Women's Basketball 24.7

"There is no offseason"

Shake Up in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference!

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January 31, 2017

The Washington Mystics, New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm were involved in a three team trade yesterday. The Mystics traded Kia Vaughn and Bria Hartley to the New York Liberty in exchange for Seattle’s #6 pick in the first round of the 2017 WNBA Draft. In return, the Storm received Liberty center Carolyn Swords. Washington also exchanged this year’s second round pick (15 th overall) for Seattle’s second round selection (18th overall). The blockbuster trade didn’t go down until later in the evening when it was announced that Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne had been traded to the Mystics! Delle Donne expressed her desire to part ways with the Chicago Sky to be closer to home (Delaware) and even suggested she would be willing to sit out if a deal didn’t get done. Chicago’s hand was forced and in exchange for their superstar the Sky will receive the 2015 All-Star center Stefanie Dolson; last season’s seventh overall pick, Kahleah Copper; and the second overall selection in this year’s draft.

The acquisition of one of the best players in the WNBA immediately makes the Mystics a championship contender. The Mystics finished 10th in the standings last season with a dismal 13-21 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2012 season. Elena Delle Donne who was the league MVP for the 2015 season will team up with All-Star forward Emma Messeman who continues to improve every year. Messeman was selected to her first All-Star game in 2015 and in 2016 she led her team in scoring with 15.6 points per game. She also lead the entire WNBA in three-point shooting percentage at 45.5%. Tayler Hill had a breakout season for the Mystics where she finished second in voting for Most Improved Player in 2016. Hill’s scoring average increased from 7.5 ppg in 2015 to 15.4 ppg in 2016. Delle Donne, Messeman, and Hill are a pretty dangerous big three in the Eastern Conference. The Mystics  are now the team to beat. Although the Liberty had the best record in the EC and the third best record overall last season, Delle Donne changes the game. If head coach Mike Thibault can smoothly insert the talent of Delle Donne into his fast paced offense, they will be an exciting team to watch. Maybe old Mystics fans will come back and support their team this coming season. They certainly will have a lot to cheer for! 

 

 

Why Delle Donne Wants Out of Chicago!

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After four seasons with the Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne wants out.

December 17, 2016

What is it about Chicago and the WNBA? Why can’t Chicago keep their Star Players in the Windy City? Can’t blame it on the weather; the weather in Chicago in the summer is amazing! Violence? No issues ever reported. Winning? They played in the 2014 WNBA finals… So what is it? Delle Donne isn’t the first superstar to bolt from All-State’s empty arena. It started with Candice Dupree who left after four seasons with the Sky. Third pick Kristi Toliver was next to sever ties with the Sky after only a single season with the team. Epiphanny Prince was traded to the NY Liberty after five seasons with the Sky but she also wanted out. In 2015 Sylvia Fowles said she would rather NOT play in the WNBA than to play for the Chicago Sky and that she did until she was traded to the Minnesota Lynx. Now Delle Donne; Olympic champion, WNBA MVP, scoring leader and All-Star hinted at her desire to suit up for another WNBA team in the near future. In an interview with VICE SPORTS, Delle Donne said that she would come to a decision soon about where she wants to play next, and is prepared to sit out the 2017 season if necessary to facilitate a move to her preferred destination.

This has to be an eerie feeling for the Sky who dealt with the same issue in 2015 before dealing Fowles to the Minnesota Lynx. Delle Donne has the star power and the skills to make any team attempt to give up their entire roster for a chance to secure arguably the best forward in the WNBA. Will the Sky do like the Lakers did in 2007 when Kobe Bryant demanded to be traded? A deal never worked out and Bryant went on to win two more titles with the Lakers after bringing in Pau Gasol. Are the Sky simply one player away from winning a championship? At this point I don’t think that even matters. Delle Donne is out of Chicago.

“Some things will be moving forward for me,” Delle Donne said about the off-season ahead. “I’ve loved playing with my teammates. There’s a great group of young women there. And hopefully with Amber [Stocks, whom the Sky named head coach on Tuesday] and a new system, it’ll be great for them. But for me, wherever I end up, I’ll be ready to play basketball.”

Her words are already removed from what the Sky have going on. If this were the NBA it wouldn’t be such a huge deal but this is the WNBA and its rare that a player of this caliber changes teams. That has to be crushing to the Sky organization who have done everything in their power to make the Sky visible in Chicago and competitive in the league. However, something is missing and we want to know what it is. Players don’t leave organizations just because. Yes all players want a chance to win a championship but any team Delle Donne is on has a real chance at winning one.  One thing Delle Donne can look forward to after leaving the Sky is winning a championship. Dupree, Fowles and Toliver have all won championships since leaving Chicago. Delle Donne is a restricted free agent this year which means that she can entertain offers from other teams but the Sky have the chance to match any offer she receives which they certainly will. Perhaps they will make a trade. I can think of a few deals that could work out in their favor assuming they have no other choice. The Washington Mystics or the NY Liberty could be Delle Donne’s next stop. She would be closer to home and her family who she is extremely close with. Washington would be ideal! Anytime the Sky play at the Verizon Center Delle Donne’s fans from Delaware show up in droves to support their the former fighting Blue Hen. Even if neither one of those teams are her next destination, I’m sorry to break the news to you Sky fans, but Chicago definitely will not be it.

Let us know what you think in the comments… 

WNBA Free Agency 2016; Chicago Sky

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The Chicago Sky had a very successful 2015 WNBA season. The team finished the season first in scoring in the league with almost 83 points per game and second in rebounding with 36. A huge part of their run last season was the return of a healthy Elena Delle Donne. Delle Donne was named the league’s most valuable player after averaging 23.4 points and having a player efficiency rating of 32.72. Also worth mentioning is Allie Quigley, who signed a multi-year contract before the start of the season, being named the 2015 sixth woman of the year for the second consecutive season. She had a fantastic year averaging almost 12 points per game off the bench and hitting the second most three pointers on the team. Despite being without the services of their all star Sylvia Fowles who decided not to suit up for the Sky last season the team made [Read more…]