WNBA -- 2023 Season

[UConnCat]

 

[BRS24]

Wonder if this is related:
Brondello: "[Marine Johannès is] in the [French] finals starting tomorrow. As soon as she's done, we expect her to arrive here. Marine's a unique piece to this puzzle, you've seen her flair. When she comes back, she'll be in rotation b/c she's been here before."

 

[Dillon77]

Taking the WNBA recap, as posted, in order to put reports in one place.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

- Monika Czinano was waived by the Los Angeles Sparks.

- Destanni Henderson was waived by the Indiana Fever.

- Brea Beal was waived by the Minnesota Lynx.

- Jayla Everett was waived by the Connecticut Sun.

- Nia Clouden was waived by the Connecticut Sun.

- Jasmine Walker was waived by the Seattle Storm.

- Morgan Green was waived by the New York Liberty

- Sike Kone was waived by the New York Liberty

- Stephanie Mawuli was waived by the New York Liberty

 

[BRS24]

And

 

[Tangential]

And

I thought that they were really high on Koné's future

 

[Geew1992]

 

[Geew1992]

Storm, Williams await WNBA ruling on eligibility

The Storm are awaiting clarification from the WNBA on whether the league's new prioritization rule will prevent forward Gabby Williams from playing this season.

www.espn.com

 

[Notyetready]

The Mercury roster now shows 12 players including Evina Westbrook. This looks like a good landing spot for her where, given the roster, she could be a regular in the rotation-- if she plays as well as she is capable of playing and irons out her inconsistency.

 

[Notyetready]

My meaning is some resellers have no idea how to price things. I looked for MLB spring training tickets this past season and tickets were priced very variably with some sellers thinking there was no limit to what someone would pay (price inelasticity). Far from a perfect or beautiful economic demonstration.

True of a lot of online resellers. Some of it is wishful thinking and some of it is simple market ignorance. Used books are another example.

 

[BRS24]

Roster size as of this morning (although LA was not updated with latest waives), It's gonna be a hard day for some players:

ATL, SEA, WAS - 13
CHI - 16
CT - 11 (12 with trade)
DAL, IND, MIN - 14
LV - 11
LA, NY, PHX - 12

 

[Dillon77]

Roster size as of this morning (although LA was not updated with latest waives), It's gonna be a hard day for some players:

ATL, SEA, WAS - 13
CHI - 16
CT - 11 (12 with trade)
DAL, IND, MIN - 14
LV - 11
LA, NY, PHX - 12

Whoa...that's going to be a massive chop in Chitown (4 to go) and Dallas, Indy and Minnesota with two more.

 

[Dillon77]

Pretty balanced review of The Washington Mystics from Her Hoops Stats. Addresses who makes roster at tail end of article.
Engstler vs. Hawkins?

2023 WNBA Season Preview: Washington Mystics

The Mystics got back on track last year and look to contend for a title this season. Even with a new coach and new faces, Washington seems primed to do just that.

herhoopstats.substack.com

 

[Tangential]

Pretty balanced review of The Washington Mystics from Her Hoops Stats. Addresses who makes roster at tail end of article.
Engstler vs. Hawkins?

2023 WNBA Season Preview: Washington Mystics

The Mystics got back on track last year and look to contend for a title this season. Even with a new coach and new faces, Washington seems primed to do just that.

herhoopstats.substack.com

Thanks. I would give the edge to Engstler since they already have such an experienced roster. I think EDD will be back in the elite conversation (exceeding ESPN's 7th best player projection) and Austin will blossom into a beast of a player (surpassing R Howard). I have them as the 3rd best team ahead of CT, and I think that the gap between 4 & 5 will be about as large as the gap between 2 & 3.

