WNBA News, (Post-) Game Comments for June | Page 9 | The Boneyard

WNBA News, (Post-) Game Comments for June

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I have to say, the WNBA games seem to be far more competitive than prior years. I would guess the fraction of blow out games (15+ differential) is far less than previous years.
 
Okay, had to look at a replay of that final sequence. Minny didn't have a timeout to set up something...but why would they inbound to Shepard at 3/4 court w/ 5 seconds left? Where were all the guards? That seems like a failure by the whole team.
 
Morning-after comments on the games I saw enough of to comment:
Liberty-Storm
  • Gabby had best game of this season (10-15, 2-3 from three and 9 rebounds) and her usual all-round hustle. That's the player I used to admire/hate from an ND perspective! ;)
  • Stewie goes for 11 in 1st half, takes 3rd quarter off and adds 7 in the 4th to restore order.
  • Stewie's step-back from the baseline and Gabby's drive from the right-hand side and three at the shot-clock buzzer sealed the win.

  • Marine Johannes is pretty much a finished product (9-12, 5-16 from 3 and 4 assists). She's both exciting and heady.
  • When Rebecca Allen comes back -- along with the recently returned Didi Richards -- Brondello will have zounds of options.
-Dangerfield can play traditional PG with Sabrina at off-guard, but if Brondello wants to go big, Ionescu can be lead guard and play with Johannes and some combination of Whitcomb, Richards (for defense) or Allen (for both).
- Thought the Xu-Dolson combo had its moments. and they both benefitted from dishes from Johannes. If Xu continues to improve, that team is going to be Trouble.

  • As Sue Bird noted in post-game comments, Liberty were a class act for Sue's last regular-season game in NYC. And she was every bit the charismatic leader.
  • How about putting Sue on Cheryl Reeve's coaching staff for a few World Cups and Olympics, then have her take over the USA National team.

Wings-Sparks

  • Hard to beat Dallas when Arike Ogunbowale has 27, (9-18, 5 of 9 from three), Marina Mabrey has 21 (9-16, 3-8) and Allisha Gray 20 (7-13, 3-6).
  • Coach Johnson got 0 pts and only 3 assists in 22 minutes from back-up PG play of Veronia Burton and Tyasha Harris. At this point, AMA (Arike, Marina, Allisha) seem to take turns being the lead distributor. Last night, it was Gray with 6 assists, Mabrey with 5 and Ogunbowale with 3.
  • As noted, Johnson really trusts AMA and Izzy Harrison and Thornton on the floor. And Sabally, if and when she's back.

  • Both Ogwunike sisters had double-doubles in their return to Texas, but Cambage looked like she only wanted to play in stretches of the game.
  • Canada had one of those games which explains why she didn't seal the deal as heir designate to Sue in Seattle. Just horrible.

Aces- Lynx

  • As noted, Aces were there for the taking. Wilson and Hamby kept them close.
  • How off were they? Even though those two scored well, Jessica Shepard outrebounded the Aces' front line 19-17 -- in 28 minutes.

  • MoJeff with utterly fantastic game, finishing with 23 points (10-14, 3-4 from three and 7 assists).
  • Shepard has 22 points (9-11) to go with those 19 rebounds. Geesh, nearly at 20-20 effort off the bench!
  • On one hand, have to wonder why Shepard is coming off bench the last two games. On the other hand, given how she's played, it seems like she's energized by playing either of the two forward slots which, btw, she did at ND.
 
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Atlanta (significantly undermanned) leads Dallas 29-21 after 1Q.
 
After ice cold first quarter, Arike over the last few minutes of 2Q hitting multiple moon balls. But if she sticks to pattern, will look for harder and harder shots until they are impossible to make. Mabrey with a sub par game all around.

Myah Caldwell (U. GA) on first hardship game having an electric impact for Atlanta.
 
.-.
Dillon77 said:
Morning-after comments on the games I saw enough of to comment:
Liberty-Storm
  • Gabby had best game of this season (10-15, 2-3 from three and 9 rebounds) and her usual all-round hustle. That's the player I used to admire/hate from an ND perspective! ;)
  • Stewie goes for 11 in 1st half, takes 3rd quarter off and adds 7 in the 4th to restore order.
  • Stewie's step-back from the baseline and Gabby's drive from the right-hand side and three at the shot-clock buzzer sealed the win.

