WNBA 2023 Season, Part 2 | Page 4 | The Boneyard

WNBA 2023 Season, Part 2

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Watched most of the NY-Minnesota game. Very much a game of runs, w/ the Lib getting the last one. They absolutely killed the Lynx w/ O boards and 2nd chance points as the game wore on. Much of it from JJ. Collier was back, but Juhasz was out.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Smith has been out for a while, and I'd venture a guess that Boston's usage rate is even lower during that time. So can't really put it on Smith.
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The piece examines the entire year and then breaks down what's happened since Smith is out. Here are the two graphs on that:

"With Smith injured for the last few weeks, the Fever have had to retool their offense to adjust. Per PBP Stats, Boston is on the receiving end of more assists in the post when Smith is off the floor: her at-rim assist percentage skyrockets from 45.3% with Smith to 71.4% without her.

"However, this still hasn’t translated into more overall shots. In fact, Boston’s field-goal attempts per game dropped from 10 to 9.3 after Smith’s injury, with Erica Wheeler seeing increased usage instead. "

Your guess is correct, but the author's point that overall distribution efforts have to be reconfigured plays out, too. If one wants to "put it on" anyone or anything, it's the distribution strategy or the way it's implemented by Wheeler.
 
Dillon77 said:
The piece examines the entire year and then breaks down what's happened since Smith is out. Here are the two graphs on that:

"With Smith injured for the last few weeks, the Fever have had to retool their offense to adjust. Per PBP Stats, Boston is on the receiving end of more assists in the post when Smith is off the floor: her at-rim assist percentage skyrockets from 45.3% with Smith to 71.4% without her.

"However, this still hasn’t translated into more overall shots. In fact, Boston’s field-goal attempts per game dropped from 10 to 9.3 after Smith’s injury, with Erica Wheeler seeing increased usage instead. "

Your guess is correct, but the author's point that overall distribution efforts have to be reconfigured plays out, too. If one wants to "put it on" anyone or anything, it's the distribution strategy or the way it's implemented by Wheeler.
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She is getting double-teamed more often with Smith out, this why I think she is passing the ball more with Smith out. It's very noticable that their offense and defense takes a hit when Boston is on the bench.

A side note...I was pondering this while watching their game against the Sun today. I think the Fever need some lanky, athletic guards to help fix their defensive woes. They just seem like a short team, both in height and wingspan.

Also I wish they would give Saxton some meaningful minutes with Smith out. She isn't an offensive threat but I think she would've been able to help defend and rebound in today's game. Put her on Bonner for a few minutes during that period in the first where the Sun went on their run and see if anything good happens.
 
Chicago Sky fly into Dallas with arms afire: both Kahleah Copper and Courtney Williams score 25 in 104-89 road victory. Look no further than these two's 3-pt. performances: Copper shot 4 of 4 and Williams 5-6. Williams also had 6 assists. That will do the trick. Alanna Smith had ultra-solid 20 points and Mabrey contributed 16 points and solid number of rebounds and assists. Solid road win on a night when the Wings' Natasha Howard had a triple double (28 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists).
 
Copper has been on FIRE since the All Star Break, and Alanna Smith is a leading contender for Most improved (Along with Jordin Canada, imo). Courtney Williams can be a streaky shooter, but I LOVE her game.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Sloot kinda seems to be fading into the background in New York. She's still second in the league in assists, but I thought she'd be challenging her own record for highest average for a season. She's not remotely close at this point, and will need to up her production from what she's been doing for the last several weeks to pass Thomas.
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Sabrina is as good a playmaker as Sloot is. Similar to how her assist numbers dropped when Candace came to Chicago, I expected the same to happen. That said, 8/game is still pretty impressive.
 
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GamecockFam said:
A side note...I was pondering this while watching their game against the Sun today. I think the Fever need some lanky, athletic guards to help fix their defensive woes. They just seem like a short team, both in height and wingspan.

Also I wish they would give Saxton some meaningful minutes with Smith out. She isn't an offensive threat but I think she would've been able to help defend and rebound in today's game. Put her on Bonner for a few minutes during that period in the first where the Sun went on their run and see if anything good happens.
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Grace Berger is a big strong guard who’s a capable defender, and she’s getting some meaningful minutes. Her +/- for the season is better than Wheeler’s (last I looked she was positive for the season). I like the lineup with her and Lexie Hull, another long defensive guard, in at the same time.

