Tina Charles Might be Traded Tonight to

[jdubct]

Or she does not get along with Ann Donovan and wants to be tutored by one of the best coaches of bigs in the W in Laimbeer.

As indicated when she was rumored to be traded to Los Angeles, Tina Charles was unhappy with Donovan. While a good trade for the Sun given the circumstances, I would have preferred to build a team around Charles and Ogwumike.

 

[bbsamjj]

The Liberty's top 3 players (Cappie, Tina, Essence) will all be from or have played college ball within 45min of MSG. Their top 2 players, interestingly, also both asked to be traded to NYC.

Here's hoping Essence can return successfully from ACL surgery.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I think the personality resemblance (to a considerable extent) between Geno and Laimbeer appealed to Tina. My intuition is that she strongly prefers to play for a male head coach, preferably an alpha male.

They said that Tina was unsigned by the Sun. Even if she was not an unrestricted free agent (in which case no one would have needed to offer the Sun anything for her), she could have sat out this season and then left, with the Sun getting nothing in return.

Actually, I think the price that New York paid (#1 this year and next year, plus Ms. Bone -- the least valuable part of the package) was rather substantial, and suggests that there were other bids being made to the Sun for Tina's services. I still like the Tina-for-Nneka idea, and I think the Sun would have taken that if it were offered, so I can only guess that it was not offered.

The Sun won 10 games last year. I think they will be better this year and will win more games, but not make the playoffs. Next year (hopefully with a healthy Chelsea Gray and maybe KML?) they should be a playoff team.

Anne Donovan won a WNBA championship as a coach as well as an Olympic Gold Medal. She is not a bad coach. She may not be as good as Mike Thibault, and certainly does not seem to command the loyalty of her top players as Thibault did with Tina and Kara, but she is no "hack".

JoePgh- - - YOU could have coached Seattle to the WNBA title and the USA to the Olympic gold! Donovan is below a hack!

 

[snowkot]

Hmmm...

Tina Charles wins the 2012 WNBA MVP while leading her team to first place in the East with a franchise second best record (including 3 years as the Orlando Miracle) of 25-9. After a tough 2 games to 1 loss in the conference finals (and a particularly poor game 3) the only professional coach she for whom she has ever played is fired.

She begins the 2013 season again playing in the same state in which she played college ball, with 3 of her college teammates.

And a new coach.

Anne Donovan takes over the team after a dreadful stint as head coach at Seton Hall. The team finishes the season with the worst record (by far) in franchise history - a WNBA worst 10-24. Almost immediately following that season's final game rumors abound that Ms. Charles would rather sit out the entire 2014 season than return to play for Coach Donovan.

Of course the implications above are massively simplistic - the team was undeniably "wrecked by injuries" (Rebecca Lobo).

Still - faced with the above, you must choose one (kinda reminiscent of the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony. Or the Vancouver Canucks with Mike Gillis and John Tortarella):

1). Save the coach: tear the team down, trading one of the league's true superstars and all-time fan favorite for future talent.

2). Save the player: fire the coach in an effort to convince Ms. Charles to stay, that pairing her with Chiney Ogwumike will serve to assure her of the team's ultimate and unwavering dedication to winning championships. Or at least a championship. Or at least winning.

The Suns chose door #1.

Wrong choice I think. I prefer door #3 - fire Chris Sienko and Anne Donovan.

Replace them with... I have no idea!

Thoughts? Jen Rizzotti?!? Jamelle Elliott? Tonya Cardoza?? Kara Lawson as a player coach??!

Funny - the very first GM and coach of this franchise (when they were Orlando) was none other than Carolyn Peck, in both roles. I hear she's available... JOKING - well aware she is possibly the most disparaged broadcaster in Boneyard history!

 

[Icebear]

Pretty much everyone on the Boneyard saw where this was going with the Sun when they hired Donovan. The Sun now risks alienating a majority of their fan base.