I thought it was clear before the season the Storm were embracing a full rebuild and the next championship caliber core. This season has been true to that form.it’s best a long time since Seattle fans have seen a rebuild. This is what they generally look like. Kids are exciting, but they are also learning.
I'm now at the point of discouragement. Just when I think we've turned a corner and made significant progress, we fall back. I didn't think a building year would mean ten straight losses.
Losing sucks, obviously, and 10 games in a row is demoralizing by every objective and subjective measure and losing begets more losing but after feeling gaslit for three years about Noelle Quinn (here and in the Storm Crazies group), I think there’s a real special group of young players to build around here and I’m happy to remain patient for the next season or two. I still don’t feel like the losses are in vain and I haven’t lost confidence in Coach Raman yet.
Losing was fully expected this season - or at least should have been - and it’s one thing to lose, but in doing so, it’s imperative that there be tangible growth. Even with a loss in Game 17, a team can - and should - should be better at the end of that game than at the end of Game 16. Losing AND regressing is what’s unacceptable. Progress isn’t always linear, but Saturday’s game felt like several steps backwards from the PDX, LAS and GSV games. That’s what made it sickening to watch.
I'm fine with them being young, rookies, learning, developing, and all that, and not fighting to win a championship right now. But there doesn't seem to be an offensive scheme that gives them a chance. They don't get the ball into the post, they try one high pick and roll and if that doesn't work, it's streetball time.
What are the young players learning?
Sure, the stars are young, but this is still wasting a year of club control and a year of their lives.
I've been willing to give her time to build the team, find out what combinations work, etc; but I'm starting to wonder if she's up to being head coach. She's constantly rotating players. What's she looking for? I'd like to see Zia start instead of Jade. I'm glad she gives bench players more opportunities than Quinn did, but I'm not sure she's gotten five solid starters. There's lots of criticism of Heidemann's not distributing the ball, as a point guard should; but we don't really have a point guard, and Heidemann's really our one reliable shooter. If it weren't for her baskets, we'd be far worse off than we are now.
Let’s face it, Raman has never had even ONE WEEK with a full compliment of available players to choose from. Magbegor is still out (it’d be nice to hear an update from the front office). Jade Melbourne is not a starting caliber WNBA guard. And neither is Xia Cooke. They both bring energy. Neither brings consistency. My main complaint about coach Raman is that I truly don’t understand why Katie Lou Samuelson is playing the amount of minutes that she is. I’m sorry, but she’s too slow and has no quick-twitch athleticism. She’s really not even a reliable shooter (1-5 today from beyond the 3-pt line). The only things she has going for her are her height and the fact that she played her college ball at Connecticut. You can’t tell me that there aren’t better players sitting on other team’s practice squads. Go get those players! That’s the front office disconnect that’s killing the Storm!
I thought it was clear before the season the Storm were embracing a full rebuild and the next championship caliber core. This season has been true to that form.it’s best a long time since Seattle fans have seen a rebuild. This is what they generally look like. Kids are exciting, but they are also learning.
I'm now at the point of discouragement. Just when I think we've turned a corner and made significant progress, we fall back. I didn't think a building year would mean ten straight losses.
Losing sucks, obviously, and 10 games in a row is demoralizing by every objective and subjective measure and losing begets more losing but after feeling gaslit for three years about Noelle Quinn (here and in the Storm Crazies group), I think there’s a real special group of young players to build around here and I’m happy to remain patient for the next season or two. I still don’t feel like the losses are in vain and I haven’t lost confidence in Coach Raman yet.
Losing was fully expected this season - or at least should have been - and it’s one thing to lose, but in doing so, it’s imperative that there be tangible growth. Even with a loss in Game 17, a team can - and should - should be better at the end of that game than at the end of Game 16. Losing AND regressing is what’s unacceptable. Progress isn’t always linear, but Saturday’s game felt like several steps backwards from the PDX, LAS and GSV games. That’s what made it sickening to watch.
I'm fine with them being young, rookies, learning, developing, and all that, and not fighting to win a championship right now. But there doesn't seem to be an offensive scheme that gives them a chance. They don't get the ball into the post, they try one high pick and roll and if that doesn't work, it's streetball time.
What are the young players learning?
Sure, the stars are young, but this is still wasting a year of club control and a year of their lives.
how do you feel about how coach Sonia Raman has done with the talent thus far?
I've been willing to give her time to build the team, find out what combinations work, etc; but I'm starting to wonder if she's up to being head coach. She's constantly rotating players. What's she looking for? I'd like to see Zia start instead of Jade. I'm glad she gives bench players more opportunities than Quinn did, but I'm not sure she's gotten five solid starters. There's lots of criticism of Heidemann's not distributing the ball, as a point guard should; but we don't really have a point guard, and Heidemann's really our one reliable shooter. If it weren't for her baskets, we'd be far worse off than we are now.
Let’s face it, Raman has never had even ONE WEEK with a full compliment of available players to choose from. Magbegor is still out (it’d be nice to hear an update from the front office). Jade Melbourne is not a starting caliber WNBA guard. And neither is Xia Cooke. They both bring energy. Neither brings consistency. My main complaint about coach Raman is that I truly don’t understand why Katie Lou Samuelson is playing the amount of minutes that she is. I’m sorry, but she’s too slow and has no quick-twitch athleticism. She’s really not even a reliable shooter (1-5 today from beyond the 3-pt line). The only things she has going for her are her height and the fact that she played her college ball at Connecticut. You can’t tell me that there aren’t better players sitting on other team’s practice squads. Go get those players! That’s the front office disconnect that’s killing the Storm!
* Hiedeman