WNBA

[Mr. Gregory]

Who else but Marina Mabrey… @Mr. Gregory ’s favorite messy bun sticks the dagger in Indiana’s season with 45 seconds left. Can never afford to leave her that open.

I peeked at the score, was pleased to see that the Fever apparently adjusted and made a game out of it, and then cheated and tuned in right at that moment. Literally, the second the game popped up on YouTube TV, Marina was spotting up and shooting that 3. I was like

Fever fans should be proud IMO. Great season for them after being stuck in the doldrums in the recent past. They have some things to work on in the off-season like plenty of other teams, but they're a plucky young squad that is well ahead of schedule. Patience. Their future is bright.

I'll continue to watch and enjoy the playoffs, but if this thread dies, which would be pretty sad...it's been contentious at times, due in large part to the natural misunderstandings that come with talking to people online, but it's been fun, gentlemen.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

I look for the Fever to sign Willma Laimbeer next year as the starting thug. She will suplex the competition seven ways to Sunday and they will win many championships.

Aww yeeuh, best believe somebody goin' to Suplex City next season fo' sho'.

 

[muggle not]

And now time to watch this thread die … until Caitlin Clark returns to the court next spring that is.

Nope, not yet. There will be some good games in the playoffs. I watched the Liberty clinch the first round and really like their team, all of them.

 

[muggle not]

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Looks like a flagrant foul to me, a reckless closeout. The defensive player has to allow the shooter to land safely. I've seen it called as a flagrant all throughout the regular season, including in favor of Clark once or twice.

The rules were recently changed to make it a flagrant foul because regardless of intent, it's obviously dangerous. You can literally break someone's ankle(s)/leg(s) doing that.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Nope, not yet. There will be some good games in the playoffs. I watched the Liberty clinch the first round and really like their team, all of them.

I've certainly got nothing bad to say about the SuperLiberty. This may be common knowledge to others, but I just read this lengthy but good ESPN piece from 2023 about how the squad came together.

Boat rides in Turkey, whiteboards in New York: How the Liberty built a superteam

They already had Sabrina Ionescu. Then New York added Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot and Jonquel Jones in three weeks.

www.espn.com

 

[muggle not]

I've certainly got nothing bad to say about the SuperLiberty. This may be common knowledge to others, but I just read this lengthy but good ESPN piece from 2023 about how the squad came together.

Boat rides in Turkey, whiteboards in New York: How the Liberty built a superteam

They already had Sabrina Ionescu. Then New York added Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot and Jonquel Jones in three weeks.

www.espn.com

Amazing how the team was put together. Ownership and management of the team is to be envied. As I stated previously, I like every player on the team. I am amazed that they were able to get Jones from the Sun. The Liberty has one heck of a good team. I like them.

 

[Kiante]

And now time to watch this thread die … until Caitlin Clark returns to the court next spring that is.

For you, I'll keep enjoying the playoffs.

Also, if that was Diana Taurasi's last game. It's been amazing watching her play for two decades in the WNBA. Just an amazing talent in the WNBA and overseas.

Probably the greatest pure scorer that the league has had. She wasn't coined the White Mamba for nothing.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Amazing how the team was put together. Ownership and management of the team is to be envied. As I stated previously, I like every player on the team. I am amazed that they were able to get Jones from the Sun. The Liberty has one heck of a good team. I like them.

Yeah, that was actually an interesting three team trade between New York, Dallas, and Connecticut. New York gave up something - Natasha Howard, Rebecca Allen, the rights to Crystal Dangerfield, and the draft pick that eventually became Haley Jones (who I like) - to get something - JJ and Kayla Thornton, both of whom I also like. This was how Ty Harris ended up in Connecticut.

Liberty acquire '21 MVP Jones in 3-team trade

Jonquel Jones, the 2021 WNBA MVP, was traded from the Sun to the Liberty in a three-team trade.

www.espn.com

 

[FLRacingFan]

This may be too little too late.

