Chicago Sky/WNBA thread 2024

[nomorezorro]

How does the WNBA draft work? Is it on record or is a lottery like the NBA?

lottery for the four non-playoff teams, based on two-year cumulative record, with only the top 2 picks subject to the lotto draw.

dallas has the right to swap picks with the sky this year, so even if the sky fall out of the playoffs and win the lotto they're picking #2 at best

[madvillian]

How does the WNBA draft work? Is it on record or is a lottery like the NBA?

lottery for the four non-playoff teams, based on two-year cumulative record, with only the top 2 picks subject to the lotto draw.

dallas has the right to swap picks with the sky this year, so even if the sky fall out of the playoffs and win the lotto they're picking #2 at best

Bummer as that girl on USC Watkins is a pretty clear #1 imo.

[TheSuzerain]

Juju is talented but was a chucker last year. Plenty of time to round into form though.

Bueckers is a legit #1 prospect though if healthy.

I think my hot take is Mulwiley > Juju.

[madvillian]

Juju is talented but was a chucker last year. Plenty of time to round into form though.

Bueckers is a legit #1 prospect though if healthy.

I think my hot take is Mulwiley > Juju.

I like Paige but I really question if she can stay healthy. She's a game changer tho if she can.

[DASMACKDOWN]

How does the WNBA draft work? Is it on record or is a lottery like the NBA?

lottery for the four non-playoff teams, based on two-year cumulative record, with only the top 2 picks subject to the lotto draw.

dallas has the right to swap picks with the sky this year, so even if the sky fall out of the playoffs and win the lotto they're picking #2 at best

On top of that

"To be eligible for the draft, domestic players must turn 22 years old during the calendar year of the event or have graduated from a four-year university prior to, or within the three months after, the draft."

Basically, you need to be 22 or a senior in college to even enter.

So someone like Juju wont be even eligible till 2027.

[Wingy]

Juju is talented but was a chucker last year. Plenty of time to round into form though.

Bueckers is a legit #1 prospect though if healthy.

I think my hot take is Mulwiley > Juju.

Very talented, both. I don’t care to debate, but Fulwiley is indeed a baller. I remember a few of the guys here after watching Flau’jae in the title game or final four saying she moved like a men’s player. Think you can say the same for Fulwiley.

The league’s quality of play is going to keep rising. I really like that there’s a cast of regulars I can start keeping an eye on in the summer year to year. While I love a live game (probably my favorite live), I’ve generally lost the desire to follow and track baseball.

[Ice Man]

Juju is talented but was a chucker last year. Plenty of time to round into form though.

Correct. She had a 51% TS% with more TOs than assists. She was more Jordan Poole than Michael Jordan. But as Suze writes, there is plenty of time left for improvement. Juju does have the tools, that is for sure.

[Ice Man]

As a side note, Charles Barkley continues to spread the lie that WNBA players have on a widespread basis mistreated Caitlin Clark. It's an absolute disgrace that he is participating in an anti-Black, anti-lesbian conspiracy theory, either because he can't live without the attention, or because he's too damn lazy to look into the matter.

I don't care how smart you are or how funny you are, when you attack and disparage innocent people without cause you are dead to me. Begone, Charles.

[GetBuLLish]

As a side note, Charles Barkley continues to spread the lie that WNBA players have on a widespread basis mistreated Caitlin Clark. It's an absolute disgrace that he is participating in an anti-Black, anti-lesbian conspiracy theory, either because he can't live without the attention, or because he's too damn lazy to look into the matter.

I don't care how smart you are or how funny you are, when you attack and disparage innocent people without cause you are dead to me. Begone, Charles.

How dare Charles Barkley have a differing opinion!? This is unacceptable.

[Ice Man]

How dare Charles Barkley have a differing opinion!? This is unacceptable.

The things that Barkley says happened did not happen. That is not a differing opinion. It is a falsehood.

[DuckIII]

How does the WNBA draft work? Is it on record or is a lottery like the NBA?

lottery for the four non-playoff teams, based on two-year cumulative record, with only the top 2 picks subject to the lotto draw.

dallas has the right to swap picks with the sky this year, so even if the sky fall out of the playoffs and win the lotto they're picking #2 at best

Bummer as that girl on USC Watkins is a pretty clear #1 imo.

