RebKell's Junkie Boards

[SpaceJunkie]

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[SpaceJunkie]

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[ClayK]

[root_thing]

[Randy]

[Nixtreefan]

[Shades]

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[SpaceJunkie]

[Rock Hard]

Is someone disrespecting Titletown, USA?

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You can win, as long as you keep your head to the SKY! Be OPTIMISTIC!

[Shades]

The annual “what the Lynx need to do for next season” article came out recently. I can’t copy and past from it because of the StarTribune subscriber nag screen. I can only read it.
This writer panders to Reeve so much. He’s pushing the notion that Reeve “couldn’t afford” Howard. That’s not right. Reeve didn’t think she was worth it compared to all the players she wanted for the team. The article also noted that Montgomery wanted to play closer to home. That I buy. It’s interesting the data base had Montgomery accepting a three year deal from ATL, so they really believed in her, which paid huge dividends to them.... especially when they dealt Clarendon to Connecticut. That seemed to lift a monkey off Montgomery’s back and her performances kinda exploded from that point on. I wonder what stopped the Lynx from coring Montgomery in order to get something for her, other than a fear of getting “stuck” with her at max price. The Lynx should have been so unlucky.

Under contract
Fagbenle - Reeve likes
AJones - Needs to step up defensively
Wright - Really no comment about her performance in the whole article. To me, she showed flashes but overall not near the Wright she used to be
Fowles - Current contract
Robinson - New contract

Returning for sure
Zandalasini

Return is unknown
Brunson - She has a lot on her plate with a new baby and a new business (food truck). Will she want to return? Sounded like Reeve was fully equipped with all the excuses for Brunson not to return. Whether Reeve really wants her to return was not clear.
Augustus - The talk on Augustus was similar to my feelings on her. She needs to find a way to reach that next level to stay a starter on the team. She’s a couple years younger than Taurasi, and Taurasi is still doing Taurasi things. Augustus has not really been doing Augustus-at-her-prime things lately.

Article was deathly silent about Moore’s future with the team. It kind of left you assuming she’d be back, but not flat out stating she’d be back. They have to get her to sign a new contract, so maybe they didn’t want to comment too much about her. But with Zandalisini, who also needs to sign a new contract, they flat out said she’d be back. There was an eery comment that Maya stated needs to “turn the switch off and recharge”. Does that mean Reeve is encouraging Maya to take the off season off or take a whole WNBA season off? Really need clarification there, because if Reeve is encouraging Maya in her prime to take a WNBA season off, you know the tank is on. Hopefully Reeve was just talking about the off season, which is really Maya’s business.


Robinson/AJones
Augustus/Wright
Moore/Zandalasini
Brunson
Fowles/Fagbenle

If none of the brown return, then it gets really scary. They could have a starting lineup like this:

Robinson
Wright
Zandalasini
Fagbenle
Fowles

If this were the case, Reeve can’t afford to get overly fussy about Jones’ defense. She needs some bodies.

The Lynx own the rights to a bunch of international guards, most notably Anna Cruz. I feel the Anna Cruz era has passed, and the rest of those players would smack of desperation if the Lynx were to call on them. Elhtova(sp) might be worth a look. That’s about it.

So best case scenario is they get Maya signed for multiple years; Augustus does what it takes to return to form; AJones goes to a hardcore trainer. Looking like they might have to use the core on Maya. Where’s that extension announcement?

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Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned

[myrtle]

Is Maya not playing in Asia this year? That seems to be a good deal - short season and high pay. Then there are several months to 'recharge'

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For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman

[Shades]

[lynxmania]

[Shades]

If Brunson “isn’t sure” now, that shows her heart really isn’t in it.
Of course she may discover that babies are really expensive.

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Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned

[justintyme]

[ClayK]

The UCL for Fowles is a big deal if she has to get it operated on -- that's Tommy John and that's a year. At least.

She might be able to wait until she retires to get it fixed, but right now, her WNBA health insurance would cover it, and she'd get elite rehab.

Moore's decision would be more financial. She can take the winter off and lose $250,000 (or whatever), or take next summer off and lose $100,000. Or she can just keep playing, figuring that in a few years, she won't have the opportunity to make that kind of money so get it while the getting's good.

(Down the road, if she turns into a good coach, she can make that much, but who knows whether she wants to ... or will be good at it.)

Tough call for both, really ...

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Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[Richyyy]

Looks like Moore is heading into the offseason intending not to play overseas, which is a good start. For someone as good as her there'll be a well-paying midseason contract waiting for her if she wants it, like she took last season at UMMC. At least at that point it'd be a reasonably short overseas season for her, even if she takes it.

If she was playing through it, hopefully the Fowles injury can be rehabbed rather than surgically repaired. But the word 'rupture' never sounds positive.

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Independent WNBA coverage: http://www.wnbalien.com/

[bballjunkie]

I thought I heard Maya and DT were splitting a Russian contract so wondering if the season has really taken its toll on these players.

[Shades]

[Richyyy]

[SpaceJunkie]