Does anyone know why she was late to arrive in Chicago? Was it COVID related travel difficulties or something else? Just wondering if a full training camp may have benefitted Shyla in the adjustment to the league.

Like many the hype over values ability when the spin team get behind something / someone

She's young , she certainly wasn’t up to the standard of the WNBA plus the WNBA isn’t the B all and end all, if a player wants to make basketball their career lots of other avenues
She will be back on the hype spin wheel playing under her father, he will make sure of that ... feel for the other players at Sydney though , it will be Shyla and the flames .

How the heck does this happen so soon to a #8 pick

Also, if she's good enough to average 25 and 7 in WNBL, why is she struggling so badly

Hope her interfering dad wasn't the cause of this, demanding more court time.
As it does seem very odd to cut a #8 pick a few weeks in and no one else picks her up .

Heal would be wanting her to start in his mindset lol

Do feel for the kid though, tough outcome especially after all the media attention she received , now to have to face the fall out .

Saw that one coming.

So if Heal can't at least become a steady backup she might find herself in the very rare situation of being a top 10 draft pick who gets cut before the end of their first season.

Brutal.

Interesting move after only 4 games....if you wanted / were expecting someone to come in a contribute straight away then why burn your top 10 pick on a 19 year old? At 19 and after missing training camp surely there is an appreciation that it may take some time for her to find her feet? Strange that they didn't persist with her for at least half of the year. At her age and after such a strong WNBL season, I think the hype surrounding her was deserved.

Best of luck to her, looks like she will be heading back to Aus.

I don't know anything about the WNBA, but was shocked when I heard this. Hopefully this doesn't really effect her mentally, especially how young she is. Initial thought to be honest was what's her dad done now. :/

if you go back and watch the games a couple of things happened. She drove in to get fouled with about 15 secs left on the clock and got fouled which is a not done over there, not in the spirit of the game and the other players weren't happy; it is seen as selfish. I also saw one team mate pass over her head to another taller team mate who then ran the floor with shyla not knowing what to do. Also a time where she went to high five a team mate who turned her back on her. The last two weren't her fault but were certainly a reflection of perhaps not fitting into the culture there. The father has banged on about not needing college to play in the W, well now we know they won't pick anyone unless they evaluate them properly. Brondello's husband is assistant coach, he may be next as you would think he had some influence in the pick

I reckon Melbourne probably looked at Heal and thought how good is this, who needs college so she pulled out of college and signed an agent. Cant go back now to NCAA as she has an agent

"f you go back and watch the games a couple of things happened. She drove in to get fouled with about 15 secs left on the clock and got fouled which is a not done over there, not in the spirit of the game and the other players weren't happy; it is seen as selfish. I also saw one team mate pass over her head to another taller team mate who then ran the floor with shyla not knowing what to do."

Sounds like a terrible culture in the WNBA then? That sounds like Bullying to me.

^ I hope that's not how it went down.

--

Random extra wrinkle to this morning's news is that the other 1st round draftee on Chicago's roster - Stephanie Watts - was also waived. Watts of course also being the import that the Sydney Flames signed for the upcoming WNBL season.
So Watts, Shyla & Shane can look forward to a season-long bitchfest about the Chicago Sky in between their basketball commitments. Should be a fun vibe.

Sounds like a terrible culture in the WNBA then? That sounds like Bullying to me

I think youre right, but it is more about knowing that you are a rookie and fitting into the system as they have all done their time following the unwritten league and team rules unless you come in as a franchise player like Sabrina

#009 that would be the dad telling her to score as much as possible and essentially run the show, she should have been told to take her time and just fit into the system and do the other stuff at training to show what you can do.

So Watts, Shyla & Shane can look forward to a season-long bitchfest about the Chicago Sky in between their basketball commitments.


So we know the coach will be telling these two to score as much as possible and I think this proves that it isn't just about scoring. Can you imagine the us vs them diatribe he will come up with

Heal said they cut her at the airport before the road trip. Ooof.

That was when he was thinking she was going to Dallas, she got waived there an hour later. Aussies are piss ants over there

Had a look at some footage of Evans with Louisville to get an idea as to her qualities. Evans is a quality passer who looks to leverage the team's bigs. And she appears to have good situational awareness.

