DWBB 2022-23 Season

[CameronBornAndBred]

Michelle Voepel and Alexa Philippou have ranked the top 25 players in the WNBA semifinals.
Our own Chelsea Gray comes in at #3. (And is the cover model for the article.)

No one is hotter this WNBA postseason than Gray, who has a history of playoff success. She has been on fire offensively (10 of 13 from behind the arc) along with playing lockdown defense. She has also continued to be an exceptional playmaker; it all warrants this big jump from the early rankings. -- Voepel

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id...ers-semifinals

[hallcity]

Conference schedule is out:
WBB.jpg

[Phredd3]

Conference schedule is out:
WBB.jpg

That's going to be a big finish, with two tough, tough teams at home.

[DU82]

Conference schedule is out:
WBB.jpg

Combining the men's and women's schedules, there's only three times both will play on the same day. The first is in Cameron on Nov 7th, with the women at 11AM (NC A&T) and the men at 7PM (Jacksonville.) The other two times are Nov. 25th and 27th in Portland for the Phil Knight tournaments. Hope our games won't overlap. (And no need to watch one on my iPad in Cameron while attending the other.)

I also noted that the NC State game in Raleigh on 12/29 is listed as being in PNC Arena instead of Reynolds. Checking gopack.com, they list the game as being in Reynolds. I'd trust that NCSU has it right, and we'll play in their "little" gym instead.

[dudog84]

The Chronicle looks at grad transfer Mia Heide:

https://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...ne-kara-lawson

[dudog84]

I wonder if Mikaylah Williams, the #1 player in the 2023 class, is re-thinking her commitment to Kim Mulkey and LSU. Duke made her final list of 5 schools.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/09/kim...tly-who-she-is

“(reporter at press conference) Diaz: I wanted to get your thoughts on the Brittney Griner situation. I don’t think I’ve seen anything from you on that…

Mulkey: And you won’t. I’ll answer the first one for you.”

For those unfamiliar with the connection, Griner led Mulkey's Baylor team to a National Championship and 40-0 record 10 years ago (and they had beaten Duke in the Elite Eight the year before).

[AustinDevil]

I wonder if Mikaylah Williams, the #1 player in the 2023 class, is re-thinking her commitment to Kim Mulkey and LSU. Duke made her final list of 5 schools.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/09/kim...tly-who-she-is



For those unfamiliar with the connection, Griner led Mulkey's Baylor team to a National Championship and 40-0 record 10 years ago (and they had beaten Duke in the Elite Eight the year before).

That's awful (of Mulkey). How hard is it to muster some platitudes about hoping Griner is freed soon? Too hard, apparently.

[uh_no]

I wonder if Mikaylah Williams, the #1 player in the 2023 class, is re-thinking her commitment to Kim Mulkey and LSU. Duke made her final list of 5 schools.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/09/kim...tly-who-she-is



For those unfamiliar with the connection, Griner led Mulkey's Baylor team to a National Championship and 40-0 record 10 years ago (and they had beaten Duke in the Elite Eight the year before).

And the relationship with mulkey is a bit complicated: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...-book/5840791/

[brevity]

ESPN's Preseason Bracketology has Duke WBB as the 8 seed, facing 9 seed Villanova and then overall 1 seed South Carolina. (Those games would be in Columbia and the regionals are in Greenville. The 2023 tournament will only have two regional sites -- the other is Seattle -- so the Gamecocks can try to reach the Final Four without leaving the state.)

[CameronBornAndBred]

ESPN's Preseason Bracketology has Duke WBB as the 8 seed, facing 9 seed Villanova and then overall 1 seed South Carolina. (Those games would be in Columbia and the regionals are in Greenville. The 2023 tournament will only have two regional sites -- the other is Seattle -- so the Gamecocks can try to reach the Final Four without leaving the state.)

Well that was a respectable season. I hope we go a little further in '24 though.

[dudog84]

The Chronicle on Reigan Richardson:

https://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...gan-richardson

I have a gut feeling Reigan is going to be the surprise of the newcomers.

[Kedsy]

The Chronicle on Reigan Richardson:

https://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...gan-richardson

I have a gut feeling Reigan is going to be the surprise of the newcomers.

This year's women's team will be incredibly deep. Though it's hard to visualize Coach Kara being able to utilize all that depth to its fullest extent. We just have too many good players. How many great (rather than good) players we have is the question going into the season.

[DoubleBlue]

This year's women's team will be incredibly deep. Though it's hard to visualize Coach Kara being able to utilize all that depth to its fullest extent. We just have too many good players. How many great (rather than good) players we have is the question going into the season.

With that many options, there is a good chance that one or two of the good players will develop into great players. Competition can foster that development. That will be fun to watch.

[uh_no]

This year's women's team will be incredibly deep. Though it's hard to visualize Coach Kara being able to utilize all that depth to its fullest extent. We just have too many good players. How many great (rather than good) players we have is the question going into the season.

With that many options, there is a good chance that one or two of the good players will develop into great players. Competition can foster that development. That will be fun to watch.

Depending on pre-season depth is a bit of a fools game. Invariably players get injured and other players end up not who we thought they were...in either direction.

[Phredd3]

Depending on pre-season depth is a bit of a fools game. Invariably players get injured and other players end up not who we thought they were...in either direction.

On the other hand, at the rate of ACL tears in the program historically, not having depth is not really an option.

[dudog84]

Sad story. Impaired driver drives onto sidewalk and plows into pedestrians. Among the injured was a rising senior that just committed to Iowa on Sunday. No reports on how serious her injuries are yet.

Wishing her the best.

https://www.espn.com/womens-college-...ing-struck-car

Unfortunately, it looks like this poor girl won't be playing any more basketball. Iowa is doing the right thing and honoring her scholarship. Her knees should be able to be repaired so that she can live a normal ambulatory life. I hope her head injuries weren't too bad.

https://www.espn.com/womens-college-...ely-play-again

[dudog84]

The Chronicle on Shay Bollin. I think that covers all the newcomers.

https://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...-bollin-lawson

[dudog84]

None of Duke's transfers made espn's top-30 impact players. I hope that lights a fire under their butts.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Kara Lawson sat down for a press conference today.

"We hope to be more consistent in meeting our standard," Lawson said at Tuesday's ACC Tipoff media event in Charlotte. "We want to be a better defensive team than we were a year ago. We want to be more disruptive. We want to be more complete offensively. So you just try to be more consistent in those areas."

13 minute video included in the link.

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/lawson...ball/20517618/

[brevity]

Kara Lawson sat down for a press conference today.

13 minute video included in the link.

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/lawson...ball/20517618/

It's not as detailed, but I can embed a 2-minute clip from the ACC Digital Network.