WNBA players have spoken: Taurasi is the GOAT

[Plebe]

Some of the highlights:

• Best player of all time: Taurasi
• Who would you pick if building a roster from scratch: Taurasi (close runners-up: EDD and Stewie)
• Most overrated: Candace Parker (whoa)
• Talks most trash: Taurasi

 

[ScottCT]

I'm definitely picking stewie first if I'm starting from scratch even after her injury.

 

[Orangutan]

Taurasi as who you'd pick first when starting a team from scratch is interesting.

To me, *right now* Delle Donne is the easy answer.

If Stewie's 100% it's probably her.

Peak Taurasi? Absolutely. 2019 Taurasi? No way. 2018 Taurasi when she had her best season in 5 years or so? Not for me, but there's no one you'd rather have in a big-game than a dialed-in Taurasi.

Can she get back to that 2018 level again? I wouldn't bet against her but Father Time is undefeated, too.

 

[Blueballer]

Taurasi as who you'd pick first when starting a team from scratch is interesting.

To me, *right now* Delle Donne is the easy answer.

If Stewie's 100% it's probably her.

Peak Taurasi? Absolutely. 2019 Taurasi? No way. 2018 Taurasi when she had her best season in 5 years or so? Not for me, but there's no one you'd rather have in a big-game than I dialed-in Taurasi.

Can she get back to that 2018 level again? I wouldn't bet against her but Father Time is undefeated, too.

Did the poll specify if "Picking to start a team" encompassed "All time" or just right now? That's the key to me. But I don't think I could go with DD in any case because of the ocassional flare-up of the lyme disease and other injury history. On average she misses too many games in the course of a given season. To me that type of thing has to factor in.

 

[UConnCat]

Some of the highlights:

• Best player of all time: Taurasi
• Who would you pick if building a roster from scratch: Taurasi (close runners-up: EDD and Stewie)
• Most overrated: Candace Parker (whoa)
• Talks most trash: Taurasi

Whoa is right

 

[Orangutan]

Honestly, if we're focused in the present - Candace is a great answer for most overrated. She really hasn't been all that special this year. When the Sparks were last here in Chicago, she was actively bad.

On the other hand:


I was at this event. I wish I could remember who the other one that said Candace was besides Cheyenne Parker.

Of interest to UConn fans:

• Dolson said she looked up to Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki
• Gabby said Tamika Catchings and ? (some NBA player but I forget)
• Lou said Larry Bird and...Sloot at Gonzaga (maybe true but also an effective rib to make Sloot feel old)
• Allie Quigley said Taurasi (who isn't actually that much older than Quigley)
• Vandersloot said Sue Bird.

 

[Plebe]

Candace when she heard she was voted most overrated:

 

[EricLA]

I couldn't read the article - not only wanted an email (which i can make up), but also a credit card. no thanks.

Hard to argue with any of the choices, especially since they were chosen by WNBA players. The fact that they chose Parker as most overrated speaks volumes about how she's viewed in the league, and I, for one, love it.

 

[JordyG]

Clearly Parker being voted as most overrated has to do with something other than talent, because LadyVol or not that woman in her prime was was a baller.

 

[WNBA 09]

Candace overrated seems personal. Most transcendent player in the league this past decade!

 

[Plebe]

Candace overrated seems personal. Most transcendent player in the league this past decade!

In which league? Because definitely not the WNBA.

 

[Orangutan]

 

[McFly]

Clearly Parker being voted as most overrated has to do with something other than talent because LadyVol or not that woman in her prime was was a baller.

Might have something to do with her seeming selective use of her talent, i.e. not always giving 100%. Or just might reflect the number of UConn grads in the league.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Some of the highlights:

• Best player of all time: Taurasi

All-time? They haven't seen the greats of yesteryear. They don't know. Is D's defense worthy of the GOAT? Even Sue Bird questioned D's defense. If D is now, she won't be when Stewart calls it quits. Stewart is now the greatest college basketball player - ever - hands down. 4x MOP, 3x POY, driving force for 4 NCCA championships

 

[intlzncster]

Stewart is now the greatest college basketball player - ever - hands down. 4x MOP, 3x POY, driving force for 4 NCCA championships

She's got the accolades to be sure. But she also played with far more talent (one of if not UCONN's best PG ever) throughout the entirety of her career than Taurasi. DT's final two years won't be replicated I don't think.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Candace Parker, like a certain Big from Australia, just may be too much work to be around, especially when that place does not revolve around her. Lots of very, very skilled atletes are like that. I suspect, without knowing of course, that that had everything to do with her being left off the Rio Olympic team and all sorts of rumors swirled around her and the London team. Short answer, as suggested above, is that the players have spoken ...disagree as some are wont to do., but we weren't asked.

After the shock of not being selected she said she'd never play for the USA program again. Maybe she has had a change of heart, because ... check this out: Candace Parker says people root against Team USA because they are too dominant

"Now that Parker has put that quote out there, she better hope the women’s team delivers in 2020. Anything less than a gold medal is a major disappointment. Based on Parker’s comments, even a win by a small margin would be an embarrassment."

Or maybe no change of heart, just a Candace attention getter and a bit of a bird sent USA Basketball's way??

