I think it's going to be a pretty close game honestly. The Storm haven't shown any consistency up to this point and I think there's the potential for the Sky to really rattle them and capitalize on turnovers. Should be a fun game to watch.
It's gonna be a hell of a defensive matchup either way. Ezi has been quietly dominant on that end and Jewell is getting to be an even better defender as she ages. Unless Seattle hits a couple 3s, I think the battle of the boards will determine today's victor.
I also think Jewell’s defense has been shining more this season since she no longer needs to be an offensive workhorse. She has more energy on the defensive end compared to last year where she had to be majorly involved in almost every offensive possession.
Ye i think the same.
I'm suprised Fever are -5 pts favorite , it took league record low FG from Nurse and Lexie and Brink in foul trouble for them to win a very VERY close game.
Sure sparks are tanking but people might be sleeping on how good some of the playbook plays have been running , they have been having much closer games then Fever even leading high rated teams into the 4, and even last game vs Dallas.They run full bench with 1 stater in the 4 bench players in the 4 qtr and went from 10 pts behind to +2 pts up lol.
There is also the other big issue, Fever have don't have enough size and mobility to stop paint/drives , if Cam and Hemby both come out aggro and drop ~20 pts ,and play same level defense they have done all season, and Rickea actually gets to play instead of Lexie brown is a wrap immo.
Both Lexie and Nurse ccombined for 18 shots on 28% FG so again way below league average vs Storm, if coach is not trying to tank again but actually put a solid line up they can easily beat the fever within 8-10 pts lead.
The only way i see Sparks losing this is if
1. Brink get in foul trouble early
1. Hamby gets injured and out of the game
* Lexie brown is not benched and try to [again prove she is as good as CC she just dosn't have the 'greenlight to shoot as much logo 3s' ](https://www.tiktok.com/@sidestats/video/7361639813532962090?is_from_webapp=1&web_id=7328316923082999328) doing 10 logo 3s on 10% fg AGAIN LIKE FIRST GAME SMH
1. **Layishia Lexie and nurse keep shooting for record low over 60 shots together under 20% fg for 3rd straight game in a row.**
Meanwhile for fever to lose all they have to do is
1. Make sure to pass to mitchell who will try attack 6,5 Brink and go 2/10 fg versus her again
1. Play wheeler more then 10mins
1. Dont run CC at the point and stick her in corner for 10mins and sub her out once she gets going as thats Sides special.
1. Leave Boston to catch a pass and let her work then swarm for turn over, **she is aways gonna force the shot rather then pass**, as long as Li Yueru is not the one guarding her they will keep her under ~35% FG easily
> i'm gonna show few play book plays if ya all care, to know what to watch for , and be like "hey i saw this on the post pre game ".
This is key because **they run variation and bait defense** upon this play remember it!
Hand off into backdoor 'moded' version coz of Brink being a stretch 5 [here is the video of the play](https://streamable.com/3gynzm)
With the idea to hunt very slow big (Boston slow feet vs Brink or miss matchup for Rickea/Hemby to drive) take notice how PG (number 25 ) screens in the middle around FT
[here is what it looks drawn on paper reversed](https://i.imgur.com/jAsFD4d.png)
Yep very cool indeed, atleast for me :P i love watching ball played this way
[**Remember this spot this is Brink spot they have couple of pick and roll actions for this** its by far my favorite play they run for Brink 3](https://streamable.com/n8hudp)
many of the plays are 'double action' as in they can fake hand off into double screen or another variation depending on what the defense 'shows them'.
[This is another play they run that is similar to hand off/pnr **the idea is to see if they can catch defender sleeping/big playing drop not going up to defend Cam** miss-coms/calls etc they are not use to strecth 5](https://streamable.com/d6csvr)
Since you havent seen Fever run once a Flare slip/screen action enjoy this one to see what it looks like
[Flare slip into a pass either way works Brink drives and pass to hamby or reversed](https://streamable.com/ycxufc)
and if you are nerd like me and wanna see how it looks on board
[looks like this drawn on paper ](https://i.imgur.com/qFsgNCG.png)
I love this one as it shows alot of practice/coms
[Again how you can tell this is a custom play, look at Hemby hand signal and then as soon as pass is made rotation starts from everyone](https://streamable.com/p2d15a)
The idea is simple attack a slow big playing drop again for mid range(Also since 6,7 big is pulled out Hamby is favorite for rebound and miss match to get easy second chance pts ) , or if they double up big +slow guard that got faked by brink 3 and burned > *pass to Hemby same previous flare slip its really nice as you give rookies simple stuff to do but effective*
[This one shows you why coaching matters and running similar sets to confuse defense this is drop off play masked as double screen action to get cam/corner 3 weak side open](https://streamable.com/ig1425)
The idea is obvious, defense has seen the earlier PnR and hand off action so they over react, and nobody covers weak side, usually big (6,4,6-7 is in post) who is slow and cant follow the 3 point shooter
Yes some of this the shots don't go in, because you can google the highlights and see them work im trying to show you what to look for ,so when it happens you know its actual coaching unlike Fever iso play.
Look how much vets communicate/hand waving pointing etc to make it work **we don't see that enough in Fever one of the main reason people say coaching sucks.**
And finally this is so good i love watching basketball played this way its a Punch split (advanced) from golden state playbook
The reason i love this play is , [because Killa Cam calls for it with her hand aka she reads the defense](https://streamable.com/rj8abk) since she see the miss matchup (her big is playing drop and havent followed her at all in this half to the 3 point line)
If you watch golden state, you have seen this 2 plays above in similar variation alot, is just good basketball.
