***CC22 and the Fever mega thread***

[Bro D]

It’s not the coach. It’s the roster. It’s a reluctance to acknowledge the BIg 3 limitations relative to the other teams in the league.

It's both. This team has been unprepared all season long. The coaching staff is a joke and the roster construction is crap. They need to clean house in the offseason and build this roster, coaching staff and FO vision all around CC

 

[OnlyTheObscure]

Fever coach and GM need to be fired after the season.

Roster needs a major overhaul and a different philosophy on the bench.

 

[Tenacious E_rivals41982]

It's both. This team has been unprepared all season long. The coaching staff is a joke and the roster construction is crap. They need to clean house in the offseason and build this roster, coaching staff and FO vision all around CC

*I am editing this for new information.

While I agree they need to clean house, the reality is they have expensive baggage and there is not a lot they can do with the cap of $7M. Hull's and Billings' contracts are killers. Per the below, they will have $2.35M available. So if they resign Mitchell at $1.4M, that will leave $950K to sign another 4 players. Basically they need 2 rookies and 2 cheap vets, or 3 rookies and one vet who will be paid less than Hull or Billings. Looks like rookie contracts will range from $289K to $500K. So really, they can only sign 3 rookies not drafted in the first round. So basically this year's roster plus 3 non-factor rookies, minus Sophie, Harris, and Hines-Allen. I hope someone can prove me wrong on the math, because that is fookin' bleak.

2027 Active Roster & Cap Hits

• • Aliyah Boston (F): $1,550,000
  • Lexie Hull (G): $803,250
  • Monique Billings (F): $800,000
  • Caitlin Clark (G): $597,596 (option exercised; eligible for potential max/EPIC adjustments)
  • Makayla Timpson (F): $305,250
  • Raven Johnson (G): $300,698
  • Damiris Dantas (F): $288,60

 

[pablow]

Do you build a team around the best point guard/field general in basketball or do go shopping for a roster that suits the Stephanie White/Briann January coaching style (whatever that is)? Those are pretty much your choices because SW can't coach this team.

Add into the mix that White's coaching style is all about control and not empowerment (except for Kelsey).

 

[Bro D]

Do you build a team around the best point guard/field general in basketball or do go shopping for a roster that suits the Stephanie White/Briann January coaching style (whatever that is)? Those are pretty much your choices because SW can't coach this team.

Add into the mix that White's coaching style is all about control and not empowerment (except for Kelsey).

+100000

I'm not sure how anyone with eyes can laugh at this statement

 

[AFM22]

Do you build a team around the best point guard/field general in basketball or do go shopping for a roster that suits the Stephanie White/Briann January coaching style (whatever that is)? Those are pretty much your choices because SW can't coach this team.

Add into the mix that White's coaching style is all about control and not empowerment (except for Kelsey).

If the front office wants to keep their job they build around Clark instead of White.

Indiana becomes irrelevant without Clark.

 

[OnlyTheObscure]

If the front office wants to keep their job they build around Clark instead of White.

Indiana becomes irrelevant without Clark.

Downtown Indianapolis looks like Iowa City for Saturday Fever games.

you can bet the bars, hotels, and restaurants want Clark to stay.

Imagine the revenue spike Minneapolis would see with Clark on their team.

 

[AFM22]

Downtown Indianapolis looks like Iowa City for Saturday Fever games.

you can bet the bars, hotels, and restaurants want Clark to stay.

Imagine the revenue spike Minneapolis would see with Clark on their team.

Like half of the team's value is Clark alone.

I've always been a believer that the WNBA is a sum of all parts, but it would be front office malpractice to not exhaust every last possibility to get Clark a championship in Indianapolis before giving up and moving her. Even if that means firing White for a 2nd time. Clark is way too valuable to the franchise.

 

[Kceasthawk@77]

*I am editing this for new information.

While I agree they need to clean house, the reality is they have expensive baggage and there is not a lot they can do with the cap of $7M. Hull's and Billings' contracts are killers. Per the below, they will have $2.35M available. So if they resign Mitchell at $1.4M, that will leave $950K to sign another 4 players. Basically they need 2 rookies and 2 cheap vets, or 3 rookies and one vet who will be paid less than Hull or Billings. Looks like rookie contracts will range from $289K to $500K. So really, they can only sign 3 rookies not drafted in the first round. So basically this year's roster plus 3 non-factor rookies, minus Sophie, Harris, and Hines-Allen. I hope someone can prove me wrong on the math, because that is fookin' bleak.

2027 Active Roster & Cap Hits

• • Aliyah Boston (F): $1,550,000
  • Lexie Hull (G): $803,250
  • Monique Billings (F): $800,000
  • Caitlin Clark (G): $597,596 (option exercised; eligible for potential max/EPIC adjustments)
  • Makayla Timpson (F): $305,250
  • Raven Johnson (G): $300,698
  • Damiris Dantas (F): $288,60

And that's if Clark doesn't get the bump she should

 

[Kceasthawk@77]

Like half of the team's value is Clark alone.

I've always been a believer that the WNBA is a sum of all parts, but it would be front office malpractice to not exhaust every last possibility to get Clark a championship in Indianapolis before giving up and moving her. Even if that means firing White for a 2nd time. Clark is way too valuable to the franchise.

I agree, but I'm sure @Legend12 will weigh in with an opposing view.......

 

[AFM22]

I agree, but I'm sure @Legend12 will weigh in with an opposing view.......

Ya well, sometimes I think Legend says things only because it gets a rise out of people.

 

[WDSMHawk]

+100000

I'm not sure how anyone with eyes can laugh at this statement

Because it's dumb af.

 

[pablow]

Because it's dumb af.

Why don't you let us know what you think on the topic instead of acting like an 8th grader.

 

[Manfredi]

I'm guessing Clark has zero chance of getting traded. With Hull, Billings and Dantas signed for next year and all pretty much untradable unless you attach them to another player like Clark...not sure how they can fix the roster.

 

[WDSMHawk]

Why don't you let us know what you think on the topic instead of acting like an 8th grader.

I don't get how people can complain about Steph White's offense. The Fever were the highest scoring team by over 4 points per game. With CC being hurt to start the year and Aliyah being hurt most of the year.

Caitlin also had the second highest usage rate in the WNBA this year so I'm not sure why you think Steph is trying to reign CC in and control her.

The defense has been bad, obviously. At the start of the year I think a good amount of the blame should have fell on SW for having them switch 1-5 when they did not have the roster for that.

As the season went on I think the coaching staff made a really smart adjustment by having Timpson start since she could defend other teams Guards and CC could "hide" on the opposing team's worst offensive player.

Did it fix all the defensive issues, no but that also goes back to the team having three maybe four players who are average to above average defenders on the roster.

Finally and maybe most importantly Caitlin is not an easy player to coach.

Basketball wise she's a generational offensive talent who has two glaring holes in her game (defense and turnovers). She needs a coach that can walk the line in getting her to improve those two areas without taking away from the other areas she shines. While she still has some issues with these parts of her game I dont think it can be denied that Caitlin has improved in both of these areas under Steph.

Caitlin can also be a demonstrative hot head on the court so she also needs a coach that isn’t afraid to stand up to her and sit her down at times for her own good and the good of the team.

If that wasn't hard enough CC also has a spotlight on her at all times filled with grifters that will take any small interaction such as an argument on the bench or god forbid flagrant foul and turn it into a media circus.

I'm not saying Steph is perfect, but she's handled this season pretty well and I'mnot sure how many coaches could have handled it better.


TL DR

It's lazy to say fire the coach. Which is why I called it dumb af.