Sun Trade

[arch]

Bentley for Clarendon.

 

[Orangutan]

Connecticut Sun guard Courtney Williams has been absent from the team’s West Coast trip due to a physical altercation with teammate Alex Bentley in a public location, multiple sources tell WNBAinsidr. The team had reported that Williams was away from the team and did not make the trip due to personal reasons.

Seems highly likely the trade was made as a result of this incident. See article here: Wnbainsidr

 

[triaddukefan]

Connecticut Sun guard Courtney Williams has been absent from the team’s West Coast trip due to a physical altercation with teammate Alex Bentley in a public location, multiple sources tell WNBAinsidr. The team had reported that Williams was away from the team and did not make the trip due to personal reasons.

Seems highly likely the trade was made as a result of this incident. See article here: Wnbainsidr

Welp... Better mark my calendar and set aside a few hours for the next Sun-Dream match-up

 

[eebmg]

The WNBA cleansed version.

Dream Trade Layshia Clarendon, Draft Pick to Sun For Alex Bentley - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

 

[eebmg]

Stat Comparison. Seems Clarendon's game has dropped considerably from 2017.

Clarendon

 

[MilfordHusky]

Clarendon’s output has dropped because Renee took her minutes.

 

[Shades]

Statistically fairly similar overall, and both lost their starting jobs.

But CON gets their 2019 second round pick back from the Holmes trade. CON gave up a little too much in that trade but they get it back in this trade.

 

[eebmg]

Clarendon’s output has dropped because Renee took her minutes.

Her drop off seems to be significantly worse than can be explained in a minutes drop off. (29 to 17 mpg) Probably a symptom of not being able to handle Renee coming in and being the dominant guard. Do not see how that changes much with the Sun so I hope she handles it better.

 

[Bigboote]

Statistically fairly similar overall, and both lost their starting jobs.

But CON gets their 2019 second round pick back from the Holmes trade. CON gave up a little too much in that trade but they get it back in this trade.

And a second-round pick next year could land a much better player than usual.

 

[UConnCat]

Does this mean Williams now returns to the Sun? Was/is her absence from the team her choice or the team's?

What's going on?

 

[DICKG]

Does this mean Williams now returns to the Sun? Was/is her absence from the team her choice or the team's?

What's going on?

If this was the NBA, the fans would not be held in the dark in this situation. This league always begs for respect and than they handle a situation like this like an infant league. The SUN lost two starters and we are told nothing at all. When is Allysa expected to return? How is her rehab progressing, if that is what she is doing. I don't think we need to do know all of the details about what happened with Williams, but we should be told about our team's fortunes and will this all cost our team a place in the playoffs.

 

[emjay]

Wow, this is stunning. I go on vacation for a week and all this happens!

I like Clarendon's personality, and I'm hoping we'll get to see her return to her 2017 All-Star form (or just be reliably good as the backup). I hope Bentley's happy in Atlanta. Geez. At a loss for words.

On the Sun's Twitter page, they've posted a video of their open practice tonight. It looks like Alyssa is on the court with the team and Courtney's on the sidelines. It would be wonderful if the two of them are ready to play on Wednesday.

 

[tomcat]

The trade isn't the big news, IMHO. The big news is the Sun finally got a little (just a little, folks) transparent and told their long-suffering, loyal fans a lil' sumpin about what's been happening.

Honestly, when things like this happen (which I wouldn't wish on a team or player for anything) I am SO glad I'm not one of those loyal, long-suffering fans.

 

[bballnut90]

Good trade for the Sun IMO. Clarendon can be a very very good player and I think she’ll fit in well, even if it takes time.

 

[uconn34]

Should have taken Kia. Hard to root for them.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I have never been a fan of Alex Bentley either at PSU or later in the WNBA! She mouthed off vs UCONN in the Regionals while at PSU that basically said UCONN wasn't as good as they were made out to be and their guards, Maggie Lucas and Bentley could keep the pressure on UCONN! UCONN just destroyed PSU and UCONN G's had a huge game!
When she got to The SUN from Atlanta she was very withdrawn (several games she sat on the bench with a towel over her head) and her personality didn't mesh well with her teammates and I thought when Curt Miller took over Bentley would be traded! So it doesn't surprise me she had an altercation with the player that took her starting position!
Clarendon will be a pleasant surprise to Sun fans!

 

[psconn]

Very disturbing situation. The Sun prided themselves for having a great locker room and a family atmosphere... now this. Was that all phoney? Did the pressure of this ridiculous compressed schedule play a part in the tensions? In post game interviews in recent weeks, Chiney has looked unhappy and frustrated. I attributed this to the crazy, grinding road schedule and the losing. In retrospect, this situation was obviously something that was bothering her. In one of her interviews she alluded to keeping stuff in the locker room and being focussed. I thought was was an odd thing to say at the time, but now it makes sense.

