Way too early mock WNBA draft from ESPN

[nwhoopfan]

With all the speculation about others from that class taking a covid year, it seems like nobody has mentioned it as a possibility for Van Lith.

 

[The deacon]

If I were drafting,I would definitely choose Paige over Clark as long as my medical staff found no chronic issues. Clark is great, she excites the fans with 35 ft threes but I believe Paige is simply a better player overall.
Admittedly, you really couldn’t go wrong with either of them, but imo, the material reason why anyone would choose Clark over Paige, is the injury thing. I believe if Paige had never suffered an injury, there would be no debate.

Quite a big 'if' there, Cuango. However, even overlooking that for a second, did you not watch Caitlin play last season?

Each person is free to make her or his judgment, but as great as Paige was/could be again, Caitlin was very likely as good last season as any women's college basketball player ever has been, and the 35-foot 3s were just a small part of her performances.

 

[jdote33]

With all the speculation about others from that class taking a covid year, it seems like nobody has mentioned it as a possibility for Van Lith.

Great point, and also great for LSU. Morrow, Reese and Van Lith can all stay until 25.

 

[The deacon]

Great point, and also great for LSU. Morrow, Reese and Van Lith can all stay until 25.

Maybe by then WCBB will be played with more than one basketball at a time?

 

[Skeets]

Concerning Paige and Clark, one of them will be picked as #1 and the other will be a consolation prize. It will be a very, very good consolation prize, maybe the best of all time? (Assuming both stay healthy and have the season we expect.)

 

[Skeets]

Ah, I'd like to add that the rookie salary (see the other thread) for both Paige and Clark will be an insult. I'm sure Paige pays more in taxes than what the rookie salary is.

 

[jdote33]

Concerning Paige and Clark, one of them will be picked as #1 and the other will be a consolation prize. It will be a very, very good consolation prize, maybe the best of all time? (Assuming both stay healthy and have the season we expect.)

It's interesting, whenever there is a question of who should be picked first vs second, the team 90 percent of the time who picks first gets it right. I'm not sure if it's supreme scouting or media making it to be more of a debate than it really is but I do think more often than not the player chosen number one has a more decorated career than the player chosen 2. Although, I'm thinking a lot of the NBA in the last 20 years (Derrick Rose v Michael Beasley, John Wall v Evan Turner, Lebron v Melo, Dwight v Okafor). The biggest exception is KD and Oden. On the women's side the one that always comes to mind is DT vs Alana Beard. I know Candace Parker v Sylvia Fowles was a little bit of a thing and then Maya Moore vs Liz Cambage. Still the number one pick seems to have more of an impact.

 

[Dillon77]

Ah, I'd like to add that the rookie salary (see the other thread) for both Paige and Clark will be an insult. I'm sure Paige pays more in taxes than what the rookie salary is.

That's why I noted the Collective Bargaining Agreement is up in 2025. If that affects incoming rookies that season, there could be a serious bump there, given how much NIL has affected who earns what.

Agree that Clark, Bueckers, Reese are not incentivized by the current rookie payout...

 

[Zarathustra]

Concerning Paige and Clark, one of them will be picked as #1 and the other will be a consolation prize. It will be a very, very good consolation prize, maybe the best of all time? (Assuming both stay healthy and have the season we expect.)

Dorka Juhasz made the point in her "end of season" interview with Minnesota that
( to paraphase her): " the draft number that you are chosen at doesn't matter...
there are many factors coming into play..... ( but, being chosen # 16 ) did motive
me!!!"

 

[Reypl21]

So, if Clark gets injured twice this year will she also become a “potential superstar with injury history?”

I mean if Clark had some injury putting her out for the season and/or out for her rookie season then yes.

 

[MooseJaw]

The WNBA is where players go to disappear. There is nowhere in the pros that have the rivalries like WCBB has, nowhere in the pros that draw the attendance numbers like the top college teams. There is nowhere in the pros that showcase the players like WCBB has. My gut tells me that there is nowhere in the pros where the top WCBB can and do make the biggest bucks.
You want excitement you don't think the WNBA you think UCONN, SC, LSU, UT and other teams that provide the greatest rivalry games and top player and team matchups. And that's the rest of the story!

