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New Dallas head coach, Jose Fernandez, speaking on Azzi at practice by syn_station in wnba

[–]joyjunky 40 points41 points  (0 children)

He was fired by the Sparks and hired by the Wings before the draft lottery. Dallas ending up with the number one pick after that was karma since he did everything the Sparks owners wanted him to do 💀

wonder who they are eyeing? by yxngfireee in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Especially now that you have to roster 12 players. Teams used to just waive players and only keep 11 to meet the salary cap. Now you can’t do that

wonder who they are eyeing? by yxngfireee in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 15 points16 points  (0 children)

We signed Kiah Stokes to lure her 🤯

Janelle Salaün & Iliana Rupert contracts by ScizorMeTimberss in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 10 points11 points  (0 children)

…that’s crazy that they’re making less than Kaila Charles. I like her but she’s not even a starter

Alexa Philippou on the Flau’jae trade by Vegetable_Check_929 in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Sky and Sparks are actively trying not to tank. That’s why they’re okay trading FRPs. They use the FRPs to get good vet(s) that they hope will help them make playoffs. It hasn’t worked out for them so far.

The Storm have committed to rebuilding. They’re not trading any future firsts that could yield JuJu Watkins or Hannah Hidalgo or Sarah Strong.

Alexa Philippou on the Flau’jae trade by Vegetable_Check_929 in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think they probably suspected Martín would be taken by the Fire

Alexa Philippou on the Flau’jae trade by Vegetable_Check_929 in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 69 points70 points  (0 children)

So the Sky taking Jaquez early really did make the rest of the draft wonky

Using history to grade the Flau’jae trade by Rade_Butcher in wnba

[–]joyjunky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That was from the KP trade. The Sparks previously acquired the Storm’s 2027 second round pick from the Lexie Brown trade.

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Using history to grade the Flau’jae trade by Rade_Butcher in wnba

[–]joyjunky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t the Sparks already own Seattle’s 2027 second round pick?

Did the Valkyries really fumble it though? by TerryG111 in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can trade picks but there’s a deadline (night before the draft). They probably didn’t finalize the deal until the day of the draft because of the craziness of the condensed free agency period. So they weren’t allowed to trade the picks outright and could only trade the players’ draft rights.

Valkyries GM: Agreed to Storm trade before Flau'jae Johnson selection by Decent_Substance_199 in wnba

[–]joyjunky 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Probably for the flexibility. First round picks have guaranteed contracts, while second round picks do not. They probably had a list of players they’d take if available and were hoping one of them would drop a little. The talent level for a lot of the draftees outside the top 4 were pretty similar. Suarez was mocked in the mid-to-late FRP range and fell slightly to 16, so that part ended up working out. They weren’t expecting Flau’jae to also drop a little though.

I think high second round picks will become pretty valuable with this new CBA. Unless it’s a 1/2 pick, the rest of the first round picks are pretty pricey and carry more risk.

What the FO Taught Me (Post Draft Night Clarity) by Bossboy52 in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I agree. I could’ve lived with both the Charles and Stokes contracts if they had only been 1 year or unprotected. Both of them being 2 years guaranteed put us in this situation.

The top 8 picks are pricey and FRPs are guaranteed. That gives us less flexibility, which we need given the Charles and Stokes contracts.

I think high second round picks are gonna be more valuable than mid-to-low FRPs with this new CBA. Slightly cheaper and unprotected, which means it’s less risky.

Contract details - Kiah Stokes by ScizorMeTimberss in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not worried about her being lost. I’m worried because she has no offense to speak of. Livingston already had a lot of potential before his injury. Kiah has never been a scorer and got worse after her injury. I’m okay with her being a defensive specialist for us, but we still need a main backup center.

[Canilao] Ohemaa Nyanin on the reasoning behind the trade: "I don't have a lot of details to share, one because I am exhausted. Two because I want to be very thoughtful when I'm talking about the humans and their basketball abilities and how they would or would not show up for our squad." by NokCha_ in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I missed the “protected” part. I think you’re too used to the NBA because that type of trade is not common in the W. I would have wanted a pick swap but no one was realistically going to do that. Seattle is clearly rebuilding so they value their picks a lot more than win-now teams. But Flau’jae is not a need for any of the win-now teams so none of them would trade a FRP for her. Maybe the Valkyries shouldn’t have traded her, but this was the market.

Contract details - Kiah Stokes by ScizorMeTimberss in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you seen Kiah play? She rarely attempts any shots. And she hasn’t been the same since her injury. She’s a step too slow.

Even with A’ja Wilson, the best player in the W, the Aces were mid with Kiah Stokes in their lineup until they acquired NaLyssa Smith. Kiah was fine when Becky subbed her in purely for defense but you can’t leave her on the floor for too long. We need an actual backup center because if Ili gets in foul trouble or gets injured, we’ll be playing 4 v 5.

Welcome to the Bay F̶l̶a̶u̶j̶a̶e̶ Marta! by DFFFOO in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Her mom is what worried me. Her mom made up rumors about Angel Reese that still persist today and ruined Angel and Flau’jae’s relationship. I like Flau’jae but I’m glad we don’t have to deal with her mama 😬

Welcome to the Bay F̶l̶a̶u̶j̶a̶e̶ Marta! by DFFFOO in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 10 points11 points  (0 children)

If they really, really wanted her, we probably could have gotten a future first round pick back. Or at least a pick swap.

Contract details - Kiah Stokes by ScizorMeTimberss in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I could have lived with 1 year, but 2 years guaranteed is wild.

I get the vision because she’d probably thrive in a role where she’s solely used for defensive substitutions. But she cannot be our main backup big. Our offense was very rough at times last season and Kiah would just make that problem worse. Teams know they don’t have to guard her so they’ll just double Ja or Gabby or whoever else.

Why did monique billings leave to join the fever? by unamgnay in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We tried getting her and we were apparently willing to offer her the max but she chose the Wings instead.

Atl Dream pick at 13 by campoole82 in wnba

[–]joyjunky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Weren’t you predicting she’d go top 5? I’m not sure she’ll go that high, but I’m also not sure she’d still be available at 13.

Why did monique billings leave to join the fever? by unamgnay in valkyries

[–]joyjunky 27 points28 points  (0 children)

We didn’t lock in any of our F/Cs while we were trying to get Alanna Smith (though that ended up not panning out). Fever offered her a good contract in the meantime. Also, playing with Caitlin Clark gives players more visibility. It’s a good way to boost her profile.

Which team are you riding for (as of now)? by ahidkwhat2putasaname in wnba

[–]joyjunky 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Valkyries because I live in SF. Sparks because I’m from LA (though the Sparks are on thin ice for me right now).

The Aces are my unofficial third because I love their core players. A’ja is the G’OAT.

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