WNBA

Regardless of what we may think of the rule, the sanctity and integrity of The Sacred Stanchion must be protected at all times, for it is holy and holds The Blessed Hoop, from which all Points come. As a great man once said, "contrary to popular belief, the rules were NOT made to be broken!"

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Granted, I am not a rules specialist, but I am not aware of any specific rule that states a player shall not hit the "Stanchion". There are rules though for hanging on the rim, etc.
 
Granted, I am not a rules specialist, but I am not aware of any specific rule that states a player shall not hit the "Stanchion". There are rules though for hanging on the rim, etc.
I would think an off balance player especially a robust one running into a Stanchion would be a greater risk than just an everyday slapper.
 
Okay why not let them slap the stress away as long as they aren't delaying the game. If they do hurt the padding just send them a hefty bill. Based on their pay they cant aford a technical to often and the endangered goal post things will be protected better than they are by the technicals.
Granted, I am not a rules specialist, but I am not aware of any specific rule that states a player shall not hit the "Stanchion". There are rules though for hanging on the rim, etc.
I'm not an official either, I didn't write the rulebook, and I haven't studied it. If it's unclear, I'm definitely being very facetious about the sanctity of the stanchion and all that. As I have said before, I couldn't care less if Caitlin or anybody else decides to have an MMA fight with the stanchion, and I have zero opinion on any rule about mistreating it, if such a specific rule exists.

All I know is that other players have gotten techs for hitting the stanchion in anger, or doing other similar things to/with the scorers' table, the ball, and other inanimate objects. Caitlin is absolutely not alone in that regard. Last I heard, from one of the commentators, I believe, they consider such actions disrespecting or being disrespectful to the game, hence the techs. Nobody has to like it or agree with it, and again, I have no opinion on it, but girls gettin' T'd up for it, so clearly it violates a rule somewhere.

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I'm not an official either, I didn't write the rulebook, and I haven't studied it. If it's unclear, I'm definitely being very facetious about the sanctity of the stanchion and all that. As I have said before, I couldn't care less if Caitlin or anybody else decides to have an MMA fight with the stanchion, and I have zero opinion on any rule about mistreating it, if such a specific rule exists.

All I know is that other players have gotten techs for hitting the stanchion in anger, or doing other similar things to/with the scorers' table, the ball, and other inanimate objects. Caitlin is absolutely not alone in that regard. Last I heard, from one of the commentators, I believe, they consider such actions disrespecting or being disrespectful to the game, hence the techs. Nobody has to like it or agree with it, and again, I have no opinion on it, but girls gettin' T'd up for it, so clearly it violates a rule somewhere.

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Ok, glad we got that straightened out. :) There are no specific rules about hitting the Stanchion. It is just that the WNBA Refs consider it disrespectful to the game.
Lets move on to some other more interesting topic like Wilson having a year that probably has never been seen before. :)
 
Ok, glad we got that straightened out. :) There are no specific rules about hitting the Stanchion. It is just that the WNBA Refs consider it disrespectful to the game.
Lets move on to some other more interesting topic like Wilson having a year that probably has never been seen before. :)
Yo, we are too passionate about this game. We really just had an in-depth roundtable discussion about actions detrimental to stanchions. :XXROFL:

I've said it before, but A'ja reminds me so much of Tim Duncan. On the court, she's all business, no flash or razzle dazzle, just effectiveness, buckets and defense. Off the court, she has a similarly playful sense of humor.

If I had more free time, I would be following the Las Vegas Olympic Team, for her, Kelsey Plum, and Big Hustle, Megan Gustafson (and Coach Hammon), but one team that likes to start slow (Connecticut) is more than enough. Those slow, lackadaisical starts drive me nuts.
 
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On the subject of rules that may or may not exist, I have both heard and used the term "over the back" for years and years, but there's actually no over the back foul/rule in basketball.

What gets mistakenly called by fans (and even some announcers!) as over the back fouls are simply fouls where illegal contact is made by a player who just happens to be standing behind another player while both are going for a rebound. You're perfectly allowed to stand behind another player and go over their back to try to grab a rebound as long as no illegal contact is made.
 
