Chicago Sky/WNBA thread 2024

[WookieOnRitalin]

The WNBA will always be a low entertainment experience without significant rule changes to enhance its entertainment quality.

The big reason the WNBA will never really be successful is because the players are so stuck in their ways to consider new ideas to transform the game to make it better. That stubbornness will ultimately be the its undoing or it will forever be a charity project for the NBA.

[Andi Obst]

The WNBA will always be a low entertainment experience without significant rule changes to enhance its entertainment quality.

The big reason the WNBA will never really be successful is because the players are so stuck in their ways to consider new ideas to transform the game to make it better. That stubbornness will ultimately be the its undoing or it will forever be a charity project for the NBA.

What kind of changes would you like to see?

Because I'm very much entertained by the product the WNBA delivers.

[Andi Obst]

maybe i'm just high on a good early start to the season but it's kind of hard for me to imagine cardoso not hitting the ground running

maybe there's some growing pains offensively trying to figure out how all the bigs work together, but given how good reese has been guarding people on the perimeter, the defense should be nuts

I saw a lot of people complaining about drafting two non-shooting bigs that high after the draft. And I get the concern there, but at the same time, the Sky are going to be so damn big and physical with Kamilla. That's a lot more valuable in the W.

[Ice Man]

And the Fever need to make moves; they are god awful and 80% of the new fans are tuning in to watch them specifically.

Correct. Although the Fever are closer than I had thought. I realize now that Boston, Mitchell, and Clark are an excellent trio. The problem is that the Fever is getting destroyed by its starting forwards, who neither defend nor run the floor. They're not very good at finding space in the half court, either. Which makes them pretty much useless for a Clark team.

But Indy's coach is figuring that out. After replacing one starting forward last game, for a player who runs better, she sat the other one at the beginning of the second half yesterday, replacing her with a scrub named Fagbenle who was out of the league for 5 years. And the instant Fagbenle came in, the team started to win. She's a WBNA version of Javonte, and the beauty is that those players are cheap and easy to find. This is what Indy needs -

Boston - physical center, defender and rebounder, and can score some inside
Forward #1 - defender and floor runner
Forward #2 - ditto
Mitchell - can create her own shot, 3 point shooter, dribbler
Clark - ditto, plus creates shots for others

Plus, the past couple of games Clark's defense has been really good. Yesterday she not only shut down her mark but also had 4 steals. So, if you put out that lineup you not only would get a lot more easy fast-break points, but you'd have a pretty solid defense, too.

On a Sparks note, Brink and Jackson are both fun to watch rookies.

Finally, it's good to be confident. Clark was 0-7 on 3s last night, then hit a 33 foot bomb in a tight game with 2 1/2 minutes left and a 28 footer 1 minute later. That's a brave rook, although in fairness she knows that she will not be losing her starting job anytime soon.

[MrSparkle]

I think Clark will figure it out. She is a supreme shooting talent.

The WNBA timeline is pretty insane and exciting. 7 weeks ago she was playing in the NCAA. 5 weeks ago she was drafted. 3 weeks ago she started playing in the pros. What a whirlwind! Thing is these girls get 4 years of college prep.

Pretty funny that NBA get this stretched out scouting process, a lottery, then a month of draft homework... the draft happens... then they get 3 months to prep for training camp... then a month into pre-season... then the 82 season starts... and you still have a high number of rookies who are incapable of processing the game.

Honestly, I think most these 19 year old dudes just come in with horrendous basketball habits, which is really stupid considering the amount of money, level of competition and the stakes. It's probably just out of everyone's control since there are probably a lot of noisy parties wanting to become coaches/scouts/agents to the NBA pipeline ($$$$$$), but the fundamentals:talent ratio has been broken in the NBA draft for a while. The 1-and-done college experience probably helps 5% of guys, but for many it's just "gotta get this over with" while they essentially pick up the wrong habits to win then and there and then have to learn a new position in the NBA.

