Chicago Sky/WNBA thread 2024

[fleet]

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[CROBulls]

Chicago Sky seems watched too much of late 80´s Detroit Pistons when they realized greatest player of all time came to league.

[Almost Retired]

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Jealousy is a cruel emotion. More fans are watching because of the style that Clark brings...the deep "3"s, the impossible passing, the tempo. If they wanted thug basketball they could tune in to Roller Derby. Clark is the league's Number 1 meal ticket and it isn't even close. The rest of the league should be thanking her. The big rise in attendance and viewership is going to translate eventually into higher salaries and more endorsement opportunities. I never watched WNBA games before Clark arrived on the scene. Now if I see the Fever on the TV schedule I'll tune in. Lots of casual fans are doing the same.

[2weekswithpay]

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Career high for Cardoso. 11 points in the first but the team doesn't have the shooting or guards to feed her the ball consistently.

[fleet]

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Jealousy is a cruel emotion. More fans are watching because of the style that Clark brings...the deep "3"s, the impossible passing, the tempo. If they wanted thug basketball they could tune in to Roller Derby. Clark is the league's Number 1 meal ticket and it isn't even close. The rest of the league should be thanking her. The big rise in attendance and viewership is going to translate eventually into higher salaries and more endorsement opportunities. I never watched WNBA games before Clark arrived on the scene. Now if I see the Fever on the TV schedule I'll tune in. Lots of casual fans are doing the same.

I have no way to contextualize the numbers Clark report provided. I don’t watch or follow. But I do remember Angel Reese having some raw feelings about the attention Clark was receiving before the year started. Clark report is calling the Chicago team dirty.

[dougthonus]

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There were 5 total fouls.

2 were landing zone fouls, one of which almost certainly shouldn't have been called a flagrant as Clark jumps forward on the 3, the defender is in the space before Clark. Maybe a foul, but definitely not reckless by the defender and landing zone fouls are generally not flagrants unless there is an intent. The second landing zone one is borderline, because Clark is landing prior to the defender and the defender runs into her. Again, this seems like a bad play by the defender, but I don't think it would cross the line into flagrant normally. Generally, most landing zone fouls I don't see called as flagrant, but I don't watch enough in the W to know if they call it meaningfully differently.

That said, given there are only 29 total flagrants in the W, it's hard for me to believe that they are calling landing zone violations as flagrants left and right, it's not that rare of a play.

There was 1 play where she went up for a layup and while someone tried to block her from behind, she got hit lightly in the back of the head, but was airborne. It wasn't vicious though and was a legit play on the ball. The fact that she does get hit in the head even if it isn't with tremendous force probably makes it a flagrant, but again, my guess from what I have seen of the W is that type of incidental contact to the head is made more often and isn't called a flagrant most of the time, but Clark being airborne makes the play more dangerous and I think the call is fine.

There were two "hip checks", the famous Carter one and one in the open court. The first was clearly a flagrant, the 2nd was pretty dicey. Angel Reese got hit with a nearly identical play and did not get a flagrant called on the other team.

Looking at all five in context, I came away with the impression the league was overly protective of Clark, and as someone who has single handedly probably doubled the value of the W, that makes pure business sense. I'm sure there is also some genuine animosity between Clark and other players for many reasons, one of which is that she's an absolutely insane trash talker, but also for reasons of jealousy for the attention and endorsements which she has received (many of which other players probably feel are unfair, but fairness has nothing to do with endorsements, it's how many eyeballs you bring).

From a targeting perspective, it feels like hogwash. I find it pretty difficult to believe there weren't similar landing zone violations in greater numbers throughout the league, especially on the 1st one where Clark jumps forward into the defender. There's a video of Reese receiving an identical hip check on a break and not getting a flagrant for it, but even if you want to say all the calls were distributed evenly, from a "we got to get Clark" perspective, only 2 of those plays would fall under the category of "non basketball" plays, and if we're talking about 2 plays over a season, that doesn't seem like 'targeting', especially since, again, one of those two, Reese got hit with very similar contact and drew no flagrant.

In general, the OP seems like an account dedicated to the continued crazy right wing co-opting of Clark and trying to write a story line of her being a victim due to being white to try to continue this new political line of white people being victimized by minorities as push back against other racial equality pushes. A narrative Clark doesn't believe or want any part in of course but exists anyway.

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[Shill]

Fever gonna be a hellish matchup in the first round for somebody.

[Shill]

Looking at all five in context, I came away with the impression the league was overly protective of Clark, and as someone who has single handedly probably doubled the value of the W, that makes pure business sense. I'm sure there is also some genuine animosity between Clark and other players for many reasons, one of which is that she's an absolutely insane trash talker, but also for reasons of jealousy for the attention and endorsements which she has received (many of which other players probably feel are unfair, but fairness has nothing to do with endorsements, it's how many eyeballs you bring).

