WNBA Rookie of the Year Race

[easttexastrash]

Does anyone think that Prahalis is in the discussion? She is averaging 11.1 points and is 2nd in the league with 5.5 assists per game. Has Phoenix found its PG of the future? Those are pretty darn good numbers from a player that I'm not sure many expected much out of in her first year.

 

[HuskyNan]

Does anyone think that Prahalis is in the discussion? She is averaging 11.1 points and is 2nd in the league with 5.5 assists per game. Has Phoenix found its PG of the future? Those are pretty darn good numbers from a player that I'm not sure many expected much out of in her first year.

Sammy's game - and her mindset - are perfect for the WNBA. Lots of crowd pleasing flash and sizzle and enough talent around her so that she doesn't need to single-handedly deliver victories. She's not the only one thriving in the pros after a college career that might not have panned out according to expectations.

 

[easttexastrash]

Sammy's game - and her mindset - are perfect for the WNBA. Lots of crowd pleasing flash and sizzle and enough talent around her so that she doesn't need to single-handedly deliver victories. She's not the only one thriving in the pros after a college career that might not have panned out according to expectations.

I agree. She is much more suited for the open style of the WNBA than the confines of a college offense.

I just have to wonder how much better Rutgers could have been if CViv knew how to run a free-flowing offense. There are a number of ex Rutgers players playing well in the WNBA.

 

[EricLA]

Sammy's game - and her mindset - are perfect for the WNBA. Lots of crowd pleasing flash and sizzle and enough talent around her so that she doesn't need to single-handedly deliver victories. She's not the only one thriving in the pros after a college career that might not have panned out according to expectations.

Charde Houston is another player who is perfect for Phoenix's style of play.

as for the ROY "race", i imagine it will come down to a choice between Nneka, Nneka or Nneka. if they have an "all rookie" team or something named, i'm sure we could find 4 other players, but if there ever was a year where only 1 rookie truly stood out above all others, this would be it... Even last year Adams gave Maya a run for her money. Had Danielle not been injured, she might have won it over Maya if their stats had stood the same at the time of Danielle's injury...

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Sammy's game - and her mindset - are perfect for the WNBA. Lots of crowd pleasing flash and sizzle and enough talent around her so that she doesn't need to single-handedly deliver victories. She's not the only one thriving in the pros after a college career that might not have panned out according to expectations.

Have to disagree, having seen her in person this weekend.

Prahalis cannot create off the dribble in halfcourt sets. Kristi Toliver was able to bother her defensively, and Toliver is about as close to a defensive stalwart as IceBear and Kibitzer are to Lady Vols fans!

Prahalis was able to score against LA, mainly because she was bringing the ball up the court in transition and pulling up (or using a screen). There were times Bonner had to bring the ball up the court because Prahalis simply could not against players like Alana Beard.

Prahalis has great vision (that was evident as she through a behind the back pass for a cutter that led to the layup in transition). But she is not someone who can run a pick-and-roll. Frankly, she needs more upper body strength. She has tons of heart and passion, which are great qualities. But even with the return of Taurasi, Taylor, and Dupree, she needs to be able to create off the dribble when necessary and be a better/more consistent shooter.

Now, she may be asked to do less with Taurasi and Taylor, both of whom are great creators/facilitators. If that is the case, she will be fine as long as she works on strength and shooting. But on a bad team or even a mediocre team, she needs to be able to do more.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Charde Houston is another player who is perfect for Phoenix's style of play.

Yes and no. She is good at getting to the rim, when she wants to. But her mind drifts quite often and she falls in love with her outside shot.

Also, in Phoenix' system, it is not just about running. It is about passing. For the past few years, Phoenix has had three players who average between 4 and 5 assists per game; most WNBA teams had only one (or in some cases, none). She needs to understand how to be efficient when the ball is not in her hands.

As an aside, watching Phoenix play LA in person this weekend, it was pretty evident that Phoenix is missing three things:

1) Star players due to injury. Taylor, Taurasi, and eupree were all nursing injuries.