[WookieOnRitalin]

The WNBA will always be a low entertainment experience without significant rule changes to enhance its entertainment quality.

The big reason the WNBA will never really be successful is because the players are so stuck in their ways to consider new ideas to transform the game to make it better. That stubbornness will ultimately be the its undoing or it will forever be a charity project for the NBA.

What kind of changes would you like to see?

Because I'm very much entertained by the product the WNBA delivers.

Lower the rim to 9 feet. Add a four point line. Change the uniforms.

Women are not men. In every other sport we make adjustments for female players whether it be Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, etc. The WNBA is stuck in its refusal to make the game adjust for the actual abilities of the female athletes.

Even if you did all of that, there is a ceiling for the WNBA because women do not care about the WNBA. They have a tough enough time caring about sports in general, but it is especially more difficult for them to care about female sports and there are just not enough men who care about women's basketball.

[CROBulls]

The WNBA will always be a low entertainment experience without significant rule changes to enhance its entertainment quality.

The big reason the WNBA will never really be successful is because the players are so stuck in their ways to consider new ideas to transform the game to make it better. That stubbornness will ultimately be the its undoing or it will forever be a charity project for the NBA.

What kind of changes would you like to see?

Because I'm very much entertained by the product the WNBA delivers.

Lower the rim to 9 feet. Add a four point line. Change the uniforms.

Women are not men. In every other sport we make adjustments for female players whether it be Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, etc. The WNBA is stuck in its refusal to make the game adjust for the actual abilities of the female athletes.

Even if you did all of that, there is a ceiling for the WNBA because women do not care about the WNBA. They have a tough enough time caring about sports in general, but it is especially more difficult for them to care about female sports and there are just not enough men who care about women's basketball.

I can agree about lowering somewhat a rim for entertaiment purposes. Just due difference that average height of men on a global scale is approximately 5 feet 9 inches, while the average height of women in 2023 is 5 feet 4 inches. So it technically makes sense. Rest of propositions are just clear stupid.

But on other side when every day I am go through life as a man and every women speak bull about equality in everything and yapping about how hard it is being a women this days. I dont see personal reason or agenda to make life easier for any women including sports so I hope they dont do it.

[Ice Man]

The WNBA timeline is pretty insane and exciting. 7 weeks ago she was playing in the NCAA. 5 weeks ago she was drafted. 3 weeks ago she started playing in the pros. What a whirlwind! Thing is these girls get 4 years of college prep.

Pretty funny that NBA get this stretched out scouting process, a lottery, then a month of draft homework... the draft happens... then they get 3 months to prep for training camp... then a month into pre-season... then the 82 season starts... and you still have a high number of rookies who are incapable of processing the game.

The positive news for the rookies is that they come in as 22 year olds. As with the old days of the NBA. It's a whole lot easier to come ready to play at that age than as a 19 year old.

But as you write, they are immediately thrown into the fray. Plus, the WBNA is so compact, one thing that cannot be said about the league that it has been diluted.

Overall, it's tough. Currently, the two highest draft picks, Clark and Brink, each have modestly above-average PER scores, two other draft picks, Jackson and Reese, have respectable but modestly below-average scores, and all the rest of the first round picks are in various stage of struggling, ranging from kinda bad to brutal.

[dice]

I think Clark will figure it out. She is a supreme shooting talent.

The WNBA timeline is pretty insane and exciting. 7 weeks ago she was playing in the NCAA. 5 weeks ago she was drafted. 3 weeks ago she started playing in the pros. What a whirlwind! Thing is these girls get 4 years of college prep.

Pretty funny that NBA get this stretched out scouting process, a lottery, then a month of draft homework... the draft happens... then they get 3 months to prep for training camp... then a month into pre-season... then the 82 season starts... and you still have a high number of rookies who are incapable of processing the game.