 

[UConnCat]

Did it motivate her to develop a 10-foot jump shot?

 

[visitingcock]

The WNBA is where players go to disappear. There is nowhere in the pros that have the rivalries like WCBB has, nowhere in the pros that draw the attendance numbers like the top college teams. There is nowhere in the pros that showcase the players like WCBB has. My gut tells me that there is nowhere in the pros where the top WCBB can and do make the biggest bucks.
You want excitement you don't think the WNBA you think UCONN, SC, LSU, UT and other teams that provide the greatest rivalry games and top player and team matchups. And that's the rest of the story!

I dunno bout the showcasing players part. Vegas v NY showcases a bunch of talent and either team would beat the shorts offa any college team of this, last, or the year before last. Wilson, Plum vs Stewart, Ionescu alone would dominate college ball

The WNBA championship rivals of the future will be making the endorsement bucks they are getting now for NIL plus their own growth in endorsement value as a pro plus their salaries.

Now, I , like you, prefer the college game. I like seeing them progress from girls to young women More then watching them as full grown adult women. Same goes for other sports as well. But I can’t undervalue how good pro players are. They are the cream of the college crops.

 

[Dillon77]

The WNBA is where players go to disappear. There is nowhere in the pros that have the rivalries like WCBB has, nowhere in the pros that draw the attendance numbers like the top college teams. There is nowhere in the pros that showcase the players like WCBB has. My gut tells me that there is nowhere in the pros where the top WCBB can and do make the biggest bucks.
You want excitement you don't think the WNBA you think UCONN, SC, LSU, UT and other teams that provide the greatest rivalry games and top player and team matchups. And that's the rest of the story!

Just where are they disappearing to, @MooseJaw ?
I watched two semi-final games on a major sports network that showcased the best of players that had matriculated from many of the schools that you've mentioned and they were putting on a pretty damn good show.

And those players -- not the collegians -- will be the ones chosen to represent the United States at major international competitions, such as the Olympics and World Cup.

Do some top players in college make a lot of money in NIL? Sure do. However, top player salaries in the WNBA are starting to get higher and will continue to do so once the collective bargaining agreement is redone in 2025. Plus they're getting exposure.

Like @vistingcock, I accept and respect your preference for collegiate basketball for many of the reasons you cite.
(However, with more liberal transfer rules and NIL money, I bet collegiate fans even have an evolving viewpoint of what is a traditional collegiate experience for player and fan alike)

The one point I'll give you is attendance. Both semi-final games yesterday were attended by some 9500 people (or just north/south of that figure). Here are your top five (and more in the link):
South Carolina Gamecocks – 12,942
Iowa Hawkeyes – 11,143
Iowa State Cyclones – 10,323
UConn Huskies – 10,255
Louisville Cardinals – 8,779

South Carolina, Iowa lead women's college basketball in attendance in 2022-23 season

.

www.on3.com

As for me, I like both games. There are differences, of course; namely the players at the top level are better, but I have a more emotional tie to one collegiate team in particular. But I'll enjoy both.

Incidentally, I think the pro game will get more franchises, more players and more interest shortly. The story is not done being written....

 

[MooseJaw]

Just where are they disappearing to, @MooseJaw ?
I watched two semi-final games on a major sports network that showcased the best of players that had matriculated from many of the schools that you've mentioned and they were putting on a pretty damn good show.

And those players -- not the collegians -- will be the ones chosen to represent the United States at major international competitions, such as the Olympics and World Cup.

Do some top players in college make a lot of money in NIL? Sure do. However, top player salaries in the WNBA are starting to get higher and will continue to do so once the collective bargaining agreement is redone in 2025. Plus they're getting exposure.