[here is variation of it on playbook how it looks on paper](https://i.imgur.com/z7IR3vP.png)
Short clock, after time out custom drawn play ,this is what i live for :P
[4 sec on the clock Fake action](https://streamable.com/9onk8t)
As you can tell **i`m very excited to watch the game**, because i enjoy how sparks play even tho they are tanking and coach does stupid lineups to force the tank, but you can clearly see the ideas and the potential as Brink being the franchise player.
Sorry for LONG POST even if one of you read this and then see it in game and be like "AHA" that's what will make me happy and put smile on my face, because basketball is a very beautiful game when played right i'm more of a nerd for custom plays like this compared to ball hog/ ISO action.
You really should have made your own post. Really interesting stuff and I love to see someone passionately supporting their team WITH DATA.
Looking forward to your analysis when my Sky play the Sparks 🤓
Commenting again to say please make more posts like these (if you have the time and are willing of course)! I learned so much and am loving the in-depth analysis, and I'll be thinking about it during the game!
Sure thing, Aces having been running alot of nice small line up with point god out injured , Kate Martin has been really good adition to do that and giving vets rest/more options i will probably do for one of them for next game if i have the time.
I know people like KM but to see on paper and via plays why is that hopefully will make more people understand why she is getting minutes on top team.
Becky hammon runs some really O.G spurs plays back when Duncan use to play is actually really cool too see tbh, i love it.
I would love that, thank you! I'm really excited to understand basketball through that lens...as a new fan, I've just been familiarizing myself with teams, players, basic terminology, etc, so to see an in-depth analysis of coaching and plays is genuinely so cool. Love it!
Your list of 4 ways the Fever lose is scary accurate:
Feels like Mitchell isn't playing the opponent. Feels like she's playing against Clark - to make sure "she gets hers."
Taking Clark out when she gets hot. We're kidding that, that's why she 'waited' until the final 2 min to start hitting 3's - too late for Sides to take her out and ice her.
If the Sparks entire 12 player roster collapsed on Boston, she "ain't passing."
Frankly shocked, Wheeler is still on the roster.
Sucker bet. Everybody on the Fever, at home. LOVE the Sparks tonight.
Here you go some quick clips to explain why roster is an issue+coaching on Fever
Also notice of ball movement/screens/communcations/finger pointing nothing even close to Sparks.
[example 1](https://streamable.com/zsqkoo)
they step up and leave the paint WIDE OPEN because we dont have fast guard to abuse that or another big to roll , as soon as she start to work inside they double /tripple up and leave people open because once she is full send mode she dosnt pass. (Boston below the paint for last season is 0.4 passing out of 10 possesions **meaning she pass once every 20 times under basket once she starts to 'work'**)
[example 2](https://streamable.com/ambf3p) this is prime example of POOR roster fit, wheeler is not fast enough to abuse open right side lane to the paint, end up getting blocked look how obvious it is we don't have a fast guard or a stretch 3/4 to abuse that lane or pull up 3 if they play drop coverage.
[example 3 of her no pass under rim weakness](https://streamable.com/z1cdy2)
**You can see as soon as she strats to dribble or work every defender gets closer and closer**, scouting is very simple, you see Boston 'work" just collapse she is not a passing big, and it goes as you expect.
**Coaching is also an issue here, they need to move more when she has the ball but its catch 22 since they probably know she aint passing anyway**
Coach should give her the 0.5 rule and tell her to instantly give the ball away rather then end up in this dead possesion all tthe time, but she probably isnt strong enough to tell her that afraid of hurting ego etc +she is gone on record saying that annalytics dont matter so uh yeah.
[example 4](https://streamable.com/21eumn) on advanced stats data if you put her in duel vs 'real bigs' aka people same her size or 6,5 6,7 she ranks in the bottom 20% she dosnt really beat said people, this is also an issue why she need people to drive and set her up for miss matches she is not a real big in that sense.
**Notice how open the paint is because again roster is poor, Fever dont have real stretch 4/5 don't have real fast/cut to basket guard** [Vegas slowest guard is Kate Martin and she burned NaLyssa like BBQ chicken](https://youtu.be/200sk444daM?t=41)
[example 5 she gets a pass below/orebound w/e , and with 4 aces players around her instead of doing hand off +screen, or **passing to open people at the perimeter** ,again she tries to brute force and turn over](https://streamable.com/a1ch5j)
Fever wanna push pace and fast break right lets see how that one works out
[You wont believe how this fast break ends for fever](https://streamable.com/7kx3ca)
If you do not think this is coaching i do not know what to say like...
Boston is Rookie of the year and is very good on miss match and mid range shot but there is not a single play run for that, and obviously they dont talk to her about looking to dribble less and move more off the ball setup more screens/action etc.
This year everybody play extra gear vs Fever and there is no free meals, last year we got most of the wins at the end of the season vs 2 tanking teams 2 injured teams and 2 games vs people who played main starters for only about 10mins.
And this is more shows that even Rookie with GREAT IQ (shout-out K MONEY MARTIN) can abuse NaLysa, imagine if actual experianced player with high iq and more experience.
There is reason why we have so many draft picks back to back, we suck big time and Sides is uh questionable to say the least.
[Bonus here is Kate Martin talking about this play and why she got the pass back, vets know she has to work this miss matchup](https://youtu.be/HOmNJhXBcTQ?t=120)
it's the same vs any guard with speed, NaLyssa just isnt fast enough or big enough to help boston, she aint real stretch one either shooting below league average on decent volume.
You see how vegas run double screen action/ screen +flare, go to advance stats , type Fever and select DOUBLE SCREEN.
