League’s Unlikelys Make It A Special WNBA Season

LOVIN THE WNBA

with Bell Fuller

League’s Unlikelys Make It A Special WNBA Season

Silver Stars, Mystics and Storm Make Every Night A Challenge

Right off the top let me just say a big KUDOS to the 'Unlikely 3!' There’s so many 3’s these days: newly minted NBA 2 time Champion Miami Heat’s Big 3, the WNBA’s 3 to See and now I am coining the San Antonio Silver Stars, Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics the 'Unlikely 3.'  Yeah I like that.

Unlikely meaning that these teams are not favorites, not considered title contenders they are more so considered the weakest teams of the league. Why are they Unlikely you ask? Well actually I don’t think you’re asking that because if you follow the WNBA any then I think it’s obvious. But let’s review the reasons anyway.

Washington Mystics- They went from cellar dwellers to ‘Maybe their cursed’ to being proud to say they’re a Mystic. No one expected anything out of them this year. They’ve been at the bottom of the east for the last few years, then they had the terrible misfortune of after having the worst season in the league last year – BY FAR- and still not getting one of the top 3 marquee picks- but now here they are at 4-2, one of the best records in the East. Beautiful story. And we can’t give enough credit to Mike Thibault. Can we just give Coach Thibault three cheers: Hip hip hooray, Hip hip hooray, Hip hip Hooray!!! 

Coach Mike Thibault

There’s nothing better than having a coach, and they have one. Also you have to point to Crystal Langhorne, Monique Currie and the Mystics new floor general Ivory Latta. These three (I’m telling you three is the magic number these days) former ACC stars are providing great effort and leadership for the young talented players like Taylor Hill and Emma Meesseman (20 years old) to mirror as they’ve provided this franchise with a lot to look forward to. 

BIG WINS this season that we were like ‘What!?’-Connecticut, Minnesota, Indiana

Crystal Langhorne

Seattle Storm- How about you have two of the top fifteen players to ever play in the WNBA on your team who are still near the top of their game and then you lose them BOTH right before the season. Well that’s what happened to the Storm and they have responded like two time WNBA Champions. I guess that’s because they are two time champions and they’re showing it. The mettle that they have shown after opening the season and being destroyed by the Sparks in the opener is impressive. This team and franchise is certainly to be applauded. They have a bunch of hard nosed players out there. Temeka Johnson is well traveled but she sure packs her ‘game’ for wherever she stops. Very solid player who is able to fit right into any scheme and help the players shine. She is one example of a bunch of tough, resilient, successful but unglorified veterans over the years. With the exception of Tina Thompson (feature on her very soon). Their recent high picks Shekinna Stricklen and Tianna Hawkins are still trying to come into their own so it’s been on the vets to make it happen and they have. 

Temeka Johnson's well-travelled but always makes a mark

They too are led by a terrific coach in Brian Agler- a proven winner. I first became privy to him in the old ABL where he coached a Katie Smith/Nikki McCray led Columbus Quest to two ABL Championships. He’s come to the WNBA and won a WNBA title and this year doing a heck of a job with this resilient group this year.

BIG WINS this season that we were like ‘What!?’- Phoenix, Connecticut

Coach Brian Agler

San Antonio Silver Stars-  The Storm isn’t the only team losing big stars to injury. The Silver Stars lost two top 30 players in WNBA history in Sophia Young and Becky Hammond. Now of course Becky’s injury wasn’t nearly as severe as the other players injuries but nevertheless they had to start the year without the face of the franchise. Also I believe that I’ve pointed out before that this is a team that really hasn’t had any big draft picks or acquisitions other than the brief excitement Chamique Holdsclaw brought a few years ago. They’ve just continued to surround Becky and Sophia with adequate players and have still gotten the job done. But without the two you really wondered what they would do and they have answered beautifully. And in the midst of that they may have found some real prime time players to help the Silver Stars stay in the mix and possibly get over the hump and make the Finals one day in players Danielle Robinson and Shenise Johnson. I was high on Shenise coming out of Miami and she’s really turning into quite a player. Danielle was fun to watch at Oklahoma but she has really worked to continue to develop her game and should be applauded as her hard work is paying off.

Coach Dan Hughes talking to veteran scoring force Jia Perkins

 

 

I don’t want to end this without shouting out Dan Hughes. Probably one of the most underrated coaches in the league but he has really given the San Antonio community a team to be proud of every year no matter who he has suited up. This really is a class organization that plays some really quality basketball and Coach Hughes has to be recognized for that. 
 BIG WINS this season that we were like ‘What!?’- Chicago, Los Angeles

Here she comes- Danielle Robinson

 Wait a minute, the Tulsa Shock has had losing records the past few years (BAD losing records) and their 2-7 this year and they’re not on this list!? That doesn’t make any sense.

