WNBA -- 2023 Season

[bballnut90]

Leading scorers in the W:

Jewell, Stewie, Arike, Phee.

I believe scoring overall is up big time this year, as 23 players are averaging 15+ per game. Last year the number was 14, the year prior it was 15.

 

[Waquoit]

Tiffany Hayes scored 4K tonight as well. The Sun coulda won if they shot better. Stewie is great but the Liberty doesn't seem to care much about defense.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I won't argue that there is currently more exposure in the college game. Shockingly, the seasons are actually about the same length:

College: November, December, January, Feb, March-->5 months
Pro: May 19-Oct. 20 (last potential day of WNBA Finals)-->5 months

I understand why some folks prefer the college game to the pro game, but especially after 4 years in college, I'm much more excited to see how players' games translate to the WNBA. I'm so glad we get to see Boston going up against women her own strength and size as opposed to another season of her being quadruple teamed against Vandy.

The WNBA plays one week in May and you don’t even have your full team then always and NCAA sometimes goes to mid April. NCAA is 5.5 months. WNBA is 4-4.5 if you’re generous and playing in the championship.

I watch a lot of WNBA, and the quality of basketball is just less than college basketball overall imo. The players are better but the coaching and team structure is just not at the same level which makes games outside the top couple of teams very hard to watch. There are just more good teams and games in college basketball.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Ionescu's last 7 games have been very feast or famine:
6 points on 2-10 shooting
31 points on 9-19 shooting
8 points on 2-8 shooting
22 points on 7-16 shooting
37 points on 10-18 shooting
4 points on 2-9 shooting
5 points on 1-7 shooting

This will be interesting to watch evolve for the Liberty. Will Sabrina continue to be a streaky shooter and Liberty go to whoever has the hot hand or will individual players find more night to night consistency? Either approach ca work for the Liberty I think but will be will be interesting to see how things go knowing we aren’t yet halfway through the season.

 

[visitingcock]

Ionescu's last 7 games have been very feast or famine:
6 points on 2-10 shooting
31 points on 9-19 shooting
8 points on 2-8 shooting
22 points on 7-16 shooting
37 points on 10-18 shooting
4 points on 2-9 shooting
5 points on 1-7 shooting

Wow!

4games single digits shooting 16%.

3 games double digits shooting 43 %

Yeah, that qualifies as erratic.

 

[Dillon77]

Collier and Juhasz both with double-doubles for Minnesota. It took Collier awhile to get going. So-so first half, but she put on a clinic in the second. I think she used about a dozen different moves in the paint. She made Magbegor look flat-footed, which isn't easy.

Minny scored 104 points, after having not broken 70 in several games this year. I think it may be more than coincidence that they did this with Lindsay Allen starting in place of Tiffany Mitchell.

Having Diamond Miller back in the lineup playing at a very proficient level helped big time, as well. However, Lindsay Allen was always a deft orchestrator when she was in charge of the show at ND and did a good job of running Minnesota's half-court offense. I counted at least three times she hit 'Phee in mid-seal and Collier just closed the deal.

If and when Jess Shepard comes back to add more depth to the Minny front court, this team could turn it around in the summer.

 

[bbsamjj]

To Sabrina's credit (and the Liberty's), when she's off, she takes significantly fewer shots [while also racking up about 5rpg and 5apg]. With so many scorers on NY, anyone not named Stewart shouldn't be forcing things if they are having an off night.

 

[Dillon77]

Sky Break Six-Game Losing Streak with a Matinee Win Vs. LA Sparks, 80-63

Courtney Williams scores a season-high 21 points on 9-15 overall shooting and 3-4 from three. She also had 9 rebounds.

Same two teams play again in Chicago on Friday night.

 

[nwhoopfan]

anyone not named Stewart shouldn't be forcing things if they are having an off night.

I disagree with this part. No reason for Stewie to be forcing shots when she's off. She's had 2 such games this season when she couldn't hit water if she fell out of a boat. They lost one, somehow managed to win the other.