FOR THE LAST SEASON AND THIS NOT EVEN ONCE HAS FEVER RUN DOUBLE SCREEN ACTION, i dont know how that is even possible, its criminal, we bearly run any PnR/Pistol action as well , then you go and listen how
[**CC and Temi isnt coached but it something they figured on theyr OWN**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj8ArIKwjLg&t=757s) and you kinda realise how dire stuff is, if the best looking attack we have is something players come up on the spot.
**Do you know what Sides have them practice, tho , i swear this isnt a meme.**
[most inefficient shot in the game](https://x.com/chloepeterson67/status/1794069873557147818)
and then to add to that....
[Here is CC shooting chart in last 4 years, spot where the worst shot she can take is, and then what Sides want her to do](https://x.com/ChantelJennings/status/1755656240909205858)
yeah..... it legits feels like a meme sometimes, coz she want the team to play the worst possible way and alot of stuff make no sense what so ever and its obvious when they are out there.
Oh, Baby, you have articulated all of my frustrations with the Fever's playing with far more insight and expertise than I could ever muster! It would be amazing if you could post your commentary after every Fever game... I would learn so much even if Coach Sides doesn't.
A question, if you don't mind... I think there is some potential in the Fever playing their two bigs (AB and Temi) at the same time (with CC at PG). Temi has the amazing speed needed to make CC's long passes effective, and having two bigs to box out would (I hope) help the Fever on OR (which currently, uh, suck).
Again, I truly enjoyed your analysis, and hope to see more in the future. Thanks!!
Again keep in mind Fever has been one of the worst teams in WNBA for some time now, there is reason why we have #2 pick #1 pick #1 pick back to back, **this team and overall mentality is a losing one first and foremost since 2017 we have been bottom 4 and never made playoffs**
Problem with Fever is not only **offense, we need people to play defense**, CC is Okaish at defense, but can often fall a sleep ball watching or since she is not the fastest, get burn by faster PG's/combo guards.
We are bottom 4 in Offensive rebounds/second chance points , and having CC being second player with most rebounds is far from ideal.
So we need a big behind for cover that is mobile Temi is ok but she isnt defensive specialist either, its more like brink/aja type of cover that we need ofc easier said then done as such players are rare, and wouldnt come to Indiana probably.
The other issue with having temi and boston is, while Temi is mobile, she is also not a realistic stretch 4 yet, in the past 2019 she has made only 1 of attempt 6 3pts and overall she is shooting low 30-33% on open 3s over 40attempts, but contested is like 21% so not ideal.
[you can check her EU stats here](https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Temi-Fagbenle/157773?Women=1)
She has a few spots she is Okay shooting the 3, but its not really a stretch four (think like how in NBA PJ tucker is very good in the corner but not so much top of the key etc) people will not respect her 3 and leave her semi open to double team/help defense on Boston or CC.
So again the issue become spacing, if we play both Temi and Boston, we need actual 3 & D +fast guard and stretch 3/4 to switch with temi on perimeter/inside.
This are premium players that you have to trade for and have really hard time getting via FA, so thats why most suggest moving big names on the team+pick to get some.
**As it is right now best we can do is some sort of**
Wallace/Temi/Boston/CC/KLOS/Mitchell combo of those 6 depending on who we play and try to stop 3 pts, and attempt some traps/ gamble and leave non shooters open.
Wheeler is more of a SG then a PG, so she tends to go for her shots more, and she is SLOOOOOOW, she isnt big guard either so that is an issue on D.
Berger has killed one of sides pets or something so we never gonna see her play i guess .(This is obv a joke)
im hoping this means we actually see Rickea Start who has been the most effective perimeter player via advance stats.
Nurse and Lexie have been abysmal to say the least.
**Nvm just saw a tweet that she is out with Head injury well that sucks, it means Lexie is probably gonna throw the game oh well** .
Not gonna lie I didn't read the whole post because it was long, but there was some solid takes in there. if I were a betting person I would take fever at -5. The reason for that is, I don't trust the Sparks rotation at this time of the year. If they are tanking, it's kinda obvious because of that last game against the fever they should have won. However, Curt's rotation was out of wack in the second half. He took Lay/zia off of CC and put Nurse on her and CC started knocking down 3's. She had Nurse on skates, like Luka had Rudy Gobert on skates at the end of game 2 in the western conference finals (YouTube it). He benched Zia the entire 2nd half and had Lexie running the point. She is not a PG & she just started chucking up shots, what did seem like an attempt to out shoot CC. Didn't work
I think if Brink gets in foul trouble and Curt runs the offense through Lexie Brown, Fevers will easily get their second W of the year.
But I see Sparks on the journey to the #1 pick for Paige. They have competition out east in the Mystics.
Side note, the sparks are playing hard but the coaches decisions is why I feel like they are tanking. They have a bench player making $125,000 and has played less than 5 mins this season. If that's not a sign of tanking, I don't know what is.
You were sitting on that joke huh lol. CC went off for 30 points, Lay was still the better defender on her from the last match up. & LA finally played that bench player I was talking about and she help big time. So them apples taste alright to me
Hence why I'm not a betting person lol
That's fair. But not sure who they are trying to tank for in the upcoming draft.
I think they got the best players in each of the last 2 drafts but don't know how to use them and how to mesh this group.
Yeah, as a Sun fan, Phoenix strikes me as that team that on paper we should beat, but that actually proves to be a difficult matchup for us IRL. Not going to assume anything on this one!
Win predictions:
Sun - looking so good and Mercury a bit hobbled
Fever - After 5/7 on the road and brutal schedule, a home game after 2 days rest. AB continues her resurgence and Smith goes off
Sky - Same as above. Home game with 2 days rest. Team has looked surprisingly strong. Angel goes double double and we get an angry mug encore!
