WBNA Playoffs - here we go! | Page 2 | The Boneyard

WBNA Playoffs - here we go!

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Basingstoke said:
Seattle - wow, what a 4th quarter! Loads of kudos to go around, but a special brava to Malonga: no one can actually stop Aja, but she really made it difficult for her towards the end (at 19 years old).
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Malonga really impressed me with her composure in this game. Her lay up for the and-one was a beautiful example of why you run the floor as a big. And she's only going to get better. Oh man that's gonna be something!
 
cancontent said:
Malonga really impressed me with her composure in this game. Her lay up for the and-one was a beautiful example of why you run the floor as a big. And she's only going to get better. Oh man that's gonna be something!
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This is just the beginning. Time will increase the perspective that the Ace's screwed up turning the Plum trade into a three team one to get Loyd instead. The stupidity of people who should know better is unbelievable. Malonga is going to be a superstar as loyd value decreases. I stated that taking loyd instead of Malonga was mistake right from the beginning. With Malonga playing next to Wilson the Aces would have been set for years in the one area they are weak. The two together would dominate the post against every team. The killer is that Malonga is on a rookie salary while Loyd comes at a high cap price.

Don't even use the excuse that no one knew what the second draft pick could have gotten. It was either Malonga or Paige B. It became obvious sooner than expected that loyd did not fit into the Aces starting lineup. Every spot has some teams run by incompetents, but the WNBA have taken it to a new level. This was a major reason they would have failed if not supported by the NBA.
 
Not for nothing, we saw one of the most egregious "leaning" screens in by IND's Turner, and when we saw the foul go against ATL, decided to watch something else. No skin in this game, however the officials seemed to be letting a lot of crud go in the lane. IMO.
 
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BRS24 said:
Not for nothing, we saw one of the most egregious "leaning" screens in by ATL's Turner, and when we saw the foul go against ATL, decided to watch something else. No skin in this game, however the officials seemed to be letting a lot of crud go in the lane. IMO.
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Even LaChina Robinson was struggling with explaining that call last night. Honestly don't know how the referees thought Hillmon caused it. Wasn't able to see where they were positioned during the replays.
 
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MilfordHusky said:
Seattle executed down the stretch. Nneka and Skylar were particularly good. The Vegas streak is over.
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Coming back from that kind of deficit required them to be on all cylinders. Bingo. Interesting from a scoring perspective: as you note, Nneka and Sky were on their games, but were the only starters in double figures. However, Malonga and Wheeler both scored 11 points.

That said, Jackie Young and A'ja Wilson both scored in the 20's and Jewell Loyd added 13 off the bench.
 
willtalk said:
This is just the beginning. Time will increase the perspective that the Ace's screwed up turning the Plum trade into a three team one to get Loyd instead. The stupidity of people who should know better is unbelievable. Malonga is going to be a superstar as loyd value decreases. I stated that taking loyd instead of Malonga was mistake right from the beginning. With Malonga playing next to Wilson the Aces would have been set for years in the one area they are weak. The two together would dominate the post against every team. The killer is that Malonga is on a rookie salary while Loyd comes at a high cap price.

Don't even use the excuse that no one knew what the second draft pick could have gotten. It was either Malonga or Paige B. It became obvious sooner than expected that loyd did not fit into the Aces starting lineup. Every spot has some teams run by incompetents, but the WNBA have taken it to a new level. This was a major reason they would have failed if not supported by the NBA.
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The question is whether the trade would have happened in the first place. Not sure if LA would have been willing to make the same pick exchange had it been a two team deal.
 
cancontent said:
The question is whether the trade would have happened in the first place. Not sure if LA would have been willing to make the same pick exchange had it been a two team deal.
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When is the last solid draft pick from the Aces? If it isn't a no-brainer, they generally underwhelm or screw it up altogether. Picking 2nd in a 2 player lottery is about the best they can hope for.

LA gave up #2 and #13 for Plum, 26 Vegas 1st, and player they flipped for 2nd and 3rd picks.

LA would almost certainly have done #2 for Plum straight-up, or find 2nd and 3rd round picks to throw in. Given their track record, they're pretty much empty value for Vegas. The Aces might as well take that and find a FA vet who wants to chase a title with Wilson.

