The Weekly Roundup: Bring Brittney Griner Home
It’s long past time to end Griner’s wrongful detainment
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also buy Her Hoop Stats gear, such as laptop stickers, mugs, and shirts!
Haven’t subscribed to the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter yet?
We’ll get to the basketball-specific topics of the week soon enough; however, I first need to address a topic much more important than basketball: Brittney Griner’s continued wrongful detainment in Russia, which has now reached its 138th day.
Per reporting by ESPN and the Associated Press, Griner recently hand wrote an appeal for her freedom to President Joe Biden, and her representatives released excerpts to the media.
"As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I'm terrified I might be here forever," Griner wrote.
It appears that Griner’s most likely path to ending her detainment is a guilty plea plus a prisoner swap. I recognize the complexities and potential unsavory decisions associated with a prisoner swap. Still, the fear expressed in Griner’s letter coupled with the White House’s inability to secure her release is equal parts gut-wrenching and infuriating.
"On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those men who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran," another excerpt read. "It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year."
Some have claimed that Griner should have better understood the consequences of her actions in a foreign country. To those, I would ask whether they agree with the continued wrongful detainment of an American citizen. In a country where freedom is such a heralded concept, I sincerely hope the answer is no.
"I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you,” Griner wrote. “I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.”
To foul or not to foul
With 7.5 seconds remaining and New York leading Atlanta 79-76, Dream guard Erica Wheeler dribbled the ball up the court, pulled up and drained a game-tying three at the buzzer. Atlanta dominated in overtime, winning 92-81. Several people, from the broadcast team to Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, suggested that New York probably should have fouled Wheeler in the backcourt. That would have forced Atlanta to make the first free throw, miss the second intentionally, grab the offensive rebound, and hit a field goal. Following Thursday’s game, it’s easy to claim that the Liberty should have fouled on the last possession. But, was the problem really New York’s strategy down the stretch or the execution of its strategy to not foul?
It’s one of the great debates in basketball. With a three-point lead and the opponent having possession with under 10 seconds remaining, should you foul? From Ken Pomeroy to Daryl Morey, it’s a question that’s been studied by several of basketball’s luminaries. So, what’s the answer? Well, basically, it’s that there is no definitive answer. There is no conclusive evidence that one strategy is superior to the other.
“To me, the only conclusion one can make is that the criticism of coaches that choose to defend appears to be misplaced,” Pomeroy wrote in a 2013 blog post. “A small percentage of the time you’ll get burned no matter what you choose to do. We will continue to see teams make game-tying threes near the end of games more often than they get fouled simply because more coaches choose this strategy. In the long run, it’s difficult to prove it’s a bad idea.”
So, should New York have fouled? That’s not even the right question. In the clip above, it appears New York’s Sami Whitcomb expected Wheeler to dribble off a screen on the strong side. Instead, Wheeler crossed her over, creating plenty of space to launch the game-tying triple. Whether it’s fouling or defending, the Liberty should execute that strategy to the best of their ability. They chose not to foul, and let’s just say that their execution was lacking.
Player of the Week: Candace Parker
In a week that would have made Ferris Bueller jealous, Candace Parker threw out the first pitch and sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at the Cubs game last Tuesday. In Chicago’s 91-83 win over Connecticut, she became the first player in WNBA history with at least 6,000 points, 3,000 rebounds, and 1,500 assists. After Las Vegas’ blowout loss at the hands of Minnesota, Chicago has taken sole possession of first place. And now, after averaging 19.5 points, 9.5 boards, 7 assists, and 2.5 blocks during Chicago’s 2-0 week, she’s my selection for Player of the Week (Yes, I know, putting that last accolade in the same paragraph with the other three is admittedly quite ridiculous).
In the Sky’s victory over the Sun last week, Parker’s stat line was 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocks. Only one other time in league history has a player reached each of those marks in a single game. That was accomplished by none other than Candace Parker (in 2012). Forget about the blocked shots for a minute. It was Parker’s 17th career game with at least 25 points, 10 boards, and 5 assists; no player in WNBA history has more than six such games. She put the WNBA fans on triple-double watch for the umpteenth time this season in Chicago’s win over Phoenix on Saturday, finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Whether it’s career triple-doubles, single-season triple-doubles, near-triple-doubles, or any stat remotely adjacent to a triple-double, Parker is running circles around the rest of the league.
