High Post Hoops
Fansided

Drop Off: tough roster decisions, value of versatile shooters

By Ben Dull

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 7: Maggie Lucas #33 of the Atlanta Dream poses for a head shot at WNBA Media Day at McCamish Pavilion on May 7, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 7: Maggie Lucas #33 of the Atlanta Dream poses for a head shot at WNBA Media Day at McCamish Pavilion on May 7, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

18 players have been waived in the past two days. More cuts are coming both today and tomorrow. Shaping a WNBA roster can be difficult for a variety of reasons.

Five teams in particular stand out.

Cutting it down to 12

Washington

Head coach and general manager Mike Thibault does have the final say on personnel, but that won’t make this final decision any easier.

Monique Currie was a major addition on the wing. The team also drafted Ariel Atkins with the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft. Pencil those two and the seven returning vets in, and this becomes a game of four for three spots.

LaToya Sanders was unable to play in the WNBA last year (foot), as was five-year veteran Devereaux Peters (hip). Rookie forward Myisha Hines-Allen is also competing up front. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, like Atkins, was a high draft pick selected to address the team’s need for some two-way play on the wing.

Perhaps it’s a pick ’em between Peters and Hines-Allen with Tianna Hawkins already there bringing a stretch element. For Sanders, it may be quite simple: there is no other natural fit at backup center. Walker-Kimbrough, then, may become a victim of circumstance. A team eyeing a run to the Finals is probably unlikely to play two young wings together off the bench, especially with Currie and Natasha Cloud already in the mix.

Seattle

The Storm will be a fascinating follow in 2018. Dan Hughes has already rolled out a super small lineup of Jordin Canada / Sue Bird / Jewell Loyd / Breanna Stewart / Natasha Howard. He’s also gone big with his all-world forward at the three. I’ve been advocating for an extreme approach for this team to become the aggressor and really squeeze opponents when they have a matchup advantage.

Seattle’s tough decisions come on the wing. Playing time was tough to come by for Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (who just signed a contract extension) and Sami Whitcomb last season. Noelle Quinn also has been a cog in the backcourt rotation. With Canada now in town, there will be even fewer minutes to go around there.

I’d consider keeping both Aleksandra Crvendakic and third round pick Teana Muldrow, not just one. This team is more likely to need quality minutes from a true three rather than a two guard this season. Muldrow is a better athlete and projects to be a better defender while Crvendakic may bring a little more right away with her offensive feel and spot up shooting.

New York

Lindsay Allen, Amanda Zahui B, Rebecca Allen, second round pick Mercedes Russell and Reshanda Gray each bring something a little different to the table.

I think Coleman’s ability to play some as a stretch four along with the defensive versatility of guards Kia Nurse and Shavonte Zellous will really allow head coach Katie Smith to evaluate the last few spots with an open mind, keeping the players she believes will best help her group compete for a title.

Las Vegas (and Chicago)

It just stinks. Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride, Courtney Vandersloot and Diamond DeShields have all been absent from camp to date as they wrap up overseas. Bill Laimbeer and Amber Stocks will be forced to learn about their teams on the fly more so than other teams in the league.

The value of versatile shooters

The Aces signed Shoni Schimmel on Tuesday after she had been waived by the Liberty over the weekend. They’ll need some shot creation, especially early in the season. Enter Schimmel:

A lot goes into saying this, but I’d give Maggie Lucas a much better chance of sticking with her team all season. She too has enough versatility to her jump shot that she’ll demand more attention from defenses than a run-of-the-mill spot up shooter:

Possessions like those, even just one or two a game, matter. They spare an Angel McCoughtry or Kayla McBride from having to tax themselves too much in shouldering the load for their teams over the course of a full season.

Links I like

Here’s Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic on Cheryl Reeve. The Athletic Minnesota has started off with some great coverage of the Lynx. It’s on us as a community to rally around that coverage and consume it, appropriately reflecting the demand for the same amount and quality of coverage from that outlet in the other 11 WNBA markets.

More on gambling, specifically on why it could be good for women’s sports, from Kavitha Davidson of ESPN.

Related Story: Yesterday's Drop Off on Alyssa Thomas changing hands, early thoughts on the MVP race

Be sure to bookmark and follow Across the Timeline, where you’ll be able to access a lot of important data about the history of the league that simply isn’t being compiled quite like this anywhere else.

Home/WNBA