WNBA thread

[ochoopsfan]

Did Stokes go back to turkey? She isn’t on the roster

Think she was cut from Turkeys final roster. She wasnt there today

 

[ochoopsfan]

Here is another basket, in the paint.....and 1

 

[ochoopsfan]

Here is another basket, in the paint.....and 1

I believe Seattle calls the above play "UConn". Lou inbounds to Stewie, who passes to Bird, who passes back to Lou, who posts up Tiffany Mitchell, and makes the basket.

 

[KY Card Fan]

Hines-Allen knee injury. MRI today. Hoping for the best.

 

[bbsamjj]

Hines-Allen knee injury. MRI today. Hoping for the best.

DC just can't catch a break. Plaisance did her best Tina Charles impression last night though and Atkins was on FIRE, and they snuck out a win over Atlanta.

 

[eebmg]

Good comeback win for Lynx over Dallas. Naphessa was her steady self and getting into All WNBA form but the most pleasant surprise was McBride looked confident and proficient. And Fowles is back to her All Star self.

 

[Dillon77]

Good comeback win for Lynx over Dallas. Naphessa was her steady self and getting into All WNBA form but the most pleasant surprise was McBride looked confident and proficient. And Fowles is back to her All Star self.

K-Mac was in "buckets" form: 6-10 overall, 3-6 from three and 7-7 from the line, which is always a good sign when she's getting to the line.

What the Lynx (also) did really well was play defense: they held Dallas to 73 points, well under the Wings' average. And Dallas had come off an extended, successful road trip. Kudos to Lynx and Coach Reeve for pulling in the wagons and getting it right.

 

[baggerbob]

Good comeback win for Lynx over Dallas. Naphessa was her steady self and getting into All WNBA form but the most pleasant surprise was McBride looked confident and proficient. And Fowles is back to her All Star self.

Dallas has Arike, and Indiana has the Mitchell's, they are coach killer's, who have grown up taking any shot they want. Arike was lucky she won something, because she played with so many good unselfish players at Notre Dame and won a Championship.

 

[GoChips20]

DC just can't catch a break. Plaisance did her best Tina Charles impression last night though and Atkins was on FIRE, and they snuck out a win over Atlanta.

Is there an active player in the league more improved from college to pros than Atkins? She’s been a terrific player in the league.

 

[Dillon77]

Dallas has Arike, and Indiana has the Mitchell's, they are coach killer's, who have grown up taking any shot they want. Arike was lucky she won something, because she played with so many good unselfish players at Notre Dame and won a Championship.

Sigh. I just came in from a perfectly beautiful Friday afternoon to see this unsubstantiated slam. Not that it's anything new, but I thought it was worth bringing up some facts from Arike's collegaite carrer that demonstrate tat Arike, far from being a drag on her teammates, was a key cog of that ND team and that the team had a very successful run during her four years there.

- 15-16. 33-2 (94% winning pct.). Lost to Stanford in NCAA 90-84. Didn't start. Avg. 11.4 ppg (43% overall, 39% from 3)
(This was the game where Karlie Samuelsson slammed the door on an Irish comeback.)
- 16-17. 33-4 (94%) Lost to Stanford in Elite 8, 76-75. Started all year. Avg. 15.9 ppg. Shot 45% overall and from 3.
(Arike took and missed/got blocked last shot in Stanford game. Terrific game.)
- 17-18. 35-3 (92%) Beat UConn & MSU en route to NCAA Title. Started all year. Avg. 20.8 on 44% overall, 38% from 3.
(This was the year ND basically rode 6 players from 1/4 mark of the season. Season she hit the two last-second shots)
- 18-19. 35-4 (90%) Beat UConn in NCAA semi &lost to Baylor in title game. Started all year. Avg. 21.8 ppg on 45% &36%.
(AO missed front end of 2 FTs in 82-81 loss. 3-pt. % was probably down because Marina Mabrey, if you recall, missed first 6 or 7 games and Arike was playing PG, shooting guard and filling Mabrey's long-range threat.)

To state the obvious, Arike didn't seem to hinder the overall Irish team:

• Well over 90% winning pct. Coach killers usually lose a bunch of games. Didn't happen often -- in fact, I went out of my way to show that Arike giveth and sometimes taketh away. You ride a person that wants the last shot.
• Marike, like Jewell Loyd, gave Coach McGraw that "I'll take the shot" persona. Last I checked, UConn had it's share of these players, too.
• The only element of Arike's game that consistently drove McGraw Bench devotees crazy is when she got frustrated offensively, she'd drag back to her place in the 2-3 zone. And when she did it consistently, McGraw took her out. Lesson learned, but not for long: McGraw needed her the last two years.

