WNBA 2023 Season, Part 2

[JDuro]

Really enjoyed the Lynx/Dream game. Tiffany Mitchell came up big down the stretch doing the little hustle things on defense and offense. Finished with 6 assists. The Lynx were +16 when she was on the court.

 

[MilfordHusky]

CT was playing their second game in two nights and had to get to NY from CT. NY hadn't played since Monday and didn't have any travel to do. This late in season, especially when there wasn't much at stake in this game for the Sun (CT is pretty much locked into the #3 seed), rest is going to play a huge role in team performance.

Thanks! I was wondering if they were tired. They looked like it.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

CT was playing their second game in two nights and had to get to NY from CT. NY hadn't played since Monday and didn't have any travel to do. This late in season, especially when there wasn't much at stake in this game for the Sun (CT is pretty much locked into the #3 seed), rest is going to play a huge role in team performance.

I definitely think if they're going to have back to back games then it should be for home games only. No reason why they should add travel to an already difficult turnaround. They could even market the back to back games as a package deals for fans to make the most out of their trip.

 

[bbsamjj]

Dallas has now secured a playoff spot, and unless they completely fall apart in last four games (which includes home games against Indiana and Seattle), they should be settled into the #4 seed. CT is locked into the #3 seed. And unless Vegas loses their last two games (both against PHO), they should end up the #1 seed and NY the #2 seed.

But #5-#9 could change a ton in the final week:

5. Minnesota (18-19) (vs. PHO, @CHI, @IND)
6. Washington (17-19) (@LA, @PHO, vs ATL, vs NY)
7. Atlanta (17-20) (vs SEA, @DC, vs DAL)
8. Chicago (15-21) (vs NY, @IND, vs MN, @CT)
9. LA (15-21) (vs DC, @CT, @NY, @SEA)

FWIW, Minnesota has the tiebreaker against DC.
Atlanta has the tiebreaker against MN, and currently leads season series with DC 2-1.
Chicago has the tiebreaker against LA.

Other things to ponder, Washington plays NY, Atlanta plays Dallas, and Chicago plays CT in their final games. If those 3 playoff teams are locked into their seeds (likely), do they rest their starters?

 

[Audi1954]

I have Spectrum here in CT and I just turned on ESPN2 to watch the Liberty/Chicago game, and a notice appears indicating due to a dispute in costs with Disney, Spectrum no longer carries ESPN and ESPN2. Very disappointing!

 

[Bigboote]

Kristy Wallace went down with a knee injury. UGH She looked pretty distraught, and she knows from knee injuries. OTOH she walked (gingerly) to the locker room. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Big game for Stewie, but Sloot with some impressive stat sheet stuffing--20 pts/10 assists/5 reb/6 steals...and 2 blocks for good measure!

 

[Bigboote]

Fever/Wings was very entertaining. Dangerfirld was whistled for a tech late in the third or early in the fourth. (It was hilarious to see McCowan restraining her. McCowan basically tucked Crystal under her arm). She then went off and carried the Wings with 8 or 10 points in the fourth. The Fever ran away in OT.

Wallace was on the bench in apparently good spirits.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Glad the fever are having some success and building momentum going into next season. Definitely better than their record appears but they are finally closing out games a bit better and players are finding their roles more

 

[MilfordHusky]

Interesting game in Minny tonight:

Paige and Azzi in attendance. Azzi wearing a Dorka jersey.

Lynx get to .500 again and clinch a playoff berth.

Cheryl notches her 300th win.

Phee records 22/16/5/1/3

Dorka flirts with a triple-double and gets 10/12/8/1/2. Some beautiful passes.

Meanwhile, MoJeff puts up a career-high 32 and gets a big hug from Cheryl. 32/2/4/1 with only 1 TO on 13-22 shooting.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Future WNBA player? But first she has to go to UConn!!

 

[nwhoopfan]

Future WNBA player? But first she has to go to UConn!!

I haven't seen Bonnie in forever.

