WNBA Off-Season

[cancontent]

This is how I'm feeling as a Valkyries fan. Seems we're going to land no one in free agency and I'm not even sure we have enough signed players to field a starting lineup.

Yeah, it's been really quiet on their front.

 

[Dillon77]

So, could there be some "and the for the next shoe to fall" in Dallas and Connecticut.
Some pondering from Kevin Pelton of ESPN:

"Besides banking on Smith improving, Dallas might get her some help on the defensive end. Per league sources, the Wings are pursuing Connecticut restricted free agent DiJonai Carrington, Smith's girlfriend and former teammate at nearby Baylor. Carrington, an All-Defensive first team pick in 2024, would be an enormous help to a Dallas team that finished last in defensive rating.

"The Wings might offer the No. 8 pick to the Sun for Carrington, who is likely to move via sign-and-trade because the CBA stipulates that all offer sheets to restricted free agents must be a minimum of two years. Signing a two-year deal would take Carrington out of the running for a bigger raise as an unrestricted free agent in 2026."

Druthers from Dillon:
- If I'm Connecticut, I'd play a little hardball with Kirk M. who knows (and probably wants) Carrington. Go not only for the #8 draft choice, but see if he'll throw in Maddy Siegrist, Lou Lopez Senechal or Jacy Sheldon as well. Connecticut is going through a total rebuild, so you might as well throw it all against a wall.

- Call me crazy, but I'm certain Morgan Tuck has been burning phone lines to Turkey to get Emma Meesseman to join her former Belgian National Coach in eastern Connecticut.

 

[cancontent]

 

[cancontent]

 

[Dillon77]

Bingo....Way to go, Morgan.

Now, if The Sun is really lucky, someone like Soni Citron lasts until #8.

 

[Stagnant]

I think the urgency to move the Sun out of Connecticut has ramped up. That has to happen ASAP.

 

[cancontent]

 

[Geew1992]

 

[Geew1992]

 

[cancontent]

I think the urgency to move the Sun out of Connecticut has ramped up. That has to happen ASAP.

A rebuilding year isn't justification to move a team. They've been successful there even with their shortcomings. If that were the case, Indiana should have moved years ago while they were floundering.

 

[cancontent]

Not surprised by this one bit. Even if they hadn't landed who they have in free agency.

 

[baggerbob]

Yea, but more draft opportunities for kids leaving college. Some of the least mentioned sometimes turn out to really shine in the pros. Also there'd be a big influx of foreign players.

There are a lot of foreign players who don't come because tha salaries are so low. With the new contract boosting salaries, and the new Universal league more of them will come to play.

 

[ConnMotors]

I think the urgency to move the Sun out of Connecticut has ramped up. That has to happen ASAP.

Thought that I said something similar to this earlier.

 

[Stagnant]

A rebuilding year isn't justification to move a team. They've been successful there even with their shortcomings. If that were the case, Indiana should have moved years ago while they were floundering.

there is going to be a collective bargaining conversation. and one of the main things players will seek is franchise investment. arenas, practice facilities, etc. Those things will become huge. And Connecticut will be a problem during that conversation. I thought they were in trouble and needed to move the team even bringing back the roster from last year. Now they are in full on tank mode. They are going to present a terrible product. And no free agents will want to go there. Probably ever again tbh.

Move the team. The WNBA should hit the owners hard and use all levers at their disposal to make it happen.

 

[hoopsdiva]

A rebuilding year isn't justification to move a team. They've been successful there even with their shortcomings. If that were the case, Indiana should have moved years ago while they were floundering.

The problem isn't that it's a rebuilding year. The problem is that they can't attract anyone to rebuild with or keep anyone to rebuild around.

 

[Stagnant]

This isn't a rebuilding year. This is a rebuilding decade. Poor Juju. Poor Lauren Betts. Poor Hannah Hidalgo. Maybe poor Sarah Strong. Lottery picks will be forced to go there. Even though that franchise is frankly no longer operating (maybe they never were) in good faith.

 

[Dillon77]

Not surprised by this one bit. Even if they hadn't landed who they have in free agency.

A rebuilding year isn't justification to move a team. They've been successful there even with their shortcomings. If that were the case, Indiana should have moved years ago while they were floundering.

Tend to agree.
Bonner is what -- 37? Jones had been cored before and was going to test the market. The big decision came with AT. They cored her and decided to get something (anything?) back.

As for Carrington, there's probably a lot behind closed doors we don't know about in terms of whether she asked out to be with her partner, Smith.

