The Summitt Slack Summit: Assessing the Mystics, Seattle’s triple threat, and more

Every Monday, The Summitt staff takes a few minutes to talk about the latest happenings from around the WNBA. Below, you’ll find the transcript of our discussion, which took place in our Slack room this morning.

Howard Megdal: Good morning, The Summitt! Quite a fascinating weekend here in WNBA land. Let’s start by talking about the state of the Mystics, three games in. Felt like we got a pretty solid measure of what they are right now, and what they need to improve. And both are what we assumed coming into the season. They are atop the league in offensive rating, and… not in defensive rating. So how do they fix the latter?

David Vertsberger: Hill and Toliver need to be better. I actually think their bigs are doing okay under the circumstances.

(The Mystics are second in DREB%)

Blake DuDonis: No surprises there, right? Totally agree with David. Hill has stood out to me as being especially bad defensively. They could use another big but yeah, the ones they have are doing a decent job

Mike Peden: And it didn’t help that Hill was “posterized” by Loyd yesterday

Howard: It’s interesting, Hill typically has been a better defender. And when I talked with Mike Thibault, he expected defensive growing pains, but more from his new players than returning ones.

Blake: Meesseman also needs to be better overall. Even saying that, I’m concerned with what happens when she leaves

Howard: It sure leaves more of the rim protecting to Elena, which she can handle, but there’s only 100 percent of her to go around, and there are better uses of her talents.

As for Loyd, well, we have to discuss the leap Jewell Loyd is making so far.

Because it’s real early, but there are some statistical markers suggesting she’s entering hallowed ground.

David: God, she’s so freaking good.

Mike: Currently the league leader in scoring

Howard: What’s interesting about Dolson is how much you can run an offense through her. Passing out of the high post, she offers something we don’t really see elsewhere in the league. Best analogue might be what Terry Stotts runs with his bigs in Portland on the NBA side.

Blake: With a team full of big players, she has emerged as the best and it’s not close so far.

Yes, agreed Howard. She was used that way since UConn; at the top of the key, making reads

Howard: Exactly, Blake

Blake: She seemed frustrated at times yesterday because she would be there looking in, but Chicago’s other bigs wouldn’t duck in

Howard: Though to be fair to Chicago’s other bigs, new system essentially only plays to Stef’s strengths

Mike: You would hope that Chicago’s other bigs can make those reads more often as the season moves along. I presume they’ll still look to Stef when Quigley and Vandersloot return?

Blake: That is fair, but the other bigs also looked like they’ve never caught the ball on the block with their backs to the baskets. They all seemed so rushed and unsure of what to do.

David: Young and Breland are awfully miscast on offense.

Howard: Yes, definitely early days for Chicago’s adjustment

Boyette too, David

I want to touch on a pair of Sparks and a Sun star in the making before we go

David: WIESE?

Howard: So when the Sparks lost Kristi Toliver in free agency, it was assumed that Sims would pick up the slack

But, YES DAVID, Sydney Wiese is much more of a Kristi Toliver player

So my question is: do we think Wiese will ultimately be the Toliver for this Sparks team? And how much do we trust her Friday night breakout? My answer is: a lot. But Iove Wiese’s game.

David: During her breakout game I tweeted she was the best basketball player ever to wear no. 24 for the purple and gold.

Howard: Yes, I was disappointed Kobe did not retweet you. I certainly did.

Mike: And her IQ is insane, so I can imagine her being a quick study

Blake: I think she will be very, very good. You talk to any coaches in the PAC12 or media members out on the left coast, they all said the same thing: Wiese is a kid you want on your team. She doesn’t have the all-time three point record in PAC12 history by mistake

Howard: In a conference filled with elite defensive guards, no less

Blake: And I’ll just say this: you don’t get to be that successful when you’re clearly less athletic than other players, not as fast, but STILL do that without being extremely heady and having a sky high IQ.

Also, anyone wearing a headband has to have game to back that up. Wiese is a really nice player

David: Her height really helps her launch over people.

Howard: Yes, exactly Blake. The question was whether athleticism would catch up with her (be too much of a gap to overcome) at this level. Sure doesn’t seem like it, and right David, the height is a great equalizer.

So the other big LA story, for me, is Chelsea Gray, who looks even better in 2017 than she did in 2016, when she was awfully impressive.

It seems quite possible she can be a top-five point guard in this league playing at this level.

David: She’s toned her body so much in the past two years, it’s nuts.

Mike: Gray found some momentum in last year’s Finals, and if she can bump up her three-point shooting, the Sparks are only that more dangerous

David: (Just want to slide this in real quick: Candace Parker. That is all.)

Howard: Concur, David.

Last player: Jonquel Jones is grabbing 30 percent of available rebounds. 30 percent! Had 19 and 12 Saturday. She’s making an all star team this year, right?

Mike: Preaching to the choir, David

I’ll ask Jonquel that question and see what she says…kidding

David: If her team could win some games.

Howard: It would help. That Connecticut team looks real close to me, though. Winning usually a lagging indicator.

Mike: But with Ogwumike out, that means more rebounds for the others, and Jonquel isn’t shy about getting them

Blake: Yeah, her stats are worth an all-star spot, and all of the GMs told us in their poll that they expected her to emerge this year.

Howard: So the week ahead: what are we most eager to see? I’d split it

1) I want to see how Bria Hartley manages the New York offense with Brittany Boyd lost for the season

And 2) I want to know how hostile a school trip day crowd will be when Elena Delle Donne returns to Chicago Wednesday afternoon

Is it high-pitched booing? Does that mitigate the response? I’m really curious.

David: More Jewell Loyd. Liberty taking on some tough teams. Can’t believe it’s only been a week, this season’s going to be awesome.

Mike: And a big test for Jonquel is coming up, as Connecticut has a home-and-home with Minnesota

Howard: Oh, and 3) We hopefully get our first look at Kelsey Plum and Moriah Jefferson against Dallas!

Yes, Jonquel v. Sylvia Fowles

Mike: Sylvia Fowles has been clicking for the Lynx with two double-doubles in three games. She won’t make things easy for Jonquel

Blake: You beat me too it, Howard. I want to see Plum and MoJeff out there and I want it now

Howard: I WANT IT YESTERDAY

Though I will miss the Monique Currie, one-woman offensive show

Great talk, everybody! See you same time next week