 

[nwhoopfan]

LA beat Washington (and that was without Nneka). Could Washington actually miss the playoffs? Tied w/ Atlanta at 17-20, LA 1 game back and Chicago 2 games back, 3 games left. LA and Chicago are duking it out for the last playoff spot, but the Mystics better plan on not losing if they want to be sure.

 

[ochoopsfan]

I haven't seen Bonnie in forever.

Bonnie's husband Andy is at the other end of the line. They met in Med School, both are eye doctors.

 

[bbsamjj]

LA beat Washington (and that was without Nneka). Could Washington actually miss the playoffs? Tied w/ Atlanta at 17-20, LA 1 game back and Chicago 2 games back, 3 games left. LA and Chicago are duking it out for the last playoff spot, but the Mystics better plan on not losing if they want to be sure.

Mystics were already playing without Atkins and Austin last night (nasal fracture; aggravating hip injury); then Toliver went down with a knee injury after spending most of her season fighting to get back on the court. EDD admitted it was devastating emotionally.

Team hasn't been able to catch a break on the injury front his year. It's like one step forward, two steps back.

Mystics fear worst after Toliver suffers knee injury

Mystics' Kristi Toliver suffered a non-contact right knee injury in Sunday night's loss and the team is "not expecting good news" following an MRI, head coach Eric Thibault said.

www.espn.com

 

[bbsamjj]

Dallas has now secured a playoff spot, and unless they completely fall apart in last four games (which includes home games against Indiana and Seattle), they should be settled into the #4 seed. CT is locked into the #3 seed. And unless Vegas loses their last two games (both against PHO), they should end up the #1 seed and NY the #2 seed.

But #5-#9 could change a ton in the final week:

5. Minnesota (18-19) (vs. PHO, @CHI, @IND)
6. Washington (17-19) (@LA, @PHO, vs ATL, vs NY)
7. Atlanta (17-20) (vs SEA, @DC, vs DAL)
8. Chicago (15-21) (vs NY, @IND, vs MN, @CT)
9. LA (15-21) (vs DC, @CT, @NY, @SEA)

FWIW, Minnesota has the tiebreaker against DC.
Atlanta has the tiebreaker against MN, and currently leads season series with DC 2-1.
Chicago has the tiebreaker against LA.

Other things to ponder, Washington plays NY, Atlanta plays Dallas, and Chicago plays CT in their final games. If those 3 playoff teams are locked into their seeds (likely), do they rest their starters?

After yesterday, Minnesota has clinched a playoff spot, and you now have:

4. Dallas (20-17) (NY, SEA, @ATL)
5. Minnesota (19-19) (@CHI, @IND)
6. Washington (17-20) (@PHO, vs ATL, vs NY)
7. Atlanta (17-20) (vs SEA, @DC, vs DAL)
8. LA (16-21) (@CT, @NY, @SEA)
9. Chicago (15-22) (@IND, vs MN, @CT)

Dallas and Minnesota split their season series, so not sure what happens if they end up with same record. Dallas still in drivers seat for 4 seed but they did themselves no favors with the home OT loss to Indiana (also, the Fever have now won more games this year (12) than the previous two years combined). Seattle and Indiana could certainly play spoiler this last week (So could PHO, but they are so banged up I have less faith).

 

[visitingcock]

Glad the fever are having some success and building momentum going into next season. Definitely better than their record appears but they are finally closing out games a bit better and players are finding their roles more

Love seeing the Fever learn to close out for wins. Building momentum for next year is important!

 

[GamecockFam]

Love seeing the Fever learn to close out for wins. Building momentum for next year is important!

I feel like they are one more scoring guard and a backup big away from being a threat to every team but the Aces and Liberty. Clark, Bueckers, and Brink would all be welcome additions to the team.

On a side note, who do you all think will be the best 2 guard in next year's draft? It seems like slim pickings...Van Lith? Owusu? Donarski?

 

[cancontent]

Love seeing the Fever learn to close out for wins. Building momentum for next year is important!

Which was the end goal from what I sensed this season. The future in Indiana doesn't seem so "bleak" as some have been suggesting. This may be a more attractive landing spot for draftees than some think.

 

[Bigboote]

Which was the end goal from what I sensed this season. The future in Indiana doesn't seem so "bleak" as some have been suggesting. This may be a more attractive landing spot for draftees than some think.

