WNBA News, (Post-) Game Comments for June

[nwhoopfan]

Minnesota did resign Milic.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Sky bench maintained the lead halfway thru Q4, setting up the starters to bring it home...except now they've just about blown it. Shepard is wrecking them down the stretch.

 

[nwhoopfan]

How do you handicap the favorite to win the Championship this year? Chicago looks great at times, but somehow they end up in so many close games. They've been absolutely terrible the last 4+ minutes of this one. Flirting w/ giving the game away.

 

[nwhoopfan]

How do you foul on a 3 pointer inside 10 seconds left? Just horrible defense by the Sky there. McBride can tie it up.

 

[eebmg]

Wow Vandersloot with a buzzer 3pt for the win. Just like when she wrecked my Liberty. RESPECT

 

[jchusky]

VANDERSLOOT! Clutch

 

[nwhoopfan]

Slooty w/ a 3 at the buzzer to win it. She's had a couple of those lately. Darn Sky just have to make everything difficult for themselves.

 

[eebmg]

Minnesota did resign Milic.

Do not have a good feeling E will be resigned. Her minutes dropped with some DNP's

 

[nwhoopfan]

 

[azfan]

Phoenix still had 3 Olympians and is in 10th place in the league. Washington had an upgraded roster from 2020 and still finished just 12-20, missing the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. No she didn't get to play with the stars she expected to but both teams should've safely made the playoffs.

Seattle on paper seems like a good fit, although it likely bumps a thriving Ezi Magbegor out of the starting lineup, or takes away minutes from her. She's quietly putting together a very good season and is one of the most improved players in the league. We'll see how it Charles in Seattle translates to success. The talent and combination of youth/experience is there. The coaching on the other hand is a major question mark.

Absolutely agree and wonder how another young coach will integrate Charles into a veteran lineup. Clearly a rookie Mercury coach really didn't have any idea what to do.

That said the situation in Seattle is certainly different as the Storm have demonstrated an ability to engage defensively.

 

[Dillon77]

Wow, I went from watching Aaron Judge have his second game winning hit in four games to Sloot winning another game at the buzzer.

Also enjoyed watching Julie Allemand have her best game to date. She didn't miss anything in her 11-pt. performance.
And, in a losing effort, Jess Shepard has another credible performance. In 25 minutes, she has 15 points (6 of 8 from the field) and 8 rebounds.

 

[baggerbob]

Not sure Ezi will be the one to lose a starting spot. I might bring Gabby off the bench and fit Tina in between Ezi and Stewie. Stewie has proven in the Olympics and at UConn that she can quite effectively play the SF.

And Stewie will be a night mare for any small forward guarding her. And Ezi can play all 3 frontcourt positions.
Tina will give Seattle the low post presence they haven't had without Russell.

 

[baggerbob]

Hate stuff like this.

For Sophie Cunningham don't wake a sleeping bear. Uconn protect their own, and you are probably going to get to defend Stewie.

 

[Dillon77]

Got to say, I'm really delighted to finally see KLS utilized properly, and therefore able to shine like she can. To the degree LA turns their season around, she's been the major game changer, IMHO

FarmFan:

• I thought KLS had a very good game against Seattle, for sure. And it must've given her some satisfaction to play that way against (one of her) former team(s).
• Incidentally, I thought she was not "mis-utilized" at Seattle. Plus, even if some of the sets weren't favoring her, how can you not benefit from playing next to Stewie, Jewell and Sue. I've got no way of proving this but I think Seattle thought KLS and Talbot gave them a bunch of the same things and when discussions about Gabby came up, they figured swap one to get another player with a different skill set. KLS had higher value for LA.
• KLS is playing better because Fred Williams is playing different players alongside KLS. Tolliver and Sykes are "we" first pro's and ON-O is getting more time, too.
• It will be interesting to see if this approach continues to shine: LA was selling this franchise on Cabbage, Carter and Canada and now the 3-C's have taken a backseat to more established, less flashy, players. If LA wins, what will happen off-season? (C's go elsewhere? Fred stays?). If it does not work or is 50-50, what happens then? Stay tuned.

 

[eebmg]

Moriah was a big focus of Reeve's ire in the Vandesloot game winner and defense in general. I am guessing she was not to let Vandersloot have an inch

It keeps surprising me why so many 3pt shooters are allowed airspace by helping an interior player and especially sloot.

 

[WFFL]

Vandersloot will go down as the greatest PG in WNBA history no shot at sue but Vandersloot's #'s and consistency have been out of this world since she entered the league. She's always been the most underrated imo .