My biggest hope for the new CBA is coring goes away and A'ja gets out of Vegas. Their guard play in the 4th quarter was abysmal last night. The very weak but obvious foul that gave Malonga a FT to take the lead was particularly galling. If you aren't strong enough to keep her from getting the layup, just back away.
 
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cancontent said:
The question is whether the trade would have happened in the first place. Not sure if LA would have been willing to make the same pick exchange had it been a two team deal.
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Why? It envolved no change for LA. They wanted Plum and they got her. It was LV and Seattle that made it a three team deal. LV wanted to replace Plum thinking they could repeat their last championship run. Seattle wanted to be rid of loyd and the Ace's were the perfect suckers. Loyd was no longer worth a high first round pick. It was Seattle that came away the big winner. They got a future superstar for an over the hill malcontent they were eager to part ways with. The Aces lost big time. Loyd could have been replaced for the salary she pulls down. It is not so easy to get a good,let alone a post player of Molanga's capabilities.

What makes Malonga so valuable is that she excells in all aspects of the game. She is a really good defender and rebounder. She also is a good offensive threat and will get better with time. The Aces do not have anyone who is as good as her ( exempting Wilson) in any of those areas. The post positon defensively is their weak point. They usually need to play Chelsea against a post player which she does well. However, a player with Molanga's length and athleticism is not guardable by her.
 
nwhoopfan said:
If AT doesn't miss a pair of FTs and a bunny in the final 2 minutes, doesn't Phoenix win in regulation? I don't think this is about either coach. To
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Lol

Woulda, coulda, shoulda

Lol .. and if the Liberty hadn't turned the ball over 19 times wouldn't they have won by 20?

Lol

I don't know about your conjecture, what we do know is that the Liberty did win on the Merc home court in overtime with Stewie on the bench.

But to quote Belichick we're on to New York where the million dollar coach will have an opportunity to demonstrate his prowess. Stewie will try to play through an injury, the Merc travel West to East, and they will attempt to be the second road team to pick up a road victory in the first round.

The first team to win on the road....... New York in Phoenix.

As we're seeing winning on the road in the playoffs is hard. Brondello has accomplished something hard... Will be watching tonight to see if the million dollar coach, well liked in Phoenix and throughout the league, manages to lead his team in a way to do something hard.

So the million dollar coach attempts to end what I think is a 4 game losing streak which sure materialized at an inconvenient time.

I know many are rooting for the highest paid coach in the W to do something hard.
 
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And, my hubby said, what the heck are they doing, more than once. For college WBB programs that play cohesive and sharp offense, with accurate passing, spacing, etc, etc, some of these teams and games are hard to watch. We're spoiled.
 
The deacon said:
As so do Napheesa, Stewie and maybe especially AT... it's the way it's played in all the major leagues.
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NO other WNBA players routinely get double digit FT's nearly every game, nor do the moving screens get ignored like Wilson. I don't know how many more in that game last night. Quite a few by my eye. She leans her hip out and keeps moving in nearly every screen she sets. She also routinely gets called for only 1-2 fouls per game playing major minutes.
 
willtalk said:
Why? It envolved no change for LA. They wanted Plum and they got her. It was LV and Seattle that made it a three team deal. LV wanted to replace Plum thinking they could repeat their last championship run. Seattle wanted to be rid of loyd and the Ace's were the perfect suckers. Loyd was no longer worth a high first round pick. It was Seattle that came away the big winner. They got a future superstar for an over the hill malcontent they were eager to part ways with. The Aces lost big time. Loyd could have been replaced for the salary she pulls down. It is not so easy to get a good,let alone a post player of Molanga's capabilities.

What makes Malonga so valuable is that she excells in all aspects of the game. She is a really good defender and rebounder. She also is a good offensive threat and will get better with time. The Aces do not have anyone who is as good as her ( exempting Wilson) in any of those areas. The post positon defensively is their weak point. They usually need to play Chelsea against a post player which she does well. However, a player with Molanga's length and athleticism is not guardable by her.
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I fully understand that Malonga's value.

