The Weekly Roundup: Courtney Williams Calls Game, the Tina Charles Dominance Tour Continues, and Much More!
Courtney Williams’ game-winning three extends the Atlanta Dream’s winning streak to four.
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Four overtime games, a slam dunk, a near buzzer-beater, and a game-winning three. For a league missing many of its marquee players, the W delivered in a major way this week. Let’s take a look at the highlights, and I can think of no better place to start than the red-hot Atlanta Dream’s thrilling win over New York Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn.
Game of the Week: Williams’ Late Three Sinks Liberty in OT
It sounds like a scene out of the classic film Hoosiers. During a timeout with 9.8 seconds left in overtime and the score tied 87-87, Atlanta Dream interim head coach Mike Petersen explained that he was ready “to go all coachie on them, draw up the Mona-stinking-Lisa of plays.” The Jimmy Chitwood to Petersen’s Norman Dale, Courtney Williams told Petersen very simply, “Give me the ball.” Williams got her wish and then drilled a game-winning three with 1.6 seconds left en route to a 90-87 win over the New York Liberty Saturday at the Barclays Center.
Williams, who finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, elevated her game during the fourth quarter and overtime, where she scored 16 of her game-high point total. Her shooting efficiency (14-26 from the field, including 3-5 from beyond the arc) Saturday afternoon is all the more impressive given the vast majority of her shots were pull-up jumpers from at least 15 feet out.
Earlier in the year, Liberty head coach Walt Hopkins explained that his philosophy in situations where an opponent dribbles off a ball screen for a mid-range pull-up jumper is to play drop coverage and protect the basket. The rationale is that these are not high percentage shots. Knowing Courtney Williams’ propensity for taking these jumpers (38 percent of her field goal attempts last season occurred 15-19 feet from the rim per SB Nation), Hopkins’ philosophy informed New York’s game plan against Atlanta. Perhaps these are in fact low percentage shots and this strategy pans out long-term. Saturday, however, it backfired. Take Courtney Williams’ final shot as an example. Elizabeth Williams set a screen on Courtney Williams’ defender, DiDi Richards. Richards went under the screen and Kiah Stokes didn’t step out to contest the shot leaving Courtney Williams wide open for the game-winner.
Atlanta (4-2), winners of four straight games, also received key contributions from Tiffany Hayes (12 points, 6 assists), Chennedy Carter (12 points), and Elizabeth Williams (12 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks). Elizabeth Williams scored the game-tying bucket with 10.6 seconds left in regulation and rejected Betnijah Laney’s attempted layup on the ensuing possession.
The Dream’s defensive game plan consisted of trapping the ball handler (either Sabrina Ionescu or Laney) coming off high post screens. It worked exceptionally well, disrupting the Liberty offense and stifling the creativity Ionescu derives from pick and roll situations. Entering the contest averaging 17.8 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.8 rebounds per game, Ionescu finished Saturday with just six points, five rebounds, and three assists. While Laney notched a double-double (20 points, 11 assists) and extended her streak of scoring at least 20 points to an amazing seven games, she was responsible for seven of New York’s 20 turnovers. Ten of these 20 turnovers occurred in the first 13 minutes of the game, allowing Atlanta to open up a 31-19 lead early in the second quarter.
The Liberty (5-2) were successful against the Dream’s defense when the ball handler avoided the trap and quick ball movement resulted in an open look. Rookie Michaela Onyenwere and Sami Whitcomb exploited these situations, combining for 48 points and 11-21 from the three. Perhaps reflective of her growing comfort in the W, Onyenwere (29 points, 5 rebounds) attacked the rim with a ferocity not yet seen in her young professional career.
The Dream bring their four-game winning streak to Minneapolis as they take on the Lynx Friday night. The Liberty return to action Thursday night when they host the Las Vegas Aces.
Three Stars of the Week
Selecting the three best single-game performances of this past week was about as easy as explaining the ins and outs of cryptocurrency to a five-year-old. So, I expanded this week’s list a smidge to include some honorable mentions - noteworthy individual efforts that didn’t quite crack the top three. Honorable mentions go to the following:
Chelsea Gray’s 19-point, 12-assist, and five-steal stat line against Indiana Thursday night was just the ninth time a WNBA player had ever eclipsed the 15-point, 10-assist, and five-steal threshold.
Michaela Onyenwere and her 21-point first half almost single-handedly kept the Liberty’s deficit manageable in Saturday afternoon’s loss against Atlanta. The early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year finished with 29 points, including 6-for-14 from long range.
Jonquel Jones, the league leader in win shares per 40 minutes, scored 16 of her game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter and overtime in Tuesday evening’s loss at Seattle. Jones added 13 boards and notched her then-fifth straight double-double.
Courtney Vandersloot nearly carried a depleted Chicago Sky roster to victory Sunday evening against Los Angeles with a career-high 28 points to go along with eight rebounds and a Vandersloot-ian seven assists.
Third Star: Tina Charles - 29 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks at Connecticut on 5/28
It’s a pretty good sign when you have two games considered for this week’s list. Tina Charles’ 30-point, 6-rebound effort in Washington’s 85-69 win at Indiana Tuesday night was outstanding and marked her third straight game with at least 30 points. However, it was her work in Friday night’s loss at Connecticut that cracked this week’s list. Facing the Sun’s stingy defense and Connecticut center Jonquel Jones, 2019 WNBA First-Team All-Defense and currently second in the league in total rebounding rate, Charles dropped a game-high 29 points and grabbed eight boards. Heading into Friday night’s contest, no player had scored more than 21 points against Connecticut this season.