I agree with you on Saxton. I’m wondering if she’s just not meshing well in practice. She’d upgrade the defense and length with Smith out.
 
darrell said:
Sabrina is as good a playmaker as Sloot is. Similar to how her assist numbers dropped when Candace came to Chicago, I expected the same to happen. That said, 8/game is still pretty impressive.
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Yesterday she had 6 assists somewhere in Q2, and finished with 7. Late in the game she looked pretty passive, rather than driving and dishing like she's done all of her career. There's a lot of talent to blend together for the Liberty, but it doesn't look like she's being used to her max effectiveness. She also was on the bench almost the entire 3rd quarter. And not because of foul problems. Johannes certainly needs PT as well as the starting guards, but she did pretty much nothing while she was on the floor yesterday.
 
Speaking of Sloot and assists, looks like she's 6 away from tying Penicheiro for 2nd all time.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Yesterday she had 6 assists somewhere in Q2, and finished with 7. Late in the game she looked pretty passive, rather than driving and dishing like she's done all of her career. There's a lot of talent to blend together for the Liberty, but it doesn't look like she's being used to her max effectiveness. She also was on the bench almost the entire 3rd quarter. And not because of foul problems. Johannes certainly needs PT as well as the starting guards, but she did pretty much nothing while she was on the floor yesterday.
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They’ve been trying to rest her because their schedule has been inane the last two weeks. With having to fly back to New York today and play Vegas tomorrow I’m sure they are just trying to get her minutes down.

I do think they could utilize her more. I think she’s the last starter they haven’t fully unlocked yet.
 
Bigboote said:
Grace Berger is a big strong guard who’s a capable defender, and she’s getting some meaningful minutes. Her +/- for the season is better than Wheeler’s (last I looked she was positive for the season). I like the lineup with her and Lexie Hull, another long defensive guard, in at the same time.

I agree with you on Saxton. I’m wondering if she’s just not meshing well in practice. She’d upgrade the defense and length with Smith out.
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Good question about Saxton and meshing. It's perplexing. What would be the harm in giving her more time, especially with Smith out?

They kept her on the roster over other players for some reason. It's just unclear as to what it is based on how she's being utilized at this point.
 
Seattle beat Phoenix to force a 3 way tie for last place at 7-20. LA is only 2 games up on that scrum at 9-18.
 
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MilfordHusky said:
Jewell had 32 points. Diana had 28. Gabby had 14/5/6/4/2.
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(Jewell) only shot 8-22 from the field, but got to the line a lot; hitting 13-14 of them.

For Phoenix, Megan Gustafson must think she's in Greece, because she's been busting out since getting more air when Griner took a mental health break. She shot 6-7 from the field and scored 13 points-- including one three -- overall in a mere 15 minutes.
 
Dillon77 said:
(Jewell) only shot 8-22 from the field, but got to the line a lot; hitting 13-14 of them.

For Phoenix, Megan Gustafson must think she's in Greece, because she's been busting out since getting more air when Griner took a mental health break. She shot 6-7 from the field and scored 13 points-- including one three -- overall in a mere 15 minutes.
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Really great to see Gustafson find a place for herself in the league. She's worked her butt off.
 
One hour till ABC broadcast of WNBA final preview between the Liberty and Aces. I am confident in terms of production and broadcasting this will be far superior to prime, twitter, ion, ESPN plus, ESPN3 well you get the drift....

Some channel searching shows that CBS is showing Pickleball a championship of sorts and ABC in anticipation of the WNBA game has Lacrosse. Can't help but think of this in the context of the ongoing discussion about expanding the viewership for Women's basketball.

There is a national appetite on my optimistic view for women's basketball as there is for pickleball, lacrosse, and other activities. While the WNBA commissioner and staff are doing I think an excellent job in taking strategic actions to expand the base for women's basketball I think the status quo is telling.

As WNBA fans we get to navigate streaming services such as prime, twitter, Facebook as well as I on whatever the heck that is ESPN and on some occasions ABC or CBS.

I'm just not certain that this Pac 4 strategy of media will achieve the goals of expanding our base. To me it is extremely odd that the WNBA can't find an over the air partner to compliment the potpourri of options that are both bewildering and fragmented.
 
azfan said:
One hour till ABC broadcast of WNBA final preview between the Liberty and Aces. I am confident in terms of production and broadcasting this will be far superior to prime, twitter, ion, ESPN plus, ESPN3 well you get the drift....

