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Opening weekend quality of play

 
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NYL_WNBA_FAN



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PostPosted: 05/14/17 7:56 pm    ::: Opening weekend quality of play Reply Reply with quote

I know the quality of play at the start of the season is usually shaky, and I love the WNBA. But between all the missing players and the short turnaround for seemingly an inordinate number of players from overseas play, this weekend's play has been excruciating. Out of the games I saw, the only semi-watchable team was D.C. today and they were playing a team missing its entire nucleus.

Watching Sky-Lynx. Brutal watch. Caught most of Wings-Merc. Brutal watch. The Liberty-SAS game was a rough watch but honestly the Libs' first half offensive execution was better than anything I've seen this evening, even though it wasn't anything like midseason form.



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Luuuc
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PostPosted: 05/14/17 8:00 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

No argument here from what I've seen so far. Why did they start the season so early this year?



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Lib Fan



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PostPosted: 05/14/17 8:02 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Luuuc wrote:
No argument here from what I've seen so far. Why did they start the season so early this year?


Maybe they need an extra week of training camp ?



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toad455



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PostPosted: 05/14/17 8:05 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Lib Fan wrote:
Luuuc wrote:
No argument here from what I've seen so far. Why did they start the season so early this year?


Maybe they need an extra week of training camp ?


I agree that the start of the season was odd. Usually don't start this early only in Olympic years.



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ClayK



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 9:08 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

A couple of points:

1) This is what expansion would look like. These are the players who would be starting for the new team(s) -- except there would need to be more starters. Seattle was missing two, for example, but with expansion, a team would be starting Alysha Clark and Noelle Quinn, and three other players who aren't starting now.

2) Maybe the WNBA should postpone its ESPN debut until a couple weeks into the season. Why trumpet the first game if it's going to be lousy? Let NBA-TV take the opener and then go to ESPN for game one around June 1, when everyone's back and the teams have had a chance to practice together.



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PUmatty



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 9:58 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

ClayK wrote:
A couple of points:

1) This is what expansion would look like. These are the players who would be starting for the new team(s) -- except there would need to be more starters. Seattle was missing two, for example, but with expansion, a team would be starting Alysha Clark and Noelle Quinn, and three other players who aren't starting now.

2) Maybe the WNBA should postpone its ESPN debut until a couple weeks into the season. Why trumpet the first game if it's going to be lousy? Let NBA-TV take the opener and then go to ESPN for game one around June 1, when everyone's back and the teams have had a chance to practice together.


I think that would be a great idea.


myrtle



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 10:21 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

All the missing stars definitely detracts, but it would kill me to have to wait another week. Wink



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toad455



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 11:26 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Also, none of the top 3 picks from this year's draft played. That's not good either.



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Randy



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 12:16 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Staring early doesn't help attendance either. It usually is worse when school is in session. I suspect it was to placate the players who didn't want as many games in a short period of time, but I'm open to other explanations.
.


Richyyy



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 12:55 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Randy wrote:
Staring early doesn't help attendance either. It usually is worse when school is in session. I suspect it was to placate the players who didn't want as many games in a short period of time, but I'm open to other explanations.

They tried this length of season four years ago in 2013, but starting two weeks later. In 2015 (the most recent non-Olympic, non-Worlds season) they went more compact, not starting until early June (and ending two weeks later than the regular season does this year). It all seems pretty haphazard, and I have no real idea why we're starting so early this year. The best guess is that ESPN wanted it that way, because when the WNBA is doing something weird, that's often the defining reason in the background. But as to why ESPN would've decided they want everything earlier this year, your guess is as good as mine.



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 3:29 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

ClayK wrote:
A couple of points:

1) This is what expansion would look like. These are the players who would be starting for the new team(s) -- except there would need to be more starters. Seattle was missing two, for example, but with expansion, a team would be starting Alysha Clark and Noelle Quinn, and three other players who aren't starting now.

2) Maybe the WNBA should postpone its ESPN debut until a couple weeks into the season. Why trumpet the first game if it's going to be lousy? Let NBA-TV take the opener and then go to ESPN for game one around June 1, when everyone's back and the teams have had a chance to practice together.


Better to wait and get all the players here and together for a while before embarking on the season.

Have to agree regarding expansion. Just look at the waiver listing too. Most teams can field 5 to 7 good players. There just isn't enough talent to fill in more teams right now.


myrtle



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 3:43 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

RavenDog wrote:
ClayK wrote:
A couple of points:

1) This is what expansion would look like. These are the players who would be starting for the new team(s) -- except there would need to be more starters. Seattle was missing two, for example, but with expansion, a team would be starting Alysha Clark and Noelle Quinn, and three other players who aren't starting now.

2) Maybe the WNBA should postpone its ESPN debut until a couple weeks into the season. Why trumpet the first game if it's going to be lousy? Let NBA-TV take the opener and then go to ESPN for game one around June 1, when everyone's back and the teams have had a chance to practice together.


Better to wait and get all the players here and together for a while before embarking on the season.

Have to agree regarding expansion. Just look at the waiver listing too. Most teams can field 5 to 7 good players. There just isn't enough talent to fill in more teams right now.


More foreign players might be willing to come over if there were more slots available. And at least next year there are quite a few kids coming into the league looking for a spot. I don't think expanding two teams is going to do anything horrible for quality of play. Expansion teams are going to be weak by definition their first couple of years.



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myrtle



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 4:08 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

nice synopsis of the weekend:

http://www.shatteredbackboard.com/2017/05/15/first-wnba-weekend-books-learn/



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J-Spoon



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 7:17 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The first couple weeks are basically pre-season games that count, it has always been that way. This year it is a little more obvious.

Expansion would be fine. It would take new teams a couple of good drafts or a couple of brave free agents to change things up pretty quickly, but besides the top 3 or 4 teams that are 8-10 deep most teams could switch out players 9-12 for other players and stay about the same. An expansion team would be competitive at the bottom half of their roster the problem would be getting a couple of star players, and some top shelf role players.


tfan



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 8:02 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

ClayK wrote:


1) This is what expansion would look like. These are the players who would be starting for the new team(s) -- except there would need to be more starters. Seattle was missing two, for example, but with expansion, a team would be starting Alysha Clark and Noelle Quinn, and three other players who aren't starting now.



The league last had 14 teams in 2008 and 13 teams in 2009. I don't remember people saying those years were excruciating to watch. But every year there are complaints about games being unwatchable. Which is something to keep in mind when there is a thread chastising men for not wanting to watch women's basketball If shooting percentage declines or turnovers go up, WNBA fans don't want to watch it either. Although, maybe NBA fans and college fans do the same thing.


toad455



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 9:31 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Considering how deep next year's draft is, there's likely 24 players just from that draft to fill two additional teams. There will always be the bottom teams every season. I think the league is due for expansion, and I'd like to see two more teams added in 2019.



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PostPosted: 05/15/17 9:43 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Strong opening weekend on Twitter and FanDuel for WNBA
- By DOUG FEINBERG

Quote:
NEW YORK (AP) — It was a good opening weekend for the WNBA on the court and an even better one off the court.
...


https://apnews.com/0836907eaf5e458298da0105887d4190/Strong-opening-weekend-on-Twitter-and-FanDuel-for-WNBA



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