Looking at the WNBA transactions for the last couple of weeks

Monday 06 March 2006

Lots of player movements to comment on since I last blogged. Let’s take a look at the more significant ones:

The Nikki Teasley/Temeka Johnson trade

Ah yes, the trade that has inspired furious debate on the messageboards and even the subject of a feature by some WNBA team staffers.

Who’s better - Teasley or Johnson? From my vantage point, it’s hard to say. I think both of them are solid floor leaders and have good playmaking skills. In terms of scoring, Johnson is the bigger threat off the dribble but Teasley is the better outside gunner. Teasley’s size is an advantage but she doesn’t really take advantage of it; it does allow her to see over her defender but she rarely posts up or drives. Defensively, I’d say Johnson is the more effective defender as she commits to it but her size is a liability. Teasley’s defence is best described as “indifferent” but she doesn’t have the size disadvantage.

There are also other issues to consider. Teasley has injury concerns, suffering from plantar fasciitis. She’s playing in Russia at the moment but is she really over her injury probs? Will she fit into Adubato’s halfcourt system where there’s no Lisa Leslie to make running the halfcourt look so easy? How will the inexperienced Johnson deal with a nebulous situation at L.A?

I personally rate Johnson a bit higher at the moment but Teasley has proven herself in the past and I think she has more upside (whether Washington is the right situation for it to be tapped fits into the issue discussed in the previous paragraph). In the end, I’d rate the exchange of these two point guards as close enough to be rated a wash.

Where Los Angeles wins out is in the other terms of the trade. No not Murriel Page, who was probably traded to balance out salaries. She’ll make a nice benchwarmer in L.A and might make the Claw happier. Why did Washington trade down three places in a shallow draft? Teasley is not significantly better enough than Johnson to merit this. With the #5 pick, there’s a chance of snaring one of the big four if they somehow manage to slip and in any case, there’s a good chance of getting a rotation player. At #8, well the chances of getting that are lower, especially in this shallow draft.

However, there have been murmurs that Johnson was the cause of some chemistry problems in Washington and that’s the main reason why she was shifted. It could explain why Hargrove was willing to accept such dubious terms.

Tamecka Dixon to Houston

Weirdness aside (much disliked player goes to conference rival), a healthy Dixon is what the Comets need - a guard with good on-court instincts and a solid all-round game. The problem is, Dixon hasn’t been healthy for a couple of years. I’m not sure what the current status of her injury is but plantar fasciitis is something that hangs around and it’s clearly affected her performance in the last couple of seasons.

The Comets do have to be worried about their backcourt. Staley and Dixon are good guards when they’re healthy but they’re prone to niggly injuries and their recent performance has reflected their struggle with that. Canty has improved but is only a “plug in the gaps” player at best. Canty and Dixon don’t have range and are streaky, while Staley’s scoring has steadily decreased over the years. Looks like Swoopes and Thompson will have to burden a lot of the perimeter load.

Liberty sign Kiesha Brown and Barbara Farris, sign and trade for Kelly Schumacher

Blaze’s hopper - brimming with mediocrity?

Farris is a hard-working player and while a nice signing, she’s not a difference maker. Kiesha Brown - even less so.

Is Schumacher worth a near-max deal? Not if she continues to produce 4 points and 2 rebounds per game ala 2005. In a post deprived market though, mediocre posts will command top dollar. The trade of picks occurred because Indiana is apparently interested in Tye’sha Fluker and want the best possible shot at her.

So the Libs now have a frontcourt of Kraayeveld, Schumacher and Farris, which is essentially everybody else’s scraps. Maybe Davenport in ‘07 is Blaze’s gem at the bottom of the hopper.

Storm re-sign Betty Lennox, sign Palmer-Daniel

There were a couple of rumours about Lennox looking at other teams but in the end, Seattle offered her the contract she wanted (multi-year max) and she took it. Lennox’s situation in Seattle is ideal for her - she’s not expected to carry the team but she’s basically got free rein to do what she wants on the perimeter because nobody else is willing or capable of asserting themselves on the perimeter. Unless her decision making improves, that’s not a good situation for Seattle. I think Donovan has to change the way the perimeter offence operates and get the others more involved.

Palmer-Daniel is a good pick-up for the Storm as Batkovic is not likely to return for the 2006 WNBA season. Palmer-Daniel is even an upgrade over Batkovic with her experience, interior D and efficient post scoring.

Other transactions

• The Ras to Phoenix. A good fit - Rasmussen is similar to Kayte Christensen but with a bit of offence and more experience.

• Byears to the Mystics. Controversies aside, Byears could add some much needed toughness to the Mystics frontline but it’s hard to measure where she’s currently at because she’s been absent from the WNBA for a couple of years and big numbers in Europe doesn’t mean anything.

• Seattle signs Toccara Williams and Tiffani Johnson. Can Donovan be the one to motivate Johnson? I’m betting no. She may make the team though if Edwards has had enough. Williams could be an interesting complement to Bird - quick, good defender but questionable perimeter and halfcourt game.

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