  • Marine Johannes is pretty much a finished product (9-12, 5-16 from 3 and 4 assists). She's both exciting and heady.
  • When Rebecca Allen comes back -- along with the recently returned Didi Richards -- Brondello will have zounds of options.
-Dangerfield can play traditional PG with Sabrina at off-guard, but if Brondello wants to go big, Ionescu can be lead guard and play with Johannes and some combination of Whitcomb, Richards (for defense) or Allen (for both).
- Thought the Xu-Dolson combo had its moments. and they both benefitted from dishes from Johannes. If Xu continues to improve, that team is going to be Trouble.

  • As Sue Bird noted in post-game comments, Liberty were a class act for Sue's last regular-season game in NYC. And she was every bit the charismatic leader.
  • How about putting Sue on Cheryl Reeve's coaching staff for a few World Cups and Olympics, then have her take over the USA National team.

Wings-Sparks

  • Hard to beat Dallas when Arike Ogunbowale has 27, (9-18, 5 of 9 from three), Marina Mabrey has 21 (9-16, 3-8) and Allisha Gray 20 (7-13, 3-6).
  • Coach Johnson got 0 pts and only 3 assists in 22 minutes from back-up PG play of Veronia Burton and Tyasha Harris. At this point, AMA (Arike, Marina, Allisha) seem to take turns being the lead distributor. Last night, it was Gray with 6 assists, Mabrey with 5 and Ogunbowale with 3.
  • As noted, Johnson really trusts AMA and Izzy Harrison and Thornton on the floor. And Sabally, if and when she's back.

  • Both Ogwunike sisters had double-doubles in their return to Texas, but Cambage looked like she only wanted to play in stretches of the game.
  • Canada had one of those games which explains why she didn't seal the deal as heir designate to Sue in Seattle. Just horrible.

Aces- Lynx

  • As noted, Aces were there for the taking. Wilson and Hamby kept them close.
  • How off were they? Even though those two scored well, Jessica Shepard outrebounded the Aces' front line 19-17 -- in 28 minutes.

  • MoJeff with utterly fantastic game, finishing with 23 points (10-14, 3-4 from three and 7 assists).
  • Shepard has 22 points (9-11) to go with those 19 rebounds. Geesh, nearly at 20-20 effort off the bench!
  • On one hand, have to wonder why Shepard is coming off bench the last two games. On the other hand, given how she's played, it seems like she's energized by playing either of the two forward slots which, btw, she did at ND.
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The older ND starting 5 from 2018-19 is absolutely crushing it as pros:

Shepard-9.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists this year after injury riddled seasons
Ogunbowale-19 points per game, 2x All WNBA
Mabrey-14 points per game and stellar percentages
Young-leading MVP candidate with ridiculous numbers (17.8 points)
Turner-2x All Defensive Team

The irony is, the team they lost the title to, Baylor, has been mostly duds as pros with none of their starters making any impact in the league.
 
bballnut90 said:
The older ND starting 5 from 2018-19 is absolutely crushing it as pros:

Shepard-9.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists this year after injury riddled seasons
Ogunbowale-19 points per game, 2x All WNBA
Mabrey-14 points per game and stellar percentages
Young-leading MVP candidate with ridiculous numbers (17.8 points)
Turner-2x All Defensive Team

The irony is, the team they lost the title to, Baylor, has been mostly duds as pros with none of their starters making any impact in the league.
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IMHO, that Baylor team ran a really, really effective system offense, so none of the principals were stretched outside their role. (thus why Tara could exploit them so effectively with even less talent - she is great at breaking down system offenses.)

For better and sometimes worse, that ND starting 5 were much less organized but much more capable and well rounded as individual players. Jackie Young is one of my favorite college players of the 2010s. And that's saying something, given who coached her... :p Other than maybe Mabrey, I'm not at all surprised the Irish have all had success as pros.
 
Aces with a quick smackdown of the Sky 15-4 in fiorst 4 minutes.
 
bballnut90 said:
Young-leading MVP candidate with ridiculous numbers (17.8 points)
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I don't think so at this point. She only missed a couple games, but Wilson and Plum have both really picked up their games in her absence and then her first couple games back not being up to par. She is on fire so far today though.
 
