WNBA -- 2023 Season

[azfan]

The players' vote percentages for both Ionescu and Taurasi definitely caught my eye. Interesting to see how they're viewed by their peers when it comes to the guard position.

DT I get. Wonder about Sabrina? The difference in player evaluation between her and Kelsey is really intriguing.

I'd love to ask a player for the reasoning.

 

[Waquoit]

She did not get snubbed for the All Star Game. She was just not voted by the fans as a starter for the All Star game.
She will be named as an All Star reserve when they are announced.

She was snubbed as an All-Star starter. What does she need, five triple-doubles?

 

[bballnut90]

She was snubbed as an All-Star starter. What does she need, five triple-doubles?

More fan votes

 

[hoopsnloops32]

More fan votes

She's also 7th in player rankings which is wild since she is a clear top 3 MVP candidate. Players are more wild than the fans with their votes.

A better question to me about the All-Star selection is why they haven't reflected the front court and backcourt balance to reflect modern day basketball. They give front court players 3 positions in a line up and only 2 to guards, when most teams are playing and starting three guard line-ups these days. I think they should flip the proportions of guards and front court players.

 

[azfan]

More fan votes

Yep. Her fellow players had her ranked seventh ahead of Delladone and Collier.

 

[Geew1992]

 

[cancontent]

DT I get. Wonder about Sabrina? The difference in player evaluation between her and Kelsey is really intriguing.

I'd love to ask a player for the reasoning.

If you do, please share . The players' vote is in stark contrast to media and fan voting. What are they seeing that the rest of us aren't?

 

[HuskyNan]

Interesting. I wouldn't want to win Miss Congeniality if I were her. I don't have strong feelings one way or another about Ionescu but she does play with a bit of an edge and if her peers don't like it so be it. She was something else today.

A lot of people on Twitter sure got their panties in a bunch about Sabrina. Sure, she’s fiery and feisty and outspoken but I’ve been a fan of Diana Taurasi (and Geno) too long to think it’s a big deal. I follow her on Twitter and for every “outrageous “ statement she has, she makes 10 that are friendly, grateful, respectful, or funny. She loves her teammates and fans.

 

[bballnut90]

She's also 7th in player rankings which is wild since she is a clear top 3 MVP candidate. Players are more wild than the fans with their votes.

A better question to me about the All-Star selection is why they haven't reflected the front court and backcourt balance to reflect modern day basketball. They give front court players 3 positions in a line up and only 2 to guards, when most teams are playing and starting three guard line-ups these days. I think they should flip the proportions of guards and front court players.

All Star games are notorious for lacking defense and I don't think players critically analyze the lineups to give amazing games as much as it's a fun event for players/fans. At the event a lot of posts also like having an opportunity to play on the perimeter more. We've seen players like Griner/Fowles take 3 point shots in ASGs they'd never take in a regular game.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

All Star games are notorious for lacking defense and I don't think players critically analyze the lineups to give amazing games as much as it's a fun event for players/fans. At the event a lot of posts also like having an opportunity to play on the perimeter more. We've seen players like Griner/Fowles take 3 point shots in ASGs they'd never take in a regular game.

The point is more guards should be making it than front court players since the WNBA is a league dominated by guards. Having 6 starter be post players is dumb.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

The point is more guards should be making it than front court players since the WNBA is a league dominated by guards. Having 6 starter be post players is dumb.

This is absolutely not true. The league's best players has been the forwards/centers for a while now. The perennial MVP favorites are forwards and the best player on the tops teams have generally been the forwards. The last MVP that wasn't a forward was almost 15 years ago.

 

[GoChips20]

The point is more guards should be making it than front court players since the WNBA is a league dominated by guards. Having 6 starter be post players is dumb.

The selections did skew a bit post-heavy with BG/Boston/Wilson/Ogwumike, but I think the reasoning behind having 6 frontcourt players as starters is classifying 3- and 4-players (many of whom spend >50% of games outside the paint) as forwards rather than guards. Personally, I think a lot of 3s in the league are more akin to guards, but evidentally the league sees differently.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

This is absolutely not true. The league's best players has been the forwards/centers for a while now. The perennial MVP favorites are forwards and the best player on the tops teams have generally been the forwards. The last MVP that wasn't a forward was almost 15 years ago.

That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying most teams play three guard line-ups. Liberty, Aces, Mystics, Seattle, Lynx, Mercury, wings, Sky etc. There are simply more guards playing than front court players even if the best players in the league are in the front court. It doesn’t reflect modern day basketball to have more front court player than guards.

 

[JellyBean]

Pretty cool. Welcome to Minnesota!!

 

[psconn]

Clearly in a 22 month period of existential failure Pittman deserves a significant slice of the responsibility.

