WNBA (and Women's EuroBasket) Dissected 2023 Week 5: From Ljubljana with Love

A little different this week, but still still a trip around events from the week in women's basketball, just with a more global touch

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The Global Game

As anyone who's been paying attention recently will be aware, especially if you follow my Twitter account, I've been in Ljubljana, Slovenia for the last week attending Women’s EuroBasket 2023. As always happens when I watch a series of FIBA games one after the other, the unnecessary differences between WNBA and FIBA basketball start to jump out at me. Some of them are a matter of opinion. For example, some people like the true jump ball, while others favor the possession arrow. There are arguments for both. But there are other elements of the game that - in my opinion, at least - one side just has right, which makes it absurd that the other side hasn't adopted it. We have a global game and can benefit from other leagues testing out rule variations for each other. Make use of that, and be willing to learn, adapt, and when it's beneficial, just flat out steal. So let's take a look at a few.

Substitutions after made free throws

I don't get this at all. In the U.S. game, if the second of a pair of free throws goes in, the game flows into live action smoothly by the defensive team grabbing the loose ball, inbounding it immediately, and live play restarting. If someone wanted to bring in subs during the stoppage, it happens between the free throws when play has already been brought to a halt. Under FIBA rules, substitutions can happen after that second made free throw. It brings the game to a completely unnecessary halt, again, right after we've just had a stoppage. Hate it.

Unnecessary shot-clock violations

This one, as far as I'm aware, is more of a difference in guidance for officials than an actual difference in the rule books. If the 24-second shot clock goes off just as the defensive team is gaining possession, or if it's even vaguely close, then FIBA officials usually just let the teams play on. American officials don't. Unless there's very clear possession for the defensive team before the buzzer sounds, American refs blow the whistle and grind the game to a halt. It's stupid. Forcing that violation means the defense has won. Let them gain the full advantage, collect the ball, and break the other way. You just have to wait an extra second to see if they're going to grab the ball, and if they don't then whistle for the violation. If they do, marvelous, play on.

Game Flow

Talking of letting the players keep playing, oh how delightful FIBA's lack of interminable timeouts and reviews can be. They have their stoppages these days as well, with mind-numbing video analysis slipping into the international game, but it's nowhere near as bad as in the U.S. The number of timeouts is actually under control in FIBA games, along with much stricter enforcement of the official length of the timeouts themselves. It means games flow much better, and while there are still plenty of timeouts in the final moments of close games, there isn’t the absurd number that often litter the closing moments of NBA and WNBA games. This, of course, is never going to change unless fans stop watching in droves because they're all tired of the stoppages - because the timeouts largely exist so that TV broadcasts can sell you things. Personally, I watch a lot less NBA basketball than I used to, because they lose my attention due to all the breaks in play. Eventually, if that's true of enough people, there won't be enough of us left to watch the ads to make paying for them worthwhile.

Traveling

The differences in officiating in general are interesting. In both the U.S. and under FIBA rules there are games where it feels like everything gets called and games where it's "no blood, no foul" (and sometimes they even just let you bleed). Personally, I find FIBA officiating a little more consistent, that they call what they're told to call and ignore what they're told to ignore, rather than guessing or trying to 'manage the game' via certain chosen calls. FIBA games can get very physical - Teaira McCowan did not enjoy her time on-court in Slovenia - but it's fairly well-specified and consistent types of physicality that they'll allow. One type of traveling that we consistently see picked up by U.S. officials - where that second foot shifts or picks up a little before the ball hits the floor on the initial dribble - basically hasn't been called in this entire tournament. Traveling in general doesn't get called much, unless you genuinely take an extra step (not that I'm bitter about Yvonne Anderson walking and carrying all over the place throughout Serbia's win over Great Britain on Tuesday night or anything. Definitely not that at all). I'm admittedly less strident on which approach is 'correct' on this topic. I wouldn't mind seeing that second foot lifting up being let go a little more, but then it becomes a case of where you draw the line. It's just an interesting difference.

To jump or not to jump

Well if we're going to talk about the arguable ones. The only jump ball in FIBA games is for the opening tip. Every joint possession after that is decided by the arrow, which flips every time it comes into play. I used to be a jump-ball diehard. The arrow felt like a cop-out. You've fought so hard for your share of the ball, let's have a contest to see who should gain full possession - not just decide it based on whose turn it is. I've softened over the years, mostly because of how bad jump balls are. Refs can't throw the ball straight, and especially in the WNBA a lot of teams have taken to committing intentional violations so that the other team has to inbound from the sideline against a set defense rather than winning the tip into live possession. Given that it takes them such an absurd amount of time to line up around a circle, it invariably feels like a huge waste of everyone's time. Also, jump balls always felt a little unfair. I know that taller people generally have an inherent advantage in basketball but when possession is tied up, two players have fought for a ball at ground level and been declared even. Why should the taller one then be given precedence? The quicker, or the stronger, or the one with a better sense of humor would seem equally fair as a tiebreak. So I can definitely see the arguments for the arrow. Or at least for something besides the jump ball.

Tournament Basketball!

One more takeaway from EuroBasket (and at time of writing they haven't even played the quarterfinals yet): damn, tournament basketball is fun. I know the WNBA is petrified of taking away home regular season dates from its 12 owners, and I know I've talked at length many times about how staggeringly awful the format of the Commissioner's Cup is, but come on. Women’s EuroBasket started off with four groups of four, everyone in each group playing each other once. So six games total in each group. Spain, one of the favourites for the tournament, managed to lose its opener in a big upset to Latvia, but because the teams are all close enough to potentially beat each other on any given night everything had swung around two nights later. Spain went into their third and final group game knowing a win would put them top of the group (sending them straight to the quarterfinals in this format, rather than facing a playoff), whereas a loss would've meant finishing bottom of the group and an embarrassing trip home.