 

[bballnut90]

Vandersloot will go down as the greatest PG in WNBA history no shot at sue but Vandersloot's #'s and consistency have been out of this world since she entered the league. She's always been the most underrated imo .

To Sue's credit, she has been astonishingly consistent for 20 years now. Two of the smartest and best facilitators in the league. Can't go wrong with either, though I do agree Vandersloot doesn't get near the overall credit she deserves.

 

[nwhoopfan]

One can only wonder what could've happened in Chicago if Big Syl and EDD didn't both force their way out, and how that would've effected Sloot's legacy. Not hard to imagine multiple Championships.

 

[eebmg]

Expecting the Aces to stomp on the Sparks after their recent record.

 

[Notyetready]

How about a little Liv Luv.

That reverse layup around Stewie / Ezi off the blown layup (but points for the O Board) was very impressive to me in real crunch time. A lot of poise and she did not panic and push an impossible shot up.

Liv had more minutes than Cambage (21-15) and I think was on the court through all the important crunch time minutes. Maybe even more minutes if Liv was not in foul trouble

LA Coach probably likes the change of a center able to run the floor and who does not pout.

And that impressive reverse layup was with 2 minutes left in a tight game. Lotta poise from Liv.
What I noticed about Liv was how fast she got back on defense, in comparison to Liz-- sometimes she was the first one back, thus able to guard the pathway to the basket and free up guards for the perimeter defense. Oftentimes a guard has to wait on the center to get back to cover the basket before releasing to the perimeter. The TV announcers commented that L.A.'s transition defense had blocked Seattle's fast break opportunities. If Liv's ability to cover the court is what Fred Williams sees in Liv, he could have a problem with Cambage.

 

[Dillon77]

Expecting the Aces to stomp on the Sparks after their recent record.

Little -- a lot? -- tougher than one would've thought, but not having Chelsea Gray play for the Aces was a factor, for sure. Game was nip and tuck until the latter stages, when Aces pulled away and won, 79-73.

Kierstan Bell was inserted into the starting line-up for Gray and contributed exactly 0 (zero) points. And Dearica Hamby was off, with only three points on 4 shots. Missing Gray? Having hands full with Nneka Ogwumike, who was tough all night.

Jackie Young only scored 9 points but seemed to slide back into lead guard mode, with 7 assists. But have no doubt: A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum won this game for the Aces. Both shot 8-16 from the field, with Wilson going 8-9 from the FT line and grabbing 11 boards, while Plum shot 4-7 from three-point land and 9-11 from the FT line.

The Ogwumikes each scored and rebounded and Liz Cambage played 23+ minutes and had 11 rebounds herself in this one.
KLS came back to earth with a tough shooting night (1-7 from three) overall. But Lexie Brown came off the bench to light it up from three, going 5-8.

 

[Geew1992]

The Liberty have once again released Crystal

 

[cancontent]

The Liberty have once again released Crystal

Dang it. What a difference a couple seasons make. I do and don't get it.

 

[ochoopsfan]

The Liberty have once again released Crystal

Explanation of what most likely is happening with Crystal

They could also keep Dangerfield and Cubaj through the game on Friday(6/24), release Dangerfield from her hardship deal after that game, then re-sign her when the cap math allows on July 3. That would cost them a little extra cash and cap space but allow them to keep Cubaj longer (and make her an extra $30,000). Dangerfield would still only miss one game - bizarrely enough, also against the Dream(6/30).

It is mentioned in the Newsletter linked below.

WNBA Dissected: Earning new deals, upcoming cuts, the future of WNBA broadcasting, and more from 2022 Week 7

Another trip around the world of women's basketball, looking at players who've made or lost money this year, impending midseason cuts, all-star picks and the WNBA implications of MLS's deal with Apple

herhoopstats.substack.com

 

[baggerbob]

Absolutely agree and wonder how another young coach will integrate Charles into a veteran lineup. Clearly a rookie Mercury coach really didn't have any idea what to do.

That said the situation in Seattle is certainly different as the Storm have demonstrated an ability to engage defensively.

And it's official Tina signed for the rest of season. Hopefully Seattle moves Gabby to the bench, she can come in for all the starters.
Gabby can play 3 or 4 positions, and if she comes in for any of Stewie, Ezi, or Tina, she is the 3.
She can run the point when Sue sits, and can fill in minutes For Jewell.
January and Talbot would be the other consistent reserves. A solid 8, and if Mercedes can make it back a good 9.
Suddenly Seattle has a chance, and enough games to become cohesive.