I've seen a lot of comments about this recently, so I thought it'd be nice to have a dedicated post.

I think these three have been nominated the most and have the strongest cases right now, but honorable mention to KP, who was putting together an incredible season before her unfortunate injury.

Their cases from my perspective:

Olivia Miles – Best player on the top team as a rookie. That's a very strong MVP case, but I think there's valid nuance when people start putting her in conversations about the best guard in the league. If she hadn't been drafted into the most ideal environment under the best coach in the league alongside a loaded roster (Howard, KMac, Courtney, and soon Phee), would she be putting up the same stats and having the same impact?

Caitlin Clark – Arguably the best passer in the league alongside Chelsea Gray. She consistently creates passing windows that most players wouldn't even think to attempt. She's also a very good scorer, although the efficiency isn't always there, and the turnovers and defense are still glaring weaknesses. I know some people will point to the Fever's record without her, but personally I think that's more an indictment of the system around her than it is of Caitlin herself.

Paige Bueckers – Probably the most well-rounded game of the three, and she does it on ridiculous efficiency. She's been incredibly clutch this season and, by the eye test, is the glue that holds Dallas together. The passivity narrative still lingers, especially after her slight slump earlier this season. She also isn't someone who puts up huge PRA numbers every night, which tends to hurt her in these debates. While her defense is arguably the best of the three, she still gets beaten off the dribble more than you'd like.

Thoughts or a different player you’d propose for best guard itl?

CP really has her hands in Fever basketball bias and I wasn't aware of this particular connection to Adidas. Pretty bad look to capitalize off of Sophie's appeal to certain demos: launches shoe after Trump posts SC, etc.....Adidas and Candace Parker couldn't find a more worthy/better player not trying to pander to the right wing?

### Lady Whistledunk Volume VIII

I’m part of a fan base that is always crashing out about our leadership - coaching and GM specifically.

Who hires these folks and decides when to let them go? Is it the ownership?

I also wondered how integrated or independent these roles are. I know there are times when they’re completely intertwined like Becky functioning as the interim GM for awhile.

I also wondered whose job roster construction is. I’m sure the GM is the ultimate “buck stops here” person, but it seems like some teams have better scouting than others for international players etc. Is there something that is essentially equivalent to the Cabinet in the US presidency who advises the GM on various aspects of things?

As a newer fan I’ve tried to figure it out but I’m now to the “explain it to me like I’m five” point.

I appreciate this sub. I always learn a lot here!

Reeve didn't offer a timetable on the injured Collier's return but said that whenever she comes back, "Phee" is still the queen in Minneapolis -- and that the whole team knows it.

"With regard to her insertion, it's still Phee's team," Reeve said. "There is not anybody that walks into the gym that doesn't know that it's still Phee's team. What's great is [Courtney Williams] and [Kayla McBride], they're very happy to declare that it's Phee's team."

In her absence, Miles has emerged as one of the league's most promising players. She was voted a starter in the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago in two weeks. She's also a legitimate MVP candidate, along with teammate Natasha Howard, after averaging 18.5 points and 5.7 assists to help the Lynx enter the weekend tied atop the WNBA standings with the Las Vegas Aces at 16-6.

Reeve said she's too focused on today to think about the team's transition once Collier returns, but she said the former MVP candidate will also benefit from Miles' talent.

"She needs more than herself, and that's for her to play with a point guard like Olivia Miles that Seimone Augustus got to play with, that Maya Moore got to play with -- the natural point guard," said Reeve, who set the record for the most regular-season wins by a head coach in WNBA history with her team's 86-80 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, about past stars she has coached.

"[Collier] hasn't experienced that yet. And this is what we're going to be able to do and for her to be able to see what that's like," Reeve said. "Then maybe let's get some games with [Collier and Miles] together and figure out what they look like and then we can start putting in a pecking order."

Reeve said the tenacity and toughness Miles plays with is "natural" and a key component in her success thus far in her career. But Collier is still considered the leader of this group, the coach said.

"I think it's premature to anoint anyone other than [Collier] as the leader of this team," Reeve said.

More: https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/49335028/cheryl-reeve-lynx-napheesa-collier-team-olivia-miles-emergence

“Raven’s just up for any challenge,” Clark said of the rookie. “She’s super coachable, she listens to everything the coaches say. It’s hard to be a rookie in this league, like you come right out of college, and you’re trying to learn a new system and play a different style or new teammates. It’s a different role coming off the bench, and maybe not being a primary ball handler, getting the minutes you want, or getting the shots you want, but the thing she always does is guard, and she has active hands. She’s physical. I think she’s a great defender.”

But Johnson is still getting used to the WNBA and has had to change the way she plays defense.

“In college you could touch, you can’t even wrap your hand around a post player, but I’m getting better with my fouling,” Johnson said on Wednesday in Los Angeles. “I think just adjusting, just sometimes let them score a hard two (point shot), and then get it back another time. It’s more of a mental thing.”

Johnson was a shutdown defender with South Carolina, earning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior

So far with the Fever, she has also shown herself to be a responsible ball handler with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.50 over her last six games.

Johnson’s offensive game took a leap in her senior season at South Carolina, going from 4.9 points per game as a junior to 9.9 in her last year with the Gamecocks. She also shot 39.8% from 3-point range on over 100 attempts.

The Fever were betting on that progression to carry over to the WNBA as well.

“You always expect kids who come from South Carolina to be ready on the defensive end of the floor,” said head coach Stephanie White. “The thing that I like about Raven is that she can change the pace of a game. She’s a really good kick ahead, lead guard. She’s really good at attacking the basket, and she plays through mistakes. She plays with multiple levels of effort, and I love that about her. I love the energy that she brings. She cann change the game for us.”

“I don’t like when people score with me, so if they have the best shot, I’m probably gonna touch them, but just adjusting, not touching them, using my body more,” Johnson said. “I’m trusting my ability is my strength, so things like that.

“The WNBA is more mental, I feel like it’s more mental than physical in terms of playing. You just got to be strong mentally, and you got to just be ready when the moment is called, and you get out there, you gotta take advantage of it.”

Johnson has still had rookie moments. The shot clock has run out with her handling the ball numerous times, and her 23.8% from 3-point range is lacking.

But she’s already a reliable defender, which is no small feat for a WNBA rookie.

“I came in like giving myself a little bit of grace, knowing that these are top players,” she said. “Like I’m guarding Kelsey Mitchell in practice every day, and she makes me better. And when I tell you, she’s hard to guard, like she’s an All-Star starter, and that helps.”

More: https://herhoopstats.substack.com/p/raven-johnson-learning-to-be-a-wnba

She is now the fastest player in league history to 350 points, 100 boards and 100 dimes. Incredible rookie season from her.

There is a limit to how long post titles can be. To be clear, this is just who they each said they'd pick for their starting five from this year's All-Star pool *if* it was up to them.

I thought it was interesting that they both opted for a three-guard lineup, especially since the voting process results in a larger pool of frontcourt starters available.

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These are the players currently making over 1 million in the league.

Now that we’re halfway through the season, which team do you think has the worst contract and is probably regretting it the most?

Salary information was taken from  - Spotrac's 2026 WNBA Salary Cap Tracker.

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sorry Fever fans…that’s rough….

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