WNBA -- 2023 Season

[Tangential]

Agreed. She was still great the last 2 years (1st Team All-WNBA a year ago) but hasn't found her footing yet in Vegas. I'm not sure if it's player decline, lack of chemistry with new teammates, or her taking a backseat to not disrupt chemistry from an already winning team. It's still early in the year. If it's player decline, it's a steep drop from where she was a year ago, but she is 37 and I believe the 2nd oldest player in the league after DT. My guess is it's a combination of all 3 factors though. Even with little productivity, Vegas is 7-1 and #1 in the league, so I don't see her lack of production as a negative for the team. Parker is one who doesn't mind taking a backseat to others, so at the end of the day if they're winning and she's filling her role for them, I see it as a win-win.

I would agree that she is willing to take a backseat in order to not disrupt chemistry based on her high basketball IQ (& smart enough to know that you don't rock the boat of the defending champs).

However, I think that their 7 wins are a testament to their other players and coaches (their 1 loss is a testament to their achilles heel from last year -- the 3 guards being careless with the ball -- and good 'ole DB showing that she can still go off in any given game). If production doesn't improve (I strongly tend to think that it will), she might lose a lot of minutes to Clark/Stokes come play-off time vs. teams like NY, CT, & Wash.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Hard to put titles to colums. They are GP and FGA

1​	ARIKE OGUNBOWALE​	DAL​	7​	​	​	148​
2​	DEWANNA BONNER​	CON​	9​	​	​	131​
2​	KAHLEAH COPPER​	CHI​	8​	​	​	131​
4​	SATOU SABALLY​	DAL​	7​	​	​	111​
5​	JEWELL LOYD​	SEA​	5​	​	​	110​
6​	KELSEY PLUM​	LVA​	8​	​	​	109​
7​	A'JA WILSON​	LVA​	8​	​	​	105​
7​	NATASHA HOWARD​	DAL​	7​	​	​	105​
9​	ALYSSA THOMAS​	CON​	9​	​	​	99​
9​	NAPHEESA COLLIER​	MIN​	7​	​	​	99​
11​	JACKIE YOUNG​	LVA​	8​	​	​	98​
12​	MARINA MABREY​	CHI​	7​	​	​	95​
13​	BREANNA STEWART​	NYL​	6​	​	​	91​
13​	NATISHA HIEDEMAN​	CON​	9​	​	​	91​
15​	BRIONNA JONES​	CON​	9​	​	​	90​

 

[nwhoopfan]

Parker is only playing 22 min/game, Clark 21, Stokes 19.5. She's already basically platooning w/ other players. If she loses any more minutes she'll be almost a token starter at that point. I'm not sure exactly what she brings currently that the Aces need. She isn't scoring much. If you want a player who doesn't need the ball and doesn't need to score, but will defend and grab rebounds, Stokes is better in that regard. Parker just isn't going to be a hustle/high energy player. They don't need her for playmaking w/ Gray being one of the best in the league, and Plum, Young and Wilson all being willing passers. With the way she's shooting she isn't stretching the defense. Just don't see what she's bringing, other than reputation.

She may have been the missing piece to help Chicago win a Championship, but the Aces already showed they could do it without her. If anything it looks more like she's trying to ride the coattails of others to one more Title before she calls it a career.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Hard to put titles to colums. They are GP and FGA

1​	ARIKE OGUNBOWALE​	DAL​	7​	​	​	148​
2​	DEWANNA BONNER​	CON​	9​	​	​	131​
2​	KAHLEAH COPPER​	CHI​	8​	​	​	131​
4​	SATOU SABALLY​	DAL​	7​	​	​	111​
5​	JEWELL LOYD​	SEA​	5​	​	​	110​
6​	KELSEY PLUM​	LVA​	8​	​	​	109​
7​	A'JA WILSON​	LVA​	8​	​	​	105​
7​	NATASHA HOWARD​	DAL​	7​	​	​	105​
9​	ALYSSA THOMAS​	CON​	9​	​	​	99​
9​	NAPHEESA COLLIER​	MIN​	7​	​	​	99​
11​	JACKIE YOUNG​	LVA​	8​	​	​	98​
12​	MARINA MABREY​	CHI​	7​	​	​	95​
13​	BREANNA STEWART​	NYL​	6​	​	​	91​
13​	NATISHA HIEDEMAN​	CON​	9​	​	​	91​
15​	BRIONNA JONES​	CON​	9​	​	​	90​

So...Notre Dame alums like to shoot the ball?

 

[Dillon77]

So...Notre Dame alums like to shoot the ball?