 
No, they absolutely are not on here. Though they’ve gotten off to a very rough start no doubt, I say that if they’re not in the thick of things by the end of the year then they have underachieved. They have entirely too much talent on that roster to do anything but win a playoff spot. Liz Cambage, Candice Wiggins, Nicole Powell, Riquana Williams, Skylar Diggins and the newly dominant Glory Johnson amongst others…they are supposed to win. And they will. I really do believe that they are going to be a problem for teams. 

But overall, the fact that there aren't any easy nights at all in the WNBA is really going to help this league continue to grow and blossom. The 'Unlikely 3' are making it so that there really are no unlikelys, and that makes it fun. It's a very exciting and very entertaining 2013. Get to the arenas or live access and watch this super competition in the WNBA! 

Skylar Is Struggling- All Good- Par For the Rookie Point Guard Course

 

 LOVIN THE WNBA
with Bell Fuller

  Skylar Diggins Struggling Early- All Good- It’s Par For the Point Guard Course

The Big 3 are the hot story for the WNBA this season. And with good reason, they’ve helped change the landscape of the league, brought more television and commercial exposure and also I’m sure that the attendance is up with their presence. Brittney Griner hasn't dominated the league but certainly hasn’t disappointed averaging 17 and 7 coupled with a few very nice dunks. And Elena Delle Donne has proved to be nothing short of the truth in Chicago. She’s everything she was advertised to be and more. In Tulsa, one of my favorite players to watch Skylar Diggins hasn’t been as prosperous, but she’s coming along. After watching her dominate the college game like few point guards have along with bringing an unprecedented celebrity feeling, her arrival in the WNBA profile has been tremendous. The results thus far have been…well, not so tremendous. But for a rookie point guard in the WNBA, it’s par for the course.

When we take a look at some of the more highly drafted and regarded point guards to come to the league, I think you’ll see that many have struggled against the intense nightly competition. Skylar said herself in her blog for ESPN in which it’s great to hear her candor:

‘The difference between now and college basketball season is I’m playing against the best in the world every night. All-stars, national and world champions are out here at each game. With 12 teams, all packed with 11 incredible players, I’ve had to adjust.

                                                                                                            Skylar Diggins

It’s an incredible challenge. I took a look back at some of the other highly regarded point guards and how their rookie year went, and for many it was similar struggles. Most of these below struggled. Now, there’s ALWAYS an exception, Sue Bird came into the league wrecking shop. But for most of the other mere mortals it was tough from the start.

PLAYER                         GS            PTS            REB            ASSISTS            STEALS            FG%            TOV

Becky Hammond               0            2.7                0.6            0.6                        0.2                        42%            0.8

Nikki Teasley                    32           6.4                2.6            4.4                        0.8                        40%            2.1

Courtney Vandersloot      34            6.5               2.0            3.7                        0.7                        39%            2.7

Lindsey Whalen                31            8.9               2.9            4.8                        1.3                        45%            3.0

Kristi Toliver                       0            7.6               1.4            1.9                        0.4                        45%            1.6

Lindsey Harding               20            11.7              4.4            3.9                        1.0                        35%            2.4

Renee Montgomery            9             9.0               1.9            2.1                        0.7                        40%            1.9

Samantha Prahalis            28             11.6              3.2            4.5                        1.6                        35%            3.0

Sue Bird                             32            14.4               2.0            6.0                        1.7                        40%            3.4

Skylar Diggins                    6            10.3               2.7            4.7                        1.3                        28%            4.3

Looking at the numbers of some of the talented point guards that have entered the WNBA as rookies and their performance we see the good and bad for Skylar in her rookie campaign. The good is that she is one of only four to average double figures and one of the top five in assists. But the bad is that she has by far the worst shooting percentage at 28% and has the highest turnover average by far. I look at Skylar's career at Notre Dame and now in Tulsa and a couple of things come to mind. First, in my estimation it is amazing that Notre Dame beat UConn three times last year before of course succumbing in the Final Four. You look at the Notre Dame roster talent wise and the UConn roster and there is no comparison. UConn is loaded! So for Skylar to lead her team to those victories and a 32-1 season is really phenomenal. She was everything for that team. Not that they didn't have talent but their talent simply doesn't compare to what's up in Storrs, Connecticut. I think that experience as being the all-everything for the along with the hype and being expected to 'lead' probably subconsciously has her pushing more than she needs to in the pros.

Sue Bird, one of the best to ever run the point!

I'd love for Skylar to trust the talent she has around her. The Tulsa Shock is loaded with young talented players (Liz Cambage, Candace Wiggins, Glory Johnson and more)- trust them. This is the least that Skylar's probably ever had to do as a player and I think that she just has to adjust to her new circumstances.  Quickly let's look at arguably the greatest point guard that the WNBA has seen in Sue Bird and the type of numbers that she put up in the Seattle Storm's championship season in 2010. She averaged 5.8 assists a game with only 1.8 turnovers. That's incredibly efficient! And she only averaged 11 points a game. She didn't force anything and knew she didn't need to.  That's because Lauren Jackson was playing her MVP ball, Swin Cash was her all around monster self and Camille Little and Tanisha Wright could be trusted to be two of the best role players a team could ask for. I think the world of Skylar and know that these bumps and bruises are simply part of the ride and when she really takes a look and sees that her load is lighter than she realizes and just allows the game to come to her, we'll soon see the superstar that the league is banking on.

