WNBA Thread - Post Olympics

[nwhoopfan]

Haven't seen it mentioned, Cunningham rockin' a Metallica t-shirt on the bench was an interesting look.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I rewatched the second half, and this post gives a hugely exaggerated impression of what she did.

She was somewhere near midcourt and, yes, her mouth was moving — briefly. But she wasn't in anyone's face, she wasn't gesturing, and it's not even clear whether she was looking at any of the Aces players at the time. From what we could see on camera, she could've just as easily been looking into the crowd. And even if she was looking at someone, there's no way they or anyone else could hear what she was saying.

As others have noted, the instructions from Laimbeer, clearly, were to bump her early and often. Two seconds of indistinct jawing at the buzzer is, under the circumstances, a whole lot of nothing. Spare me.

Oh, that's a surprise, you disagree with me. Not the first and certainly won't be the last time. Carry on.

 

[Rooster C.]

A few observations. Teams often take on the personality of their coaches, hence the physical play of Vegas and the blaming of his players for not being mentally tough enough afterward.

Vegas had to know they needed to stop either Taurasi or Griner. They did stop Taurasi for most of the game but great players rise to the occasion. Griner, who has been inconsistent throughout most of her career was consistently an unstoppable force throughout these playoffs.

Guard play had a lot to do with which team won in the end for the playoffs. Connecticut should have addressed their lack of solid guard play during the off-season as that's what hurt them in last year's playoffs. They didn't and it came back to bite them. Vegas has a solid group although somewhat inconsistent in their performance. Williams is the proverbial streaky hot/cold shooter. She needed to shoot more in that last game to get going as Taurasi did.

Finally, there is a reason why Taurasi and Parker are such great players even when they're not having the greatest of games for three quarters. They have that innate ability to "will their teams to victory" even when the other team may have more talent overall.

 

[Dillon77]

I have to disagree with you here.

I really admire Jackie Young’s play but her stock and trade is out-physicaling (if there is such a word) other players. You say she beats people to the spot; I say she’s allowed stuff in the league which could be called on her regularly.

But for my part, I hope that Jackie finds a better team for herself, one where team play is emphasized more.

I think you and I might have a slightly different idea on what constitutes physical play . I never said she wasn't physical: she has elements of that to her play, particularly in her ability to take it to the hoop and her success in the paint. However, I also think she has quickness, hops and a finely honed set of technical skills. This, after all, is still the leading scorer in Indiana HS history.

(That said, this is coming from a guy who once was a fairly quick wing with hops who now plays power forward in senior leagues. I'm used to the wrestling that takes place in the paint.)

You and I, however, are in complete agreement in hoping that she can find a team where she can get back to fully integrated team play.

 

[Plebe]

Some players are ready for Game 5 and others not so much. Hardly noticed that Wiliams was even on the court. Young struggled offensively and took some questionable shots.

Plum is a keeper. Would love to see her on the Storm.

In watching the replay, the one player who really stuck out to me as having a terrible Game 5 was Cambage. Missed numerous layups at point blank. Even on the critical play where she was blocked by Taurasi, she should've scored on the putback, but missed.

 

[FanFromMaine]

I think you and I might have a slightly different idea on what constitutes physical play . I never said she wasn't physical: she has elements of that to her play, particularly in her ability to take it to the hoop and her success in the paint. However, I also think she has quickness, hops and a finely honed set of technical skills. This, after all, is still the leading scorer in Indiana HS history.

(That said, this is coming from a guy who once was a fairly quick wing with hops who now plays power forward in senior leagues. I'm used to the wrestling that takes place in the paint.)

You and I, however, are in complete agreement in hoping that she can find a team where she can get back to fully integrated team play.

It’s the wrestling out front that caught my attention between DIana and Jackie.

I have no problem with players who use their athleticism. Kelly Faris, another Hoosier, is my all-time favorite Husky. She had preternatural physical ability and used it to out-quick bigs and flatten out guards. I recently found a video on YouTube of the 2006 IHSAA class final in Kelly’s first high year. Unbelievable maturity...

And obviously Diana is no shrinking violet. Whether Jackie chose bump-and-run on her own or from her coach’s demand is unknown to me. And sometimes Diana does blow up from the constant pounding. But she always gives as good as she gets. My sense is that Jackie was not prepared for mental as well a physical reply Taurasi would bring.

But this is all speculation on my part...

 

[GoChips20]

In watching the replay, the one player who really stuck out to me as having a terrible Game 5 was Cambage. Missed numerous layups at point blank. Even on the critical play where she was blocked by Taurasi, she should've scored on the putback, but missed.

Do agree with this. Cambage is an enigma to me. She really should be nearly as dominant as Griner but is a far cry more often than not. Another poster here nailed it when they said she seems to lack the overall physical and mental toughness to be the lynchpin of a championship team.

 

[Kaizen]

I cannot open the WNBA Final thread, both Google and MS Edge:
Oops! We ran into some problems. | The Boneyard (the-boneyard.com)

 

[LoTrader]

How does the Aces defender slack off DT and leave her open for the killer 3? Fight over the screen, or anticipate the screen. Stick to her like glue.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I read elsewhere that Cunningham is not on the injured list for today, so she should be available.