WNBA Off-Season

[cancontent]

It’s a mess but… diggins once again is in the middle of a hot mess

With what proof do you have to assume it's related to her? This comes across as petty.

 

[Geew1992]

With what proof do you have to assume it's related to her? This comes across as petty.I posted the tweet

 

[Dillon77]

Thanks for adding something factual to the discussion.
It's published that Diggins-Smith signed with Seattle for two main reasons: to play with Jewell Loyd and play under Noelle Quinn, with whom she's had a longstanding relationship. Judging by this article, it might appear that Diggins-Smith might be siding on whatever Quinn was trying to get across. S D-S prefers hard leadership, ranging from what she grew up, who she is and her coach at Notre Dame. Last week, she talked to the ND team and said the first step in responsibility is "looking in the mirror."

Now, having said that, this article still doesn't answer the question: what was going on with the coaching staff?
Or, as one commenter said:
"This article instead of explaining what happened with the staff and Quinn, emphasizes the bad temper of SDS or the fact that Nneka is a mediator, but not a leader. Tell us about the staff and Quinn and what they did against the players!"

We'll see what happens next.

 

[JellyBean]

Seattle Storm Investigating Its Own Coaching Staff for Alleged Player Mistreatment

The intrepid Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times (who also broke the Stephanie White break-up with the Conn. Sun) reports this. Apparently, it caught the WNBA off its guard, too.
Let's see what happens, but could there be yet another open position?
Posted Costabile's twitter and an MSN article based on that.

MSN

Sad. I heard about this on Friday and was surprised that it was not posted sooner. The exit interviews, players that were able to talk or shown, spoke highly of Coach Quinn and what type of "caring, competitive, and supportive" environment/culture that Coach provides. Then this story drops a few weeks after the exit interviews. Just sad because now it becomes a finger pointing match and a whole lot of attacking a person's character. We will see what develops from this investigation.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Thanks for adding something factual to the discussion.
It's published that Diggins-Smith signed with Seattle for two main reasons: to play with Jewell Loyd and play under Noelle Quinn, with whom she's had a longstanding relationship. Judging by this article, it might appear that Diggins-Smith might be siding on whatever Quinn was trying to get across. S D-S prefers hard leadership, ranging from what she grew up, who she is and her coach at Notre Dame. Last week, she talked to the ND team and said the first step in responsibility is "looking in the mirror."

Now, having said that, this article still doesn't answer the question: what was going on with the coaching staff. Or, as one commenter said:
"This article instead of explaining what happened with the staff and Quinn, emphasizes the bad temper of SDS or the fact that Nneka is a mediator, but not a leader. Tell us about the staff and Quinn and what they did against the players!"

We'll see what happens next.

Yikes... Am I a sick b@st@rd that my first reaction was, "Nneka, leave the drama behind and sign with Golden State!"?

 

[cancontent]

@Geew1992 Thanks for providing the post for the context. Did you mean to post it with your original comment?

 

[Geew1992]

@Geew1992 Thanks for providing the post for the context. Did you mean to post it with your original comment?

I didn’t read the articles posted and assumed it was mentioned. Guess I should never do that

 

[cancontent]

I didn’t read the articles posted and assumed it was mentioned. Guess I should never do that

Making assumptions on what a media outlet reports is never a good thing, especially nowadays. None of the major media outlets have reported anything specific in comparison to the blog report you shared.

 

[JellyBean]

Now let's see what this WNBA Draft Lottery brings us.

 

[cancontent]

There isn't a thread for Athletes Unlimited but this caught my attention. Nurse hasn't played during the off-season since suffering her ACL injury. Will be interesting to see how she juggles this with her broadcasting side gig in Canada.

 

[azfan]

Yikes... Am I a sick b@st@rd that my first reaction was, "Nneka, leave the drama behind and sign with Golden State!"?

No..... I'm sure it was Nneka's first thought

 

[azfan]

Thanks for adding something factual to the discussion.
It's published that Diggins-Smith signed with Seattle for two main reasons: to play with Jewell Loyd and play under Noelle Quinn, with whom she's had a longstanding relationship. Judging by this article, it might appear that Diggins-Smith might be

We'll see what happens next.

Well.......Nneka will certainly leave, SDS will continue to..... Either be fiery or self-centerrd and complaining depending on your point of view I supposed. Got to see her act here in Phoenix so my perspective is the latter. What is certain is this this had not made Seattle better and the this I'm referring to is SDS.

"According to CSS reports, Skylar Diggins-Smith has been at the center of several heated outbursts during practice, with her fiery comments—often laced with profanity—aimed at teammates."

