WNBA thread

[Kaizen]

Sabrina is great but at times she scares me with high risk plays.

Totally agree. When she is good she is really good.

 

[Argonaut]

 

[DeeHusky]

I’ve been impressed with what Jazmine Jones has been able to do with the minutes that she’s been given in her time in the league. Made the all-rookie team last year and is averaging 10.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg in 21 min this year. When the liberty drafted all those rookies last year: Jones, Walker, Shook, Odom, Willoughby I didn’t expect her to stick and she made me a believer. Has a chance to be the sixth woman of the year if she can beat out Plum and Hamby in Vegas or Mabrey in Dallas

 

[eebmg]

Probably one of those " I cant deal with playing with losers like you" deals.

She actually seemed to be much more in control of her game. I saw the first half of the Vegas game and she seemed to be much better at attacking the rim than trying some of her ill conceived 3pt shots. Great finisher and improved passer it seemed to me.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Carter is a talented player who is still maturing to put it mildly. A quick glance of the ATL roster shows they have Carter, Courtney Williams, Sims and Aari McDonald. That's a crowded backcourt even with Tiffany Hayes out with injury.

ATL may be forced to ship Carter elsewhere for some help down low. The Dream haven't had any hype since McCoughtry left town and maybe the leadership was planning on Carter being the face. Now there are new people in charge who may see things differently.

 

[cancontent]

Probably one of those " I cant deal with playing with losers like you" deals.

She actually seemed to be much more in control of her game. I saw the first half of the Vegas game and she seemed to be much better at attacking the rim than trying some of her ill conceived 3pt shots. Great finisher and improved passer it seemed to me.

From what I've gleaned through Twitter posts, it could be more than just Carter. This season has been a rollercoaster from all areas. I'm not sure if this dysfunctional situation is related to just one player.

 

[Skins87]

I’ve been impressed with what Jazmine Jones has been able to do with the minutes that she’s been given in her time in the league. Made the all-rookie team last year and is averaging 10.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg in 21 min this year. When the liberty drafted all those rookies last year: Jones, Walker, Shook, Odom, Willoughby I didn’t expect her to stick and she made me a believer. Has a chance to be the sixth woman of the year if she can beat out Plum and Hamby in Vegas or Mabrey in Dallas

Good point but I think it's Brionna Jones award to lose

 

[bbsamjj]

Carter is a talented player who is still maturing to put it mildly. A quick glance of the ATL roster shows they have Carter, Courtney Williams, Sims and Aari McDonald. That's a crowded backcourt even with Tiffany Hayes out with injury.

ATL may be forced to ship Carter elsewhere for some help down low. The Dream haven't had any hype since McCoughtry left town and maybe the leadership was planning on Carter being the face. Now there are new people in charge who may see things differently.

The thing is, the Dream have the potential to be a very good team, and at the very least, super fun to watch. A backcourt of Carter, Williams, Hayes, Sims, McDonald could be the quickest and in fact deepest in the league. They want to play fast, pressure you into turnovers, and put a ton of pressure on the ball.

But while C. Williams is having a great season, Hayes and Carter have only played 5 games together due to injuries (btw, they're 4-1 in those 5 games). The teams has lost twice to Minnesota by 2pts, both games where they gave up big leads. You get the sense there is something off with the team/culture, but I also think they are a couple breaks away from being .500 and squarely in the playoff hunt.

 

[DeeHusky]

Good point but I think it's Brionna Jones award to lose

Brionna Jones is a starter. She wouldn’t be eligible; maybe most improved player but I would go with her teammate Jonquel Jones or Betnijah Laney for that award

 

[bbsamjj]

My current leaders for most improved are Mabrey and B. Jones; Nia Coffey should be in consideration but her stats aren't big enough to win.

Both Betnijah and Jonquel have elevated their games to the next level, but both were very good before this season. I do wonder if anyone, in any sport, has won the MIP two years in a row, as would be the case for Laney if she won it again. On the same token, has anyone even won an MIP an MVP in the same year, which Jonquel could do?