Aces have gotten off to terrible starts the last couple games. Not today. 41-18 thru Q1. Young and Plum just destroying the Sky.
 
Stevens is on fire for Chicago. Allemand is racking up assists like Sloot used to, I don't know what's up w/ Courtney recently.
 
.-.
Aces went to sleep and Chicago came storming back. Lead was nearly 30, but only 11 at the half.

I think I woke Sloot up. She had 1 assist, now she's up to 5, and 12 points.

I don't think Young or Plum scored in Q2 after both hitting double digits in Q1.
 
Looks like LA has benched Canada in favor of Tolliver, who is only playing her second game in forever. Sykes back in the starting lineup too.


Whatever got into Jefferson against the Aces, it's not there against the Merc.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Looks like LA has benched Canada in favor of Tolliver, who is only playing her second game in forever. Sykes back in the starting lineup too.


Whatever got into Jefferson against the Aces, it's not there against the Merc.
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Moriah still has some nice assists and her shots just keep catching back iron so at least they are straight, She can really up the pace but boy did she commit one of the biggest bonehead fouls on Diana on a 3pt shot before half time. Reeve almost gave herself a concussion knocking her finger to her temples. How D only made 1 of 3 FT's is beyond me.
 
Chicago is within 3. How in the world did Vegas start so good and now in serious trouble? Still a ton of game left, mid Q3.
 
Olivia has 6 pts on 3-5 shooting. Is this a career high? More time to crack double digits
 
Sky now up 3. Gray got her pocket picked back to back led to layups the other way.

Make that Chicago +5. What in the hell?!
 
.-.
Kudos to Chicago, but the Aces have just completely fallen apart. Sky up 8 thru Q3. After 41 in Q3, combined 32 in Q2 and Q3.
 
Aces didn't have a FG for most of Q3. Now they're trading buckets, but that doesn't cut it when you're down 10. Their D has been abysmal ever since Q1. They can score, but their defense could be a problem.
 
104-95 final. It's just one game, but wow what a humongous disappointment for the Aces.

edit--biggest come back in WNBA history--28 point deficit
 
Sloot put on a master class, 25 pts/8 assists. Parker/Meesseman/Stevens all w/ 17.

Young had 23, Plum 22 and 8 assists.
 
Looks like Minnesota ran away from Phoenix in the 2nd half. Nice for them to get a win after some close losses to some of the better teams in the league recently.
 
After a big win against the Sun, no EDD today and looks like the Mystics are gonna lose to the Sparks. Down 14 mid Q4.


The WNBA is pretty hard to figure this year. Really anybody can beat anybody else on any given night. I don't know that that's always been the case in the league.
 
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Running out of time by Mystics making a game of it.

Chiney showing some signs of life, 1 rebound away from back to back double-doubles.

edit--hold on, lead went from 6 down to 2 w/ barely any time coming off the clock. Under 30 seconds left.
 
Happy to see Moriah actually playing at full speed with lots of energy. 9 assists. Many of the drive and kick variety. Achonwa blew a bunny off what would have been Moriah's slickest (10th) assist of the bunch.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Sloot put on a master class, 25 pts/8 assists. Parker/Meesseman/Stevens all w/ 17.

Young had 23, Plum 22 and 8 assists.
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Very entertaining game. Wouldn't be shocked if this is a playoff or finals series. Both teams have excellent players. Stevens and Meesseman coming on strong make the Sky extremely lethal.
 
bballnut90 said:
Very entertaining game. Wouldn't be shocked if this is a playoff or finals series. Both teams have excellent players. Stevens and Meesseman coming on strong make the Sky extremely lethal.
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and some extra curricular shoving by Vandersloot on Plum. Lots of spice and talent on these teams.

I do think there has been a significant jump in WNBA talent and pace of play in the league. No easy teams on the schedule. Most games are close. Just wish TV coverage was more uniform
 
It was nice to see Achonwa back on the court last night. Minnesota needs depth in the post position big time. Now with her and Dantas back, they have a little breathing room especially when foul trouble creeps up, like last night.
 
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