Guru's WNBA Report: Washington Seeks Top Lottery Prize Besides New Coach and GM
By Mel Greenberg
After playing second fiddle all summer to the Washington Nationals' drive to baseball's playoffs and the arrival of rookie quarterback and Heisman winner Robert Griffin III (RG3) out of Baylor to the NFL Redskins, the WNBA Mystics have found their way into both the local and national news cycle after concluding with the second most woeful record (5-29) in the franchise's 15-year history.
That performance has resulted in two things -- the first is anticipation towards Wednesday night's draft lottery announcement on ESPN's Sports Center at 6 p.m. EDT when the order of the top four picks going to the non-playoff teams will be revealed.
This determination by the ping pong system is getting extra attention because of three collegiate senior superstars whose names will be officially chosen in the overall draft next April: NCAA defending champion Baylor's Brittney Griner, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, and Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins.
Washington has the best odds to be in position to most likely go after Griner, the consensus No. 1 pick, though that slot has rarely worked out for the frontrunner in past lotteries.
Tulsa, last year, had an all-time WNBA worst 3-31 record but landed with the fourth overall pick for last April's selections.
Besides, in many other selections, Delle Donne or Diggins might be No. 1 so this is not really a case of Griner and the rest as it was last April when Stanford's Nneka Oguwmike, the overall favorite for rookie of the year, was picked by the Los Angeles Sparks.
The other result of the 5-29 was Monday's firing of coach/general manager Trudi Lacey after two straight off seasons. Assistant coaches Marianne Stanley, the former Immaculata star and collegiate coach of three-time national champion Old Dominion, and Jen Gillom, who was an assistant to UConn's Geno Auriemma on the USA gold medalists in London, were also let go.
Though one must be wary with that kind of record, Lacey might not have seen her ouster coming considering that on Friday night after the loss to Indiana in the final home game of the season at theVerizon Center she was letting the Guru know how to find her for reaction once the draft selections are revealed.
Credit the Washington organization for doing a rarity in their history -- something fair.
When asked on Friday by a colleague and some other Mystics regulars whether the Guru thought there might be a change, he responded that if such was going to happen, they should do it Monday or Tuesday before the lottery.
It would be unkind to be sitting there Wednesday night knowing a game-changing talent is heading your way and then get word several days later that you are not going to be around when that happens.
Once the draft lottery results are known, then aspirants to fill the vacancy will begin to throw their hats into the ring, though further down this post the Guru will discuss potential candidates.
But first the draft.
The final standings -- the two non-playoff teams out of each Eastern and Western Conferences -- determined the best odds going in.
Incidentally, as the Guru sat with WNBA president Laurel Richie during the second half of Saturday's Tulsa-New York game at the Prudential Center, he learned from a source close to the league's oval office that once the results are known they will be revealed in reverse order -- so whoever has pick No. 4, in Miss America broadcast fashion, will quickly experience the disappointment in missing out on the top three.
Then the team getting the third pick, etc., will be announced.
Standings-wise, the four lottery teams finished as follows:
Washington 5-29: GB --
Phoenix 7-27: GB 2
Tulsa 9-25: GB 4, GB for second 2
Chicago 14-20: GB 9, GB for third 5.
The Guru will revisit this finish in terms of unwitting helpers in determining who landed in the spot to get what pick.
It is now end-of-the-season lore of what happened in 2010 when a Tina Thompson shot at the buzzer for Los Angeles against Minnesota in the final week became the defining moment that put the Sparks in the playoffs and the Lynx in the lottery with the second worst record.
The Tulsa Shock had the worst record, but Minnesota won the top prize, getting the right to pick UConn sensation Maya Moore, who became of the key elements to the Lynx dominating run to their first title last summer.
But the Sparks previously had their day with Minnesota in 2007.
That year Minnesota was terrible but in the final weeks of the season, the Lynx started to win a few games, similar to Tulsa letting go of worst place during the past month.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, which was missing veteran all-timer Lisa Leslie because of pregnancy, saw Chamique Holdsclaw depart a month into the season and the Sparks dove and landed in a tie with the Lynx and had the goods to have the top odds going in.
In a rarity, being No. 1 prevailed and the Sparks were able to pick Candace Parker, the sensation out of Tennessee who, along with the Connecticut Sun's Tina Charles, are the frontrunners for league MVP.
The Guru will have to wait for the outcome to find this season's defining moments.
But there is one comparison to 2007 going into play that will stand up even further if the Chicago Sky, which is now 0-for-7 lifetime in playoff participation attempts, prevails after holding the longest odds of the four teams.