If Bueckers is healthy I think any team would be nuts to pass on her. She's a franchise changer.

[DuckIII]

As a side note, Charles Barkley continues to spread the lie that WNBA players have on a widespread basis mistreated Caitlin Clark. It's an absolute disgrace that he is participating in an anti-Black, anti-lesbian conspiracy theory, either because he can't live without the attention, or because he's too damn lazy to look into the matter.

I don't care how smart you are or how funny you are, when you attack and disparage innocent people without cause you are dead to me. Begone, Charles.

Strongly disagree. I think I've posted enough about social issues over the years to illustrate that I'm as far away from the anti-black, anti-LGTBQ, anti-women mouth breathers that are all piling on to cry about white grievance like a bunch of soft cry babies.

But there is no doubt whatsoever that Clark was treated poorly by numerous of women's basketball's very biggest current and former greats and leaders. And if you think it had absolutely nothing to do with jealousy or her being a white, straight, rural-ish midwesterner you're blinding yourself to the truth.

What Barkley is saying happened, happened. Its documented that it happened. I watched it happen and its a stain on the WNBA that hopefully it is now finally recovering from.

That said, and as I said earlier in this thread, ultimately Clark is ironically the victim of white racisms, homophobia and sexism directed towards minorities. After decades (and generations) of being crapped on by mainstream white America (and its government) for being black, female and/or gay, and being told your sport is boring and sucks, along comes a straight white girl and all those same people who disregarded you at best or actively sought to deny you equal rights at worst, are all claiming she's the savior of women's basketball. Which is true, of course, but also understandably would lead to some very complex emotions and thoughts from others.

I think what we've seen unfold, and will still see unfold, is the fallout and then recovery from generational oppression of certain minority groups.

So while its more complex than Barkley is saying in his little interviews, the fundamental thing he says - many prominent figures in women's hoops treated Clark abnormally poorly due to jealousy (and other more important reasons) and it was a really terrible look for the game - is unequivocally true.

Don't confuse him with the MAGA dopes you are talking about. Multiple things can be true at once. This is not a one or the other situation.

[MAQ]

I think Clark was targeted slightly more than your average rookie. It happened. But I don't think it was highly egregious. I don't think it was sustained for an unreasonable amount of time. And I don't think anyone bothered to look into how other rookies are typically treated, especially highly touted ones, to gain an understanding on whether this was unique or not.

[Almost Retired]

How dare Charles Barkley have a differing opinion!? This is unacceptable.

The things that Barkley says happened did not happen. That is not a differing opinion. It is a falsehood.

You are entitled to your opinion. Other are entitled to their own opinions. But one woman has been on the receiving end of 17% of all the fragrant fouls given out by the league. Virtually all of them committed by black players who are so jealous of Clark's success that it eats them up inside. So maybe it isn't racism. Maybe it's just old fashioned jealousy.

[DuckIII]

How dare Charles Barkley have a differing opinion!? This is unacceptable.

The things that Barkley says happened did not happen. That is not a differing opinion. It is a falsehood.

You are entitled to your opinion. Other are entitled to their own opinions. But one woman has been on the receiving end of 17% of all the fragrant fouls given out by the league. Virtually all of them committed by black players who are so jealous of Clark's success that it eats them up inside. So maybe it isn't racism. Maybe it's just old fashioned jealousy.

And for what its worth stuff like this is a load of crap too. You are oversimplifying it to make it a case of reverse racism perpetrated by a bunch of angry black thugs. I know your politics because you tell us about them. And when I say Clark is the ironic victim of the historical mistreatment of racial minorities, women and LGTBQ, I'm saying those with your beliefs are the perpetrators. The irony in hardline conservatives toxically "defending" Clark is always funny to me in the sense that they are completely oblivious to the fact that ultimately they are the reason it happened in the first place.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

I think there has been mistreatment of Clark. To what degree, I'm not entirely sure. Not making the Olympic team was silly. Bad for the game. That to me was the most egregious error of a product trying to expand itself.

Now this won't sound fair at all, but if Clark is being mistreated, who does it effect negatively? Just her. And we can talk about how unfair that is to her, and it is, but it is really bad for the game?

If Clark was welcomed with open arms, is Charles Barkley talking about the WNBA today? Are all the MAGA meatheads talking about her on twitter? And the arguing back at them, is that occurring?

