Cal and WNBA

583 Views | 9 Replies | Last: 18 days ago by ClayK
Woodacre
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9:19p, 4/24/25
As far as I can tell, here are the list of folks who attended Cal( Graduates are starred*) and are on on WNBA training camp rosters:

Dallas Wings: McKenzie Forbes
Indiana Fever: *Jaelyn Brown
Minnesota Lynx: Dalayah Daniels

Bonus Player:
Seattle Storm: Gabby Williams (Jayda Noble's sister)
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RedlessWardrobe
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2:48a, 4/25/25
Kind of curious. I know little about the WNBA, but couldn't one of those teams use a defensive standout like Jayda to come off the bench for a few minutes as a stopper?
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ClayK
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6:43a, 4/25/25
The short answer is no.

The medium answer is that she's not nearly talented enough to play in that league. You have to be an eliter college starter to even think about it.

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RedlessWardrobe
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In reply to ClayK • 7:10a, 4/25/25
ClayK said:
The short answer is no.

The medium answer is that she's not nearly talented enough to play in that league. You have to be an eliter college starter to even think about it.

Clay, I respect your opinion. It's just that in my limited time of following women's basketball, she's one of the most elite defenders that I can recall watching. Just thought maybe a team could use her in a short duration game situation. But to your point, she lacks the overall skill.
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SFCALBear72
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In reply to RedlessWardrobe • 7:25a, 4/25/25
RedlessWardrobe said:
ClayK said:
The short answer is no.

The medium answer is that she's not nearly talented enough to play in that league. You have to be an eliter college starter to even think about it.

Clay, I respect your opinion. It's just that in my limited time of following women's basketball, she's one of the most elite defenders that I can recall watching. Just thought maybe a team could use her in a short duration game situation. But to your point, she lacks the overall skill.
A more diplomatic response to RW's inquiry (on a free message board) would have been:

WNBA teams are limited to 12 players on their rosters, so the competition for those spots is fierce among both U.S. college graduates and international players. For example, I believe the Golden State Valkyries have 7 international players on their roster.
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mbBear
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In reply to SFCALBear72 • 9:14a, 4/25/25
SFCALBear72 said:
RedlessWardrobe said:
ClayK said:
The short answer is no.

The medium answer is that she's not nearly talented enough to play in that league. You have to be an eliter college starter to even think about it.

Clay, I respect your opinion. It's just that in my limited time of following women's basketball, she's one of the most elite defenders that I can recall watching. Just thought maybe a team could use her in a short duration game situation. But to your point, she lacks the overall skill.
A more diplomatic response to RW's inquiry (on a free message board) would have been:

WNBA teams are limited to 12 players on their rosters, so the competition for those spots is fierce among both U.S. college graduates and international players. For example, I believe the Golden State Valkyries have 7 international players on their roster.
Maybe one of the few times I disagree-the answer should be harsh, and it goes directly to the point of how difficult it is to play women's basketball and earn some money in the US. Yes, there are international leagues, and I couldn't begin to give you an answer as to how many women go that path, but emphasizing an educational "back up" plan should be done by every single coach guiding women on a lower level.
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Woodacre
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9:53a, 4/25/25
Due to a tough salary cap, some WNBA teams go with 11 players instead of the maximum of 12. Over the next several years more opportunities will open up as more teams come into creation and there will be a new Player Agreement thanks to the influx of funds. Until then, players who make the WNBA seem to be able to both defend and score, as well as rebound.
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mbBear
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In reply to Woodacre • 10:11a, 4/25/25
Woodacre said:
Due to a tough salary cap, some WNBA teams go with 11 players instead of the maximum of 12. Over the next several years more opportunities will open up as more teams come into creation and there will be a new Player Agreement thanks to the influx of funds. Until then, players who make the WNBA seem to be able to both defend, score, as well as rebound.
It's not all that different than the NBA...sure, there are guys who are known for defensive abilities, but you aren't sticking with minimal offensive skills. Matisse Thybulle is the best example of this-he was all NBA Defense, but needed a stacked line up to be starting and/or contributing. Just didn't work well, because teams could ignore him on offense. He has tried hard to be more consistent in his 3 pt. abilities...
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CalWSportsFan
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10:58a, 4/25/25
Jaelyn Brown arrives in Indiana! Go Bears!

https://bsky.app/profile/wnbafan.bsky.social/post/3lnle4g3yqs2y
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ClayK
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11:14a, 4/25/25
The NBA comparison is a good one.

Any player must be able to score or you're playing 4 on 5 on offense. If a player can't average 12 ppg in college, there's really no place for her in the W. And perimeter players must be able shoot threes -- I'd say minimum 33% in college.
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