Chicago Sky/WNBA thread 2024

[SalmonsSuperfan]

Should we make this a Sky only thread then? I would be up for that.

Nah, it's a good catch-all. Clark talk keeps it active.

I tend to agree. While there are other forums here, given the overall decline of forum posting in general for social media platforms, I tend to view the Bulls forum as a closed community with threads that are for anything interesting. Pushing people to other locations doesn't enhance those, it just stops us from discussing those topics at all.

Not much to talk about on the Bulls front for me. I’ve basically lost interest in the team and to some extent the sport. Still like coming to the forum if only to read people’s takes on…whatever it may be. It’s a good group that has interesting and sometimes conflicting perspectives, I like reading them and sometimes taking part. Moreover, the art of forum posting is going away as it gets redditized and twitterfied and so does the quality of online discourse. You can’t write a paragraph on Reddit without a “tl;dr” type response and Twitter doesn’t even let you do it.

On the other hand, I’ve just written this dumb irrelevant post in a thread about the Chicago Sky and maybe people actually want to discuss the on court product and not whatever else is interesting to us these days about the WNBA. The relevance though is that this is the only active thread I feel like looking at, I don’t really want to go look at the realgm WNBA board.

Have to appreciate the Bulls forum for staying strong for so long while realgm and every other online forum alongside it fades into oblivion. This forum isn’t all that active anymore but it’s probably more to do with the team being bad and there’s nothing to discuss, not that everyone up and left. Although once everyone who posts on realgm dies of old age, that probably signals the end of the forum entirely and twitter will be seen as a little too wordy. I hypothesize that humans will lose the capacity for language in 200 years, but I digress.

[Andi Obst]

Should we make this a Sky only thread then? I would be up for that.

Nah, it's a good catch-all. Clark talk keeps it active.

I opened a Sky season thread last year and I believe it had 0 posts.

So yeah, I agree.

[Ice Man]

I guess this comes as no news to WNBA fans, but the Connecticut Sun are really good. A cohesive offense, excellent defense, and a fine ensemble cast (with no recognizable names for non-WNBA fans). You can't double anybody, because they will quickly move the ball and every player can hurt you if left alone.

[TheSuzerain]

She seems to have enough situational awareness to always take the high road 100% of the time and prop up her image and has great media savvy which is probably good that she's not trying to rally the crazies and instead shoot down any of their narratives.

She's a marketer's dream -- 100% positive and upbeat, not because she's faking it, but because that is what comes naturally to her. If her performance pans out, her current advertising contracts will be only the beginning.

On a basketball note, Aliyah Edwards impressed me bigtime the other night. She's more of a PF height (6' 3") than center height, but she makes up for that with quicks. And unlike Angel Reese, who is similarly athletic, Aliyah is a savvy finisher.

I think she's faking it. Clark has always struck me as the hyper competitive type (CP3 style).

I predict her team (Nike) have some people ready and willing to play the bad cop and strong arm changes.

[dougthonus]

I think she's faking it. Clark has always struck me as the hyper competitive type (CP3 style).

I view her very similar to Jordan from a media perspective:

1: Hyper aware that the money is going to come from endorsements not from the league.

2: Hyper protective of her image because she understands where and how her bread is buttered and knows her image is more important than her play relative to getting paid.

3: On the court, she's a trash talking would-be killer. We'll see how well her game translates in the long run, but her attitude is certainly very alpha-like in mentality.

[Ice Man]

I think she's faking it. Clark has always struck me as the hyper competitive type (CP3 style).

I don't think we're in disagreement. No doubt Clark wants to be on the Olympic team, bigtime, and was pissed when not selected. As you write, she is hypercompetitive. But she moves forward.

I mean, I guess one could call a player who gets heated on the court but who is polite off the court a faker. My description, however, would be "emotionally mature."

[Clocian]

Sky needs to upgrade their guards/forwards.

Angel had a perfect half and the guards are ignoring her smh

[Ice Man]

Sky needs to upgrade their guards/forwards.

Angel had a perfect half and the guards are ignoring her smh

Angel played great. With her defense and rebounding, if she can score reasonably well, which she certainly did last night, she will be a draft steal. In fact, I am already pretty sure she is.

She does, however, point out the difference between the men's and women's game. Are there any players like Angel now in the NBA? By which I mean a non-shooting #4 who is valued for what she does near the rim. I don't think so. All the star #4s can shoot. Heck, even the role players can shoot. I'm hard pressed to think of modern day men's players like Reese. We had plenty of them back in the day, though. Buck Williams, Dale Davis, Dennis Rodman. Once again, the WNBA gives me a Nineties flashback.