It didn't take a rocket scientist or MA Vopel to know that the move from Bordello to a high school coach was not an upgrade. The downside risk was close to 100% and events confirmed Pittman and company's disastrous decision making and judgment on this important move.

Beginning with the release of Sandy Bordello, a questionable move in my mind and certainly one that contributed to the road to perdition, the organization's failure to react, extremely questionable moves, and long time history of building through trade route has caused this Titan like drop and implosion.

Bordello? Really?

 

[bbsamjj]

This is absolutely not true. The league's best players has been the forwards/centers for a while now. The perennial MVP favorites are forwards and the best player on the tops teams have generally been the forwards. The last MVP that wasn't a forward was almost 15 years ago.

Indeed. And what's nice is that players who have been out/not 100% healthy lately (Nneka, EDD, Griner, Sabally, Collier) all are back and in top form.

Also, it should be noted there are quite a few posts having very nice years that couldnt even crack the top 10:

• Shakira Austin (11.4ppg, 7.8rpg)
• Brionna Jones (voting done pre-injury) 15.9ppg, 8.2rpg
• NaLyssa Smith (14.8ppg, 9.9rpg)
• Natasha Howard (16.6ppg, 7.6rpg)
• Cheyenne Partker (15.5ppg, 7.3rpg)
• Ezi Magbegor (14.7ppg, 8.2rpg)

The post is super stacked in the league.

 

[nwhoopfan]

That's all nice, but the last several Champions have been so as much or more so because of their guards than their front court players. Chicago doesn't get close to a Title without the spectacular play of Sloot and Copper that year in the post season, and again with Vegas w/ Gray being superhuman and Plum and Young chipping in. Wilson was great too, but Gray just was not gonna be denied last year.

 

[bbsamjj]

It's true the last four WNBA Championships have been won by arguably the 4 best PGs in the league (Gray, Vandersloot, Bird, Cloud)--three of whom I'd argue are on the top 5 WNBA PGs of all time list. And before them Whalen (another top 5 contestant) won a bunch.

That being said, they each had at least one former/current MVP to pass it to in Wilson, Parker, Stewart, and EDD.

So I guess what we've learned is you need A LOT of talent to win a championship in the WNBA.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Big Syl is the career leader w/ 66 double doubles. Wilson just got #63. She is going to shatter that record.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Score not indicative of the game. Aces win by 8 but Fever gave them everything they could handle. Game was nip and tuck til an 11-0 run very late. Mostly Gray. Very physical game. Refs lost control fairly early and never reigned it back in.

 

[nwhoopfan]

That figures. Plum has been on fire the previous 3 games, I didn't get to see any of them. Now, while I was watching, she missed as many shots tonight as the 3 prior games combined. I guess that was my fault.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Mitchell and Young were both red hot in the first quarter, and both just about disappeared the rest of they way. Boston and Wilson about battled to stand still.

 

[JellyBean]

Score not indicative of the game. Aces win by 8 but Fever gave them everything they could handle. Game was nip and tuck til an 11-0 run very late. Mostly Gray. Very physical game. Refs lost control fairly early and never reigned it back in.

Very physical game indeed. I noticed that Indiana has taken on the tone of their Coach. Coach Sides is intense! She is awesome. Indiana, in this game kept it close. Some bad shot selection here and there. Throw in some bad calls here and there. Indiana darn near pulled off a huge upset.

Aliyah Boston had a decent game. She did not shy away from the physical play of Stokes or Wilson. She dished out and took on the contact. Indiana is going to be a problem.

 

[FanFromMaine]

"Transactions" has moved from the "News" tab to the "Players" tab on wnba.com

Thanks

 

[Dillon77]

Very physical game indeed. I noticed that Indiana has taken on the tone of their Coach. Coach Sides is intense! She is awesome. Indiana, in this game kept it close. Some bad shot selection here and there. Throw in some bad calls here and there. Indiana darn near pulled off a huge upset.

Aliyah Boston had a decent game. She did not shy away from the physical play of Stokes or Wilson. She dished out and took on the contact. Indiana is going to be a problem.

The end of the third quarter got chippy:

• Plum got a blocking call on Hull when replays indicated KP used a very firm, extended push-off. on Hull Tech on Coach Sides, who was riled.
• Then Allisha Gray didn't get a call on either Hull or Wallace and let the refs know about it and picked up a T for her effort, which Coach Hammond shouting support.

Bot FT's, btw, were scored. 4th quarter started and on they went. Gray used this an an impetus and consistently scored over Wheeler and/or Mitchell, both of whom were pretty much helpless against her.

Still not sold on investing two years in Wheeler....but that frontcourt (Boston & Smith) of the Fever. Watch out.