By all means, the New York Liberty, which backed into the playoffs, should be on playoff outside and lottery inside, while vice versa for Chicago.
And considering former Rutgers all-American, Cappie Pondexter, who recently re-signed with New York, is the one elite player on the Liberty, landing a top three pick this year would be better off long range, especially if New York gets bounced either 2-0 or 2-1 this weekend by Connecticut.
On the other hand, Chicago, which was bedeviled by injuries to Olympic center Sylvia Fowles and formerRutgers standout Epiphanny Prince, could be quite the unit next season if bad luck can restrict itself to hanging out with all the maladies which reside with baseball's Cubs and stay out of the Sky's presence in the suburbs.
So, with a one-game differential between lottery and playoffs, here's some of the keys as to how New York and Chicago finished:
--New York was able to go 4-1 against Washington, while, given the overall inequities of the league schedule, Chicago was 3-1.
--Former Maryland star Kristi Toliver recently missed a wide open three-point attempt for Los Angeles and Parker missed two foul shots and made a dumb turnover in the final minutes, enabling New York to rally from what had been a deep deficit and get a narrow win.
--New York also had a win in the front half of the season over Seattle, which had started to rumble even though Lauren Jackson was still away with the Australian national team preparing for the Olympics.
--The Liberty also got the softer teams on the back end of the schedule after the Olympics and won most of those contests.
But Chicago didn't need to do much otherwise to overcome New York's attributes. Had not the Sky gone into a 2-15 Sky Dive, fourth place would have been clinched in the beginning of the month.
--That plunge also featured a narrow loss at home to Phoenix, along with two excruciating overtime losses after holding leads -- one in Washington (the Mystics' lone win in the post-Olympic portion of the schedule) when former Rutgers star Matee Ajavon nailed a trey to force overtime and former Duke star Jasmine Thomas was equally skillful beyond the arc to win the game in the extra period.
--A few days later the same reversal happened in Tulsa when the Shock were still trying to get their act together.
Considering that Tulsa had the worst record -- a WNBA all-time 3-31 last summer -- and was relegated to the fourth pick, as mentioned here earlier, the Shock in the closing weeks decided to move forward and not worry about what pick they might land.
Phoenix, meanwhile, suffering from major injuries and limiting superstar Diana Tarasi's time after the Olympics and resting the USA and former UConn star beforehand, has drawn the ire of followers around the league because of the appearance of transforming from an offensive machine before the hurts into a bonafide Sherman tank.
"What they did is outrageous," said one player agent. "The league should punish them, either give them the No. 4 pick or at least bar them from getting No. 1."
Indeed, a healthy Taurasi, Penny Taylor, and Candice Dupree, who recently re-signed, along with one of the stud rookies and the vastly improved DeWanna Bonner, who benefitted from the increase playing time, will once again make the Mercury a fearsome force.
"Can you imagine (rookie) Samantha Prahalis with four options next summer?" Ohio State's Jim Foster said this week about his former all-American who graduated from the Buckeyes.
There's a sense in some Phoenix circles that Delle Donne might be a better fit for the Mercury in their high octane offense.
So, landing No. 2 will cause no regrets in the Arizona desert, even if the grumblings grow louder across the league.
Besides, Ritchie told ESPN's Mechelle Voepel that the league has not received any complaints about the Mercury's perceived intentions.
And Phoenix executive Amber Cox cited only the doctors can truly gauge who was able to play for the Mercury during the season.
Delle Donne: That Was Yesterday, This Is Now
But what about Delle Donne's past preference for being close to home, something that would help both parties if she is targeted for Washington, which is less than a two-hours drive from the Delaware campus?
Enough, already.
She told NBA-TV, when asked the question, that being away at school, though still not far from her home in Wilmington, and knowing the realities of the WNBA, she is prepared for the next step.
And besides, the summer offers time the family can travel to many of her games.
Meanwhile, there's a wild card involving the Tulsa story, especially if the Shock land Griner, who would play the center spot now held by second-year pro Elizabeth Cambage, the second overall pick of the 2011 draft who was highly coveted behind Moore.
She's the Australian who bypassed the front end of the season to train with Australia for the Olympics, and then, at the last minute, continued to do so afterwards, citing a need for rest.
Well, the sense is make a deal that would give value in exchange for value to surround Griner, or Delle Donne.
People who observed Cambage in all phases in London, besides the dunk in one game and the sensational first half against USA before the Americans rallied and shut her down, say she needs to be with other Australians, which suggests four possibilities: Los Angeles (Jenna O'Hea), Seattle (Jackson), Phoenix (Taylor), or Indiana (Erin Phillips).
