WNBA discussion thread?

[SummittSoul]

I did not know what a "development contract" is. For others in the same boat:

This was a good and necessary add to the CBA. Should benefit a lot of teams and young, developing players without penalty or risk to contention

 

[glv98]

Both Renia Davis and Jamie Nared are on training camp rosters. Renia is in Seattle with her old teammate Jordan H, forgot which team Jamie’s working with. Maybe having the extra two man developmental squads will help them hang on.

 

[knoxvol52]

 

[knoxvol52]

 

[CoryDallasLV]

Both Renia Davis and Jamie Nared are on training camp rosters. Renia is in Seattle with her old teammate Jordan H, forgot which team Jamie’s working with. Maybe having the extra two man developmental squads will help them hang on.

I hope they can hang on. For reasons I never expected, I’m looking forward to this WNBA season more than any other.

 

[glv98]

I know we’ve all got way too many TV subscriptions but I really like the WNBA league pass for 40 bucks for the full season. Lets you see every game anytime, except those on network TV which go to the app after broadcast. Also good for dipping into parts of games and highlights.

 

[CoryDallasLV]

I know we’ve all got way too many TV subscriptions but I really like the WNBA league pass for 40 bucks for the full season. Lets you see every game anytime, except those on network TV which go to the app after broadcast. Also good for dipping into parts of games and highlights.

I just found out that the league pass is included with my season tickets!!! Woo hoo!!

 

[glv98]

Candace never told a lie.

Boston is so good on this podcast and also when she does TV. So likable. However, she’s a player I sports hate on the floor. Hate the hooking and elbows routine.

Exactly how I also feel about her teammate Caitlin Clark. Lol can’t wait for the season to start.

 

[madtownvol]

Candace never told a lie.

Boston is so good on this podcast and also when she does TV. So likable. However, she’s a player I sports hate on the floor. Hate the hooking and elbows routine.

Exactly how I also feel about her teammate Caitlin Clark. Lol can’t wait for the season to start.

With CC basically missing all of last season with injuries and then not playing in Unrivaled, much of the mania seems to have died down whereas Beuckers and Wilson have gained some enhanced celeb status. Paige is just marketable and WIlson, along with being the leagues best player has the power couple thing going with Bam.

The cooling of the CC hype gives the Fever more latitude to try win games rather than doing perpetual fan service by ensuring that CC has a big stat-line and takes lots of logo threes.

I also think the Fever figured out last season that they were actually a better team by sharing the ball rather than having CC be so ball dominant and making 1 out 5 of those logo shots.

I suspect Clark will become a more efficient player in the lower utilization role that White has been hinting at. I am also hoping the W moves to a NBA PR model where they have multiple "faces of the league" versus CAITLIN CLARK and other players.

 

[JL1231]

With CC basically missing all of last season with injuries and then not playing in Unrivaled, much of the mania seems to have died down whereas Beuckers and Wilson have gained some enhanced celeb status. Paige is just marketable and WIlson, along with being the leagues best player has the power couple thing going with Bam.

The cooling of the CC hype gives the Fever more latitude to try win games rather than doing perpetual fan service by ensuring that CC has a big stat-line and takes lots of logo threes.

I also think the Fever figured out last season that they were actually a better team by sharing the ball rather than having CC be so ball dominant and making 1 out 5 of those logo shots.

I suspect Clark will become a more efficient player in the lower utilization role that White has been hinting at. I am also hoping the W moves to a NBA PR model where they have multiple "faces of the league" versus CAITLIN CLARK and other players.

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark set the WNBA single-season assists record in her 2024 debut season, finishing with 337 total assists and breaking the previous record of 316 held by Alyssa Thomas. She also set the single-game record with 19 assists and broke the rookie record for three-pointers in a single season.

 

[madtownvol]

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark set the WNBA single-season assists record in her 2024 debut season, finishing with 337 total assists and breaking the previous record of 316 held by Alyssa Thomas. She also set the single-game record with 19 assists and broke the rookie record for three-pointers in a single season.

And????

 

[lvocd]

Thing is, we won’t know if CC mania has died down permanently, or if it’ll just pick up where it left off at the point she had to step back because of injury. I could see it getting crazy again, and I go back and forth on whether I think that a really good thing or a bad thing.

i do believe that CC mania played a big role in the league not being able to keep the players‘ salaries low and the historic agreement was finally reached, so at least a little bit of CC mania would probably be okay with most.

 

[glv98]

Thing is, we won’t know if CC mania has died down permanently, or if it’ll just pick up where it left off at the point she had to step back because of injury. I could see it getting crazy again, and I go back and forth on whether I think that a really good thing or a bad thing.

i do believe that CC mania played a big role in the league not being able to keep the players‘ salaries low and the historic agreement was finally reached, so at least a little bit of CC mania would probably be okay with most.

I think they're still buying tickets like crazy, same with the Angel fans. So good for them.
.
Going to be interesting to see if CC can stay healthy. I think that's going to be her biggest challenge going forward. Probably a good first step would be to stop throwing herself to the ground so much LOL

 

[knoxvol52]

Just as when Magic and Larry came into the league together and brought more eyes onto the NBA, the Caitlin and Angel era has done the same thing. Some old school fans may hate it but the game is being watched more today because of those two players and finally others are getting their props.

