UConn is the path to the W

[hoophuskee]

Olivia plays no minutes for sparx aside blowout duty. KLS comes off the bench. I believe only one starter post 2016 starts in the WNBA from Uconn which some people in this thread were talking about. That post 2016 we don't see the success as in the days that Uconn was dominating.

Bui this isn't the point of the thread, right? Where did you see on the creation of the thread that minutes or starters was the point? The thread speaks of players that made it- not starters or minutes. Just who made it, right?

Secondly, they are in the WNBA while many others in the top 8 from 2016 and 2017 aren't, right?

It's fine you bring up starters or minutes - but replying to me you are addressing something that is irrelevant to my post, right?

 

[pvdoggy]

Bui this isn't the point of the thread, right? Where did you see on the creation of the thread that minutes or starters was the point? The thread speaks of players that made it- not starters or minutes. Just who made it, right?

Secondly, they are in the WNBA while many others in the top 8 from 2016 and 2017 aren't, right?

It's fine you bring up starters or minutes - but replying to me you are addressing something that is irrelevant to my post, right?

and even if we are talking about starters, I could swear I see KLS and Gabby in the starting lineup for LA and Seattle, and Pheesa when she is back, and most likely Kia Nurse when she is healthy. Isn't Azura (if you count her as Uconn) a starter as well?

 

[hoophuskee]

and even if we are talking about starters, I could swear I see KLS and Gabby in the starting lineup for LA and Seattle, and Pheesa when she is back, and most likely Kia Nurse when she is healthy. Isn't Azura (if you count her as Uconn) a starter as well?

I'm not sure. But I just tend to think there are some on here that are maybe so angry that they feel personally "insulted" that UCONN hasn't won a title in w while and with some their posts to highlight that anger and frustration of negativism pushes through. Anything to make a negative post.

 

[Charliebball]

How about, UConn is A path to the WNBA, not THE path to the WNBA.

Here's a question: how many of the UConn alums in the W wouldn't have ended up there if they went to a different school? No way to know for sure, but I think the majority of them would've ended up there regardless of which school they chose.

not sure about that............WNBA coaches rave about how UConn players are uniformly the most well prepared players coming out of college.........,.this really helps the borderline players and may make the difference between sticking or not......

 

[Charliebball]

I was more referencing how many have lasted since Stewie and Dolson , Stokes , Hayes class ? Seems like since those few came the rest cant seem to survive long. Well Gabby and Lou are hanging on by a thread so there's that nvm .

something tells me we'll be seeing two more pretty good UConn guards in the WNBA as starters in the next few years........

 

[nwhoopfan]

not sure about that............WNBA coaches rave about how UConn players are uniformly the most well prepared players coming out of college.........,.this really helps the borderline players and may make the difference between sticking or not......

I keep hearing that. I wonder about some of those borderline players, who just don't seem to bring much in the WNBA, if the UConn reputation gains them more time in the league than they deserve. I won't name names but can think of a few.

 

[hoophuskee]

I keep hearing that. I wonder about some of those borderline players, who just don't seem to bring much in the WNBA, if the UConn reputation gains them more time in the league than they deserve. I won't name names but can think of a few.

This path you insist on going to is just so wrong and made up as it pertains to the thread and your belief like you are "in the know."

 

[UcMiami]

Sticking in the NBA as a 'borderline' player I think starts with commitment to being a good defender and then learning a role and consistently performing that role. Coaches want consistent performances from their bench players - they want to know when they call on a player what they will get. (Consistency as a shooter night after night, year after year is really hard to achieve and very few 'borderline players that depend only on scoring last long.)

Defense and consistently filling a role is the secret to Uconn success as well so it is the regime they have been under for their 4 years in college. That is what makes them WNBA ready.

And you see it from early days of the WNBA to today - Maya Moore, DT, Sue, Tina, Breanna, they were going to be stars at every level they played wherever they went to school. (Uconn helped them all in their development and I think they were better pros sooner because of Geno and CD.) Jessica Moore, Ashley Battle and others were not AAs, were not stars in college, but lasted much longer in the WNBA than many of the players that came into the WNBA as 'stars' by being good teammates and good role players for their teams. Kiah Stokes is another - she hardly started a game at Uconn and yet she is still a major part of her WNBA team 7 years after her graduation.

