WNBA 2024 May 2024

[nwhoopfan]

Uh...it's been 1 or 2 games, why are we even talking about ROY? Can we at least wait til we get close to the All Star break to get a feel for how this is going? Makes about as much sense as already talking about the MVP.

 

[WBBTakeover]

We were watching different games. Katie Lou was a liability defensively and didn't do enough offensively to offset that. The only reasons why people aren't harping on her lack of defense are because there were players in that game who had even worse defensive performances and because the team wasn't facing a dominant wing player. Let's revisit this when the Fever play the Aces, Dream, Sun, and Lynx.

 

[GamecockFam]

Honestly, with the chemistry issues and the lack of time to fix things between games, I would take the hard decision to move Hull back into the starting lineup and having Mitchell be a starter in place of Clark when she gets healthy. In that way, they have the same lineup as last season and they can slowly integrate the new players. I know they'll lose some offense but I think it'll be the best way to win a couple of more games in this tough stretch of 7 games in 11 days with no practice time. People forget but the Fever has a nice streak of wins and close losses to end last season.

I think my idea is a little short sighted and may be replacing short-term gains in place of long-term gains but I think it may be necessary because of the lack of practice time between games. I could see Samuelson and Clark eventually moving back into the starting lineup but for now we need to find some semblance of chemistry ASAP.

Also, for the life of me I cannot understand why Berger is not getting more minutes off the bench...

 

[LwrcasefaN]

We were watching different games. Katie Lou was a liability defensively and didn't do enough offensively to offset that. The only reasons why people aren't harping on her lack of defense are because there were players in that game who had even worse defensive performances and because the team wasn't facing a dominant wing player. Let's revisit this when the Fever play the Aces, Dream, Sun, and Lynx.

The game I watched...and using your standards...they were all liabilities no? KLS shot the highest fg% and played some of the fewest minutes.

 

[cancontent]

Uh...it's been 1 or 2 games, why are we even talking about ROY? Can we at least wait til we get close to the All Star break to get a feel for how this is going? Makes about as much sense as already talking about the MVP.

I agree, however with all the hype about Clark coming into the league, there have been some (not saying here on BY) who assumed it was a forgone conclusion before the season started.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Nobody's using Katie Lou as a scapegoat for Caitlin's poor performance. Caitlin's struggles are what they are, and there are several people to blame for that (Caitlin included). However, that's not going to stop me from expressing the opinion that Katie Lou does not fit this Fever team and was a poor offseason acquisition by Lin Dunn for a team (and coach) that wants to have a defensive identity.

I will continue to critique Katie Lou after such performances because her track record suggests she's a huge defensive liability (and does not overcome that with efficient offense) and that she's been so for her entire WNBA career.

 

[cancontent]

 

[WBBTakeover]

The game I watched...and using your standards...they were all liabilities no? KLS shot the highest fg% and played some of the fewest minutes.

Were they?

I thought Fagbenle looked good defensively during her time on the court. Hull and Berger held their own. I mentioned plenty of times that Wheeler and Smith were the biggest defensive liabilities last night, but somehow it's a problem when players from certain universities are critiqued.

 

[Vowelguy]

I'm not going back to read the thread but to the doubters, my girl Stewie says HELLO.

I wish I could be as "washed up" as she is.

 

[WBBTakeover]

How haven't I? Because I called a poor defender a defensive liability and criticized an organization that wants to have a defensive identify for selecting players who obviously don't fit said identity?

Saying "huge defensive liability .... and that she's been so for entire WNBA career" over and over and over again does not make it true.

But her showing over and over again that she cannot guard her position and does nothing for the team's defensive identity does make it true. I'm not saying anything that hasn't been attributed to her for her entire career. She is a defensive liability and has been since she stepped foot into the WNBA.

I think that taking in your entire posting history, I see your credibility as inadequate.

You're upset because I am not going to sugarcoat things about a UConn alum (or anyone, for that matter) just for the sake of appeasement. If I was painting a rosy picture about Katie Lou, you wouldn't even engage.

I have been fair and balanced regarding the critiques of Caitlin. She has a long way to go. However, I'm not going to write off her entire future just because she's struggled during her first two games as a pro. She didn't face defensive pressure and speed/athleticism in the B1G like she's facing now. She's going to have to adjust. But I've made it clear that she has not been very good so far. I just refuse to write her off after two pro games.

Katie Lou, on the other hand, is five years older and has faced this level of pressure previously. She is who she is at this point in her career--and it's not enough for this Fever team.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Were they?

