The shortness of the season means the effects of injuries are multiplied. The Aces used 12 players all season, the fewest in the league. There's a high correlation between not having to use a bunch of short term players and success.
CONNECTICUT and NEW YORK: Stefanie Dolson (Port Jervis, NY) Breanna Stewart (North Syracuse, NY)
NEW YORK – Brooklyn, NY: Emma Cannon (Rochester, NY) Tina Charles (Queens, NY) Emily Engstler (Queens, NY) Bria Hartley (Babylon, NY) Myisha Hines-Allen (Montclair, NJ) Marina Mabrey (Belmar, NJ) Cheyenne Parker (Queens, NY) Epiphanny Prince (Brooklyn, NY) Brittney Sykes (Newark, NJ) Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, NJ)
NEW YORK and WASHINGTON: Natasha Cloud (Broomall, PA) Kahleah Copper (Philadelphia, PA) Elena Delle Donne (Wilmington, DE) Betnijah Laney (Clayton, DE) Alyssa Thomas (Harrisburg, PA)
WASHINGTON – Washington, DC: Bella Alarie (Bethesda, MD) Lindsay Allen (Mitchellville, MD) Shakira Austin (Fredericksburg, VA) Kaila Charles (Glenn Dale, MD) Nia Clouden (Owings Mills, MD) Jasmine Dickey (Baltimore, MD) Tianna Hawkins (Clinton, MD) Brionna Jones (Havre De Grace, MD) Aisha Sheppard (Alexandria, VA) Jennie Simms (Accokeek, MD) Azurá Stevens (Raleigh, NC) Jasmine Thomas (Fairfax, VA) Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, VA) Elizabeth Williams (Virginia Beach, VA)
ATLANTA – College Park, GA: DeWanna Bonner (Fairfield, AL) Lexie Brown (Suwanee, GA) Maya Caldwell (Charlotte, NC) Crystal Dangerfield (Murfreesboro, TN) Kaela Davis (Suwanee, GA) Rennia Davis (Jacksonville, FL) Diamond DeShields (Norcross, GA) AD [Durr] (Douglasville, GA) Allisha Gray (Sandersville, GA) Dearica Hamby (Marietta, GA) Tiffany Hayes (Lakeland, FL) Destanni Henderson (Fort Myers, FL) Rhyne Howard (Cleveland, TN) Jazmine Jones (Tallahassee, FL) Tiffany Mitchell (Charlotte, NC) Beatrice Mompremier (Miami, FL) Olivia Nelson-Ododa (Winder, GA) Khayla Pointer (Marietta, GA) Victoria Vivians (Carthage, MS) Jasmine Walker (Montgomery, AL) Erica Wheeler (Miramar, FL) Courtney Williams (Folkston, GA) Riquna Williams (Pahokee, FL) A'ja Wilson (Hopkins, SC)
CHICAGO and INDIANA: Napheesa Collier (O’Fallon, MO) Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, MO) Skylar Diggins-Smith (South Bend, IN) Naz Hillmon (Cleveland, OH) Natasha Howard (Toledo, OH) Jantel Lavender (Cleveland, OH) Aerial Powers (Detroit, MI)
CHICAGO – Chicago, IL: Dana Evans (Gary, IN) Jewell Loyd (Lincolnwood, IL) Arike Ogunbowale (Milwaukee, WI) Candace Parker (Naperville, IL) Allie Quigley (Joliet, IL)
CHICAGO and MINNESOTA: Natisha Hiedeman (Green Bay, WI) Kiah Stokes (Marion, IA)
A question, though: How do you determine their "hometown"? Where they live now? Where they went to high school? Where they went to college?
LOL @ you assuming something this encyclopedic could only come from Pilight A testament to Pilight's past body of work, but a special shout out to Stormeo in this particular case.
Some people are more "family oriented" than others. Atlanta was home to a lot of players, but I only recall Hayes and CWill expressing a desire to play in Atlanta to be "closer to home." Hayes has a cousin living her who she has a business with, and I believe her mom lived here for a while. My take is that unless the family lives within a 2-3 hour driving distance it's not close enough for family member to see them all that often given the short WNBA season, and the heavy travel schedule players have. Looking at the list I don't see a lot possibilities for players to show up in Atlanta next year. Players who are happy where they are (e.g. Wilson, Hamby, A Gray, etc) probably aren't getting homesick all that often.....
A 2-3 hour drive for some may be as doable as a 6-7 hour drive for others. In doing this whole thing, very few players' hometowns or alma maters were more than ~7 hours away. I didn’t wanna discriminate by putting some people on but not others and thus making a subjective cutoff. And honestly sometimes, when it comes to family/friends/loved ones, many find a way to be there when it counts. 😊
As it relates to the Dream specifically… I still theorize that by hiring their GM & HC away from Las Vegas, they’re trying to play the long game with A’ja Wilson (amongst others on that team, but mostly her) with Atlanta being the closest team to South Carolina. Bold strategy? Perhaps. Regardless, if the Dream showed the League this year that they aren’t a black hole of a franchise anymore, it could make all the difference in free agency with building upon the start of their perceived ascent.
The idea Wilson would want to come to the Dream reminds me of the same thoughts some had about Maya Moore. Never happened. I guess the one fact that's clear is that there are only a few ways to build a championship team: 1.) Get really lucky in the lottery 2-3 times if possible. 2.) Have a superstar player come to your doorstep and say "I want to be on your team."
Seattle, LA, LV and Phoenix used model one (with or w/o tanking). The Lynx used a combo of 1 and 2. The Mystics and Sky used model 2. Of course the team has do a number of other things right as well.
Wasn't Wilson in the news the other day for saying she'd never let her play for South Carolina because of red state politics? No way of knowing how genuine that sentiment is.
A rare, unexpectedly eventful off-season day. Little bit of everything between a League announcement (Draft Lotto Nov. 11), a player announcement (Diggins' pregnancy), and a smidge of rumors (up to six potential League-wide coaching changes).
Six coaches getting axed (or maybe some moving on by choice)? Seems pretty unlikely at this late time. I suppose the LA job (despite all the problems the team has) could be viewed as one of the plum jobs in the WNBA.
As an aside - seems like the problem of "where does Diggins play in 2022" has just solved itself. She takes the summer of 2022 off and is a FA in 2024.
I agree, you have to squint pretty hard to see six potential openings, though Rachel is privy to insider info. I’m thinking the League sees one more HC job open up – if even that.
I’d only be fine with Quinn going to LA if it means Birdy takes her place, but do we even know for sure if that’s something she’d want to do? Even then, I’m more concerned about our roster next year than who’ll be coaching it at this point.
Last Edit: Oct 17, 2022 21:41:53 GMT -5 by Deleted