That Sparks/Sun game last Sunday was good, one of those games where the final score doesn't tell the story. It was close, physical, and gritty throughout. The Sparks actually led for most of it, until the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, when the Sun finally took over.

Rickea Jackson is already a good scorer and will be a star in this league if she stays healthy. She was fun to watch on both sides of the ball, with some crafty moves on the offensive end and impressive stops on the defensive end.

I was impressed with Li Yueru off the bench for the Sparks, too. She came in and grabbed a bunch of boards quickly, did a good job defensively against a tough, physical team, and even made a 3, which I already knew that she can do, having used her in the 2K games. I was surprised when the commentators said that it was only her third 3 of the season. I would assume that she hasn't taken many.

The Sparks are only down in the standings because of the injury bug. They're gonna be a fun young group to watch once they're all healthy again, hopefully next season.
 
Aliyah Boston is a darn good passer. She had 6 assists against the Wings and almost every game Boston is making some nice passes.

Hull needs to shoot the 3 when she is open. She passed up way too many shots for the 3 against the Wings.

Agree that Debbie Antoinelli is one of the better announcers to listen to.
 

And NaLyssa Smith, don't forget her. I was surprised that Rickea Jackson didn't get T'd up for doing the same thing last Sunday.

Could be that profanity was uttered in Caitlin's and NaLyssa's cases. Or it could just be that the refs are inconsistent and do whatever the heck they want depending on how they feel on any given day, like I've said before.

In fairness to DT, she gets T'd up all the time, so it'll balance out in the end. I could be wrong, but I believe she has been suspended multiple times over the course of a single season for techs. :lol2:
 
According to this article, the fouls acquired resets with the playoffs.


Still, Caitlin needs to get her temper in check during the playoffs. Contrary to what the Chicago Sky keep saying, Caitlin doesn't have the "Special Whistle" that A'ja Wilson gets.
Caitlin is 6th in the entire league in fouls drawn per game (4.5) while A’ja is 1st (6). Doesn’t really seem all that crazy to me considering how much time Wilson spends in the paint and that she takes the most shots in the league. And you would expect someone who’s more a jump shooter to get fouled less. Bottom line is they both excel at drawing fouls.

Yes, she needs to cool it sometimes. You can’t crash out every time something doesn’t go your way.
 
I like Aliyah Boston and the way she carries herself. She comes across to me as a quiet but fierce competitor on the court and a humble sweetheart off the court. This is such a precious little moment. 🥹

 
The second Sparks/Sun game was pretty entertaining for a blowout. It was another super physical game, as is always the case with Connecticut, but there were plenty of smiles from the players while it was going on. Marina's three point contest had me cracking up laughing. She was just making everything. It was nuts.

A.T. almost had another triple-double after getting one in the previous game against the Sparks. She's a really fascinating player to watch, just a complete unicorn, as the announcers said - a big, physical, pass-first power forward. As much as I enjoy watching the Sun play defense, I love watching A.T. run the offense. It's insane that she's playing this game at such a high level with two torn labrums, which is why she doesn't lift her arms much on shots. She's just soldiering on, playing through the pain, and will get them fixed after her basketball career is over. That's wild.

I like the Sparks' Azura Stevens after using her in 2K25 the other day. She's a good veteran big who can play the traditional post up game or stretch out and hit threes on you. She had a great individual game. She was working hard and had 9 rebounds by the end of the first quarter. She finished with a double-double, 17 boards and 10 points. Like I said before, I'm looking forward to the Sparks hopefully getting everyone back next season. They’re growing on me.

Just started Wednesday's Fever/Aces game, and Coach Hammon already has me dying laughing, calling a timeout 30 seconds in, after the Fever have scored a whopping 5 points. She learned well from ol' Pop in San Antonio. I've always gotten a kick out of those quick timeouts.
 
Both Fever/Aces games were good. The first game was just a perfect storm for Indiana in terms of things that could go wrong. Caitlin couldn't find her shot, Lexie picked up three fouls early, Boston fouled out, and there were some bad/questionable calls being made that benefited the Aces. After that Pop time out at the beginning of the game, the Aces' bench came in and did a really good job of getting them going.

