

 

[Geew1992]

Mike Anthony was rather candid and harsh. I’m sure Meg knew she would draw some criticism. I was surprised that some folks who replied to the UConn WBB IG posting were downright nasty. Meg’s task is to prove them wrong.

In terms of the off-the-court issues, we know about:

The unexpected denial of Evina’s waiver request.

Batouly’s lingering injury.

Geno’s condition and surgery.

Jasmine’s absence and Jamelle’s return.

Kobe’s and Gianna’s deaths.

Kyla’s nasty injury last Sunday.

That’s a lot!! Was there even more? Was there something that especially impacted Meg? We don’t know. UConn is usually extremely discreet about internal matters.

There was some horrible stuff said on IG. Saying thanks and good luck is all that should have been said. People suck!!

 

[MilfordHusky]

There was some horrible stuff said on IG. Saying thanks and good luck is all that should have been said. People suck!!

Some of it was awful! I don’t like the decision, but I agree with her right to decide for herself and support her regardless.

 

[Dokey]

If Meg had gone down with a torn ACL in November that would have been a disaster. We have enough talent and the coaches to figure out how to use that talent in the next 8 months to remedy Meg’s loss. Some people say we will be better off without Meg, many say we won’t. I think we’ll just be different and I can hardly wait.

 

[Newfie]

After reading a bunch of these posts, it occurred to me that Megan has gotten more than her share of negative comments over the past 3 years. Maybe she had enough. They are kids, I know adults who couldn’t put up with the criticism that these guys sometimes are subjected to. As I said in a previous post I think she had decided to go no matter what. She could not wait to see if the WNBA season was canceled, because if it was, there would have been no excuse to leave. Megan was likely just ready to move on, no matter what the reason.

 

[Centerstream]

There was some horrible stuff said on IG. Saying thanks and good luck is all that should have been said. People suck!!

Some of it was awful! I don’t like the decision, but I agree with her right to decide for herself and support her regardless.

I am glad that I don't have an IG account or even know how it works.

 

[hart2hart]

YSRFrisbee.......you nailed it!
“In a World Where You Can be Anything....
Be Kind”. Amen to that, Kindness Matters.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think Husky Nation should be concerned about our image. Are we rabid fans in a constructive way, or are we selfish people who care only about wins, losses, and margins of victory? Let’s make playing at UConn as positive an experience as possible. We’ve heard horror stories about nasty and vindictive fans at Tennessee. Let’s not be like them!

 

[Plebe]

I think Husky Nation should be concerned about our image. Are we rabid fans in a constructive way, or are we selfish people who care only about wins, losses, and margins of victory? Let’s make playing at UConn as positive an experience as possible. We’ve heard horror stories about nasty and vindictive fans at Tennessee. Let’s not be like them!

Like it or not, Jewell Loyd was the paradigm-shifter. Before her early declaration, I didn't even know players could declare for the W only 3 years out of high school. Since then, the "new normal" is for everyone to scramble to check birthdates to know which seniors are draft-eligible and which aren't.

We saw how nasty the Tennessee fans were when Evina did the unthinkable and transferred to the hated UConn Huskies. Megan isn't transferring; she's just going pro, which is a dream for any athlete. Please let's not begrudge that. Show a little grace.

 

[Plebe]

Lexi Gordon took notice as well.

 

[MilfordHusky]

People can disagree with Meg’s decision, but how and where they express that—and how personal they make it—make a huge difference. Civility matters!