August WNBA thread

[MilfordHusky]

70 points from the UConn 4.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Williams showed again she can score. She just can't do it with any consistency. Stewie is closing out the season strong. This was probably Ezi's best game since being taken out of the starting lineup.

Sloot dropped 28 points to lead all scorers, got a meaningless 3 at the buzzer.

Gabby needs to rely on drives, putbacks, and FTs. But considering the other 4 starters, that’s enough.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Stewie had 25/9/5/1. That helps her MVP candidacy. So does setting the assist record.

 

[eebmg]

Williams showed again she can score. She just can't do it with any consistency. Stewie is closing out the season strong. This was probably Ezi's best game since being taken out of the starting lineup.

Sloot dropped 28 points to lead all scorers, got a meaningless 3 at the buzzer.

Gabby's all around game when she has her confidence is very valuable and that she is a bundle of energy always moving seems pretty motivating. . Only got 3 steals on the box score but I think she had quite a few more tips

 

[baggerbob]

Williams showed again she can score. She just can't do it with any consistency. Stewie is closing out the season strong. This was probably Ezi's best game since being taken out of the starting lineup.

Sloot dropped 28 points to lead all scorers, got a meaningless 3 at the buzzer.

If Gabby can at least play half like that every game it makes Seattle a different team. Tina isn't very good on defense, only an average defender.
Closing out games should go with your best defenders. Need Jewell to give them that kind of game if they want any chance.

 

[eebmg]

Stewie had 25/9/5/1. That helps her MVP candidacy. So does setting the assist record.

Maybe Aja Wilson saw that. She is out of the gate fast with 8 quick pts (2-2 from 3)

 

[nwhoopfan]

Young wants in on the action too. Plum has gone cold recently, but she has 4 assists in the first quarter.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Dream are totally depleted (4 players out currently I think I heard them say) and the Aces are keeping Howard in check...yet Atlanta still giving LV everything they can handle.

Hamby appeared to hyper extend her knee and will not return to the game.

Wilson having another monster game and big games from Young and Gray as well.

Caldwell and McDonald leading the way for ATL.

Vegas by 3 at halftime.

 

[eebmg]

Atlanta dodged a bullet. Looked like Wheeler might have had a severe knee injury knocking knees with Stokes but back in game. And they are very shorthanded to begin with 8 dressed.

Caldwell looks very good. Nice story with a GA graduate making good in Atlanta. Hillman is really a load and Aari is a stud. They will be tough going into the future.

 

[socal613ws]

sorry but the Aces don't impress me, they are struggling again vs an Atlanta team that is 12-13, they already lost to them once at home this season so you would think they'd come out swinging. Kiah Stokes is not a starter, and the bubble has finally popped for Plum. She's a solid player, but she's not a player that is gonna lead a team to a title. Wilson holding down the fort, but she has no help.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Wilson had 18 at the half. She's only scored 2 in about 12 minutes since, and is shooting 5-16. Still has put up 20/10, but not much impact in the 2nd half.

 

[nwhoopfan]

It's Plum time. After a somewhat quiet game, she's suddenly up to 20 pts and 8 assists.

Aces had built a 9 point lead, but Dream erased it immediately and even went up 1. Now LV back up by 4.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Meanwhile Connecticut is killing LA. It was kinda close, then ballooned to a 22 point lead at halftime.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Aces have 4 players w/ 20 or more...and the rest of the team has combined for 9.

Wilson had a big block to seal the win. Coach Wright didn't like, wanted a foul. There was body contact, but Wilson went straight up, and it was clean on top.

97-90 final.

I was really impressed w/ Caldwell. Wheeler and McDonald had good games. Howard scored 14 but only 4-16 shooting.

 

[MilfordHusky]

If Seatle shoots 59/46/100, they are going to win most games.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Man, the stupid producer missed a jump ball between Plum and McDonald because apparently it was more important to show Hammon standing near half court. I wanted to see that. Vegas got possession, but I didn't get to see what happened.

 

[eebmg]

Man, the stupid producer missed a jump ball between Plum and McDonald because apparently it was more important to show Hammon standing near half court. I wanted to see that. Vegas got possession, but I didn't get to see what happened.