Who do people have as #5 preseason? I'm going with Dallas, but one cogent argument could talk me out of them. They lost a lot of glue players of different statuses from Mabrey, Gray, KT, Harrison, Harris, etc. Arike needs to improve her shot selection (but that is difficult because she is capable of making crazy improbable shots), Diamond needs to be more consistent, and Natasha needs to prove she still has it close to her dominant years in Seattle. The progression of Big Tea and a dynamic season from Satou should propel them to avoiding the top 3 seeds in the 1st round of the playoffs.

 

[JellyBean]

I thought that they were really high on Koné's future

They were. For awhile, the front office and coaching staff spoke highly of Kone and now this....

 

[jdote33]

 

[Tangential]

They were. For awhile, the front office and coaching staff spoke highly of Kone and now this....

I thought that they had enough experience (even on the bench with Dolson, KT, etc.) and with having Johannès as the 4th guard, they could take the time to develop a raw 20 year old as a 12th player for a championship contending team. I guess they thought in an all-in year, having Prince's experience was important. Maybe her play in camp was vastly inferior to her overseas videos???

 

[darrell]

#1 pick from 2021 waived.

 

[Dillon77]

The Mercury roster now shows 12 players including Evina Westbrook. This looks like a good landing spot for her where, given the roster, she could be a regular in the rotation-- if she plays as well as she is capable of playing and irons out her inconsistency.

Even if the Mercury just keep 11 -- and keep Diggins-Smith on maternity leave/exemption -- EW looks good right now, knock on wood.
Given that she started the pre-season on another team, making a roster in this league is good accomplishment. As for making the rotation,...Sophie Cunningham played well behind DT and Shay Peddy is back. Let's enjoy one step at a time!

 

[Tangential]

#1 pick from 2021 waived.

The WNBA site posted that they had exercised her option for about a half-hour yesterday morning and then removed it. Maybe Bibb saw my disapproval post (hint for VV Lin Dunn) -- joking

Anyway, how many players from the 36 person draft just 2 years ago have continously been with one team? Off the top of my head, I got Aari, DiJonai, and Awak.

Just looked it up and that's correct. Only 6 players total remain from 2 years ago -- Dana, Michaela, and Maya back with her original team after numerous cuts and very few games on a roster her 1st 2 seasons.

 

[Dillon77]

#1 pick from 2021 waived.

Well, looks like the Dallas brain trust of GM Greg Bibb, new head coach Latricia Hammell and assistant coach Courtney Paris came to the realization that neither of these former centers of attention were going to do the trick as Big T's back-up, Texas-connections or not.

So, if this roster is set, Ashley Joens has made it as the shooting wing/big guard and Maddy Siegrest is aboard as a forward.
There's no back-up center per se, but a lot of very tall forwards in Sabally and Kuier, and the best defender of all of them -- Natasha Howard -- is there, too.

Did Dallas give any indication of how long they thought Lou Lopez Senechal would be out? Or was it open-ended?

 

[darrell]

Well, looks like the Dallas brain trust of GM Greg Bibb, new head coach Latricia Hammell and assistant coach Courtney Paris came to the realization that neither of these former centers of attention were going to do the trick as Big T's back-up, Texas-connections or not.

So, if this roster is set, Ashley Joens has made it as the shooting wing/big guard and Maddy Siegrest is aboard as a forward.
There's no back-up center per se, but a lot of very tall forwards in Sabally and Kuier, and the best defender of all of them -- Natasha Howard -- is there, too.

Did Dallas give any indication of how long they thought Lou Lopez Senechal would be out? Or was it open-ended?

6-8 weeks.

 

[Tangential]

6-8 weeks.

 

[Geew1992]

 

[Tangential]

The trend of keeping veterans over younger players continues. I'm surprised with this one.

 

[JellyBean]

I thought that they had enough experience (even on the bench with Dolson, KT, etc.) and with having Johannès as the 4th guard, they could take the time to develop a raw 20 year old as a 12th player for a championship contending team. I guess they thought in an all-in year, having Prince's experience was important. Maybe her play in camp was vastly inferior to her overseas videos???

It is possible. I guess they decided to go in a different direction.