 

[nwhoopfan]

This path you insist on going to is just so wrong and made up as it pertains to the thread and your belief like you are "in the know."

Look at lists for early leaders for MVP this year. Almost all of them didn't go to UConn. The narrative that you have to go to UConn to maximize your pro potential is not true. It's a great choice for some players. Other players make different choices, that also works out great for them. Not sure why this is a radical idea.

 

[Childhood]

There was a stat that said the top 3 scoring leaders from the WNBA all are from Notre Dame: Arike, Skylar, and Jackie Young.

That's really impressive.

 

[hoophuskee]

Look at lists for early leaders for MVP this year. Almost all of them didn't go to UConn. The narrative that you have to go to UConn to maximize your pro potential is not true. It's a great choice for some players. Other players make different choices, that also works out great for them. Not sure why this is a radical idea.

Again you are trying to change the subject of the thread.


Can you identify where the OP suggested about MVP's????? The thread creation was about "making the WNBA." Then on a prior post you tried to go off the thread subject by speaking of players that are only in the WNBA for "UCONN name only" and pretending like they don’t deserve to be on only because of their name. -- As if you know.

To reiterate the OP made reference to "making the WNBA."
1--- The point wasn't MVP's which you seem to want to bring up for some odd reason. This was not the point of the thread. But you feel like you need to get your dig in?
2--- The point wasn't bottom of the bench players that didn't deserve it - which you seem to want to bring up for some odd reason - as if you know who deserves and who doesn't. OFC you say this without bias, right? Just want to get another dig in?
3--- Though, not you, another poster trying to being up starters and minutes which wasn't anything to do with the OP point as well. Can’t let some fans make some positive posts about UCONN without a dig by changing the subject of the thread, can we?

Oddly, in a way you are agreeing though with the OP though with your point 2 comment that UCONN has some players in the WNBA "by reputation only." Well then - if that were the reason then wouldn't it mean what the OP is saying is accurate? Regardless of “MVP” or “starter” or “minutes” that the UCONN name is getting players in the WNBA rate at a higher level than everyone else?

But hey, you are on a UCONN site as a non-UCONN fan but a PAC-10 fan; you can’t let the Husky positive slide, right?

 

[nwhoopfan]

Okay, I'm out.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Post-2016 UConn players in the W:

2017: Saniya played 1 year or so.

2018: Kia has started much of her career; Gabby started a little in Chicago when others were injured and is now a regular in Seattle.

2019: Azura has been mostly a 6th woman type, but has started some this year; Lou was a starter in Seattle and now starts in L.A.; Phee has started her entire career and led the league in minutes played all 3 seasons. She was also ROY.

2020: Megan has been a role player near the end of the bench; Crystal was a starter and ROY.

2022: Liv and E are toward the end of the bench, not unusual for rookies; Christyn is impossible to assess because of injury.

I think that’s a pretty good list. Not everyone is a star, but that’s true of any 5-year period. That’s more or less 5 current starters and 4 bench players.

 

[Alydar]

I keep hearing that. I wonder about some of those borderline players, who just don't seem to bring much in the WNBA, if the UConn reputation gains them more time in the league than they deserve. I won't name names but can think of a few.

If I was hiring engineers I'd give more points to a CalTech grad.

 

[maccca3232]

What are the numbers for those graduating since 2017? Just curious. Think we will see more parity there.

WNBA Total Win Shares By Year Drafted and Current Conference

WNBA Total Win Shares by Year Drafted and School (Last Attended Top 30 only shown)

 

[socal613ws]

I don't follow recruiting closely but does anyone know what happened in 2019 to Uconn and why they weren't able to land a big recruit?

 

[diggerfoot]

WNBA Total Win Shares By Year Drafted and Current Conference

View attachment 76630

WNBA Total Win Shares by Year Drafted and School (Last Attended Top 30 only shown)

View attachment 76631

What I see in this chart is that South Carolina and UConn stand alone with having two post-2016 classes with double digit win shares. Maryland, Tennessee and Texas are in a second tier with one. Notre Dame also has one, but that one exceeds the win shares of the two combined classes of either SC or UConn.

