Team Cat’s huge triumph highlighted the very first week of Swish Appeal’s inaugural WNBA dream basketball season. Cat got significant contributions from MVP prospects Alyssa Thomas and Elena Delle Donne, in addition to Satou Sabally and Shakira Austin.
The very first week of the 2023 WNBA season — and the 2023 dream basketball season! — remains in the books. Let’s check in with Swish Appeal’s six-team dream basketball league and see how each group is doing.
Team Zack (Zack Ward) beats Team Draves (Zachary Draves) 794.9 – 760.7
This was without a doubt the closest match of the opening week, with Team Draves making a furious resurgence on Sunday (235.5 dream indicate 98.1) however falling simply short. While Kelsey Mitchell (77.4 dream points on the week) had a couple of a lot of turnovers (10) and inadequate 3-pointers (7) to get rid of that, Zach got more powerful contributions from gamers like Napheesa Collier (155.9 dream points), Allisha Gray (116 dream points) and Rhyne Howard (111.5 dream points). Collier taped 7 takes and 7 blocks — each of which deserve 3 dream points in our league — adding to her excellent dream point overall.
Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner was among 5 gamers who played 4 video games today for Team Ward.
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Ultimately, however, Team Ward had a significant benefit in video games played (34 to 24), which, as a lot of dream basketball veterans will inform you, is frequently the distinction in between triumph and defeat. Despite getting little bit from Amanda Zahui B. (6.6 dream points; 9 overall minutes played) and Erica Wheeler (12 missed out on shots, 9 turnovers and 20 points in 61 minutes), four-game slates from DeWanna Bonner (141.5 dream points), Jessica Shepard (91.3 dream points) and Courtney Williams (127.5 dream points) were simply enough for Zack to get rid of the rest of his lineup’s disappointments. Zack changed Zahui B. with Shepard 2 days into the season.
Also of note for Team Ward: the thumbs-up Jewell Loyd has on offense (89.1 dream points in 2 video games) is a terrific indication progressing for when the Storm play more than 2 video games in a week. Zack likewise needs to be pleased with Brittney Griner’s production: 64 points, 24 rebounds and 11 blocks in 3 video games for his first-round draft choice.
Team Nemchock (Eric Nemchock) beats Team Leite (Chelsea Leite) 965.5 – 790.5
The injuries are accumulating early for Team Nemchock, which has yet to get anything from Myisha Hines-Allen (who is working her method back from offseason knee surgical treatment) and needed to put Teaira McCowan on its hurt reserve (IR) simply 16 minutes into the season when she suffered a knee injury of her own. Eric changed them with Alanna Smith and Rebekah Gardner, the latter of whom played simply one video game for his group prior to suffering what seemed a foot injury.
Despite presently rostering more hurt gamers than available IR areas, Team Nemchock won conveniently over Team Leite, thanks to strong efficiencies up and down its lineup. A’ja Wilson (183.5 overall dream points in 4 video games), Brionna Jones (140.2 in 4) and Arike Ogunbowale (124.1 in 3) have actually been Eric’s most efficient gamers, while Brittney Sykes’ capability to acquire takes and helps yielded 118.4 dream points in 4 video games. Jones, in specific, was essential for Team Nemchock, as she guaranteed that Eric had another extremely efficient center in McCowan’s lack.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson provided for Team Nemchock.
Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Team Leite, on the other hand, has a number of Las Vegas Aces gamers in Chelsea Gray, Candace Parker and Kelsey Plum, each of whom played 4 video games today. In a method, the Aces’ early season supremacy has actually kept Team Leite from reaching its complete capacity, as their blowout success have actually implied additional time on the bench for their stars, Parker in specific. And speaking of time on the bench, Han Xu’s unclear function for the Liberty totaled her simply 3.5 dream points in 13 overall minutes for Team Leite; we’ll see if the Liberty make any modifications to their rotations in the coming days.
On the brilliant side for Team Leite, Ezi Magbegor is producing at a high level for the Seattle Storm now that she’s back in their starting lineup, amounting to 62.8 dream points in 2 video games. Rookie Aliyah Boston has actually played well for the Indiana Fever, too, amounting to 96.1 dream points in 3 video games. The arrows for both of these gamers are pointed straight up, and will ideally cause more success for Team Leite next week.
Team Cat (Cat Ariail) beats Team Josh (Josh Felton) 1,045.2 – 747.2
When you have Alyssa Thomas and Elena Delle Donne on your dream group and they both play 4 video games in a week, you’re going to remain in respectable shape. Team Cat enjoyed this high-end in the very first week of the season, getting 185.1 dream points from Thomas and 162.1 dream points from Delle Donne as they more than measured up to their early draft positions. Thomas, in specific, has actually been discussed in early-season MVP discussion, and her capability to pack the stat sheet continues to be on complete screen: She taped 59 points, 45 rebounds, 19 helps and 10 protective statistics (8 takes and 2 blocks) for her beast stat line.
Cat likewise got significant contributions from Satou Sabally (133.2 dream points in 3 video games), who looks primed for a breakout season for the Dallas Wings, and Shakira Austin (136.9 dream points in 4 video games), who’s presented with a comparable chance in Washington. Watch out for Team Cat as the season advances.
Alyssa Thomas (left) and Elena Delle Donne make a terrifying one-two punch for Team Cat.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Team Josh, on the other hand, had the highest-scoring efficiency of the week from any gamer in Breanna Stewart, her 45-point outburst last Sunday adding to 193.9 overall dream points in simply 3 video games. Josh likewise got a huge week from Jackie Young, who tore down 13 3s and taped 17 rebounds, 12 helps and 9 takes en path to 170.2 dream points.
Depth has actually ended up being an issue for Team Josh, nevertheless, which dropped Azurá Stevens and Isabelle Harrison in favor of Lexie Brown and Karlie Samuelson, respectively. While Harrison is most likely out for the season as she recuperates from meniscus surgical treatment, Stevens would produce a fascinating waiver-wire pickup for another group down the line when she returns for the Sparks.
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