who are all those people in the stands watching? I read that attendance for the WNBA was shut off after the fever lost, since nobody wanted to go watch a game without the great CC.
***ISU WNBA Thread***
- Thread starter mred
- Start date
who are all those people in the stands watching? I read that attendance for the WNBA was shut off after the fever lost, since nobody wanted to go watch a game without the great CC.
Since you guys are just wisecracking and probably don't follow the Lynx I'll drop these attendance numbers on you.
- Last nights playoff game at Target Center, attendance 8,500.
- Regular season versus CC and the Fever at Target Center last month, attendance 18,978.
Good team with a great star, Collier, just not getting the local interest for some reason. The attendance rising tide didn't seem to rise the Lynx boat much.
Yes, I meant no disrespect to WNBA and especially the Lynx. Even without BC, they would be my team of choice. I don't really follow WNBA at all as basketball in the summer just isn't a thing for me.
A little off-topic but could affect former ISU players: expansion draft dates and rules for the Golden State Valkyries have been announced. https://www.wnba.com/news/golden-state-valkyries-expansion-draft
tl;dr version: Draft is Dec 6th on ESPN. Each existing team can protect six players who will be under contract or restricted free agent (exclusive negotiating rights) in 2025. Those lists will be due around 10 days before the draft. Valkyries can work out trades prior to the draft which can involve drafting players for other teams, promising not to draft certain players, etc. Valkyries can also select one unrestricted free agent (UFA) for whom they can designate as core and have exclusive negotiating rights, but this player cannot have been cored more than once in the past..
For the Lynx, Hines-Allen and Hiedeman will be UFA. I imagine the Lynx will protect Phee, McBride, Williams, Smith, Bridget. Sixth one would likely be Juhasz, Miller, or Pili, and my gut reaction is Juhasz.
For the Wings, Howard and Sabally will be UFA -- because Howard has been designated core 2+ times, she can't be drafted by the Valkyries as a UFA. They'll definitely protect Arike, McGowan, Siegrist. Beyond that, I really don't know. Their roster is a mess. Maybe the Wings core Sabally? It's unclear to me if they can core a player prior to the expansion draft. They can't core Howard for the same reason the Valkyries can't -- she's been cored too many times already.
tl;dr version: Draft is Dec 6th on ESPN. Each existing team can protect six players who will be under contract or restricted free agent (exclusive negotiating rights) in 2025. Those lists will be due around 10 days before the draft. Valkyries can work out trades prior to the draft which can involve drafting players for other teams, promising not to draft certain players, etc. Valkyries can also select one unrestricted free agent (UFA) for whom they can designate as core and have exclusive negotiating rights, but this player cannot have been cored more than once in the past..
For the Lynx, Hines-Allen and Hiedeman will be UFA. I imagine the Lynx will protect Phee, McBride, Williams, Smith, Bridget. Sixth one would likely be Juhasz, Miller, or Pili, and my gut reaction is Juhasz.
For the Wings, Howard and Sabally will be UFA -- because Howard has been designated core 2+ times, she can't be drafted by the Valkyries as a UFA. They'll definitely protect Arike, McGowan, Siegrist. Beyond that, I really don't know. Their roster is a mess. Maybe the Wings core Sabally? It's unclear to me if they can core a player prior to the expansion draft. They can't core Howard for the same reason the Valkyries can't -- she's been cored too many times already.
Last edited:
don't follow the WNBA mu h but do like to see that Bridget is doing good when you post. that t is good attendance. Yes I was just wisecracking after seeing articles of how empty the stands were after the fever and the great cc were out.
With the league expanding Ashley Joens should easily make a roster!! Carlton should become an even bigger star. Soares I'm sure will return to form! Emily Ryan having a great season could make her a 1st round pic?
I don't think adding 12 roster spots to a league of world best players is going to open a spot for Jones. Not impossible for her, just realistically seems very unlikely. I'll be interested to see if Soares stick with a team for 2025.
Bridget signed a two-year contract with the Lynx this season. Not sure if it is one of the Lynx six guaranteed contracts but I do expect to see her with the Lynx next year.
Will be interesting to see who the teams pick as their 6 protected players in the expansion draft.
I think it depends on two things, how her current season goes and if she still wants to play pro ball or is ready to start her teaching career.
Agree 1 expansion team may not open a spot for Ashley. I believe 2 more expansion teams (Toronto & Portland) start play in 2026, so that could represent opportunities for historically borderline WNBA talent.
Question for those who feel Ashley is borderline do you think Kate Martin is a better player than her?
Maybe its Cardinal colored glasses but I think Ashley is better than Kate Martin.
Not sure being the better player is all that counts for bottom of roster players. A team might look for developmental height or defensive specialist or some other specific skill-set.
It's not me thinking she is borderline, it's the WNBA teams. She bounced around three teams last season and did not get a camp invite this season.
And, since your question is sort of a not relevant "whataboutism", I'll just add.....
Exactly. If you had to pick one of them to be the best player on your team and centerpiece of an offense, it would probably be Joens. But a player towards the end of the bench who gets 5-10 minutes a game is a role player and needs to have different skills that are complementary to the top of the roster.
Picking up that third foul midway through the second quarter was a bummer though.