Honestly, I think most these 19 year old dudes just come in with horrendous basketball habits, which is really stupid considering the amount of money, level of competition and the stakes. It's probably just out of everyone's control since there are probably a lot of noisy parties wanting to become coaches/scouts/agents to the NBA pipeline ($$$$$$), but the fundamentals:talent ratio has been broken in the NBA draft for a while. The 1-and-done college experience probably helps 5% of guys, but for many it's just "gotta get this over with" while they essentially pick up the wrong habits to win then and there and then have to learn a new position in the NBA.

if MJ came in after a year of college he probably wouldn't have been very good either. maybe not even in this era

[dice]

The WNBA will always be a low entertainment experience without significant rule changes to enhance its entertainment quality.

The big reason the WNBA will never really be successful is because the players are so stuck in their ways to consider new ideas to transform the game to make it better. That stubbornness will ultimately be the its undoing or it will forever be a charity project for the NBA.

What kind of changes would you like to see?

Because I'm very much entertained by the product the WNBA delivers.

Lower the rim to 9 feet.

nobody is watching to see women squeeze a dunk over the rim. and are we also going to lower the rim for jr. high boys?

Add a four point line.

it's not a novelty act like the globetrotters

Change the uniforms.

what're you looking for? bikinis? flourescents?

Women are not men. In every other sport we make adjustments for female players whether it be Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, etc. The WNBA is stuck in its refusal to make the game adjust for the actual abilities of the female athletes.

the wnba has a smaller ball. tennis only shortens the matches (ironic given the fight for equal pay). golf has different tees. volleyball has lower nets given that spiking is a huge part of the game. all seem like reasonable sport-specific adjustments to me

[jc23]

Mitchel is pretty damn good. I didnt realize she scored so many points in college. Im seeing teams treat her like a role player due to all the attention Caitlin is getting. Its wild, i have not seen a player get so much defensive attention as i have seen with her. Indiana's players regularly are playing 4 on 4 or 4 on 3 because of it. Aaliyah needs to be able to hit that open mid range jumper or become a great roll finisher. Her back to the basket game isnt all that great so im not sure how she got buckets last year.

Plum really impressed me. Great guard. Aja was very smooth. Its really unfair for the women's game to start the season with so little practice time. Indiana has really gotten burned by the schedule as this was their 7th game and the Ace's 4th. Just no time to gel. One thing i loved about watching Iowa was their chemistry and how they knew when to cut. Indys chemistry is turrible Kenny.

[Andi Obst]

Lower the rim to 9 feet. Add a four point line. Change the uniforms.

Nah, I'm good.

[Ice Man]

Im seeing teams treat her like a role player due to all the attention Caitlin is getting. Its wild, i have not seen a player get so much defensive attention as i have seen with her.

From my observations, Clark receives more doubles/blitzes than any other player in the league, which I have not before seen with a rookie! Add to that her job as league ambassador and it's fair to say that more is expected of her than has ever been expected of an NBA rookie. Magic, Larry, Mike, LBJ, and Wemby received plenty of defensive attention, but I don't recall them being constantly blitzed. And with the media, they were very much allowed to be rookies. They weren't treated as the voice of their league.

One thing i loved about watching Iowa was their chemistry and how they knew when to cut. Indys chemistry is turrible Kenny.

Yes, yes, and yes. Much of that is due to continuity, but Iowa coach Bluder clearly deserves credit as well. She had a top-down vision for a team that would 1) run, run, run and 2) strictly obey modern analytics by shooting almost nothing but layups and 3s. Which Iowa did to perfection. I am accustomed in the men's game to scoffing at messy college ball, where the players don't seem to function in unison, as opposed to the good pro teams. But with college Iowa NCAAW ball vs. WNBA Indiana Fever, it has been the opposite.

[SalmonsSuperfan]

The WNBA will always be a low entertainment experience without significant rule changes to enhance its entertainment quality.

The big reason the WNBA will never really be successful is because the players are so stuck in their ways to consider new ideas to transform the game to make it better. That stubbornness will ultimately be the its undoing or it will forever be a charity project for the NBA.