Long story short: they're doing a total rehaul. I think they've got to make a big move to get Meesseman; otherwise it will be long year.
Let's see who they get in the rest of the free agency period, including folks to fill out the roster; then see what they get in the draft.

 

[Dillon77]

This isn't a rebuilding year. This is a rebuilding decade. Poor Juju. Poor Lauren Betts. Poor Hannah Hidalgo. Maybe poor Sarah Strong. Lottery picks will be forced to go there. Even though that franchise is frankly no longer operating (maybe they never were) in good faith.

And you're basing this "lack of good faith on....?" The situations that just unfolded? Can you please spell out some bullet points that back up your blanket statement?

My only pointed criticism with the Sun is that they either didn't construct a contract and/or let Steph White walk away from a contract for absolutely nothing. Something should've been gained by that and, frankly, I don't care if there were personal reasons involved for White wanting to be in Indiana. She's jetting around the country doing work for ESPN in the off-season.

 

[Stagnant]

I think if you don’t have a plan to build a practice facility, you don’t deserve to have a future in this league. I don’t like the idea of radically different pro experiences depending on what team you are on.

Every week a new city is showing enthusiasm about adding a wnba franchise. Tennessee, Portland, etc. but the league shouldn’t over expand imo. Instead the league should come up with guidelines that must be followed by every franchise. If CT or Atlanta or someone else fails to meet those guidelines; there will be some grounds to force a sale.

I also don’t love the location for the sun. If the franchise were in Hartford, I would feel better about their ability to remain viable.

 

[Stagnant]

Also, to shift gears and talk about what I really meant to talk about. The trade activity by Dallas really solidifies the notion that they won’t trade the number one pick. You don’t move around all of these separate pieces if you are going to move the #1 pick. Moving the #1 pick first would have been the priority.

 

[Dillon77]

I think if you don’t have a plan to build a practice facility, you don’t deserve to have a future in this league. Every week a new city is showing enthusiasm about adding a wnba franchise. Tennessee, Portland, etc.

I also don’t love the location. If the franchise were in Hartford, I would feel better about it’s ability to remain viable.

Second point first:
- As noted more thoroughly in a previous post, that franchise was saved (bought and moved) to eastern Connecticut, pairing it with the casino. That's how "well" women's basketball was not doing at the time.
Could they play in a stronger area such as Hartford, Providence or Boston? Maybe. But Washington, Atlanta and Dallas aren't maximizing their city affiliations very well now.
- As @cancontent has noted, the Sun are not the only franchise without dedicated practice facilities: Chicago, Los Angeles...come on down. And a lot of the other franchises just finished/firmed theirs up.

The owners do have a choice to make, which is to up investment and make dedicated practice facilities.

Me thinks the results of the renegotiated CBA might put leverage on that, move to another city or sell. We'll see. Stay tuned.
I'm still interested if Meesemann comes over....

 

[cancontent]

The problem isn't that it's a rebuilding year. The problem is that they can't attract anyone to rebuild with or keep anyone to rebuild around.

Yet. If memory serves correct, this is the first time they've had to do a major revamp in a long time. While the franchise has a lot of faults/weakspots, there are other franchises who have been in similar situations that have been able to turn it around.

It wasn't long ago that Atlanta wasn't attractive to players with the previous ownership group. They're still a long ways away from being on par with other teams with respect to arena size, facilities, etc. Look who they landed this season.

Give the new front office and Morgan Tuck a chance to put something together.

 

[Stagnant]

I am very down on the franchise, but yes. There will be a collective bargaining agreement and that will be Connecticut’s opportunity to decide what they want to do.

 

[cancontent]

I am very down on the franchise, but yes. There will be a collective bargaining agreement and that will be Connecticut’s opportunity to decide what they want to do.

Agreed. If things continue to persist, it's a different story. For me, it's too soon to say the franchise needs to move when a new front office has to establish their long term plan.

 

[GoChips20]

Props to Atlanta for making moves, but is anybody curious how Griner and B. Jones are going to fit together? Both play as paint-bound posts more often than not. Griner has actually shown a nice three in the past but you don’t stick 6’9” on the perimeter for extended stretches.

It’s very possible that Jones fills in as an excellent backup off the bench, but it just seems like an odd pairing to me especially if Charles returns. Add to that that Smesko has never really had a dominant big in his system, let alone two. I’m curious to see how it all fits together. Atlanta’s probably not in title contender territory with NY/Vegas/Minnesota returning their cores but the team potential is high for sure.