I do not know if this supports or refutes a claim that the wealth as been more spread out since 2016, it would have to be compared to the same type of data prior to 2017.

 

[Charliebball]

I keep hearing that. I wonder about some of those borderline players, who just don't seem to bring much in the WNBA, if the UConn reputation gains them more time in the league than they deserve. I won't name names but can think of a few.

you know the last two or three players on the bench are often no better or worse than the last couple of players who got cut..........if UConn players work/train harder and pick up plays a bit better than others then that can make a difference in who stays and who goes....

 

[From France]

something tells me we'll be seeing two more pretty good UConn guards in the WNBA as starters in the next few years........

Nika could also well be deserving a spot, she's already more pro than college player, my advice ...

 

[Charliebball]

Nika could also well be deserving a spot, she's already more pro than college player, my advice ...

if she improves her outside shooting she might have a chance.....

 

[From France]

if she improves her outside shooting she might have a chance.....

her defense is a reponse to her taking no shots
Liv is kind of the same way, defending but not willing to score
I think Liv is shy, she doesn't want to be the girl on the cover
Nika is another way, she's a fighter and she really wants to pass first
I agree that to go to pro she will need to take more shots of her own

 

[WFFL]

SC will have Cooke , Boston , Beal , Amihere , Cardoso and most likely Raven Johnson all in the WNBA within the next 4 years . Not counting the 2 big time freshmen they have coming in . If there's a path its obvious at this point .

 

[oldude]

SC will have Cooke , Boston , Beal , Amihere , Cardoso and most likely Raven Johnson all in the WNBA within the next 4 years . Not counting the 2 big time freshmen they have coming in . If there's a path its obvious at this point .

As we have seen this past year, there are few “locks” these days to make it in the W coming out of college. The players you list are all very good college players. But other than Boston, they all have limitations that they will need to improve upon in order to insure a spot in the W once they graduate.

 

[WFFL]

As we have seen this past year, there are few “locks” these days to make it in the W coming out of college. The players you list are all very good college players. But other than Boston, they all have limitations that they will need to improve upon in order to insure a spot in the W once they graduate.

The same can be said about every college player right now tbh...not fair lol they will all get drafted to the W that's 100% sure. Anyone that disagrees lets go to vegas...

 

[oldude]

The same can be said about every college player right now tbh...not fair lol they will all get drafted to the W that's 100% sure. Anyone that disagrees lets go to vegas...

I agree. But I’m not the one who went out on a limb to suggest that 6 players will be in the W in the next 4 years, 3 of whom are reserves, at least so far.

 

[visitingcock]

I agree. But I’m not the one who went out on a limb to suggest that 6 players will be in the W in the next 4 years, 3 of whom are reserves, at least so far.

You are generous. Two are reserves. One has yet to play in 2 college games.

 

[Alydar]

I don't follow recruiting closely but does anyone know what happened in 2019 to Uconn and why they weren't able to land a big recruit?

Maybe the staff took a sabbatical that year.

5 of the top 10 were guards and maybe they all knew that Bueckers and Fudd were coming and didn't want to compete with them. Most of the rest were SCar recruits and you'd have to ask them if UConn even was after them. I know UConn wanted several.

 

[shiverz45]

You are generous. Two are reserves. One has yet to play in 2 college games.

I think the two reserves chances are better than two of the starters at the next level. Dawn stated the college court is too congested and small for Amihere's skill set. She will be a better pro than college player.

 

[hoophuskee]

SC will have Cooke , Boston , Beal , Amihere , Cardoso and most likely Raven Johnson all in the WNBA within the next 4 years . Not counting the 2 big time freshmen they have coming in . If there's a path its obvious at this point .

I agree. It's both. There are more than 1 team with a solid path.

UCONN put two in this past year.
Then most likely many more with this list potentially: CWill, Dorka, Paige, Edwards, Azzi, and Ducharme.
Not counting the two big time freshmen UCONN has coming in.

 

[From France]

Dawn Staley has her team going well and she deserves it, she and Jeff Walz are the next generation of great coaches
And to remind everyone, she was Geno's Women National Team assistant before taking the reins, kind of passing the torch