Some channel searching shows that CBS is showing Pickleball a championship of sorts and ABC in anticipation of the WNBA game has Lacrosse. Can't help but think of this in the context of the ongoing discussion about expanding the viewership for Women's basketball.

There is a national appetite on my optimistic view for women's basketball as there is for pickleball, lacrosse, and other activities. While the WNBA commissioner and staff are doing I think an excellent job in taking strategic actions to expand the base for women's basketball I think the status quo is telling.

As WNBA fans we get to navigate streaming services such as prime, twitter, Facebook as well as I on whatever the heck that is ESPN and on some occasions ABC or CBS.

I'm just not certain that this Pac 4 strategy of media will achieve the goals of expanding our base. To me it is extremely odd that the WNBA can't find an over the air partner to compliment the potpourri of options that are both bewildering and fragmented.
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I'm frustrated that I cannot watch the Fever/Dream game today because of a blackout. I live a 3 hour drive away from Atlanta. A blackout won't convince me to go to the game and it feels like a very archaic and outdated strategy to get butts in seats. All they're doing is alienating their local community and potential future local fans that just happen to stumble upon the game. You have to be the popular kid on the block for blackouts to work...
 
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In the battle of the super teams, the Liberty lead the Aces at halftime 49-44. Luckily Sabrina is on fire or else this would be a blow out already. I gave Brondello the benefit of the doubt before but she’s not the coach for a championship team. Stewie had Clark guarding her when the Aces went small. Clark is a great defender but no plays were called to get Stewie on the block with Clark. Rather Stewie took jumpers and I don’t think she hit any. Stewie and Aja both relatively quiet with the guards from each team doing most of the damage
 
That was weird. In the second half the Aces looked like a bad high school team. Plum struggled, but Wilson had maybe the worst game of her career. And they got nothing from Stokes, or the bench. Gray and Young weren't remotely enough to counter a red hot Ionescu, and pretty much the whole Liberty team from 3. They've been winning, but they really need Parker back. Just no depth in the front court. They kept saying Clark can play the 4, but you saw how well that worked today. Not against a team with good size like NY has.

Sloot moved to #2 on the career assist list.
 
nwhoopfan said:
That was weird. In the second half the Aces looked like a bad high school team. Plum struggled, but Wilson had maybe the worst game of her career. And they got nothing from Stokes, or the bench. Gray and Young weren't remotely enough to counter a red hot Ionescu, and pretty much the whole Liberty team from 3. They've been winning, but they really need Parker back. Just no depth in the front court. They kept saying Clark can play the 4, but you saw how well that worked today. Not against a team with good size like NY has.

Sloot moved to #2 on the career assist list.
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And Dolson should be back soon which will help the Liberty bench.
 
New York outscores Vegas by 50-17 in a stunning second half and wins by 38. OMG!
 
Who wants the #4 spot? Washington lost to LA today (much needed win for the Sparks). Atlanta beat Indiana. Dallas in a tight game with Chicago at the moment.

Is there any kind of timetable for EDD to return? I keep hearing the Mystics could still be a contender IF they get everybody back healthy, but they keep sinking further in the standings and time is running out. If the season ended now they would be #6 and have to play Connecticut in the playoffs.
 
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Hayven said:
In the battle of the super teams, the Liberty lead the Aces at halftime 49-44. Luckily Sabrina is on fire or else this would be a blow out already. I gave Brondello the benefit of the doubt before but she’s not the coach for a championship team. Stewie had Clark guarding her when the Aces went small. Clark is a great defender but no plays were called to get Stewie on the block with Clark. Rather Stewie took jumpers and I don’t think she hit any. Stewie and Aja both relatively quiet with the guards from each team doing most of the damage
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This did not age well
 
Dallas is a good match up for Chicago apparently. Mabrey and Copper lit them up. Howard and Sabally were productive for the Wings.
 
I don't get how the complete and total beat down by the Liberty over the no heart quitter Aces is not the headline story on every sports website.
 
AgStatesman said:
I don't get how the complete and total beat down by the Liberty over the no heart quitter Aces is not the headline story on every sports website.
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No heart? They are the defending champions
 
nwhoopfan said:
Dallas is a good match up for Chicago apparently. Mabrey and Copper lit them up. Howard and Sabally were productive for the Wings.
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Dallas can’t keep the Sky under 104 points!
 
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