WNBA June 2019 Musings, scores, pictures, etc

[eebmg]

Watched Atlanta get a rare win this morning (albeit they played Indiana - somebody had to win). The league is a real mess with the large number of stars missing due to injury or foreign obligations, or just sitting out. Standings really look strange. CT running away with it, Chicago in 2nd place (What?? ), Seattle in 5th, LA in the middle of the pack, Minnesota below .500, Phoenix in 10th place. Yikes. Need the stars back. Parity seems to = mediocrity.

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Talk about burying the lead.

Our girls Hayes and Montgomery had perhaps their best games of the season

 

[j66kicker]

Talk about burying the lead.

Our girls Hayes and Montgomery had perhaps their best games of the season

Sorry, Tiffany was indeed awesome with 28, and Renee was 1 assist short of a double-double 16/9.

 

[eebmg]

Sky lead Liberty 41-34 at the half. Very physical game. Unfortunately, Kia Nurse rolled her ankle.

She has it iced before half. Hopefully, nothing more serious.

 

[j66kicker]

Sky lead Liberty 41-34 at the half. Very physical game. Unfortunately, Kia Nurse rolled her ankle.

She has it iced before half. Hopefully, nothing more serious.

Kia out on the floor warming up for 2nd half - looks like she’s going to start

 

[eebmg]

Kia out on the floor warming up for 2nd half - looks like she’s going to start

She played the 2nd half but she does not look 100%. Still, clearly dodged a bullet even though it looks like the Sky will win although the liberty put up a good fight. Just so many missed open shots.

Durr having an excellent game. Her game is so smooth. A real pleasure to watch.

 

[Orangutan]

She played the 2nd half but she does not look 100%. Still, clearly dodged a bullet even though it looks like the Sky will win although the liberty put up a good fight. Just so many missed open shots.

Durr having an excellent game. Her game is so smooth. A real pleasure to watch.

I didn't get to tune into until the 4th quarter, by which point the Liberty were nailing a bunch of threes. I'm glad they were missing shots early so that Chicago had enough cushion to survive.

New York has some real live wires at the guard spots between Boyd, Nurse, and Durr. Lot of athleticism there.

 

[eebmg]

I didn't get to tune into until the 4th quarter, by which point the Liberty were nailing a bunch of threes. I'm glad they were missing shots early so that Chicago had enough cushion to survive.

New York has some real live wires at the guard spots between Boyd, Nurse, and Durr. Lot of athleticism there.

The liberty kept the game close through 3Q (trailing by only 5 entering Q4) but had a really bad start to Q4. Vandersloot just killed us.

One nice observation was that Gabby had 2 of the nicest drives I have seen from her during the game and did not feel the need to take jump shots which she still needs to improve on.

 

[bballnut90]

Wings/Merc is pretty painful so far...33-27 at the half. Phoenix shooting 20% from the field. So many missed layups, airballs, etc. Hopefully the night cap is a better game (Aces/Mystics).

 

[Plebe]

Ha I love what Sancho Lyttle just did to Arike. Didn't let her get away with her usual bully moves on the court, trying to shove people around. Arike's 1-6 and has 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in about 10 minutes of play.

 

[j66kicker]

Ha I love what Sancho Lyttle just did to Arike. Didn't let her get away with her usual bully moves on the court, trying to shove people around. Arike's 1-6 and has 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in about 10 minutes of play.

I got a kick out of Arike getting frustrated after committing an offensive foul so blatant even she couldn’t argue it, then promptly getting called again 10 seconds later. But the Mercury really suck tonight - they’re the more talented team, but just not playing with energy...

 

[Plebe]

Megan Gustafson seeing (I believe) her first minutes as a pro. Got a bucket in the 2nd quarter, also has a couple rebounds and an assist in 4 minutes of play.

 

[Orangutan]

24.6% shooting by Phoenix. That is unforgivably ugly. I didn't get to watch this one, but I don't care how good the defense was. A team with Bonner and Griner has to do better than that.

Box score has Theresa Plaisance as a +30. Wow!

Briann January - 25. Yikes.

 

[Plebe]

24.6% shooting by Phoenix. That is unforgivably ugly. I didn't get to watch this one, but I don't care how good the defense was. A team with Bonner and Griner has to do better than that.

I only saw the second half, but except for a very brief 3-minute spurt when Phoenix hit several 3s and drew to within 1 point, it was u-g-l-y you ain't got no alibi. Phx was cold cold cold. I mean like Griner and Bonner both missing layups. Just awful.

I will say, Kayla Thornton is making a name for herself this year. She could be an all-star.

 

[nwhoopfan]

The Mystics just can't miss in Q1. Delle Donne looks like she can do whatever she wants to so far. Aces trying to hang around. Been pretty much all Cambage and Wilson thus far.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Washington started 7-8 from the floor, I think they are 12-18 now and up 30-19 at the end of Q1. Aces only have 1 bucket from anyone other than Cambage and Wilson.

This figures, Plum has been red hot the last 2 games, now that I'm watching she's started out 0-2 behind the arc.