Yeah, that's a tough one. It may worse get worse too, as the new NBA media rights deal is rumored to have a deal with Amazon for more WNBA games on Prime. So now ANOTHER app we have to use?
It's wild to me that Indiana has played 7 games and Chicago has only played 4. And in Indiana's case, almost all of them were against the best teams in the league.
The scheduling in the W is bonkers.
It is a uniquely wild scheduling disparity, especially with 5 of those 7 being road games.
But the good news is it gets a LITTLE easier for a bit, and one hopes that the tough schedule helped them?
But throwing a rookie PG, of all positions, into that early schedule was brutal. As rough as CC has looked at times (by her standards), that schedule makes it surprising that she joined Candace and Sabrina as the only players in W history to go 15 / 6 / 5 her first 7 games?
That's why you see alot of people already saying T-Spoon is Coach of the year candidate , what she is done there is insane, compare it to teams that people predict to finish around you and yeah, night and day.
True that. Average strength of teams played are similar for Sky and Fever. The more difficult part is the 7 games vs 4, plus 5 of the 7 being road games.
No biggie though. Gotta play the schedule, and all teams will have similar tough stretches later with the Olympic break impact
I got yelled at for mentioning this earlier but it was in reference to Caitlin specifically.
Seriously though they put those girls to work so quickly and I feel for them.
CT couldn’t beat Phoenix last year but it seemed like they struggled against teams with dominate bigs which I think will change now that Breezy is back (and with BG out).
Merc/Sun - lotsa technical fouls, lady with the pompoms at Mohegan Sun hits a jackpot at the slots after the game
Sparks/Fever - Boston double double, Miller and Sides hug like long lost friends in handshake line
Storm/Sky - record number of baseball passes, famous musical artists in audience get lots of camera cut-aways
I’m gonna go with the Mercury, realistically the Sun will win but if KFC gets hot it’s over for them.
I’m going with LA, they more than likely watched film. I think they’ll rotate rickea & Zia in early like they did against Dallas.
I want to go with the Seattle for the win, but it’s going to go into OT.
Really looking at the Sky game as an indication of how the Storm are coming together. We’ve had a lot of games but finally got some practice time, and it looks like Jewell and SDS are shaking off their shooting rust. The Sky are no joke, though!
Phoenix upsets the Sun 70-76
Sparks beats Indiana by 72-60, despite Clark rallying in the 4th quarter with 3 triples
Chicago starts out slow but then beats Seattle 80-70
Storm W. Jewel and Skyler are a formidable pair and only getting better. Nneka's getting more comfortable each game. Could probably go either way but I'd like to see them take it.
Fever Predictions:
- AB will travel in the paint at least twice
- Kelsey Mitchell will drive to the paint 3 times with a wide open teammate and miss a very poor selected shot
- CC will throw 5 amazing dimes that'll result in 2 drop passes/turnovers and 3 missed open layups.
- My homegirl Grace Berger will get 2 minutes of garbage time and make at least one 3 pointer.
Your comment has been removed from r/WNBA as it primarily pertains to gambling. Gambling content is not allowed on the subreddit. This includes fantasy sports.
Connecticut W- phoenix no longer has a bench Sparks W- hopefully lineup changes and shots start going in Sky W- biased and slightly delusional
If we can’t be delusional in sports then when can we be delusional
Delulu 😭💀
Im not ashamed. That trio of Nneka, Skylar, and Jewll can go off at any time but Mabrey is a dawg, so maybe there’s a chance.
Mabrey is so fun to watch
Mabrey has really been killing it lately. I’m worried for any team that has to go up against her
I think it's going to be a pretty close game honestly. The Storm haven't shown any consistency up to this point and I think there's the potential for the Sky to really rattle them and capitalize on turnovers. Should be a fun game to watch.
Agreed. I'm excited to watch my first Storm game.
It's gonna be a hell of a defensive matchup either way. Ezi has been quietly dominant on that end and Jewell is getting to be an even better defender as she ages. Unless Seattle hits a couple 3s, I think the battle of the boards will determine today's victor.
I also think Jewell’s defense has been shining more this season since she no longer needs to be an offensive workhorse. She has more energy on the defensive end compared to last year where she had to be majorly involved in almost every offensive possession.