Second Star: Brittney Griner - 27 points (12-16 FG), 16 rebounds, 4 assists at Dallas on 5/29
Has Brittney Griner been reading the Her Hoop Stats newsletter? Kim Doss published an article on Wednesday about what the Phoenix Mercury need from Griner during Diana Taurasi’s absence. Griner posted two double-doubles in the two games since, averaging 27.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and shooting 75% from the field. Coincidence? I think not (ok, maybe).
While her 27-point, 11-rebound, and three-block stat line against Las Vegas was impressive, her masterpiece Saturday night in Phoenix’s win at Dallas is this week’s Second Star performance. Only six other players in WNBA history have combined the dominance and efficiency that a 25+ point, 15+ rebound, and 75.0%+ field goal night requires. If that’s not enough, Griner also threw down the sixteenth dunk in league history (excluding all-star games); she’s responsible for 13 of them.
If Griner can maintain anything resembling this production while Taurasi recuperates (and beyond), Phoenix will be a very tough out come playoff time.
First Star: Courtney Williams - 31 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists at New York on 5/29
Courtney Williams knocked down the game-tying and game-winning triples in overtime giving Atlanta its fourth straight win and was three assists away from a triple-double. Of course she’s getting the First Star.
Now, can she continue to knock down the mid-range jumper at the same rate as she did on Saturday? Unlikely. However, performances like this combined with the Dream’s loaded backcourt might make people think twice about a team many had written off after its 0-2 start.
Adam’s Week 3 Power Rankings
Check out the Her Hoop Stats Twitter page (@herhoopstats) tomorrow for our week 3 power rankings! Once again, we will base these on the votes of a panel of Her Hoop Stats contributors. As a member of this panel, here is my ballot.
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
Her Hoop Stats released the following new podcast content this week:
On the Her Hoop Stats podcast, John Liddle spoke with Las Vegas Aces play-by-play announcer Anne Marie Anderson about the team’s star-studded lineup as well as her 32-year career in sports broadcasting.
In the latest episode of Courtside, Christy Winters-Scott and Gabe Ibrahim discussed Tina Charles’ dominance, the recent spate of injuries in the W, and the controversy surrounding Curt Miller’s comments toward Liz Cambage.
Dan Hughes announced his retirement on Sunday after a 20-year career in the WNBA and 40 years in coaching. He joined John Liddle on the Her Hoop Stats podcast last year to talk about how he was still supporting the Storm from outside the Wubble. You can listen to the throwback episode in honor of his career. Congratulations, Coach Hughes!
Who do sportsbooks think will capture the WNBA MVP award this year? In the most recent installment of his series on sports betting in the W, Calvin Wetzel broke down this year’s MVP race and identified a few players that Vegas may have underrated.
And speaking of sports betting, you don’t want to miss Her Hoop Stats’ newest feature on social media: Wetz Betz. Whether it be over/under, point spread, or moneyline bets, Calvin provides his WNBA picks of the night. Here’s the debut episode, where (spoiler alert) Calvin nails his two picks.
The Phoenix Mercury recently announced that Diana Taurasi will miss at least four weeks due to a fractured sternum. Kim Doss wrote about how the Mercury can survive this significant blow.
WNBA legends Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson were recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Aneela Khan discussed their contributions to the game of basketball with former teammates Ticha Penicheiro and Tully Bevilaqua.
In his latest edition of WNBA Dissected, Richard Cohen analyzed the career progression of a pair of third-year post players, Teaira McCowan and Brianna Turner.
In the WNBA Minute, Gabe Ibrahim broke down how Tina Charles’ versatility helped her put together a string of three 30+ point nights.
Other Recommended Content
In February, former Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie published Secret Warrior: A Coach and Fighter, On and Off the Court, a memoir detailing her experience with bipolar disorder. For The Next, Jenn Hatfield discussed how Coach McCallie is using her platform to draw awareness to the affliction and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness.
For The New York Times, Gillian Brassil wrote about Sedona Prince’s health scare; how that experience helped her appreciate the opportunity to play Division I basketball; and how she plans to leverage her newfound fame to further effect change in women’s athletics.
On Around the Horn and on her Twitter account, Sarah Spain reflected on the Curt Miller/Liz Cambage situation.
For WNBA.com, Brian Martin identified five statistical storylines fans should follow as the season progresses.
Women’s Professional Basketball Trivia Questions of the Week
The answers to last week’s questions will be posted on Twitter @herhoopstats. Here are this week’s questions - good luck!
Easier: Boasting four of the top 10 scoring performances in playoff history, who has the WNBA record for most points in a playoff game with 42? The player in question accomplished the feat on September 7, 2010 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Liberty.
More Difficult: Who is the only player to win the WNBA MVP award in a season when their team failed to make the playoffs?
Ken Jennings-Level: Featuring nine of the 12 members from the 1996 U.S. Olympic squad and many of the top college players, the American Basketball League arguably contained the best collection of women’s basketball talent on the planet during its two and a half years of existence from 1996-1998. Which team won the league’s only two championships?