I did when I was younger and still something of a slasher! But I don't think you're talking about this Sunday Morning Hoopster! (at best I'm like the Jess Shepard of the old man set!)

And I've noted the emoji (but will point out your favorite U of Wash alum is leading the Aces in shots taken and is all of one shot behind Ms. Loyd..)

However, I will say that -- at this point -- the ND folks on this chart are either: being what they are, shooting because they feel they have to and/or are encouraged to.

Being What They Are/Have To
- Arike has been a high-volume shooter since she was tossing binkies from her crib. She was the leading shooter/scorer on an ND national championship team in which all the other starters are now playing pro ball.
This can probably get under the skin of other players (I'm certain Allisha Grey wanted out to see the ball a bit more.) But, what else is new?
- Jewell was a prolific scorer in high school and was ready to go off at ND when the situation dictated. She didn't need to score/shoot that much when Sue, Stewie and the great Storm were around. But, now, as I've pointed out, she needs to score for this iteration of the Storm. Who else is going to step up?

To some degree, you can make the same points about Arike and Satou Sabally. Diamond DeShields? Out. Big T? Out. Howard? Her touches are probably taken more by Sabally than Arike. But Dallas got rid of Arike's mates in Grey and Mabrey and now there's no one in the Dallas backcourt that keeps her from being, well, Arike.

That's the Deal

- As pointed out by @Tangential , four Aces -- Plum, Wilson, Young and Gray -- can all create and score. They were drafted/traded in part to do just that. Young is probably being moderate in her approach. If she was on a team that needed scoring, she could probably drop 25-27 per night and most people wouldn't notice the increase in shots: she's just that efficient.

- And Marina Mabrey is doing exactly what James Wade traded for: being part of very aggressive combo guard pair (with Courtney Williams) to sync up with Ms. Copper, who is still Chicago's #1 option.
When Mabrey offered to take over lead guard duties at ND in late 2017, it was one of those moves that helped the team in the short term and helped her round out her skill set. I'd also argue it set her back a bit because she is still, at heart, a scorer at all three levels. She's worked hard in the WNBA and overseas at her individual craft while helping teams to championship/Final Four rounds (Perth, Familia Schio).

Imagine if Skylar was playing this year? I could extend this post by a paragraph and you could use "roll eyes" emoji!

Question: is Jewell locked into Seattle beyond this year? Or is she free to look around?

 

[Kaizen]

Hard to put titles to colums. They are GP and FGA

1​	ARIKE OGUNBOWALE​	DAL​	7​	​	​	148​
2​	DEWANNA BONNER​	CON​	9​	​	​	131​
2​	KAHLEAH COPPER​	CHI​	8​	​	​	131​
4​	SATOU SABALLY​	DAL​	7​	​	​	111​
5​	JEWELL LOYD​	SEA​	5​	​	​	110​
6​	KELSEY PLUM​	LVA​	8​	​	​	109​
7​	A'JA WILSON​	LVA​	8​	​	​	105​
7​	NATASHA HOWARD​	DAL​	7​	​	​	105​
9​	ALYSSA THOMAS​	CON​	9​	​	​	99​
9​	NAPHEESA COLLIER​	MIN​	7​	​	​	99​
11​	JACKIE YOUNG​	LVA​	8​	​	​	98​
12​	MARINA MABREY​	CHI​	7​	​	​	95​
13​	BREANNA STEWART​	NYL​	6​	​	​	91​
13​	NATISHA HIEDEMAN​	CON​	9​	​	​	91​
15​	BRIONNA JONES​	CON​	9​	​	​	90​

What is GP and FGA?

 

[Reypl21]

What is GP and FGA?

GP= Games Played and FGA= Field Goals attempted.

I'm an ND fan, and obviously support the W players. But Arike shoots too damn much. Her highlights are spectacular but when you watch the game in real time it's mind boggling the shots she takes.

 

[nwhoopfan]

And I've noted the emoji (but will point out your favorite U of Wash alum is leading the Aces in shots taken and is all of one shot behind Ms. Loyd..)

In 3 more games one should note. Shots per game is not remotely close comparing the two.

 

[Dillon77]

In 3 more games one should note. Shots per game is not remotely close comparing the two.

In 3 more games one should note. Shots per game is not remotely close comparing the two.

Duly noted...but only to a degree: See my entire post -- Jewell has to shoot for that team to even be in games.
Plum right now is taking a few more shots that A'ja and Jackie because she has the luxury of taking her best shot.

End game: I'm exceedingly proud of how the ND guards have done in the W...and elsewhere. And Plum has done Washington proud, too!

