D22_Dee

This really should not be surprising. Seattle’s direction has been obvious for a while now: younger timeline, Dominique Malonga as the centerpiece, and players who fit that build. Ezi fits that plan better than Gabby. An Ezi-Malonga frontcourt is an actual long-term vision. Then add Jordan Horston to the equation and the fake confusion makes even less sense. Lastly, Seattle cored Gabby last year, after she stated she did not want to be Cored. So no, she was never some automatic, no-brainer Core choice this time around.

This is a dumb take. Protecting players in an expansion draft is about asset protection, not about putting out some public confidence signal. The league only allowed teams to protect five players, and expansion teams were even allowed to take certain upcoming unrestricted free agents. So of course a team is going to protect its highest-value assets first. Not protecting a player does not mean “we do not value her.” It means there were only five protection slots and other players carried more value, more leverage, or more risk if left unprotected. And in no universe are you leaving higher-value players unprotected over Aaliyah Nye. Vegas left Nye unprotected, and Toronto took her. That is how this works.

@NekiasNBA Agreed. I had A’ja at the Supermax. Jackie at the Max. And Chelsea anywhere from $600K-$750K.

My general Vegas thought: secure the big three for 3.5 (or less) and they're in really good shape to make another splash + round the roster out. If A'ja does get the full super max (1.4), that's 2.1 to split between Jackie/Chelsea -- seems doable but we'll see

Some of y’all really think your personal dislike of a player equals leaguewide reality. It doesn’t. If she hit the market, Atlanta could absolutely have interest in a player who already knows Karl Smesko’s system front to back and was drafted in large part because of that fit. Los Angeles made the same kind of coach-familiarity bet with Alissa Pili and Lynne Roberts. And please stop talking about value like it starts and ends with points per game. Locker room value matters. System fit matters. Shooting matters. Three-point threats are always going to have appeal somewhere. Sydney Colson is the easy example. Folks acted like she was giving Vegas nothing, then Indiana gave her a bigger role from day one.

@d22_dee But you’re forgetting no one actually wants her. Like no one will give anything up for her so in other words it’s a guarantee she’s staying ergo an extension

There is absolutely no reason on God’s Green earth to extend KB! She has offered nothing to the team. Hasn’t improved a bit since she’s been on roster. Let her go!

The basic procedure is to extend a qualifying offer to your restricted free agent to keep her a restricted free agent and preserve your right of first refusal, including the ability to match an outside offer. If the team does not extend that qualifying offer, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent and the original team loses that control.

@wrldofastargrl Maybe they plan to trade Lyss??? Or they just expect them to play together lol

Aces didn’t core Jackie and gave nalyssa a QO 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

@Li33aaa If she had stuck to criticizing his work and not insulted him personally then her looks wouldn’t have come up. You can’t throw personal insults then be alarmed when they are thrown back at you.

“why you look 50 and you’re 24?” she got cooked 😭

@MarjorieH79 @NekiasNBA That’s different because Stewie had already expressed interest in leaving and fully exploring free agency which is why they chose to Core Jewell instead.

@NekiasNBA Seattle didn’t core Stewie then she signed with New York. Maybe these teams shouldn’t assume unless/until contracts are signed.

Some WNBA fans need this explained very slowly: Core designations are not required, and a team using one does not guarantee that player will ultimately be on the roster. Likewise, qualifying offers to restricted free agents and reserved players do not guarantee a contract or a roster spot. They simply preserve right of first refusal for RFAs and exclusive negotiating rights for reserved players.

@aonethousands Qualifying offers don’t secure anything but negotiating rights and that the player doesn’t walk for nothing.

The Liberty cored Sabrina who said she 100% wanted to return. The Lynx cored Phee, the Sparks cored KP. But the Aces didn’t feel the need to core Jackie with absolutely nothing to lose from it. But felt the need to secure Kierstan Bell. Ok man.

Teams do not have to use the Core. It is not some mandatory yearly checkbox. Most teams use it when there’s real flight risk, a mutual parting of ways, or a need to formally lock in commitment. So “they didn’t core anyone” is not proof of dysfunction. It just means they may not have needed to.

They extended KB but didn’t core any star. Please investigate Nikki Fargas. This is not a real franchise.

@manofstandard75 @GoBlue808 @UnderdogWNBA They can only Core one player. Rhyne is a Restricted Free Agent so there’s no need to Core her.

@GoBlue808 @UnderdogWNBA They can core 2 players only

Allisha Gray has received Core qualifying offer from the Dream.

Where did I say the client liking the tattoo was not important? I didn’t. The argument in the clip was that what mattered was what the client wanted, while they were acting like the judges’ opinions should outweigh that. My point was simple: just because a client does not like a tattoo does not automatically mean the tattoo itself was bad work. Bad color in one part of a tattoo does not make the entire piece bad. And people need to stop trying to paint that man like he is some terrible artist just because he responded with a personal criticism after she came at him personally first.

@d22_dee @Li33aaa A client liking the tattoo is always going to be important and a green cat means bad colour

@BuckleUpShipman @Li33aaa And it’s still good work.

@d22_dee @Li33aaa the cat is still green

Y’all keep doing all this talking about the Aces, Nikki Fargas, Becky Hammon, and “how are they gonna pay this player” or “how are they gonna afford that one,” but one thing you will never be able to say is that the Aces overpaid anybody. A lot of teams in this league fall into that trap. The Aces do not. They’re the best in the league at managing value, roster construction, and making the salary cap work. So everybody needs to relax and let them do what they always do.

@Jesse_hov Mad because players wouldn’t take less to play with their favorite players and teams! 🤣

The hate for the Aces was at a all time high when this happened Had mofos writing articles and shit

@BuckleUpShipman @Li33aaa I’m going based off of what I see, backstory is irrelevant to that. His work is still good. Also, because a client doesn’t like something doesn’t mean it’s not good. Anyone with eyes can look at the flower one and tell he’s extremely skilled,

@d22_dee @Li33aaa The cat is green, the soldier is disproportionate and he was asked to work off a photo ref that it looks nothing like, and the flower one was when a cancer survivor asled for something to represent her struggle and she didn't like it

@BradenScheck @Li33aaa If she had stuck to criticizing his work and not insulted him personally then her looks wouldn’t have come up. You can’t throw personal insults then be alarmed when they are thrown back at you,

@Li33aaa Nah, going after someone's looks is a low blow, and lame.

@BuckleUpShipman @Li33aaa Of all of those, the only one that’s not good is the maze. The cat one could be better but it’s still good, the soldier is also good maybe needs more dimension in the shading and the flower one is top notch, 10/10!

@Li33aaa (to the people saying this isn't bad... try and solve that maze)

That’s a bad comparison. A’ja, Stewie, Sab, and Phee are emphatic about running it back because they’ve won or come close with their core. Mitchell can’t speak from that same place, and at 30 she’s on a different timeline than AB and CC. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to be there.

@theprophecc She should stay & win it all but feels like with her you never really know if she still wants to be on team. Unlike players like A’ja, B Stew, Sab, Phee etc who are emphatic about running it back.

Why are we all so divided on Kelsey Mitchell bro I don’t understand 😭😭😭😭😭