2024 WNBA Thread

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

I agree. It is a win-win for the US, and CC. She doesn't need the drama, and the US team without her is by far the best team in the world.

Plus, dangit, the child needs a break. Sheesh.

[Syd Thrift]

I mean, she has legit been playing more or less nonstop since November, save a 3 week interlude between the end of the NCAA tourney and the start of the WNBA season, much of which of course was spent learning a new offense with new teammates. Rookies in the NBA tire out over the course of the season all the time and they even get time off in between schedules. I’m sure Clark will be fine for 2028.

[Ty Cobb]

Caitlin’s public response to the snub showed more class than many of her potential teammates have.

Combined.

[thehef]

The basketball reasoning for not adding to her the team makes sense. From a marketing standpoint, though, it's a real missed opportunity. As we know the Team USA Women are going to roll through right to the gold. Just like in Olympics past, few will care. Had CC been on the team, it would have gotten much more attention. Kind of like this thread compared to this thread from years' past, if it even existed

Ya, for her personally it'll be a good break. And how much more could she have raised her profile by playing maybe a few minutes per game?

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Ty Cobb

Caitlin’s public response to the snub showed more class than many of her potential teammates have.

Combined.

She wasn't snubbed.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

She wasn't snubbed.

Correct.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by Ty Cobb

Caitlin’s public response to the snub showed more class than many of her potential teammates have.

Her response to being left off the team showed infinitely more class than many of her fans have.

I see the olympic committee has decided to leave Caitlin home. She thumps most of the so called olympians statistically, so it can’t be her game.

She really doesn't. Her stats against the pros have been pretty good for a rookie, but a pretty significant step down from any of the guards not named Taurasi. You might quibble about Taurasi's legacy spot or Gray's injury status, but when players like Kayla McBride are out there it's hard to justify Clark as the next one up.

[monkeyman576]

It's easy to have class when you are making 10x any other player in your league.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

It's easy to have class when you are making 10x any other player in your league.

My wife and I were at a 5-star restaurant in England. $300 a plate, and this was 47 years ago. Long story...but perhaps the finest meal we have ever had.

Lady right across the way from us was wearing a jewelry store..and sat there, after her meal, picking her teeth with her fingernails.

Money doesn't make class...and never has.

[Ty Cobb]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

She wasn't snubbed.

Displaced by a pothead who played one game and some NCAA players she waxed during the tourney. I believe you. Your statement is totally credible. It makes sense to send lesser players. No exceptions have ever been made.

I wonder how Greiner will pass the drug screening.

[Ty Cobb]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

It's easy to have class when you are making 10x any other player in your league.

easy to have class if you're raised right. I know a lot of rich folks who are drooling morons when it comes to class or manners.

[monkeyman576]

MLB: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani
NBA: LeBron James
NFL: Patrick Mahomes
NHL: Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid
Soccer: Lionel Messi, Christaino Ranoldo

The only sports leader I would say with questionable moral character or media finesse would be Tiger Woods, and even he has 'come back' from that. So while it's great that Caitlin Clark is a nice girl, I wouldn't say she deserves a cookie or anything.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Ty Cobb

Displaced by a pothead who played one game and some NCAA players she waxed during the tourney. I believe you. Your statement is totally credible. It makes sense to send lesser players. No exceptions have ever been made.

I wonder how Greiner will pass the drug screening.

I'm not a Greiner fan. But limiting discussion of her situation only to pot use is facetious at best & you are better than that.

2nd, Clark & Greiner are 2 different positions. Building a team means building one that is well -rounded. You can't have all guards or all centers. If there is a center that is more deserving than Greiner, then that player should gripe about her selection. If there is a guard less deserving than Clark, then Clark should point them out.

Like you said, Caitlyn handled the disappointment with class. That is not just for her teammates to follow, but her fans as well.

Now let's look at the actual numbers instead of letting our emotions & biases color our thinking. The guards selected for Team USA:

Kahleah Copper
Chelsea Gray
Sabrina Ionescu
Jewell Loyd
Kelsey Plum
Diana Taurasi
Jackie Young

Now if anyone actually takes the time to look at the data, it is clear Caitlin Clark's numbers were equaled (according to the individual's taste), at worst , if not bettered in many cases by those selected to the roster. And.........they met the prerequisites to be included. Namely, they were at tryouts. They were @ practice. Sucks for Clark she couldn't make it to camp. But that's life. She had a choice. She made, IMO, the right choice, and she and her fans have to live w/that choice.

Her fans will also have to live w/the fact that she is not even the best player left off the roster. Arike Ogunbowale's numbers are far & away better than Clark's & she won't be going to Paris.

And this is not even about "growing the game". The objective is to win a gold medal. "Growing the game" is a side benefit. If the only goal was getting fans to tune in, they should give Taylor Swift a spot.

