WNBA -- 2023 Season

[Bigboote]

Huh!? Some if ya'll said she wouldn't be ready for the W and would win rookie of the year based off of she is

Anyone who thought Boston wouldn't be great in the W is most likely jaded by a dislike for South Carolina. I've thought for some time that she's a can't-miss in the pros. She's got good size, good moves, good hands, good shot, and a good motor.

 

[cancontent]

Good trend to see

 

[Tangential]

P

3 thoughts that have registered in the WNBA Mac file of my brain.

- I feel like Dallas goes from one version of .500 +/- ball (more or less) to another. Isn't the mission of a general manager to make sure her/his team gets better? Yes, Greg Bibb made some radical moves at the end of last year, but I'm not so sure they were the right ones.

If you remember, Arike O. was out for an extended period with an injury and Dallas went to a line-up with Veronica Burton at point guard, Allisha Gray and Marina Mabrey at the 2/3 and an under-sized Kayla Thornton at the #4. And Big T finally starts interacting with her teammates. Guess what? They probably played their best ball of the year and make the playoffs.

So, what does Bibb do? He gets rid of Gray, Thornton and Mabrey, who have all gone to teams that have an idea of what they want to be and how to get there.

Now, I know Dallas has injuries and/or players missing. And, yes, they always seem to get draft picks out of the deals. But Bibb will overdraft at one position or another as he's done in the past (center for awhile, wing this year.)
And, even when everyone is back, will it work? Arike and Satou love to have the ball in their hands and so does Diamond DeShields. I think Sabally and Howard tend to get in each other's way shuffling from the pain to the arc and while Big T and Brown can score from inside, neither is all that mobile as a defensive stopper.

If I'm Dallas mgmt, if this cha-cha continues, might consider a new view from the GM chair.

- I like Kayla Thornton and I like Betnijah Laney, but aren't they kind of duplicative for the Liberty? Perhaps that isn't a bad thing when Stewie, Sloot, Ionescu and Johannes are clicking. But I sometimes think a variation on that theme -- namely, the Spider herself, Rebeca Allen -- might have been a better person to pair with either Laney or Thornton in that slot. As for Spider, she looks like a bit out of sync with the Sun: Thornton would be a natural there.

- As said elsewhere, the Storm might eventually win by losing. Jordon Horston is an athlete at small forward who can attack the boards while slashing when going downhill. Jade Melbourne was drafted and looks like she'll get better, but Ivana Dojkic looks like one of those vets James Wade sneaks into the W.

Yes, the Wings went 6-3 late last season when Ogunbowale was out with the abdominal injury. Not only did they lose Mabrey, A Gray, & KT, but Izzy and Tyasha were also key contributors during that stretch and they are now in Chi & CT. Teams can often do well for short periods of time when they lose their key cog because others step up, opponents relax/are unfamiliar how to defend the newfangled offense, etc.

As far as this year is concerned, I think that it is unfair to judge them until most of their pieces return (as you somewhat alluded). McCowan, DeShields, Dangerfield, and even Sénéchal could all play a large role in their success. I think that Sabally (mired in a shooting slump) is versatile enough to not demand the ball as well as let Howard carve out her role (which has been a work in progress). Of course, Satou will shoot and create when the ball finds her, sometimes after her own defensive rebound.

I completely agree with you regarding Kalani's defense and if you read my game write-up, I mentioned her offense being a bright spot. Nneka was far too savvy for her in the 1st half as Kalani went for blocks instead of moving her feet and she was unable to slow down Hamby's array of moves in the 3rd quarter.

Which brings us to Arike. I think that she is currently the most entertaining player in WNBA (don't know why she passed on Proprietary Toasting Technology) because she can create and make shots out of thin air. Even her gambling defense is captivating. However, as many have mentioned in this thread, she demands the ball too much, shoots too many low % shots (sometimes looks like she's in a "I can top your shot" contest with an opponent), and is even careless/not fundamental with her passing. Today she tried to make a spectacular pass that resulted in a turnover and then when she drew the double-team and stepped through, her skip pass didn't have enough oomph on it to enable Burton to swing it in time to give Ogunbowale the chance for the hockey assist.