Seattle Storm’s Leadership in Question After Skylar Diggins-Smith’s Bold Revelation, Sparks Investigation

Reports suggests that a player-coach dispute involving Skylar Diggins-Smith has led to an investigation into Seattle Storm's 2024 season.

www.essentiallysports.com

"Diggins-Smith, in a statement vented out, came off as passive-aggressive.".

My evaluation of SD in her time in Phoenix was that she was hostile aggressive or aggressive aggressive or judgmental aggressive nothing she ever said came off as passive...... And she was never hesitant about sharing her aggressive aggressive views which was apparent on the bench with DT on a video that's been widely circulated.

Seattle Storm Locker Room Drama Gets Uglier With Skylar Diggins-Smith & Jewell Loyd’s Latest Activity

What is the latest update on the issues created between the Seattle Storm staff and their players after the 2024 season?

www.essentiallysports.com

This kerflunkle shows that head coach's responsibility goes Way beyond X's and O's and in fact their ability to manage these talented players with huge egos and in some cases very warped views will determine their success as well as the team's success. Obviously Quinn has ways to go in this important area of coaching

 

[azfan]

Making assumptions on what a media outlet reports is never a good thing, especially nowadays. None of the major media outlets have reported anything specific in comparison to the blog report you shared.

Probably because major news outlets invest very very little time (zero) in the offseason of any woman's sport including the WNBA

 

[bballnut90]

SDS might be running out of teams to try and join if she’s out of Seattle next year. Side note: if Quinn is out in Seattle, NY, Vegas, Minnesota and Phoenix will be the only franchises to retain their head coaches.

 

[TheFarmFan]

SDS might be running out of teams to try and join if she’s out of Seattle next year. Side note: if Quinn is out in Seattle, NY, Vegas, Minnesota and Phoenix will be the only franchises to retain their head coaches.

... Which is wild, because three of those four have won multiple championships, and the fourth just finished his first season. As far as coaching in the W is concerned, given the insane growth and paired insane leadership flux, it's like just like Dickens said in A Tale of Two Cities: "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"...

 

[Dillon77]

Now let's see what this WNBA Draft Lottery brings us.

BTW, Thanks for reminding me. I've had a hectic last few days so I'll ask the board: When is the draft lottery?
That will, of course, trigger another round of mock drafts to keep the off-season discussion going.

 

[cancontent]

Probably because major news outlets invest very very little time (zero) in the offseason of any woman's sport including the WNBA

Or the major news outlet was focused on the actual issue reported, which was the claim about coaches being bullies, while the CSS reporter seems more interested in tea and drama.

The CSS reporter basically quotes the Chicago Times and then focuses on Diggins. I'm not saying that there weren't internal conflicts, however they could have published their piece at any time. Nothing in their article provides further context on the Quinn situation.

 

[Geew1992]

Well.......Nneka will certainly leave, SDS will continue to..... Either be fiery or self-centerrd and complaining depending on your point of view I supposed. Got to see her act here in Phoenix so my perspective is the latter. What is certain is this this had not made Seattle better and the this I'm referring to is SDS.

"According to CSS reports, Skylar Diggins-Smith has been at the center of several heated outbursts during practice, with her fiery comments—often laced with profanity—aimed at teammates."

Seattle Storm’s Leadership in Question After Skylar Diggins-Smith’s Bold Revelation, Sparks Investigation

Reports suggests that a player-coach dispute involving Skylar Diggins-Smith has led to an investigation into Seattle Storm's 2024 season.

www.essentiallysports.com

"Diggins-Smith, in a statement vented out, came off as passive-aggressive.".

My evaluation of SD in her time in Phoenix was that she was hostile aggressive or aggressive aggressive or judgmental aggressive nothing she ever said came off as passive...... And she was never hesitant about sharing her aggressive aggressive views which was apparent on the bench with DT on a video that's been widely circulated.

Seattle Storm Locker Room Drama Gets Uglier With Skylar Diggins-Smith & Jewell Loyd’s Latest Activity

What is the latest update on the issues created between the Seattle Storm staff and their players after the 2024 season?

www.essentiallysports.com

This kerflunkle shows that head coach's responsibility goes Way beyond X's and O's and in fact their ability to manage these talented players with huge egos and in some cases very warped views will determine their success as well as the team's success. Obviously Quinn has ways to go in this important area of coaching

SDS also had her stint in Dallas. There were problems there as well.