Disagree strongly.

All 5 of those were legit flagrant fouls.

They have been consistent on the landing zone foul. Arike got called for one in the Fever game today.

The Chennedy Carter hip check was obvious.

The DeShields one wasn't as bad because she pulled up at the last moment and tried to help her up, but it came in the context of DeShields fouling Clark on consecutive plays before the ball was inbounded.

And the one committed by Reese was reckless because she was not in a position to make a play on the ball.

I don't think the league is being protective of Clark at all. I think she leads the WNBA in technicals, or is close to it. Two more, and she gets a 1-game suspension.

I think the flagrant foul stat is just a quirk.

[dougthonus]

They have been consistent on the landing zone foul. Arike got called for one in the Fever game today.

The first landing zone foul Clark jumps forward more than the defender does. I don't watch tons of WNBA games, but in the NBA that would be called a common foul because it wasn't viewed as reckless and Clark's unnatural jump shot form contributes to it.

The second foul is debatable about whether it is a landing foul because Clark lands first, and thus it's just contact after the 3, maybe you can say it's still a flagrant, but based on the W games I've seen the level of contact there definitely didn't seem "flagrant" by what I have seen generally if you aren't calling it a landing foul, and maybe you'd say "bang bang" so it's landing foul because if she gets there a split second earlier it could have spelled trouble.

Not saying "definitely not a flagrant" on that one, but didn't look like an automatic flagrant variety to me.

The Chennedy Carter hip check was obvious.

Agreed.

The DeShields one wasn't as bad because she pulled up at the last moment and tried to help her up, but it came in the context of DeShields fouling Clark on consecutive plays before the ball was inbounded.

Again, Reese got hit by near an identical play and it wasn't called a flagrant, so definitely not consistent or obvious, and you are adding specific context related to Clark to say it is for sure a flagrant foul.

And the one committed by Reese was reckless because she was not in a position to make a play on the ball.

I think a legit play on the ball was made, but still contact with the head is a flagrant even if minor contact.

I don't think the league is being protective of Clark at all. I think she leads the WNBA in technicals, or is close to it. Two more, and she gets a 1-game suspension.

I think the flagrant foul stat is just a quirk.

Yeah, maybe a stretch to say protective, but she definitely got the benefit of the doubt on several of those calls that could have gone either way. Of course, there could be many other calls where she did not get the benefit of the doubt and selection bias is that we're only looking at these.

[jc23]

The Fever are doing to every stadium what we do to the Milwaukee stadiums. It feels like the Fever fans outnumber the home fans 2-1.

[Charlesareed]

Unfortunately for the Chicago Sky this season is over no playoffs the lack a pg who can put everything in their place someone who can move the ball they also lack 3pt shooting are that and they’ll be okay going forward

[Andi Obst]

Caitlin Clark is doing to every stadium what we do to the Milwaukee stadiums. It feels like Caitlin Clark fans outnumber the home fans 2-1.

Fixed it for you.

[Ice Man]

Ironically, the hardest foul that Clark received all year, a swinging forearm atop the head that left her stunned on the floor, isn't on this list. It was by Seattle early in the season (Ezi?) and was ruled no call, because the referees missed the contact. It was pretty clearly a basketball play, not an intentional act, but also clearly a flagrant.

[Jeffster81]

Caitlin Clark is doing to every stadium what we do to the Milwaukee stadiums. It feels like Caitlin Clark fans outnumber the home fans 2-1.

Fixed it for you.

Yep. Nobody gives a hoot about the Fever. It's all about Clark.

[DuckIII]

I realize the MAGA white nationalist meatheads have adopted Clark as a social agenda flashpoint and that this is unfortunate.

And to be clear I remain disgusted with the way current and former players in the WNBA treated her and I lost a lot of respect for quite a few leaders in women’s hoops as a result.

Fortunately and predictably (knowably with absolute certainty might be a better way to say it here) Clark established herself as so insanely dominant there is nothing left for her many haters within the WNBA community to say or do.

So outside of the remaining MAGA dopes who have co-opted her as a way to blubber on about white grievance, hopefully all that is left finally is basketball.

What an embarrassing **** show the first half of her rookie year was for the WNBA. It’s possible the drama was “good for the league” in a sense, but definitely was not a “good look” for the league.

[Shill]

I realize the MAGA white nationalist meatheads have adopted Clark as a social agenda flashpoint and that this is unfortunate.

And to be clear I remain disgusted with the way current and former players in the WNBA treated her and I lost a lot of respect for quite a few leaders in women’s hoops as a result.

Fortunately and predictably (knowably with absolute certainty might be a better way to say it here) Clark established herself as so insanely dominant there is nothing left for her many haters within the WNBA community to say or do.

So outside of the remaining MAGA dopes who have co-opted her as a way to blubber on about white grievance, hopefully all that is left finally is basketball.

