u/Alternative_Panda336

I have been thinking about this for a while and wanted to get the group’s thoughts. I want to start off by saying this won’t work if the Fever are able to keep Kelsey Mitchell (which they should and I want them to). So for the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that Kelsey decides she is better off somewhere else next season.

Napheesa Collier gave herself some leverage by signing a one year deal that allows for maximum flexibility. If the Lynx don’t when it all this year, let’s say she decides to walk. How would y’all feel about her on the Fever? I think she would be able to space the floor with her shooting ability, adjust to the pick and roll game with Caitlin, and help the inside defense. With AB she wouldn’t have to guard the other team’s biggest player so that helps with her size mismatch.

I love KK, but if Phee is available and Kelsey leaves I think you would be crazy not to try and get her. What are your thoughts?

I thought this was a good look at how Caitlin is approaching this tournament and where she is drawing inspiration.

I thought this was a good look at how the USA pipeline has helped build the future of USA Women’s basketball.

I know these will never happen, but the World Cup has me dreaming.

It would be so fun to see a pairing of Caitlin and Paige. With the way they can facilitate and play off each other I feel like they would be a deadly combo.

Another one I would like to see is Sonia with Caitlin and Kelsey. Sonia could step in to the elite defensive role while being an elite scoring option off the ball in the wing role. I know she traditionally doesn’t play that role but I think she could excel at it with them!

The last one is Rhyne Howard for the same reason as above. She could be the lock down defender but bring that offensive punch as well. She and Caitlin also play well together.

What do you think of Maddy Siegrist as a forward for the team next year? I feel like she is a good enough shooter that she can stretch the floor. I don’t feel like Dallas has used her to her potential and I feel like she could add something the Fever could use.

The biggest thing I took away from last nights game is how much a difference Leonie Fiebich makes for the Liberty. When she was on Caitlin she didn’t score much. When she was on Kelsey she didn’t score much. She is a player who contributes on offense enough and does the little things, but is a lock down defender. The Fever don’t have that player and it’s causing a domino effect. Now you have Kelsey guarding the other team’s best scorer and at times even Caitlin is having to take a harder matchup while Sophie plays on the easier matchup. That is not a recipe for success. The Fever desperately need someone at the three spot who can take the best matchups. If they had that one thing, I thing, I think this team would be in a different tier defensively even with their other weaknesses.

I have seen a lot of discussion on the sub about Lexie and where people perceive her priorities have been this season. I thought this would be informative coming from a first hand source. Below is a quote from the article from her mom. Looks like there are some confidence struggles going on. If you go to a game give her a loud cheer to try and build that confidence back up! It’s going to take all of them if they want a championship this year!

"Imagine how she feels…. 🥺. She is actually less busy with Forta this year than she was last year, but perception is reality. Confidence is MIA… 😔😢😔".

I wanted to share this video. It is always incredible to see the records laid out. Enjoy!

I just wanted to point this out. Paige was constantly talking to the officials tonight. There was one play after she got called for a foul on Caitlin where she actually talked to the official while she was dribbling and passing the ball. I will admit she wasn’t completely taken out of the game by talking to the officials as I have seen Caitlin do a couple of times this year. But if Caitlin did what Paige did people would be calling her an entitled cry baby and saying she needs to shut up and play. The double standard is truly out there alive and well.

For the record, I don’t mind what Paige did, nor do I typically mind when Caitlin does it as long as she doesn’t stop playing to do it.

I have a question for the group. I have noticed that when Caitlin gets going with her assists and points teams will increase their pickup point, but they will also blitz her with double teams to make her pass the ball. I haven’t really seen teams do this to Kelsey even when she is tearing their souls out offensively lol.

Is this because she isn’t the primary ball handler so it is harder to implement a blitz? Or is she really good at splitting it so they know it won’t work and just don’t try? Or is it something else I am not aware of?

I really noticed it against the lynx. Kelsey was killing them as they pointed out but they never adjusted to it, they just kept trying to play people on her one on one which clearly will never work for anyone. We did it to miles in the second half of that game and made her pass it. I am curious to get some insights from the group on this.

I would like to have a discussion on what the Fever’s offensive situational basketball should look like going down the stretch in a game.

