Shoni shimmel

[Geew1992]

is definitely out of shape. It's too bad.

 

[triaddukefan]

she's not the only one

 

[Kaizen]

Yes she is a little over....
http://nba.cdn.turner.com/nba/big/w...66701_shoni_first.mp4-522953_960x540_2104.mp4

 

[ThisJustIn]

and yet... two threes and one amazing assist tonight....

 

[JordyG]

What a shame. She seems at least 25-30 pounds over.

 

[triaddukefan]

Are we gonna start making threads about chubby WNBA players now? If so.... let me know so I can do some research

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

You would think after Atlanta complaints on her over-weight and out-of-shape and talk now in NY of the same lack of discipline she would take better care of herself? She'll get such a bad rep that'll override her enormous talent and her future in the WNBA will become her past! Working to get and stay in shape is part of your contract and is reason to draw a salary!

 

[Jingo]

And still, Shoni's shot - with her back to the basket - over Griner was/is the greatest shot EVER in women's hoops, n'est-ce pas?

 

[HGN]

I don't think it's just the weight, I think the coaches are also looking at the risky passes that turn into turnovers. As a point guard she is a high risk-high reward type player on the floor, but the rewards hasn't been there so far.

WNBA players are faster and smarter than the college players she was use to playing against. Plus the extra weight , and resulting slowness , isn't helping her game.

 

[Kibitzer]

I believe that Ms Schimmel's physical condition - or lack thereof - is a matter between her and her NY Liberty employers. Similar to Sandoval and the Red Sox and Colon and the Mets.

 

[Bestiarius]

Behind every fat girl there is a beautiful woman. No, seriously, you’re in the way.

 

[vtcwbuff]

And still, Shoni's shot - with her back to the basket - over Griner was/is the greatest shot EVER in women's hoops, n'est-ce pas?

No.

 

[Magy Cannon]

And still, Shoni's shot - with her back to the basket - over Griner was/is the greatest shot EVER in women's hoops, n'est-ce pas?

YES

 

[hoopsdiva]

All the "and yets" and "but stills" notwithstanding, they are largely outweighed by the "what-ifs". As in what if she really got her act together, took care of her body and showed her full potential.

 

[ThisJustIn]

ummm.... we NYers just got her on our team and we know what we inherited from Atlanta. There's been no public talk about her discipline or lack thereof. Maybe she will get the message or maybe not - but when she got on the court tonight, she was electric.

I want her to get it... specifically the fitness issue - both for short and long-term reasons. Just like I want me to "get" things that hinder my growth as a person or a professional.

Perhaps each of us should identify one such thing and check back in 3 months....

 

[rugbymate]

I don't think it's just the weight, I think the coaches are also looking at the risky passes that turn into turnovers. As a point guard she is a high risk-high reward type player on the floor, but the rewards hasn't been there so far.

WNBA players are faster and smarter than the college players she was use to playing against. Plus the extra weight , and resulting slowness , isn't helping her game.

Interestingly, Shoni's career A/T ratio is better than all but two teams in the WNBA and much better than the Liberty's or Dreams. In fact, she has better career A/T than Loyd, Hartley and about the same as Diggins as a comparison to other young guards in the league. She seems to have a very high BB IQ so I don't think that's the problem. I suspect her weight is more of a defensive liability than offensive liability.

 

[JudgeSCR]

The issue for me is not her weight. I couldn't care less what she weighs as long as she is healthy.

However, it is valid to point out when a professional athlete is not performing maximally and their conditioning is a factor. A trick shot once in a while or behind the back pass does not negate the concern. Neither does the assist to turnover ratio alone. The question, in my opinion, is does her conditioning allow her to play as long and as well (given her abilities) as we should expect from an athlete at her level?

In college I thought those concerns about KML were misplaced because she was healthy and able to perform at a high level. I think they are fair game in the pros where athleticism often becomes a deciding factor between the fair and the good and the very good and the elite. I note that the great ones, the already fit Diana and Maya, both took their fitness and conditioning to another level when they got to the WNBA. Ms. Shimmel has not yet seen the light.

 

[Paul1969]

I make it a point never to comment on a woman's weight.

 

[BigBird]

I make it a point never to comment on a woman's weight.

I hear 'ya. But seriously, in an effort to be respectful of women athletes and their unique stories, we have almost made conditioning, which is a key to almost every sport, a taboo subject. It isn't. It never will be.

