Gotnext Women's Basketball Boards

mb · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:22 pm Post subject: 2008 Training Camp Roster

Not official...I'll likely list players at incorrect possitions...edits welcomed!

Going from memory and typing fast (as fast as two fingers allows).

Questions:
Will O. Scott be re-signed?
Will Shuey sign?
Are Teana McKiver and Teana Miller the same person?
Any trades in the works? Burse? D-Nasty?
Will Taylor and Snell return (this season, next)?
Will any training camp invites make the cut?
How many draftees make the cut?

Twenty-one players by my count.
At some point it goes to 18, then 15, IIRC.
Then is it 11+2, or 12+1...goodness, I am rusty.

POINT GUARD:
Kelly Miller
Leilani Mitchell
Jen Derevjanik
Yuko Oga

SHOOTING GUARD:
Cappie Pondexter
Kelly Mazzante
Marscilla Packer

SMALL FORWARD:
Diana Taurasi
Belinda Snell

POWER FORWARD:
Penny Taylor
Kelly Schumacher
Latoya Pringle
Le'coe Willingham
Wilnett Crockett

CENTER:
Tangela Smith
Barb Farris
Brooke Smith
Teana Miller
Teana McKiver
Kristen Newlin
Olympia Scott

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caune · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1558 Location: Phoenix

damn...we sure could use a small forward huh

mb · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:36 pm Post subject:

caune wrote: damn...we sure could use a small forward huh

Some listed at PF or SG may be able to move to SF.

Also, that Taurasi kid is pretty good. :wink:

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bball_novice · Joined: 01 May 2003 Posts: 59 Location: Mesa, AZ

Scott and Schumacher will not be back:

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/113323

mb · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject:

Thanks...my subscription to the Scottsdale Tribune ran out.

With only the AZRepublic (Scottsdale edition), I have missed some sports reporting and more palletable (sp?) local and national reporting.

Looks like I may have to renew (or remember to read on-line).

Schuey will be missed, yet there is only so many dollars to spread around.

Olympia may have been great in the community and locker room, yet 10K per point scored is a little steep. For her 32 minutes of playing time, she earned $80,800 if word on the street is correct.

mb · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject:

Similar discussion on RebKell:

http://boards.rebkell.net/viewtopic.php?t=37725

mb · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject:

From RebKell:

toad455 wrote:
Quote: I going to say Taylor & Snell both show up. Why?: They won a title last season.

PG: Miller/Mitchell/Derevjanik
SG: Pondexter/Mazzante
SF: Taurasi/Snell
PF: Taylor/Pringle
C: TSmith/Farris
IA: Oga/Willingham

Phoenix has their starting PG in Miller and three solid back-up PGs in Mitchell, Derevjanik & Oga. Not sure why they need four PG but I think there's a chance all four make the final roster.

This looks fairly accurate...I'm inclined to concur with this assessment.

*edit to add:

insert McKiver for Willingham???

if either (or both) Taylor and Snell doesn't show, there are more openings

Packer is likely insurance for Snell, though Belinda plays SG and SF

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gillomfan · Joined: 16 Jun 2002 Posts: 253

I know nothing about Pringle except from what I heard today. Sounds like she will be a great fit. As for the 2nd round, we don't need another guard. My guess is she is trade bate. Normally players that deep in the draft are trade bate. We'll see what happens.

This was another great day in the special history of our team.

Side bar: Yolanda Griffith went to Seattle. WOW! THe Storm have loaded themselves up. So have Detroit and LA. But the title still goes through our Mighty Mercury. I know we can do it!!

I am very excited about the season. GO MERCURY!!!

SportsFan48 · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1124

I was pretty certain that Schuey and Scott were not coming back when I saw how long they were on the free agent list and the number of training camp invitees with a lot of height to them.

Speaking of training camp fodder, one of them might stick if they picked up some extra stuff in the off season playing in Europe...or not.

LA, Seattle, and San Antonio all got better. We may have gotten worse, if Penny doesn't show. It may be a long season. I still think we can make the play off bubble but home court advantage may be tough.

One thing I am way excited about with our #1 draft pick, Pringle, is her defensive abilities. She will fit our system because she can run but what impresses me most is her toughness inside, something that will be needed in the post heavy west.

SportsFan48 · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1124

I just read the whole press release the Mercury put out for re-signing Jen D. and Teana McKiver.

It looks like Teana McKiver and Teana Miller ARE the same person. She was re-signed to a one year contract as was Jen D. I wonder if that is the current trend in contract signing if it involves a returning player or one that played in the WNBA last season.

We have a multiyear deal Ferris and possible with Willingham (not sure what her contract offer was - as a restricted agent, assuming a multiyear deal).

So all this musing makes me wonder if we are tied to contracts with everyone or if someone comes into camp and shows something that is worth keeping, will we have room for them on the roster.

The more I think about it, it really don't think the Mercury believe Penny will be back and are making plans to do what ever they can to fill her spot with the best available people.

caune · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1558 Location: Phoenix

I don't agree the SA got better, they lost Marie and are trading Camille Little for the Belgin Waffle...they don't scare me :wink:

Seattle, well if we hide their Geritol we'll be fine but LA oh my....I'm hoping they havce major Chemistry issues being an almost entirely new team. A backcourt of Tiny Johnson and Marie, while fast, is not altogether consistent so they may not start fast and we can get a jump on 'em.

