MoJeff released by Dallas

[Kaizen]

I did qualify my statement by saying "really successful". As much as I love Lou, my favorite Uconn player in the last 6 years, I would not say that she has had a really successful career. The same can probably be said about Gabby and Kia. Your mileage may vary.

What is the definition of "really successful"? Different people have different opinions.
You have your list which I respect. I have my list and please respect too.

 

[pvdoggy]

What is the definition of "really successful"? Different people have different opinions.
You have your list which I respect. I have my list and please respect too.

I do, which is why your mileage may vary.

 

[Dillon77]

For all the talk about coming to Uconn making it easier to get to the WNBA, I think the only 2 really successful Uconn players in the WNBA in the last 7 years since Stewie's class have been Stewie and Phee.

I did qualify my statement by saying "really successful". As much as I love Lou, my favorite Uconn player in the last 6 years, I would not say that she has had a really successful career. The same can probably be said about Gabby and Kia. Your mileage may vary.

Give me a break with that comment. Okay, so what other team has more successful players in the WNBA?

This is an interesting thread to follow because it addresses a subject -- success -- that has a pretty wide range of interpretation and also involves the website's home team, which can be risky.

But it does get me thinking because there's a lot of talk and evidence that UConn produces a lot of WNBA players. If my memory serves correctly, 17 Huskies were on opening day rosters. I noted in a post that Notre Dame, which is doing pretty darn well, too, has nine, which is just above half of what UConn holds.

Then, there's the definition of success.
- Everyone acknowledges how tough it is to get onto a WNBA roster. So is that the floor or mid-range point of post-grad success?
For instance, some players play professionally -- such as Kat Westbeld, starter on ND's 2018 NC team -- but not in the WNBA. How does that stand?

- Or, since many of these players were All-American or All-Conference, do/should we -- in turn -- hold them to a higher level of excellence? Perhaps that's what PV Doggy was referring to? Should we be talking about players who make All-Star teams, get extended by their WNBA teams, make international teams?

- And, how long should we given them? I read a quote somewhere that some coaches expect WNBA players to blossom between years 3 and 5. That's when it kicks in, if not earlier.

- To take a little bit of the edge off this, I could look at Notre Dame as a non-Husky example for players that have left ND from 2015 onwards. That excludes Skylar Diggins-Smith and Kayla McBride, both of whom would qualify as successful pro's in my opinion.
-- There's Jewell Loyd, Lindsay Allen (not this year, but all others) and the entire starting five from the 2018-19 team: Arike Ogunbowale, Bri Turner, Marina Mabrey, Jackie Young and Jess Shepard.

That group has done pretty darn well so far in so far as staying in the league.But what about the next steps once they're there?

Loyd is a perennial all-star and won an Olympic and World Cup gold medal. Ogunbowale, love her or hate her, is an all-star who was signed to a long-term extension by the Dallas Wings and Bri Turner is an all-WNBA defensive stalwart for Phoenix. Mabrey, whom many didn't think would ever make any pro roster, whipped herself into shape physically is a proven scorer and sixth person.

- We know UConn has set the standard for decades. It would be interesting to apply the same look from 2015 on to UConn, South Carolina, Louisville, Stanford, Maryland and other programs.

 

[Kaizen]

I do, which is why your mileage may vary.

Sorry, I didn't read this last sentence ... my bad

 

[YSRFrisbee]

I still think there is a great chance MoJett can thrive on another team. She was the only reason I ever rooted for Dallas and hopefully she’ll find herself on the right team. Aside from that, she’s one awesome human being and will make an impact wherever she lands up (on or off the court)

 

[Argonaut]

 

[JoePgh]

So does her full salary count against the Wings' salary cap for the current year? If so, then how do the Wings gain from releasing her?

 

[Argonaut]

So does her full salary count against the Wings' salary cap for the current year? If so, then how do the Wings gain from releasing her?

Between MoJeff and Astou Ndour, the Wings are spending close to $300,000 on players they’ve waived.

I’m assuming they did it to open a roster spot, but I’m not sure what kind of cap space they have.

