2024 WNBA Discussion Thread

[brockytop]

"Stephen A.'s" hyperbolic schtick is so stale. Do people really enjoy hearing someone scream repetitive comments?

The hypocrisy here is almost comical. Draya is a rising star on ESPN, the same network that pays his salary and had Stephen A sweating bullets on their last round of cost-cutting layoffs.

As an announcer is an expendable commodity. A lot of people can rant on TV about athletes (who are the actual draws). If I had been the ESPN decision makers, I would have kept Jalen Rose and dropped this bombastic dude.

The marketing aspects of putting CC on the Olympic team are not that clear cut. There would be a lot of backlash about her not having earned it and she would only be playing in garbage time anyway.

NBC has Simone Biles, Lebron and Steph in men's basketball, they will be okay

I don’t believe you ever noticed how NBA ratings have fallen significantly since Lebron came into the league. I believe viewership is about 1/2 of what it was when he was a rookie.

Plus, I referred to viewership for USA WBB games, not the Olympics as a whole.

Lastly, Draya is one of the best analysts/commentators ESPN has delivered in a long time, here’s hoping she stays true to herself.

 

[1reVOLver]

Just off the top of my head both Candace and Chamique were far more "dominate" players and both have multiple nattys to show for it. CC is the best long range shooter of all time, but that doesn't make her dominate in my book.

While one or another may be dominate (sic), are any of them dominant ?

 

[VolBall09]

Gullible I'm talking about are people who bought all these tickets far in advance and travelled to games because they thought what they saw in college was going to be what they get in WNBA games. Last night there were young girls crying and Dads complaining about CC's limited playing time. Saying that's not what they spent their money for. There's a sense of expectation and entitlement above and beyond the game that was set up by silly preseason and draft hype. It was never going to happen and was unfair to CC to pretend it was.

Lots of talk about 'narratives' lately, but IMO the original harmful narrative was that CC was going to come in and dominate and own the league. That's what people paid to see, not the reality of inefficient shooting, turnovers and a terrible team that quits. Changing rules or standards or making marketing oriented decisions aimed at dragging that illusion along aren't going to help in the end.


Major agree to disagree. Just off the top of my head both Candace and Chamique were far more "dominate" players and both have multiple nattys to show for it. CC is the best long range shooter of all time, but that doesn't make her dominate in my book.

Uh no. Candace is my goat and she’s not even close. Clark’s scoring and passing ability is literally second to none.

 

[madtownvol]

I don’t believe you ever noticed how NBA ratings have fallen significantly since Lebron came into the league. I believe viewership is about 1/2 of what it was when he was a rookie.

Plus, I referred to viewership for USA WBB games, not the Olympics as a whole.

I don't understand why you addressed this post to me but I would not blame LeBron for the NBA rating decline. In fact, there was a viewer resurgence during his time with the Heat. The big drop coincided with the NBA signing a TV deal that was heavy on cable channels versus the major networks. This chart tracks it all.

 

[brockytop]

I don't understand why you addressed this post to me but I would not blame LeBron for the NBA rating decline. In fact, there was a viewer resurgence during his time with the Heat. The big drop coincided with the NBA signing a TV deal that was heavy on cable channels versus the major networks. This chart tracks it all.View attachment 647816

I never blamed Lebron—just stated facts of ratings decline.

 

[brockytop]

It was more the spinning around than the ripping away for me. Of course that's iffy too bc that's part of CC's acting routine. She flails, spins, lolls head, etc on the regular when she thinks she might get a foul called. But in this case, the exaggerated spining made her look weak as a kitten.

I confess, I just don't get it with CC. Even if she was hitting logo 3s on the regular instead of on rare occassions, that's just not very entertaining basketball to me. And very rarely is it winning basketball. Obviously many others are entertained by it, but I still wonder how long that luster can last. If this is what 'growing the game' is built on, the house of cards looks pretty shaky to me

 

[glv98]

Yes, many fans are coming out to see CC, many who bought tickets long ago. Some are getting restless, such as last night. It's not going how they expected. That was the point.