Plum/Hamby/Mabrey would all be good for sixth woman of the year (though Dallas tinkers with its lineups enough that I could see Mabrey back as a starter at any point). Quigley is a good option here too. I wonder if Plum/Hamby split the Vegas votes which leads to another winner.

 

[DeeHusky]

Also like Sami Whitcomb for MIP

 

[DeeHusky]

New York will be really good next year if everyone returns plus Asia Durr might be back

 

[cancontent]

New York will be really good next year if everyone returns plus Asia Durr might be back

I really hope so. Pulling for her.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

The thing is, the Dream have the potential to be a very good team, and at the very least, super fun to watch. A backcourt of Carter, Williams, Hayes, Sims, McDonald could be the quickest and in fact deepest in the league. They want to play fast, pressure you into turnovers, and put a ton of pressure on the ball.

But while C. Williams is having a great season, Hayes and Carter have only played 5 games together due to injuries (btw, they're 4-1 in those 5 games). The teams has lost twice to Minnesota by 2pts, both games where they gave up big leads. You get the sense there is something off with the team/culture, but I also think they are a couple breaks away from being .500 and squarely in the playoff hunt.

I agree that seems like a talented backcourt on paper but I wonder if there are enough basketballs to go around. The margin for error in the W is so small that a few more bounces one way and a team can get back in contention.

I would see that one of those guards gets traded for a reliable post player who can score. Elizabeth Williams is evidently not that person.

 

[triaddukefan]

 

[oldude]

The conduct detrimental to the team just might be refusing to play in the second half of the game the other night. Add in a reported fight between Carter and Courtney Williams, and media reports that Carter is a “cancer in the locker room” and perhaps ms Carter needs some time away to consider her priorities.

 

[bbsamjj]

I agree that seems like a talented backcourt on paper but I wonder if there are enough basketballs to go around. The margin for error in the W is so small that a few more bounces one way and a team can get back in contention.

I would see that one of those guards gets traded for a reliable post player who can score. Elizabeth Williams is evidently not that person.

Agree, I've long thought they were too "backcourt heavy" though I thought signing Cheyenne Parker in the offseason was a good move for them. Parker has been fine, but not a game changer for them in the post like they may had hoped.

 

[eebmg]

Lynx Finally able to resign Banham.

Lots of Salary cap gymnastics.

For Banham, it was an emotional return. The former Lakeville North and Gophers star understood why she had to be away for a week. But she didn't want the break, and it was especially hard because the Lynx couldn't publicly talk about their plan.

"We all understood the situation, but it's still really hard,'' Banham said. "This is the team I always wanted to play for, be with, be around, represent. It felt weird. It felt wrong. But I had the right people in my corner, on my side. It was only a week. But it felt like forever.''

No more 'major FOMO': Banham glad to be back with Lynx - StarTribune.com

 

[Bigboote]

The conduct detrimental to the team just might be refusing to play in the second half of the game the other night. Add in a reported fight between Carter and Courtney Williams, and media reports that Carter is a “cancer in the locker room” and perhaps ms Carter needs some time away to consider her priorities.

Didn't Courtney Williams and Alex Bentley have a scrap when they were with Connecticut?

 

[eebmg]

Fun watching Dallas deconstruct down the stretch. Nice Arike sandwich smushed between Napheesa and Clarendon. Again, Pheesa played 40 minutes and her game seemed subpar (on the offensive side at least)

 

[ochoopsfan]

DT out tonight for Mercury, with a hip problem.

 

[nwhoopfan]

DT out tonight for Mercury, with a hip problem.

No problem. Aces can't stop Griner or Diggins-Smith, and can't hit anything from the floor. Merc starting to pull away in Q2.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Aces cut an 8 point deficit to 2, then Merc push it back to 7 at the half. Griner and SDS have combined for 34, Cunningham 3-3 behind the arc.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Is Karlie kryptonite for Katie Lou? 10 scoreless minutes in the 1st half for KLS. Karlie has 1 made 3. Storm were up big early, Sparks chipped away a little bit. 9 point deficit at the half.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Aces were playing like hot garbage, down 13. Nothing a little 20-0 run can't cure. Picked up the defensive intensity and energy level. Plum and Hamby off the bench really sparked the rally.