Plum requested a trade and had to sign off on any trade, which gave me the impression that teams involved would have an advantage in negotiations. Sometimes I wonder as to whether LA would have made the same deal straight up without Seattle's involvement.
 
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cancontent said:
I fully understand that Malonga's value.

Plum requested a trade and had to sign off on any trade, which gave me the impression that teams involved would have an advantage in negotiations. Sometimes I wonder as to whether LA would have made the same deal straight up without Seattle's involvement.
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I had that thing all messed up in my mind

LA Gave up: 2025 #2 and #13, Li

LA Received: Plum, 2025 #9 (from Seattle), 2026 Seattle 2nd

One to One:

LA gives up: 2025 #2

LA Receives: Plum, and ??? 2026 LV 1st (to Seattle in RL)? Assortment of 2nd and 3rds? Nothing?

Had to be a way to ship Plum to LA without giving up a top 3 pick, one of the most valuable trade chips in any sport. Feel like there is much greater variability in quality among WNBA front offices than in more established leagues.
 
JstVisiting said:
I had that thing all messed up in my mind

LA Gave up: 2025 #2 and #13, Li

LA Received: Plum, 2025 #9 (from Seattle), 2026 Seattle 2nd

One to One:

LA gives up: 2025 #2

LA Receives: Plum, and ??? 2026 LV 1st (to Seattle in RL)? Assortment of 2nd and 3rds? Nothing?

Had to be a way to ship Plum to LA without giving up a top 3 pick, one of the most valuable trade chips in any sport. Feel like there is much greater variability in quality among WNBA front offices than in more established leagues.
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I could have done a better job explaining my reasoning in my original post. Glad my follow up helped to clarify where I was coming from.
 
Chris Gunther of Her Hoops Stats takes a (very) in-depth look at Final Regular Season stats (scoring, rebounding, assists) and
offers his takeaways. He then goes into miscellaneous stats, ranging from shooting percentages from mid-range and long-range, to defense and clutch shooting (looks at takes in the last five minutes and OT).

Gunther's points on the miscellaneous stats and a few of my executive points in ( ). Plus, the entire article is attached.

- A’ja is also good at defense.
(Alanna Smith and NaPheesa Collier are right behind, and Stewie and Gabby aren't far behind them!)

- If it wasn’t clear yet, A’ja should be the number one pick in any draft.
(That would be a fantasy draft....)

- Sonia Citron was accurate from deep.
(To the tune of leading the league with 44.5% accuracy from three-pt. land. Lots of Liberty...Fiebich, Jones and Burke and the Lynx dynamic trio of 'Phee, K-Mac and Courtney Williams.)

- Courtney Williams doesn’t care where the 3-point line is.
(She is the queens of the mid-range, particularly from 16 ft. to 3-pt. land. Paige B rules the 10-16 ft. area and is 2nd overall. These two were the best in the W by quite a bit. )

- Jackie Young will show up when you need her.
(In the final five minutes of regulation or overtime when the score is within five points, Jackie Young is the player you want with the ball, followed by Alyssa Thomas, A'ja Wilson, Rickea Jackson and Sonia Citron. 'Phee, Satou Sabally and Kiki Iriafen come next.)

herhoopstats.substack.com

WNBA Season Leaders: A Closer Look

A (Slightly) More Advanced Ranking
herhoopstats.substack.com herhoopstats.substack.com
 
Blue Huskie said:
NO other WNBA players routinely get double digit FT's nearly every game, nor do the moving screens get ignored like Wilson. I don't know how many more in that game last night. Quite a few by my eye. She leans her hip out and keeps moving in nearly every screen she sets. She also routinely gets called for only 1-2 fouls per game playing major minutes.
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Wilson averaged 7.3 FTA per game. Stewie averaged 6.5. That's not that big of a difference, is it? I know there were multiple games where Stewie had as many attempts as the entire opposing team did. She hits double figures in FTs plenty often. Stewie was #6 in the league in FTA for the season, despite missing 13 games.
 
PHX is buzzing so far. They are targeting Sabrina in the half court. Then getting into transition.
 
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It seemed like that knee was on Stewie’s mind all game. I hope she plays game three injury free and gets some rest for Unrivaled (no way the Liberty win this series)
 
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