I think Sides has done a great job with a young team. They’ve been competitive all season. And when they were losing close games consistently, she made sure they didn’t panic and get discouraged. Now they’ve won a couple of close games in the last week or so.

It doesn’t hurt that their two rookies pretty much came to the team pro-ready.

 

[bbsamjj]

I feel like they are one more scoring guard and a backup big away from being a threat to every team but the Aces and Liberty. Clark, Bueckers, and Brink would all be welcome additions to the team.

On a side note, who do you all think will be the best 2 guard in next year's draft? It seems like slim pickings...Van Lith? Owusu? Donarski?

Brink, imo, gives them way less than a Clark or a Bueckers, unless they wanted to do a super big lineup with Smith at the 3, Brink at 4, Boston at 5 (which is kind of what Dallas is doing with Sabally/Howard/McCowan).

Richard Cohen at Her Hoops Stats posited that outside of landing Clark/Bueckers, the Fever could be a landing spot for Skylar Diggins Smith (and Indiana native). They can afford her, and certainly use her; but she's already 33 and now coming back from her second pregnancy. If she is the right culture fit, and can take on the role as a veteran leader, she would certainly be a huge upgrade over Wheeler.

 

[SECbbfan24]

I feel like they are one more scoring guard and a backup big away from being a threat to every team but the Aces and Liberty. Clark, Bueckers, and Brink would all be welcome additions to the team.

On a side note, who do you all think will be the best 2 guard in next year's draft? It seems like slim pickings...Van Lith? Owusu? Donarski?

Indiana needs another high quality guard. Smith and Boston are going to be one of the best post duos in the WNBA for years to come IMO. If they can get Clark or Paige, I think that changes a lot of things for them next year.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Indiana needs another high quality guard. Smith and Boston are going to be one of the best post duos in the WNBA for years to come IMO. If they can get Clark or Paige, I think that changes a lot of things for them next year.

I’m probably gonna catch some heat for this but here it goes.

I agree about Boston/Smith. That’s a great post duo. My issue with the Fever is guard play. Wheeler and Mitchell aren’t it. I know the indiana camp wants to build around Mitchell but in my eyes she is part of their issue. She takes a lot of ill advised shots and doesn’t move the ball. I said when she was in college she would be a more complete player if she averages 15-18 and 5-7 assists per game. I honestly thing indiana looks better with the rookie Berger. Another guard would be great but they have to realize that they need to reel in the ones they have or it’s never going to change. That’s my 2 cents.

 

[bbsamjj]

Berger usually comes on for Wheeler, not Mitchell I believe. I'd like to see what Mitchell looks like on a competitive team. Indiana has been awful since she joined them:

6-28
13-21
6-16
6-26
5-31
12-25 (so far in 2023)

Sure she has room for improvement, but records like that are not the fault of one player.

The past two years she has been excellent individually: 18.4ppg, 44%FG, 40.5% from 3pt, 3.7apg, 1.7rpg.
A core of Boston/Smith/Mitchell is pretty decent, especially when you consider how young Boston and Smith are.

But when your other starters are Wheeler at the 1 and Lexie Hull/Victoria Vivians at the 3, it's well below average [I like a lot of these players individually, but they are not the answer]. For Indiana to be really competitive they need a big talent upgrade at at least one of those positions.

 

[cancontent]

I’m probably gonna catch some heat for this but here it goes.

I agree about Boston/Smith. That’s a great post duo. My issue with the Fever is guard play. Wheeler and Mitchell aren’t it. I know the indiana camp wants to build around Mitchell but in my eyes she is part of their issue. She takes a lot of ill advised shots and doesn’t move the ball. I said when she was in college she would be a more complete player if she averages 15-18 and 5-7 assists per game. I honestly thing indiana looks better with the rookie Berger. Another guard would be great but they have to realize that they need to reel in the ones they have or it’s never going to change. That’s my 2 cents.

Nah. The topic of guard play has been an observation made by several posters. Unless you were hoping for a sunburn, you won't be catching much heat for this.