A lot of mock drafts actually had Evans going to the Sky with their Shyla Heal pick

Also, if she's good enough to average 25 and 7 in WNBL, why is she struggling so badly

Luuuc, where was that discussion? Interesting situation and would like to read more.

Edit: Nevermind - found it here.

Had a look at some footage of Evans with Louisville to get an idea as to her qualities. Evans is a quality passer who looks to leverage the team's bigs. And she appears to have good situational awareness.

Evans was the best player for Louisville in a stacked team, all the guards over there at Heal's size are lightning quick, not sure why we thought that someone at Shyla's speed and height would thrive, no doubt she played selfish probably because her dad told her to score, should have just been trying to win over team mates by assists; not sure of her stats but she didn't have many. If you are going to take step back 3's on the your first PG possession they better go in or you look selfish. If they go in and she gets on a roll as we know she can it is probably a different story. Definitely the wrong team for her, body language of team mates towards her was horrible

Evans is also from Chicago so cultural fit is assured. The fact that Dallas just waived her and Chicago gave away a first rounder next season to get rid of her says they wanted her out; not sure team mates gave her a chance

"A lot of mock drafts actually had Evans going to the Sky with their Shyla Heal pick"

I recall seeing Sky fans on twitter bemused when it didnt go down like that

I don't know about bullying. It's professional sports, all of those players are in their mid to late 20’s, they’ve watched Lexie Brown get cut in early May to make room for a small, cocky 19 year old white girl from a foreign country, who they no doubt saw as privileged. She starts playing and they would’ve been like Wtaf?? Lexie gets cut for this, are you kidding me?? And, I think that’s fair enough.

Agree totally that is what they were thinking. pretty sure local fans would have said the same thing in numbers. and she is a confident kid so they wouldn't like that.

Heal 01 5'6 168cm - Melbourne 02 5'9 176cm

Imo, Current I’d say

Scoring 8/10 - 6/10
Shooting 8/10 - 6/10
Defense 5/10 - 7/10
Speed 5/10 - 9/10
Ball handling - 7/10 - 7/10
Ball IQ 6/10 - 8/10p

39/60 v 43/60

I think also Melbourne’s defense will get slightly better and her ball handling, looks more natural either hand.

Anyone else agree/disagree?



Jades dad is a constant in these threads. Give it 4 years and learn from what is happening to Shyla. She couldn't even get it done at u20 nationals, you are delusional, wait for 3 seasons of full scouting. Experienced WNBA player Steph Talbot had Melbourne fouled out in 10 minutes by posting her up. Jade is fast here but not fast compared to WNBA where players who are 6ft4 have the same skill sets. Kia Nurse got cut for gods sake. go away and do the work

Seems like poor FO management - if you knew she may be under-developed, don't you hold onto her draft rights and let her play in the WNBL for another season or two? The fact they didn't play the draft-and-stash route and assume she'd be ready to play says a lot.

No.
Once a player is drafted to the WNBA it is up to the player what to do next.

The player can choose to stay home and develop, in which case the team retains their rights. Or they can choose to show up ready for duty, in which case all the roster restrictions, salary cap, etc. comes into play.
Shyla & her management chose to go, and that put Chicago into a tricky spot if she wasn't ready yet.

Chicago are under a bit of pressure right now because they went all out for a title shot this year, and then copped injuries to 2 star players, and lost another key player temporarily to the 3x3 qualifiers. That actually bought Shyla additional playing opportunities.
But the team kept losing. Now all those players are returning from injury & travel, and the roster squeeze is on.

(that was a response to Pyro)

Keep in mind that this year was one of the all time weak draft classes.
Also note that quite a few players sat out last year's wubble season.

It was always going to be tough for any rookie to crack a spot in the WNBA this season. Let alone a 19 year old.

