Who would want to play for Kim Mulkey ? ESPN

[cancontent]

Brittney Griner improved leaps and bounds while at Baylor. She was raw as a freshman offensively and turned into a powerhouse on both ends by her junior (and senior year).

Lauren Cox also improved leaps and bounds over her career after a slow start where she looked nothing like the #1 recruit.

Odyssey Sims also improved greatly while at Baylor, both as a PG and as a scorer.

Others include Nalyssa Smith, Queen Egbo, Kalani Brown, Alexis Morris, Kristy Wallace, Niya Johnson, and Sophia Young. If people are looking to discredit Kim as a coach, player development isn't the area to do it.

I would add Richardson and Carrington (albeit it was one season) to that list.

 

[Gordo]

... To be frank, I also think calling her “real” when she’s misspoken on several issues like sexual assault and COVID is strange. Wins are great and often allow folks to have longer of a proverbial leash. However, it’s naive to think her privilege in other aspects doesn’t provide her with a certain level of protection.

Kim Mulkey is a college basketball coach, and a very good one! However, her opinions on issues that don't deal with basketball, should be considered as valuable and insightful as yours or mine. Additionally, I would assume that she is wrong about issues not dealing with basketball about as often as most people on this site (for example).

 

[sivad40]

Brittney Griner improved leaps and bounds while at Baylor. She was raw as a freshman offensively and turned into a powerhouse on both ends by her junior (and senior year).

Lauren Cox also improved leaps and bounds over her career after a slow start where she looked nothing like the #1 recruit.

Odyssey Sims also improved greatly while at Baylor, both as a PG and as a scorer.

Others include Nalyssa Smith, Queen Egbo, Kalani Brown, Alexis Morris, Kristy Wallace, Niya Johnson, and Sophia Young. If people are looking to discredit Kim as a coach, player development isn't the area to do it.

Griner was also #1 recruit too. Kim gets criticism for her most of her star players not being WNBA level ready and underachievers in the WNBA.

 

[sun]

Griner was also #1 recruit too. Kim gets criticism for her most of her star players not being WNBA level ready and underachievers in the WNBA.

Her job is to win WCBB games, & the NCAA & WNBA don't even play on the same BB court.
IMO the criticism shows that she's able to get the most out of the caliber of players that she's able to recruit.
If & when they get to the WNBA then it's a whole different ball game, & they either sink or swim on their own.

 

[Geew1992]

Her job is to win WCBB games, & the NCAA & WNBA don't even play on the same BB court.
IMO the criticism shows that she's able to get the most out of the caliber of players that she's able to recruit.
If & when they get to the WNBA then it's a whole different ball game, & they either sink or swim on their own.

Have to disagree with this. The coaches should be preparing them for the next level whether it’s overseas or the W or even life itself. I heard a few coaches say UConn kids are always W ready.

 

[sun]

Have to disagree with this. The coaches should be preparing them for the next level whether it’s overseas or the W or even life itself. I heard a few coaches say UConn kids are always W ready.

Maybe so but at what expense?
So many UConn players seem to get run into the ground with so much practice & playing time that they need a year off for surgery before they can even begin to play in the WNBA.
If needing sugery is preparing for the WNBA, then UConn seems to be the best place to go.
UConn should change its name to MASH.

 

[Geew1992]

Maybe so but at what expense?
So many UConn players seem to get run into the ground with so much practice & playing time that they need a year off for surgery before they can even begin to play in the WNBA.
If needing sugery is preparing for the WNBA, then UConn seems to be the best place to go.
UConn should change its name to MASH.

Like is said… we are going to disagree

 

[sun]

Like is said… we are going to disagree

I believe that Kim also gives her end of the bench players more playing time which is also part of post-high school player development.
Exactly why should Kim be concerned about preparing players for the WNBA instead of her own games?
That can cost her own players the opportunity to get to play during blowouts.
It also may be attributed in part to the level of recruits that she's been able to get in the past.
Although she's gotten some better recruits lately, how many are being made to be WNBA ready can change just as quickly as the weather.