What an embarrassing **** show the first half of her rookie year was for the WNBA. It’s possible the drama was “good for the league” in a sense, but definitely was not a “good look” for the league.

Unfortunately, that’s the consequence of everything being politicized.

I remember reading this doozy during March Madness:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2024/03/07/juju-watkins-black-players-face-of-womens-basketball/72862649007/

[dougthonus]

I realize the MAGA white nationalist meatheads have adopted Clark as a social agenda flashpoint and that this is unfortunate.

And to be clear I remain disgusted with the way current and former players in the WNBA treated her and I lost a lot of respect for quite a few leaders in women’s hoops as a result.

Fortunately and predictably (knowably with absolute certainty might be a better way to say it here) Clark established herself as so insanely dominant there is nothing left for her many haters within the WNBA community to say or do.

So outside of the remaining MAGA dopes who have co-opted her as a way to blubber on about white grievance, hopefully all that is left finally is basketball.

What an embarrassing **** show the first half of her rookie year was for the WNBA. It’s possible the drama was “good for the league” in a sense, but definitely was not a “good look” for the league.

I agree with all of this except the MAGA co-opting her is really a big problem if you ever want to talk about her anywhere, and how the swarm of Clark fans will just absolutely murder you if you say something:
1: Positive about Angel Reese
2: Something that could tangentially be negative about Clark (like saying, I don't think those 5 flagrant fouls are an example of targeting).

You would not believe how people find you and come at you if you do

I made a post about Reese's offensive rebound impact on her efficiency on offense on twitter, and all the replies were Caitlin Clark fans insulting me for no reason.

I suppose maybe it's all irrelevant because it's just a sign of our times at how polarized everything is, and it's a sign of how social media and virality work in that to be for something, you get the most traction if you are also against something else, and how those movements are actually really, really negative towards fixing problems and now I occasionally get caught up in these things where I just wasn't before.

[TheSuzerain]

I realize the MAGA white nationalist meatheads have adopted Clark as a social agenda flashpoint and that this is unfortunate.

And to be clear I remain disgusted with the way current and former players in the WNBA treated her and I lost a lot of respect for quite a few leaders in women’s hoops as a result.

Fortunately and predictably (knowably with absolute certainty might be a better way to say it here) Clark established herself as so insanely dominant there is nothing left for her many haters within the WNBA community to say or do.

So outside of the remaining MAGA dopes who have co-opted her as a way to blubber on about white grievance, hopefully all that is left finally is basketball.

What an embarrassing **** show the first half of her rookie year was for the WNBA. It’s possible the drama was “good for the league” in a sense, but definitely was not a “good look” for the league.

I agree with all of this except the MAGA co-opting her is really a big problem if you ever want to talk about her anywhere, and how the swarm of Clark fans will just absolutely murder you if you say something:
1: Positive about Angel Reese
2: Something that could tangentially be negative about Clark (like saying, I don't think those 5 flagrant fouls are an example of targeting).

You would not believe how people find you and come at you if you do

I made a post about Reese's offensive rebound impact on her efficiency on offense on twitter, and all the replies were Caitlin Clark fans insulting me for no reason.

I suppose maybe it's all irrelevant because it's just a sign of our times at how polarized everything is, and it's a sign of how social media and virality work in that to be for something, you get the most traction if you are also against something else, and how those movements are actually really, really negative towards fixing problems and now I occasionally get caught up in these things where I just wasn't before.

dude just log off twitter.

[jnrjr79]

I realize the MAGA white nationalist meatheads have adopted Clark as a social agenda flashpoint and that this is unfortunate.

Duck, they're just weighing in on a subject they have always passionately cared about: women's sports.

[madvillian]

I realize the MAGA white nationalist meatheads have adopted Clark as a social agenda flashpoint and that this is unfortunate.

And to be clear I remain disgusted with the way current and former players in the WNBA treated her and I lost a lot of respect for quite a few leaders in women’s hoops as a result.

Fortunately and predictably (knowably with absolute certainty might be a better way to say it here) Clark established herself as so insanely dominant there is nothing left for her many haters within the WNBA community to say or do.

So outside of the remaining MAGA dopes who have co-opted her as a way to blubber on about white grievance, hopefully all that is left finally is basketball.

What an embarrassing **** show the first half of her rookie year was for the WNBA. It’s possible the drama was “good for the league” in a sense, but definitely was not a “good look” for the league.

My impression of the league is "bush league". Non basketball frustration fouls. Players checking back in down 20 to get double doubles. Fan accounts celebrating said double doubles as the headline as the team loses it's 7th straight to fall a game up on the last playoff spot. Announcers refusing to even acknowledge Clark on the broadcast...and so on.

And all of this is taking place with one player almost single handedly saving them from financial insolvency and saving fellow American players from having to play their trade over in **** places like Russia or China.