[nomorezorro]

reese showing some flashes of an off-the-dribble game recently is pretty intriguing. might be more upside there than i thought, even if her finishing is always going to be a limiting factor

sky have a few problems right now, but their biggest one is that they just don't have a legit star yet. marina coming back down to earth is disappointing but not surprising; she just isn't good enough to be an offensive centerpiece.

[Wingy]

Sky needs to upgrade their guards/forwards.

Angel had a perfect half and the guards are ignoring her smh

Angel played great. With her defense and rebounding, if she can score reasonably well, which she certainly did last night, she will be a draft steal. In fact, I am already pretty sure she is.

She does, however, point out the difference between the men's and women's game. Are there any players like Angel now in the NBA? By which I mean a non-shooting #4 who is valued for what she does near the rim. I don't think so. All the star #4s can shoot. Heck, even the role players can shoot. I'm hard pressed to think of modern day men's players like Reese. We had plenty of them back in the day, though. Buck Williams, Dale Davis, Dennis Rodman. Once again, the WNBA gives me a Nineties flashback.

…and that’s something I really like about it. We lament lack of variety in the men’s game. While there are some rough patches of play, more variety is there, and there are patches of tough shot-making and more modern 3p shooting to balance.

Tonight I watched Aliyah Boston have her best game of this season because Indy committed to feeding the post. Totally felt like an older time.

I honestly think now’s a great time to be (or become) a fan of the league. Caitlin’s popularity combined with lots of women shooters already, plus men’s shooting trend, and it’s only a matter of time before the WNBA is just a 3p spamming contest too…so enjoy some basketball with more variety while it lasts.

[Ice Man]

Tonight I watched Aliyah Boston have her best game of this season because Indy committed to feeding the post. Totally felt like an older time.

Yeah, it did feel old school. It's been a long time since I've seen a team win by feeding the center in the low post. I mean, NBA teams still try sometimes, and Stacey still wants it everyday, but it really doesn't work. Not even for Embiid or Jokic, not consistently. Too many passes get stolen, too many times the center gets doubled and stripped. But as you write, Ms. Boston feasted last night.

[DuckIII]

I’m not sure I can ever remember a modern day professional athlete getting so much **** thrown on them by their peers and leaders in their profession based on nothing that the player actually did, on the one hand, and then also being used as a social and political lightning rod by both sides of our toxic culture wars, on the other hand.

I’m not one to be overly protective of professional athletes. But this is just crazy. Now after trying to just downplay how others are using her name in the culture wars by saying she doesn’t follow it and can’t control it, and is just trying to keep her head down as a rookie and play basketball, DiJonai Carrington low key accuses her of at minimum passive complicity in the propagation of those hateful thoughts and with the parting “silence is a luxury” is dog whistling that Clark is hiding behind white privilege.

Good grief, she’s 22 years old and 14 games into her rookie year. She’s getting crapped on by those she admires, defended by some of the worst elements of our society, and the only reason any of it is happening is because she’s a white and extremely entertaining basketball player.

It’s disgusting and shines a spotlight on American idiocy.

[Ice Man]

I’m not sure I can ever remember a modern day professional athlete getting so much **** thrown on them by their peers and leaders in their profession based on nothing that the player actually did, on the one hand, and then also being used as a social and political lightning rod by both sides of our toxic culture wars, on the other hand.

True that. Also true that she is being paid unprecedented money for being in that role. It's a trade-off. The whole celebrity/paparazzi/blogger circle of life isn't to my taste, but that is how that game is played.

It’s disgusting and shines a spotlight on American idiocy.

There's a whole lot of that to go around these days.

[Wingy]

I’m not sure I can ever remember a modern day professional athlete getting so much **** thrown on them by their peers and leaders in their profession based on nothing that the player actually did, on the one hand, and then also being used as a social and political lightning rod by both sides of our toxic culture wars, on the other hand.

I’m not one to be overly protective of professional athletes. But this is just crazy. Now after trying to just downplay how others are using her name in the culture wars by saying she doesn’t follow it and can’t control it, and is just trying to keep her head down as a rookie and play basketball, DiJonai Carrington low key accuses her of at minimum passive complicity in the propagation of those hateful thoughts and with the parting “silence is a luxury” is dog whistling that Clark is hiding behind white privilege.

Good grief, she’s 22 years old and 14 games into her rookie year. She’s getting crapped on by those she admires, defended by some of the worst elements of our society, and the only reason any of it is happening is because she’s a white and extremely entertaining basketball player.

It’s disgusting and shines a spotlight on American idiocy.

I agree, it's insane, and really unprecedented in any time I can think of.