 

[Zanzman]

Maybe so but at what expense?
So many UConn players seem to get run into the ground with so much practice & playing time that they need a year off for surgery before they can even begin to play in the WNBA.
If needing sugery is preparing for the WNBA, then UConn seems to be the best place to go.
UConn should change its name to MASH.

Besides Lou. which player had surgery before playing in the W ? Im drawing a blank

 

[TheFarmFan]

I feel like this thread has run its course. At this point, no one is going to change anyone's minds...

 

[Plebe]

Griner was also #1 recruit too. Kim gets criticism for her most of her star players not being WNBA level ready and underachievers in the WNBA.

So maybe this is just as much to her credit, as she's able to get great results out of players who are not WNBA-level star caliber.

I question whether it's more becoming for a college coach to have players who never become all-Americans in college and then are immediate impact players in the W.

 

[bballnut90]

Griner was also #1 recruit too. Kim gets criticism for her most of her star players not being WNBA level ready and underachievers in the WNBA.

Griner was the top recruit, but regardless, Kim helped transform her into the most dominant player women's college basketball has ever seen.

Like most coaches, Kim's had some success stories and others who've underachieved. Griner/Sims/Nalyssa Smith/Sophia Young among others have carved out really nice careers in the pros. Lesser heralded players like Carrington, Egbo, and Wallace are lasting in the pros too which is HARD to do. The only major pro bust she's produced is Lauren Cox (and debatably Kalani Brown), but she has a solid list of success stories as well.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Griner was also #1 recruit too. Kim gets criticism for her most of her star players not being WNBA level ready and underachievers in the WNBA.

Because Kim isn't a good coach and only out talents people for wins. There is no structure in her style of play or individual development. Kalani Brown had to get outside coaching help to reach the W, same thing with Kristy Wallace.

Smith and Egbo are succeeding in the WNBA only because of Nikki Collens.

 

[GamecockFam]

I feel like this thread has run its course. At this point, no one is going to change anyone's minds...

I second this motion. Let's lock this thread...

We're all different people with varying goals. To some prospective recruits Mulkey is the right fit, and for others she isn't. #EndConversation

 

[nwhoopfan]

I would add Richardson and Carrington (albeit it was one season) to that list.

Carrington's junior year at Stanford was just as good as her one season with Baylor. She had an up and down career, but I can't honestly see that she improved or developed more with Mulkey.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Carrington's junior year at Stanford was just as good as her one season with Baylor. She had an up and down career, but I can't honestly see that she improved or developed more with Mulkey.

She looked the same to me

Chloe Jackson on the other, I will admit she developed a lot. She was never W caliber but she was a much better all around player at Baylor than she ever was at LSU. That assist to turnover ratio was staggering.

 

[sun]

Besides Lou. which player had surgery before playing in the W ? Im drawing a blank

Christyn Williams needed knee surgery as soon as she got to training camp after being drafted.
She lost 2 WNBA seasons & didn't sign with another team until the last game this past season.
She also had nerve surgery on her arm before her senior season.

 

[Zanzman]

Christyn Williams needed knee surgery as soon as she got to training camp after being drafted.
She lost 2 WNBA seasons & didn't sign with another team until the last game this past season.
She also had nerve surgery on her arm before her senior season.

She got hurt in training camp not before she left UConn
The elbow injury didn’t cause her to miss time in the Wnba
So can you give me example when they needed surgery besides Lou before wnba

 

[PoppaBear]

Carrington's junior year at Stanford was just as good as her one season with Baylor. She had an up and down career, but I can't honestly see that she improved or developed more with Mulkey.

The one player that improved massively under Mulkey's tutelage was Nina Davis. No one expected a whole lot from her coming out of high school. A two time All American. Her senior year she played out of position (hybrid wing) and didn't achieve the same level.

 

[bballnut90]

She looked the same to me

Chloe Jackson on the other, I will admit she developed a lot. She was never W caliber but she was a much better all around player at Baylor than she ever was at LSU. That assist to turnover ratio was staggering.

Te'a Cooper too. She was much better at Baylor than she was at Tennessee or South Carolina.

