WNBA Updates: Rookie of the Year Odds, 2nd half of the season
Transcript
00:00Our number two in full effect right here on the early line and a solo mission looks to be completed now. Did you have fun in our number one? I did Jeff on an hour number two to start it. Absolutely. But sometimes we got to talk to the experts here to get some information on the WNBA back in our life. How about this senior writer from wind cider with us today? And that is miles early miles. Thanks for joining us here on a Thursday. We got a lot of stuff to talk about.
00:27Yeah, Donny, it's great to see you. Great to see you.
00:30Fantastic. Let's get right down to it. The Olympics itself before we get to the actual basketball. How did you enjoy those two weeks? Because for me, sometimes you enter the Olympics not knowing what to expect. I love the fact that the Olympics was on in that time frame for us. East coasters to watch in the morning and the afternoon and then sort of catch up at night. What did you enjoy outside of basketball in the Olympics? And how did it treat you there with Paris?
00:54I think that that's my favorite thing about the Olympics is that there are sports that I've never watched before that I'm going to fall in love with every four years. I think the rugby seven on seven was it for me this year, but also the basketball three on three. Both of those were just sports that I'm not used to watching in that kind of volume or that time of day. And I enjoyed them both.
01:15Yeah, it was a good time watching all the way through, even if breakdancing is not going to appear for the twenty twenty eight Olympic run. It had a great run over there in Paris. And we can always think, what if we saw that on US soil? But I enjoyed the track and field, the pool. Everything was fantastic, which includes miles team USA, both men's and women's coming away with the gold medal here.
01:36Now, from a men's perspective, yeah, we anticipate it, but we thought they might get some fights along the way. The question was always, what sort of fight were we going to get from the women's side of the competition? We were asking just about every guest miles coming on saying, do you think anybody is going to be able to stay at least in that single digit range of team USA? And you take a look at beating Japan, beating Belgium, Germany and Nigeria, along with Australia easily. And they got up to France before we get to the final game against France coming into the Olympics.
02:02Three miles. The expectations for team USA. We know it was gold medal, but what were you anticipating before the team actually played a game in Paris?
02:10I was thinking it was going to be most of what we saw in that tournament run. The world, I think, is getting closer, is catching up a bit. And there's so much W talent that's spread around the world now. But you're still looking at this team USA roster, which is the best of the best, which took on team WNBA at the All-Star game before they left US soil.
02:32So they got pushed there. They lost that game. But that's still how much of a gulf there is between this USA roster put together and the rest of the world. But, wow, that final was something else. And I think that that's what happens when you go to the host country and you're playing a road game in something that should feel like a neutral site is anything can happen.
02:54Yeah, it's pretty nuts, too, because obviously we're rooting for team USA to win and win easy is always nice. But in the back of your mind, like, can't we just at least get a game so we can enjoy this a little bit more? And team France coming right out of the break in the second half, taking control is like, oh, my goodness. Can team USA come back? But they were fantastic down the stretch.
03:10The one thing I do enjoy is away from the NBA and the WNBA, the physicality of the international sport is so much fun to watch and how these ladies handled it. I thought it was great. And right down to the wire, beating France, getting the gold medal. Now we turn our attention miles to 2028. We know there's going to be changes to that roster. But as you said, the rest of the world catching up with this great. Now the Olympics come to US soil. What are the expectations and maybe what that roster is going to look like in 2028?
03:37So the expectations are going to be nine straight goals, right? They that is the standard. And I think that that's some of what we saw in that final game is all these players knew that that was what they were playing for. It was to bring home eight. You don't want to be the one that loses that streak. So 2028 is super exciting. It's going to be the first time, presumably without Diana Taurasi in seven Olympics.
03:58But there are going to be some spots there, and we're seeing the growth of women's basketball right now, stateside and names like Caitlin Clark, like Angel Reese, like Juju Watkins, Paige Beckers will all be in the mix. I'm pretty confident four years from now, and you're still going to have prime Stewie and prime Asia and Nafisa Collier.
04:18So I think that those three are the core that's going to move forward. But you look at just so many players that made impacts, especially in that final game in Kalia Copper in Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Nescu. So I think that they're going to have a really strong foundation, a really strong core, and they're going to add to it with some of this exciting next generation.
