Surprisingly good/underwhelming WNBA players

[Reypl21]

Which category? Diamond has always been an elite athlete, but her basketball skills and decision-making are mediocre.

She's been underwhelming.

 

[bballnut90]

She was a McDonalds All-American who went to Florida State. She has always been a freakish athlete.

She was a former #2 recruit as well I believe. Collegiately she took a while to develop but blossomed into a fantastic pro

 

[bballnut90]

She's been underwhelming.

This explains why her career tailed off after 2019 (she was stellar her first 2 seasons).

'Her whole body was seizing': Diamond DeShields and the comeback no one knew about

Just 21 months before winning a WNBA title with Chicago, Diamond DeShields had a tumor removed from her spine that left her with tremors and relearning how to walk.

www.espn.com

Plus she missed all of last year with a knee injury. Definitely a tough road for her.

 

[JellyBean]

Good:
DeWanna Bonner comes to mind for me-Those that remember her being drafted, the reports were not kind. Now, she is in year 14-15 and still doing great things.

Underperforming-I think that could apply to a lot of players. But to be fair, a lot of that depends on the teams that players are on.

 

[cancontent]

This explains why her career tailed off after 2019 (she was stellar her first 2 seasons).

'Her whole body was seizing': Diamond DeShields and the comeback no one knew about

Just 21 months before winning a WNBA title with Chicago, Diamond DeShields had a tumor removed from her spine that left her with tremors and relearning how to walk.

www.espn.com

Plus she missed all of last year with a knee injury. Definitely a tough road for her.

Don't overlook her surgery to deal with the cyst on her spine. Having to learn basic functions like walking, let alone staying in basketball shape didn't help things.

Edit - was piggy backing your post to expand on the link you included.

 

[bballnut90]

Good:
DeWanna Bonner comes to mind for me-Those that remember her being drafted, the reports were not kind. Now, she is in year 14-15 and still doing great things.

Underperforming-I think that could apply to a lot of players. But to be fair, a lot of that depends on the teams that players are on.

Bonner got more flack for being underweight/too thin/etc than probably any other player in WNBA history but she's been one of the most durable players in the league. She's never missed more than 4 games in a season or had a serious injury, is number 6 all time in career minutes and she has scored double figures in all 15 seasons with no sign of slowing down.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I will defend Deshields a bit in that her health hasn't been great and has no doubt impacted her game.

I also get the vibe she isn't an overall confident player. There is a difference between confident and cocky and some players (DT, Clark, Reese) have both. Deshields has at times shown herself to be cocky but not always confident even back in her college days.

 

[YoDore]

This explains why her career tailed off after 2019 (she was stellar her first 2 seasons).

'Her whole body was seizing': Diamond DeShields and the comeback no one knew about

Just 21 months before winning a WNBA title with Chicago, Diamond DeShields had a tumor removed from her spine that left her with tremors and relearning how to walk.

www.espn.com

Plus she missed all of last year with a knee injury. Definitely a tough road for her.

Thanks for posting this. That's one tough young lady.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Good:
DeWanna Bonner comes to mind for me-Those that remember her being drafted, the reports were not kind. Now, she is in year 14-15 and still doing great things.

Underperforming-I think that could apply to a lot of players. But to be fair, a lot of that depends on the teams that players are on.

DWB is either 5th or 6th in WNBA career scoring. That's very impressive.

 

[Bigboote]

Jayne Appel occurs to me. She had a decent pro career, stuck around for a few years. I just remember her slaying UConn a few times, so I expected great things from her.

I do seem to remember her playing time being limited in the W, maybe by knees.

 

[JstVisiting]

I’ve always wondered if Lauren Cox’s condition (diabetes) impacted her transition. She was never a superb athlete but was one of the two or three best players in the country her senior year and I thought she’d be an All-Star in the league.

A few players I think have been better than expected:

• A’ja Wilson (I know this one seems outrageous but I don’t think most saw her as the next best player in the world which she clearly is at this point)
• Angel Reese
• Courtney Williams
• Sug Sutton
• Sophie Cunningham

A few players I thought would stick in the league who haven’t to date:

• Christyn Williams
• Destanni Henderson
• Elissa Cunane
• Bella Alarie
• Megan Walker
• Charli Collier

Sophie Cunningham has been a huge surprise to me. A'ja Wilson has not. I think anyone who watched her closely throughout college would have recognized the potential to be the best at the next level.

Zia Cooke and Victaria Saxton surprised me. I thought Cooke would be nailed to the bench, not a regular rotation player. Never expected Saxton to make a roster.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Jayne Appel occurs to me. She had a decent pro career, stuck around for a few years. I just remember her slaying UConn a few times, so I expected great things from her.

I do seem to remember her playing time being limited in the W, maybe by knees.

Jayne was limited by poor conditioning at the end of her career. She outplayed Tina early on in college, but TC upped her game as a junior at UConn.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Not quite the same question, but 3 players struggled early on—even losing starting spots—but then became really, really good, even making All-WNBA: Skylar, Kelsey, and Jackie.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Jayne was limited by poor conditioning at the end of her career.

I don't think it was poor conditioning, it was injuries. Per wiki she sprained her ankle and had a stress fracture in her leg in the first game of the NCAA Tourney during her Sr. season. She was a shell of herself as the Tourney continued on.