 

[bballnut90]

The one player that improved massively under Mulkey's tutelage was Nina Davis. No one expected a whole lot from her coming out of high school. A two time All American. Her senior year she played out of position (hybrid wing) and didn't achieve the same level.

If you're looking at Kim developing players, I actually think Nina Davis was a mixed bag rather than a 100% success story . Davis came in and averaged 15/9 for a top 10 team from day 1, which indicates Davis being underrated more than Mulkey taking a player out of nowhere and turning her into a star. To Mulkey's (and Nina's) credit, Davis blossomed into one of the best front court players in America, earning All America honors as a sophomore and junior, but her game never expanded in a way that would benefit her long term. Her perimeter game didn't develop and she ultimately wasn't able to make it in the pros as a result. So on one hand, Nina turned into one of the best front court players in the country, but on the other she wasn't able to expand her game in a way that was necessary for her to thrive at the next level.

 

[triaddukefan]

So maybe this is just as much to her credit, as she's able to get great results out of players who are not WNBA-level star caliber.

I question whether it's more becoming for a college coach to have players who never become all-Americans in college and then are immediate impact players in the W.

To make a comparison to the men's game, thats how it used to be with Duke and the NBA. The critics said that Duke didn't have any star NBA players, but had a ton of All-Americans, POY's, and final 4 appearances,

 

[Plebe]

To make a comparison to the men's game, thats how it used to be with Duke and the NBA. The critics said that Duke didn't have any star NBA players, but had a ton of All-Americans, POY's, and final 4 appearances,

Exactly, and to me that's more of a tribute to Coach K than a detraction. And I am NOT one to spare praise for him generously.

 

[bballnut90]

To make a comparison to the men's game, thats how it used to be with Duke and the NBA. The critics said that Duke didn't have any star NBA players, but had a ton of All-Americans, POY's, and final 4 appearances,

I miss those days of Duke basketball. Was awesome to see players come back year after year and improve and play great team basketball. I don't love the one and done era where you barely get to know the players and it's a completely new roster every season.

 

[triaddukefan]

I miss those days of Duke basketball. Was awesome to see players come back year after year and improve and play great team basketball. I don't love the one and done era where you barely get to know the players and it's a completely new roster every season.

Me too. The one and done era is partly why I'm more passionate about Duke WBB than MBB (at least until the NCAA's). Even beyond Duke, I watch way more WCBB then the men. Imma start to sound like a grumpy old man longing for the good ol days... lemme stop.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

The main problem I have with LSU and some other colleges is their use of NIL to pay recruits under the table as what in the past was known as illegal recruiting!
NIL was set up for businesses such as, Gatorade, Nike, etc. hiring athletes to promote their products!
But LSU has BOOSTERS putting $ in funds to get players to transfer to LSU etc!
When Von Lith & Morrow were looking at LSU the articles mentioned $ they could get if they signed on!
It is used in recruitment as, come to LSU and we'll guarantee X number of dollars!
Geno isn't going to be talking to recruits about coming to UCONN for the NIL $!
That aspect of NIL has to be regulated which congress and the NCAA are now discussing!

 

[nwhoopfan]

But LSU has BOOSTERS putting $ in funds to get players to transfer to LSU etc!

Maybe not so much in wbb, but for football I think pretty much everybody is doing this now. At least any schools that have the $ to do it. NIL has been abused even worse than I thought it would when it first came to be.

 

[sivad40]

Te'a Cooper too. She was much better at Baylor than she was at Tennessee or South Carolina.

I forgot about her. She isn't the W anymore.

 

[sun]

She got hurt in training camp not before she left UConn
The elbow injury didn’t cause her to miss time in the Wnba
So can you give me example when they needed surgery besides Lou before wnba

I believe that the wear & tear happened at UConn.
She lifted weights like a maniac.
The main difference is that most UConn players need surgery before they even leave school.
It's just par for the course.

 

[Zanzman]

I believe that the wear & tear happened at UConn.
She lifted weights like a maniac.
The main difference is that most UConn players need surgery before they even leave school.
It's just par for the course.

Sorry you are changing your text to make it work for your for your argument not buying it
What you believe and the facts are not always the same