 

[VolBall09]

Yes, many fans are coming out to see CC, many who bought tickets long ago. Some are getting restless, such as last night. It's not going how they expected. That was the point.

Can’t do much from the bench.

She would have had 20+ if she played her usual. Sides is a blooming idiot.

 

[glv98]

Can’t do much from the bench.

She would have had 20+ if she played her usual. Sides is a blooming idiot.

Did you watch the game? Sides said she benched them all for lack of effort and she wasn't wrong. Four of their starters, including CC, quit at halftime. To her credit, CC pretty much admitted it postgame.

Also, in a game where the Fever obviously have no chance why risk injury? The bench actually played the Sun much better than the starters.

This is exactly the argument: stick to what you would do with any other player in that situation or create a special exception for CC because fans came to see her? Pad her stats to feed the narrative? I know opinions vary on this, some say yes, keep doing that as long as it works. I just think that's a house of cards that's bound to collapse. And ultimately be unfair to Clark.

 

[glv98]

Looks like the Mystics finally going to grab a win. Ahead of the Dream by 19 with 7 mins to go. Sykes is back and has been huge. The Dream is a puzzle.

Sparks play the Storm in Seattle at 10. Jordy and Mercedes vs Rickea and Rae.

 

[brockytop]

Yes, many fans are coming out to see CC, many who bought tickets long ago. Some are getting restless, such as last night. It's not going how they expected. That was the point.

How about the other night when she scored 30 for the second time this season?

 

[glv98]

How about the other night when she scored 30 for the second time this season?

Right. Once in a while that will happen. But they're 3-10 and often hard to watch. So is CC. I don't think that's what the ticket buyers thought they'd be getting. They said so last night.

 

[glv98]

The good news is Jordy had a good game. Did her usual jack of all trades things, 5 reb, 2 assists including a jewel at the end of the quarter. She had 4 pts and didn't shoot well but that's not her job. The Storm have plenty of scorers. On the other hand, Rickea played a little less than 16 mins and had just 3 pts on 1-8 shooting. Got badly out physical-ed by Vivians and Nneka. Rae played alot bc basically Miller played his second unit (plus Hamby) most of the game. Rae also didn't shoot well, 2-6, but hit 4 free throws and had 4 rebs. Brink also struggled with the Storms physicality and didn't play much. Her backup, 6'8" and much more physically suited, scored 18 pts.

The Sparks second unit kept it close for most of the second half but too much Lexie Brown bad offense and the fact none of them could begin to guard Loyd, Diggins or Nneka eventually did them in. A game to try to learn from and move on but it only gets harder bc the Lynx are next.

The Lynx stomped the slumping Aces tonight. Aja Wilson, like Caitlin Clark, dwells in her own offensive universe, but it just doesn't help her team win. Basketball is still a team sport.

 

[glv98]

 

[madtownvol]

I never blamed Lebron—just stated facts of ratings decline.

Didn't you say?:

I don’t believe you ever noticed how NBA ratings have fallen significantly since Lebron came into the league. I believe viewership is about 1/2 of what it was when he was a rookie."

The viewership drop happened 3 years before Le Bron entered the NBA. For his rookie season, 1.79 million = average watchers per game. This season it was 1.6 million, far from far half. So, no you did not state any "facts".

Another steady performance for NBA viewership

 

[Lucy]

It was more the spinning around than the ripping away for me. Of course that's iffy too bc that's part of CC's acting routine. She flails, spins, lolls head, etc on the regular when she thinks she might get a foul called. But in this case, the exaggerated spining made her look weak as a kitten.

I confess, I just don't get it with CC. Even if she was hitting logo 3s on the regular instead of on rare occassions, that's just not very entertaining basketball to me. And very rarely is it winning basketball. Obviously many others are entertained by it, but I still wonder how long that luster can last. If this is what 'growing the game' is built on, the house of cards looks pretty shaky to me

I don’t understand the upset over CC not making the Olympic team. She is not one of the top 15 in WBB currently.