Stat of the Week: The paragon of precision that is Sylvia Fowles
She has the fourth-most blocks in WNBA history and tops the league’s list in career rebounds. Before you say that Sylvia Fowles’ numbers are simply a function of her longevity (which itself is a significant accomplishment), consider the fact that she’s fifth on the all-time list with 1.8 blocks per game and averages the most rebounds per contest with 9.8. Combine those numbers with her other accolades - regular season MVP, Finals MVP, two-time champion, eight-time All-Star, seven-time member of the WNBA All-Defensive team, and four-time Defensive Player of the Year - and it’s hard to argue against the case for Fowles being the league’s greatest center of all-time. Today, I’m going to focus on another aspect of Fowles’ game that makes her so legendary: her accuracy from the field.
Remember a couple of weeks ago when I described why Sue Bird is one of the greatest three-point shooters in WNBA history and how she’s giving Father Time a run for his money? The same can be said about Fowles’ proficiency in the paint. If the season ended today, her 64.5% field goal percentage would be the second-highest of her career, just ahead of last season’s 64.0% and behind the 65.5% she posted during her 2017 MVP campaign. Fowles’ career field goal percentage of 59.9% is the highest in league history. In fact, she’s had three seasons in which she shot at least 60% from the field (minimum 250 field goals attempted). All other players in WNBA history have combined to record four such seasons. It’s all led to Fowles averaging 1.27 points per scoring attempt, the most in league history.
Will the Lynx, currently in 11th place, wallow in the basement of the WNBA standings, or can they turn things around in the second half? A 4-2 mark over their last six games, including a 31-point shellacking of Las Vegas, indicates that it could be the latter. Let’s hope so. The paragon of precision that is Sylvia Fowles deserves a proper sendoff during her final season, complete with one last postseason run.
WNBA schedule this week (All times Eastern)
Here is a full listing of this week’s games, start times, and where you can catch the action.
Her Hoop Stats content in case you missed it
Basketball Chess and Coach Carolyn Smalls clipped videos of Shakira Austin’s strong start to the season, showcasing her ability to read defenses and her outstanding footwork.
Coach Smalls also broke down film of the dribble handoff zip flare downscreen action that Atlanta Dream recently ran against Seattle.
The Spain pick-and-roll has become widespread in basketball, used by several teams including the Chicago Sky, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Baylor women’s basketball program. How does it work? Check out the newest edition of the Wetz Sets with Calvin Wetzel and Basketball Chess to find out (also check out the Wetz Sets Explainers for a written description of Spain screens)!
Whom did Christy Winters-Scott select with the first pick in the Her Hoop Stats WNBA All-Star draft? Check out Courtside to find out this as well as the full All-Star rosters she and Gabe Ibrahim picked.
In volume 3 of his New York Liberty Notebook, Heaven Hill broke down New York’s season-saving June, Natasha Howard’s 2022 All-Star selection, and DiDi Richards’ return to the lineup.
In his latest WNBA Dissected, Richard Cohen discussed the Tina Charles-Phoenix Mercury debacle, the implications of Dearica Hamby’s contract extension when it comes to keeping Kelsey Plum in Las Vegas, and how reckless closeouts are called inconsistently in the W.
Context matters. Using Brionna Jones’ win shares as an example, James Hyman explained the problem with evaluating a player based on a single statistic.
Other recommended content
The Seattle Times’ Percy Allen broke down the reasons behind Tina Charles’ decision to leave Phoenix for Seattle.
The Next’s Jenn Hatfield chronicled the basketball journey of Mystics guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, a career that has included being drafted by Washington, playing with a two-time WNBA MVP, winning a WNBA title, getting cut by three teams in less than a year, and recently returning to the team that drafted her.
Seattle waived her in the preseason, and Minnesota waived her on June 24. After recently being signed to a seven-day contract by Washington, Evina Westbrook has earned a third opportunity to land a permanent spot on a WNBA roster. The Washington Post’s PJ Morales chronicled Westbrook’s journey to find a home in the WNBA.
For The Next, Em Adler explored how rim pressure explains the Seattle Storm’s offensive struggles this season.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Brandon Sudge recapped the homecoming of former Georgia Tech standout Lorela Cubaj when New York faced Atlanta on June 24.
Using the partnership with Under Armour as an example, The Athletic’s Charlotte Carroll described how Aliyah Boston has decided which companies to partner with on name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals.
Trivia question of the week
First, here’s the answer to last week’s trivia question:
Who is the shortest player in WNBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year?
Answer: Debbie Black, who stands 5-foot-3-inches tall, is the shortest player in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year, winning the honor in 2001.
And now, here’s this week’s question:
From 2008-2018, the winners of WNBA Rookie of the Year were all No. 1 overall draft picks, with two exceptions. The first was Elena Delle Donne, who won the award in 2013 after being drafted No. 2 overall. Who was the other non-No. 1 pick to win Rookie of the Year during this time period?
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.