Shoni is a professional athlete who performs on a very public stage. Her physical ability to perform is a legitimate topic. We should, of course, remember that we are talking about a real, living, actual person here, and not a race horse or etc. There is no reason nor excuse for crude comment. I thought some of the "KML fitness" threads had potential, but I said little in those because I felt the tone was not quite right. I wanted to respond in her defense, but even that seemed somehow inappropriate.

It doesn't help dialog that (for good reason) many women absolutely abhor comments about female physique when the comment is by a male. Too much history, too much baggage. Body image is "a deal" for men. It's a big deal for women.

Still, players, coaches, broadcasters and the rest are, whether they like it or not, part of the entertainment industry. This is true whether the athletes are collegian or professional, but we have sometimes afforded the collegian a little more "space" or privacy. As to the pro athlete, they would be well advised (and usually are) to understand that the the very public-ness of their sport is the same reason they can be employed playing it. Remove audience interest and attention and you eventually remove the sport.

So, if Shoni is not able to do her best due to weight or conditioning, I am sympathetic. I struggle with both. But this doesn't mean that an arena full of paying spectators are obligated to be silent about her play or what they -suppose- to be the explanation for it.

I have spent many afternoons attending the practices of my favorite college's women's sports teams in softball, basketball, and few times for volleyball. Let me assure you that the athletes understand and accept the direct and specific communication they get from their coaches. Nothing profane or inappropriate. Just direct and clear. I am not at all sure that they need to be sheltered or made into a special class. They know, in a way that fans may not, what comes with the territory and what their options are in dealing with it.

All this said, I do understand that good people may differ with me. It's still allowed.

 

[UcMiami]

Shoni showed up at the Atlanta camp out of shape and was traded to the liberty. One does not suddenly get in shape in a month. If she is not 'in shape' by the end of the Olympic break then there may be issues, and certainly if she shows up next year in the same condition, I doubt trader Bill keeps her on the roster. But, give her a chance. She has skills that I think can translate to the WNBA - whether she squanders them is debatable at this point, but I suspect she got a bit of a message with the trade.

 

[Gus Mahler]

As to the pro athlete, they would be well advised (and usually are) to understand that the the very public-ness of their sport is the same reason they can be employed playing it. Remove audience interest and attention and you eventually remove the sport.

Good point.

 

[Kibitzer]

Not to make excuses for any athlete, collegian or professional, any sport, male or female, BUT. . .

Athletes are a microcosm of society. There is inevitably a percentage with problems relating to alcohol, drugs, gambling and, yes, some form of eating disorder.

It is seldom enough for a coach to solve such problems by forms of either inspiration or coercion. What can (and sometimes does) work is: (1) the addicted person ceases to be in denial, then open to (2) professional help.

I am not equipped to either diagnose maladies or prescribe treatment. So I just wish that the afflicted ones seek help and get well.

 

[BigBird]

Shoni showed up at the Atlanta camp out of shape and was traded to the liberty. One does not suddenly get in shape in a month. If she is not 'in shape' by the end of the Olympic break then there may be issues, and certainly if she shows up next year in the same condition, I doubt trader Bill keeps her on the roster. But, give her a chance. She has skills that I think can translate to the WNBA - whether she squanders them is debatable at this point, but I suspect she got a bit of a message with the trade.

Spot on. I wish her only the very best. Funny, isn't it how so many UConn fans became Shoni fans? I'm a fan too, but I can't quite explain why. She is diverse/different in more than ethnicity. She plays a game that other players just don't seem to "get." This was especially true for her college games.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I believe that Ms Schimmel's physical condition - or lack thereof - is a matter between her and her NY Liberty employers. Similar to Sandoval and the Red Sox and Colon and the Mets.

No. Schimmel is a professional athlete, not some kid. She is obligated to her team, to her teammates, and to her profession to maintain herself in peak physical condition. Basketball requires an athlete to be in excellent all-around shape. Pitching is very different.

Schimmel is an amazing talent, as evidenced by her performance in the final four, and as evidenced by her two amazing 3-pointers against Indiana last night. But her coaches just aren't going to put her in the game unless she can last more than two or three minutes.

Very sad, and very strange, that she would do such a poor job of taking care of her conditioning. And a waste of talent.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It doesn't really matter that Shoni looks like, but her weight affects her conditioning, which limits her benefit to the team. She is a good shooter and a fun player to watch. I'd love to see her focus on diet and conditioning. Sue, Diana, Tina, and Maya now look so lean. Here in D.C., Tierra Ruffin-Pratt completely remade her body a couple of years ago and is playing better as a result. I hope Shoni can do the same.