Like @vistingcock, I accept and respect your preference for collegiate basketball for many of the reasons you cite.
(However, with more liberal transfer rules and NIL money, I bet collegiate fans even have an evolving viewpoint of what is a traditional collegiate experience for player and fan alike)

The one point I'll give you is attendance. Both semi-final games yesterday were attended by some 9500 people (or just north/south of that figure). Here are your top five (and more in the link):
South Carolina Gamecocks – 12,942
Iowa Hawkeyes – 11,143
Iowa State Cyclones – 10,323
UConn Huskies – 10,255
Louisville Cardinals – 8,779

South Carolina, Iowa lead women's college basketball in attendance in 2022-23 season

.

www.on3.com

As for me, I like both games. There are differences, of course; namely the players at the top level are better, but I have a more emotional tie to one collegiate team in particular. But I'll enjoy both.

Incidentally, I think the pro game will get more franchises, more players and more interest shortly. The story is not done being written....

So you were the guy who went, I wonder who the other one was. Sorry I don't buy that there is a large demand for the WNBA. I find the ladies only slightly better than the NBA ball hogs. What I love about WCBB is the whole package, team loyalty, team spirit, school affiliation, natural and unnatural rivalries. I have no problem with you liking the WNBA, I do watch parts of some games, just can't stay interested for very long. I ask you and please don't fib to yourself, if UCONN were on tv in a rerun playing any team, would you turn them off to watch a women's pro team? If so you may very well be the only one that I know of.

 

[visitingcock]

So you were the guy who went, I wonder who the other one was. Sorry I don't buy that there is a large demand for the WNBA. I find the ladies only slightly better than the NBA ball hogs. What I love about WCBB is the whole package, team loyalty, team spirit, school affiliation, natural and unnatural rivalries. I have no problem with you liking the WNBA, I do watch parts of some games, just can't stay interested for very long. I ask you and please don't fib to yourself, if UCONN were on tv in a rerun playing any team, would you turn them off to watch a women's pro team? If so you may very well be the only one that I know of.

I would be with Dillon even if the rerun was a Gamecock game . Okay, I’m not gonna watch a WNBA game between two bad teams unless Aliya Boston is on one of those bad teams.

Ball hogs? Like Paige’s frosh year? Or Clark last year?

 

[nwhoopfan]

What I love about WCBB is the whole package, team loyalty, team spirit, school affiliation, natural and unnatural rivalries.

Uh...I think that is largely gone now thanks to NIL, the transfer portal and conference realignment. College sports is dramatically different than what it was just a couple years ago.

 

[Dezoworld]

If you want a potential superstar, you take Clark. If you want a potential superstar with injury history, you take Paige.

Don't forget that potential star can easily get injured to. God forbid. Don't let it happen. We want to see all players injured free and playing at their best

 

[Alydar]

I would be with Dillon even if the rerun was a Gamecock game . Okay, I’m not gonna watch a WNBA game between two bad teams unless Aliya Boston is on one of those bad teams.

Ball hogs? Like Paige’s frosh year? Or Clark last year?

In her freshman season Bueckers was 81st in fg's attempted(14.5). Zia Cooke took more shots that year. Last year Clark led the nation in assists/game. Did Kobe ever lead the NBA in assists? he used to regularly go 9-25, with a half dozen trips to the line.

 

[Cuango]

Quite a big 'if' there, Cuango. However, even overlooking that for a second, did you not watch Caitlin play last season?

Each person is free to make her or his judgment, but as great as Paige was/could be again, Caitlin was very likely as good last season as any women's college basketball player ever has been, and the 35-foot 3s were just a small part of her performances.

Just as Paige’s freshman season was likely as good or better than any women’s college basketball freshman has ever been.

 

[cancontent]

So you were the guy who went, I wonder who the other one was. Sorry I don't buy that there is a large demand for the WNBA. I find the ladies only slightly better than the NBA ball hogs. What I love about WCBB is the whole package, team loyalty, team spirit, school affiliation, natural and unnatural rivalries. I have no problem with you liking the WNBA, I do watch parts of some games, just can't stay interested for very long. I ask you and please don't fib to yourself, if UCONN were on tv in a rerun playing any team, would you turn them off to watch a women's pro team? If so you may very well be the only one that I know of.

The demand for WNBA coverage is growing as seen in TV ratings over the last couple years. It will likely continue as players like Bueckers, Clark and others from these upcoming classes move into the pros.