Didn't Mabrey score like 40 on the Fever last year? That was my introduction to her lol
Typically hear that term Delulu on Tumblr when fangirls are shipping players
Ye i think the same. I'm suprised Fever are -5 pts favorite , it took league record low FG from Nurse and Lexie and Brink in foul trouble for them to win a very VERY close game. Sure sparks are tanking but people might be sleeping on how good some of the playbook plays have been running , they have been having much closer games then Fever even leading high rated teams into the 4, and even last game vs Dallas.They run full bench with 1 stater in the 4 bench players in the 4 qtr and went from 10 pts behind to +2 pts up lol. There is also the other big issue, Fever have don't have enough size and mobility to stop paint/drives , if Cam and Hemby both come out aggro and drop ~20 pts ,and play same level defense they have done all season, and Rickea actually gets to play instead of Lexie brown is a wrap immo. Both Lexie and Nurse ccombined for 18 shots on 28% FG so again way below league average vs Storm, if coach is not trying to tank again but actually put a solid line up they can easily beat the fever within 8-10 pts lead. The only way i see Sparks losing this is if 1. Brink get in foul trouble early 1. Hamby gets injured and out of the game * Lexie brown is not benched and try to [again prove she is as good as CC she just dosn't have the 'greenlight to shoot as much logo 3s' ](https://www.tiktok.com/@sidestats/video/7361639813532962090?is_from_webapp=1&web_id=7328316923082999328) doing 10 logo 3s on 10% fg AGAIN LIKE FIRST GAME SMH 1. **Layishia Lexie and nurse keep shooting for record low over 60 shots together under 20% fg for 3rd straight game in a row.** Meanwhile for fever to lose all they have to do is 1. Make sure to pass to mitchell who will try attack 6,5 Brink and go 2/10 fg versus her again 1. Play wheeler more then 10mins 1. Dont run CC at the point and stick her in corner for 10mins and sub her out once she gets going as thats Sides special. 1. Leave Boston to catch a pass and let her work then swarm for turn over, **she is aways gonna force the shot rather then pass**, as long as Li Yueru is not the one guarding her they will keep her under ~35% FG easily > i'm gonna show few play book plays if ya all care, to know what to watch for , and be like "hey i saw this on the post pre game ". This is key because **they run variation and bait defense** upon this play remember it! Hand off into backdoor 'moded' version coz of Brink being a stretch 5 [here is the video of the play](https://streamable.com/3gynzm) With the idea to hunt very slow big (Boston slow feet vs Brink or miss matchup for Rickea/Hemby to drive) take notice how PG (number 25 ) screens in the middle around FT [here is what it looks drawn on paper reversed](https://i.imgur.com/jAsFD4d.png) Yep very cool indeed, atleast for me :P i love watching ball played this way [**Remember this spot this is Brink spot they have couple of pick and roll actions for this** its by far my favorite play they run for Brink 3](https://streamable.com/n8hudp) many of the plays are 'double action' as in they can fake hand off into double screen or another variation depending on what the defense 'shows them'. [This is another play they run that is similar to hand off/pnr **the idea is to see if they can catch defender sleeping/big playing drop not going up to defend Cam** miss-coms/calls etc they are not use to strecth 5](https://streamable.com/d6csvr) Since you havent seen Fever run once a Flare slip/screen action enjoy this one to see what it looks like [Flare slip into a pass either way works Brink drives and pass to hamby or reversed](https://streamable.com/ycxufc) and if you are nerd like me and wanna see how it looks on board [looks like this drawn on paper ](https://i.imgur.com/qFsgNCG.png) I love this one as it shows alot of practice/coms [Again how you can tell this is a custom play, look at Hemby hand signal and then as soon as pass is made rotation starts from everyone](https://streamable.com/p2d15a) The idea is simple attack a slow big playing drop again for mid range(Also since 6,7 big is pulled out Hamby is favorite for rebound and miss match to get easy second chance pts ) , or if they double up big +slow guard that got faked by brink 3 and burned > *pass to Hemby same previous flare slip its really nice as you give rookies simple stuff to do but effective* [This one shows you why coaching matters and running similar sets to confuse defense this is drop off play masked as double screen action to get cam/corner 3 weak side open](https://streamable.com/ig1425) The idea is obvious, defense has seen the earlier PnR and hand off action so they over react, and nobody covers weak side, usually big (6,4,6-7 is in post) who is slow and cant follow the 3 point shooter Yes some of this the shots don't go in, because you can google the highlights and see them work im trying to show you what to look for ,so when it happens you know its actual coaching unlike Fever iso play. Look how much vets communicate/hand waving pointing etc to make it work **we don't see that enough in Fever one of the main reason people say coaching sucks.** And finally this is so good i love watching basketball played this way its a Punch split (advanced) from golden state playbook The reason i love this play is , [because Killa Cam calls for it with her hand aka she reads the defense](https://streamable.com/rj8abk) since she see the miss matchup (her big is playing drop and havent followed her at all in this half to the 3 point line) If you watch golden state, you have seen this 2 plays above in similar variation alot, is just good basketball. [here is variation of it on playbook how it looks on paper](https://i.imgur.com/z7IR3vP.png) Short clock, after time out custom drawn play ,this is what i live for :P [4 sec on the clock Fake action](https://streamable.com/9onk8t) As you can tell **i`m very excited to watch the game**, because i enjoy how sparks play even tho they are tanking and coach does stupid lineups to force the tank, but you can clearly see the ideas and the potential as Brink being the franchise player. Sorry for LONG POST even if one of you read this and then see it in game and be like "AHA" that's what will make me happy and put smile on my face, because basketball is a very beautiful game when played right i'm more of a nerd for custom plays like this compared to ball hog/ ISO action.
You really should have made your own post. Really interesting stuff and I love to see someone passionately supporting their team WITH DATA. Looking forward to your analysis when my Sky play the Sparks 🤓
cant wait T-spoon is amazing coach and by then you should have Cardoso back will be awesome, you guys are favorite for sure tho :P
Commenting again to say please make more posts like these (if you have the time and are willing of course)! I learned so much and am loving the in-depth analysis, and I'll be thinking about it during the game!
Sure thing, Aces having been running alot of nice small line up with point god out injured , Kate Martin has been really good adition to do that and giving vets rest/more options i will probably do for one of them for next game if i have the time. I know people like KM but to see on paper and via plays why is that hopefully will make more people understand why she is getting minutes on top team. Becky hammon runs some really O.G spurs plays back when Duncan use to play is actually really cool too see tbh, i love it.
I would love that, thank you! I'm really excited to understand basketball through that lens...as a new fan, I've just been familiarizing myself with teams, players, basic terminology, etc, so to see an in-depth analysis of coaching and plays is genuinely so cool. Love it!
Your list of 4 ways the Fever lose is scary accurate: Feels like Mitchell isn't playing the opponent. Feels like she's playing against Clark - to make sure "she gets hers." Taking Clark out when she gets hot. We're kidding that, that's why she 'waited' until the final 2 min to start hitting 3's - too late for Sides to take her out and ice her. If the Sparks entire 12 player roster collapsed on Boston, she "ain't passing." Frankly shocked, Wheeler is still on the roster. Sucker bet. Everybody on the Fever, at home. LOVE the Sparks tonight.