College doesn't prepare you for anything , it's a case of if your face fits your in
Check it exactly how many from college end up in the WNBA and look at who they are
College players play against kids their own age , sit on benches for years if they aren’t from the USA high school system
The standard of college ball isn’t good, it’s the hype that it brings that brainwashes people into thinking it’s a great system

What a load of crap, check the WNBA rookies of the year last year UCOnn Guard and will be the 6ft1 Onyenwere this year. You have no idea, most aussie girls go straight over and their D is no where near good enough because the don't need it here.
So again don't sprout College doesn't matter, the ones that are kept are college kids, if you perform as a stand out in the elite 8 etc you get kept, simple as that

Bit of history being rewritten in this thread - not sure anyone had her being waived weeks in when the draft happened. WNBA is certainly a brutal business. Lots of rookies in the NBA clearly aren't ready but get to hang around and play G-league for a couple of years.

Check it exactly how many from college end up in the WNBA and look at who they are

Other aussies who have performed very well in the WNBA: Brogan, Timms, Phillips, Bevilaqua, Brondello, Harrower, ... so yeah, college really not necessary.

Aussies who have been drafted out of college: Hibbert, Foley, Payne, Lacey, Ardossi, Wallace, Smith. (any others?). That's a lot of zero-WNBA-impact, two one-and-done careers, and Smith (who I think will be touch-and-go to get a contract when her rookie contract expires at the end of this season).
Steph Talbot has had more impact that all of them combined, so college is overrated as a pathway for aussies for sure.

"College is a waste of time even education wise , as any degree you may get is not recognised here in Australia"

LMAO what a load of drivel

Real ballers like Joe Ingles and Dejan Vasiljevic have hit out at the disrespect. smh man

Honestly, its good to know its not just non english speaking countries that are forced to do extra study to get their qualification recognised. Gonna be an expensive exercise for my better half.

Ebzery, Madgen although we're 2s and Wallace n Melbourne are the only 1s over 5’9.


Jades dad is back on

This will explain a lot, it has been previously mentioned about the players turning their backs on Shyla during attempts at high fives etc and passing the ball over her head to other team mates so they could run the point.
The girl who cut got and reinstated played AAU with a prominent team member. The girl who replaced Shyla played AAU and grew up in Chicago, read the comments. If this was reversed it would be all over the news is all i will say

https://twitter.com/Lexiebrown/status/1400565036083388416

" This will explain a lot, it has been previously mentioned about the players turning their backs on Shyla during attempts at high fives etc and passing the ball over her head to other team mates so they could run the point."

Any coach whom accepts this shouldn't coach ever again.

Any coach whom accepts this shouldn't coach ever again

If you read the comments in the twitter post it is evident it's more about a cultural issue than her skill level, really unfair. The coach (well there is no delicate way to say it) shares the same culture. The fans on the post do also. The asst coach (snowman from Frozen) will likely be next.
The intro on the WNBA app is all BLM with Cambage front and centre. The gun PG is the exception but has played 300 games and has everyones respect. Tough place and not her fault, could have gone anywhere and under Sandy this would not have happened

Clearly just wasn't a good team fit for Shyla

I find it interesting that consensus swung from "clearly not up to it, likely to get cut" to "this is an OUTRAGE!" once the news broke.

I find it interesting that consensus swung from "clearly not up to it, likely to get cut" to "this is an OUTRAGE!" once the news broke.

I think it is more why draft her in the first place, make a 19yo go over there and then do what they did like that

Many comments have centred on shyla's playing style, how she put up 3 attempt too early. Yet when i saw the LA game, i saw other players put up early shots that were badly formed. Team turnovers very high. Very poor cutting and getting open. And a sulky attitude by coach and most players. In this context, shyla's game was not a disaster. Her defence was energetic and she created a lot of pressure, forced them to stretch their passes. The coach looked a loser from the tipoff. Lots of negativity. The environment looked toxic. Sorry for Shyla that she found this out the hard way.