I have been an advocate for a Bentley trade in the past, but we didn't get enough in this case due to the circumstances. No way to know who was "at fault" at this point, but the end result was someone had to go. Once again the Sun were over a barrel and probably got the short end of the stick.

Alex has been a very good defender of late and no one knows better than Nikki Collen what kind of player she can be. She's streaky and when she's on, the points can come fast. She can take the ball to the rim aggressively and when she's doing that, she's very tough. She improves Atlanta and her trash talking, cocky attitude might be a fit. Alex's downside is her penchant for taking "hero shots" and holding the ball too much, impacting the offensive flow. But as the leader of the bench mob, I though she was doing very well dispite some worrisome shooting slumps.

No one who follows the team will forget the image of pouting Alex on the bench with a towel over her head, but I thought (hoped) that THAT Alex was long gone. As I said, there is no evidence I am aware of that indicates fault (other that whatever inference you want to draw from Courtney being gone and Alex playing with the team).

I haven't followed Layshia beyond her encounters with the Sun. She's a good player, but her numbers are not real impressive overall, despite her amazing assist total in her All-Star year. I don't know if she makes the team better, but I certainly expect she will be at least a serviceable sub. I hope she surprises me in a good way.

 

[UCSunWBBFan]

At last night's season ticket holder event, Coach Miller said that the practice was Alyssa Thomas' first full contact practice since her injury. She looked pretty good, although I think she was tired by the end of the practice. Miller said they would see how she was feeling today, after all the contact. In addition, Courtney Williams also practiced fully with the team. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits -- laughing, joking during the practice. Hopefully, the return of AT will help settle things down -- she is an important cog. Miller said that Clarendon was expected to arrive at Mohegan at 7:30 this morning, and they were hoping to have at least one good practice with her before they take on the Liberty tomorrow.

 

[psconn]

At last night's season ticket holder event, Coach Miller said that the practice was Alyssa Thomas' first full contact practice since her injury. She looked pretty good, although I think she was tired by the end of the practice. Miller said they would see how she was feeling today, after all the contact. In addition, Courtney Williams also practiced fully with the team. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits -- laughing, joking during the practice. Hopefully, the return of AT will help settle things down -- she is an important cog. Miller said that Clarendon was expected to arrive at Mohegan at 7:30 this morning, and they were hoping to have at least one good practice with her before they take on the Liberty tomorrow.

Thanks for that info. I totally forgot about the Season ticket holders event and missed it. I'll be there tomorrow morning and I'll be watching the body language closely from my 4th row seat near the bench.

The Sun have a short window to turn this around, secure a playoff spot and get a bye. 11 of 15 at home down the stretch to the finish. No time for excuses or more "learning and moving on". Every game has to be approached with extreme urgency and intensity. Playoff mode has to start NOW.

 

[ctkaiser]

Did not get any kind of equal value for Bentley. Banham tries but she can't defend a good offensive guard and Williams is undersized despite her defensive skill set. Not picking Nurse is now magnified with this move. This is a win now team.

 

[PacoSwede]

Did not get any kind of equal value for Bentley.

ever heard the one about one bad apple spoiling the bushel? addition by subtraction? the importance of team chemistry?

 

[Shades]

Did not get any kind of equal value for Bentley.

Connecticut got the better end of the deal when you consider the additional 2019 second round draft pick.

 

[emjay]

Very disturbing situation. The Sun prided themselves for having a great locker room and a family atmosphere... now this. Was that all phoney? Did the pressure of this ridiculous compressed schedule play a part in the tensions?

It is disappointing. I think the positive locker room and family atmosphere were certainly real. I wonder how much the veteran presences of Danielle Adams and Lynetta Kizer contributed to last season's close-knit locker room. Perhaps they've been missed.

All of this, plus the recent losses, have changed my hopes for this season. Right now, I'd just like to see the team playing hard together, with lots of energy, and Alyssa recovering well and returning to the all-star form she was showing early on. I think they'll still make the play-offs, and they have the capacity to surprise teams. Remember when they beat the Dream, Liberty and Lynx all in a row last June without Bentley, Tuck or Kizer?

This might also mean more time for Brown, as Clarendon adapts to the team, which would be great for her development.

 

[Roger G]

I have watched a large proportion of Atlanta's games this year and I think Clarendon is a Vandersloot in the making. And I think very highly of Vandersloot. The Sun got the better of this deal (especially given the addition of the draft pick) which was a surprise to me given the urgency of the trade from the Sun's perspective. Clarendon might take a while to get her footing, but expect great things. She's an intelligent player with great passing ability. It'll also be interesting to see if McCoughtry and Bentley butt heads.

 

[shizam]

Banham is a liability and doesn’t have the body or quickness to play effective D.
Clarendon is not a good player. If Montgomery can put you on the bench you got holes in your game. Dream were getting no production from her. Whatever the reasons, they were flat with her in the game.