04:38Yeah, it's going to be fun, and I think the women's game certainly is on solid footing now, because anytime the world starts to get better, that means the WNBA has to get better. The US has to get better. It makes for compelling basketball, and we certainly got that from the home team there in France in that game, which quite frankly, through the majority of that game, it's like, boy, you're expecting Team USA to pull away. They were never able to do that, and coming back from a double digit deficit in the second half to get gold makes that a little bit more special.
05:01But before you know it, we're like, man, the WNBA is going to take off an entire month. That's crazy. They're just going to disappear from our imagination, and poof, here they are with a triple header tonight. Before we get to some of those games, the expectations for the second half and some players to watch that we're going to take a look at, who might they be for you?
05:20So the first player that I want to talk about actually is not in the WNBA as of now. It's Gabby Williams, who very nearly pulled off an upset in that France gold medal game. Gabby has said that she's willing to come to the W. She's been in the W the last few years, but took off to prioritize France, and we saw what she did.
05:41She put that team on her back, and she has announced that there are or it has been reported that three teams are interested in her services, the New York Liberty, the Seattle Storm, and the Minnesota Lynx. Sorry, not the Minnesota Lynx. The Storm, the Mercury. The Mercury was the third one.
05:57So the three of them are trying to get Gabby over, and those are three teams that are in playoff contention, where Gabby lands can really help any of those rosters. And then the other player in New York I wanted to focus on was Brianna Stewart, because something's still going on with her shot.
06:11She's a career 35% three-point shooter, which is right about league average, but this season she's shooting just 23% from deep on 4.2 attempts per game. Her two-point percentage is the second highest in her career, the highest since her first MVP season in 2018.
06:27But in the Olympics, Stewie made just 4.14 shots, which is 29%. So I'm really interested to see what happens with Brianna Stewart's outside shot, because I think that could limit what the Liberty can do in making a deep run.
06:41We'll get to some more questions here in the next segment, but quickly here, I see you have the Minnesota Lynx as the team to watch, 17-8 on the season, only behind the Liberty and the Sun. What can we expect out of the Lynx here in that second half of the season?
06:53They have the easiest strength of schedule going forward. They face the Aces twice, the Liberty, Sun, and Mercury once each. But these top five teams are all going to be trying to avoid that four-five matchup. So it's the Liberty, the Sun, the Lynx, the Storm, and the Aces as we hit the break.
07:09But having that easiest strength of schedule can help Minnesota try to find one of those top three spots so that they can hopefully get some home court advantage. And yeah, let's ease into the second half.
07:23More Myles Ehrlich next with us right here on The Early Line. WNBA back in effect, and we're going to talk about it once again right here on The Early Line with senior writer from Winsider, Myles Ehrlich.
07:33And let's get right to it. We're hunting here. You got the Liberty, the Sun, the Lynx, the Storm, and the Aces all up top. If I asked you your championship prediction today before the quote-unquote second half starts up here, who's that going to be for you, Myles?
07:47So this is always my least favorite question. It was not an issue until the Liberty were contenders because that is the team that I cover locally. That is my home market. And they have been the best team throughout the first half of the season.
07:59But I think I still need to say the Las Vegas Aces because they're going for this unprecedented three-peat that hasn't been done since the first three years of the league.
08:06And they still have Asia Wilson, who's running laps around everybody else as the best player in the world. So right now, it's kind of one of those scenarios where I think we saw this.
08:16The comparison I can make on the men's side is when we just saw LeBron running roughshod through the Eastern Conference for a decade. It feels like that's what Asia is doing to the entire WNBA.
08:25She is by far the best player in the league, and they are returning four Olympians home from that Team USA roster, a third of that roster. That's just how built they are for it.
08:35So yeah, until somebody dethrones them, I say the Aces are the team to beat.
08:40I agree with you, too. You can just go down low to Asia Wilson any time you want, and she can dominate. That is an unbelievable player to have on your side when you're looking to hunt down championships here.
08:50Now, from a Rookie of the Year perspective, we're obviously still looking at Kaitlyn Clark here. Look at her season statistics here. Points per game, 17 points.