 

[Jmsdawg]

McCowan has a commitment for the Turkish national team per the commentators from yesterday's game versus Connecticut. I thought she was injured, so who knows?

McCowan was playing early in the season, does her Turkish commitment override her Dallas commitment? Will Dallas allow her to rejoin the team when her Turkish commitment is complete? Dallas may need to look elsewhere unless she is 100% committed to Dallas.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Duly noted...but only to a degree: See my entire post -- Jewell has to shoot for that team to even be in games.
Plum right now is taking a few more shots that A'ja and Jackie because she has the luxury of taking her best shot.

End game: I'm exceedingly proud of how the ND guards have done in the W...and elsewhere. And Plum has done Washington proud, too!

Yes, obviously they are in very different situations and are required to do very different things for their team.


It was all in good fun. Many former ND players are doing very well in the WNBA. I just thought it was notable they had 4 players on the list, and Diggins-Smith probably would be on there too if she was playing this season.

You know who isn't on the list? Kelsey Mitchell. Maybe she doesn't quite shoot as much as people think she does?

 

[nwhoopfan]

Sabrina needs to get her head on straight, she has had 2 horrible games in a row.

How about tonight? 29 thru 3 quarters shooting around 50% from the floor.

 

[Blue Huskie]

How about tonight? 29 thru 3 quarters shooting around 50% from the floor.

Exactly what she needed. When she scores they are a completely different team.

 

[Jmsdawg]

Just read MCCowan is a Turkish citizen so has to play in the Euro tournament, I thought she was a texan.

 

[awhom111]

Just read MCCowan is a Turkish citizen so has to play in the Euro tournament, I thought she was a texan.

Being Turkish gets her more pay in the short-term and might allow her to play a few more seasons overseas than otherwise.

 

[JellyBean]

Going to the Liberty vs Dream game tonite.

That is awesome. Hopefully you had a great time.

 

[Tangential]

How about tonight? 29 thru 3 quarters shooting around 50% from the floor.

As we've said, Sabrina is extremely inconsistent.

The night of the BY Maligned (all in victories):

Ionescu 10-18 (8-13 from 3) for 37
Ogunbowale 12-21 (5-12) for 35
K Mitchell 9-16 (3-6) for 22

In other news: In addition to T Soule, the Sky signed Khaalia Hillsman and the Storm replaced Kaila Charles with the much traveled Joyner Holmes.

 

[JellyBean]

Dang! Sabrina Ionescu was like "Y'all keep talking about Breanna. Don't forget about me" What a game!

 

[Dezoworld]

Does anyone knows where Bria Hartley and Skylar Diggins is playing

 

[JellyBean]

No words for my beloved Minnesota Lynx other than we have hit rock bottom. Losing to Indiana on the night we celebrated 25 of the greatest Lynx players in franchise history, stung. Heck, I think we are at the bottom of the standings. Jeez.

 

[bballnut90]

Parker is only playing 22 min/game, Clark 21, Stokes 19.5. She's already basically platooning w/ other players. If she loses any more minutes she'll be almost a token starter at that point. I'm not sure exactly what she brings currently that the Aces need. She isn't scoring much. If you want a player who doesn't need the ball and doesn't need to score, but will defend and grab rebounds, Stokes is better in that regard. Parker just isn't going to be a hustle/high energy player. They don't need her for playmaking w/ Gray being one of the best in the league, and Plum, Young and Wilson all being willing passers. With the way she's shooting she isn't stretching the defense. Just don't see what she's bringing, other than reputation.

She may have been the missing piece to help Chicago win a Championship, but the Aces already showed they could do it without her. If anything it looks more like she's trying to ride the coattails of others to one more Title before she calls it a career.

She spaces better than Stokes offensively, you still have to close out on her with her ability to shoot, pass or drive and it opens the paint for Wilson. Stokes brings different skills to the table and has found her niche as a defense/rebounding oriented big, and she fits in great.

Back to Parker though, she also provides experience, leadership and brings high IQ on the court. Vegas is still a younger franchise and having that veteran leadership out there is huge. Plus she’s one of the best to ever play—if she gets into a rhythm she could be a huge asset. She clearly is trying to win another title and went to a place she knew it could get done. I don’t that’s a secret. I think she’d rather be a bigger factor than she has been thus far but is putting the team first and figuring out where she fits.

 

[Notyetready]

No words for my beloved Minnesota Lynx other than we have hit rock bottom. Losing to Indiana on the night we celebrated 25 of the greatest Lynx players in franchise history, stung. Heck, I think we are at the bottom of the standings. Jeez.