So my question is: can Arike modify her game to utilize her enormous talents, while optimizing the Wing's success? If so (and if they get everyone back), I think they could be a high quality team.

 

[cancontent]

P

Yes, the Wings went 6-3 late last season when Ogunbowale was out with the abdominal injury. Not only did they lose Mabrey, A Gray, & KT, but Izzy and Tyasha were also key contributors during that stretch and they are now in Chi & CT. Teams can often do well for short periods of time when they lose their key cog because others step up, opponents relax/are unfamiliar how to defend the newfangled offense, etc.

As far as this year is concerned, I think that it is unfair to judge them until most of their pieces return (as you somewhat alluded). McCowan, DeShields, Dangerfield, and even Sénéchal could all play a large role in their success. I think that Sabally (mired in a shooting slump) is versatile enough to not demand the ball as well as let Howard carve out her role (which has been a work in progress). Of course, Satou will shoot and create when the ball finds her, sometimes after her own defensive rebound.

I completely agree with you regarding Kalani's defense and if you read my game write-up, I mentioned her offense being a bright spot. Nneka was far too savvy for her in the 1st half as Kalani went for blocks instead of moving her feet and she was unable to slow down Hamby's array of moves in the 3rd quarter.

Which brings us to Arike. I think that she is currently the most entertaining player in WNBA (don't know why she passed on Proprietary Toasting Technology) because she can create and make shots out of thin air. Even her gambling defense is captivating. However, as many have mentioned in this thread, she demands the ball too much, shoots too many low % shots (sometimes looks like she's in a "I can top your shot" contest with an opponent), and is even careless/not fundamental with her passing. Today she tried to make a spectacular pass that resulted in a turnover and then when she drew the double-team and stepped through, her skip pass didn't have enough oomph on it to enable Burton to swing it in time to give Ogunbowale the chance for the hockey assist.

So my question is: can Arike modify her game to utilize her enormous talents, while optimizing the Wing's success? If so (and if they get everyone back), I think they could be a high quality team.

This is the same question I wonder about as well. I recall a commentator mentioning that Coach Trammel said that she wanted Arike to distribute more this season as one of her goals. Time will tell whether she accomplishes this to her liking.

And I don't know why she turned down Cuban's proposal either. Cuban sandwiches are a hard thing to turn down man!

 

[SJF]

3 thoughts that have registered in the WNBA Mac file of my brain.

- I feel like Dallas goes from one version of .500 +/- ball (more or less) to another. Isn't the mission of a general manager to make sure her/his team gets better? Yes, Greg Bibb made some radical moves at the end of last year, but I'm not so sure they were the right ones.

If you remember, Arike O. was out for an extended period with an injury and Dallas went to a line-up with Veronica Burton at point guard, Allisha Gray and Marina Mabrey at the 2/3 and an under-sized Kayla Thornton at the #4. And Big T finally starts interacting with her teammates. Guess what? They probably played their best ball of the year and make the playoffs.

So, what does Bibb do? He gets rid of Gray, Thornton and Mabrey, who have all gone to teams that have an idea of what they want to be and how to get there.

Now, I know Dallas has injuries and/or players missing. And, yes, they always seem to get draft picks out of the deals. But Bibb will overdraft at one position or another as he's done in the past (center for awhile, wing this year.)
And, even when everyone is back, will it work? Arike and Satou love to have the ball in their hands and so does Diamond DeShields. I think Sabally and Howard tend to get in each other's way shuffling from the pain to the arc and while Big T and Brown can score from inside, neither is all that mobile as a defensive stopper.

If I'm Dallas mgmt, if this cha-cha continues, might consider a new view from the GM chair.

- I like Kayla Thornton and I like Betnijah Laney, but aren't they kind of duplicative for the Liberty? Perhaps that isn't a bad thing when Stewie, Sloot, Ionescu and Johannes are clicking. But I sometimes think a variation on that theme -- namely, the Spider herself, Rebeca Allen -- might have been a better person to pair with either Laney or Thornton in that slot. As for Spider, she looks like a bit out of sync with the Sun: Thornton would be a natural there.