But there is one other place, if return value can be obtained: New York, New York, even if it is across the Hudson River in Newark, N.J., for one more summer during the three-season Madison Square Garden renovation.
Adding a veteran/youthful mix, New York could package the No. 5 pick (which won't be terrible to hold), some replacement posts -- either Kia Vaughn (sorry, Rutgers fans) or Plenette Pierson -- and maybe Leilani Mitchell.
But there is an unknown in that it is not known if Cambage could fit coach John Whisenant's defensive-emphasized system, though the rebounding deficiency on the Liberty he always cries about might be diminished.
"There definitely is a difference in styles," Connecticut's Kara Lawson remarked Tuesday on the playoff teleconference about the strategy of Whisenant, who she played for on the former Sacramento Monarchs, and Sun coach Mike Thibault.
Draft Class 2012: Better Than Originally Billed
Meanwhile, before leaving the draft discussion, the Guru would like to observe that perhaps too much water was tossed on last April's overall selections which was labeled Oguwmike And The Others.
He, himself, had cracked at the outset at ESPN headquarters, where the draft was held, that it would be the first in which Mrs. Irrelevant was going to be the No. 2 pick.
As it turns out, Oguwmike was everything she was hyped and is running away with the rookie of the year mentions.
But other teams got some value also.
The Atlanta Dream may have had the steal, taking UConn's Tiffany Hayes, who went No. 14 overall and No. 2 in the second round and likely will make the all-rookie team.
Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen, the No. 2 pick overall to Seattle, was among the leaders in points, rebounds, and steals, while Notre Dame's Deveraux Peters, despite missing time with injuries, has been an added gem at No. 3 to Minnesota's roster of riches.
Glory Johnson, who went fourth overall out of Tennessee, helped Tulsa's improvement, while No. 5 Shenise Johnson out of Miami provided depth to the attack of the San Antonio Silver Stars.
Prahalis, who became part of the Mercury ER stars for a bit, has shined in Phoenix, while Notre Dame's Natalie Novosel, taken eighth, has had her moments in Washington, considering the challenges of the Mystics' season.
The jury is still out on No. 7 Kelly Cain, the former Tennessee player who left after her junior season and was taken by New York. But she can plead her case if she can help defend Connecticut's Charles in this weekend's playoffs, assuming she gets inserted into the action.
Georgia Tech's Sasha Goodlett, taken 11th of 12 players in the first round, has had to see increased minutes in the last week because of injuries on Indiana and has earned praise from Fever coach Lin Dunn.
Riquana Williams, another player out of Miami, was taken 17th overall and fifth in the second round by Tulsa, and has contributed.
April Sykes, another former Rutgers star, was taken 28th overall and fourth in the third round by Los Angeles and almost rescued the Sparks in their game at New York.
Lynetta Kizer, the former Maryland center who was taken fifth in the third round and 29th overall by the Tulsa Shock, was cut, but she landed in Phoenix, where she is still on the roster.
Briana Gilbreath out of Southern Cal was taken 35th overall, next to last, by Washington, who cut her, but she landed at Phoenix, where her three-point field goal percentage is tied for tops among rookies.
New York wrapped it all up taking Katelon Redmon out of Gonzaga with the 36th overall and last pick, then cut her but later re-signed her.
So, maybe the 2012 draft was not so bad after all, though it still will pale when the time comes to make the next picks in April.
Filling The Coaching Vacancy In Washington
So, you're Sheila Johnson, though maybe the firearms used to oust Trudi Lacey from her coach/general manager position were purchased by overall boss Ted Leonsis, who needs some value elsewhere in case the NHL season is totally shutdown and makes the Washington Capitals a hockey team in name only this winter.
Where to go in replacing Lacey? Because of the options involving how to deal the GM slot, this can be a little complicated.
Maybe Marynell Meadors, a WNBA veteran previously in the Washington organization, who guided an expansion Atlanta team to two Eastern playoff titles before being ousted last month in a dispute with star Angel McCoughtry, could be an easy choice for either the combo slot or one of the slots.
Her name is speculated in a lot of circles as a viable candidate.
If Marianne Stanley had been on another staff as an aide, perhaps she would be a candidate, though she previously coached the Mystics and actually led them to several decent seasons long before the super season of 2010.
But to make this simplified, for now, let's look at the coaching possibilities.
One former Mystics player, a longtime WNBA veteran, sent the Guru a note saying the team needs someone who has been around the horn -- the Guru's words, not hers.
Van Chancellor, who coached the former Houston Comets to the first four WNBA titles, recently told the Guru he'd like to return to the league and the Guru knows he has always thought the Mystics could be revived.