Healthy over fast food.

 

[Tangential]

Aces have 4 players w/ 20 or more...and the rest of the team has combined for 9.

Wilson had a big block to seal the win. Coach Wright didn't like, wanted a foul. There was body contact, but Wilson went straight up, and it was clean on top.

97-90 final.

I was really impressed w/ Caldwell. Wheeler and McDonald had good games. Howard scored 14 but only 4-16 shooting.

I have sung the praises of Maya Caldwell (as well as Aari, Coach Wright, and mentioned the significance of injuries to Hayes, AD, Billings, Coffey, etc.) multiple times with no response. I even chastised the Dream for not reinstating her 2 or 3 games sooner given their depletion, resulting in losing some winnable games. So, I will ask again. How in a league with only 12 teams and fewer than 144 players does a player like this go under the radar and on the scrap heap in Charlotte for over a month after her eye-opening performance in Dallas (@eebmg did mention at the time), when she is clearly better than IMO 20 players (I previously said a dozen+, but am expanding the list which includes last year's #1 overall and one current UCONN rookie) and so many teams desperately need bench help (we have mentioned LV before, but AZ with Thomas and others fall in this category -- clear exceptions in Chicago, CT, Washington, etc.)?

You can tell me to slow my roll after only 7 games, I am not saying FIBA should consider her for next month, but she is leading the W in 3pt% (unsustainable) and her EFG% & TFG% would be in the top 10 with the requisite number of games -- just that she would have made a better 8th player for many teams. Aari even said that she thought someone else would steal her during this time period. Full disclosure: her stats at UGA were very pedestrian for a shooting guard trying to make the W and I was surprised that she was even drafted 33 last year. But she put in a solid performance overseas (like Gardner), and showed the ability to crack a roster during her 1st stint.

It was also surprising to see Odyssey available as well. Good pickup by Connecticut to have a solid 3 player bench.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

I couldn't agree more about Caldwell, she should have been on somebody's roster and it's me angry yet again on Vegas not making any roster changes this season. I would have easily cut
Sheppard ,Colson or even Plaisance for a bench player like her .

 

[eebmg]

I have sung the praises of Maya Caldwell (as well as Aari, Coach Wright, and mentioned the significance of injuries to Hayes, AD, Billings, Coffey, etc.) multiple times with no response. I even chastised the Dream for not reinstating her 2 or 3 games sooner given their depletion, resulting in losing some winnable games. So, I will ask again. How in a league with only 12 teams and fewer than 144 players does a player like this go under the radar and on the scrap heap in Charlotte for over a month after her eye-opening performance in Dallas (@eebmg did mention at the time), when she is clearly better than IMO 20 players (I previously said a dozen+, but am expanding the list which includes last year's #1 overall and one current UCONN rookie) and so many teams desperately need bench help (we have mentioned LV before, but AZ with Thomas and others fall in this category -- clear exceptions in Chicago, CT, Washington, etc.)?

You can tell me to slow my roll after only 7 games, I am not saying FIBA should consider her for next month, but she is leading the W in 3pt% (unsustainable) and her EFG% & TFG% would be in the top 10 with the requisite number of games -- just that she would have made a better 8th player for many teams. Aari even said that she thought someone else would steal her during this time period. Full disclosure: her stats at UGA were very pedestrian for a shooting guard trying to make the W and I was surprised that she was even drafted 33 last year. But she put in a solid performance overseas (like Gardner), and showed the ability to crack a roster during her 1st stint.

It was also surprising to see Odyssey available as well. Good pickup by Connecticut to have a solid 3 player bench.

I am not sure what Caldwell's training camp experience was? Was she invited to a camp? Her GA offensive numbers were not spectacular (30% 3, 40% overall efficiency) so it is hard to guess what turns a good but not great college player into a bona fide WNBA player. I suppose her run in the SEC tournament was her best of her college career. More power to the underdogs who supersede expectations.

 

[Tangential]

I am not sure what Caldwell's training camp experience was? Was she invited to a camp? Her GA offensive numbers were not spectacular (30% 3, 40% overall efficiency) so it is hard to guess what turns a good but not great college player into a bona fide WNBA player. I suppose her run in the SEC tournament was her best of her college career. More power to the underdogs who supersede expectations.