 

[azfan]

SDS might be running out of teams to try and join if she’s out of Seattle next year. Side note: if Quinn is out in Seattle, NY, Vegas, Minnesota and Phoenix will be the only franchises to retain their head coaches.

And Phoenix should have been the first franchise to fire their coach.

 

[Geew1992]

 

[cancontent]

That's 2 coaches who leave during the early stages of non-conference play. The timing of all of this sucks, but the WNBA schedule doesn't offer up much flexibility.

 

[Dillon77]

That's 2 coaches who leave during the early stages of non-conference play. The timing of all of this sucks, but the WNBA schedule doesn't offer up much flexibility.

Interesting. I read a few posts that thought most WNBA teams could only go after mid-major coaches such as Smesko because D1 coaches wouldn't leave their (much) higher-paying jobs. Well, here's a coach of a highly rated D1 team leaving in the beginning of the season that looked very promising. Did college ball drive her out or the W pull her in?

If the salaries go up in the W, I could see this happening more often and I'll be very, very interested in when (and who) Portland and Toronto target. If no one is in place until after the 2024-25 NCAA season, could there be another D1 coach leaving?

Sparks hire Utah's Roberts as new head coach

Lynne Roberts, who guided the Utah women's basketball team to the Sweet 16 last year, has been named head coach of the Sparks.

www.espn.com

 

[Stagnant]

Good hire. I think Utah didn’t have much in the cupboard. That loss to northwestern was a bad one.

This makes me curious to see what Dallas can do. Because make no mistake. It is a better job than LA.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Interesting. I read a few posts that thought most WNBA teams could only go after mid-major coaches such as Smesko because D1 coaches wouldn't leave their (much) higher-paying jobs. Well, here's a coach of a highly rated D1 team leaving in the beginning of the season that looked very promising. Did college ball drive her out or the W pull her in?

If the salaries go up in the W, I could see this happening more often and I'll be very, very interested in when (and who) Portland and Toronto target. If no one is in place until after the 2024-25 NCAA season, could there be another D1 coach leaving?

Sparks hire Utah's Roberts as new head coach

Lynne Roberts, who guided the Utah women's basketball team to the Sweet 16 last year, has been named head coach of the Sparks.

www.espn.com

It's interesting - I can't speak from a coach's perspective, but from a fan perspective, for the first time I'm now more excited about the W than I am WCBB. I'm sure some of that is the Valks expansion team and Tara retiring, but the transfer portal, conference realignment, and NIL pay-to-play is really killing my enjoyment for the sport, which already competes with a ton of other sports and non-sports priorities during a busy time of year. The hypocrisy is just getting to be too much for me. (and stories like Chavez basically holding out for the highest bidder are just so off putting).

Meanwhile, the W feels like an underdog league with a ton of great personalities and a condensed season during a period where there's much less to distract me from. So I guess it's not hard for me to see why some coaches may be reacting like I am...

 

[Dillon77]

It's interesting - I can't speak from a coach's perspective, but from a fan perspective, for the first time I'm now more excited about the W than I am WCBB. I'm sure some of that is the Valks expansion team and Tara retiring, but the transfer portal, conference realignment, and NIL pay-to-play is really killing my enjoyment for the sport, which already competes with a ton of other sports and non-sports priorities during a busy time of year. The hypocrisy is just getting to be too much for me. (and stories like Chavez basically holding out for the highest bidder are just so off putting).

Meanwhile, the W feels like an underdog league with a ton of great personalities and a condensed season during a period where there's much less to distract me from. So I guess it's not hard for me to see why some coaches may be reacting like I am...

When I look back at my viewing and posting habits of the entire year, I probably find myself getting into tacit agreement/approval with your viewpoint.

On our various WNBA threads, we have a solid core who contribute regularly -- virtually day-to-day -- and have often have some compelling back and forths. And why not? The competition -- to my mind -- is often good and, yes, there sure are story lines and personalities. (Now, let's work on the reffing, please?)
With the W rising and money starting to come in, look for:

• how key administrative and coaching posts are filled;
• what comes out of the next CBA. If there are major upgrades in pay and other player allowances, the money paid for staffs will almost certainly go up, too. If so, I'm convinced you could see coaches like Gottlieb, Lawson, Ivey, etc. be tempted to jump.

p.s. Per your comment on colleges, I hear you there, too. I keep track of The Bench's recruiting board over the years and I'm starting to see that Niele Ivey -- one of the best recruiters over the course of her time as an assistant and head coach -- has now only landed one recruit in each of the last two years. Has she lost her touch? I don't think so. ND is playing in a new landscape and it's not all pretty.