So, who honestly thinks that the Storm have improved from beginning to end? Are we a better team now than we were? Yeah, Dom has gotten better and Fla jae has too, but the rest are just kinda holding their own, inconsistent and not much improved, and the team as a whole . . .
We didn't have Ezi at the beginning, we had her for some time in the middle, and now don't have her again. What's the difference?
Yeah, this is why I don’t love the concept of “tanking”. Plans can easily go sideways and I’d say this season certainly did for the most part. We learned really nothing useful about the coaching staff, the few teams we were supposed to be better than are clearly better than us and will improve their rosters with higher draft picks. Meanwhile the Storm are in a worse position than last year despite having one of the worst records in WNBA history. And now we play out the last few games with the players looking either checked out or frustrated. Bummer.
I don't think this game is a fair sample size when the Aces have something to fight for (home court advantage) and we are in "Delulu for Juju 2028" rebuild mode. That said, any team that goes 2-16 in clutch games needs to be questioned on coaching and growth.
The size of the Aces' win and the circumstances under which they fought for the win may make the game an unfair sample but the fact that we did not play well and no better than at the beginning of the season still holds. And we're not going to get Juju. the Storm made the playoffs last year.
Pearl: I really appreciate you separating individual and team improvement. Any progress has not been universal. My major concerns moving forward center around Flau’Jae and Awa. 4 looks increasingly frustrated - angry maybe - and that is not a good sign. Awa seems, at times, disinterested. Just my perception, but again, worrisome if there’s validity to it.
Sigh--such a frustrating loss. In terms of your question regarding thoughts for the future:
1. Sonia and Talisa cannot be retained for 2027 if the organization wants to convey to the fans with a modicum of integrity that it is doing the best it can to put a winning product on the floor.
2. The Storm are on the precipice of being the Univ. of Tennessee Lady Vols of the WNBA. What do I mean by this? An historically great program--with the championship banners and retired jerseys in the rafters--that is unable to be relevant and competitive in today's landscape.
3. My foot is one foot out of the Dom camp. It's not just that Flau'jae seems more pro ready; it's that Dom's mindset seems shot. Nothing is more frustrating to me than someone who has all of the physical gifts but so easily thrown off their game when things aren't going their way. She is not and cannot be the cornerstone of this franchise. Throw all of the chips in with Flau and Awa, and let Dom compliment them when needed.
I'm uncertain about #1 but the end to this season has been highly disappointing. I always expected it to be a bad startover season, and this is part of the process. This is year 1 of that process. Leading to #2 ...
Part of me thinks more patience is needed. This isn't the Jerry Dipoto Seattle Mariners that have missed the playoffs 9 times in 11 years. This really is Year 1 of going into a rebuild process. I think the Storm organization is in a healthier place than Phoenix, Chicago, LA, even Toronto and Connecticut. But there is another part of me that agrees. Just because they've won 4 championships in the past doesn't mean that will happen in the future. They could be left behind by other organizations if they aren't careful.
I completely disagree on #3, but it's fine to have that debate. It's not crazy to say that Dominique Malonga won't even be entering the prime of her career for 5 more years. And she's currently an All-Star averaging nearly 17 PPG and 9 RPG. If she was an American in college she'd be a sophomore or junior right now. She deserves to be given time to develop and grow. With that said, I think the thing with Dom that is more important would lead us back to your point about #2. Let's say Malonga doesn't even enter her prime until 2030 or so. Are the Storm able to keep her around and build a competitive team around her? Or is the organization left behind and is forced to watch her develop into an MVP candidate with another team, similar to what we saw with Breanna Stewart.
I am extremely encouraged by what we've seen out of Flau'jae. I still view Malonga as the team's top player, but I am very pleased with what Johnson has accomplished this season, and hopefully her game will only get better with more time and experience as well.
I’m with you on 1 and 2, but couldn’t disagree more on 3. Yes Dom can be thrown off her game, but that’s absolutely something she can grow out of. And not being as pro-ready was always part of her evaluation, but the investment was seen as worth it.
I hear you both on Dom, Pearl and Ryan--she is still young (would be entering her junior year in college now), and I get that it would be presumptuous to make career projections at this point.
That being said, what it could illustrate is that it is unrealistic to field a playoff-team centered around a 20 year old. Maybe once she's 22-23, but not 20. There's simply too much growth that's needed mentally to compliment the physical gifts. This is why, in my opinion, we should build around Flau'jae in the short term (2027, 2028) and two-three veteran free agents and simply hope for the best from Awa and Dom in the interim...
I have mixed thoughts on Dom. When I start to wonder about her, I read everybody's praise of her " so young," "so promising" and so forth. She is one of our highest scorers, but she can practically reach the basket even without standing on her tiptoes! Even then, she rushes her shot and the ball doesn't go in. I'd still keep her as a starter. Who else do we have as a center? I wouldn't want to keep her the way we kept Ezzi. We love them both, but are they/will they produce? Agree on your #1 and #2, especially #1.
So, who honestly thinks that the Storm have improved from beginning to end? Are we a better team now than we were? Yeah, Dom has gotten better and Fla jae has too, but the rest are just kinda holding their own, inconsistent and not much improved, and the team as a whole . . .