 

[madtownvol]

Thing is, we won’t know if CC mania has died down permanently, or if it’ll just pick up where it left off at the point she had to step back because of injury. I could see it getting crazy again, and I go back and forth on whether I think that a really good thing or a bad thing.

i do believe that CC mania played a big role in the league not being able to keep the players‘ salaries low and the historic agreement was finally reached, so at least a little bit of CC mania would probably be okay with most.

Indeed we don't know. Obviously, she remains a very popular player and the attention she brought to the league gave the WNBA players more negotiating leverage than they would have had otherwise.

My post was not intended to be anti-Caitlin Clark but I am betting that we don't see any thing like the intense mania that accompanied her senior year at Iowa and her rookie WNBA season. That was a very specific cultural moment and it is hard to rekindle lightning in a bottle.

Pokemon go, Caitlin Clark, K-Pop Demon hunters. Labubu dolls. It is the trend cycle.

 

[lvocd]

I think they're still buying tickets like crazy, same with the Angel fans. So good for them.
.
Going to be interesting to see if CC can stay healthy. I think that's going to be her biggest challenge going forward. Probably a good first step would be to stop throwing herself to the ground So much LOL

Her brazen confidence to shoot those logo threes has always made her stand out in my mind but, yeah, she also stands out for how often she ends up on the floor.

Oh, I forgot to mention in that previous post that the fact that Clark ended up being named MVP in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament while being played out of position for all but one game only added to her legend.

 

[madtownvol]

Her brazen confidence to shoot those logo threes has always made her stand out in my mind but, yeah, she also stands out for how often she ends up on the floor.

Oh, I forgot to mention in that previous post that the fact that Clark ended up being named MVP in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament while being played out of position for all but one game only added to her legend.

And that is the thing. the FIBA tournament was not on the radar screen of ESPN which had become the Caitlin Clark broadcast network in her senior college and rookie pro season. I think that was much the same across the broader sports media.

If she had done this 2 years ago, it would have been the cultural conversation.

 

[RetroVol]

Just as when Magic and Larry came into the league together and brought more eyes onto the NBA, the Caitlin and Angel era has done the same thing.

Yes. Or what Arnie and Jack, and later Tiger did for golf. Of course, there were talents that should have made that kind of impact but were wasted for one reason or another -- Pete Maravich and Julius Erving come to mind, though for different reasons.

Tennis has seemed to have those kind of players periodically, men and women. Goes through cycles with the recent Federer, Nadal, Jokovic era being one that may not be repeated any time soon. Serena being the most recent example for women.

Her brazen confidence to shoot those logo threes has always made her stand out in my mind but, yeah, she also stands out for how often she ends up on the floor.

AND COURT VISION AND PASSING! Love watching Caitlin play, and think her selection of Jokic as the male player she would most like to learn from struck me as appropriate. Boundary pushers, both of them. Just hope Stephanie White's seeming antipathy to players like Caitlin and Jokic doesn't ruin the season. Seeing Caitlin go stand in the corner and wait for someone to throw her the ball is just depressing.

 

[NashVol11]

Agree to disagree. Wings took two aging, middish though solid semi bigs to cover for not making the obvious choice of Betts. Smith and Shepherd are already pegged as the most surprising and overpaid moves of free agency. Obviously Betts has much more upside, and paired with the vastly improved Li would have been perfect for the Wings. It's very apparent why this didn't happen,

I'm not mad at it though, Paige deserves the absolute investment in her this move signifies. It does subject the team to possible couple drama which csn be a fraught situation, though it definitely could be handled maturely if it comes up.

Alanna Smith was co-Defensive Player of the Year last year and she's 29, I definitely disagree with her being "aging, middish"

 

[knoxvol52]

 

[knoxvol52]

 

[lvocd]

In case anyone didn’t know, all of the preseason WNBA games (several being played today, two right now, 4.p.m., 7:30 and 8:30) can be viewed for FREE just by signing up for a free WNBA ID through the WNBA app.

FYI: Rae Burrell is not playing today due to an ankle injury.

Rickea and the Sky play the Mercury at 4.

 

[LVfanLasVegas]

Justine Pissott had 8 points in 10 minutes, 2-3 from 3; +16 in the boxscore.

 

[Dak1219]

In case anyone didn’t know, all of the preseason WNBA games (several being played today, two right now, 4.p.m., 7:30 and 8:30) can be viewed for FREE just by signing up for a free WNBA ID through the WNBA app.

FYI: Rae Burrell is not playing today due to an ankle injury.

Rickea and the Sky play the Mercury at 4.

I was shocked to see Jaime Nard's name showing up on the Phoenix Roster. She was a DNP due to a calf injury, but I thought her playing days were over. Also good to see Rennia Davis in the Seattle roster. She has been bounced around quite a bit and has not found a forever home. This new collective bargaining agreement may help deepen the pool of players, from the looks of it. You would think college basketball would become even more competitive with the new league minimums and the ability to make a very good living if you get drafted and make a team. 270k per season for just making a roster spot is the minimum and can be more per discretion of the organization, and even the developmental spots are paid 750 per week, a housing stipend, get to do all team functions and practices, and can make 6000 per game for up to 12 games if they fill in for an injured player or brought up to fill roster spots.

 

[Dak1219]

Justine Pissott had 8 points in 10 minutes, 2-3 from 3; +16 in the boxscore.

And she did not even make the roster. She earned a developmental contract, but could turn that into some good money and a good living if she continues to develop and progress.