Chancellor could be a possibilty for the combo position.
There are two ex-collegiate coaches, besides Chancellor, who's last gig was LSU, who are on the sidelines following last season.
Gail Goestenkors, who left Texas and previously coached Duke to prominence, would be familiar with most of today's WNBA players, including the Mystics' Monique Currie, who played for her with the Blue Devils.
Jasmine Thomas is an ex-Duke star, while Goestenkors coached against Ajavon, former Maryand star Crystal Langhorne, as well as the Mystics' Michelle Snow, Ashley Robinson and Shannon Bobbett (Tennessee), and Noelle Quinn (UCLA).
Nell Fortner, who could fill both jobs or either or, just left Auburn, but coached the 2000 Olympic gold medalists and the Indiana Fever. So there is an experience factor.
The former Mystics player mentioned Anne Donovan, currently at Seton Hall, who coached Charlotte, Seattle, and New York, and the player referred to the Hall of Famer as a pro's coach.
But coaxing Donovan back into the league would take some doing, though she and Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve (then with the former Detroit franchise), were finalists for the Washington job when Julie Plank was hired and went on to give the Mystics their greatest success.
By the way, speaking of GMs, and just mentioning it before the screams start among some of the Guru fan base out of the Liberty crowd, but ex-Liberty vice president Carol Blazejowski is a name to consider for the GM role, if she was interested.
Incidentally, prior to Blaze's ouster by MSG's Scott O'Neil, who recently himself left the Knicks/Liberty, etc., in a flap with owner James Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden, Blaze had considered Carol Ross, now with Los Angeles and was an Atlanta aide, when beginning to search for a replacement for Donovan.
There's always the unknown element of interest from a person with an NBA background, which in WNBA history has had success (read Paul Westhead in Phoenix and Mike Thibault in Connecticut) and not success (a bunch of them).
Former New York Liberty coach Richie Adubato was one of those with more upside and previously had a stint in Washington, though he still cringes at the nightmarish ending which came on the heels of learning the organization traded one of his best players without consulting him.
Then there are current assistant coaches on WNBA teams.
The Guru left off for this exercise those with previous Washington head coaching history (Seattle aide Nancy Darsch) or those not likely to get in the mix.
Some on the following lineup might not pass muster before interviews begin but are worth mentioning for future reference elsewhere.
Remember, Gary Kloppenburg, hired in Tulsa last winter, had been a longtime aide in Indiana and has the Shock on an upswing.
In that regard, there's Connecticut aide Scott Hawk, who was involved during the Tulsa search.
Chicago assistant Jeff House has a long history with playoffs involved, as an aide to Adubato in New York and Washington. At the collegiate level he was also on the staff of former Virginia coach Debbie Ryan.
Indiana assistant Mickie DeMoss had been an aide at Tennessee -- enough said -- but maybe one year in the league makes her candidacy, if launched, fall short.
Still, you have to give props to a former lieutant of Lady Vols legend and coach emeritus Pat Summitt (might as well start getting used to make that reference with the college season on the horizon.).
Former Auburn coach Joe Ciampi is in his first year in the WNBA as an aide in Atlanta, but he has coached future Olympians and has worked around the league doing clinics, etc., so he has some familiarity.
Former New York and San Antonio star Vickie Johnson is now on the sidelines as an aide to Dan Hughes in Texas, but she may need a bit more seasoning in the league in her newer career, considering the challenges Washington presents.
The same goes for Tulsa aide Kathy McConnell-Miller, the former Virginia star as well as being the sister of Duquesne coach Suzie McConnell-Serio, the former Penn State star, Olympian, as well as a WNBA All-Star and past coach in Minnesota.
Finally, Jenny Boucek, the fomer Virginia star now on Brian Agler's staff in Seattle, was an assistant to Darsch in Washington and also coached Sacramento.
Well, that's it for starters and that's it for this post, which the Guru is sure to be referred to as War and Peace by his tweeter followers at @womhoopsguru.
But before leaving some quickies from recent conversations.
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, when asked if the draft lottery being announced sooner would get things out of the way in terms of Griner knowing her potential future:
"Right now, Brittney is just thinking about her senior season. We'll probably have to find her to tell her what happened in the lottery."
Notre Dame coach Muffett McGraw, when asked a similar question about Skylar Diggins.
"What did you say they're (WNBA) doing? Oh, great. That's pretty neat."
Delle Donne's family will gather somewhere, though Elena, according to her brother Gene, might be involved in a class project at school and won't be with them when they learn where they'll be traveling in the summer of 2013.
Until later Wednesday night.