 

[CardsWBBfan]

AD. We will never know what could have been for them. Honestly, much of their career. Seems they were hampered with a groin injury two years in college, and in the pros, then they were devastated with Covid/long COVID.

 

[CardsWBBfan]

Honestly, I can’t speak to their college years, but the players I enjoy watching the most are JJ, Kahlea Cooper and Benijah Laney-Hamilton. I’m also a big fan of De’Arica Hamby. All are having great pro careers.

One of my biggest disappointments this season is Cooper to Phoenix. I don’t see much of the Mercury and have not ever really been a fan of the team. I miss Cooper at Chicago.

 

[snlMINAJ]

Sophie Cunningham has been a huge surprise to me. A'ja Wilson has not. I think anyone who watched her closely throughout college would have recognized the potential to be the best at the next level.

Zia Cooke and Victaria Saxton surprised me. I thought Cooke would be nailed to the bench, not a regular rotation player. Never expected Saxton to make a roster.

i have to believe only reason she's on a roster is because connection to a, boston. in 2 seasons she probably doesn't have 40 total minutesplayed...

 

[GoUconn7961]

Good, caitlin clark. Cant name any other players

Of course you can't - (insert the biggest sarcasm emoji ever and the most eye rolling ever)

 

[uconnfan68]

I'm curious why being diabetic would effect a pro athlete any differently than a college athlete. Adam Morrison is another diabetic who didn't make it as a pro, after a fantastic college career.

My best friend, a type 1 diabetic since around 8, passed away at 29 by heart attack. Diabetics was the underlying cause of all of his health issues, mostly with feet and nerve endings. He was all-state in basketball, and pitched a no-hitter in high school.

Diabetes is a terrible disease. Back then, if you reached 40 you had a long life. Thank god it’s better now, but it still not cured.

 

[nwhoopfan]

My best friend, a type 1 diabetic since around 8, passed away at 29 by heart attack. Diabetics was the underlying cause of all of his health issues, mostly with feet and nerve endings. He was all-state in basketball, and pitched a no-hitter in high school.

Diabetes is a terrible disease. Back then, if you reached 40 you had a long life. Thank god it’s better now, but it still not cured.

I had a cousin who was diabetic around age 12. He died young as well, but not related to diabetes.

 

[Bigboote]

I don't think it was poor conditioning, it was injuries. Per wiki she sprained her ankle and had a stress fracture in her leg in the first game of the NCAA Tourney during her Sr. season. She was a shell of herself as the Tourney continued on.

I assume by “at the end of her career” Milford meant last few seasons in the WNBA. I would concur that Jayne didn’t look the same her last couple of years. Of course it’s possible or likely that her wheels didn’t allow her to train as hard as when she was younger.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't think it was poor conditioning, it was injuries. Per wiki she sprained her ankle and had a stress fracture in her leg in the first game of the NCAA Tourney during her Sr. season. She was a shell of herself as the Tourney continued on.

I was referring to her time in the pros. Jayne played in San Antonio for 2010-16. I would say that she was a good 40 pounds overweight in 2015-16.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I was referring to her time in the pros. Jayne played in San Antonio for 2010-16. I would say that she was a good 40 pounds overweight in 2015-16.

Oops, my mistake.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Honestly, I can’t speak to their college years, but the players I enjoy watching the most are JJ, Kahlea Cooper and Benijah Laney-Hamilton. I’m also a big fan of De’Arica Hamby. All are having great pro careers.

One of my biggest disappointments this season is Cooper to Phoenix. I don’t see much of the Mercury and have not ever really been a fan of the team. I miss Cooper at Chicago.

Kahleah Copper. A star at Rutgers, but after the time we were in NJ.

I admit mixed feelings about the Mercury, although I do root for them. Shortly after moving out here - maybe 2012 or 2013 - we did a partial (3 game) season ticket package, but it is awkward getting to Phoenix from Tucson for games (particularly, that it is too late after the game to feel completely comfortable driving 2 hours home).

They are not bad to watch, and I always root for former Rutgers players and have always liked Griner and DT (as a pro). But they have never seemed to have consistency, have gone through some coaching issues and the truth is I watch so few WNBA games to begin with . . .

 

[darkstar1]

Who are some players that have been much better (or worse) than you thought they'd be coming out of college? Some of my picks:

Better than expected:

Marina Mabrey-She's been much much better than I thought she'd be. I didn't think she had the foot speed or quickness to last in the pros and she's thriving.

Karlie Samuelson-never expected her to last in the pros, let alone be a better pro than her sister

Ariel Atkins-people thought she was drafted too high in 2018 but she's panned out to be an excellent pro after a fine but not spectacular college career.

Dijonai Carrington-she's emerging as one of the better guards in the league this season. She was solid in Baylor/Stanford but I didn't think she'd become this good.


Worse than expected:

Lauren Cox-she was an unbelievable post defender in college and a great passer with a midrange game. I thought her game would translate much better than it did.

Ruthy Hebard-she was sensational in college and I thought she had the pro frame and athleticism to make her mark in the pros.

I expected her to be the star she is, but slipping to #6 in the draft reflected how underrated Napheesa Collier was. I imagine she was viewed as undersized for her position.