2024 WNBA Discussion Thread

[VolFuture]

Yes. And yes.

Poor Indy, just more of the same. Granted, they opened with one of the best teams in the league and the reigning MVP, but yikes. My gut tells me the Indy fans came in there thinking maybe they'd get the win tonight. Instead, they took their usual beating.

Gotta feel for them. As for Clark, she has done her best to prepare fans for the reality that she has a LOT of adapting and learning to do as a new pro but, again, I suspect their fans are probably thinking their superstar is just sandbagging and will step up and score 25-plus every night.

it'll be interesting to see who ends up being named ROY after this season. Right now I'd say Angel Reese is living up to her hype. Good for her.

CC is the run away favorite still… she had 21 when she played Dallas.. just a bad draw on reg season opponents so far. Still putting up triple double pacing.

 

[madtownvol]

I thought about all that money that’s been shelled out for all those tickets in all those cities. You can tell CC feels it too. Tons of pressure on her.

What has happened to Boston?

The Sparks games were more fun bc both were close, unlike this fanny kicking tonight. Remember when Rae used to be a baby deer on skates? That’s how Rickea is right now. Won’t get much better soon, next game is against the Aces in Vegas.

A few thoughts on Caitlin. She is carry more of a load and game responsibility than anyone in her draft cohort. She is being thrown into the fire (and getting scorched) but I expect her performances will get better as the season goes on.

And it is one thing that teams are throwing tough defenses at her (and nobody on the Fever is making them pay for this overplaying) but CC is also getting hacked to death out there. The refs are letting it be open season on the rookie and it seems that they too have bought into the Diana Taurasi narrative about putting CC in "her place" because honor..... The league needs to step in and say "hey, call the dang fouls." This "old school" code is literally killing their golden goose. If the W loses this influx of new fans and media attention, they might not come back.

 

[chuckiepoo]

A few thoughts on Caitlin. She is carry more of a load and game responsibility than anyone in her draft cohort. She is being thrown into the fire (and getting scorched) but I expect her performances will get better as the season goes on.

And it is one thing that teams are throwing tough defenses at her (and nobody on the Fever is making them pay for this overplaying) but CC is also getting hacked to death out there. The refs are letting it be open season on the rookie and it seems that they too have bought into the Diana Taurasi narrative about putting CC in "her place" because honor..... The league needs to step in and say "hey, call the dang fouls." This "old school" code is literally killing their golden goose. If the W loses this influx of new fans and media attention, they might not come back.

…hmm. Was planning on watching Saturday. First full W game since Comets. We shall see if they can drag me back in…

 

[lvocd]

A few thoughts on Caitlin. She is carry more of a load and game responsibility than anyone in her draft cohort. She is being thrown into the fire (and getting scorched) but I expect her performances will get better as the season goes on.

And it is one thing that teams are throwing tough defenses at her (and nobody on the Fever is making them pay for this overplaying) but CC is also getting hacked to death out there. The refs are letting it be open season on the rookie and it seems that they too have bought into the Diana Taurasi narrative about putting CC in "her place" because honor..... The league needs to step in and say "hey, call the dang fouls." This "old school" code is literally killing their golden goose. If the W loses this influx of new fans and media attention, they might not come back.

Yep. If Caitlin's spirit is crushed like a bug and she is "put in her place," that sure will make the vets feel good that they weren't shown up by the rook, won't it?

Too bad they're shooting the league's first legitimate shot at becoming more than just a niche sport in the foot in the process. Stupid.

It was my biggest fear. There's still time, but typically new viewers only take a game or two to make up their minds about how they feel about the W, and it has been a rough start.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

…hmm. Was planning on watching Saturday. First full W game since Comets. We shall see if they can drag me back in…

Saturday is a big day, l plan to watch Rickea ball, and softball.

 

[glv98]

A few thoughts on Caitlin. She is carry more of a load and game responsibility than anyone in her draft cohort. She is being thrown into the fire (and getting scorched) but I expect her performances will get better as the season goes on.

And it is one thing that teams are throwing tough defenses at her (and nobody on the Fever is making them pay for this overplaying) but CC is also getting hacked to death out there. The refs are letting it be open season on the rookie and it seems that they too have bought into the Diana Taurasi narrative about putting CC in "her place" because honor..... The league needs to step in and say "hey, call the dang fouls." This "old school" code is literally killing their golden goose. If the W loses this influx of new fans and media attention, they might not come back.

Yep. If Caitlin's spirit is crushed like a bug and she is "put in her place," that sure will make the vets feel good that they weren't shown up by the rook, won't it?

Too bad they're shooting the league's first legitimate shot at becoming more than just a niche sport in the foot in the process. Stupid.

It was my biggest fear. There's still time, but typically new viewers only take a game or two to make up their minds about how they feel about the W, and it has been a rough start.

IMO it's not the old school W vet narrative doing the damage. That's to be expected. Problem is the hype narrative surrounding CC has been wildly but predictably out of control for a long time. Predictable that everyone ran with it and that fans literally bought it, snapping up tickets and causing venues to be changed because they expected CC to score 30 every night and make the Fever immediate contenders That was never, ever going to happen. To her credit, CC tried to tamp it down, but it was already out of control. Lazy WBB media gets teeth into one narrative and can't let it go. Last night in the post game interview, after one of the best games of her MVP career, the second question asked of B.Stewart was about - CC.

Not sure what anyone expects the vets to do except what they're doing - throw the best defenders in the WBB world at CC and lock her down. IMO Clark's problem is not being hacked or fouled more than anyone else, it's that she's never seen defenders defend like Carrington and Laney have defended her. Actually she did see it at least twice in college - from Muhl and from Raven so we had seen a little preview of this. There just aren't many defenders, esp in college, with the motor and athleticism to play her the way these players have. When CC scored 20 in her first W game it was only late in the game when the issue was decided and they let up on her defensively. Same last night, when she made that little surge in the second half it was w Sabrina on her while Laney took a well deserved break.

It is unfortunate that the Fever has no one who can make the opposition pay for the defensive attention spent on CC because of whatever has happened to Boston and bc of Smith's raging inconsistency. Not helping the situation at all.

Don't think you could do anything approaching asking the refs to even watch for CC being fouled more closely. That would involve also not letting her do the little push off move she loves. Whatever vets say is one thing and not all that important. It's what they're able to do on the court that's blowing up the fantasy. If new fans find that disappointing and want to bail, not sure what can be done. Asking the refs for help won't make anything better.

Saturday is a big day, l plan to watch Rickea ball, and softball.

Don't judge RJ or the Sparks by what happens Saturday in Vegas. It's likely to be a slaughter. Sparks lost they're best player to free agency and their center, the only player remotely capable of bothering Wilson in the least, is out with injury. Their game next week against the Mystics will be much more enjoyable.