It's unfair, unwanted, and an enormous pile o' poop that she has to deal with all this, but it is the unfortunate reality.

I don't have any problems with what Dijonai wrote. While in many ways I'd commend CC for living a not paying attention to social media life, I find it hard to believe that absolutely everyone in her inner circle is doing the same, and ignoring the current toxic discourse. To see some of the trash that's being spewed in her name, and in her supposed "defense" is despicable at best. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want that to unwittingly continue on my supposed behalf.

I think the fallacy to the "sides" is that these sides are equal. Yeah, there's certainly nuance here and there between individual debates and internet spats, but overall the side against bigotry is on the right side of history. Please note, I'm not saying you don't see that or live that right side, Duck. I've been around here long enough to know your world view falls on the side of - hey, let's all be solid, decent human beings. I know you certainly stand against the many ugly "isms" that are out in the world.

Overall, it sucks for Caitlin. A role no one would wish for, but she's got it whether she wants it or not. I'm glad she gave the recent comments she did. Could she do more? Yes, but I'm personally not going to beat her up for avoiding it at this stage of her career and focusing on her job first. As you've said, and I fully ack...this is an unbelievably heavy burden for a 22 y/o to be required to bear. Again, happy that she made a stand on the record.

[sco]

I’m not sure I can ever remember a modern day professional athlete getting so much **** thrown on them by their peers and leaders in their profession based on nothing that the player actually did, on the one hand, and then also being used as a social and political lightning rod by both sides of our toxic culture wars, on the other hand.

I’m not one to be overly protective of professional athletes. But this is just crazy. Now after trying to just downplay how others are using her name in the culture wars by saying she doesn’t follow it and can’t control it, and is just trying to keep her head down as a rookie and play basketball, DiJonai Carrington low key accuses her of at minimum passive complicity in the propagation of those hateful thoughts and with the parting “silence is a luxury” is dog whistling that Clark is hiding behind white privilege.

Good grief, she’s 22 years old and 14 games into her rookie year. She’s getting crapped on by those she admires, defended by some of the worst elements of our society, and the only reason any of it is happening is because she’s a white and extremely entertaining basketball player.

It’s disgusting and shines a spotlight on American idiocy.

I agree, it's insane, and really unprecedented in any time I can think of.

It's unfair, unwanted, and an enormous pile o' poop that she has to deal with all this, but it is the unfortunate reality.

I don't have any problems with what Dijonai wrote. While in many ways I'd commend CC for living a not paying attention to social media life, I find it hard to believe that absolutely everyone in her inner circle is doing the same, and ignoring the current toxic discourse. To see some of the trash that's being spewed in her name, and in her supposed "defense" is despicable at best. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want that to unwittingly continue on my supposed behalf.

I think the fallacy to the "sides" is that these sides are equal. Yeah, there's certainly nuance here and there between individual debates and internet spats, but overall the side against bigotry is on the right side of history. Please note, I'm not saying you don't see that or live that right side, Duck. I've been around here long enough to know your world view falls on the side of - hey, let's all be solid, decent human beings. I know you certainly stand against the many ugly "isms" that are out in the world.

Overall, it sucks for Caitlin. A role no one would wish for, but she's got it whether she wants it or not. I'm glad she gave the recent comments she did. Could she do more? Yes, but I'm personally not going to beat her up for avoiding it at this stage of her career and focusing on her job first. As you've said, and I fully ack...this is an unbelievably heavy burden for a 22 y/o to be required to bear. Again, happy that she made a stand on the record.

I'm with you guys, but the unfortunate reality is that she came into the league with the GOAT sash already sewn into her jersey and I understand why many in the league took exception to that. I don't think she asked for the hype, but I don't think she tried to hard to avoid it.

[jc23]

I’m not sure I can ever remember a modern day professional athlete getting so much **** thrown on them by their peers and leaders in their profession based on nothing that the player actually did, on the one hand, and then also being used as a social and political lightning rod by both sides of our toxic culture wars, on the other hand.

I’m not one to be overly protective of professional athletes. But this is just crazy. Now after trying to just downplay how others are using her name in the culture wars by saying she doesn’t follow it and can’t control it, and is just trying to keep her head down as a rookie and play basketball, DiJonai Carrington low key accuses her of at minimum passive complicity in the propagation of those hateful thoughts and with the parting “silence is a luxury” is dog whistling that Clark is hiding behind white privilege.

Good grief, she’s 22 years old and 14 games into her rookie year. She’s getting crapped on by those she admires, defended by some of the worst elements of our society, and the only reason any of it is happening is because she’s a white and extremely entertaining basketball player.