They’ve allowed this crap against Caitlin Clark AND Angel Reese all year and their refs practically encourage it. All while there has been constant condemnation of Caitlin Clark fans whenever Dijonai Carrington, who has stoked these flames more than anybody in the WNBA, demanded it.

It didn’t do any good when Engelbert gave that horrible interview on CNBC earlier this month when she kinda framed white/black as “rivalry”.

 

[FLRacingFan]

I kept Lynx/Mercury on in the background after the Indiana game last night. Like I said down the stretch run, I didn’t want to get Minnesota and they showed why again last night. Phee Collier is something special. Tied the single-game playoff record with 42 points last night and set the two-game playoff record with 80 points across both games in the series.

 

[FLRacingFan]

I peeked at the score, was pleased to see that the Fever apparently adjusted and made a game out of it, and then cheated and tuned in right at that moment. Literally, the second the game popped up on YouTube TV, Marina was spotting up and shooting that 3. I was like

She’s dangerous…CC was pressed when she saw her wide open and had to close out.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

She’s dangerous…CC was pressed when she saw her wide open and had to close out.

OG boo-boo! Let's go!

She obviously had way too much time on that one, but she's got a quick trigger, man.

Like I've said before, sports are fleeting. I don't know if Connecticut will win it all this year or how long the other key players plan to stick around in the future, so I'm just gonna enjoy Marina with this group while I can. I just think that she's in a great situation and is living her best basketball life right now. I'm so happy for her.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

It didn’t do any good when Engelbert gave that horrible interview on CNBC earlier this month when she kinda framed white/black as “rivalry”.

It’s bad in that regard. On both sides of this, bad actors have used this to push racial and political agendas.

Caitlin Clark is the only person who has stepped up.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Other players and people associated with the league have stepped up, too. Speaking out is obviously nothing new for them. It's never too late for a full court press against the dumb trolls and their toxic isms.

WNBA players and union speak out against commissioner after she failed to condemn fan racism

WNBA players and their union spoke out against Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s recent comments on a TV show that failed to condemn racist and bitter criticism from fans toward the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry.

apnews.com

WNBA and players condemn racist abuse as Caitlin Clark’s Fever lose in playoffs

Indiana Fever’s defeat to the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA playoffs was marred by racist abuse around the game

www.theguardian.com

 

[Hotrod]

After 1 season Sky coach is gone. 13-27 was one of their worst seasons ever.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

After 1 season Sky coach is gone. 13-27 was one of their worst seasons ever.

View attachment 80628

Curt Miller got fired from LA, too, apparently. Their teams' respective records were not their fault IMO, but the coaches are always the first to go whenever sports teams do badly, so I certainly can't say I'm surprised, just disappointed.

Not sure what the powers that be in Chicago were expecting after all their stars left, but I think they were doing about as well as could reasonably be expected before the Marina trade, which was always going to hurt them in the short term. After that, the injury/illness bug bit them. It bit the Sparks even harder.

Oh well. This, too, shall pass. I think the Sparks will do better next year if everyone comes back healthy. As for the Sky, they've got a lot more to do than just make a simple coaching change. I love Spoon, as did her players, and I hope she lands somewhere else.

 

[Kiante]

After 1 season Sky coach is gone. 13-27 was one of their worst seasons ever.

View attachment 80628

That's the thing, the Chicago Sky organization has lost so many talented players over the years. Their front office has made a lot of questionable moves, losing players like Candice Parker, Ella Delle Donne, Courtney Vandersloot, and many others.

I'm very unsure of this decision, but it's done now.

 

[muggle not]

The Sky is simply a team in complete disarray which included their coach.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

That's the thing, the Chicago Sky organization has lost so many talented players over the years. Their front office has made a lot of questionable moves, losing players like Candice Parker, Ella Delle Donne, Courtney Vandersloot, and many others.

I'm very unsure of this decision, but it's done now.