 

[msf22b]

Skylar Diggins-Smith and Kayla McBride, both of whom would qualify as successful pro's in my opinion.
-- There's Jewell Loyd, Lindsay Allen (not this year, but all others) and the entire starting five from the 2018-19 team: Arike Ogunbowale, Bri Turner, Marina Mabrey, Jackie Young and Jess Shepard.

That group has done pretty darn well so far in so far as staying in the league.But what about the next steps once they're there?

In think Dillon makes a winning point...In general...huge talents excepted...Dee, Maya, Bri...the UConn style of play is less physical and less the way the game is played in the W than those players who graduate ND

You may not like it...but it may very well be a fact...The W is a pretty rough and tumble experience...which may have contributed to Mo's less than starry experience to date.

I surely did not expect the success of Jess and Marina...and thought that the only me style of Arike would quickly founder...surprisingly not.

I recall a post that when E was playing her first exhibition game and showed some reticence to shoot, a teammate yelled, "if you're open ...Shoot."...Consider Arike in that light.

 

[Waquoit]

The WNBA is screwed up and I don't know the answer. I don't follow deeply outside the Sun, but I read here Mo Jeff gets cut and my first thought was "what did I miss, how did she screw up"? Turns out she didn't screw up at all. I just read this in the Defector by a big WNBA supporter writing about the Lynx: "Point guard Moriah Jefferson, a fluid and reliable shooter the Lynx signed Friday, looked like a valuable addition in Saturday’s close loss to Chicago." How does a fluid and reliable shooter get cut from a perennially cruddy team? Maybe that's why they are perennially cruddy.

 

[msf22b]

Mo scored 20 in her 2nd game and with McBride back, they won.

 

[Argonaut]

The WNBA is screwed up and I don't know the answer. I don't follow deeply outside the Sun, but I read here Mo Jeff gets cut and my first thought was "what did I miss, how did she screw up"? Turns out she didn't screw up at all. I just read this in the Defector by a big WNBA supporter writing about the Lynx: "Point guard Moriah Jefferson, a fluid and reliable shooter the Lynx signed Friday, looked like a valuable addition in Saturday’s close loss to Chicago." How does a fluid and reliable shooter get cut from a perennially cruddy team? Maybe that's why they are perennially cruddy.

MoJeff needed a team that runs an actual offense.

Dallas is happy to live and die by Arike, so anyone whose game is reliant on much more than going 1 on 1 with your defender will look like trash in their system.

 

[MilfordHusky]

MoJeff needed a team that runs an actual offense.

Dallas is happy to live and die by Arike, so anyone whose game is reliant on much more than going 1 on 1 with your defender will look like trash in their system.

Exactly! Dallas has historically had a bunch of shoot-first players. Saniya tried to run offense there. So did Moriah. Arike is a spectacular player, but is she a winning player at the highest level?

 

[Carnac]

Mo scored 20 in her 2nd game and with McBride back, they won.

I watched the game last night vs the Sparks. Mo looked good. Still quick as ever. Liv is back with the Sparks. She didn't play, coach’s decision. It was the Lynx first win of the season (1-4), 87-84.

 

[Dillon77]

So does her full salary count against the Wings' salary cap for the current year? If so, then how do the Wings gain from releasing her?

If you read down the trail, Richard Cohen -- the initial poster -- answers this: since Minnesota picked up the contract, they're now responsible for it.

 

[darrell]

 

[Argonaut]

Destiny!

 

[eebmg]

When was the left panel taken? They had a UConn visit together?

 

[Argonaut]

When was the left panel taken? They had a UConn visit together?

Seeing the Oregon logo in the background and the old UConn letting on Moriah’s jacket and looking at old schedules, I’m going to say it was the December 31, 2012 game at Oregon. UConn wins 95-51. So Evina would have been 12? 13?

 

[Byukiok808]

This might have already been answered or discussed elsewhere but evina seemed like a huge UCONN fan… is there a reason geno didn’t go after her more or did her interest in UCONN change prior to her committing to Tennessee? It would’ve been nice to have someone of her caliber and integrity playing for the Huskies all 4 years.