I think Minny could be much improved, they've got Wiggins and Coach Gillom...both great moves!

mb · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:51 pm Post subject:

Good points regarding our conference foes, caune.

Sportsfan, there maybe something to the fact of whether contracts are 'guaranteed' or not.

It may not be salary or contracts that get in the way...simply a limit to the number of players allowed on the (opening day) roster (to include IR).

mb · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:10 pm Post subject:

from Queenie on RebKell:

Quote: McKiver is Teana Miller's maiden name.

from Richyyy on RebKell:

Quote: I think they're really going to miss Penny Taylor if she doesn't show up. I mean let's face it, Phoenix's front-court looked poor on paper last season, and very, very thin, but Taylor played the whole season essentially out of position, fitted the system beautifully and although she didn't get many votes, was a legitimate MVP candidate. Unless Pringle is the steal of the decade, they're going to have difficulty replacing that. They're going from one of the best five players in the world to a rookie, Le'Coe Willingham and Barb Farris. They also need to either sign or somehow replace Schumacher, who wasn't great last year but was the first post off the bench and played 16 mpg. I can happily believe Farris and Willingham could replace her, but unless Taylor's showing up or Pringle's a beast they're going to be needed to do more than that.

For me Taylor's the difference between middle-of-the-pack and contending again. On the other hand, could I see Phoenix just about hanging around in the playoff race only for Taylor (and Snell) to show up after the break to boost them for the finish? Definitely possible. Perfectly possible to win a championship from the fourth seed in this league as well, especially with those best-of-three first round contests with the lower seed getting home-court in the first game. LA-Phoenix in the first round with Game 1 in the desert? That'd be fun.

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SportsFan48 · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1124

Good observations, caune. I really can't argue with your logic. I wasn't really thinking about what they lost, just what they gain. They may be even. They get Erin back as well and if she plays back to the level she was at in Sacramento, they may not miss Camille as much. The Waffle is a pretty good player, however, a better player in Europe than the W.

Seattle, IMO, is a better team but they will have to stay healthy. They don't have much depth. LA has better depth yet could very well have chemistry issues. Maybe that is the reason why so they drafted Bobbitt. If she makes the roster, 1/3 of the roster will be Tennessee players with experience with each other.

They all make me nervous.

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1032 Location: Phoenix AZ

caune wrote: I think Minny could be much improved, they've got Wiggins and Coach Gillom...both great moves!

methinks they're counting on Gillom a lot with all the height they now have. Anyone who followed Jen at Xavier Prep knows she's an amazing coach/teacher. Others may recall that LJ was a "good" player till Donovan taught her to maximize her talents. I think the Lynx will become more of a threat because of what we know about Gillom that the rest of the league doesn't yet.

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

The Mercury get an A from me for this draft, solely because of Pringle. How she dropped to #13 I have no idea, but I am really grateful. I was fearful we would have picked somebody like Nicky Anosike, who is really half a player. I expect Pringle to slot nicely into the rotation and if the Money doesn't show up, she might start.

Out of the hordes of training camp posts we have (it must be close to some sort of record), I like Newlin the most. Reasons? #1 - she's 6'4"/6'5" and #2 she has range. The rest of them don't particularly inspire (including McKiver, who needs to hit the treadmill a little bit more)

As for our conference foes, I think SASS are the biggest challengers to the throne, though it will be interesting to see whether Hammon's choice to represent Russia will impact on them. Seattle is a huge threat *if* they all stay healthy - the jury's out on the one! Los Angeles' guard play is still suspect - the only thing reliable in the last couple of years from Johnson and Ferdinand is their ability to be inconsistent and miss large swathes of games.

I feel quite good about the upcoming season - with the Money unlikely to turn up till after the Olympics (if at all), people will be sleeping on us and I think given our style of play, I think we will able to weather the key loss better than most people will think. We will need Smith, Pringle and Farris to step it up though.

Dunkin' Dan · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:22 am Post subject:

If we can hang around within striking distance of the playoffs until Penny shows up then we could go ok (assuming she does eventually show up. I think she will. The disappointment of losing in Beijing will make her hungry for some success).
I agree with Richyyy that she was an integral part of our structure last season. Without her we go back to being purely a catch & shoot team in offence.

Merc vs. LA is going to be quite the contrast of perimeter vs. paint play this season. I suspect they'll end up being every bit as tough as SASS and the Storm though.

On another positive note, I'm pretty confident that the Comets, Monarchs & Lynx aren't going to be too tough, so as long as we're together and clicking at the business end of the season we can afford to stumble a few times early.

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

Phoenix Mercury sign Amy Lewis

Quote: In her final college year, Lewis led her team in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game, in field goals made, with 167, in field goal attempts, with 382, finished second on the team in three-point field goal percentage (35%), finished second in free throw percentage (73.9%), finished second in total rebounds with 147, second for most rebounds per game, averaging 5.1 and finished third in assists, dishing out 54.

Training camp fodder, but continues the Mercury's fine tradition of Australian acquisitions.

CamrnCrz1974 · Joined: 16 Jun 2003 Posts: 1689 Location: Central Phoenix

Regarding San Antonio, Wauters was an All Star the last time she played. She has been great overseas. San Antonio is a much better team with her.

Losing Marie doesn't hurt SA. She didn't do anything of note last year.

Also, SA picked up Atunrase, which replaces the loss of Camille Little. Atunrase is a little shorter, but provides depth at the three.