 

[geneticrex]

D..........................in her prime, is the GOAT.

What she did as a pro, with the national team, in college (her last 2 titles were over the top), were legendary and when it came down to crunch time, forget about it. She made the other 4 players on the court, better, while the opposing 5, feared her.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[EricLA]

Candace Parker, like a certain Big from Australia, just may be too much work to be around, especially when that place does not revolve around her. Lots of very, very skilled atletes are like that. I suspect, without knowing of course, that that had everything to do with her being left off the Rio Olympic team and all sorts of rumors swirled around her and the London team. Short answer, as suggested above, is that the players have spoken ...disagree as some are wont to do., but we weren't asked.

After the shock of not being selected she said she'd never play for the USA program again. Maybe she has had a change of heart, because ... check this out: Candace Parker says people root against Team USA because they are too dominant

"Now that Parker has put that quote out there, she better hope the women’s team delivers in 2020. Anything less than a gold medal is a major disappointment. Based on Parker’s comments, even a win by a small margin would be an embarrassment."

Or maybe no change of heart, just a Candace attention getter and a bit of a bird sent USA Basketball's way??

I don't agree with her comment that the USA could put 3 teams together and they would sweep the medals. 12 players per team. Even the 2nd 12 might not get a medal - certainly not silver going up against France, Australia, Spain, etc. IMHO USA team 2 would probably finish 3rd or 4th and USA team 3 somewhere in the 6-8 range.

 

[bbsamjj]

Interesting thought experiment Eric. For the sake of the argument, let's say the 12-person team USA brings to the Olympics next year is:

(Not including Maya Moore at this point, who would obviously make the team if she's available. Vandersloot alas plays for the Hungarian national team)
1. DT
2. Bird
3. EDD
4. Fowles
5. Nneka
6. Gray
7. Wilson
8. Skylar (all of the first 8 have contract with USA basketball)
9. Griner
10. Stewart
11. Charles
12. Angel

Who could make the second team?

1. Natasha Howard
2. Chiney (replaced Candace Parker, assuming she's done with USA basketball)
3. DeWanna Bonner
4. Elizabeth Williams
5. Alyssa Thomas
6. Napheesa Collier
7. Jewell Loyd
8. Kayla McBride
9. Diamond Deshields
10. Jasmine Thomas
11. Sabrina Ionescu
12. Courtney Williams

That's a REALLY good team, that I think could easily compete for a silver medal (and give the first team a very good game)

Here also are some players not on either team (and many of these you could easily make the second team): Arike, McCowan, Tiffany Hayes, Quigley, Chiney, Sims, Canada, Plum, Dolson.

 

[UConnCat]

Candace Parker, like a certain Big from Australia, just may be too much work to be around, especially when that place does not revolve around her. Lots of very, very skilled atletes are like that. I suspect, without knowing of course, that that had everything to do with her being left off the Rio Olympic team and all sorts of rumors swirled around her and the London team. Short answer, as suggested above, is that the players have spoken ...disagree as some are wont to do., but we weren't asked.

After the shock of not being selected she said she'd never play for the USA program again. Maybe she has had a change of heart, because ... check this out: Candace Parker says people root against Team USA because they are too dominant

"Now that Parker has put that quote out there, she better hope the women’s team delivers in 2020. Anything less than a gold medal is a major disappointment. Based on Parker’s comments, even a win by a small margin would be an embarrassment."

Or maybe no change of heart, just a Candace attention getter and a bit of a bird sent USA Basketball's way??

Parker must have forgotten the semifinal game against Australia in the 2012 London Olympics. Can't blame her.

She has it in for USA Basketball and wants to diminish its accomplishments. Pretty transparent.

 

[UConnCat]

Interesting thought experiment Eric. For the sake of the argument, let's say the 12-person team USA brings to the Olympics next year is:

Who could make the second team?

1. Natasha Howard
2. Candace Parker (if she wasn't "done" with USA basketball)
3. DeWanna Bonner
4. Elizabeth Williams
5. Alyssa Thomas
6. Napheesa Collier
7. Jewell Loyd
8. Kayla McBride
9. Diamond Deshields
10. Jasmine Thomas
11. Kristi Toliver
12. Courtney Williams

That's a REALLY good team, that I think could easily compete for a silver medal (and give the first team a very good game)

Here also are some players not on either team (and many of these you could easily make the second team): Arike, McCowan, Tiffany Hayes, Quigley, Chiney, Sims, Canada, Plum, Dolson,

Let's replace Parker (done) as well as Bonner and Toliver (ineligible) with players of your choosing. If this 2nd team were to represent USA in the 2020 Olympics how would the team do?

 

[Plebe]

Parker must have forgotten the semifinal game against Australia in the 2012 London Olympics. Can't blame her.

She has it in for USA Basketball and wants to diminish its accomplishments. Pretty transparent.

One would think her memory would work better. She's also apparently forgotten that she herself was on the last U.S. team to lose a major international competition, at the 2006 World Championships.

 

[bbsamjj]

I missed that Toliver is ineligible, is Bonner? Will replace Toliver with Ionescu, since I think this team needs another PG, and Parker with Chiney.