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Message: [QUOTE="diggerfoot, post: 2775902, member: 1673"] Sorry in advance if this derails the thread somewhat, but this one comment draws together various ruminations I've had. I agree with how good Parker is; I would put her in a category of three uniquely gifted basketball players: Parker, EDD and Stewart (historically Jackson also fits the bill). I omit players like Moore only because of her height, and players like Fowles because their gifts are not quite as diverse. Her desire also seems impeccable given the conditions under which she won two NCAA championships. However, I question the statement that she makes Ogwumike better. +/- stats have limited applicability. They are meaningless for one game; they are meaningless for comparing players from different teams. However, over the course of a season they provide the most meaningful indicator we have of how a player potentially affects team play. Early in their careers (even earlier for Moore over Parker), there was a season when Moore had one of the best +/- stat on the Lynx, and they won the championship that year. Parker had a comparatively poor +/- stat for the Sparks that same year, yet she won the MVP if I recall correctly. That suggests Parker's greatness as a player transcends her value to the team. I'm not joining the "dump on Parker" bandwagon that's popular these days. Her performance at Tennessee verifies she can carry a team, but that may be part of her problem. Ironically, I think Moore had this same problem as a senior at UConn; it's why I've theorized that Moore is better for a team with experienced players who won't just watch her take over, while Taurasi is better for a team with inexperienced players whose confidence she will elevate. In any case, I suspect you think Parker is making Ogwumike better because she is the facilitator in their two person offense. However, how many times have UConn fans bemoaned the lack of aggression in post players demanding the ball? It could be that Ogwumike makes facilitation easy for a teammate. This part is rampant speculation, since I no longer watch the WNBA, but historical results suggest that Ogwumike may be more valuable to Parker than vice-versa. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach