Of 3 to See, who has highest potential?

[Icebear]

Heck, and that's not even accounting for Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and Lauren Jackson, among others.

I meant to include Swoopes but slipped up.

 

[svetbird]

I meant to include Swoopes but slipped up.

as a storm fan myself not including Jakson is crazy

 

[msf22b]

EDD's performance was gritty, although not very efficient at 35% FG shooting. The last time Griner shot that many shots she dropped 50.

Griner has a much better supporting cast

 

[Coler]

Griner has a much better supporting cast

Exactly. Some of EDD's shots were forced in the first half because nothing else was working. EDD's off-balance buzzer beating 3-point shot going into half was a thing of beauty. Goodness, I love her game.

 

[herbiep]

Griner will eventually be the greatest ever, IMO. She will have more impact on both ends of the court than any player ever has or ever will. Just my opinion.

Will be interesting to see who has the bigger game when EDD and Fowles face BG and DT in their meeting in May.

Griner has height, not great at anything on the basketball floor. Please recognize the difference. I tower over my waste basket, and never miss, but, does that make me great at something. Your opinions must be appreciated, I am sure.

 

[herbiep]

Hopefully she has many healthy years to carve out her place in history. All I know is that she is the most dominant player I've ever seen play college ball.

I would like to see her dominate the next olympics, or maybe she will have some reason not to go?? It will be interesting.

 

[AndyCT]

For the record it was 34 minutes, not 38. Hartley played 32 minutes in a 68 point blowout, and I have no problem with that. It's tourney time and time for the starters to do their thing. However, Baylor had 8 players who logged 12 minutes or more.

(Sigh) Not even close to the same thing.

UConn only dressed nine players for the Idaho game (Banks - knee, Stewart - calf), so doing the math it looks to me that if they pulled all the starters they were going to come up one player short (which actually might have worked for this game.)

As it was UConn’s bench players averaged over 20 minutes each (only Heather Buck was under 20), so essentially they played an entire half. But since there were only nine players, at least one of the starters was going to be on the floor at all times, and given Hartley’s woes of late, she would be the logical choice for some extra minutes to help her work out of that funk.


That’s completely different thing from leaving Griner in for 34 minutes, Madden for 32, and Sims for 29. Baylor may have had eight players over 12 minutes but they also had five players with 8 minutes or less – Heather had more minutes than three of Baylor’s players combined.

It’s definitely not the same thing.

 

[AndyCT]

Quite frankly, I am sick of seeing the "3 to see".

Thank goodness – I thought I was the only one that had more than enough of the ”3 to See”…

As far as the original question, I have to go with EDD.

As has been already posted, Diggins may not even be the best player on her team, although she will undoubtedly dazzle opponents next year in the WNBA with her wide variety of hair bands, hairdos, and pouts. And she’s almost certainly going to set a rookie record for tweets. But as a player, I doubt that she’s going to dominate. There’s a very simple litmus test named Kelly Faris and Diggins was not the Notre Dame player that beat Kelly consistently.

As for Griner, she is dominant, but that’s as much due to sheer physical size as skills; truth be told, if she was “only” 6’5” or 6’4” we’re probably not having this conversation; her passing game is limited as is her range. But she is that tall, and she has worked to develop her game and take advantage of what she has physically, and she is the dominant player in college.

Still, Delle Donne can do almost everything, and do it well. She has a far more complete offensive skill set – she can post up, she can play facing the basket, she certainly has a long range shot – an excellent long range shot, she can pass, dribble, pull up, and even dunk. And as mentioned before, she doesn’t have the surrounding cast that Griner has, so she spends far more time being double and triple-triple-teamed while she’s doing those things and she still succeeds.

When they both get to the WNBA (or the overseas leagues) Delle Donne is going to bring a far more complete set of offensive skills, while Griner is going to have less of a physical advantage – the women at the pro level are going to be taller, stronger and faster than what she’s faced in college to this point. Besides the late Margo Dydek there have been at least five other players 6’8” or taller and a whole slew of players 6’5” or greater. Griner may be a better player than any of them, but the margin between her and everyone else is going to be much slimmer than it is at the college level; she’s not going to be the best ever.

There is supposedly a quote from Ernie Delle Donne, to the effect that had his daughter stayed at UConn, Connecticut would have had two more national championships. That’s not an entirely unrealistic assessment; this weekend as we watch her play the early game, imagine what she would have added to what the Huskies already had over the last couple of years.

(And then remember that Breanna is bringing much the same raw skill set now, and that the Elena Delle Donne we’ll be watching this weekend may well be the Breanna Stewart we’ll be seeing three years from now. That's a good thing - a very good thing)

 

[Icebear]

as a storm fan myself not including Jakson is crazy

She is a tremendous player just not among the greatest just like Sue.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Delle Donne has health problems that could very well affect her pro career.

 

[easttexastrash]

I would like to see her dominate the next olympics, or maybe she will have some reason not to go?? It will be interesting.

I get it. You're not a fan and you obviously have something to say that you are more comfortable hinting at.

In the words of Kenny Rogers, I "gotta know when to walk away."

 

[Bestiarius]

I would like to see her dominate the next olympics, or maybe she will have some reason not to go?? It will be interesting.

It's discouraging to see this kind on innuendo appear here when there is absolutely no evidence to support the assumption. This isn't The Summitt.

 

[easttexastrash]

It's discouraging to see this kind on innuendo appear here when there is absolutely no evidence to support the assumption. This isn't The Summitt.

Agreed. A true sign of ignorance. Many who lack any particular skill or ability find it necessary to tear down others who do in order to feel better about themselves.

 

[herbiep]

Agreed. A true sign of ignorance. Many who lack any particular skill or ability find it necessary to tear down others who do in order to feel better about themselves.

I guess we will have to wait for the next olympics to see who is ignorant. I did not state anything that did not happen.

 

[UConn990411]

Griner is so far away from the being the best player ever that I'm not sure why we're having this debate yet?

It could very well happen, but this is a conversation we should be having in 5-10 years - not before she's ever played a pro/Olympic game.

 

[svetbird]

She is a tremendous player just not among the greatest just like Sue.

Sadly I would not put Sue in the conversation (see my screen name if you doubt my love of Sue) but Jackson is one of the best ever without question. 3 MVP awards 2 championships 5 time all star (all first teams) crazy amounts of overseas awards. I think people don’t give her credit because she is not American. Diana (another player I love and think should be in the conversation) has one MVP and one championship and we are not questioning her place among the best ever. Both have one playoff mvp as well

 

[easttexastrash]

Griner is so far away from the being the best player ever that I'm not sure why we're having this debate yet?

It could very well happen, but this is a conversation we should be having in 5-10 years - not before she's ever played a pro/Olympic game.

Agreed. IMO she is the greatest college player ever and that is certainly debatable as there have been many greats. I think she will end up in the GOAT conversation down the road but that road is really long, as you have pointed out.

 

[UConn990411]

Agreed. IMO she is the greatest college player ever and that is certainly debatable as there have been many greats. I think she will end up in the GOAT conversation down the road but that road is really long, as you have pointed out.

I'm a pretty big Griner apologist (for this board at least), but I don't really think there's an argument to be made for Griner being the greatest college player ever. The most unique? Definitely. But not the greatest.

Griner will have, at most, two championships and three Final Fours. Considering the lack of parity in the women's game, she loses major points for missing the FF her sophomore season.

I really don't see how you can argue Griner over Tauarsi (3 NC, 4 , a 70-game win streak) or Holdsclaw (3 NCs, 2 , 4-time All-American). And there's a case to be made for putting her behind the likes of Cheryl Miller (first real household name in WCBB), Candace Parker and Maya Moore (Maya lost 4 times in her collegiate career. I repeat: 4 times).

Personally, I would have Griner #3 on my list, ahead of Maya and Cheryl but behind Taurasi/Holdsclaw. But the best ever? Nah.

