I've followed AS's W, college, and Olympics career. I've never seen her play this badly, even when she didn't have a real big next to her. I have to think it's just the broken nose and the Wings still putting her out there (or her insisting on it). But does anyone think it's something worse than that?
A win is a win is a win is a win. Plus, the Mystics are no longer an automatic lottery team. They have 3 bonafide all-stars, and a healthy Shakira Austin showed how scary she can be. Plus someone who should have been the #1 draft pick (Betts) and two promising rookies in Harmon and Amoore.
The officiating was also appalling, disrupting a number of Liberty runs. The most egregious was the JJ phantom foul. I'm convinced some of these referees are betting. It's a disgrace.
Highlights
- The French duo! Love Astier's speed and ability to go coast to coast and to be a pest on defense. She may actually be the viable background partner for Sabrina. Marine's been liberated in this offense, not only taking more 3's but also cutting, doing handoffs, taking it to the rim. She seems much more confident, though I still wish she'd just drive and shoot rather than drive and kick (the pass into the stands at the end.)
- Stewie does it all. Hoping the 3-ball comes back, but at least she didn't take a lot of those.
- Betnijah and Bek both affected the game with small intangibles and high IQ plays (Bek outlet pass at the very end).
- JJ muscling for shots in the packed paint shows she seems healthy again.
Lowlights
- Even with horrendous officiating, a lot of dumb fouls by JJ and Han.
- Vanloo regression to the mean. This is why she was waived.
- DeMarco's rotations/substitutions. 18 mins for Han and gluing Betnijah to the bench when we needed defense badly.
- Han is a turnstile on defense, makes poor decisions on offense (didn't hand off the ball to Marine on one occassion), and for every good deflection and block you get no rebounds or urgency on either end of the floor.
I've seen enough. She has a -15 +/-. She barely moves into the paint on defense or offense! She barely tries on defense. It's like watching 5-on-4 with her.
Last night was super encouraging.
- Love Astier! Helps us push pace, especially in transition. Like she's not afraid to take a shot.
- Marine seems WAY less constrained. This is Olympics Marine.
- JJ seems herself again. A healthy JJ is a good JJ.
- Stewie's 3-ball is still off but this is the best she's looked in a while.
- BLH was so missed on both ends of the floor.
- PG by committee seems like it'll work while Sab is out and perhaps through some stretches of the season.
The bad
- I'm not sure if Han is being limited by coaching, but how are you this tall and only pulling down 1 rebound? She's also an awful defender.
- I know people are excited about the prospect of Vanloo, but it's only one game. She's incredibly streaky. She can have a night like this and an inefficient and awful night the next few.
- I'm feeling better about could be a very prolonged absence from Sabally, whom I continue to think was a huge mis-signing (and bad vibes for the team)