Sun vs. Sparks @ 10:30 Tonight

[RSHERMVIKES]

Just throwing in my 2 cents worth. I can't stand the Sparks! For that matter I can't stand the Lakers either, so it must be an LA thing!
The only Spark player I like is Nneka! I think, IMO, it's an arrogant attitude issue for both. I know to be a successful athlete you have to have a level of confidence/cockiness/arrogance but the Sparks take it to another obnoxious level!
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Boy that 1st 1/2 the Sun looked great!

 

[psconn]

Aw shucks. Was starting to think they might pull off the W after the first quarter. They've been playing with such grit and determination that I can't be too upset though. Looking forward to them bouncing back on Sunday!

Alyssa Thomas was wearing a huge ice pack over her shoulder in the post-game video posted by the Sun. She's been wearing tape on that shoulder only the past few seasons, so there's clearly some kind of lingering consequence of the injury she had in her second season. (I assume it's that same shoulder...)

She shot over 75% at the line for her college career. I hope she can get back to that form. But maybe it's not physically possible.

Good points. Alyssa's FT% has gone down every year as a pro, and not by just a lttle. 2014, 75.7 / 2015, 69.2 / 2016, 63.4 / 2017, 55... a steady decline of over 6% per season. Something's not right.

 

[psconn]

I just watched the 1st few minutes of UConn v Maryland from Alyssa's senior year. She nailed her first 3 out side shots, all from deep, one was a 3. She went to the line once and hit one of 2 but her form looked much better than now.

The box score shows she really did not end up with a good shooting game (that is what UConn does to the opponent's best player though) at 25% from the field and 5- 8 on FTs.

I still suspect a chronic physical problem with her left shoulder.

 

[Shades]

Sims hasn't had the kind of impact. This year that I thought she would.

Yeah, and I remember taking a lot if grief for thinking Alyssa Thomas was more worthy of being the #2 pick in 2014 over Odessey Sims.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It does look as if Alyssa has a major problem with strength or pain in her left shoulder. She has trouble shooting the ball 15'.

 

[willtalk]

Yeah, and I remember taking a lot if grief for thinking Alyssa Thomas was more worthy of being the #2 pick in 2014 over Odessey Sims.

Well if one looked objectively at Sims college career, it would not seem out of the question to assume she might have trouble translating her skill set to the next level. During her sans Griner senior year, Mulkey went out of her way to gear Baylors offense to take advantage of Sims athletic dominance over your average college player in order to inflate her offensive stats. She scored primarily on drives and was a high volume shooter. She had some really low percentage offensive games as I remember. Any player with out a consistent outside shot will have trouble living on drives in the WNBA. I think she is still having trouble adjusting to being a lower volume distributor first type of player. That really showed up with her last team as well. I think the LA coach thought that her potential might be worth the transition time it took. The thing is that it might take longer than he anticipated.

 

[psconn]

It does look as if Alyssa has a major problem with strength or pain in her left shoulder. She has trouble shooting the ball 15'.

It sucks that many of these women can't take the time to heal properly. The economics and limited earning window pressure them to play through these problems. Alyssa is still in her rookie contract and played in S. Korea. I'm not sure, but I don't think S. Korea pays the big bucks. I believe that both she and the Sun would like to do a long term deal after this season. IF she does have a chronic problem that could be mended, here's how it could be done. The CBA allows a team to pay a player(s) up to a combined total of about 50k to sit out the "off season". Maybe with her new contract, and that incentive money, she would consider sitting out and getting that shoulder fixed for a big run in 2018 (again, IF it is something that can be fixed).