WNBA Finals Randoms:
-It's not often you get a basketball junkies dream finals, but here we are. I have no clue who's gonna win, how this is gonna go or what we're gonna see. If you told me either team sweeps I wouldn't be shocked and if you told me it goes 5 with every game coming down to the last minute I'd be like "yeah, that tracks".
Can't wait to see how this unfolds.
-I was under the impression that Vandersloot got injured (actually, i just found an article that says her mother died in June and she took time off due to that) and they inserted Fiebich in the starting lineup and kept that when Vandersloot returned (and was thinking Fiebich starting had made New York better). But this log of Vandersloot's games shows that while she missed 9 games, she started every regular season game she played in and was playing at the end of the season. And in the playoffs she has never started. What caused Brondello to have Vandersloot come off the bench in the playoffs after starting her all year?
Courtney Vandersloot 2024 Game Log
I guess it just comes down to Brondello thinks they are better with Fiebich starting, and that that is more important in the playoffs.
This article talks about it but never states a reason for the timing of it.
-To me, Betnijah's health is the biggest x-factor for the Liberty. If she can play close to her normal level and minutes, I really like our chances. If she continues to be limited in effectiveness and minutes, I'm a lot less confident.
At full strength, she's a fourth star-level player. At less than full strength, the Liberty are less able to absorb foul trouble, which has been a problem for JJ and Fiebich, and don't have to rely as much on getting good games from Vandersloot or bench players like Thornton, Sabally, and Burke, rather than just decent hold-the-fort minutes.
-Apheesa collier currently has 190 points through 7 games, the wnba single season record is 245 by Taurasi in 2009. 55 points away from that, and she probably will get that in 3 games, she could arguably smash it, 300 would take 27.5 ppg for 4 games or 22 ppg for 5 games
Her ppg average (27.14) is also close to the highest playoff ppg for anyone who played more than one series which is Candace Parker in 2012 with 28.75 across 4 games (one a 2-0 series win and the other a 0-2 series loss)
-Lynx in 5