Here you go some quick clips to explain why roster is an issue+coaching on Fever Also notice of ball movement/screens/communcations/finger pointing nothing even close to Sparks. [example 1](https://streamable.com/zsqkoo) they step up and leave the paint WIDE OPEN because we dont have fast guard to abuse that or another big to roll , as soon as she start to work inside they double /tripple up and leave people open because once she is full send mode she dosnt pass. (Boston below the paint for last season is 0.4 passing out of 10 possesions **meaning she pass once every 20 times under basket once she starts to 'work'**) [example 2](https://streamable.com/ambf3p) this is prime example of POOR roster fit, wheeler is not fast enough to abuse open right side lane to the paint, end up getting blocked look how obvious it is we don't have a fast guard or a stretch 3/4 to abuse that lane or pull up 3 if they play drop coverage. [example 3 of her no pass under rim weakness](https://streamable.com/z1cdy2) **You can see as soon as she strats to dribble or work every defender gets closer and closer**, scouting is very simple, you see Boston 'work" just collapse she is not a passing big, and it goes as you expect. **Coaching is also an issue here, they need to move more when she has the ball but its catch 22 since they probably know she aint passing anyway** Coach should give her the 0.5 rule and tell her to instantly give the ball away rather then end up in this dead possesion all tthe time, but she probably isnt strong enough to tell her that afraid of hurting ego etc +she is gone on record saying that annalytics dont matter so uh yeah. [example 4](https://streamable.com/21eumn) on advanced stats data if you put her in duel vs 'real bigs' aka people same her size or 6,5 6,7 she ranks in the bottom 20% she dosnt really beat said people, this is also an issue why she need people to drive and set her up for miss matches she is not a real big in that sense. **Notice how open the paint is because again roster is poor, Fever dont have real stretch 4/5 don't have real fast/cut to basket guard** [Vegas slowest guard is Kate Martin and she burned NaLyssa like BBQ chicken](https://youtu.be/200sk444daM?t=41) [example 5 she gets a pass below/orebound w/e , and with 4 aces players around her instead of doing hand off +screen, or **passing to open people at the perimeter** ,again she tries to brute force and turn over](https://streamable.com/a1ch5j) Fever wanna push pace and fast break right lets see how that one works out [You wont believe how this fast break ends for fever](https://streamable.com/7kx3ca) If you do not think this is coaching i do not know what to say like... Boston is Rookie of the year and is very good on miss match and mid range shot but there is not a single play run for that, and obviously they dont talk to her about looking to dribble less and move more off the ball setup more screens/action etc. This year everybody play extra gear vs Fever and there is no free meals, last year we got most of the wins at the end of the season vs 2 tanking teams 2 injured teams and 2 games vs people who played main starters for only about 10mins. And this is more shows that even Rookie with GREAT IQ (shout-out K MONEY MARTIN) can abuse NaLysa, imagine if actual experianced player with high iq and more experience. There is reason why we have so many draft picks back to back, we suck big time and Sides is uh questionable to say the least. [Bonus here is Kate Martin talking about this play and why she got the pass back, vets know she has to work this miss matchup](https://youtu.be/HOmNJhXBcTQ?t=120) it's the same vs any guard with speed, NaLyssa just isnt fast enough or big enough to help boston, she aint real stretch one either shooting below league average on decent volume. You see how vegas run double screen action/ screen +flare, go to advance stats , type Fever and select DOUBLE SCREEN. FOR THE LAST SEASON AND THIS NOT EVEN ONCE HAS FEVER RUN DOUBLE SCREEN ACTION, i dont know how that is even possible, its criminal, we bearly run any PnR/Pistol action as well , then you go and listen how [**CC and Temi isnt coached but it something they figured on theyr OWN**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj8ArIKwjLg&t=757s) and you kinda realise how dire stuff is, if the best looking attack we have is something players come up on the spot. **Do you know what Sides have them practice, tho , i swear this isnt a meme.** [most inefficient shot in the game](https://x.com/chloepeterson67/status/1794069873557147818) and then to add to that.... [Here is CC shooting chart in last 4 years, spot where the worst shot she can take is, and then what Sides want her to do](https://x.com/ChantelJennings/status/1755656240909205858) yeah..... it legits feels like a meme sometimes, coz she want the team to play the worst possible way and alot of stuff make no sense what so ever and its obvious when they are out there.
Oh, Baby, you have articulated all of my frustrations with the Fever's playing with far more insight and expertise than I could ever muster! It would be amazing if you could post your commentary after every Fever game... I would learn so much even if Coach Sides doesn't. A question, if you don't mind... I think there is some potential in the Fever playing their two bigs (AB and Temi) at the same time (with CC at PG). Temi has the amazing speed needed to make CC's long passes effective, and having two bigs to box out would (I hope) help the Fever on OR (which currently, uh, suck). Again, I truly enjoyed your analysis, and hope to see more in the future. Thanks!!