To me the Fever have three potential go to options in the waining minutes of a game. If the team only needs two points, they should determine if AB has a mismatch. If AB doesn’t have a mismatch they should look for KM. KM has proven to be the best on the team when you need two points and you have to breakdown your defender.

If the team needs three points I think you live whichever one of Caitlin or Kelsey can get the best shot or is the hottest at the moment.

If you need free throws I am good with Caitlin or Kelsey getting fouled with a slight lean towards Caitlin getting the first look.

Where this went awry last night in my opinion is that Caitlin should have recognized that of Wilson was on her it meant AB had a mismatch. She should have fed that ball inside in that situation to the better mismatch.

I am rewatching voyager again and I just finished Season 1 episode 10. Watching that episode again made me realize some of the major differences between the older Star Trek shows and the newer ones.

Due to the lack in technology, the older shows focused a lot on acting and emotional responses between the characters. These moments are the types that will give you chills, make you cry, make your heart ache, or bring you joy right along with the characters. In the newer shows, there is an over reliance on showing of new filming techniques and technology, over correction due to the current world climate to show everything in the opposite light, and a major focus on witty banter and snappy conversation like it is a comedy show. There is not a lot of time spent on the emotions of the characters and those hard hitting scenes.

I would like a show that gets back to the acting and emotional drive. Showing how society has differences but that we can all accept those differences and still come together for the good of humanity. It was a great episode to rewatch and I hope we get some of that emotional pull soon.

Every team that I watch is play has someone that they can put on Caitlin Clark that will get up in her grill, move their feet, and make it tough on her to drive. This is true even of the bad teams they play, let alone the Lynx with several players. KM has elite quickness and is tough for any team to stop her off the dribble without help defense but even Portland made it tough on her the game before last.

The Fever very rarely aggressively get up in the ball space of opposing players and make it hard on them. I don’t know if it’s because we are concerned that there is no depth behind Sophie and Lexie or what. It seems the Fever’s defense is predicated mostly on deny the pass as opposed to playing defense once they get the ball. This puts a lot of strain on the help defense. Last night it was tough watching KM, CC, and LH constantly getting beat off the dribble instantly.

Is it a play style thing or do we truly have no one to harass the ball handler so they can’t drive as easily? Especially in a game like last night where they are letting them play up in their face.

You could probably google the title and it will take you to the article. I don’t like to post the whole thing because I want people to get rewarded for their work with clicks.

I thought this was a really sweet and cool look at what Caitlin and fans go through pregame.

There has been a lot of discussion this season about Caitlin’s responsibility to comment on things and disavow certain actions. In my opinion, Caitlin has no responsibility at all to comment on anything that isn’t related to what she does on the basketball court. She is responsible for her actions and her actions only. The people that expect her to walk around and talk about off the court issues all the time just because she is popular are wrong in my opinion. She got popular for playing basketball and that is what her fans expect of her. No one should expect her to become a pod caster or try to solve the world’s issues.

The world has issues and it is not up to a basketball player to fix them. She has commented on and disavowed things she felt like she needed to. She shouldn’t be expected to do so every time she gets a microphone. End my rant.

Kelsey mentioned in her in game interview last night that she always tries to grab some paint and go from there. I thought that was interesting because I feel like she is always driving and that sets up her other shots.

When Caitlin got 45 the other night it started with her going downhill and letting her three point shots come more within the flow. Last night I felt like she went back to pressing her three a bit (maybe because she recognized zone defense and wanted to punish it). When she started going downhill in the third and fourth, she started getting open looks and shooting in the flow and they fell. I would like to see her take Kelsey’s mentality of getting some paint, attacking, and then letting her shot come to her.

I am not saying Kelsey’s shot selection is perfect, but Caitlin has shown what it looks like when she is more selective to start shooting, all her shots start falling. I think if she can get her shot selection down and shoots more in rhythm she will be even more lethal.

The pop in Indiana when Caitlin Clark gets going is insane! I haven’t really seen anything like it in professional sports. Whenever other teams star players get going I feel like the stadiums certainly cheer and things get loud. Maybe it’s the audio quality as well, but it seems like when Caitlin gets going the roof on Gainbridge absolutely blows off.

I am certainly biased, but it is one of my favorite things to watch. Gives me chills every single time!!!!