Unfortunately, there may be something to what muggle is saying. Sounds like Spoon might have lost the locker room according to this Yahoo Sports piece, citing a paywalled Chicago Sun-Times piece. Regardless, Angel put out a nice heartfelt tweet about Spoon, and I'm sure Chennedy Carter is probably equally upset. I think one year is way too soon to fire a fresh new head coach during an alleged rebuild, but it is what it is.

Any way you slice it, that organization is a hot mess. They've lost all those great players you mentioned, plus Kah Copper, Courtney Williams, and Marina Mabrey. They've now gone through three head coaches in three years. In my opinion, the fish rots from the head down. All these players wouldn't be leaving, asking to be traded, not signing, etc. if a smooth operation was being run.

Sky fire head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after 1 season, and Angel Reese isn't happy

A stunner out of Chicago.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[muggle not]

Weatherspoon completely misused Mabrey and Cardozo in their offense. The direction that the Sky took is puzzling to me unless they only wanted media publicity.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

I started watching the first Sun/Fever playoff game yesterday. Only got through the first quarter and a couple minutes of the second. I couldn't believe that ridiculous first foul call on Boston right after the game started, when she was clearly nowhere near the play. They weren't even gonna review it until Coach Sides used her challenge. I was like "oh, we already startin' off on the wrong foot."

I shared Rebecca Lobo's righteous frustration. No way should a challenge have needed to be wasted on that. That's probably the worst call I've seen all season, but I know the series is still young at this point.

Didn't realize Caitlin got poked in the eye that quickly, either. Seeing it in real time, it looked like a basketball play to me, as both players said afterwards. I've seen it happen plenty of times this season. Definitely should've been at least a common foul, if not a flagrant 1. I guess the refs have switched to the special, quieter playoff whistles.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

Weatherspoon completely misused Mabrey and Cardozo in their offense. The direction that the Sky took is puzzling to me unless they only wanted media publicity.

I’ve said all year I thought Chicago’s main goal was getting Angel her stats so she could win ROTY and there were several games they lost because of it.

 

[Kiante]

I’ve said all year I thought Chicago’s main goal was getting Angel her stats so she could win ROTY and there were several games they lost because of it.

Andy, I seriously need you to reconsider these theories man.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Andy, I seriously need you to reconsider these theories man.

Yo, good luck and godspeed, my dude. Like I alluded to earlier, I've gone through all of the Five Stages of Philosophical Differences on Chicago/Connecticut and have reached Acceptance.

 

[muggle not]

MSN

Aliyah Boston Was Direct About the Indiana Fever's Roster Needs​

 

[muggle not]

MSN

2-Time WNBA All-Star Issues 'Generational' Caitlin Clark Take After Playoff Defeat​

 

[Mr. Gregory]

I agree with this likely paywalled Chicago Tribune column discussing the Spoon firing. Some good analysis here. I didn't know that she was apparently hired by the previous GM, which automatically put her in the hot seat.

Like I alluded to earlier, I think they were doing as well as could reasonably be expected with two rookie bigs, one consistent outside threat, and a freshman head coach. I think they would have made the playoffs if Marina hadn't left and Chennedy and Angel hadn't gotten sick and injured, respectively. They still nearly snuck into the playoffs in spite of all that.

The powers that be in Chicago can rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic, but I think that unless/until something changes at the top of the organization, nothing will change in the long run.

The tailspin for the Chicago Sky continues.

After rumors swirled Thursday on social media, the team officially announced Friday they had fired coach Teresa Weatherspoon less than a year after hiring her.

When Weatherspoon was hired 11 months ago, the Sky had zero draft assets thanks to trades done by former GM/coach James Wade, who abruptly left midseason in 2023 to take a position with the Toronto Raptors.

The Sky also saw veterans from the 2021 miracle championship team such as Courtney Vandersloot, Candace Parker, Allie Quigley and Azurá Stevens leave after the 2022 season. Unable to attract free agents because of a lack of investment in the team’s practice facilities and elsewhere, 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper requested a trade before the 2024 season, leaving guard Dana Evans as the longest-tenured player on the team. Evans also requested a trade before this year’s Olympic break but later decided to ride out the season.