- As said elsewhere, the Storm might eventually win by losing. Jordon Horston is an athlete at small forward who can attack the boards while slashing when going downhill. Jade Melbourne was drafted and looks like she'll get better, but Ivana Dojkic looks like one of those vets James Wade sneaks into the W.

ARRRickey is running the team and front office.

 

[Dillon77]

As promised, another edition of Richard Cohen's Weekly Update on the W, from herhoopsstats.
This one is timely in that he addresses:

• The state of the weather in Phoenix;
• Current and future personnel in Dallas (just why are hardship players getting more PT than regulars?)
• A tip of the hat to Karlie S.

Enjoy!

WNBA Dissected 2023 Week 4: Teams start to separate, Phoenix fault lines and more

Another journey around the world of the WNBA

herhoopstats.substack.com

 

[Dillon77]

Interesting

And not in a good way if you're a fan of the Sky.
The roster make-up was a bit close to the bone to begin with and now we're having transplants (hardships) and the like.
Whew.

 

[bbsamjj]

ARRRickey is running the team and front office.

Arike is also averaging an absurd 37.3mpg, which would run down even the fittest player. With Dangerfield and Deshields injured I guess the coach feels like she doesn't have much other scoring options in the backcourt, though Sims has been a very nice addition thus far.

 

[Tangential]

As promised, another edition of Richard Cohen's Weekly Update on the W, from herhoopsstats.
This one is timely in that he addresses:

• The state of the weather in Phoenix;
• Current and future personnel in Dallas (just why are hardship players getting more PT than regulars?)
• A tip of the hat to Karlie S.

Enjoy!

WNBA Dissected 2023 Week 4: Teams start to separate, Phoenix fault lines and more

Another journey around the world of the WNBA

herhoopstats.substack.com

A dozen posters beat Cohen to the punch regarding Karlie (obviously, he is constrained with a weekly article covering 4 or 5 topics).

We are generally in accord with his 4 tiers, but what stood out to me was the Mystics. They have an intact core, have been relatively unaffected by injuries, had a great opening night victory over the Liberty, but things have gone south. Their 5 guards (Cloud, Atkins, Sykes, Toliver, & Walker-Kimbrough) look like The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight, as they are a combined 31.2 FG%. Asking a couple people that are fans/live locally @Bigboote and @TerpWomenFan, can this team right the ship and rejoin the CT/NY tier or will they be relegated to the middle-of-the-pack? I know that they're 5-4, but they've beaten Seattle twice by single digits with 2 other nailbiters, lost to MN and IN (by 21) -- not performing up to many's expectations so far.

 

[Waquoit]

Anyone who thought Boston wouldn't be great in the W is most likely jaded by a dislike for South Carolina. I've thought for some time that she's a can't-miss in the pros. She's got good size, good moves, good hands, good shot, and a good motor.

She's a top pro now and getting better. I was there when she made a late, clutch 3 against the Sun. You can build a team around her.

 

[nwhoopfan]

they've beaten Seattle twice by single digits

And one of those they barely hung on after blowing a 25 point halftime lead.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Good News

 

[ochoopsfan]

 

[toad455]

The early season frontrunners for WNBA MVP​

The early season frontrunners for WNBA MVP

The league is nearly a month into its 2023 season. Who's stepped up early on as a potential top WNBA MVP candidate?

www.beyondwomenssports.com

 

[JellyBean]

I've now watched Dojkic in three games and think Seattle most certainly has something. She's a smooth athlete and very assured in her manner. Melbourne, who is only 20 (?), turned the corner and drove in with her left hand on a very smooth lay-up. I like pairing either/having both of them with Whitcomb for now, who sets a good tone.
(Mentors can be a good thing for player development!)

Yeah. Dojkic is going to be a nice addition for Seattle. That was a huge win for Seattle against Phoenix. Hopefully they can build on the win.

 

[nwhoopfan]

ATL suddenly flexing some muscles.

This WNBA season is looking a lot more interesting than the preseason narrative of 2 super teams and nobody else matters.