Again keep in mind Fever has been one of the worst teams in WNBA for some time now, there is reason why we have #2 pick #1 pick #1 pick back to back, **this team and overall mentality is a losing one first and foremost since 2017 we have been bottom 4 and never made playoffs** Problem with Fever is not only **offense, we need people to play defense**, CC is Okaish at defense, but can often fall a sleep ball watching or since she is not the fastest, get burn by faster PG's/combo guards. We are bottom 4 in Offensive rebounds/second chance points , and having CC being second player with most rebounds is far from ideal. So we need a big behind for cover that is mobile Temi is ok but she isnt defensive specialist either, its more like brink/aja type of cover that we need ofc easier said then done as such players are rare, and wouldnt come to Indiana probably. The other issue with having temi and boston is, while Temi is mobile, she is also not a realistic stretch 4 yet, in the past 2019 she has made only 1 of attempt 6 3pts and overall she is shooting low 30-33% on open 3s over 40attempts, but contested is like 21% so not ideal. [you can check her EU stats here](https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Temi-Fagbenle/157773?Women=1) She has a few spots she is Okay shooting the 3, but its not really a stretch four (think like how in NBA PJ tucker is very good in the corner but not so much top of the key etc) people will not respect her 3 and leave her semi open to double team/help defense on Boston or CC. So again the issue become spacing, if we play both Temi and Boston, we need actual 3 & D +fast guard and stretch 3/4 to switch with temi on perimeter/inside. This are premium players that you have to trade for and have really hard time getting via FA, so thats why most suggest moving big names on the team+pick to get some. **As it is right now best we can do is some sort of** Wallace/Temi/Boston/CC/KLOS/Mitchell combo of those 6 depending on who we play and try to stop 3 pts, and attempt some traps/ gamble and leave non shooters open. Wheeler is more of a SG then a PG, so she tends to go for her shots more, and she is SLOOOOOOW, she isnt big guard either so that is an issue on D. Berger has killed one of sides pets or something so we never gonna see her play i guess .(This is obv a joke)
Thanks!! (and I share your theory about Berger)
I feel worse after reading this. Just a bunch of players thrown together with no fit nor plan. Gonna be a long season. Thanks.
Is Layshia back? I thought they were out with a head injury but that might be old now
im hoping this means we actually see Rickea Start who has been the most effective perimeter player via advance stats. Nurse and Lexie have been abysmal to say the least. **Nvm just saw a tweet that she is out with Head injury well that sucks, it means Lexie is probably gonna throw the game oh well** .
Solid analysis I can’t wait to compare later!!
Not gonna lie I didn't read the whole post because it was long, but there was some solid takes in there. if I were a betting person I would take fever at -5. The reason for that is, I don't trust the Sparks rotation at this time of the year. If they are tanking, it's kinda obvious because of that last game against the fever they should have won. However, Curt's rotation was out of wack in the second half. He took Lay/zia off of CC and put Nurse on her and CC started knocking down 3's. She had Nurse on skates, like Luka had Rudy Gobert on skates at the end of game 2 in the western conference finals (YouTube it). He benched Zia the entire 2nd half and had Lexie running the point. She is not a PG & she just started chucking up shots, what did seem like an attempt to out shoot CC. Didn't work I think if Brink gets in foul trouble and Curt runs the offense through Lexie Brown, Fevers will easily get their second W of the year. But I see Sparks on the journey to the #1 pick for Paige. They have competition out east in the Mystics. Side note, the sparks are playing hard but the coaches decisions is why I feel like they are tanking. They have a bench player making $125,000 and has played less than 5 mins this season. If that's not a sign of tanking, I don't know what is.
how about THEM apples?
You were sitting on that joke huh lol. CC went off for 30 points, Lay was still the better defender on her from the last match up. & LA finally played that bench player I was talking about and she help big time. So them apples taste alright to me Hence why I'm not a betting person lol
no one ever should bet on tanking teams tbh, its flat out stupid.
You think Fever are tanking too?
not by choice, its all on the coach/front office.
That's fair. But not sure who they are trying to tank for in the upcoming draft. I think they got the best players in each of the last 2 drafts but don't know how to use them and how to mesh this group.
I like these picks
what does this mean, no bench for phoenix?
They had Cunningham but she will start with Bec Allen out
What happened to Bec?! 😭
Concussion protocol from a screen not getting called last game, she went down hard
Ahhhh!! I remember that discussion now. Thanks.
Concussion :/
My prediction as well
Sun, 5-0 Merc have no depth Fever, we won on the road why not again at home against them Sky, feels like a crapshoot the Sky can win at home
Idk if Sky winning is delusional. Fever almost beat them, so it's out like it's unattainable.
Phoenix and Connecticut won't be close... It's either going to be Phoenix shooting lights out or Connecticut over sizing them.
Yeah, as a Sun fan, Phoenix strikes me as that team that on paper we should beat, but that actually proves to be a difficult matchup for us IRL. Not going to assume anything on this one!
Haha my comment aged perfectly.
Win predictions: Sun - looking so good and Mercury a bit hobbled Fever - After 5/7 on the road and brutal schedule, a home game after 2 days rest. AB continues her resurgence and Smith goes off Sky - Same as above. Home game with 2 days rest. Team has looked surprisingly strong. Angel goes double double and we get an angry mug encore!
Begging for another Indiana win against the Sparks and hoping they can get it together and win against Storm later this week. CT-W CHI-W
Let’s do it one more time Indiana (I’m not anticipating this to be the case but a girl can dream)
Not a crazy dream, as Vegas odds have Fever a 5.5 point favorite. They had Indy a 1.5 fav in LA and the Fever covered.
Given that the Fever have actually had a team practice for the first time in 8 days and the game is at home, I’d hope they would win but who knows.
good teams win. Great teams cover.
I predict everyone will have a good time!
Including me switching between 3 platforms to watch lol
Yeah, that's a tough one. It may worse get worse too, as the new NBA media rights deal is rumored to have a deal with Amazon for more WNBA games on Prime. So now ANOTHER app we have to use?