We didn't have Ezi at the beginning, we had her for some time in the middle, and now don't have her again. What's the difference?
Tough games ahead. What thoughts for the future?
Yeah, this is why I don’t love the concept of “tanking”. Plans can easily go sideways and I’d say this season certainly did for the most part. We learned really nothing useful about the coaching staff, the few teams we were supposed to be better than are clearly better than us and will improve their rosters with higher draft picks. Meanwhile the Storm are in a worse position than last year despite having one of the worst records in WNBA history. And now we play out the last few games with the players looking either checked out or frustrated. Bummer.
"with the players looking either checked out or frustrated [or looking elsewhere.]"
Perhaps the one solution to tanking is allowing ticket purchasers to pay with counterfeit funds?
I don't think this game is a fair sample size when the Aces have something to fight for (home court advantage) and we are in "Delulu for Juju 2028" rebuild mode. That said, any team that goes 2-16 in clutch games needs to be questioned on coaching and growth.
The size of the Aces' win and the circumstances under which they fought for the win may make the game an unfair sample but the fact that we did not play well and no better than at the beginning of the season still holds. And we're not going to get Juju. the Storm made the playoffs last year.
I said Delulu for Juju in 2028. I know how the 2027 draft works
ok
Pearl: I really appreciate you separating individual and team improvement. Any progress has not been universal. My major concerns moving forward center around Flau’Jae and Awa. 4 looks increasingly frustrated - angry maybe - and that is not a good sign. Awa seems, at times, disinterested. Just my perception, but again, worrisome if there’s validity to it.
Sigh--such a frustrating loss. In terms of your question regarding thoughts for the future:
1. Sonia and Talisa cannot be retained for 2027 if the organization wants to convey to the fans with a modicum of integrity that it is doing the best it can to put a winning product on the floor.
2. The Storm are on the precipice of being the Univ. of Tennessee Lady Vols of the WNBA. What do I mean by this? An historically great program--with the championship banners and retired jerseys in the rafters--that is unable to be relevant and competitive in today's landscape.
3. My foot is one foot out of the Dom camp. It's not just that Flau'jae seems more pro ready; it's that Dom's mindset seems shot. Nothing is more frustrating to me than someone who has all of the physical gifts but so easily thrown off their game when things aren't going their way. She is not and cannot be the cornerstone of this franchise. Throw all of the chips in with Flau and Awa, and let Dom compliment them when needed.
Just my thoughts!
I'm uncertain about #1 but the end to this season has been highly disappointing. I always expected it to be a bad startover season, and this is part of the process. This is year 1 of that process. Leading to #2 ...
Part of me thinks more patience is needed. This isn't the Jerry Dipoto Seattle Mariners that have missed the playoffs 9 times in 11 years. This really is Year 1 of going into a rebuild process. I think the Storm organization is in a healthier place than Phoenix, Chicago, LA, even Toronto and Connecticut. But there is another part of me that agrees. Just because they've won 4 championships in the past doesn't mean that will happen in the future. They could be left behind by other organizations if they aren't careful.
I completely disagree on #3, but it's fine to have that debate. It's not crazy to say that Dominique Malonga won't even be entering the prime of her career for 5 more years. And she's currently an All-Star averaging nearly 17 PPG and 9 RPG. If she was an American in college she'd be a sophomore or junior right now. She deserves to be given time to develop and grow. With that said, I think the thing with Dom that is more important would lead us back to your point about #2. Let's say Malonga doesn't even enter her prime until 2030 or so. Are the Storm able to keep her around and build a competitive team around her? Or is the organization left behind and is forced to watch her develop into an MVP candidate with another team, similar to what we saw with Breanna Stewart.
I am extremely encouraged by what we've seen out of Flau'jae. I still view Malonga as the team's top player, but I am very pleased with what Johnson has accomplished this season, and hopefully her game will only get better with more time and experience as well.
I’m with you on 1 and 2, but couldn’t disagree more on 3. Yes Dom can be thrown off her game, but that’s absolutely something she can grow out of. And not being as pro-ready was always part of her evaluation, but the investment was seen as worth it.
I hear you both on Dom, Pearl and Ryan--she is still young (would be entering her junior year in college now), and I get that it would be presumptuous to make career projections at this point.
That being said, what it could illustrate is that it is unrealistic to field a playoff-team centered around a 20 year old. Maybe once she's 22-23, but not 20. There's simply too much growth that's needed mentally to compliment the physical gifts. This is why, in my opinion, we should build around Flau'jae in the short term (2027, 2028) and two-three veteran free agents and simply hope for the best from Awa and Dom in the interim...
I have mixed thoughts on Dom. When I start to wonder about her, I read everybody's praise of her " so young," "so promising" and so forth. She is one of our highest scorers, but she can practically reach the basket even without standing on her tiptoes! Even then, she rushes her shot and the ball doesn't go in. I'd still keep her as a starter. Who else do we have as a center? I wouldn't want to keep her the way we kept Ezzi. We love them both, but are they/will they produce? Agree on your #1 and #2, especially #1.
Where did my comment go? It was quite lengthy and when I went to post it, it appeared to disappear.