2) Shooting. Bridget Pettis is no longer and assistant coach, and the shooting problems were readily apparently. Bridget is a great shooting coach. I know this first hand, as I worked with her for two years, as did Ben York (Slam Magazine) and Alex Chambers (who documented his journey of following all WNBA teams a few seasons ago and whose book is now available for purchase). Apparently, Bridget works with a lot of teenage African-American girls and Caucasian males in their mid-30s. Since she turned 40, however, Bridget has made several life changes, and is no longer coaching, whether privately or with the Mercury. She is writing a book and doing charitable work. And the Mercury's shooting is suffering as a result.

3) Strength and conditioning. Wow, several of the Mercury's players (Houston, Grey-Lawson, etc.) looked overweight and out of shape. And several need to work on upper body strength to finish shots (Prahalis, Krystal Thomas, Avery Warley, etc.).

 

[Kibitzer]

Toliver is about as close to a defensive stalwart as IceBear and Kibitzer are to Lady Vols fans!
In my wildest dreams I never thought that Lady Vols fans ever considered me to be a defensive stalwart. Of course, I am sure that they evaluate Padre and I differently.
Prahalis has great vision (that was evident as she through a behind the back pass for a cutter that led to the layup in transition).

Must have been a fantastic pass that she through.

(OK, Cam, back to that day job in the Greasy Spoon Restaurant!)

 

[easttexastrash]

3) Strength and conditioning. Wow, several of the Mercury's players (Houston, Grey-Lawson, etc.) looked overweight and out of shape. And several need to work on upper body strength to finish shots (Prahalis, Krystal Thomas, Avery Warley, etc.).

Sounds like Phoenix needs a better strength and conditioning coach.

 

[Goodies07]

Prahalis has been better than I expected her to be, but the ROY award is and will be Nneka's to lose. But to be leading the entire league in assists as a rookie on a depleted team is nothing short of impressive. She's got work to do but the talent is clearly there. Can she overcome her adversities in regard to size is the question.

 

[meyers7]

Prahalis cannot create off the dribble in halfcourt sets. Kristi Toliver was able to bother her defensively, and Toliver is about as close to a defensive stalwart as IceBear and Kibitzer are to Lady Vols fans!

You didn't really need to add "to Lady Vol fans".

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Glory Johnson is also having a good rookie season (11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg).
Not as good as Nneka, but pretty good.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

I don't get much info on the WNBA here in Tampa Bay (if it is not the Bucs, Lightning or Rays...it doesn't exist).How are the Sun doing??

 

[ed4ourgirls]

I don't get much info on the WNBA here in Tampa Bay (if it is not the Bucs, Lightning or Rays...it doesn't exist).How are the Sun doing??

Leading the East with a 9 and 3 record at the moment. For standings, stats, etc., see
wnba.com.

 

[Icebear]

Prahalis cannot create off the dribble in halfcourt sets. Kristi Toliver was able to bother her defensively, and Toliver is about as close to a defensive stalwart as IceBear and Kibitzer are to Lady Vols fans!

Cam, you have to give warnings on something like that. I almost choked on my coffee.

 

[Husky4Life]

I believe Nneka has Rookie of the Year written all over her. Her transition from college to the pros appear seamless. In my opinion, she doesn't even play like a rookie.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Some of the rookies are doing quite well, but Nneka is in a class by herself. I think she's had maybe 2 off-games, one around the time of graduation. But she's had about 4-5 great games, and the rest were very strong. On some nights, she looks like the best player on the team. But when Candace goes off for a stat line of 33, 15, 8, 5, and 2, Nneka looks like the second best player.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Cam, you have to give warnings on something like that. I almost choked on my coffee.

Something like the handle for the BY newbie: Fighting a Choke.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Leading the East with a 9 and 3 record at the moment. For standings, stats, etc., see
wnba.com.

Thanks...I miss the CT Sun....(BTW, is the Mural of Jen Rozotti and the other Blizzard Player still up on the G.Fox building?)