The Fever did better in the second game in terms of staying out of foul trouble, and they kept it close. As muggle alluded to, they missed a ton of free throws as a team, free throws that could have won them the game. Gotta tighten that up, but to be fair, they're far from the only ones who need to tighten that up. Either way, they again fought hard against a great team that is gearing up for another championship run.

I've been using the Aces in 2K25 lately, so they've been growing on me. I love A'ja Wilson's all around game and her confident swag, I love Kelsey Plum and her competitiveness, I've always dug the veteran Alysha Clark's 3 and D, and Megan Gustafson has been a sentimental favorite of mine since the first time I watched her come off the bench earlier this season and bring the energy and hustle. I see you hittin' from outside, too, Megan. ^_^

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I think Courtney Williams enjoys playing basketball as much as I enjoy watching her and the Minnesota Lynx play basketball. This wasn’t all Courtney did in the game against the Sky a few days ago, but it's a nice little montage. That play at around the 30 second mark in this clip was so sick. ^_^

 
It looks like the Fever will meet the Sun in the playoffs, which means its time to hate on the state of Connecicuit.

Except I can't think of anything to hate. It's Connecticut. Aside from Stafford and Thompson, what even is that state?

Anyway, one regular season game left and the playoffs. LFG! #FeverRising
 
Just checked the standings and saw that Washington, Chicago, and Atlanta are all tied for the 8th spot. That's wild.

Really looking forward to tonight's Minnesota/Connecticut game, which I will obviously see sometime after tonight. I can't recall having watched them play at all this season.
 
My favorite part of that Indiana/Dallas shootaround was Teaira McCowan lurking creepily at the edge of the tunnel after she got ejected with barely any time left on the clock. (She picked up a second tech after wrestling with Boston in the post. Boston always fights really hard for post position.)

They kept a camera on Teaira the whole time and kept cutting back to her, so she eventually waved at it. I lost it. :XXROFL: :XXROFL:



 
It looks like the Fever will meet the Sun in the playoffs, which means its time to hate on the state of Connecicuit.

Except I can't think of anything to hate. It's Connecticut. Aside from Stafford and Thompson, what even is that state?

Anyway, one regular season game left and the playoffs. LFG! #FeverRising
There’s still a chance Vegas get the 3 seed if they beat Dallas and the Sun lose to the Sky. IMO, Connecticut is a much better matchup. Indiana just can’t seem to get over that Aces hump. The Sun are by far the most vulnerable of the top four teams.
 
There’s still a chance Vegas get the 3 seed if they beat Dallas and the Sun lose to the Sky. IMO, Connecticut is a much better matchup. Indiana just can’t seem to get over that Aces hump. The Sun are by far the most vulnerable of the top four teams.

Indiana's best chance of beating Las Vegas was last Wednesday in that poorly officiated game. And, yes, I still blame the refs for that one. They were not going to let Indiana get back in it.

I think this is a very good team, but they need to get a big, physical player or two up front. I really wish they could save Kamilla Cardoso.
 
I think this is a very good team, but they need to get a big, physical player or two up front. I really wish they could save Kamilla Cardoso.
The Fever frontcourt players might not be as tall as anomalies like Griner and Cardoso, but ain't no shrimp in that frontcourt, dawg. Be patient and let the 6'5", 220 lb. Aliyah Boston continue to come into her own as a star. She is very physical. She wrestles, claws, and scraps for every inch in the low post the whole time she's out there, on both ends.

Now, could they be a little more physical as a group? Sure, and I would love to see it, but that doesn't really fit with the Fever’s run-and-fun Showtime in Splashtown identity right now. They're the polar opposite of a Minnesota or Connecticut, who are gonna slow it down, grind it out, body everyone else up, and push them around. That's not their style.
 