I thought Fagbenle looked good defensively during her time on the court. Hull and Berger held their own. I mentioned plenty of times that Wheeler and Smith were the biggest defensive liabilities last night, but somehow it's a problem when players from certain universities are critiqued.

The problem is you're critiquing one side of the ball. If I'm shooting 80% from 3....that's my defense, even if I give up a two for every shot I make. And if I'm a good defender, but, that's all I bring....that can be a problem too. I don't care who you talk about, but see the big picture. She played 18 minutes...presumably half on defense and it just doesn't add up that she would be the center of the problem because of 9 minutes of poor defense. I think people need to lower their expectations for CC and The Fever. Some of it is just unrealistic and understandable some unbridled excitement.

 

[baggerbob]

How long before the coach gets fired?

Should have been last night.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Trust and believe that I'm not worried about earning credibility from you. This is an anonymous message board. People are allowed to have differing opinions. Not sure why that bothers you so much.

 

[WBBTakeover]

The problem is you're critiquing one side of the ball. If I'm shooting 80% from 3....that's my defense, even if I give up a two for every shot I make. And if I'm a good defender, but, that's all I bring....that can be a problem too. I don't care who you talk about, but see the big picture. She played 18 minutes...presumably half on defense and it just doesn't add up that she would be the center of the problem because of 9 minutes of poor defense. I think people need to lower their expectations for CC and The Fever. Some of it is just unrealistic and understandable some unbridled excitement.

When a team loses by nearly 40 points, a veteran player's 10-point performance will not be highlighted. Sorry.

 

[baggerbob]

Katie Lou needs to be used better offensively. Just standing in a corner does nothing for the offense. One time she got the ball, and drove and scored.
Too much one on one offense for the Fever.

 

[WBBTakeover]

You were the one who responded negatively to something I said, not the other way around. I would not have interacted with you otherwise. Ergo, you seem to be the one who's bothered and not me.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

When a team loses by nearly 40 points, a veteran player's 10-point performance will not be highlighted. Sorry.

Again....she played 18 minutes. Compare that to other minutes and points. You're not suggesting she gave up 40 points are you? I think rebounding was the primary cause of that margin. It wasn't as if the Liberty was shooting lights out from the perimeter.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Again....she played 18 minutes. Compare that to other minutes and points. You're not suggesting she gave up 40 points are you? I think rebounding was the primary cause of that margin. It wasn't as if the Liberty was shooting lights out from the perimeter.

That she was a -28 in only 18 minutes isn't any sort of flex. That's truly awful for a veteran on a protected contract.

Again, when a team loses by nearly 40, people aren't going to bring attention to a veteran player's 10-point performance.

Yes, the rebounding margin was a factor. The last time I checked, however, Katie Lou is 6'3. You wanna guess how many rebounds she had last night? Hint: the same number that you had.

 

[Dillon77]

I'm here because of one comment offered in many postings on last night's game:

I think Grace Berger offers an understanding of individual and collective responsibilities within both offensive attack and defensive sets to merit more time. Plus, she's calm (at least outwardly). The only think I'd encourage her to do is take the pull-up jumper from the elbow once she shakes free off the cross-over dribble move of hers.

There's a whole lot of meshing that needs to be done on this team and they've drawn a pretty tough schedule in which to do so. Gonna need to take a mid- to long-view here. However, I'm sure Berger could be the "take a breath" heart of a 2nd unit who could sneak her way into crunch time because she's got ice....

 

[LwrcasefaN]

That she was a -28 in only 18 minutes isn't any sort of flex. That's truly awful for a veteran on a protected contract.

Again, when a team loses by nearly 40, people aren't going to bring attention to a veteran player's 10-point performance.

Yes, the rebounding margin was a factor. The last time I checked, however, Katie Lou is 6'3. You wanna guess how many rebounds she had last night? Hint: the same number that you had.

I could be Michael Jordan and be on the floor with subs and not be on the positive side. Is 4 of 5 shooting awful? Because that would mean ALL the others were abysmal. You're over emphasizing that statistic to reflect a player, when in reality is a reflection of the team that was on the floor. Wisdom would say play her and get her more shots. So now it's her rebounding? lol. She's a veteran, but she's like the 4th option so that's pretty good where I'm from. I brought attention to her because...you seem to feel she's the problem. The obvious problem is that they aren't playing as a team. TBH...looking at the entire roster it's a miracle they didn't lose by 60!