Her time is coming. Patience.

WNBA- Anything Can Happen

 

 LOVIN THE WNBA

with Bell Fuller

 WNBA- Anything Can Happen!

WNBA action has been as fun as ever and just as entertaining, it has been as unpredictable as ever. Just what you need to keep the fans on their toes. One thing that helped the NFL become the premiere sports league is that going into the season everyone truly feels they can win the Super Bowl. Don’t think it’s quite like that in the WNBA yet but the fact that the San Antonio Silver Stars can be without Becky Hammond and Sophia Young, lose their opening game by almost 20 and then come back to beat the talent laden Los Angeles Sparks is great for the league. It was almost a trap game for the Sparks. At least in the respect that annihilated the Storm in the opener and then like everyone they see the Silver Stars get blown out by Indiana. They see that the Silver Stars are without their biggest stars and thus it’s natural to have a let down and they did. Quick shout to the amazing Candace Parker and great break out performance for Shenise Johnson.

Griner played well the legend Tina Thompson and the Storm prevailed

And if you thought that game was something then you were really blown away, as was I, when you watched the Sue Bird-less and Lauren Jackson-less Seattle Storm after being destroyed by L.A. in their opening game, come back to upset the favorites to win it all this year in the Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner led Phoenix Mercury. What an upset that was huh?! (Quick Shout to Tina Thompson- One of the Greatest Ever. Please Believe!)And also the Chicago Sky who started 6-1 last season but didn’t reach the playoffs and have never made the playoffs in their short history is off to a 3-0 start this year. But if they can remain healthy, the playoffs is a no-brainer and overall it’s going to be difficult for anyone to stop them from making the Finals. But there’s a LOT of basketball to be played before we arrive there. Let’s talk about basketball!

What’s up with Phoenix?

0-2 out the gate!? Whoa. I knew that 0-1 was possible because the Sky have an incredibly talented team but you let Seattle beat you???? Well my friends it happens. The Miami Heat struggled tremendously at the beginning of the Big 3 era. I remember the Celtics destroyed them in the opening game I believe and there were more whoopings to come before they got it together. The Philadelphia Eagles suffered an even worst fate when they put together their ‘Dream Team’ a few years ago.

But again it’s early. No worry necessary. They’re going to come together and figure out how to put it together. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll win it all now that I’ve began to see all of the teams play. But they’ll most definitely be in the thick of things. Diana Taurasi has to find her stroke again and I would love to see Samantha Prahalis get to the whole more and create opportunities for all of those scorers they have out there. Brittney is Brittney. She looks great. Really strong performances for her first two WNBA games ever. She’s as good as advertised if not better. With all of that being said, the Minnesota Lynx certainly isn’t the sort of team you want to have to get your first win against. 0-3 is a very good possibility and then maybe they can get in the win column, oh wait, they play the defending World Champion Indiana Fever after that…well it will be fun anywayJ

Indiana-New York Should Be A War

Now, this is not to say that these two are the top two teams in the Eastern Conference though they should both be in the thick of things for sure. But Indiana is built on defense and being very physical and then when you look at the Liberty and who’s at the helm…when have we seen anything or anyone affiliated with the Liberty not physical? It should be fun watching these two teams bang on each other. 

Laimbeer will have the Liberty ready to bang vs the Fever

The Liberty is stacked with big bodies at least when they’re fully healthy. Speaking of which they really need to get Cheryl Ford and Plenette Pierson back on the court. Both will be huge additions to the team upon their return. But those two along with Bone and Braxton should really be formidable down low for points and rebounds. Of course the Fever is not only physical but they are a well oiled machine so they should be the favorite in Wednesday’s game. Either way if you like hard nosed basketball then you should most definitely tune in.

We’ll Miss Piph Da Great!

Oh those overseas contracts and obligations…darn you! You’re taking away perhaps the most exciting and dominant perimeter scorer in the league in the Chicago Sky’s and Brooklyn’s Own Epiphanny Prince. She is so talented and efficient with her play on the court. Love watching her. Here’s a player with as good a handle as anyone in the league, quick as a cat with the rock, and a shot as smooth as butter. It’s most definitely a pleasure watching her play. Don’t miss Piph Da Great upon her return. Granted Delle Donne is and will continue to get the majority of the publicity and she is too a beast, but right now Piph is easily as good as any guard and probably player in the league. Hard to put a person into the best player in the league category until they start winning playoff series, championships, MVP’s etc. But some if not all of those accomplishments should be around the corner from one of the WNBA’s most exciting players- Piph Da Great!

Piph Da Great about to shake em up. We'll miss you. See you in a bit Piph!