A few hours ago

This will explain a lot, it has been previously mentioned about the players turning their backs on Shyla during attempts at high fives etc and passing the ball over her head to other team mates so they could run the point.
The girl who cut got and reinstated played AAU with a prominent team member. The girl who replaced Shyla played AAU and grew up in Chicago, read the comments. If this was reversed it would be all over the news is all i will say

https://twitter.com/Lexiebrown/status/1400565036083388416

The culture at that club, like most in the WNBA isn't what you would call "inclusive" the same goes for many college teams unfortunately, only have to speak with players who either returned or moved colleges , the same underlying issue can be found .
Shula is better off away from that type of environment, as they say “revenge is a dish best served cold” she can spend the next few years mastering her ability, then wipe the floor with team USA

"If this was reversed it would be all over the news is all i will say"

Sometimes a story like this comes along that seems ordinary at the time, yet it is not. It certainly points to cultural, or (perhaps) racial biases that run in more than one direction.

Frankly I am quite outraged at how Sky treated Shyla, who I consider one of us. I know her father is a "colourful figure", but Shyla can't help that. She has represented Aust with distinction. I've got no idea if that prick Sky coach and player "leaders" have a conscience, perhaps in the years ahead some may reflect upon their actions with regret.

For me, the episode resonates as my daughter is beginning to assess whether to enter the US college system. The 2 of us will be more cautious following this incident.

What is that tweet supposed to prove other than 2 AAU teammates from many years ago now reuniting in Chicago?

There was dissension in the team when she got cut for Shyla. See below another tweet from her, note the comments of the culture and tell me if there would be outrage if it was reversed.

From the other team mates twitter Diamond De Shields...check both their twitter accounts and it is full of it, why would people around a pretty innocent 19 yo have not checked this out before she went there. De Shields wasn't happy until she got Brown back

It be white people ...disrespecting black athletes . Don't just say "a fan" let’s really talk about what’s goin on in pro sports right now . This shit is bigger than having a “passionate fan base” . It’s disrespectful af .

For me, the episode resonates as my daughter is beginning to assess whether to enter the US college system. The 2 of us will be more cautious following this incident.

I understand it and I dont think it is personal just the principle...sheep to wolves and people around her should have looked after her

Everyone should watch espn doco on Kayo called 144 and it is self explanatory. It isn't personal but what a set up for the kid

koberulez

anon243 writes
"The culture at that club, like most in the WNBA isn't what you would call "inclusive" the same goes for many college teams unfortunately, only have to speak with players who either returned or moved colleges , the same underlying issue can be found ."

I concur.

People really seem to be desperate for a scapegoat here when the reasons are pretty straight forward.
Assuming Shyla keeps improving her game (and why wouldn't she - she's only 19 and has been improving at an impressive rate until now), getting cut like this works out nicely for her in that she's now an unrestricted free agent and can sign with whoever she wants. So anyone blaming this on cultural issues at a particular club should be happy that she is now no longer bound to them for at least 3 years.

Major egg on their faces atm.

I think some people's blind hatred of Brondello get the better of them at times.
Phoenix did a great job of getting this far considering Hartley is just coming off an ACL, they lost Cunningham and then had her back on restricted minutes, Taurasi was on one leg, and then Kia Nurse went down with an ACL. They showed a lot of heart - certainly more than the top 2 Sun & Aces.
Sandy is a pretty solid WNBA coach IMO.

See, when you cut a Heal you win a Championship.

Well done Chicago Sky.

Her draft selections and trades have been poor, very poor

Not sure an "excuse" is needed for finishing runner-up! but sure - they weren't the only team hit by injuries. I think 2 ACLs is still pretty bad though, by any standards.
Stewie's injury ended any chance that Seattle had, Washington would have been a different team with a healthy Delle Donne, and Vegas already had more than enough to win a title but would have had even more with McCoughtry. So yeah, a lot of things could have been different.

Does drafting but cutting Shyla mean that Chicago retains the rights to her should she develop enough to play WNBA?

Yeah, for financial reasons the rosters are kept minimal so there aren't many teams that are able to carry development players these days.

For someone like Heal that's not such a bad thing, assuming she keeps improving.
IMO it's better for someone like her to be an unrestricted free agent and make her own choice about where to play, rather than being stuck for years with the team that drafted her but potentially in bad situation for playing time / development.

Does drafting but cutting Shyla mean that Chicago retains the rights to her should she develop enough to play WNBA?

Thanks, Zodiac

(Mod: Legally problematic.)