 

[brittannica]

The good news is Jordy had a good game. Did her usual jack of all trades things, 5 reb, 2 assists including a jewel at the end of the quarter. She had 4 pts and didn't shoot well but that's not her job. The Storm have plenty of scorers. On the other hand, Rickea played a little less than 16 mins and had just 3 pts on 1-8 shooting. Got badly out physical-ed by Vivians and Nneka. Rae played alot bc basically Miller played his second unit (plus Hamby) most of the game. Rae also didn't shoot well, 2-6, but hit 4 free throws and had 4 rebs. Brink also struggled with the Storms physicality and didn't play much. Her backup, 6'8" and much more physically suited, scored 18 pts.

The Sparks second unit kept it close for most of the second half but too much Lexie Brown bad offense and the fact none of them could begin to guard Loyd, Diggins or Nneka eventually did them in. A game to try to learn from and move on but it only gets harder bc the Lynx are next.

The Lynx stomped the slumping Aces tonight. Aja Wilson, like Caitlin Clark, dwells in her own offensive universe, but it just doesn't help her team win. Basketball is still a team sport.

It’s been really fun watching Jordy just be smothering defensively and drop dime passes this season. I didn’t watch much last summer because I was drowning professionally and personally, but it seems like she’s really found her niche on the Storm, embraced it, and is maybe thriving?

 

[glv98]

I don’t understand the upset over CC not making the Olympic team. She is not one of the top 15 in WBB currently.

The crux of the argument is in the Stephen A vs Andryea video, and some of the posts here. Most agree CC is not one of the top 12 or 15, but say she should be added to the team bc of her undeniable draw of attendance and viewership in the U.S. Marketing and money (and 'growth for the game') over merit.

Two things wrong with that IMO. One is I'm not sure her popularity translates internationally nor that the Olympics needs her for viewership. Second is adding her without merit will not help her situation in the W at all. It kind of proves what the vet players are already unhappy about.

Quick to add though, adding her is no worse than letting selfish DT hog up yet another spot just cuz she can.

 

[glv98]

It’s been really fun watching Jordy just be smothering defensively and drop dime passes this season. I didn’t watch much last summer because I was drowning professionally and personally, but it seems like she’s really found her niche on the Storm, embraced it, and is maybe thriving?

She absolutely is. Best thing that ever happened to Jordy was to be released from the expectation to score. She's the consummate role player and this year the Storm are a stacked team. Good for her!

 

[LV renaissance]

She absolutely is. Best thing that ever happened to Jordy was to be released from the expectation to score. She's the consummate role player and this year the Storm are a stacked team. Good for her!

We missed Jordy tremendously on defense this past year. One of my all time favorite players in terms of personality. So glad she is one who has had a fair chance in the W. She seems at home there.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

 

[LadyVol1908]

Her and Brink give me life in their pregame fits!

 

[VolBalls33]

RJ is one of the better looking females I have seen upclose, athlete or not. She is gorgeous. Even after the Vandy game and very briefly talking to her I was left thinking she is quite the looker. LA suits her perfectly.
As for WNBA discussion is Diamond Deshields playing through an injury? She can barely put the ball through the basket.

 

[glv98]

As for WNBA discussion is Diamond Deshields playing through an injury? She can barely put the ball through the basket.

Unfortunately Diamond is always playing thru an injury or illness of some kind. She just hasn’t been able to get any momentum this year.

 

[VolBall09]

RJ is one of the better looking females I have seen upclose, athlete or not. She is gorgeous. Even after the Vandy game and very briefly talking to her I was left thinking she is quite the looker. LA suits her perfectly.
As for WNBA discussion is Diamond Deshields playing through an injury? She can barely put the ball through the basket.

It’s just time for Diamond to hang it up. She’s made of glass, every game she rolls and ankle, pulls something or tweaks something.