 

[UcMiami]

Definitely Oregon Ducks logo in the background of the shot. Very impressive research.

 

[UcMiami]

This might have already been answered or discussed elsewhere but evina seemed like a huge UCONN fan… is there a reason geno didn’t go after her more or did her interest in UCONN change prior to her committing to Tennessee? It would’ve been nice to have someone of her caliber and integrity playing for the Huskies all 4 years.

I think there was a little disconnect in the recruiting process and Uconn thought she wasn't interested/she thought they weren't. Uconn signed Walker, Gordon, Coombs and Espinoza-Hunter - the class that disintegrated.

 

[UcMiami]

2015 draftees forward who have been under contract in 2022:
r Christyn Williams (cut injured)
r Evina Westbrook (17 min 2 points)
r Olivia (injured but on bench)
2020 Crystal Dangerfield (unemployed at the moment - career 24 mpg)
2020 Megan Walker (13.4 min 4.8 pts)
2018 Azura Stevens (25 min 12 points)
2018 Kia Nurse (signed, no stats, not sure what is up - career 26 mpg)
2018 Gabby Williams (23 min 4.3 points)
2019 Napheesa Collier (pregnant - career 34 mpg )
2019 Katie Lou (23 min 9 points first game back)
2016 MoJeff (averaging 35.5 minutes and 18 points 5.5 assts for Minn.)
2016 Breanna Stewart (28.5 min 19 points - covid protocol)
2015 Kiah Stokes (just back from overseas? career 21 mpg)

2014 Stef Dolson
2014 Bria Hartley
2012 Tiffany Hayes (overseas still?)
2010 Tina Charles
2004 DT
2002 Sue Bird

As for WNBA successful, I would say averaging 20+ minutes per game is certainly successful and probably anything over 10 mpg is moderately successful. For career ... anyone playing 7 years or longer is 'successful' even as a career bench warmer seeing as you have beaten out 6 subsequent draft classes.)

Overseas has so many different levels of play that it is hard to categorize what 'playing overseas' really means. Meghan Gardler played a few years in Sweden, and won league MVP in Luxembourg in 2012 and while it looked like she had a great time, I am not sure I would classify it as 'successful.'

 

[Reypl21]

2015 draftees forward who have been under contract in 2022:
r Christyn Williams (cut injured)
r Evina Westbrook (17 min 2 points)
r Olivia (injured but on bench)
2020 Crystal Dangerfield (unemployed at the moment - career 24 mpg)
2020 Megan Walker (13.4 min 4.8 pts)
2018 Azura Stevens (25 min 12 points)
2018 Kia Nurse (signed, no stats, not sure what is up - career 26 mpg)
2018 Gabby Williams (23 min 4.3 points)
2019 Napheesa Collier (pregnant - career 34 mpg )
2019 Katie Lou (23 min 9 points first game back)
2016 MoJeff (averaging 35.5 minutes and 18 points 5.5 assts for Minn.)
2016 Breanna Stewart (28.5 min 19 points - covid protocol)
2015 Kiah Stokes (just back from overseas? career 21 mpg)

2014 Stef Dolson
2014 Bria Hartley
2012 Tiffany Hayes (overseas still?)
2010 Tina Charles
2004 DT
2002 Sue Bird

As for WNBA successful, I would say averaging 20+ minutes per game is certainly successful and probably anything over 10 mpg is moderately successful. For career ... anyone playing 7 years or longer is 'successful' even as a career bench warmer seeing as you have beaten out 6 subsequent draft classes.)

Overseas has so many different levels of play that it is hard to categorize what 'playing overseas' really means. Meghan Gardler played a few years in Sweden, and won league MVP in Luxembourg in 2012 and while it looked like she had a great time, I am not sure I would classify it as 'successful.'

Nurse tore her ACL last playoffs. She's recovering

 

[UcMiami]

Nurse tore her ACL last playoffs. She's recovering

thx - I figured something like that but to lazy to research.