As for the pro game, Brian Agler and the Dallas Wings parted ways, but that seemed to be for a variety of reasons related to a very young Wings team. Coach Johnson is stressing that the team needs to continually play more for each other. Interestingly, the player she cited initially for this point was Allisha Gray (and pointed to the 3x3 tournament as perhaps a reason).

Johnson seems to have her hands on the steering wheel. Let's see how Dallas progresses before Ms. Johnson comes or goes. In either case, I'm sure Arike's unselfsih Dallas teammates can bail her out.

 

[Orangutan]

Is there an active player in the league more improved from college to pros than Atkins? She’s been a terrific player in the league.

Alternatively, is there a player who was used more poorly in college than Atkins?

She went from a below-average college coach to arguably the best coach in the WNBA.

 

[Orangutan]

Dallas has Arike, and Indiana has the Mitchell's, they are coach killer's, who have grown up taking any shot they want. Arike was lucky she won something, because she played with so many good unselfish players at Notre Dame and won a Championship.

The Mitchells are so far from being the problem in Indiana that's not even funny. They are the only thing that gives that team even a modicum of hope. That and the one good game in 3 that McCowan plays before underwhelming again.

As for Arike, it's pretty funny to say that Arike was "lucky" to win something when she was unambiguously the focal point of that National Championship team.

 

[SCspur]

The Mitchells are so far from being the problem in Indiana that's not even funny. They are the only thing that gives that team even a modicum of hope. That and the one good game in 3 that McCowan plays before underwhelming again.

As for Arike, it's pretty funny to say that Arike was "lucky" to win something when she was unambiguously the focal point of that National Championship team.

Both could be All Star caliber guards in the right system. Instead they’re rotting away their careers in Indy. Very sad to see. Arike is arike. She was the scoring champ last year for a reason. I’m really liking her passing and willingness to give up the ball this year, but I also don’t mind her shooting more either.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

There will never be many good things to say about Arike from some participants here even if she improves her shooting percentage and wins a championship. I have as much of a reason to dislike the girl as some on this board by virtue of one of the clutch shots that cost what will likely be the closest MSU gets to a NC in men's or women's basketball but I don't. She's Russell Westbrook of the women's game. She will win you a lot of games and cost you others. Not everyone likes Westbrook, and I get it, but few can deny he's one of the greats in the NBA. The same goes with Arike.

 

[baggerbob]

There will never be many good things to say about Arike from some participants here even if she improves her shooting percentage and wins a championship. I have as much of a reason to dislike the girl as some on this board by virtue of one of the clutch shots that cost what will likely be the closest MSU gets to a NC in men's or women's basketball but I don't. She's Russell Westbrook of the women's game. She will win you a lot of games and cost you others. Not everyone likes Westbrook, and I get it, but few can deny he's one of the greats in the NBA. The same goes with Arike.

Yes Arike is a very talented player, but they are ways she could be so much better. With a good coach she will figure it out. In a system like Seattle or Minnesota she would thrive.

 

[GoChips20]

Alternatively, is there a player who was used more poorly in college than Atkins?

She went from a below-average college coach to arguably the best coach in the WNBA.

That’s very true, and to be fair to Atkins, her college stats were much better than I recalled. I checked after my original post.

 

[eebmg]

In a system like Seattle or Minnesota she would thrive.

Please don't put that out into the Universe.

 

[eebmg]

Chicago looked good fighting back over the Sun. Vandersloot is a hoot.

Lisa Leslie doing Analysis. Good Listen. Showed Doug Bruno in the Audience.

 

[Orangutan]

Another typically great game from Sloot today. She makes the points/assists double-double look so routine.

Hebard and Stevens were huge off the bench with Parker and Dolson struggling a bit.

Hebard and Sloot have remarkable pick and roll chemistry.

 

[wolfe613]

every mystics player better buy Tina Charles dinner, dominated

 

[Hayven]

Minnesota is down to Dallas at the half 35-55. Everything going on for Dallas, while Minnesota can’t buy a bucket.

 

[baggerbob]

Minnesota is down to Dallas at the half 35-55. Everything going on for Dallas, while Minnesota can’t buy a bucket.

Arike had 5 assists, and only taken 10 shots, that's the way to play.

 

[Orangutan]

Mabrey 28 points in 18 minutes.

She had cooled off the last few games. Not tonight!

 

[GoChips20]

Mabrey 28 points in 18 minutes.

She had cooled off the last few games. Not tonight!

On 13 shots! Damn!

 

[undersized]

Awak Kuier for Dallas scored her first ever WNBA field goal late in the fourth quarter. I can't wait to see her development!