It’s disgusting and shines a spotlight on American idiocy.

its as if every toxic niche of internet people decided to team up and form a pincer movement on normal fans. Watching sports is suppose to be a fun recreation, but the negativity that surrounds Clark/WNBA has really put a damper on it.

[DuckIII]

I’m not sure I can ever remember a modern day professional athlete getting so much **** thrown on them by their peers and leaders in their profession based on nothing that the player actually did, on the one hand, and then also being used as a social and political lightning rod by both sides of our toxic culture wars, on the other hand.

I’m not one to be overly protective of professional athletes. But this is just crazy. Now after trying to just downplay how others are using her name in the culture wars by saying she doesn’t follow it and can’t control it, and is just trying to keep her head down as a rookie and play basketball, DiJonai Carrington low key accuses her of at minimum passive complicity in the propagation of those hateful thoughts and with the parting “silence is a luxury” is dog whistling that Clark is hiding behind white privilege.

Good grief, she’s 22 years old and 14 games into her rookie year. She’s getting crapped on by those she admires, defended by some of the worst elements of our society, and the only reason any of it is happening is because she’s a white and extremely entertaining basketball player.

It’s disgusting and shines a spotlight on American idiocy.

I agree, it's insane, and really unprecedented in any time I can think of.

It's unfair, unwanted, and an enormous pile o' poop that she has to deal with all this, but it is the unfortunate reality.

I don't have any problems with what Dijonai wrote. While in many ways I'd commend CC for living a not paying attention to social media life, I find it hard to believe that absolutely everyone in her inner circle is doing the same, and ignoring the current toxic discourse. To see some of the trash that's being spewed in her name, and in her supposed "defense" is despicable at best. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want that to unwittingly continue on my supposed behalf.

I think the fallacy to the "sides" is that these sides are equal. Yeah, there's certainly nuance here and there between individual debates and internet spats, but overall the side against bigotry is on the right side of history. Please note, I'm not saying you don't see that or live that right side, Duck. I've been around here long enough to know your world view falls on the side of - hey, let's all be solid, decent human beings. I know you certainly stand against the many ugly "isms" that are out in the world.

Overall, it sucks for Caitlin. A role no one would wish for, but she's got it whether she wants it or not. I'm glad she gave the recent comments she did. Could she do more? Yes, but I'm personally not going to beat her up for avoiding it at this stage of her career and focusing on her job first. As you've said, and I fully ack...this is an unbelievably heavy burden for a 22 y/o to be required to bear. Again, happy that she made a stand on the record.

To be clear, I agree with all of this. But my whole point is that she’s a rookie 14 games into her career. This isn’t MJ being more famous than Jesus and in his 30s still doing nothing at all publicly about social issues.

And that is why the one thing you wrote that I do disagree with is what Corrington wrote. You don’t put that **** on a rookie 14 games into their career. And while she has a valid point, she could make it without all the obvious dog whistles being directed right at Clark as an individual person rather than white society. She’s just the latest in a disgraceful line of peers crapping on Clark.

The whole thing is an indictment on our society. It’s ugly. And it’s born of prior generations of bigotry and intolerance. This is the backlash and the backlash to the backlash.

[Ice Man]

I guess the Sky truly are a Chicago basketball team. Fall behind bigtime in the first, claw back, but ultimately fall short, in a surprise loss to the team with the league's worst record. (Although not necessarily the worst team, as the Fever have more wins but a much worse Net Rating.)

Classic Angel Reese too, with 14 boards but 3-10 shooting.

[Clocian]

I guess the Sky truly are a Chicago basketball team. Fall behind bigtime in the first, claw back, but ultimately fall short, in a surprise loss to the team with the league's worst record. (Although not necessarily the worst team, as the Fever have more wins but a much worse Net Rating.)

Classic Angel Reese too, with 14 boards but 3-10 shooting.

Reese shot 50% in college, nothing classic her shooting. Yeah, she's starting off slow in regards to fg%, but fortunately everything else is superb as evidenced by leading in rookie PER and win shares, averaging a double double and good defense.

[Ice Man]

Reese shot 50% in college, nothing classic her shooting. Yeah, she's starting off slow in regards to fg%, but fortunately everything else is superb as evidenced by leading in rookie PER and win shares, averaging a double double and good defense.

Classic in the sense that she entered the draft with questions about her offensive skills. It was thought that her college scoring success was largely due to her physical dominance, which would be lessened at the professional level. As I indicated above, I agree with the rest. She's helping her team win games -- OK, maybe not so much win in the Sky's case, but helping the team be better than it otherwise would be.