RebKell's Junkie Boards

[UK1996]

I personally think Howard can be a better pro. I can see her has a 2nd or 3rd option on a contending team down the road. I’ve watched her for four years, and have never gotten the criticism that she doesn’t show up in big games. There have been several games over the years that have been saved by Rhyne making the big play needed whether it was a steal, 3 pointer, rebound, etc. She hasn’t had a teammate since Maci Morris who truely could also be relied on to score. She won’t have that in the W. I think Howard has seemed somewhat stagnate more due too the situation she’s in. We haven’t ever seemed to recover from the mass exodus a few years ago. We seemed to be a steadily rising program before that. Our player development hasn’t had a ton of standouts since then. Even before the exodus we never seemed to know how to develop bigs to their potential. I know Ryhne is a SF/SG, but that lack of development has leaked over too the guards as well. I think Washington should trade the pick as well if they believe EDD, and Meeseman will be back and ready to play at a contending level. However, if they think EDD is more likely to retire, they should keep the pick.

[WNBA 09]

[DFWub2018]

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

[Shades]

Kayla Pointer made the clutch game-winning drive for LSU last night. That’s her who gets the closeup towards the end. I said it last year that she gives me Wheeler vibes. With the lack of expansion and retirements, she would probably have a tough time making a roster right away, but could probably take the delayed Wheeler route if she’s determined enough.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/23Ct9sxNQuI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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

[root_thing]

Pointer is on pace to set career highs in just about every category. Most notably, she's shooting 3s way better than she had in previous years. Except for Henderson, I don't know most of these point guards, but Clouden, Burton, and Morrison also have their fans on this board. Right now, the numbers look solid to really good on all of them. Maybe this will be the year for teams to add a cheap young point guard -- at least on a backup level. There's also the enigmatic Evina Westbrook if you want a combo-guard with size. That assumes she can get her act together by the end of the year.

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You can always do something else.

[GEF34]

[GEF34]

[UK1996]

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

Howard is also playing with teammates with a lower level of talent than say South Carolina which is loaded with 5-star recruits. When a defense-oriented athletic team of 5-star recruits is geared up to stop you, it’s hard. Especially when your team isn’t all that close comparatively in talent level.

Howard’s game features attributes of the polished version of Copper IMO only better. Howard has similar athleticism, moves around the rim and the ability to create her shot. But she also has better handle and playmaking ability. Her release is a bit on the long side and her shot sometimes flattens out. But overall the upside is there. I don’t know that her ceiling is that of a top-tier offensive player. But I do think it’s high. When you factor in that she plays defense, she rebounds and she’s a fairly willing passer, I think the complete package is highly impressive. Now that the game has become so much more about spacing and perimeter play, the ability to switch and defend multiple positions in space is pretty important. Howard and Atkins in tandem would make things very difficult defensively for opponents too.

Also, as she grows, she might be one of those players who occasionally gets used as a smaller 4-spot player. Not right away but down the road. A perimeter-oriented coach like Mike Thibault can get a lot out of a player like this too. In my estimation.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[Richyyy]

Also the main knock on Howard seems to be "she doesn't play hard" or "she doesn't seem to try all the time". Well okay, but look at the production (and with limited help). If that's what she can do when she's not really trying, so that's kind of your floor for a supposedly half-assed Howard, imagine what's possible if that's actually right and a coach manages to push her. Or maybe actually being paid for her performances is a motivator.

I understand that people want to see star players dominate games and actively affect them. One of the knocks I used to have on Diggins-Smith was that she'd have stats at the end of the game, but you often couldn't feel her having an impact while she accumulated them. I also understand that a lot of people have seen more of Howard than I have. But she's really effective in a lot of ways. I think she's going to be a really good pro, and the only question is whether we're talking really good or really good.

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

[pilight]

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[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

Sometimes the players who have more of an upright long-limbed build (Parker and Howard share that trait) give an illusion of not playing 100% even when they really are. I don’t see effort being Howard’s issue, personally.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[WNBA 09]

Tbh out of the three seniors in storrs I’d give Ono a look first in this draft. I see her adjusting the best if she puts on a few pounds she has all the tools to develope.

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3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol

[bballnut901]

[awhom111]

toad455,

I noticed that on your player rankings, you included Raneem Elgedawy. I think that she actually falls under what I am calling the Tsineke rule, who you have listed for next year. Both of them turned 20 in the year that they started in college so I think that it could be successfully argued that they went undrafted as internationals and should be considered free agents in WNBA terms. The cases seem unusual, but it is making me look harder when foreign college players are mentioned.

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https://wbasketballblog.com/author/awhom111/

[snlMINAJ]

[root_thing]

Nelson-Ododa clearly has pro-level athletic ability. She needs to add muscle, but otherwise Olivia is long, can jump, and moves extremely well for her height. Defensively, other than strength, ONO looks fine. Her problems are on the offensive end. In the low post, Nelson-Ododa does a poor job of protecting the basketball. She doesn't seal well enough to prevent defenders from knocking the pass away. When Olivia does get her hands on the ball, she seems to have trouble holding on to it -- either fumbling the pass or getting stripped while dribbling. ONO holds the ball in front of her and stares at the basket before shooting. That makes it easy to block her shots. Olivia also has no touch around the rim. The one positive note is that she does display decent footwork. Away from the basket, Nelson-Ododa looks like she has acceptable form but her shots almost never go in. On the positive side, she is an outstanding passer for a post player. Between passing and setting screens, that may be enough for ONO to stay on the floor at the pro level without being a total zero on offense.

Christyn Williams also clearly has pro athletic ability. However, she is really inconsistent and makes a lot of bad decisions. Christyn just seems to have poor basketball instincts.

Westbrook is not only dropping out of the first round, she may be playing herself out of the draft entirely. With the rise of several other point guards, there are plenty of other choices out there. Evina needs to get her act together really quick. This is a player who looked really good as a sophomore. Now, as a fifth-year senior, she's barely average even for a college player.

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You can always do something else.

[bballnut901]

[awhom111]

Another one of those weird situations that only I care about at all:

Olga Petrova is in this draft, but without the extra year of eligibility, she would have been automatically in the last draft even though she only turned 21 in 2021. She did not declare last year, but that would have made it a second VCU player to have gone to college younger than usual. Of course she is not as good as the other one, having spent most of this season in the Russian third division.

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https://wbasketballblog.com/author/awhom111/

[FrozenLVFan]

Kierstan Bell announces she'll enter 2022 draft.

https://theballout.com/2022/01/kierstan-bell-declares-2022-wnba-draft

[Rock Hard]

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