rbuehler.bsky.social
Magic the Gathering Hall of Famer, Seattle Storm Crazie, and board gamer.
122 posts
322 followers
73 following
Getting Started
Active Commenter
comment in response to
post
Kitley looked quite good
comment in response to
post
Shockingly accurate
comment in response to
post
Not just you. It's a fairly recent coach-speak phenomenon I think.
comment in response to
post
She's played a couple minutes there, but if you make her a 4 then you have 5 players playing 4 or 5 and 5 players covering 1 through 3. That doesn't really add up. I'm more interested in seeing them trying Nneka at 3 a little. (Mostly though they built the roster for Miles not Malonga.)
comment in response to
post
Surely they're also on the phone with Golden State about KLS and a draft pick for whoever GSV is gonna cut 13th? (Connected: do you know what the rules are for letting a player rehab in your facilities if they aren't under contract?)
comment in response to
post
Also Li Yueru is gonna make Dominique Malonga earn every minute of her playing time.
comment in response to
post
They held their own early against Chicago. I think what we're actually seeing is how good the Fever are gonna be.
comment in response to
post
Their cap is (was) set up where they could add a 12th player after two months or so though, which the hardship plan would eat into. You're right, but trading her strikes me as a better solution (and likely allows #12 to show up sooner as well).
comment in response to
post
Some of this will depend how camp is going. Maybe Mackenzie Holmes or Madison Conner actually looks good? (Yeah yeah, I am also an optimist.) I do feel better knowing the basic structure of this as it 100% seems like a thing they can and should do.
comment in response to
post
Does this mean she would be under contract for next year instead of a free agent?
comment in response to
post
Love this. People are sleeping on the Storm and they shouldn't be. I think they'll be better than last year, while also being really well set up for the future.
comment in response to
post
Yeah, ok, I'm in:
comment in response to
post
Oh, wow, I think you mighta got me with this one.
comment in response to
post
Seattle: We have Jonquel Jones at home (Dominique Malonga)
comment in response to
post
Our bench is gonna be SO MUCH BETTER this year than last year. Will be sad to see these cuts (and that's enough talent that maybe we can even make a last-minute trade?!). I agree with your intuition, but Wheeler and Yueru will need to show up ready to play!
comment in response to
post
A Touch More (with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe) isn't exclusively about basketball, but it hits all your points (and has plenty of basketball talk). The Ringer WNBA podcast is also good.
comment in response to
post
The other 2 3rd rounders are intriguing as well, but unless the Storm cut a veteran (which seems unlikely since building a bench of useful vets was clearly their off-season priority) then there's only one spot for Sundell, them, and the other training camp invitees to compete for.
comment in response to
post
GREAT draft! And there's room for Sundell on the roster (assuming they injury-suspend Nika and Jordan). She seems like tremendous value for a 3rd round pick. Conner is also intriguing but it's harder to fit her in (unless she has a better camp than Sundell).
comment in response to
post
Long-term they'll be able to figure it out (especially once Nneka leaves or retires). It does not seem like the best way to optimize 2025 though. None of Ezi, Dom, or Nneka seem like they'd be able to play the 3, but if one of them can do that effectively then we're in great shape.
comment in response to
post
And you’re ignoring her Euroleague titles …
comment in response to
post
I always assumed she would fail to make the transition to the W but now I’m in Spokane and, well, wow. (Plus Angel kicking ass despite similar doubts is fresh in my mind too.)
comment in response to
post
Zero mistakes and only one try (and that many measures) seemed like quite harsh conditions, but I also cheered out loud and felt the sequence was well worth devoting most of an episode to so maybe that level of difficulty is fine?
comment in response to
post
I am really enjoying this season where you don't know the challenges in advance and we get to watch you figure out how to solve them.
comment in response to
post
The Sky are not my team, but your reporting has been so good that I follow you anyway. Looking forward to seeing what amazing things you do next!
comment in response to
post
She seems so perfect for them that I think overpaying slightly was still a good move. A point guard who can actually play defense?! You pay what it takes and try to win another one right now.
comment in response to
post
I wouldn’t change it. There were better counters available but only at higher mana costs (but Lapse was not a good counter in that deck). I would have played Remand instead if it existed, and probably 2 of them. It’s usually better, plus enables some cool tricks where you Remand your own spell.
comment in response to
post
Sleight of Mind if I let the little kid in me run free. (Dismiss if I’m being honest with myself.)
comment in response to
post
March Madness
comment in response to
post
Do we know anything other than Dallas’s “she elected to sit out” version? Like is she hurt, does she hate Dallas, does she have other plans for the summer, not care about the W, or something else entirely?
comment in response to
post
The Bernabeu (where Real Madrid play). The place felt like a cathedral, and at the time I went everyone there was worshipping Christiano Ronaldo.
comment in response to
post
Sure looks like they have 10 they like and it will be an open competition for the 11th spot between 3 3rd round picks, Mackenzie Holmes, Zia Cooke, Brianna Fraser, and anyone else they bring in.
comment in response to
post
Or do we not know for sure that Nika is out for the whole season?
comment in response to
post
They will just suspend both of them and that means they hit for zero, right? If they only suspend one then the other eats the 11th spot on the roster, right? (I hate that they won't get paid, but they don't seem to have much of a choice to my eye.)
comment in response to
post
I have us with $91,485 left for the 11th and final roster spot, assuming Li, Wheeler, the #2 pick, and everyone signed for above the minimum make the team. Does that look right to you? (Hat tip @herhoopstats.com, which continues to be awesome.) #WNBA
comment in response to
post
PREACH!!
comment in response to
post
Thanks! You don't always post about training camp contracts so just knowing it isn't that is interesting, even if expected.
comment in response to
post
Do we know Katie Lou’s salary number yet?
comment in response to
post
That foul was awful, 100% agree
comment in response to
post
That was shockingly good
comment in response to
post
Her upside if she gets over her issues is she's start-able. I do not think they're counting on that (#2 pick is the likely starter). You said they should spend her money on someone better, which would be a start-able shooting guard. For $18k over min and a 2nd round pick that's not happening.
comment in response to
post
She makes slightly more than the minimum. (96k this year, 98k next year. The minimum is 78k.) There are no start-able shooting guards available at that price. The only reason she is that cheap is the health issues. Yes, if she fails to improve on last year it's a wasted roster spot, but ...
comment in response to
post
She had undiagnosed and untreated Crohn's Disease. Some athletes are able to perform despite this disease, but there's also the possibility it's career-ending. Whether this is a good trade comes down to whether she is able to get healthy. At that low price, it seems like a reasonable gamble to me.
comment in response to
post
She's playing reasonably well in Athletes Unlimited. I'm hoping we got a steal! (But you logic about LA moving on is depressingly sound.)
comment in response to
post
Also age matters less when everyone is signing for only one year. I like where they're at for this season as long as they get to draft someone who can play heavy rotation minutes at shooting guard.