What kind of changes would you like to see?

Because I'm very much entertained by the product the WNBA delivers.

Lower the rim to 9 feet. Add a four point line. Change the uniforms.

Women are not men. In every other sport we make adjustments for female players whether it be Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, etc. The WNBA is stuck in its refusal to make the game adjust for the actual abilities of the female athletes.

Even if you did all of that, there is a ceiling for the WNBA because women do not care about the WNBA. They have a tough enough time caring about sports in general, but it is especially more difficult for them to care about female sports and there are just not enough men who care about women's basketball.

lol so turn it into a sideshow. why not just bring back 6 on 6 women's basketball? them dainty damsels couldn't be expected to run up and down the whole court! I agree that women's basketball is arguably the most boring women's sport, but a 4 point line and new "uniforms" (are they revealing?) -- like what? maybe they could add a component where the fans get to call in and vote for what play they want the team to run. now YOU get to be a part of the action!!

[jc23]

I was looking at the team salaries and it looks like they all pay around the same. Any reason as to why then there are only a few teams that have all of the top talent? for those curious the average team pays around 1.4 million.

There was some talk about how the league needs to make things easier for Caitlin which is nonsense. No real fan of basketball would ever say that. If your the wnba you have to ask yourself what got you all these new fans? Sure do nothing and some will remain and the game will still grow. I can see the talent is there but the league just doesnt have the right play style to showcase it imo.

Im still 100% more interested in the league then i was last year, but its not an enthusiastic interest. The games have been pretty mid.

[madvillian]

Main problem I have with the league is just how awkward so many of the women's layups are. Need more girls to grow up playing like that PG from LSU that had the body control of a guy. Some of these girls are 6-3 with a standing reach of close to 8 feet but because they just didn't get enough coordination as kids they will get blocked by the rim or backboard or just fall down too often.

That said, as a product it's fairly entertaining overall. Some of the layups and turnovers are absolutely brutal however. Transition defense is also poor players seem to have a hard time switching. You hardly ever see players running completely free at any level of men's hoops, even HS.

[jc23]

Main problem I have with the league is just how awkward so many of the women's layups are. Need more girls to grow up playing like that PG from LSU that had the body control of a guy. Some of these girls are 6-3 with a standing reach of close to 8 feet but because they just didn't get enough coordination as kids they will get blocked by the rim or backboard or just fall down too often.

That said, as a product it's fairly entertaining overall. Some of the layups and turnovers are absolutely brutal however. Transition defense is also poor players seem to have a hard time switching. You hardly ever see players running completely free at any level of men's hoops, even HS.

Its why i think the league needs to lean heavy on the guards as the bigs tend to look clumsy. I watched Kelsey Plum and she can ball and looks the part. Whereas a Angel Reese can be effective but when she goes for a layup she looks like a grade schooler.

[wojoaderge]

Just came home from my first WNBA game. Angel Reese shot and made a sky hook. What do I need the NBA for?

[Ice Man]

Main problem I have with the league is just how awkward so many of the women's layups are. Need more girls to grow up playing like that PG from LSU that had the body control of a guy. Some of these girls are 6-3 with a standing reach of close to 8 feet but because they just didn't get enough coordination as kids they will get blocked by the rim or backboard or just fall down too often.

This is true. The women aren't crafty near the hoop. I haven't seen anybody finish like, say, Steph Curry, who despite being almost a foot shorter than opposing centers and not having great hops often figures out how to score at the rim in heavy traffic, using hesitation moves, reverse layups, underhanded shots, etc. I suppose it's because they haven't had to until they reach the WNBA, in the AAU and college games, they rarely encounter true shot blockers. But every WNBA team has true shot blockers.

[Jeffster81]

Just came home from my first WNBA game. Angel Reese shot and made a sky hook. What do I need the NBA for?

I effin hate the NBA product currently and I'd glad take something different like the WNBA.