Skip to main content

I Don’t Buy The Anti-Stephanie White Noise

 It sure seems like Caitlin Clark enjoys playing for her coach (White) and the others on the Fever. There are “family” vibes around all of them. I see the superstars supporting the role players, and vice versa. Stephanie White is now 55-28 overall, since taking over going into the 2025 season. They were 1 (!) win from the WNBA Finals, without Clark and 5 other key players. Understand what this means: Caitlin Clark is a cross between Michael Jordan, and John Stockton. She’s shooting only about 25 percent from 3 point range. If she shot it at 40 percent, she’d score 40 points a game, AND lead the league in assists. Like it or not, she’s the face of the league, even when she isn’t playing particularly well.

Some of the fanboys and fangirls need to relax. She can’t play every minute, even if she wanted to. She’s an elite scorer, but she doesn’t have to be. She’s surrounded by players who can score. That’s why she’s the assist leader! Kelsey Mitchell is a top 5 scorer in the league, and every year, at that. She’s like Allen Iverson, but better. Aliyah Boston is an absolute superstar at center/power forward, like Barkley or Karl Malone or Tim Duncan. Even toggling Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham presents problems, if either one starts shooting well. If you gotta watch her/them, Caitlin or Kelsey is open somewhere.

You don’t want to play the second unit, either. They are big, fast, and tough. Clark, Mitchell—who usually leads the second unit—or rookie Raven Johnson can pass Timpson or Hines-Allen or Harris open for easy buckets at the rim. Monique Billings can play down there, too. It literally doesn’t matter who is on the floor. They can kill you, and to paraphrase Reuben from the George Clooney Ocean’s Eleven, they’ll kill you, and then go to work on you.

Yes, they need to be more cohesive and connected on defense. They could still improve their turnover ratio. Clark and Lexie Hull could shoot better. They could finish off fast breaks more cleanly. They can improve their contests of shots without fouling. With the win tonight, they are only 7-5. No wonder the media and alleged influencers have something to say. But there’s a reason why the knowledgeable former players and coaches believe the Fever are a threat to win a championship this year. They have all the tools, and a few extra they don’t seem to need.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dear Alyse

 Today, you’re 35. Or at least you would be, in this place. You probably know this, but we’re OK. Not great, but OK. We know you wouldn’t want us moping around and weeping all the time. We try not to. Actually, I guess part of the problem is that you didn’t know how much we loved you. And that you didn’t know how to love yourself. I hope you have gotten to Love by now. Not a place, but fills everything in every way. I’m not Him, but he probably said, “Dear daughter/sister, you have been terribly hard on yourself. Rest now, and be at peace.” Anyway, teaching is going well, and I tell the kids all about you. They all say you are pretty. I usually can keep the boys from saying something gross for a few seconds. Mom and I are going to the game tonight. And like 6 more times, before I go back to South Carolina. I have seen Nicky twice, but I myself haven’t seen your younger kids. Bob took pictures of the day we said goodbye, and we did a family picture at the Abbey. I literally almost a...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Friend I Once Had, And The Dogmatic Principle

 I once had a friend, a dear friend, who helped me with personal care needs in college. Reformed Presbyterian to the core. When I was a Reformed Presbyterian, I visited their church many times. We were close. I still consider his siblings my friends. (And siblings in the Lord.) Nevertheless, when I began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church to be the Church Christ founded, he took me out to breakfast. He implied--but never quite stated--that we would not be brothers, if I sought full communion with the Catholic Church. That came true; a couple years later, I called him on his birthday, as I'd done every year for close to ten of them. He didn't recognize my number, and it was the most strained, awkward phone call I have ever had. We haven't spoken since. We were close enough that I attended the rehearsal dinner for his wedding. His wife's uncle is a Catholic priest. I remember reading a blog post of theirs, that early in their relationship, she told him of the p...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Thoughts On The Harrison Butker Commencement Speech

Update: I read the whole thing. I’m sorry, but what a weirdo. I thought you [Tom Darrow, of Denver, CO] made a trenchant case for why lockdowns are bad, and I definitely appreciated it. But a graduation speech is *not* the place for that. Secondly, this is an august event. It always is. I would never address the President of the United States in this manner. Never. Even the previous president, though he deserves it, if anyone does. Thirdly, the affirmations of Catholic identity should be more general. He has no authority to propound with specificity on all matters of great consequence. It has all the hallmarks of a culture war broadside, and again, a layman shouldn’t speak like this. The respect and reverence due the clergy is *always due,* even if they are weak, and outright wrong. We just don’t brush them aside like corrupt Mafia dons, to make a point. Fourthly, I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that the TLM is how God demands to be worshipped. The Church doesn’t teach that. ...
Post a Comment
Read more