But even if it were a priority, how does putting on TV the one player every one is familiar with & tuning in to "grow the game"? What you are growing is the Caitlin Clark fan base. Not creating fans of women's basketball. You "grow the game" by giving the public multiple players & teams to tune in to. You want them taking notice when A'Ja takes on Breanna. Or else, you create the same problem the NBA created for itself when Jordan retired. Or the PGA got when Woods couldn't play. What the media created then was Jordan/Tiger fans. They didn't "grow the game". They got high ratings & capacity crowds that disappeared when the player did.

So if "growing the game" is a goal, the thing to do would be to NOT include Clark on the roster & allow the world to see the other skilled players in the league.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

MLB: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani
NBA: LeBron James
NFL: Patrick Mahomes
NHL: Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid
Soccer: Lionel Messi, Christaino Ranoldo

I assume this is a list of top-tier players whom you think are classy. Judge, Ohtani, Mahomes, Crosby, McDavid, for sure. I don't know enough about the soccer dudes. But there's no way I put James on that list. He certainly not the worst guy, but in looking this year's three All-NBA teams, of those 15 guys, he'd be near the bottom, trailing guys like Tatum, his teammate AD, Booker, Halliburton, Damontas, and - IMO - the classiest of the 15 - Brunson.

For MLB, I'd put Mookie right there with Shohei & Judge.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

I'm not a Greiner fan.

Clearly, since you can't even spell her name correctly

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by pilight

Clearly, since you can't even spell her name correctly

My bad

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by thehef

I assume this is a list of top-tier players whom you think are classy. Judge, Ohtani, Mahomes, Crosby, McDavid, for sure. I don't know enough about the soccer dudes. But there's no way I put James on that list. He certainly not the worst guy, but in looking this year's three All-NBA teams, of those 15 guys, he'd be near the bottom, trailing guys like Tatum, his teammate AD, Booker, Halliburton, Damontas, and - IMO - the classiest of the 15 - Brunson.

For MLB, I'd put Mookie right there with Shohei & Judge.

Yeah, you could make the argument on LeBron, but even he has mellowed in age. You don't see him doing The Decision anymore. You could make the argument that Mookie is top tier, but he's overshadowed by Ohtani and Judge in the media.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Ty Cobb

Displaced by a pothead who played one game and some NCAA players she waxed during the tourney. I believe you. Your statement is totally credible. It makes sense to send lesser players. No exceptions have ever been made.

I wonder how Greiner will pass the drug screening.

Maybe you'd be happier giving up on basketball and spending your time watching hockey.

[dsvitak]

Any talk about classy athletes has to include Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, and their coach, Willie McGee.

Edit. Throw in Scott Rolen.

[Ty Cobb]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

I'm not a Greiner fan. But limiting discussion of her situation only to pot use is facetious at best & you are better than that.

2nd, Clark & Greiner are 2 different positions. Building a team means building one that is well -rounded. You can't have all guards or all centers. If there is a center that is more deserving than Greiner, then that player should gripe about her selection. If there is a guard less deserving than Clark, then Clark should point them out.

Like you said, Caitlyn handled the disappointment with class. That is not just for her teammates to follow, but her fans as well.

Now let's look at the actual numbers instead of letting our emotions & biases color our thinking. The guards selected for Team USA:

Kahleah Copper
Chelsea Gray
Sabrina Ionescu
Jewell Loyd
Kelsey Plum
Diana Taurasi
Jackie Young

Now if anyone actually takes the time to look at the data, it is clear Caitlin Clark's numbers were equaled (according to the individual's taste), at worst , if not bettered in many cases by those selected to the roster. And.........they met the prerequisites to be included. Namely, they were at tryouts. They were @ practice. Sucks for Clark she couldn't make it to camp. But that's life. She had a choice. She made, IMO, the right choice, and she and her fans have to live w/that choice.

Her fans will also have to live w/the fact that she is not even the best player left off the roster. Arike Ogunbowale's numbers are far & away better than Clark's & she won't be going to Paris.

And this is not even about "growing the game". The objective is to win a gold medal. "Growing the game" is a side benefit. If the only goal was getting fans to tune in, they should give Taylor Swift a spot.

But even if it were a priority, how does putting on TV the one player every one is familiar with & tuning in to "grow the game"? What you are growing is the Caitlin Clark fan base. Not creating fans of women's basketball. You "grow the game" by giving the public multiple players & teams to tune in to. You want them taking notice when A'Ja takes on Breanna. Or else, you create the same problem the NBA created for itself when Jordan retired. Or the PGA got when Woods couldn't play. What the media created then was Jordan/Tiger fans. They didn't "grow the game". They got high ratings & capacity crowds that disappeared when the player did.

So if "growing the game" is a goal, the thing to do would be to NOT include Clark on the roster & allow the world to see the other skilled players in the league.

Skins here are far too thin to deal frankly with this situation...not yours, but many. I already have an idiot on my block list trying to egg into a fight on a near daily basis, clearly possessed of the idea that I secretly read his posts. I suppose I should feel good about it, you know...my first cyberstalker.

I'm not going to agree with you, but I'm also not going to argue with you. We can disagree but not fight, and I respect that. I'll cease commenting on this thread, Cobra...out of respect for your sincerity.