 

[Orangutan]

As of now, Washington is my pick to win the title if they get to playoffs reasonably healthy. Though maybe that will change when I get a better look at the Sun on Sunday.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Aces looked dead in the water, were down 15. Had trimmed it down to 7 for a moment.

What's w/ Tolliver and technical fouls? Last time I watched them she picked up a pair and got tossed. She just got another one, didn't see what led to it.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Aces had a little rhythm going, now looking utterly like crap again. Just not their night. Their trio of perimeter starters are just way off. Mystics cooled off after their scorching hot start. 46-36 approaching halftime.

edit--Washington scored a couple buckets inside the last minute of the half, leading 51-39. Aces got a late 3 to maybe gain a tiny bit of momentum...only to give up a 3 at the other end w/ a few seconds left.

 

[nwhoopfan]

LV started out Q3 all out of sorts, but somehow they've got a 15 point deficit down to 6. McBride is thawing out and hitting some buckets. Mystics forced to call a TO.

 

[bballnut90]

Question....why wasn't Latoya Sanders in the league for like 8 years after she graduated? She was stellar at NC and seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the best defensive posts in the league. Was she just always under the radar and finally broke through last year? Or was it due to injuries?

 

[triaddukefan]

Concerning Phoenix. How the heck does a All-Star Center who stands 6'9 or so.... go 3-15 from the field? Thats trash. Did she use up all her energy dunking the other day?

 

[nwhoopfan]

Mystics are impressive. Efficient. With the exception of a few short stretches, the Aces have been hot garbage. Really ugly game for them.

 

[Plebe]

As of now, Washington is my pick to win the title if they get to playoffs reasonably healthy. Though maybe that will change when I get a better look at the Sun on Sunday.

They definitely look like the best team right now. Just blew out LA and Vegas back-to-back. I will say, both of those two teams stand to improve a lot before the end of the season, and their ceiling is very high. Washington might be the only team with a stable and complete returning core.

 

[bballnut90]

Concerning Phoenix. How the heck does a All-Star Center who stands 6'9 or so.... go 3-15 from the field? Thats trash. Did she use up all her energy dunking the other day?

She missed a ton of chippies and got stuffed 3-4 times by Azura Stevens. Griner just hasn't looked as good this year on either end, and a lot of that is due to Phoenix having just 2 viable threats offensively in her and Bonner. She's getting more attention than she has in the past. Phoenix could be lethal when DT comes back but they look atrocious offensively right now.

 

[bballnut90]

They definitely look like the best team right now. Just blew out LA and Vegas back-to-back. I will say, both of those two teams stand to improve a lot before the end of the season, and their ceiling is very high. Washington might be the only team with a stable and complete returning core.

Don't forget about Connecticut. Since they got rid of Chiney they have the same core from the overachieving 2017 squad, and Jonquel Jones is playing at an MVP level. They're tops in the league right now at 8-1.

 

[Plebe]

Question....why wasn't Latoya Sanders in the league for like 8 years after she graduated? She was stellar at NC and seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the best defensive posts in the league. Was she just always under the radar and finally broke through last year? Or was it due to injuries?

This article by Voepel covers some of her history: Even-keeled Sanders keeps things calm for Mystics

"I haven't had the most traditional WNBA career. In the early part, I bounced around a bit and didn't get much playing time until I ended up here in Washington a couple of years ago. And even when I joined Washington, from a mixture of injuries, to family things I had to take care of, to commitments with the Turkish national team, I've been in and out."

Sanders was drafted by Phoenix in 2008, then was in Minnesota in 2009 and Los Angeles in 2011. She didn't come back to the WNBA until 2015 with Washington, playing 23 games with the Mystics that season, four in 2016 and none last year. During all that time, though, she played in Turkey, where she became fluent in Turkish and was on the national team.

 

[bballnut90]

This article by Voepel covers some of her history: Even-keeled Sanders keeps things calm for Mystics

"I haven't had the most traditional WNBA career. In the early part, I bounced around a bit and didn't get much playing time until I ended up here in Washington a couple of years ago. And even when I joined Washington, from a mixture of injuries, to family things I had to take care of, to commitments with the Turkish national team, I've been in and out."

Sanders was drafted by Phoenix in 2008, then was in Minnesota in 2009 and Los Angeles in 2011. She didn't come back to the WNBA until 2015 with Washington, playing 23 games with the Mystics that season, four in 2016 and none last year. During all that time, though, she played in Turkey, where she became fluent in Turkish and was on the national team.

Thank you....I enjoyed Sanders when she was at NC and was thrilled to see her finding success in the league last year. That 2008 draft class was exceptional.

 

[stwainfan]

 

[triaddukefan]

Maybe Candace Parker needs to go back to the Injured List

 

[bballnut90]

Stricken has been stellar this year for Connecticut. She was a strong all around player in college, but has found her stride turning into a specialist.

Connecticut looks great this year. Would be great irony if Chiney/Sparks struggle while Connecticut goes on to win a title or get to the finals without her.