 

[Bigboote]

Having Diamond Miller back in the lineup playing at a very proficient level helped big time, as well. However, Lindsay Allen was always a deft orchestrator when she was in charge of the show at ND and did a good job of running Minnesota's half-court offense. I counted at least three times she hit 'Phee in mid-seal and Collier just closed the deal.

If and when Jess Shepard comes back to add more depth to the Minny front court, this team could turn it around in the summer.

Miller had a really good game. I thought her best of the season by a long shot.

I can't wait till Jess is back. Am I the only one who finds it puzzling and possibly worrying that she's missed two weeks with a "non-covid illness"?

 

[Waquoit]

The casual fan I was with was surprised that Ionescu was considered a "super team" player. Sloot, OTOH had an A game.

 

[Dillon77]

Miller had a really good game. I thought her best of the season by a long shot.

I can't wait till Jess is back. Am I the only one who finds it puzzling and possibly worrying that she's missed two weeks with a "non-covid illness"?

No, I'm on board with you on this. What has it's been? Two weeks? At least, I (think) saw her in the row behind the bench last night.

 

[baggerbob]

This was interesting. So, for what it's worth, I went to the WNBA and ESPN sites and here's what's on the cyber pages. I believe I read these right.

• Stewie and A'ja both take an average of 7.1 free throws per game, with Stewie hitting 5.9 (83 percent) and A'ja 5.2 per game (5.2).

Now, whether you think A'ja should get those calls is an entirely different matter. But they're both getting to the line...equally.

• FWIW, Jewell is next closest at 7.0 attempts per game and she hits 6.0 per game (85.7%).
• Brittany Griner is next at 6.0 attempts per game and 5.0 made (83.3%).

And for the 2nd time this season Stewie got no free throws. 15-20 one time and 11-17 against Connecticut.

 

[nwhoopfan]

And for the 2nd time this season Stewie got no free throws. 15-20 one time and 11-17 against Connecticut.

So...does that mean the refs are waiting to see if the shot goes in before they blow the whistle? I sometimes have a sneaking suspicion that's exactly what they do. Shot goes in, you get your 2 points. Shot doesn't go in, they send you to the line to still maybe get 2 points. It shouldn't work that way, but I do wonder about it.

edit--in a recent game she was an ice cold 4-17, but she got 11 FTs in that game

 

[JellyBean]

Miller had a really good game. I thought her best of the season by a long shot.

I can't wait till Jess is back. Am I the only one who finds it puzzling and possibly worrying that she's missed two weeks with a "non-covid illness"?

Nope. A lot of us Lynx fans were wondering the same thing about Shep and Powers. Looking forward to having them back out there.

 

[Geew1992]

 

[nwhoopfan]

Dream had won 3 straight against Indiana, NY and Connecticut. Now they've lost 3 in a row, 2 absolute blowouts, closest margin was 12. Which version is the real Atlanta team? Overall it's been fairly hard to know what to expect from most teams game to game.

 

[Dillon77]

Well, this really can't come as a surprise, but it still can leave long-time Greg Bibb (GM of the Dallas Wings) watchers shaking their heads.
He trades for Natasha Howard, which means that NJ is going to play power forward. As such, Satou Sabally is going to play wing. And then he brings in Diamond DeShields, a more traditional guard/wing, but a wing nonetheless.

So, what does he do? Drafts three players who could slot into the big guard/wing position, with Lou Lopez Senechal, Ashley Joens and Abby Meyers. Meyers doesn't even get out of training camp and is now filling out the roster at Washington (at least she's close to home); and, Joens barely got off the bench before getting cut. Are either Senechal or DeShields coming back shortly, necessitating the cut of Joens? Or was it performance?

In either case, it's another example of Bibb picking a position and over-layering it with options upon options, with seemingly none of them sticking. We'll now see if Joens gets picked up somewhere....