On the bright side, Dorka is playing exceptionally well for a rookie center. How is coach Reeves going to take her out of the line-up when Diamond Miller is ready to play again? Maybe play Miller at the shooting guard spot?

But the key to Minnesota's ills is point guard. And the WNBA, in general, does not even seem to notice how few good point guards it has. Caitlin Clark, Paige Beckers, Nika Muhl and Olivia Miles can't get there soon enough In my view.

 

[GoldenGophs]

No words for my beloved Minnesota Lynx other than we have hit rock bottom. Losing to Indiana on the night we celebrated 25 of the greatest Lynx players in franchise history, stung. Heck, I think we are at the bottom of the standings. Jeez.

Being at the bottom, there is no where to go but up. Next years draft is stacked (if players declare) so hopefully get the #1 pick and the right players declare for the draft.

 

[Dillon77]

Yes, obviously they are in very different situations and are required to do very different things for their team.


It was all in good fun. Many former ND players are doing very well in the WNBA. I just thought it was notable they had 4 players on the list, and Diggins-Smith probably would be on there too if she was playing this season.

You know who isn't on the list? Kelsey Mitchell. Maybe she doesn't quite shoot as much as people think she does?

Kelsey Mitchell must've read your comment before last night's game. She took 16 shots and hit 9 of them (3-6 from three), scoring 22 points and helping to procure a road win over the Lynx. Na'lyssa Smith had a double-double and Aliyah Boston grabbed double-digit rebounds, so that allocation seemed to work well enough last night.

 

[visitingcock]

Kelsey Mitchell must've read your comment before last night's game. She took 16 shots and hit 9 of them (3-6 from three), scoring 22 points and helping to procure a road win over the Lynx. Na'lyssa Smith had a double-double and Aliyah Boston grabbed double-digit rebounds, so that allocation seemed to work well enough last night.

Boston actually had a double-double too with ten points to go with eleven rebounds.

Noticed the attendance was 8500. Not bad for two teams at the bottom of the standings

 

[Dillon77]

Boston actually had a double-double too with ten points to go with eleven rebounds.

Noticed the attendance was 8500. Not bad for two teams at the bottom of the standings

Mea culpa...thought I saw an "8" there.
Thought Berger played a tight game in 15 minutes: 4 pts, 4 assists and looks in control when she has the ball.
Sides is bringing her along bit by bit.

I'm surprised Destanni Henderson has not gotten a chance/call elsewhere.

 

[Geew1992]

That is awesome. Hopefully you had a great time.

We did. Although not a big area, it was filled. And the crowd was really into the game. No matter where you sat, you saw the game. And I always love watching Stewie

 

[Geew1992]

Does anyone knows where Bria Hartley and Skylar Diggins is playing

Hartley is still recovering from an acl tear. Diggins is on the Mercury roster but on maternity leave

 

[JellyBean]

On the bright side, Dorka is playing exceptionally well for a rookie center. How is coach Reeves going to take her out of the line-up when Diamond Miller is ready to play again? Maybe play Miller at the shooting guard spot?

But the key to Minnesota's ills is point guard. And the WNBA, in general, does not even seem to notice how few good point guards it has. Caitlin Clark, Paige Beckers, Nika Muhl and Olivia Miles can't get there soon enough In my view.

It is going to be interesting to see what Coach Reeve does with Dorka once Miller comes back. I have been happy to see Dorka getting the amount of minutes she has been getting. Her confidence has increased with those quality minutes on the floor. Great question on what happens when Miller is healthy. Right now, all options are on the table.

As for the point guard play here in Minnesota or overall in the WNBA, I am on the fence with that. Sure, it helps to have a "point guard" a true point guard but those players are so rare now. Give me a player that can shoot the ball, dibble penetrate, and pass the ball to the right player, we gonna be okay. Of course, I gotta have players who can catch the ball but that is a topic for another day.

 

[Tangential]

Mea culpa...thought I saw an "8" there.
Thought Berger played a tight game in 15 minutes: 4 pts, 4 assists and looks in control when she has the ball.
Sides is bringing her along bit by bit.

I'm surprised Destanni Henderson has not gotten a chance/call elsewhere.

We did. Although not a big area, it was filled. And the crowd was really into the game. No matter where you sat, you saw the game. And I always love watching Stewie

I'm still an advocate of putting one and one together. The state between her home and where she played for the Gamecocks. Dream had 12 1st half turnovers with no true point guard. @Geew1992, who played point last night: Allisha Gray and Haley Jones off the bench?