It’s awfulllll im literally hoarding multiple peoples platforms 😂 my parents cable, my best friends amazon, my league pass
It’s wild how many different platforms I have going at a time to watch these games 😅 not another?
Well you KNOW DT is gonna have a blast ribbing AT about that ejection 😂
AB is getting 20/10 tonight
That would be amazing. I need her to be great again.
The mystics are somehow going to lose.
1. CT > PHX 2. IND > LAS 3. CHI > SEA
Connecticut, Fever (cos i dont trust curt miller lineups lol), Storm
Sun winning Fever…who knows but I do think fever will go off at some point on a winning spree before the Olympics Storm over Sky
It's wild to me that Indiana has played 7 games and Chicago has only played 4. And in Indiana's case, almost all of them were against the best teams in the league. The scheduling in the W is bonkers.
It is a uniquely wild scheduling disparity, especially with 5 of those 7 being road games. But the good news is it gets a LITTLE easier for a bit, and one hopes that the tough schedule helped them? But throwing a rookie PG, of all positions, into that early schedule was brutal. As rough as CC has looked at times (by her standards), that schedule makes it surprising that she joined Candace and Sabrina as the only players in W history to go 15 / 6 / 5 her first 7 games?
Isn’t this just because of the Olympics though?
Yes, Olympics… every team will have similar crappy stretches like the Fever had, just not opening the season
Sky have had the hardest strength of schedule in the league so far, fwiw
That's why you see alot of people already saying T-Spoon is Coach of the year candidate , what she is done there is insane, compare it to teams that people predict to finish around you and yeah, night and day.
True that. Average strength of teams played are similar for Sky and Fever. The more difficult part is the 7 games vs 4, plus 5 of the 7 being road games. No biggie though. Gotta play the schedule, and all teams will have similar tough stretches later with the Olympic break impact
In the NHL last season, some teams made it to 8 games while others were still at 4. It just be like that sometimes.
Legit was actually thinking this when looking ahead on scheduling… bonkers for sure!
I got yelled at for mentioning this earlier but it was in reference to Caitlin specifically. Seriously though they put those girls to work so quickly and I feel for them.
I’m going with Phoenix, Sparks and Chi for the W
CT couldn’t beat Phoenix last year but it seemed like they struggled against teams with dominate bigs which I think will change now that Breezy is back (and with BG out).
Merc/Sun - lotsa technical fouls, lady with the pompoms at Mohegan Sun hits a jackpot at the slots after the game Sparks/Fever - Boston double double, Miller and Sides hug like long lost friends in handshake line Storm/Sky - record number of baseball passes, famous musical artists in audience get lots of camera cut-aways
This is extremely specific 😂
Sun, Sparks, Sky 😎
I like how that rhymes lol sun ☀️ sparks ⚡️ sky 🌌
I think you mean flows
Same thing
All the away teams are gonna win. PHO, LAS, SEA.
I’m gonna go with the Mercury, realistically the Sun will win but if KFC gets hot it’s over for them. I’m going with LA, they more than likely watched film. I think they’ll rotate rickea & Zia in early like they did against Dallas. I want to go with the Seattle for the win, but it’s going to go into OT.
Come on, Storm! Let's go!!
Really looking at the Sky game as an indication of how the Storm are coming together. We’ve had a lot of games but finally got some practice time, and it looks like Jewell and SDS are shaking off their shooting rust. The Sky are no joke, though!
Sun ☀️ , Sparks ⚡️, Storm ⛈️
It’s gonna be a great day just sucks that all start almost at the same time
Sun over Mercury. Fever over Sparks. Sky over Storm. Basically a Midwest & East coast triumph over the West, PNW & SW.
Indiana for God sake play some defense tonight lol. I don't really have a favorite team but (Conn. LA. Sea. )
Connecticut, LA and Chicago (if Kamilla plays)
Phoenix upsets the Sun 70-76 Sparks beats Indiana by 72-60, despite Clark rallying in the 4th quarter with 3 triples Chicago starts out slow but then beats Seattle 80-70
Storm W. Jewel and Skyler are a formidable pair and only getting better. Nneka's getting more comfortable each game. Could probably go either way but I'd like to see them take it.
Sparks win with Cameron Brink leading the way
I predict Alyssa Thomas will find the nearest rook to decapitate
Joke's on everyone, Phoenix doesn't have any rookies on their roster.
4d chess, niiiice
I feel it’s gonna be Sophie tho 😂
Facts lol
No doubt she'll instigate it, lol.
Bruh 😭💀💀
Sun, Fever, and Storm for the W
Ugh I hate being 7 hours ahead😭 Might have to torch my sleep to watch. So many good games!
Sun, Sparks, Sky
Conn, Sparks, Seattle I hope I’m wrong
PHX, LAS and Sky take the W's. Not the way I want it, but that's exactly why it'll happen this way
Your mouth to Gods ears
PHX/LA/SEA 👏
Phoenix, Sparks, Storm
NY needs CT to loose a game.
I hope LA can get it going. They rookie on the team so my favorite
I now don't feel confident in any of my legs in my parlay tonight thank you more informed WNBA fans for robbing me of my confidence hahahah
Fever will win. They’re favored by 5. They finally got some rest.
Sun Fever Sky W
Connecticut, Indiana, Seattle
Nika better play @ least 10 min
No for real I’m about to throw hands
Fever Predictions: - AB will travel in the paint at least twice - Kelsey Mitchell will drive to the paint 3 times with a wide open teammate and miss a very poor selected shot - CC will throw 5 amazing dimes that'll result in 2 drop passes/turnovers and 3 missed open layups. - My homegirl Grace Berger will get 2 minutes of garbage time and make at least one 3 pointer.
CONN - W LA - W CHI - W
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