--Mel
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
After playing second fiddle all summer to the Washington Nationals' drive to baseball's playoffs and the arrival of rookie quarterback and Heisman winner Robert Griffin III (RG3) out of Baylor to the NFL Redskins, the WNBA Mystics have found their way into both the local and national news cycle after concluding with the second most woeful record (5-29) in the franchise's 15-year history.
That performance has resulted in two things -- the first is anticipation towards Wednesday night's draft lottery announcement on ESPN's Sports Center at 6 p.m. EDT when the order of the top four picks going to the non-playoff teams will be revealed.
This determination by the ping pong system is getting extra attention because of three collegiate senior superstars whose names will be officially chosen in the overall draft next April: NCAA defending champion Baylor's Brittney Griner, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, and Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins.
Washington has the best odds to be in position to most likely go after Griner, the consensus No. 1 pick, though that slot has rarely worked out for the frontrunner in past lotteries.
Tulsa, last year, had an all-time WNBA worst 3-31 record but landed with the fourth overall pick for last April's selections.
Besides, in many other selections, Delle Donne or Diggins might be No. 1 so this is not really a case of Griner and the rest as it was last April when Stanford's Nneka Oguwmike, the overall favorite for rookie of the year, was picked by the Los Angeles Sparks.
The other result of the 5-29 was Monday's firing of coach/general manager Trudi Lacey after two straight off seasons. Assistant coaches Marianne Stanley, the former Immaculata star and collegiate coach of three-time national champion Old Dominion, and Jen Gillom, who was an assistant to UConn's Geno Auriemma on the USA gold medalists in London, were also let go.
Though one must be wary with that kind of record, Lacey might not have seen her ouster coming considering that on Friday night after the loss to Indiana in the final home game of the season at theVerizon Center she was letting the Guru know how to find her for reaction once the draft selections are revealed.
Credit the Washington organization for doing a rarity in their history -- something fair.
When asked on Friday by a colleague and some other Mystics regulars whether the Guru thought there might be a change, he responded that if such was going to happen, they should do it Monday or Tuesday before the lottery.
It would be unkind to be sitting there Wednesday night knowing a game-changing talent is heading your way and then get word several days later that you are not going to be around when that happens.
Once the draft lottery results are known, then aspirants to fill the vacancy will begin to throw their hats into the ring, though further down this post the Guru will discuss potential candidates.
But first the draft.
The final standings -- the two non-playoff teams out of each Eastern and Western Conferences -- determined the best odds going in.
Incidentally, as the Guru sat with WNBA president Laurel Richie during the second half of Saturday's Tulsa-New York game at the Prudential Center, he learned from a source close to the league's oval office that once the results are known they will be revealed in reverse order -- so whoever has pick No. 4, in Miss America broadcast fashion, will quickly experience the disappointment in missing out on the top three.
Then the team getting the third pick, etc., will be announced.
Standings-wise, the four lottery teams finished as follows:
Washington 5-29: GB --
Phoenix 7-27: GB 2
Tulsa 9-25: GB 4, GB for second 2
Chicago 14-20: GB 9, GB for third 5.
The Guru will revisit this finish in terms of unwitting helpers in determining who landed in the spot to get what pick.
It is now end-of-the-season lore of what happened in 2010 when a Tina Thompson shot at the buzzer for Los Angeles against Minnesota in the final week became the defining moment that put the Sparks in the playoffs and the Lynx in the lottery with the second worst record.
The Tulsa Shock had the worst record, but Minnesota won the top prize, getting the right to pick UConn sensation Maya Moore, who became of the key elements to the Lynx dominating run to their first title last summer.
But the Sparks previously had their day with Minnesota in 2007.
That year Minnesota was terrible but in the final weeks of the season, the Lynx started to win a few games, similar to Tulsa letting go of worst place during the past month.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, which was missing veteran all-timer Lisa Leslie because of pregnancy, saw Chamique Holdsclaw depart a month into the season and the Sparks dove and landed in a tie with the Lynx and had the goods to have the top odds going in.
In a rarity, being No. 1 prevailed and the Sparks were able to pick Candace Parker, the sensation out of Tennessee who, along with the Connecticut Sun's Tina Charles, are the frontrunners for league MVP.
The Guru will have to wait for the outcome to find this season's defining moments.
But there is one comparison to 2007 going into play that will stand up even further if the Chicago Sky, which is now 0-for-7 lifetime in playoff participation attempts, prevails after holding the longest odds of the four teams.
By all means, the New York Liberty, which backed into the playoffs, should be on playoff outside and lottery inside, while vice versa for Chicago.
