Still have to question why she wasn't on the roster at the beginning of the season.
Mya Hollingshed, the 8th overall pick in the 2022 draft, was a standout for Puerto Rico after receiving approval from FIBA to naturalize (Here is a great article on understanding international play naturalization in basketball).
Hollingshed averaged 13 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across six games, including a 29-point heater against Korea. The base of her game is built upon her jump shot, and she canned nearly 43% of her triples (4.7 per game).
Wasn't she cut after the first week or so of the Aces Training Camp? Her performance at the World Cup may say more about the level of competition in that competition than her WNBA potential.
It would be a sin if Indiana doesn't get the #1 pick. I can see the announcement after the lottery if they don't land it: "Minnesota Lynx land the #1 overall pick despite worst odds. Fever relocating to San Francisco".
Can’t trust that Indiana will be lucky enough to get Boston. Realistically, I just don’t want Thibault & Washington being gifted a #1 Pick for the second-straight year.
Curious what Thibault does if he gets it. Play both Austin and Boston together w/EDD at SF? Or have one off the bench? Or trade Austin?
I think Boston would start and Austin would come off the bench. Maybe he tries EDD at SF and has three 6-5 players as the 3-4-5 frontcourt, but it wouldn’t be a very mobile unit at all.
He certainly would be the most likely GM in the Lottery to trade the pick, again like last year. I have to think Boston is more valuable than RHoward in terms of a return package, but I still don’t know what that’d look like, especially since last year’s deal was as unconventional as it was.
The Fever are almost in the same “dilemma” as the Mystics. If Indiana winds up with Boston, should the Fever just bench Egbo or see what they could get for her? Or should they try starting NSmith at the 3, and then Egbo & Boston together in the post? That could actually work if NSmith’s 3PT shot continues to improve and Boston feels confident enough to take a couple 3PT shots per game. Imo Smith has enough mobility to potentially guard smaller players. The Fever have an obvious hole at SF anyway.
Also, the Fever better not relocate if they win the Boston Sweepstakes.
Over the years it seems to me that there have been a lot more cases where a 3 played at the 4 position (e.g. Catchings later in her career, Angel during the Cooper years, Allen and many others with the Liberty during the Hopkins era, even Moore on occasion, Thornton - all come time mind) than 4's playing the 3 position. There have also been a lot of times 4's have played the 5 (Stewart, both Parkers, N. Howard and many others). Larry Brown is reported to have said you play what you can guard. I think 4 can't guard a 3 while a 3 often can't guard a 4. So I don't see Delle Donne, Stewart or N. Smith playing the 3, even though it is often thrown out there are an idea. Players and teams usually do best when players are all playing their natural position.
Regarding the lottery - if the Fever and Dream don't end up with the No. 1 and No. 2 picks I too will be completely disgusted. I probably won't riot in the streets because it would take more than one or people to actually accomplish successful rioting.
So if the Fever get stuck with #2 again, who should they go with? Like I said, their most obvious hole to me is at SF. Diamond Miller? Haley Jones if she starts showing a competent 3PT shot? Ashley Joens? Otherwise, if Elizabeth Kitley establishes herself as the clear second-best in the pool, I don’t think it’d be a bad idea for the Fever to just take her.