 

[easttexastrash]

I'm a pretty big Griner apologist (for this board at least), but I don't really think there's an argument to be made for Griner being the greatest college player ever. The most unique? Definitely. But not the greatest.

Griner will have, at most, two championships and three Final Fours. Considering the lack of parity in the women's game, she loses major points for missing the FF her sophomore season.

I really don't see how you can argue Griner over Tauarsi (3 NC, 4 , a 70-game win streak) or Holdsclaw (3 NCs, 2 , 4-time All-American). And there's a case to be made for putting her behind the likes of Cheryl Miller (first real household name in WCBB), Candace Parker and Maya Moore (Maya lost 4 times in her collegiate career. I repeat: 4 times).

How about leading scorer in NCAA history (very attainable), leading shot blocker in NCAA history, and two national championships (very possible).

Her individual stats on offense and defense make her the most dominant female to ever play at the college level. I understand why it is hard for many to acknowledge her greatness while she is still playing. And it seems many can't acknowledge her greatness due to personal dislike for her.

But, just a biased opinion. DT was certainly one of the all-time greats.

 

[UConn990411]

And it seems many can't acknowledge her greatness due to personal dislike for her.

But, just a biased opinion. DT was certainly one of the all-time greats.

For many people that might be the case. Not for me - I've become a Griner fan.

But if your argument for why Griner is the greatest ever is that she's the NCAA's all-time scoring and shot blocking leader, then it will be easy for me to argue Taurasi's case: 3 National Championships, 4 Final Fours, 2 FF Most Outstanding Player awards. She was the best player on arguably the best team of all time (2002), before carrying two teams on her back.

I don't think people realize how incredible Taurasi's 2002-03 season was. That team lost four starters to the draft (who, by the way, were the #1, 2, 4 and 6 picks), started three freshmen, lost its starting point guard halfway through the year, had zero seniors...and still won its first 31 games of the season en route to the title.

Oh, and after Taurasi, that team had no one near as talented as Sims. The only player from that roster who's still in the WNBA is Jessica Moore, and she's an end-of-the-bencher.

By the time Griner's career is over, her entire body of work might be better than Taurasi's. But even with a championship this season, she won't be able to touch DT's college resume.

 

[Coler]

EDD. Yes, Griner can dunk, and block shots however, a dunk is only two points. EDD can do it all, and I think she hasn't reached her full potential yet.

Don't get me wrong Griner is a amazing player, but her offensive skill set is very limited. I will say this, Phoenix will be the best team in the West this year, Chicago(if they draft EDD) will be the best team in the East.

I'm calling it right now Phoenix VS. Chicago for the WNBA title.

Also the Rookie Of The Year will come down to Griner and EDD, I think.

 

[Coler]

How about leading scorer in NCAA history (very attainable), leading shot blocker in NCAA history, and two national championships (very possible).

Her individual stats on offense and defense make her the most dominant female to ever play at the college level. I understand why it is hard for many to acknowledge her greatness while she is still playing. And it seems many can't acknowledge her greatness due to personal dislike for her.

But, just a biased opinion. DT was certainly one of the all-time greats.

Let's not forget that it would be very unlikely that Griner would have had the chance to break the NCAA scoring record if it wasn't for Delle Donne missing 22 games in her career. If she had played those games she most likely would have smashed the record to bits and put it out of reach for Griner.

That said, wishing Griner luck in breaking it. But don't think she will.

 

[easttexastrash]

For many people that might be the case. Not for me - I've become a Griner fan.

But if your argument for why Griner is the greatest ever is that she's the NCAA's all-time scoring and shot blocking leader, then it will be easy for me to argue Taurasi's case: 3 National Championships, 4 Final Fours, 2 FF Most Outstanding Player awards. She was the best player on arguably the best team of all time (2002), before carrying two teams on her back.