 

[Geew1992]

Mabrey ballin tonight

 

[Dillon77]

Mabrey ballin tonight

Up to 36 with 2+ minutes left. Problem is with no Copper and Courtney Williams shooting 0-8, Indiana is just faceguarding her now and daring anyone else to beat them. Dana Evans is getting her shot in the fouth, but it's basically her and Mabrey.

 

[Dillon77]

Wow. Tied at 90 after Evans goes 1-2 from FT line with 7 seconds left. Kelsey Mitchell hits a step back 2 with 1.1 seconds left.
Indiana blankets Mabrey and Evans and Alanna Smith misses a long three. Indiana 92-90.

It's interesting. Chicago scored enough to win this game, even without Copper, but I thought their defense left them down. Mitchell and Wheeler were constantly breaking down the Sky and either shooting or dishing for easy layups. Got to work on those switches, Coach Wade. Can't waste performances like Mabrey (36 pts.) and Evans (21, off the bench).

 

[JellyBean]

Atlanta did not play like a 3-5 team against a 8-2 Connecticut Sun squad.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Sparks are thin for tomorrows game vs Lynx. Two players listed as "Questionable" better play otherwise Sparks will only have 7 players available.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Looks like Seattle hung around for a while, then LV cruised to the win. But only 8 FTA for the Aces, at home? Seriously? Was Seattle just not even playing defense at all? I find that REALLY hard to believe. Only 2 players attempted a FT. That is just bizarre.

Aces are actually scoring a few buckets in garbage time, unlike that disaster against Chicago I think it was (outscored 16-2 in 5+ minutes).

 

[nwhoopfan]

Actually it's Seattle getting a nothing burger from their bench.

They've taken Russell out of the starting lineup recently, going with a smaller group of starters. It does not appear that is improving her performance.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I see. It appears Hammon declined the opportunity to put all 5 subs in together this time. They are really stretching the lead at the end with a few starters mixed in.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Young went off w/ 28 points on 12-18 shooting. Wilson with another double-double. Ezi had one as well in a losing effort.

 

[Rb335]

ATL suddenly flexing some muscles.

This WNBA season is looking a lot more interesting than the preseason narrative of 2 super teams and nobody else matters.

Agreed. Vegas looks clear of the field, they are a super team that has multiple MVP caliber players in their prime.

NY has a ton of talent, but Stewart is the one one playing at MVP level. They haven’t separated themselves from the field at all, yet.

It’s weird seeing Minnesota, Seattle, and Phoenix in the cellar of the standings. Those franchises have had lots of success in the past decade. Signaling the next generation in the W.

 

[Bigboote]

I came across this today:

WNBA allowing teams to use public charter service, sources say

The WNBA, facing increased scrutiny around its travel situation, has allowed teams this season to fly on a public chartering service with certain protocols in place, league sources said.

www.espn.com

Evidently WNBA teams are allowed to fly only on one charter service, and that service only serves the metro areas of five of the teams. LA, Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, and New York (Westchester) are served. You could in principle get to Connecticut in a two-hour bus ride from Westchester. But there's nothing remotely close to Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, Atlanta, or Indianapolis.

So it's okay for five teams to take charters to four other cities. Gee, that's a relief.

 

[Fowlball]

 

[bbsamjj]

Wow. Tied at 90 after Evans goes 1-2 from FT line with 7 seconds left. Kelsey Mitchell hits a step back 2 with 1.1 seconds left.
Indiana blankets Mabrey and Evans and Alanna Smith misses a long three. Indiana 92-90.

It's interesting. Chicago scored enough to win this game, even without Copper, but I thought their defense left them down. Mitchell and Wheeler were constantly breaking down the Sky and either shooting or dishing for easy layups. Got to work on those switches, Coach Wade. Can't waste performances like Mabrey (36 pts.) and Evans (21, off the bench).

The Fever and Sky sure put on a show when they get together.

 

[GoChips20]

Is it time to start talking about Aliyah Boston as one of the top posts in the league? Short of BG and Wilson I’m not sure I can think of anyone definitively better. She’s certainly playing to the level of the Cheyenne Parkers and Ezi Magbegors of the W.