u/Even-Match8080

These are Arike’s numbers over the last 7 games. I’m making this post after a win because if she drops 20 points next game, everyone will forget how bad this stretch has been.

27 minutes per game while shooting 24% from the field is insane. This isn’t just one bad night — it’s a 7-game sample.

The bigger issue is the context: a max contract player, on a new two-year deal, giving this level of production and efficiency is a serious problem for the Dallas Wings.

Everyone knows Arike is talented and can explode for big scoring nights, but the inconsistency has become impossible to ignore. For a team trying to build around this new core, this situation is becoming a real problem.

This has been debated by Dallas fans for a while now, and a lot of people have compared this trio to the early Steph/Klay/Monta situation. Obviously the players are different, but the idea feels pretty realistic.

Paige is the clear future of the franchise. Azzi fits perfectly next to her as a two-way guard who doesn’t need the ball all the time, can space the floor, defend, and grow into a bigger offensive role. Arike is still talented, but her game needs touches, shots, and freedom — and that becomes harder when the team is clearly shifting toward Paige and Azzi.

I actually tried to understand the idea of keeping Arike. Considering her history with Dallas and the uncertainty everyone had about how Azzi’s game would translate to the W, it made sense at the time. Azzi isn’t a finished product yet, but she has already shown she can play at a high level and impact winning.

Now it feels like the team is stuck in the middle. It’s not even about Arike taking 20 shots every night anymore. The bigger problem is that there still seems to be an obligation to play through her or keep her on the floor in certain moments because of who she is, even when the game situation doesn’t really call for it. That isn’t good for Arike, Paige, Azzi, or the team.

It’s not about saying Arike is a bad player. She’s clearly talented and has done a lot for the franchise. It’s about fit, timeline, and identity. Dallas can’t fully move into the Paige era while still holding onto parts of the old system.

At some point, they have to decide what kind of team they want to build. And right now, Paige and Azzi look like the foundation that makes the most sense going forward.

I’m so tired of seeing Azzi guarding the tallest player on the other team. Time and time again she ends up matched up with A’ja, Natasha Howard, Breanna Stewart, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso… and the list goes on.

She’s doing an incredible job defensively, but asking a 5’11” guard to defend players like that on a regular basis just isn’t sustainable. At times it honestly feels like a joke.

And before anyone says, “It’s just because of switches.” No, it isn’t. It happens way too often, even outside of normal switching situations.

Dallas has too much talent. But if they don’t figure out this defense soon, they’re not making the playoffs.

For a draft class that was widely described as one of the weakest in recent years, that narrative is already looking increasingly flawed.

So far, we have at least five rookies making a real impact whenever they're on the floor. The "weak draft" label seems more like a repeated preseason talking point than a conclusion supported by what we've actually seen.

What's even more impressive is that several of these rookies rank among the most impactful players on their own teams by on/off metrics. They're not just contributing—they're actively changing games when they play.

It's still early, but this class looks much stronger than many people expected.

1-Flau'jae

2-Azzi Fudd

3-Kiki Rice

4-Gabriela Jaquez

5-Olivia Miles

6-Nogic

With about 30% of the season played, we’re starting to get a clearer picture. I think A’ja, Angel, and Rhyne are pretty much locks right now. Stewart is always in the conversation, and Emily Engstler has been playing really well. Even though Azzi has been a surprise defensively, I still doubt she makes the First Team—maybe the Second Team. Is anyone else standing out?

I was analyzing the data and trying to determine whether most of the opinions about her season were actually supported by the numbers. I came to an interesting conclusion.

In several games—against the Fever, Lynx (first matchup), Mystics, Sky, and Storm—she was clearly underutilized. Her offensive involvement was very limited in those games, and she was used primarily for her defensive impact.

However, when looking at the games where she played 25+ minutes, a very different picture emerges. Her production jumps to 16.1 points per game while shooting 52.6% from the field and 43.2% from three, all while maintaining strong defensive contributions and extremely low turnover numbers.

To me, those numbers suggest that her season hasn't just been good—it has been close to excellent when she is given meaningful minutes and a larger offensive role. The sample size is still relatively small, so some caution is warranted, but the data indicates that she has been significantly more productive than the general perception of her season would suggest.

With the video, there shouldn’t be any doubt. About three seconds were lost on the clock in a game decided by one point.

How is there not more outrage from the Dallas Wings? A mistake that significant could have changed the outcome of the game.

Olivia has probably been the biggest surprise. From what I saw before the draft, she was never really considered the favorite to go No. 1. Most of the discussion around her was about how well she’d fit in Dallas. Even so, I don’t think anyone expected her to be this good this early.

Azzi Fudd has been good. Coming off the bench for the first five only fueled the narrative around her. Since becoming a starter, she’s averaging around 15 PPG, and overall I’d say she’s having a solid rookie season.

Awa Fam was another player many people had in the No. 1 conversation. You can see the talent is there, but she still looks more like a long-term project than someone ready to dominate immediately.

Lauren Betts is probably the rookie who’s shown the least so far. Limited minutes have definitely played a role, but she also hasn’t shown the same level of dominance that made her such a force at UCLA.

Flau’jae Johnson landed in the kind of situation every rookie dreams of: a team willing to give her opportunities and let her play through mistakes. The problem is that there have been a lot of mistakes. The volume is there, but the efficiency just hasn’t been.

She’s averaging 7.4 points in just 13.8 minutes, which is impressive. The problem is she’s getting there on 35.7% FG and 25.8% from three, while taking 7.5 shots per game. That’s an extremely high shot volume for someone playing fewer than 14 minutes a night.

The raw numbers look good considering how few minutes she plays, but if you actually watch the games, it’s easier to understand the concern. She has a scorer’s mentality and rarely passes up a shot she believes she can make. At times, that can stall the offense because possessions end with difficult attempts instead of the ball continuing to move.

The encouraging part is that she only averages 0.5 turnovers and has a 2.9 AST/TO ratio, so it’s not like she’s careless with the ball. She also brings real defensive energy with 1.2 steals per game.

For the first time, it feels like Arike is genuinely trying to play more team basketball. Sure, every now and then ISO Arike still takes over, but now the league has a bunch of Arike variants. Her memes never miss. This one and the cycle meme are easily my favorites.

Some time ago, I came across this image and thought it was hilarious. The more I watch, though, the more I think it’s actually reality. People can argue that every player has bad games, but Arike always seems to go through this cycle.