Sloot/WNBA

[seacatfan]

I tried looking for the old thread, didn't see it, probably time for a new one anyway. Courtney continues her assault on the WNBA career assists record, season kicked off recently. Bit of a slow start by her standards, averaged 7.0 thru their first 2 games, but has 11 in the closing moments today. That should bump her back up to the league lead per game. Sky were missing several pieces, so will help when she has all her familiar targets back. Will be fun tracking her this year as she chases down Whalen for third on the all time list.

Seattle has played 1 more game than Chicago. I think Sloot and Bird are both sitting at 25 assists for the season, so no ground gained on Home to this point but expect that to change as the year goes on.

[seacatfan]

Don't look now, but Plum is actually ahead of Bird w/ 27 assists thru 4 games. Finally got free from Bill Laimbeer's mishandling of her.

[seacatfan]

Sky tried to rally late but fell by 3 to the Storm. Not really looking like defending champs, fell to 2-2. Copper hasn't played yet this year, but I think they have all their other major pieces in place now. Sloot won the statistical battle head to head w/ Bird but obviously the W is what you really want. 11 pts/12 assists, Bird had 6/7.

[ZagDad84]

To be fair, Kaleah Copper was the Sky's leading scorer and the primary option to take the ball to the hoop last year and the Championship MVP. Kind of an important piece to be missing especially playing against Seattle with all of their bullets.

You know it is going to be that kind of day when your 6'6" power forward *Azura' Stevens" is your leading scorer and best 3 point shooter.

Give Chicago a little bit of a break, their two losses are in overtime to LA who got a questionable foul with 1.5 seconds left to tie the game in regulation (in LA) and a 3 point loss to Seattle in Seattle both without Copper. If Copper was playing, the Sky with both games and are undefeated.

No time to panic, yet.

Sloot off to another great year averaging 9.2 apg so far without Copper. Let's hope CV stays healthy all year.

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

On another Sloot note, Courtney has signed to play in Hungary next off-season instead of for Ekaterina (Russia) which is entirely understandable. I do not know if Allie Quigley also signed to play in Hungary next year.

There were numerous WNBA players playing for Ekaterina (including Britney Griner) as it pays extremely well (remember Taurasi getting paid a cool million not to play in the WNBA one year) and the owner treats his players like celebrities (charter flights, apartments, etc.). I would be greatly surprised if any WNBA players elected to play in Russia next off-season so, it will be interesting to see where these WNBA players elect to play overseas next year.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

Yeah, I think we've seen the last of the WNBA players heading to Russia for quite a while.


Side note, I grew up in the tiny town of White Salmon, WA (pop. around 2000). Believe it or not it spawned a multiple time Winter Olympian (Vic Wild). He married a Russian woman, has dual citizenship and competes for Russia in the Olympics. I wonder what he thinks about: Griner's imprisonment, the war in Ukraine, the state of Russia in general these days, etc.

[ZagDad84]

Don't get me started on Brittnay Griner.

I was in Europe for 33 days in 1980 before the fall of the iron curtain. Our trip included several days in Communist East Germany and Czechoslovakia. Before our trip even got started, our guide told us that forget all of the "rights" you have in the U.S. You are a visitor to these countries you are visiting, and you are required to follow their laws. If you had any questions, ask the tour guide. Then he went on and said if we ran afoul of the law in East Germany or Czech, there may be little the US State Department could do to help us, so don't break the law.

If Griner knowingly and willingly brought in vape canisters with CBD oil into Russia and CBD oil is illegal in Russia, then unless she is being treated differently from any other visitor committing the same offense, we have no business stepping into the Giner issue at all. If she was set up, she is being used as example, fine, get her out, otherwise let her do her time like any other visitor to the country. Griner has played for a number of years in Russia, it is not like she did not, or should not have known the rules. Griner has had issues with US officials for domestic violence with her previous wife. While I respect her skills as a basketball player, but as an individual, not so much.

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

Update on the Chicago Sky, help is coming for CV, Parker and the rest of the Sky.

Today, the Chicago Sky have activated Kahleah Copper and released Tina Krajišnik.

Don't know if she will play tomorrow and it may take a week or two to get her fully integrated into the Sky team, but things should be looking up for Chicago.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

ZagDad called it. Sky improved to 4-2 w/ a win over Indiana. They beat Washington in the previous game.

[ZagDad84]

Good all-around game for Sloot tonight. She played 27 minutes, had 14 points (4-9, 1-1 & 5-8), 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and only 2 turnovers. Not a bad day at the office.

Sloot only signed a 1 year deal with Chicago. No discussion that I have heard about her wanting to retire. Is she wanting to possibly go to Seattle where Jordin Canada has no left for the sunny(?) skies of LA? I wonder if James Wade (Sky Head Coach) is giving Dana Evans more PT (only 13 minutes tonight) to see if she is the replacement for Sloot, or just giving Sloot fewer minutes where possible to keep her fresh for the playoffs?

Highlight Link: 05/24/22: Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

Becky Hammon says the WNBA's assists leader 5 seasons running has the best court vision 'I've ever seen'
[email protected] (Meredith Cash)

Becky Hammon knows a good floor general when she sees one. And according to the NBA assistant-turned-Las Vegas Aces head coach, Courtney Vandersloot is among the best there is.

"Vandersloot's vision is the best I've ever seen," Hammon told reporters after the Aces win on Monday. "I have a lot of respect for her."

Vandersloot, who has been the Chicago Sky's point guard since 2011, has led the WNBA in assists for five years running. And though it's still very early in the 2022 campaign, she's well on her way to her sixth-straight season as the leagues' top dime disher. Should Vandersloot achieve the feat yet another time, she'll tie WNBA legend Ticha Penicheiro — who dominated the backcourt for the now-defunct Sacramento Monarchs from the late 1990s through the 2000s — for most consecutive seasons as the WNBA's assists leader.

"Her vision, the way she manipulates the game — controls the whole game — she's really special," Hammon said of Vandersloot. "I mean, she sees stuff that people don't — you can't teach what she sees."

"You either got it or you don't," she added.

You can read the entire article here: Becky Hammon says the WNBA's assists leader 5 seasons running has the best court vision 'I've ever seen' (msn.com)

Becky Hammon is the former Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs "G" League team, Assistant Coach for the San Antonio Spurs, current Head Coach Las Vegas Aces (WNBA) and holds the number 6th spot on the WNBA all-time assist leaderboard.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

Sloot and the Sky take on the league leading Aces today. Game is on ABC at noon PST.

[seacatfan]

Entertaining start to the game, Sky were up 23-22 at the end of Q1. Aces owned Q2 though and lead 51-38 at the half.

[seacatfan]

Second half was UGLY. Brutal shooting by both teams. Chicago 5-31 from 3. Despite not being able to shoot, they somehow cut an 18 point lead to as little as 4, but their come back fell short. Sloot w/ 12 points, only 3 assists, 9 rebounds.

[seacatfan]

Weird game, Sky against Mercury. Taurasi got a double T and ejected 3 or 4 minutes before halftime. The FTs put Chicago up 11. Merc went on a little run to end the half, then completely dominated Q3 and were up as much as 8 or 9. Sky answered back and dominated Q4 to pull out a close win. Sloot went into scoring mode in Q4, finished w/ 18 points and 6 assists.