With first-year coach Weatherspoon at the helm, the Sky navigated an exciting but tumultuous season almost from the start. Roster construction was always an issue, and the team was never really whole thanks to injuries, illness and once again a needed player, Marina Mabrey — who hit a game-deciding 3-pointer for the Connecticut Sun in Wednesday’s playoff game — demanding a trade.

The Sky went 3-13 after the Mabrey trade, often looking helpless as they tried to battle back in games they were simply outmatched in. Weatherspoon, who was bothered by the losing, sometimes appeared emotional postgame, a sign she desperately wanted to right the ship. But she should get credit for her role in the developing star rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso and facilitating Chennedy Carter’s breakout season after the guard’s year away from the WNBA.

While the Sky certainly should’ve won some close games and making the playoffs should’ve been a lock, is one season enough for a rookie coach with that roster?

Weatherspoon played the cards she was dealt, and her dismissal is just another head-scratching decision by a team that continues to languish at the bottom of a quickly growing league.

While her firing may seem like an answer for the Sky, it’s just an example of the organizational incompetence that has persisted for years — a dysfunction with which fans of other Chicago teams have become quite familiar.

Full piece here, if you can read it:

Column: Firing Teresa Weatherspoon is just another head-scratching decision by the Chicago Sky

While Teresa Weatherspoon’s firing may seem like an answer for the Chicago Sky, it’s just an example of the organizational incompetence that has persisted for years.

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[muggle not]

Liberty beat the Aces in game 1 of the playoffs. The Liberty play awesome together as a team.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

I'm almost through the Sun/Fever first round series. Just one quarter left. In the first game, the Fever were missing everything, even the open looks they were getting, and the Sun were making everything, hence the Sun blowout. The second game has kinda been the opposite and has therefore been a lot closer. The refs are still screwing up, and those quiet playoff whistles are in full effect. It's been weird to see the happy-go-lucky Erica Wheeler suddenly taking on the enforcer/goon role and pushing everybody around.

Marina's doing her thing on the offensive end, but I have to say, she's a better defender than I realized. She's generally not gonna outrun whoever her matchup is, but she's got the size to body up with them, and she has that competitive dawg mentality that all of the Sun players have. I see her busting her butt and getting stops like the rest of them. She's a perfect fit for that team as it is currently constructed.

Shout-out to the Backcourt Burglar, Veronica Burton, who has been on my All-Hustle First Team along with Megan Gustafson and Lexie Hull for a while now. She's a backup point guard who went from being waived by Dallas, who drafted her, to becoming a key reserve for Connecticut. She's a really good defender, a hustler, and an unselfish, pass-first point guard who can also score when her number is called. I always enjoy watching her play.

 

[StandOnIt]

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Finally got done watching the Sun/Fever first round series. I replayed Marina's three with 45 seconds left four or five times. What a moment. I felt that celebration.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I would love to know what the heck was going on during that Fever possession in the middle of the fourth quarter where Fagbenle was backing down Alyssa Thomas, as if A.T. didn't have the overwhelming advantage in that matchup.

After trying and failing to get anything going, Fagbenle was looking around for help...and everyone else on the Fever just stood behind her and stopped moving. Kelsey Mitchell actually turned her back and started walking away from the play with three seconds left on the shot clock. I've never seen anything like that before. They just completely left Fagbenle out to dry. The announcers were as flabbergasted/frustrated as I was.

For a while, I felt like Minnesota and Connecticut were my #1 and #2 teams resoectively, but after that series, they're clearly my 1A and 1B. I've probably said this before, but A.T. is an absolute unicorn. I love her, her swag, and her unique blend of unselfish, physical basketball. She's a constant triple-double threat who doesn't care about stats. I just think she's the coolest.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

For a while, I felt like Minnesota and Connecticut were my #1 and #2 teams resoectively respectively, but after that series, they're clearly my 1A and 1B.