Drafted 33 by the Fever (the same year they selected Gondrezick 4th) and not surprisingly cut. Atlanta's final cut this training camp when they decided to go with an extra front court player.

Caldwell never averaged double digits ppg, poor shooting and 3 pt %, and unspectacular rebounds, assists, steals totals. Spot on regarding the tourney and I love a good underdog story too.

There is precedent in both the NBA & WNBA. Gardner is one that I mentioned shooting 35, 41, 43% and averaging no more than 7.9 ppg her 1st 3 years, before having a slight breakout Sr. year (still shot 26% from 3 that year). I know they aren't completely analgous because Gardner has a much longer book on her post-college, but there are other examples.

 

[Tangential]

I couldn't agree more about Caldwell, she should have been on somebody's roster and it's me angry yet again on Vegas not making any roster changes this season. I would have easily cut
Sheppard ,Colson or even Plaisance for a bench player like her .

Absolutely

 

[bbsamjj]

I'm not an expert at all on WNBA roster/salary cap by any means, but I think biggest issue is that as with any league, the WNBA is not an open tryout for the best 144 players. You need to be the right player, at the right time, on the right team. There are at least a dozen or more players who could be on WNBA teams who are not for whatever reason, and maybe 10 players on active rosters who you wonder why they are still hanging around. Plus, there's no G-league/farm system in the WNBA for teams to keep tab on players and continue to develop them. You're in or youre out.

That being said, Atlanta seems to be the home of a A LOT of players who may have been lost in the shuffle on other teams. Like Caldwell and Gardner, Wheeler had an average at best college career, went undrafted, before becoming a WNBA all star. Kristy Wallace was injured when drafted in the second round, not anywhere close to a household name. People wondered if Hilmon could make it in the league, now she's starting and doing a pretty solid job. Three years ago Atlanta was the team that discovered Laney could shoot.

On that note...Tanisha Wright for COY.

 

[Tangential]

I'm not an expert at all on WNBA roster/salary cap by any means, but I think biggest issue is that as with any league, the WNBA is not an open tryout for the best 144 players. You need to be the right player, at the right time, on the right team. There are at least a dozen or more players who could be on WNBA teams who are not for whatever reason, and maybe 10 players on active rosters who you wonder why they are still hanging around. Plus, there's no G-league/farm system in the WNBA for teams to keep tab on players and continue to develop them. You're in your out.

That being said, Atlanta seems to be the home of a A LOT of players who may have been lost in the shuffle on other teams. Like Caldwell and Gardner, Wheeler had an average at best college career, went undrafted, before becoming a WNBA all star. Kristy Wallace was injured when drafted in the second round, not anywhere close to a household name. People wondered if Hilmon could make it in the league, now she's starting and doing a pretty solid job. Three years ago Atlanta was the team that discovered Laney could shoot.

On that note...Tanisha Wright for COY.

Been vouching for Wright for weeks (T Hayes played 11 games this year) -- probably needs to make the playoffs, which will take a win vs. the Liberty. Really like her subbing a player out, having a 50 second individualized teaching moment, and immediately reinserting that player back in.

TR-P (undrafted like Wheeler) averaged 9.3 ppg on 34.5 FG% & 16.9 3% in college and started 155 of 250 games averaging 20.5 minutes/game in the W.

 

[Tangential]

Speaking of the Dream, Howard will undoubtedly win ROY in unanimous or unanimous•ish fashion. I do not think she deserves it -- based on advanced metrics (especially shooting, defense, & production per minute) and my eye test. I think we will see this player pass her SEC conference mate, Howard, in the future (not to the same extent that Aari has surpassed her PAC 12 conference mate, Onyenwere, already) and become an all-star caliber force. I'm interested in @TerpWomenFan opinion for obvious reasons (college & pro perspective).

Disclosure: I thought that Nalyssa would win ROY, but I failed to take into account (amongst other things) her highly physical, nonstop high energy exertion for both a shorthanded Baylor squad and then with the Fever after a quick turnaround, seemed to wear her down a bit.