I don't think people realize how incredible Taurasi's 2002-03 season was. That team lost four starters to the draft (who, by the way, were the #1, 2, 4 and 6 picks), started three freshmen, lost its starting point guard halfway through the year, had zero seniors...and still won its first 31 games of the season en route to the title.

Oh, and after Taurasi, that team had no one near as talented as Sims. The only player from that roster who's still in the WNBA is Jessica Moore, and she's an end-of-the-bencher.

By the time Griner's career is over, her entire body of work might be better than Taurasi's. But even with a championship this season, she won't be able to touch DT's college resume.

Fans should think their player is the best ever. That's what fans do.

 

[easttexastrash]

Let's not forget that it would be very unlikely that Griner would have had the chance to break the NCAA scoring record if it wasn't for Delle Donne missing 22 games in her career. If she had played those games she most likely would have smashed the record to bits and put it out of reach for Griner.

That said, wishing Griner luck in breaking it. But don't think she will.

Just imagine how many points BG would have scored had she switched places with EDD. Had EDD gone to Baylor or UCONN and played against top D1 talent night in and out she would most likely have scored far fewer points. We'll never know, which is a shame.

 

[Sakibomb25]

Baylor lost this year when they didn't have the point guard O Sims. I think for Griner to be exceptional she needs to have a good supporting cast at least in the point guard spot. She will do well but she needs to be fed the ball.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2

But isn't that true of any elite post player? You need to make sure you can feed the ball into the post - otherwise you are relying too much on offensive rebounds and putbacks to score points. Name me one post player who has excelled without a great point guard by her side...

 

[Sakibomb25]

Just imagine how many points BG would have scored had she switched places with EDD. Had EDD gone to Baylor or UCONN and played against top D1 talent night in and out she would most likely have scored far fewer points. We'll never know, which is a shame.

I actually don't think this would be the case. As a post player, Griner has to be feed the ball constantly. EDD can get her shot off by herself. So I don't think Griner would be averaging more points than EDD if she went to Delaware.

 

[easttexastrash]

I actually don't think this would be the case. As a post player, Griner has to be feed the ball constantly. EDD can get her shot off by herself. So I don't think Griner would be averaging more points than EDD if she went to Delaware.

Would have been interesting to see what her numbers would have been playing against that level of talent and for a coach who is willing to have one player carry most of the load. BG would have shot 25+ times a game and her shooting % probably would have been hovering around 65 to 70%.

 

[diggerfoot]

Just imagine how many points BG would have scored had she switched places with EDD. Had EDD gone to Baylor or UCONN and played against top D1 talent night in and out she would most likely have scored far fewer points. We'll never know, which is a shame.

Had Griner gone to UConn she would not have near the amount of points she has now; she likely would not have as much as Moore. I suspect EDD would have scored more at UConn than would Griner. You don't think Moore or Taurasi were capable of breaking the scoring record if their roles were different? I'm beginning to think you don't realize how much this is a guard's game, or at least a point forward's. The center does not make the decisions that are going to win or lose the game, or determine how the scoring is distributed.

 

[easttexastrash]

Had Griner gone to UConn she would not have near the amount of points she has now; she likely would not have as much as Moore. I suspect EDD would have scored more at UConn than would Griner. You don't think Moore or Taurasi were capable of breaking the scoring record if their roles were different? I'm beginning to think you don't realize how much this is a guard's game, or at least a point forward's. The center does not make the decisions that are going to win or lose the game, or determine how the scoring is distributed.

I think the fact that this is a guard dominated game makes BG's scoring even more impressive. She has not had the luxury of running down the court and jacking up a shot at any time.

And I agree that EDD would have scored more at UCONN than BG as Geno is demonstrating this year that even with a post player shooting near 60% from the floor that he prefers to run the offense through the guards.

 

[RadyLady]

But isn't that true of any elite post player? You need to make sure you can feed the ball into the post - otherwise you are relying too much on offensive rebounds and putbacks to score points. Name me one post player who has excelled without a great point guard by her side...

exactly...without Sims yet with Griner, Baylor lost