I can spell.

 

[muggle not]

Liberty takes game 2 from the Aces. Exciting game as the liberty were only winning by 2 points with 5 seconds left but they added 2 more points to win 86 - 84.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

That's huge for the Liberty and really tough for the Aces. They went from being possibly tied 1-1 to now having their backs against the wall. Gonna be tough to win three in a row against a team that has beaten them twice.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has tied it up 1-1 against Connecticut. Poor Breezy Jones must be hurt. She did something to her shoulder in the Indiana series and has been playing less minutes since then. That's rough for Connecticut. They really need her.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

A weird phenomenon has happened: Ratings have plummeted for the WNBA Playoffs after Indiana was eliminated.

Surprise: The WNBA Has Seen A Massive Decline In Playoff Viewership After Caitlin Clark Was Eliminated

It's a slower Wednesday here at Barstool HQ. There's nothing on television unless you care about playoff baseball, nothing is going on except all Bank of America accounts showing $0, and checking Twit...

www.barstoolsports.com

 

[FLRacingFan]

After trying and failing to get anything going, Fagbenle was looking around for help...and everyone else on the Fever just stood behind her and stopped moving. Kelsey Mitchell actually turned her back and started walking away from the play with three seconds left on the shot clock. I've never seen anything like that before. They just completely left Fagbenle out to dry. The announcers were as flabbergasted/frustrated as I was.

Yeah, that was the possession that really stood out to me live as well (below). It certainly felt like that was a point at which they were giving up, and yet Indiana actually went in their big run almost immediately after that sequence. So in context, it’s just…weird. Who knows if they had bailed Temi out there if they would’ve won in the end. Ah well.

This team, collectively, was not ready for the moment.

That most recent possession where the whole team just stood around watching Fagbenle try to go 1-on-1 in the post with the shot clock winding down was just pathetic.

 

[FLRacingFan]

A weird phenomenon has happened: Ratings have plummeted for the WNBA Playoffs after Indiana was eliminated.

Surprise: The WNBA Has Seen A Massive Decline In Playoff Viewership After Caitlin Clark Was Eliminated

It's a slower Wednesday here at Barstool HQ. There's nothing on television unless you care about playoff baseball, nothing is going on except all Bank of America accounts showing $0, and checking Twit...

www.barstoolsports.com

Caitlin is certainly the primary driver for viewership, but I think the league has to be pretty happy that the semifinal Game 1s were as good as anything they’ve had since 2000. I haven’t seen any numbers from the G2s last night, so hopefully those keep tracking well also.

That said, I wonder if maybe it would be better if there were a concerted effort to wrap up the playoffs by the end of September moving forward. I know the way it’s structured right now is so that a Finals Game 5 ends the season two days before the NBA tip-off night, and so you effectively have pro basketball year-round. But in my amateur opinion it would make more sense not to get lost amongst the MLB Postseason, plus midweek college football debuts each year in October as well.

 

[Mr. Gregory]

Yeah, that was the possession that really stood out to me live as well (below). It certainly felt like that was a point at which they were giving up, and yet Indiana actually went in their big run almost immediately after that sequence. So in context, it’s just…weird. Who knows if they had bailed Temi out there if they would’ve won in the end. Ah well.

Yo, I can't get over that possession, dude. It made no sense. Temi was trying and clearly failing to back down A.T., and they were all just standing behind the perimeter, staring at her. WTF? I was practically screaming at them to move and help her.

I was shocked when Kelsey turned her back on the play and started walking away. I couldn't believe that. I was like "man, with teammates like that, who needs opponents?" Everyone else should have started moving the second Temi lost the ball and gathered it back up about halfway through the shot clock.

I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before in a basketball game at the professional level. Yeah, I've seen sleepy/stagnant pre-coffee morning Connecticut standing around and staring at each other, but never in a situation like that where one of them so obviously needed and was looking for help. They just left Temi out to dry. That was wild.

 

[FLRacingFan]