And considering former Rutgers all-American, Cappie Pondexter, who recently re-signed with New York, is the one elite player on the Liberty, landing a top three pick this year would be better off long range, especially if New York gets bounced either 2-0 or 2-1 this weekend by Connecticut.
On the other hand, Chicago, which was bedeviled by injuries to Olympic center Sylvia Fowles and formerRutgers standout Epiphanny Prince, could be quite the unit next season if bad luck can restrict itself to hanging out with all the maladies which reside with baseball's Cubs and stay out of the Sky's presence in the suburbs.
So, with a one-game differential between lottery and playoffs, here's some of the keys as to how New York and Chicago finished:
--New York was able to go 4-1 against Washington, while, given the overall inequities of the league schedule, Chicago was 3-1.
--Former Maryland star Kristi Toliver recently missed a wide open three-point attempt for Los Angeles and Parker missed two foul shots and made a dumb turnover in the final minutes, enabling New York to rally from what had been a deep deficit and get a narrow win.
--New York also had a win in the front half of the season over Seattle, which had started to rumble even though Lauren Jackson was still away with the Australian national team preparing for the Olympics.
--The Liberty also got the softer teams on the back end of the schedule after the Olympics and won most of those contests.
But Chicago didn't need to do much otherwise to overcome New York's attributes. Had not the Sky gone into a 2-15 Sky Dive, fourth place would have been clinched in the beginning of the month.
--That plunge also featured a narrow loss at home to Phoenix, along with two excruciating overtime losses after holding leads -- one in Washington (the Mystics' lone win in the post-Olympic portion of the schedule) when former Rutgers star Matee Ajavon nailed a trey to force overtime and former Duke star Jasmine Thomas was equally skillful beyond the arc to win the game in the extra period.
--A few days later the same reversal happened in Tulsa when the Shock were still trying to get their act together.
Considering that Tulsa had the worst record -- a WNBA all-time 3-31 last summer -- and was relegated to the fourth pick, as mentioned here earlier, the Shock in the closing weeks decided to move forward and not worry about what pick they might land.
Phoenix, meanwhile, suffering from major injuries and limiting superstar Diana Tarasi's time after the Olympics and resting the USA and former UConn star beforehand, has drawn the ire of followers around the league because of the appearance of transforming from an offensive machine before the hurts into a bonafide Sherman tank.
"What they did is outrageous," said one player agent. "The league should punish them, either give them the No. 4 pick or at least bar them from getting No. 1."
Indeed, a healthy Taurasi, Penny Taylor, and Candice Dupree, who recently re-signed, along with one of the stud rookies and the vastly improved DeWanna Bonner, who benefitted from the increase playing time, will once again make the Mercury a fearsome force.
"Can you imagine (rookie) Samantha Prahalis with four options next summer?" Ohio State's Jim Foster said this week about his former all-American who graduated from the Buckeyes.
There's a sense in some Phoenix circles that Delle Donne might be a better fit for the Mercury in their high octane offense.
So, landing No. 2 will cause no regrets in the Arizona desert, even if the grumblings grow louder across the league.
Besides, Ritchie told ESPN's Mechelle Voepel that the league has not received any complaints about the Mercury's perceived intentions.
And Phoenix executive Amber Cox cited only the doctors can truly gauge who was able to play for the Mercury during the season.
Delle Donne: That Was Yesterday, This Is Now
But what about Delle Donne's past preference for being close to home, something that would help both parties if she is targeted for Washington, which is less than a two-hours drive from the Delaware campus?
Enough, already.
She told NBA-TV, when asked the question, that being away at school, though still not far from her home in Wilmington, and knowing the realities of the WNBA, she is prepared for the next step.
And besides, the summer offers time the family can travel to many of her games.
Meanwhile, there's a wild card involving the Tulsa story, especially if the Shock land Griner, who would play the center spot now held by second-year pro Elizabeth Cambage, the second overall pick of the 2011 draft who was highly coveted behind Moore.
She's the Australian who bypassed the front end of the season to train with Australia for the Olympics, and then, at the last minute, continued to do so afterwards, citing a need for rest.
Well, the sense is make a deal that would give value in exchange for value to surround Griner, or Delle Donne.
People who observed Cambage in all phases in London, besides the dunk in one game and the sensational first half against USA before the Americans rallied and shut her down, say she needs to be with other Australians, which suggests four possibilities: Los Angeles (Jenna O'Hea), Seattle (Jackson), Phoenix (Taylor), or Indiana (Erin Phillips).
But there is one other place, if return value can be obtained: New York, New York, even if it is across the Hudson River in Newark, N.J., for one more summer during the three-season Madison Square Garden renovation.
