WNBA 2023 Season, Part 2

[willtalk]

Just some comments on things posted previously on this thread.

In respect to Stewie and NY not living up to expectations. Basketball is a strange sport. It often depends on variables in respect to who wins any given game. Even mediocre players can have a career shooting night, while the best players can have games they just can not buy a basket. Players often hit hot and cold streaks and teams are composed of players. Stewie was probable in the worst shooting streak of her life and it was compounded by other players on her team experiencing bad shooting. I also suspect that this was compounded by over confedence by knowing they were playing a team with two starters out with injuries. Almost everyone believed this almost guaranteed NY the Championship. Stricken teams often rally and pull upsets under these circumstances. However, had NY won this game it would have been very doubtful if they could do so for two games straight home court advantage or not.

I also want to comment on the negativity thrown at Becky Hammond because of the Aces getting rid of Hamby. Hamby claimed the cause was because she got pregnant. I doubt this was a major consideration. Hamby lost her starting spot due to injury and was replaced by Stokes. During that time it was appearant that the team played better with Stokes. They had better chemistry. Even when Hamby returned to health the continued to play Stokes. Hamby, while often being able to put up points, she would just as often try play the point by taking the ball coast to coast. The Aces did not really need her scoring and when she was off she would often hurt the team with bad decisions. Pregnant or not they were moving on from her period. She was basically a player whos game no longer was an asset to the team. But she was butt hurt having long been an important cog and now being replaced.

As to Gray becoming a great coach when she chooses to leave the game, thats a no brainer. There were many clues even while she was in high school that pointed in that direction.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Ionescu talks about injury.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Just a random thought I had. The Commissioner's Cup has been in existence for 3 years now. The winner of that game has gone on to win the WNBA Championship only once thus far. The cash bonus is nice, but otherwise like I've thought all along it's pretty meaningless.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Ionescu talks about injury.

Injuries suck obviously, for any player/team. Respect for Ionescu acknowledging it while also not wanting to use it as an excuse.

 

[JDuro]

Just a random thought I had. The Commissioner's Cup has been in existence for 3 years now. The winner of that game has gone on to win the WNBA Championship only once thus far. The cash bonus is nice, but otherwise like I've thought all along it's pretty meaningless.

Only thing meaningful about the CC to me was the extra pay day for the winning players who actually can use it. I see the NBA are doing their own in season tourney that they’re trying to make a big deal that I don’t see how it is anything in anyway meaningful.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Just some comments on things posted previously on this thread.

In respect to Stewie and NY not living up to expectations. Basketball is a strange sport. It often depends on variables in respect to who wins any given game. Even mediocre players can have a career shooting night, while the best players can have games they just can not buy a basket. Players often hit hot and cold streaks and teams are composed of players. Stewie was probable in the worst shooting streak of her life and it was compounded by other players on her team experiencing bad shooting. I also suspect that this was compounded by over confedence by knowing they were playing a team with two starters out with injuries. Almost everyone believed this almost guaranteed NY the Championship. Stricken teams often rally and pull upsets under these circumstances. However, had NY won this game it would have been very doubtful if they could do so for two games straight home court advantage or not.

I also want to comment on the negativity thrown at Becky Hammond because of the Aces getting rid of Hamby. Hamby claimed the cause was because she got pregnant. I doubt this was a major consideration. Hamby lost her starting spot due to injury and was replaced by Stokes. During that time it was appearant that the team played better with Stokes. They had better chemistry. Even when Hamby returned to health the continued to play Stokes. Hamby, while often being able to put up points, she would just as often try play the point by taking the ball coast to coast. The Aces did not really need her scoring and when she was off she would often hurt the team with bad decisions. Pregnant or not they were moving on from her period. She was basically a player whos game no longer was an asset to the team. But she was butt hurt having long been an important cog and now being replaced.

As to Gray becoming a great coach when she chooses to leave the game, thats a no brainer. There were many clues even while she was in high school that pointed in that direction.

The Hammond defense is null in void when Hammon told her it was because she was pregnant. The issue isn't that they traded her but that they harrased her for being pregant, traded her, and then tried to access her private OBGYN files.

 

[JellyBean]

Got the chance to rewatch the last game a few times last night. I gotta say, a lot of people are not giving Alysha Clark props for making it tough on Stewie defensively. That 3/17 shooting, Clark played a part in that. I also saw the reason why JJ only got 8 shot attempts vs 15 shot attempts the previous game, the Aces really didn't do too much different from the previous game. The Liberty just had bad timing on their post entry passing.

 

[Dillon77]

Last Vegas Aces, Looking Forward:
Richard Cohen's Overview on Where the 2-Time Defending Champs Are, Could Go This offseason

Exec. Summary on Personnel:

2024 draft picks: The Aces don't have a first-round pick in 2024 after sending it to Los Angeles in the Dearica Hamby trade, but ultimately only moved down from No. 12 to No. 16 in that deal as they got LA's second-rounder in return. They also own Washington's second-rounder (No. 18) from the Amanda Zahui B. trade, and still hold their own second- and third-round picks.

Free agents: Riquna Williams (UFA), Candace Parker (uncoreable UFA), Kiah Stokes (UFA), Sydney Colson (UFA), Cayla George (RFA)

Under contract: Kelsey Plum, A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Alysha Clark, Kierstan Bell

My takeaways:
- The Aces are in good shape. As Cohen says, "Scarily for other teams around the league, the Aces have the cap space to make some moves this offseason.

"Wilson, Plum, Gray, Young and Clark are all signed, none of them for more than $200,000, which leaves an unusual amount of room for a team that's already so loaded. If they keep the six currently under contract, they would have $512,585 for the remaining five or six roster spots. They could, for example, fill three of those with base minimum deals ($64,154 each) and have $320,123 remaining for two players. That's potentially a max deal ($208,219) and another mid-range veteran."

- While Candace Parker and Kiah Stokes are probably the first two options, other bigs are discussed, most notably.
While Jonquel Jones has seemingly liked being in NYC and Liberty GM says talks are ongoing, JJ passed up an opportunity to extend her contract. She could probably slot in well with A'ja Wilson.

Or the Aces could go with Wilson in the paint and sign a forward such as Alanna Smith or Rebecca Allen.

BTW, there are links in the artcile to each post-season write-up on all the other teams,
Should be interesting. Stay tuned.

2023-24 WNBA Offseason Guides: Las Vegas Aces

In the final offseason guide, we detail where the back-to-back champs sit heading into the offseason, and what they can do to help their efforts to threepeat

herhoopstats.substack.com

 

[Bigboote]

Got the chance to rewatch the last game a few times last night. I gotta say, a lot of people are not giving Alysha Clark props for making it tough on Stewie defensively. That 3/17 shooting, Clark played a part in that. I also saw the reason why JJ only got 8 shot attempts vs 15 shot attempts the previous game, the Aces really didn't do too much different from the previous game. The Liberty just had bad timing on their post entry passing.

I was going to post something like this, but your post is very well written, and I have nothing to add to that aspect.

I will add, though, that Clark also made it difficult on the New York defense. It was like Brondello had forgotten that Clark led the NCAA in scoring twice as a 5-11 POST player. She's completely remade herself into a good three-point shooter who's also a defensive stopper. But her post play on offense and defense hasn't gone away.

She's one of my favorite non-UConn players to watch.