 

[visitingcock]

Big night tonight. Liberty vs. Aces.

Predictions?

ESPN has it at as home team Aces 64.4. %.

 

[LowkeyX]

Big night tonight. Liberty vs. Aces.

Predictions?

ESPN has it at as home team Aces 64.4. %.

I think the Liberty upset the Aces in a high scoring affair 94-90.

 

[visitingcock]

I think the Liberty upset the Aces in a high scoring affair 94-90.

Well, I don't know how well the word "upset" applies to the two best teams in the game. I consider it a "pick 'em" even though the Aces are at home. Of course the "house" is always favored in Vegas regardless of the game. I think it's a law.

Looking forward to it!

 

[cancontent]

Happy for her. She's playing hard.

 

[baggerbob]

So...does that mean the refs are waiting to see if the shot goes in before they blow the whistle? I sometimes have a sneaking suspicion that's exactly what they do. Shot goes in, you get your 2 points. Shot doesn't go in, they send you to the line to still maybe get 2 points. It shouldn't work that way, but I do wonder about it.

edit--in a recent game she was an ice cold 4-17, but she got 11 FTs in that game

Some players like Stewie, EDD, and A'ja when in close get hit almost every time.
I think the referees only call the foul if you are knocked backwards or fall down.
They really need to clean up the inside defense, the league is becoming like the Detroit Bad Boys of the NBA.

 

[Hayven]

Big night tonight. Liberty vs. Aces.

Predictions?

ESPN has it at as home team Aces 64.4. %.

Sadly I’m taking the Aces. The Liberty have yet to figure out how to get all of their pieces together

 

[bbsamjj]

I think the Aces have to be the favorite tonight for a few reasons:

1. They've been the better, more cohesive team thus far this year.
2. They will be at home, and last played Monday, at home. NYL had to fly from CT after playing them on Tuesday night, and this will be their third game in 5 days (a lineup of DC/CT/LV is as brutal as it gets in the league). The Aces should easily be the fresher team.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I think the Aces have to be the favorite tonight for a few reasons:

1. They've been the better, more cohesive team thus far this year.
2. They will be at home, and last played Monday, at home. NYL had to fly from CT after playing them on Tuesday night, and this will be their third game in 5 days (a lineup of DC/CT/LV is as brutal as it gets in the league). The Aces should easily be the fresher team.

The one benefit Liberty have is thus far they have played a tougher schedule. Of the 4 WNBA teams with winning records, they have played 2 of them and have a 3-1 record. Aces have only played the CT Sun and have a 1-1 record. Will be interesting to see how today goes.

 

[Rb335]

The one benefit Liberty have is thus far they have played a tougher schedule. Of the 4 WNBA teams with winning records, they have played 2 of them and have a 3-1 record. Aces have only played the CT Sun and have a 1-1 record. Will be interesting to see how today goes.

Agreed. It also depends on which Ionescu shows up? 30+ pt Sabrina, or abysmal shooting Sabrina.

Hoping to see a big game out of Stewart. I really want her to become a multiple time MVP and she appears to be in contention this year.

 

[cancontent]

Agreed. It also depends on which Ionescu shows up? 30+ pt Sabrina, or abysmal shooting Sabrina.

Hoping to see a big game out of Stewart. I really want her to become a multiple time MVP and she appears to be in contention this year.

Add in defence too as the Liberty as a whole go into these weird lapses. Don't understand it with the level of talent they have.

 

[oldhusky]

As the two super-teams separate themselves from the rest of the pact, and next tier teams (Connecticut and Washington) suffer injuries, those two team will likely be favored in all their road games except against each other.

 

[bballnut90]

As the two super-teams separate themselves from the rest of the pact, and next tier teams (Connecticut and Washington) suffer injuries, those two team will likely be favored in all their road games except against each other.

This feels a lot like 2016/2017 when it was a clear 2 team race the entire season. I'd bet a lot of money the finals will be #1 seed Vegas vs. #2 seed NY.