Adding a veteran/youthful mix, New York could package the No. 5 pick (which won't be terrible to hold), some replacement posts -- either Kia Vaughn (sorry, Rutgers fans) or Plenette Pierson -- and maybe Leilani Mitchell.
But there is an unknown in that it is not known if Cambage could fit coach John Whisenant's defensive-emphasized system, though the rebounding deficiency on the Liberty he always cries about might be diminished.
"There definitely is a difference in styles," Connecticut's Kara Lawson remarked Tuesday on the playoff teleconference about the strategy of Whisenant, who she played for on the former Sacramento Monarchs, and Sun coach Mike Thibault.
Draft Class 2012: Better Than Originally Billed
Meanwhile, before leaving the draft discussion, the Guru would like to observe that perhaps too much water was tossed on last April's overall selections which was labeled Oguwmike And The Others.
He, himself, had cracked at the outset at ESPN headquarters, where the draft was held, that it would be the first in which Mrs. Irrelevant was going to be the No. 2 pick.
As it turns out, Oguwmike was everything she was hyped and is running away with the rookie of the year mentions.
But other teams got some value also.
The Atlanta Dream may have had the steal, taking UConn's Tiffany Hayes, who went No. 14 overall and No. 2 in the second round and likely will make the all-rookie team.
Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen, the No. 2 pick overall to Seattle, was among the leaders in points, rebounds, and steals, while Notre Dame's Deveraux Peters, despite missing time with injuries, has been an added gem at No. 3 to Minnesota's roster of riches.
Glory Johnson, who went fourth overall out of Tennessee, helped Tulsa's improvement, while No. 5 Shenise Johnson out of Miami provided depth to the attack of the San Antonio Silver Stars.
Prahalis, who became part of the Mercury ER stars for a bit, has shined in Phoenix, while Notre Dame's Natalie Novosel, taken eighth, has had her moments in Washington, considering the challenges of the Mystics' season.
The jury is still out on No. 7 Kelly Cain, the former Tennessee player who left after her junior season and was taken by New York. But she can plead her case if she can help defend Connecticut's Charles in this weekend's playoffs, assuming she gets inserted into the action.
Georgia Tech's Sasha Goodlett, taken 11th of 12 players in the first round, has had to see increased minutes in the last week because of injuries on Indiana and has earned praise from Fever coach Lin Dunn.
Riquana Williams, another player out of Miami, was taken 17th overall and fifth in the second round by Tulsa, and has contributed.
April Sykes, another former Rutgers star, was taken 28th overall and fourth in the third round by Los Angeles and almost rescued the Sparks in their game at New York.
Lynetta Kizer, the former Maryland center who was taken fifth in the third round and 29th overall by the Tulsa Shock, was cut, but she landed in Phoenix, where she is still on the roster.
Briana Gilbreath out of Southern Cal was taken 35th overall, next to last, by Washington, who cut her, but she landed at Phoenix, where her three-point field goal percentage is tied for tops among rookies.
New York wrapped it all up taking Katelon Redmon out of Gonzaga with the 36th overall and last pick, then cut her but later re-signed her.
So, maybe the 2012 draft was not so bad after all, though it still will pale when the time comes to make the next picks in April.
Filling The Coaching Vacancy In Washington
So, you're Sheila Johnson, though maybe the firearms used to oust Trudi Lacey from her coach/general manager position were purchased by overall boss Ted Leonsis, who needs some value elsewhere in case the NHL season is totally shutdown and makes the Washington Capitals a hockey team in name only this winter.
Where to go in replacing Lacey? Because of the options involving how to deal the GM slot, this can be a little complicated.
Maybe Marynell Meadors, a WNBA veteran previously in the Washington organization, who guided an expansion Atlanta team to two Eastern playoff titles before being ousted last month in a dispute with star Angel McCoughtry, could be an easy choice for either the combo slot or one of the slots.
Her name is speculated in a lot of circles as a viable candidate.
If Marianne Stanley had been on another staff as an aide, perhaps she would be a candidate, though she previously coached the Mystics and actually led them to several decent seasons long before the super season of 2010.
But to make this simplified, for now, let's look at the coaching possibilities.
One former Mystics player, a longtime WNBA veteran, sent the Guru a note saying the team needs someone who has been around the horn -- the Guru's words, not hers.
Van Chancellor, who coached the former Houston Comets to the first four WNBA titles, recently told the Guru he'd like to return to the league and the Guru knows he has always thought the Mystics could be revived.
Chancellor could be a possibilty for the combo position.
