2023 WNBA Playoff Thread

[MrDollarBills]

Hard not to love Benijah Laney anytime she does anything.

She's been the best overall player to me on the team next to Stewart.

[ellobo]

Who is the Michael Jordan of the WNBA?

Always heard the women's basketball GOAT was Cheryl Miller but she never played in the WNBA as it wasn't around back when she played.

Some people might say Maya Moore. Taurasi is the most popular and celebrated probably.

I don't think there's been a WNBA figure like Jordan yet. If you're comparing, it makes more sense to compare it to the NBA in the 1970s. It's been around for 27 years now. Young league.

Cynthia Cooper is my GOAT. She only really played four years, from age 34-37 (since the league didn't exist before then), plus a 4 game comeback at age 40.

In those 4 years she was:
4x Champion
4x Finals MVP
4x All-WNBA 1st Team
2x League MVP
3x Scoring champion

For her career:
ORtg 118
DRtg 94
.402 WS/48 (Michael Jordan is best in NBA history at .2505)
.377 3P% on 5.1 attempts/game
.871 FT% on 7.0 attempts/game
.61 TS%
33.9 points/100
28.7 PER (highest in league history)
21.0 ppg (highest in league history)
29.48 AST% (7th in league history, not including current players)
4.85 APG (6th in league history, not including current players)

[JustBuzzin]

Who is the Michael Jordan of the WNBA?

Always heard the women's basketball GOAT was Cheryl Miller but she never played in the WNBA as it wasn't around back when she played.

Some people might say Maya Moore. Taurasi is the most popular and celebrated probably.

I don't think there's been a WNBA figure like Jordan yet. If you're comparing, it makes more sense to compare it to the NBA in the 1970s. It's been around for 27 years now. Young league.

Cynthia Cooper is my GOAT. She only really played four years, from age 34-37 (since the league didn't exist before then), plus a 4 game comeback at age 40.

In those 4 years she was:
4x Champion
4x Finals MVP
4x All-WNBA 1st Team
2x League MVP
3x Scoring champion

For her career:
ORtg 118
DRtg 94
.402 WS/48 (Michael Jordan is best in NBA history at .2505)
.377 3P% on 5.1 attempts/game
.871 FT% on 7.0 attempts/game
.61 TS%
33.9 points/100
28.7 PER (highest in league history)
21.0 ppg (highest in league history)
29.48 AST% (7th in league history, not including current players)
4.85 APG (6th in league history, not including current players)

Yeah Cooper was a beast.

I do wonder where Cheryl Miller would have ranked if she ever played in the WNBA. Many people say she would have likely been the GOAT women's player if she played in the WNBA.

[Rich Rane]

Despite sweeping a short series, there's a lot to improve from the Liberty. Perimeter shooting last night was nearly non-existent.

[Rich Rane]

Hard not to love Benijah Laney anytime she does anything.

She's been the best overall player to me on the team next to Stewart.

Ionescu is that for me. Usually if she's not filling the stat sheet, she's having a monster game from the perimeter, which opens the floor for Sloot to dissect defenses and/or leaves Laney wide open in the corner.

Jones has been coming up big for the Liberty since the All-Star break. Her rebounding has been a godsend.

[DirtybirdGA]

That's a big ol break just for the Dream to get their ass whooped.

[cupcakesnake]

Despite sweeping a short series, there's a lot to improve from the Liberty. Perimeter shooting last night was nearly non-existent.

Cold shooting night but they were still generating open looks against a ferocious Mystics perimeter defense. This is the best 3-point shooting team in the league (#1 in attempts and %) so I don't think one off night merits criticism. Washington is not usually a great 3-point defense and we could see their ball pressure gave New York open looks for much of the night. The Liberty just weren't knocking them down.

Might be relevant to keep an eye on though if Conneticut advances. That's the best 3-point defense in the W (#2 in preventing attempts and #1 in %). That being said, New York swept Conneticut in the 4 games they played in the regular season.

[cupcakesnake]

Some people might say Maya Moore. Taurasi is the most popular and celebrated probably.

I don't think there's been a WNBA figure like Jordan yet. If you're comparing, it makes more sense to compare it to the NBA in the 1970s. It's been around for 27 years now. Young league.

Cynthia Cooper is my GOAT. She only really played four years, from age 34-37 (since the league didn't exist before then), plus a 4 game comeback at age 40.

In those 4 years she was:
4x Champion
4x Finals MVP
4x All-WNBA 1st Team
2x League MVP
3x Scoring champion

For her career:
ORtg 118
DRtg 94
.402 WS/48 (Michael Jordan is best in NBA history at .2505)
.377 3P% on 5.1 attempts/game
.871 FT% on 7.0 attempts/game
.61 TS%
33.9 points/100
28.7 PER (highest in league history)
21.0 ppg (highest in league history)
29.48 AST% (7th in league history, not including current players)
4.85 APG (6th in league history, not including current players)

Yeah Cooper was a beast.

I do wonder where Cheryl Miller would have ranked if she ever played in the WNBA. Many people say she would have likely been the GOAT women's player if she played in the WNBA.

Miller's college stats are simply silly to look at. Her junior year she put up 27ppg, 16rpg, 3apg, with 4 steals and 2.7 blocks. 6 stocks per game over her entire college career. She also scored 105 points in a high school game.

But she also picked up a ton of knee injuries after college, so even if there was a WNBA for her to play in, she might have had really short career in it.

[MrDollarBills]

Hard not to love Benijah Laney anytime she does anything.

