2018 WNBA: April 12

No doubt -- so much fun to watch play.

 

She has no pull up jumper which every shooting guard has to have in the pro's.

 

She does have a pull up jumper, but she can’t get it off consistently because of her lack of height. On the other hand the floater that Brooke utilizes because of her lack of height is the shot that All guards should have. You’re not going to get your shot off trying to shoot a pull up jumper over Brittney Griner or Sylvia Fowles in the lane.

 

From Brooke on twitter:

 

Really glad that Brooke is getting a chance with the Sparks' training camp. She will have Tiffany Jackson-Jones there as well. Odessey Sims of BU will be another familiar face.
http://texassports.com/news/2018/4/...ton-mystics-in-first-round-of-wnba-draft.aspx
Coach Aston says in the story that Jamie is overseas. Wonder if and who she is looking at.

 

I was a little worried Brooke might not get drafted. There's nothing you can do about the prejudice against a short player, it's just a fact of life.

 

I checked LA’s roster and they only seem to have 1 true PG on the team (Odyssey Sims) and they didn’t draft 1 so it might be the best opportunity for Brooke.

 

Hopefully this work ethic has rubbed off on the remaining roster:

 

Nice story on the draft by the Washington paper. Lots on Ariel. In fact, it's mostly about Ariel.
I forgot that she will be playing with EDD, one of my favorite pros.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.cce5c625e396

 

Guess IE can no longer play videos on twitter or posted from twitter.

 

Proud of Ariel going before Vivians, Gulich, Nared, Wallace, etc. The numbers speak for themselves for anyone who looks at them. The Mystics are smart.

Obviously, height is the only reason for the bias against Brooke. I don't quite understand Moooooo saying she is not a true point guard. I see that term so often -- what is a true point guard? I don't think people are born point guards. I guess they are players who see the floor well, know how to get people involved, pass well, understand playmaking. Which of these does Brooke not do well?

 

I've had this issue since joining Hornfans. I did some research and it appears to be videos that are HTTP with Privacy that have the issue. Must be some setting in IE but I haven't found it yet. What I do as a workaround (and maybe you already know this) is to right click on the video and look for the line "Address (URL)". Copy the URL and paste it in another browser (I use Firefox). If anyone knows what IE setting is responsible, I'd love to hear.

 

Correction: Right click on the video and select Properties, then look for Address.

 

Just looked at the schedule and I’ll have to wait until July 19 to see Ariel live (Mystics @ Wings).

Imani’s first game in Arlington is much sooner, 2nd game of the season, May 20.

 

Thanks, CreakyHorn. I tried a few things and then just opened up a window using Google Chrome. No problems with that but I dislike the setup. Also dislike the set up for MS Edge but that doesn't work to play the videos either. Guess I will just have to use Chrome when I run into a video I can't play.

 

Brooke will be up against some good PGs in LA. Odyssey Sims, Cappie Pondexter and Chelsea Gray who are currently on the roster and all average over 3 apg. Cappie is the only old timer with 12 years experience. Chelsea and Odyssey have four years or less experience. Not to mention any other PGs invited to the training camp. Brooke's ability to score and set up others will be critical for her.

 

According to the OU forum, Gabby Ortiz is also headed to LA as a free agent.

 

Man, I thought WBB coverage for college was bad. There's practically nothing in the papers in LA and Washington about the local WNBA teams.

 

During the season, coverage of the Mystics is not terrible - I don’t have a favorite team, mainly follow players I like (Delle Donne and Meesseman being two of them). It’s shocking how bad the Sparks coverage is though - much greater history of success and, until the past 2 years, no NFL team to eat up space.

I classify Poindexter and Gray as combo/shooting guards - not hard to pick up assists with Parker and N Ogwumike in the paint.

 

Like at Texas, all the PGs are comfortable at the one or two. Gray is actually listed in her bio as a "true PG." She started 34 games with Beard as her primary backcourt mate last season. Sims played in all games but only had 14 starts. My guess at this time at PG is Gray, Sims, and possibly Pondexter. I would guess that Brooke's looking at that 3rd PG spot. Gotta wonder if Pondexter is going to continue to play much longer.

 

Comets won the WNBA championship with one of the shortest (or The shortest) PG in the league, the late Kim Perot. League is considerably tougher now with so many more players competing for fewer spots, but Brooke has a chance. Hook'em!

 

Good luck Brooke!

 

Brooke has all the qualities you look for in a WNBA point guard. She is a great decision-maker, poised under pressure, and makes those around her better. And she clearly engenders a high degree of loyalty and respect from her teammates. Everyone recognizes her height is a bit of a challenge, just as it is for all undersized players. But great players often find a way to turn a perceived disadvantage into an asset. While the WNBA is a different level than the collegiate game, don't forget that Brooke led our team for four years against a long list of great squads, and phenomenal players. For three of her four years here, the Big 12 led the nation in conference RPI, and our pre-conference slate of games was always brutal. Hence our lofty SOS every year. Yet despite the tough competition, she managed to put her name all over the Texas record books. There is a reason she was an AA, Big 12 POY, and projected as a late 2nd-early 3rd round WNBA pick. She'll have to prove herself, and find the right fit, no different than any player hoping to find a permanent home in the league.

I think there were some comments on another thread about this next class or two being the one/s where we'd see a real transformation in terms of height in the WNBA. I'm not saying the game isn't evolving, but change doesn't happen that quickly. The average height in the league is 6', and considering all of the bigs, that tells you how many are at the opposite end of the spectrum. I just saw a list of the top 25 WNBA players for 2017, and about half (a dozen) were under 6'. And the majority of those, nine or ten, were 5'9 and under. Clearly there is a big difference between 5'4 or 5'5 , and 5'9, but the point is the WNBA isn't just the big girls game that some make it our to be. And while there are a large number of players in the 5'9-5'11 range, last season there were 20 players in the league 5'8 and under. We all know those that have found success in the 5'4-5'7 range - it may not be the norm, but it isn't a rarity either. 5'6 Canada was a top 5 pick this year, and I just saw that 5'5 Morgan Williams has signed a training camp contract with the Aces. I look forward to following Brooke's career, wherever it may lead her!

 

I'm always impressed with Brooke's work ethic

 

unless Gabbi is used as a combo guard, looks like Brooke is the only PG FA invited to the camp.

 

Ariel looking good in training camp. The last 2 Longhorns drafted went to Delle Donne teams (Imani in Chicago).