There are two ex-collegiate coaches, besides Chancellor, who's last gig was LSU, who are on the sidelines following last season.
Gail Goestenkors, who left Texas and previously coached Duke to prominence, would be familiar with most of today's WNBA players, including the Mystics' Monique Currie, who played for her with the Blue Devils.
Jasmine Thomas is an ex-Duke star, while Goestenkors coached against Ajavon, former Maryand star Crystal Langhorne, as well as the Mystics' Michelle Snow, Ashley Robinson and Shannon Bobbett (Tennessee), and Noelle Quinn (UCLA).
Nell Fortner, who could fill both jobs or either or, just left Auburn, but coached the 2000 Olympic gold medalists and the Indiana Fever. So there is an experience factor.
The former Mystics player mentioned Anne Donovan, currently at Seton Hall, who coached Charlotte, Seattle, and New York, and the player referred to the Hall of Famer as a pro's coach.
But coaxing Donovan back into the league would take some doing, though she and Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve (then with the former Detroit franchise), were finalists for the Washington job when Julie Plank was hired and went on to give the Mystics their greatest success.
By the way, speaking of GMs, and just mentioning it before the screams start among some of the Guru fan base out of the Liberty crowd, but ex-Liberty vice president Carol Blazejowski is a name to consider for the GM role, if she was interested.
Incidentally, prior to Blaze's ouster by MSG's Scott O'Neil, who recently himself left the Knicks/Liberty, etc., in a flap with owner James Dolan, chairman of Madison Square Garden, Blaze had considered Carol Ross, now with Los Angeles and was an Atlanta aide, when beginning to search for a replacement for Donovan.
There's always the unknown element of interest from a person with an NBA background, which in WNBA history has had success (read Paul Westhead in Phoenix and Mike Thibault in Connecticut) and not success (a bunch of them).
Former New York Liberty coach Richie Adubato was one of those with more upside and previously had a stint in Washington, though he still cringes at the nightmarish ending which came on the heels of learning the organization traded one of his best players without consulting him.
Then there are current assistant coaches on WNBA teams.
The Guru left off for this exercise those with previous Washington head coaching history (Seattle aide Nancy Darsch) or those not likely to get in the mix.
Some on the following lineup might not pass muster before interviews begin but are worth mentioning for future reference elsewhere.
Remember, Gary Kloppenburg, hired in Tulsa last winter, had been a longtime aide in Indiana and has the Shock on an upswing.
In that regard, there's Connecticut aide Scott Hawk, who was involved during the Tulsa search.
Chicago assistant Jeff House has a long history with playoffs involved, as an aide to Adubato in New York and Washington. At the collegiate level he was also on the staff of former Virginia coach Debbie Ryan.
Indiana assistant Mickie DeMoss had been an aide at Tennessee -- enough said -- but maybe one year in the league makes her candidacy, if launched, fall short.
Still, you have to give props to a former lieutant of Lady Vols legend and coach emeritus Pat Summitt (might as well start getting used to make that reference with the college season on the horizon.).
Former Auburn coach Joe Ciampi is in his first year in the WNBA as an aide in Atlanta, but he has coached future Olympians and has worked around the league doing clinics, etc., so he has some familiarity.
Former New York and San Antonio star Vickie Johnson is now on the sidelines as an aide to Dan Hughes in Texas, but she may need a bit more seasoning in the league in her newer career, considering the challenges Washington presents.
The same goes for Tulsa aide Kathy McConnell-Miller, the former Virginia star as well as being the sister of Duquesne coach Suzie McConnell-Serio, the former Penn State star, Olympian, as well as a WNBA All-Star and past coach in Minnesota.
Finally, Jenny Boucek, the fomer Virginia star now on Brian Agler's staff in Seattle, was an assistant to Darsch in Washington and also coached Sacramento.
Well, that's it for starters and that's it for this post, which the Guru is sure to be referred to as War and Peace by his tweeter followers at @womhoopsguru.
But before leaving some quickies from recent conversations.
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, when asked if the draft lottery being announced sooner would get things out of the way in terms of Griner knowing her potential future:
"Right now, Brittney is just thinking about her senior season. We'll probably have to find her to tell her what happened in the lottery."
Notre Dame coach Muffett McGraw, when asked a similar question about Skylar Diggins.
"What did you say they're (WNBA) doing? Oh, great. That's pretty neat."
Delle Donne's family will gather somewhere, though Elena, according to her brother Gene, might be involved in a class project at school and won't be with them when they learn where they'll be traveling in the summer of 2013.
Until later Wednesday night.
--Mel
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
posted by Mel Greenberg | 5:55 AM
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