Sure the WNBA isn't for everyone but your comment about how they become ball hogs after leaving college doesn't make sense, especially after seeing the assist numbers this season for some players. If it's not your style, cool, but a lot of these players have gotten better since leaving college. You're selling a lot of good players short in my opinion.

 

[Dillon77]

So you were the guy who went, I wonder who the other one was. Sorry I don't buy that there is a large demand for the WNBA. I find the ladies only slightly better than the NBA ball hogs. What I love about WCBB is the whole package, team loyalty, team spirit, school affiliation, natural and unnatural rivalries. I have no problem with you liking the WNBA, I do watch parts of some games, just can't stay interested for very long. I ask you and please don't fib to yourself, if UCONN were on tv in a rerun playing any team, would you turn them off to watch a women's pro team? If so you may very well be the only one that I know of.

- Even after two coffees, I'm not sure what you're referencing above. Could you please explain?

- Ballhogs? As @cancontent noted, assists and passing in the WNBA are up. It's one reason I like watching the game, to see point guards like Courtney Vandersloot, Chelsea Gray, Courtney Williams, Lindsay Allen, Natasha Cloud and others look for their teammates. And add a forward like Ayssa Thomas who passes, shoots and rebounds. Great all-round play.

- As for the replay question, you've surely noted the picture and description above and below my tagline? If there's any replay of a college game I'll watch, it will be Notre Dame. If UConn is the opponent, all the better. And if it's up against a late-season match of, say, Phoenix vs Atlanta, I'm there! But otherwise, I'm watching the WNBA playoffs.
But let's draw an easy line in the viewing sand: the two seasons don't overlap, so this is a non-starter for me and for a lot of us who like all WBB.

Lastly (at least for this thread), ND just started official practice yesterday, so the Irish ar officially starting the 2023-24 season. Go college basketball! (but I'll be watching the WNBA semi's tonight )

 

[The deacon]

Just as Paige’s freshman season was likely as good or better than any women’s college basketball freshman has ever been.

Well said, Cuango.

My fantasy for individual player performance this coming season would be for Caitlin to be every bit as good as she was last season, and that Paige makes such an outrageously great comeback that they battle down to the wire for NPOY.

(and they both announce they'll be back in WCBB for the '24-25 season!)

 

[Dillon77]

Well said, Cuango.

My fantasy for individual player performance this coming season would be for Caitlin to be every bit as good as she was last season, and that Paige makes such an outrageously great comeback that they battle down to the wire for NPOY.

(and they both announce they'll be back in WCBB for the '24-25 season!)

If the Collective Bargaining Agreement that is due to take place in 2025 kicks in before the start of the season (encompassing the 2025 draftees), I've got to think a whole lot of current seniors will kick in Covid/injury years to hang around until then. The CBA could/should lift up entry-level salaries in some manner. Even though NIL offsets that for many of these stars, it still helps a bit. And, who knows, the terms of the rookie agreement could be shortened, as well.

Stay tuned.

 

[Cuango]

- Even after two coffees, I'm not sure what you're referencing above. Could you please explain?

- Ballhogs? As @cancontent noted, assists and passing in the WNBA are up. It's one reason I like watching the game, to see point guards like Courtney Vandersloot, Chelsea Gray, Courtney Williams, Lindsay Allen, Natasha Cloud and others look for their teammates. And add a forward like Ayssa Thomas who passes, shoots and rebounds. Great all-round play.

- As for the replay question, you've surely noted the picture and description above and below my tagline? If there's any replay of a college game I'll watch, it will be Notre Dame. If UConn is the opponent, all the better. And if it's up against a late-season match of, say, Phoenix vs Atlanta, I'm there! But otherwise, I'm watching the WNBA playoffs.
But let's draw an easy line in the viewing sand: the two seasons don't overlap, so this is a non-starter for me and for a lot of us who like all WBB.

Lastly (at least for this thread), ND just started official practice yesterday, so the Irish ar officially starting the 2023-24 season. Go college basketball! (but I'll be watching the WNBA semi's tonight )

I believe MooseJaw was jokingly implying that you were the second of two spectators?