Hungary won their final group game by six, knowing that they needed to win by at least five to win the group and avoid that playoff like Spain. Their fans went nuts about a six-point win when a two at the buzzer would've sent the Serbian fans wild about a four-point loss instead. This is before the knockout games even began!

I know it's different, because this is an international tournament that only takes place every couple of years, between teams that rarely face each other. A WNBA tournament would involve the same teams that we see against each other over and over again throughout a regular season. But you have to separate out these games. It's as simple as that. Knockout games, group games, neutral venues, whatever. Something to make them distinctive and interesting and exciting. How much money do you think the league made from selling out Scotiabank Arena for a preseason game in Toronto? They couldn't find three cities like that to host three four-team groups for an opening stage of the Commissioner's Cup? Come anywhere near sellouts for those and you'll more than offset the losses of a few home games from the regular season.

The lesson: Tournament basketball is fun. Let it breathe.

A Shadow over the Sun

The Connecticut Sun have had a great start to the 2023 season, much better than many expected after they traded away Jonquel Jones and Jasmine Thomas in the offseason. Then with a minute left in their win over Seattle on Tuesday night, center Brionna Jones fell to the ground untouched and immediately clutched the back of her right ankle. We don't have an official diagnosis yet, but non-contact injuries always leave you fearing the worst, and it had all the hallmarks of an Achilles tear.

It would be horrible for the Sun and for Jones personally. The team has had to play through major injuries or absences in several recent seasons but no longer have quite the same level of cover to turn to. With Jonquel Jones gone the replacement would be the far less experienced Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who's looked useful in backup minutes for both the Sun and Sparks but is far less proven than the players Connecticut used to have in reserve. The Sun could also go small at times, asking DeWanna Bonner or Rebecca Allen to play some 4, but Alyssa Thomas already does practically everything for this team. Asking her to go from point-forward to essentially point-center would be a heavy load to put on her shoulders. Liz Dixon, who is literally yet to play since signing with the Sun on June 3, is the only other true big on the roster.

If the injury is as serious as feared, the future of Jones and the Sun also comes into question. She was cored by Connecticut this year, blocking her from true free agency, and then helped the Sun out by signing a one-year deal for $208,000 rather than the core qualifying offer of $234,936 she was perfectly entitled to sign instead. She'll be an unrestricted free agent again at the end of the season - unless the Sun core her again. This year is the only season she's played under the core designation, so she hasn't reached the limit of two, so Connecticut is fully allowed to do that. But will they want to if she's going to spend the next 9-12 months rehabbing? That's the kind of time Achilles injuries tend to take, especially for a full recovery. We're seeing Shey Peddy work her way back unusually quickly right now in Phoenix but playing limited minutes and missing games along the way. It's a tough process. If the Sun don't core her - and maybe even try to lowball her for a year to help save space for roster-building elsewhere - would a different team be willing to gamble big money on her when she's still recovering?

It's an awkward situation, and some would argue it's a reminder that players should grab all the money they can whenever it's available. Jones not only gave Connecticut that near-$27,000 discount but could've pushed for a multi-year deal. If the Sun didn't want to give it to her she could've asked for a trade, as we've seen many players do over the years, and there likely would've been multiple teams willing to give her three or four years of guaranteed money at near the WNBA max. Hopefully this doesn't cost her too much. Ideally, all of this was essentially irrelevant rambling and we hear tomorrow that she just chipped a nail and will be back on the court next week. I'd love to have written this for nothing, but this story could be far from over.

With Love from Ljubljana

A few bonus notes from EuroBasket Women, while I'm here.

• Leonie Fiebich, who clearly isn't even 100% healthy and is playing somewhat out of position for Germany, is a real talent. She's listed at 6-foot-4 (might be a tiny bit generous, but not much) but wants to handle the ball and can create and shoot from the perimeter. She moves fluidly and has vision and touch. Think along the lines of Cecilia Zandalasini, just not quite as far along in her development. The New York Liberty own Fiebich's WNBA rights after Los Angeles drafted her in the second round in 2020, sent her to Chicago in one of the many Gabby Williams transactions, and then the Sky sent her to New York in the four-team Marina Mabrey deal in February. The Liberty are going to need cheap players to fill out their roster if they bring back their stars on big-money deals after this season, and Fiebich could be part of that group. They're definitely going to bring her over to take a look if at all possible. I haven't seen her in person at this tournament yet, but the Liberty also own the rights to Raquel Carrera of Spain, a player listed at an inch shorter than Fiebich but much more of a true post. She's really good too.
  
  

• The only real disappointment I have around this tournament (we're not including Great Britain's results in this discussion) is that there aren't more people around to witness it. Slovenia is the nation of Luka Dončić, born right here in Ljubljana. They're supposed to be basketball crazy. While the elimination of the home nation within the opening 24 hours of the tournament won't have helped, even for those first two games featuring Slovenia the arena wasn't full. And that's with the top tier entirely curtained off, one end covered by a giant flag, and media largely taking over the other end. Games without home interest have had significantly fewer people than that. Why aren't the stands filled with kids from every local school or sports club that they could've gifted tickets to? This is a major tournament - it would be nice if more people were watching up close.
  
  

• If we could've just beaten the Germans...

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