www.theplayerstribune.com
Was just ready to say that. Chalk it up to recency bias. Chiney Ogwumike would have been a much better pick .
Stewie and Jewell’s All-Decade Womens’ College Hoops Team | By Breanna Stewart & Jewell Loyd
The Players’ Tribune recruited two pros to draft an All-Decade womens’ hoops team — college edition.
Even on the fly though, how does Stewie overlook her own teammate in MoJeff? Jewell wasn't shy about throwing out ND names that she played with. Kmac might have been legit but Natalie Achonwa?
Child PlUEESE!Position | 1st Team | 2nd team | 3rd Team |
PG | Moriah Jefferson | Skylar Diggins | Odyssey Sims |
SG | Sabrina Ionescu | Kelsey Mitchell | Kelsey Plum |
SF | Maya Moore | Elena Delle Donne | Alyssa Thomas |
PF | Breanna Stewart | Chiney Ogwumike | A’Ja Wilson |
C | Brittney Griner | Tina Charles | Stefanie Dolson |
Even on the fly though, how does Stewie overlook her own teammate in MoJeff? Jewell wasn't shy about throwing out ND names that she played with. Kmac might have been legit but Natalie Achonwa?
Moriah Jefferson Skylar Diggins Odyssey Sims Sabrina Ionescu Kelsey Mitchell Kelsey Plum Maya Moore Elena Delle Donne Alyssa Thomas Breanna Stewart Chiney Ogwumike A’Ja Wilson Brittney Griner Tina Charles Stefanie Dolson
Agreed
?
This is precisely what I did in my comments on The Bench and will do here with a few of the picks (yes, they will be mostly Domers. Whad did you expect
First though, obviously Stewie and Jewell did this pretty much on the fly. Second, they picked whom they knew and it centered -- primarily -- on players in/around their time (save for feeling they had to get some "newbies" in.) And, for sure, the WNBA experiences seem to have an effect on their "retro-grading."
That said, some of my fave quotes:
SKYLAR DIGGINS-SMITH
Stewie
"...when we were playing against Notre Dame, for you guys, she seemed like the head of the snake almost, with her intensity and leadership and maturity.
"Also, she was just tough. She was always intense. And another thing is, she brought a different set of eyes, or brought more attention to women’s basketball — helped us bring things up to another level, and I appreciate how she embraced that opportunity."
Jewell
"Yeah, I think you’re right on. She was definitely the head of the snake for us. She held everyone to a very high standard, and she made sure that everyone was super accountable. With Skylar, you didn’t have time to make complaints or say, “Well, I’m just a freshman,” or whatnot."
KAYLA McBRIDE
Stewie:
"I’m picking K-Mac because … I think I just have PTSD from Notre Dame lol. And she’s been part of that team, and she’s reerally hard to guard. Her midrange, her one-dribble pull-up. She has it down in the WNBA, and it was her favorite thing to do in college. Her name has just continued to grow. But, I mean, between her and Skylar and YOU, it was tough. It was tough."
Dillon's Druthers: Fun to hear Stewie's insights into individual players througout, but you can tell she's got K-Mac's game down cold.
NATALIE ACHONWA
Jewell:
"...playing with her was amazing at Notre Dame. For us she was just really a point guard almost, especially when we played our Princeton offense, which she loved doing. She was just a great passer, 15-foot jump shot, very vocal. I loved playing with her. And I’m glad she’s been able to have a great career in the league after her knee injury at Notre Dame."
Dillon's druthers: I wanted to put this on The Boneyard because as long as ND employs some form of the Princeton offense, the coaches are going to look for someone who can do the things Jewell describes Ace doing at ND. She was who ND fans were looking for in forwards. Kat Westbeld wasn't everything Ace was, but she could pass, shoot the J and was a quiet(er) leader. When Jess Shepard wasn't pounding people down low, she was superb from the elbow in. And -- knock on wood -- we're hoping Maddy Westbeld will bring some of these attributes as well.
A'JA WILSON
Stewie
"A’ja was one that stayed home, playing at South Carolina. I think she really continued to develop a lot as she went on, from where she started as a freshman to where she finished as a senior — winning a national championship. ...I know from when we played against her a few times, at South Carolina and in Gampel, she’s hard to guard, especially being a lefty and having her shot be so high. It messes you up on where you think you’re supposed to contest it, and where you should contest it."
Alot of Similarities between Dolson and Achonwa (but I would give Dolson the edge (especially in College)) What did you expect?
We'll keep that one for another day.
Even on the fly though, how does Stewie overlook her own teammate in MoJeff? Jewell wasn't shy about throwing out ND names that she played with. Kmac might have been legit but Natalie Achonwa?
Moriah Jefferson Skylar Diggins Odyssey Sims Sabrina Ionescu Kelsey Mitchell Kelsey Plum Maya Moore Elena Delle Donne Alyssa Thomas Breanna Stewart Chiney Ogwumike A’Ja Wilson Brittney Griner Tina Charles Stefanie Dolson
I would have to go at least two more (maybe 3) deep before I'd get to Arike at SG. Tiffany Mitchell, Kmac, & Durr(?).
That certainly appears to be the case. To take a simple example, compare Napheesa Collier with KML. Statistically, with the sole exception of 3PT shooting, Collier dominates in every major category (and in most, it isn't even close). Napheesa was also a far better defender.
