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#103
#103
More drama in Phoenix. Starting to become clear why Tina left.

Context: Skylar Diggins-Smith was voted as an All Star but Diana Taurasi wasn't because she's not playing consistently this season. Phoenix head coach claims that the all star game is missing Taurasi, rather than congratulating the Phoenix player who actually did make it.

 
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#104
#104
My gut feeling tells me that folks voting for all-stars this year or, rather, not choosing Taurasi to be an all-star, are reacting to how she has often appeared unhappy to even be playing. She's no spring chicken anymore, and having two young children likely saps even more energy in addition to all the games and the high-stress travel. So she may actually not want to be there some days -- which is understandable IMO. She's always had a hot temper, but the last few years it has gotten worse. I think she's putting a lot of people off here at the end of her career, and the vote totals bear that out.
 
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#105
#105
LVsinceJV said:
More drama in Phoenix. Starting to become clear why Tina left.

Context: Skylar Diggins-Smith was voted as an All Star but Diana Taurasi wasn't because she's not playing consistently this season. Phoenix head coach claims that the all star game is missing Taurasi, rather than congratulating the Phoenix player who actually did make it.

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This is bad. A coach publicly omitting the accomplishments of her own player then said player calls coach a clown. Skylar needs a change of scenery ASAP! The respect is gone.
 
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#106
#106
Actually, I read another story that said Nygaard made these Taurasi comments AFTER mentioning that Diggins-Smith had made the lineup.

*******
This comes after Nygaard said she was "really, really happy" for Diggins-Smith being named an All-Star, which she called a "great testament," according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. It also arrives on the heels of some tense on-court moments involving Diggins-Smith, Taurasi and Nygaard.
 
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#107
#107
lvocd said:
Actually, I read another story that said Nygaard made these Taurasi comments AFTER mentioning that Diggins-Smith had made the lineup.

*******
This comes after Nygaard said she was "really, really happy" for Diggins-Smith being named an All-Star, which she called a "great testament," according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. It also arrives on the heels of some tense on-court moments involving Diggins-Smith, Taurasi and Nygaard.
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I apologize for saying she omitted Skylar’s accomplishments. Thanks for providing clarity.
 
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#108
#108
NoBackBoard said:
I apologize for saying she omitted Skylar’s accomplishments. Thanks for providing clarity.
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Most of the scuttlebutt the story has received has implied Nygaard ignored Diggins, so it's no wonder a lot of people took it like that. It does seem likely that there's some kind of ongoing conflict between the two, though, based on some tense looks that have been caught on camera.
 
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#110
#110
Ok so Griner pleads guilty and admittedly did what they said she did.

I’m at a loss for why she would be considered wrongfully detained. Countries have laws, you’re expected to follow them. Doing something of this nature in a country as strict and backwards as Russia is one of the dumber things you could possibly do. Intent or not. You’re traveling to a highly restrictive country with a poor relationship to your country of origin. You need to have every single duck in a row and have your whits about you.

This is costing our federal government an untold amount of money, time and resources in a time that those energies could be put to much better use. At this point I’m tired of hearing about her and her wife. They can lie in the bed Brittney made for all I care.

I have considerable more sympathy for the young Marine who has WRONGFULLY been detained for 3.5 years. What about him? That is where all this press and all these resources should be directed. Is his security and safety somehow less important because he isn’t “famous.”
 
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#111
#111
I think she pled guilty to help move the trial along. Unlike the US, in Russia the trial doesn't end when a plea is made...all the evidence still has to be gone through and procedures followed. Russia has said they won't cut any prisoner exchange deal until the trial is over. The plea was a ploy to expedite things.

As for Paul Whalen, are you sure he's not actually a spy and that's the reason Russia hasn't been anxious to deal him?
 
#112
#112
VolBall09 said:
Ok so Griner pleads guilty and admittedly did what they said she did.

I’m at a loss for why she would be considered wrongfully detained. Countries have laws, you’re expected to follow them. Doing something of this nature in a country as strict and backwards as Russia is one of the dumber things you could possibly do. Intent or not. You’re traveling to a highly restrictive country with a poor relationship to your country of origin. You need to have every single duck in a row and have your whits about you.

”
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In Russia, you don't have to do anything to get arrested. This country has no free media, and people who speak at all get poisoned with nerve agents.
If you get arrested in Russia, you plead guilty because there is no hope of a fair trial. Russia has a 99.5% conviction rate. In comparison, the US has a 70-80% conviction rate.
In this case, Griner's only hope of ever seeing the US again was to plead guilty and hope that as a "political prisoner" she is traded for some Russian badguy that Putin likes.