I like a balanced front line where one player primarily handles the scoring load and the other primarily handles the dirty/cleanup work, so I actually like the Boston and NaLyssa Smith combo. (NaLyssa was my early favorite Fever player for a little bit, until Lexie Hull stole my heart. Like FL alluded to earlier, I think the Fever need a SG/SF who can back up Lexie when she gets in foul trouble or just needs to rest.)

I also think that Damiris Dantas was an excellent pickup for Indiana. She fits perfectly in that system, a big who has the size to body up with other bigs and can stretch out to the three point line on the offensive end.
 
I think the team and NaLyssa Smith would both like to part ways, but she’s under contract for next year. I’m not sure she’s much of a trade asset nor do I think she would be much of a target for Golden State in the expansion draft, but we still don’t know what the rules for that will be (i.e. how many players each team will be allowed to protect).

Satou Sabally would probably be the best fit at the 4 but I think Dallas is going to try to ‘core’ her. In some ways the team is hamstrung by the front office decisions that have kept them at the #1 pick three years in a row…they are not a well-run franchise and have some deadweight contracts heading into next season. Fortunately everything more or less resets after 2025, minus CC and AB on their rookie deals.
 
The Fever frontcourt players might not be as tall as anomalies like Griner and Cardoso, but ain't no shrimp in that frontcourt, dawg. Be patient and let the 6'5", 220 lb. Aliyah Boston continue to come into her own as a star. She is very physical. She wrestles, claws, and scraps for every inch in the low post the whole time she's out there, on both ends.

Now, could they be a little more physical as a group? Sure, and I would love to see it, but that doesn't really fit with the Fever’s run-and-fun Showtime in Splashtown identity right now. They're the polar opposite of a Minnesota or Connecticut, who are gonna slow it down, grind it out, body everyone else up, and push them around. That's not their style.

Indiana needs an enforcer on the court. I'd like Cardoso because I think Chicago is going to destroy her career because that franchise is all about "Chi-Town Barbie."

I think the team and NaLyssa Smith would both like to part ways, but she’s under contract for next year. I’m not sure she’s much of a trade asset nor do I think she would be much of a target for Golden State in the expansion draft, but we still don’t know what the rules for that will be (i.e. how many players each team will be allowed to protect).

Satou Sabally would probably be the best fit at the 4 but I think Dallas is going to try to ‘core’ her. In some ways the team is hamstrung by the front office decisions that have kept them at the #1 pick three years in a row…they are not a well-run franchise and have some deadweight contracts heading into next season. Fortunately everything more or less resets after 2025, minus CC and AB on their rookie deals.

I have SERIOUS concerns about NaLyssa Smith heading into the playoffs. She clearly doesn't care, she's a total liability, and I'm very worried how her relationship with Dijonai Carrington is going to affect her play in the first round of the playoffs.
 
Indiana needs an enforcer on the court. I'd like Cardoso because I think Chicago is going to destroy her career because that franchise is all about "Chi-Town Barbie."



I have SERIOUS concerns about NaLyssa Smith heading into the playoffs. She clearly doesn't care, she's a total liability, and I'm very worried how her relationship with Dijonai Carrington is going to affect her play in the first round of the playoffs.
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I was with you for maybe a second, and then you just completely lost me with this take. What is this? :lol2:
 
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I was with you for maybe a second, and then you just completely lost me with this take. What is this? :lol2:

Between the way Smith's been playing, and the fact that they're against the Sun first round, I have concerns.

I hope Smith gives it her all out there. Dijonai Carrington has made it clear what she thinks of Caitlin Clark and I just hope Smith is there for her team when push comes to shove.
 
Between the way Smith's been playing, and the fact that they're against the Sun first round, I have concerns.

I hope Smith gives it her all out there. Dijonai Carrington has made it clear what she thinks of Caitlin Clark and I just hope Smith is there for her team when push comes to shove.
NaLyssa isn't a flashy player. She does the dirty/cleanup work, which tends to go unnoticed but is important. She's been missing free throws, yes, but like I said earlier, she's not the only one who needs to tighten up in that regard, and she's been working on it.

I'm not sure what on earth her relationship with DiJonai Carrington has to do with anything. She's a professional like all the rest of them. Stop. :lol2:
 
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