She's been the best overall player to me on the team next to Stewart.

Ionescu is that for me. Usually if she's not filling the stat sheet, she's having a monster game from the perimeter, which opens the floor for Sloot to dissect defenses and/or leaves Laney wide open in the corner.

Jones has been coming up big for the Liberty since the All-Star break. Her rebounding has been a godsend.

Right. You're not wrong at all.

Sabrina was drawing a crap ton of gravity defensively and i expect that to continue. She's making the right reads with what the defense gives her. I just have to give Lainey her due though, she has been a beast on both ends.

The Jonquel Jones we are seeing now is healthy and has her game legs under her. She is the one that puts this team over the edge with her rebounding and physicality on the block. Hard to beat a team that has basically 2 MVP level players and a flat out superstar in Ionescu playing at the top of their games

[MrDollarBills]

Despite sweeping a short series, there's a lot to improve from the Liberty. Perimeter shooting last night was nearly non-existent.

Cold shooting night but they were still generating open looks against a ferocious Mystics perimeter defense. This is the best 3-point shooting team in the league (#1 in attempts and %) so I don't think one off night merits criticism. Washington is not usually a great 3-point defense and we could see their ball pressure gave New York open looks for much of the night. The Liberty just weren't knocking them down.

Might be relevant to keep an eye on though if Conneticut advances. That's the best 3-point defense in the W (#2 in preventing attempts and #1 in %). That being said, New York swept Conneticut in the 4 games they played in the regular season.

The Sun have done a good job at stifling Ionescu's efficiency in their match ups. I think she's shot worse against them than any other team.

[cupcakesnake]

She's been the best overall player to me on the team next to Stewart.

Ionescu is that for me. Usually if she's not filling the stat sheet, she's having a monster game from the perimeter, which opens the floor for Sloot to dissect defenses and/or leaves Laney wide open in the corner.

Jones has been coming up big for the Liberty since the All-Star break. Her rebounding has been a godsend.

Right. You're not wrong at all.

Sabrina was drawing a crap ton of gravity defensively and i expect that to continue. She's making the right reads with what the defense gives her. I just have to give Lainey her due though, she has been a beast on both ends.

The Jonquel Jones we are seeing now is healthy and has her game legs under her. She is the one that puts this team over the edge with her rebounding and physicality on the block. Hard to beat a team that has basically 2 MVP level players and a flat out superstar in Ionescu playing at the top of their games

What I think Jonquel does is gives them a stylistic versatility that makes them so resilient. There's been at least a few games in the second half of the season where things have got junky for the Liberty perimeter players, but they don't fall out of the game because Jonquel's paint presence (offensive rebounds, attacking a matchup) keeps them going. It means defenses can't flood the perimeter and expect to fully wipe the Liberty out. Too much defensive attention on the perimeter and Jonquel might annihilate you.

[New_Hawks_Era]

That's a big ol break just for the Dream to get their ass whooped.

It's okay, it's a process season to season. I like the progression of the team from where they were a couple of seasons ago. Next year with the experience I expect a little more. That's how it works, i remember when the Aces were where we are back about 4,5 years ago. Teams just don't be great without some growing pains.

[MrDollarBills]

That's a big ol break just for the Dream to get their ass whooped.

It's okay, it's a process season to season. I like the progression of the team from where they were a couple of seasons ago. Next year with the experience I expect a little more. That's how it works, i remember when the Aces were where we are back about 4,5 years ago. Teams just don't be great without some growing pains.

Next year's draft is loaded. Help is coming.

[bisme37]

I <3 Dewanna Bonner

[ellobo]

I <3 Dewanna Bonner

You're gonna have fight AT for her .

DeWanna Bonner is the master of the jump stop step through move. Sure, the world knows it today as the "Ellobo move," but I stole it from her.

[SunsRback4Good]

Lol can’t believe there are so many WNBA fans here. Personally I don’t see it as a real sport without the NBA’s help the league would have fallen back in early 00’s.

User has been warned. Posts like this are not permitted on this board.

[Dirk]

Lol can’t believe there are so many WNBA fans here. Personally I don’t see it as a real sport without the NBA’s help the league would have fallen back in early 00’s.

What other things don't you like, but make sure to invest your time in finding their communities to tell them how much it sucks?

Probably a better use of your time to make positive contributions about things you like and enjoy.

[Mavrelous]

Germans wreaking havoc for Dallas teams, nothing beats good ol' tradition...

[cupcakesnake]

I <3 Dewanna Bonner

You're gonna have fight AT for her .

DeWanna Bonner is the master of the jump stop step through move. Sure, the world knows it today as the "Ellobo move," but I stole it from her.

She can be maddeningly inconsistent on both ends, but when she's doing her thing, Connecticut looks awesome. She's too tall for many guards to bother her shot, and on the other end, when the Sun can keep her at nail on defense, her length can be so disruptive.

Crazy that she's 35 and still putting up basically identical numbers to when she was 25.

[MrDollarBills]

I <3 Dewanna Bonner

You're gonna have fight AT for her .

DeWanna Bonner is the master of the jump stop step through move. Sure, the world knows it today as the "Ellobo move," but I stole it from her.

She can be maddeningly inconsistent on both ends, but when she's doing her thing, Connecticut looks awesome. She's too tall for many guards to bother her shot, and on the other end, when the Sun can keep her at nail on defense, her length can be so disruptive.

Crazy that she's 35 and still putting up basically identical numbers to when she was 25.

I had no clue she was that old. That's a testament to her work ethic