08:56Assists per game, 8 points. Rebounds close to 6 per game, and it seemed like she was getting better as the year's going on.
09:03She got a nice little break here, didn't have to play in the Olympics. Now she's back for the second half.
09:07Talk to me about this Rookie of the Year candidate, what we can expect over the second half of the season.
09:11Sure. I think what's been most impressive is that it has not been the runaway race for Rookie of the Year that we expected.
09:18Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese have both really exceeded expectations.
09:21I think that their shooting percentages are lower than we might have expected. They're both around 40%.
09:26But when you look at the effective field goal percentage with Kaitlyn, that bumps up because of all those long threes she takes.
09:32But for her to be leading the league in assists while also putting up 17 points a game, while also having Indiana in position for a playoff spot as of now.
09:41And then you look at Angel, and that was a full rebuild in Chicago, and that they're in a playoff position as well.
09:46And that Angel is right now neck and neck with not just Asia Wilson for leading the league in rebounding, but for the best rebounding season in the WNBA all time.
09:57That's pretty awesome. I just think that what Kaitlyn is doing, like you said, she's at the top of all these categories, is just pretty remarkable.
10:05And she keeps on getting better, and she's putting up these record performances that we're now seeing her get more comfortable, which is what we thought we would see.
10:13But the chemistry building, especially with Aaliyah Boston.
10:17And the fact that both of these players were able to take a break for three weeks after coming straight from college, straight from that tournament, and going right into training camp, I think is huge.
10:28And this second half, we should see the best.
10:31And also, let me ask you this quick question, too.
10:34We had a long layoff, which you don't usually get during a professional basketball season.
10:38What are the expectations from the players coming right back to it?
10:42And also, what are these expectations on the schedule here?
10:45Back-to-backs, tight environments that you're playing in.
10:48Do we expect clean basketball right out of the gate, or could we see some upsets here?
10:52So I would probably expect clean basketball only because these are rosters that have been together.
10:59Yes, they might be missing one or two players, but they've largely been practicing the last couple of weeks.
11:03And I think that, especially these young teams, have had that time and that synergy to work together.
11:09As opposed to training camp, where a lot of them are coming together for the first time.
11:12So yeah, you're going to be okay.
11:15If you're plugging in a Jewel Lloyd or an Aisha Wilson or a Brianna Stewart, you'll be alright.
11:19All those secondary players are staying ready to go, and I think they're all going to just kind of hit the ground running.
11:24Your team to watch in the second half here, the Minnesota Lynx.
11:27Record 17 and 8 points per game, 81 per game against 75.
11:31Their title odds now sit at an 8-1 price.
11:34They're playing tonight against the Washington Mystics as a heavy favorite.
11:37There are two other games on the schedule tonight.
11:40The New York Liberty and the Sparks are going to play at 9 p.m.
11:42But also, a key game here, the Phoenix Mercury and the Chicago Sky.
11:46A slight favorite for the Mercury here.
11:48What can you tell me about that Mercury-Sky game you're looking forward to watching?
11:51And also, maybe who might win that basketball game?
11:54Yeah, in this game, I lean the Chicago Sky.
11:56For all those reasons I just said, that they've got this young team that has been able to practice together.
12:01But also, Phoenix is bringing back Diana Taurasi, Brittany Greiner, Kalia Copper.
12:07We're all on Team USA.
12:09Beck Allen, unfortunately, suffered an injury before the Olympics and is going to be out.
12:13So that's four-fifths of their starting lineup that is going to be likely somewhat compromised
12:17because this is also the first half back-to-back because they're playing the Fever tomorrow as well.
12:21So they're starting with two games on the road with an older roster
12:25and with all of this travel from Paris in front of them.
12:28So I really like the Sky in that matchup tonight.
12:30How about that?
12:32The WNBA back in our lives in a big way.
12:34Thanks for joining us this morning.
12:36Senior writer from Winsider, Myles Ehrlich.
12:38Myles, let the people know where they can catch you quickly.
12:40Sure. I'm at Myles Ehrlich on Twitter and that's mostly where I'm posted.
12:45Thanks for the time. We appreciate it.