I am no fan of Griner, professionally, politically, or personally, but the only people that think she is getting a fair shake in this matter are Russian spam bots on social media.
 
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#115
#115
The news we all been hearing from day one was wrongfully detained. Wow hope she gets home that's all
 
#117
#117
Per Storm press release...
"Seattle Storm center Mercedes Russell underwent a successful procedure on Tuesday (July 19) to treat recurrent low-pressure headaches and will miss the remainder of the regular season. An update on her status will be provided when available. "
 
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#121
#121
LVsinceJV said:
She needs to step away from basketball and get her life together. This just doesn't seem worth it, imo. Not for her, or for the teams she keeps departing/getting kicked off.
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For real. Basketball doesn't seem to be her priority for some time now. She obviously doesn't put in the work to be the best on the court (not for lack of talent), and she seems to be a bit of a cancer anywhere she goes. I'd be surprised if any teams in the W took another chance on here even if she wanted it. Such a shame because if she had actually put in just a bit more effort for all of these years she could have been really special and done some great things. She definitely got in her own way and doubt she'll ever admit that.
 
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#122
#122
VolBall09 said:
Ok so Griner pleads guilty and admittedly did what they said she did.

I’m at a loss for why she would be considered wrongfully detained. Countries have laws, you’re expected to follow them. Doing something of this nature in a country as strict and backwards as Russia is one of the dumber things you could possibly do. Intent or not. You’re traveling to a highly restrictive country with a poor relationship to your country of origin. You need to have every single duck in a row and have your whits about you.

This is costing our federal government an untold amount of money, time and resources in a time that those energies could be put to much better use. At this point I’m tired of hearing about her and her wife. They can lie in the bed Brittney made for all I care.

I have considerable more sympathy for the young Marine who has WRONGFULLY been detained for 3.5 years. What about him? That is where all this press and all these resources should be directed. Is his security and safety somehow less important because he isn’t “famous.”
Click to expand...

Your post explains a lot. The conservative media has been making a big issue out of the idea that the current administration has been ignoring the case of Paul Whelan, a 52-year ex-marine, arrested in 2018 and convicted of espionage by Russia in 2020, while giving all the attention Griner.

A few facts: the Biden administration has been working on Whelan's release but the espionage charge is a tough one-- as a side note, I find it interesting that you completely believe in the integrity of the Russian legal system when it comes to Griner but not Whelan (hmm, what might be the difference in these two cases?). Also did you know that the Biden administration negotiated the release of another ex-marine Trevor Reed in April 2022? From an AP news report:


Another former Marine -- Trevor Reed -- was freed after being imprisoned in Russia for nearly three years as part of a prisoner swap agreed upon between the U.S. and Russia. Reed, 30, was arrested in Moscow in the summer of 2019 while visiting his Russian girlfriend. Russian authorities accused him of assaulting officers while being driven to a police station after a night of heavy drinking. He was convicted by a Russian court in mid-2020 and sentenced to nine years in a prison camp.
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So, it turns out that the US state department can actually address more than ONE case at a time. Amazing is it not?

As for Griner, it was widely reported that 1) her trial was a "show" put on by the Russian government to set the stage for a prisoner swap; and that two her only chance of being released through such a swap was to plead guilty.
 
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#123
#123
madtownvol said:
Your post explains a lot. The conservative media has been making a big issue out of the idea that the current administration has been ignoring the case of Paul Whelan, a 52-year ex-marine, arrested in 2018 and convicted of espionage by Russia in 2020, while giving all the attention Griner.

A few facts: the Biden administration has been working on Whelan's release but the espionage charge is a tough one-- as a side note, I find it interesting that you completely believe in the integrity of the Russian legal system when it comes to Griner but not Whelan (hmm, what might be the difference in these two cases?). Also did you know that the Biden administration negotiated the release of another ex-marine Trevor Reed in April 2022? From an AP news report:




So, it turns out that the US state department can actually address more than ONE case at a time. Amazing is it not?

As for Griner, it was widely reported that 1) her trial was a "show" put on by the Russian government to set the stage for a prisoner swap; and that two her only chance of being released through such a swap was to plead guilty.
Click to expand...

Just like CNN. All that text and you said nothing. 😂
 
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