I think the WNBA, as malicious as it sounds, isn't doing anything about it because it's helping them with publicity. Unfortunately, controversy sells. And this is a conversation keeping their product floating. And if Clark isn't demanding it stop, then maybe its best it continues, as callous as that sounds.

[Almost Retired]

The things that Barkley says happened did not happen. That is not a differing opinion. It is a falsehood.

You are entitled to your opinion. Other are entitled to their own opinions. But one woman has been on the receiving end of 17% of all the fragrant fouls given out by the league. Virtually all of them committed by black players who are so jealous of Clark's success that it eats them up inside. So maybe it isn't racism. Maybe it's just old fashioned jealousy.

And for what its worth stuff like this is a load of crap too. You are oversimplifying it to make it a case of reverse racism perpetrated by a bunch of angry black thugs. I know your politics because you tell us about them. And when I say Clark is the ironic victim of the historical mistreatment of racial minorities, women and LGTBQ, I'm saying those with your beliefs are the perpetrators. The irony in hardline conservatives toxically "defending" Clark is always funny to me in the sense that they are completely oblivious to the fact that ultimately they are the reason it happened in the first place.

You missed the whole point. I said it might not be reverse discrimination. Just jealousy. If you don't think women go after each other due to jealousy you have never worked around a bunch of women. They are their own worst enemies. Behind the back commentaries on weight, looks, who is being a favorite, how work isn't being divided up equally....Now look at the WNBA. The new kid comes along and immediately gets more attention than any other player in league history. Who has more endorsement deals than any other player in the league. That draws more fans than any other player in the league. Clark could have purple skin and some other women in the league were going to come after her. And they have. The numbers don't lie. Get over your race based and obsessions.

[sco]

I can certainly separate the hostility toward Clark within the league as a general dislike of a rookie coming in with so much hype and wanting to put her in her place. Hopefully, her recent play quiets voices about her not being deserving of the hype. She is a obviously going to do great things and likely a HOF'er.

The whole racial aspect and MAGA noise IMO is just that social media gives all of the morons who have always been saying these things a microphone to the world. It's a shame and I look forward to it being dismissed again as just moron's expressing their freedom to annoy us.

[dougthonus]

I think what we've seen unfold, and will still see unfold, is the fallout and then recovery from generational oppression of certain minority groups.

FWIW, I agree with your larger point completely, but I did want to point out this one nuance, because I think it is important.

I think what we have seen is not the impact of generational oppression, but social media algos/rules:

1: The stronger emotion you evoke the more likely you are to gain audience
2: Negative emotions are more easy to evoke than positive ones
3: You optimize by not just being for something, but also being against something, we now form pockets of cults where the establishment is wrong, and only you have the true information that is correct
4: Social media algos reinforce echo chambers rather than discussion because they want you on the platform as long as possible so serve content which backs the opinions you already have and thus also places you in groups of people who overwhelmingly share your view
5: Loud minorities are amplified and have reach they have never had in the past

I don't think this is so much old stuff bubbling to the surface due to generations of problems, but rather it is new stuff reversing generations of progress.

[dougthonus]

How dare Charles Barkley have a differing opinion!? This is unacceptable.

The things that Barkley says happened did not happen. That is not a differing opinion. It is a falsehood.

You are entitled to your opinion. Other are entitled to their own opinions. But one woman has been on the receiving end of 17% of all the fragrant fouls given out by the league. Virtually all of them committed by black players who are so jealous of Clark's success that it eats them up inside. So maybe it isn't racism. Maybe it's just old fashioned jealousy.

Have you watched the fouls?

If you have, it's pretty hard to come away with an opinion that they were targeting. This is one of those things where a data point might imply a thing, but even superficial investigation would show you that the data point is not in fact evidence of that thing.

FWIW, I do think there is definitely some extra animosity towards Clark from some players and the reasons for that animosity likely come from a wide array of reasons, but the conclusion that animosity has turned into something she is uniquely facing physically doesn't seem baked up to me by the flagrant fouls when you look at the fouls themselves.

Is it possible the league wants to play her more physically as a whole because they think that's the best way to defend her? Certainly wouldn't be the first time a young superstar was defended with extra physicality because it was the most effective tool to use against them, but I don't think she's been the victim of a bunch of dirty plays which is what is often implied.