I'm honestly not certain. I'll ask around and see if I get any more feedback on that. She might not and obviously, there are the concerns about Olympic years. France made all WNBA players sit out most of the season until the Olympics were over. A franchise can't have their star player sit out large portions of multiple seasons. How will France handle the FIBA World Cup? Those are some of the bigger concerns with Malonga.
This is why I don't like building a team on Euro players, especially French. Isn't Gabby leaving for a few weeks in the middle of the season for some tournament?
It's an interesting decision to make. I think the team needs openings at both positions and it feels like both Miles and Malonga have a ton of potential. The whole ship generally doesn't work if you don't have a great Point Guard. What happens if Skylar gets hurt during the season? What happens if SDS decides to retire earlier than expected? Plus there are concerns about Malonga and her availability due to France's strict policies about players playing during Olympic years, etc. But I do think the Storm should evaluate everything.
I also sometimes worry about International prospects because sometimes they look amazing overseas and then just can't hack it in the WNBA. If the Storm truly believe Dominique Malonga is a Breanna Stewart/Jonquel Jones type of talent. Then they should draft her.
But Olivia Miles's passing reminds me so much of Chelsea Gray. Or even Sue to a slightly lesser extent. Her three-point shooting has been incredible and that would open up the Storm's offense even more and help space the floor. Also, in the article I wrote here, I'm suggesting the Storm draft Miles and then use some of their future draft picks to get Shakira Austin. Maybe it's a pipe dream but I could see it happening for the reasons I explained.
I think it's a fascinating decision to make. And maybe the Storm don't have to make the tough call. Maybe Miles decides for them and returns to Notre Dame. Or maybe they pull off a massive deal to draft Paige instead.
Much of what you outlined in your article, Jeff. As a Louisville fan and ACC watcher, I've seen a lot (too much :-) ) of her and view her as pretty close to being a generational point guard. Her court vision and passing are extraordinary, and she can now shoot the basketball, which she couldn't do pre-injury. Finally, graduating from Guard University pretty much assures she'll be decent - at a minimum - as a pro. The Storm needs a long term answer at PG, if they hope to compete for championships, more than they need to take a chance on an unproven, international big. Note: Last night, on ACCN there was a locker room photo of Notre Dame in Miami with SDS and Arike. Seattle needs to happen. Just sayin.'
I saw on Reddit, that Olivia Miles was recently wearing a Diggins-Smith shersey (jersey shirt) while she was out in public. I definitely think playing with Skylar would be a huge attraction for Miles and likely could be a key factor in her coming out versus going back to college. I'm sure Skylar would love to work with her as well.
Another thing I’m liking is how Miles has had to play a little more disciplined alongside Hidalgo. She’s shown she can play with another superstar guard, and has adapted fine to the notion that it’s no longer “her” team.
I’ve been an OM fan since freshman year. If we have the chance to get her…I would be ecstatic. Skylar has been visiting ND and I think she even “held” a practice with them. I could see OM staying simply because of the better rookie contract starting next year…and I don’t think she has the level of NIL deals that Paige has (sadly). Regardless, I’m team OM and really hope we are able to get her
It's funny you mention that Cija. Back during the 2023 season, when it was pretty clear the Storm were going to be one of the worst teams in the WNBA, I was already targeting Rickea Jackson in the 2024 draft and Olivia Miles in the 2025 draft. More so on names of top guard prospects as opposed to truly knowing her game two years ago. But still, it'll be neat if Seattle does end up drafting her.
Would Malonga even play this year?
I'm honestly not certain. I'll ask around and see if I get any more feedback on that. She might not and obviously, there are the concerns about Olympic years. France made all WNBA players sit out most of the season until the Olympics were over. A franchise can't have their star player sit out large portions of multiple seasons. How will France handle the FIBA World Cup? Those are some of the bigger concerns with Malonga.
This is why I don't like building a team on Euro players, especially French. Isn't Gabby leaving for a few weeks in the middle of the season for some tournament?
I would rather see Malonga picked before MIles. We have plenty of guards, need to develope post play.
It's an interesting decision to make. I think the team needs openings at both positions and it feels like both Miles and Malonga have a ton of potential. The whole ship generally doesn't work if you don't have a great Point Guard. What happens if Skylar gets hurt during the season? What happens if SDS decides to retire earlier than expected? Plus there are concerns about Malonga and her availability due to France's strict policies about players playing during Olympic years, etc. But I do think the Storm should evaluate everything.
I also sometimes worry about International prospects because sometimes they look amazing overseas and then just can't hack it in the WNBA. If the Storm truly believe Dominique Malonga is a Breanna Stewart/Jonquel Jones type of talent. Then they should draft her.
But Olivia Miles's passing reminds me so much of Chelsea Gray. Or even Sue to a slightly lesser extent. Her three-point shooting has been incredible and that would open up the Storm's offense even more and help space the floor. Also, in the article I wrote here, I'm suggesting the Storm draft Miles and then use some of their future draft picks to get Shakira Austin. Maybe it's a pipe dream but I could see it happening for the reasons I explained.
I think it's a fascinating decision to make. And maybe the Storm don't have to make the tough call. Maybe Miles decides for them and returns to Notre Dame. Or maybe they pull off a massive deal to draft Paige instead.
Assuming Bueckers is not an option and that Miles is, at #2, I would drive to South Bend and back to pick her up, if necessary.
What excites you most about Olivia Miles to the Storm?
Much of what you outlined in your article, Jeff. As a Louisville fan and ACC watcher, I've seen a lot (too much :-) ) of her and view her as pretty close to being a generational point guard. Her court vision and passing are extraordinary, and she can now shoot the basketball, which she couldn't do pre-injury. Finally, graduating from Guard University pretty much assures she'll be decent - at a minimum - as a pro. The Storm needs a long term answer at PG, if they hope to compete for championships, more than they need to take a chance on an unproven, international big. Note: Last night, on ACCN there was a locker room photo of Notre Dame in Miami with SDS and Arike. Seattle needs to happen. Just sayin.'
I saw on Reddit, that Olivia Miles was recently wearing a Diggins-Smith shersey (jersey shirt) while she was out in public. I definitely think playing with Skylar would be a huge attraction for Miles and likely could be a key factor in her coming out versus going back to college. I'm sure Skylar would love to work with her as well.
Another thing I’m liking is how Miles has had to play a little more disciplined alongside Hidalgo. She’s shown she can play with another superstar guard, and has adapted fine to the notion that it’s no longer “her” team.
I’ve been an OM fan since freshman year. If we have the chance to get her…I would be ecstatic. Skylar has been visiting ND and I think she even “held” a practice with them. I could see OM staying simply because of the better rookie contract starting next year…and I don’t think she has the level of NIL deals that Paige has (sadly). Regardless, I’m team OM and really hope we are able to get her
It's funny you mention that Cija. Back during the 2023 season, when it was pretty clear the Storm were going to be one of the worst teams in the WNBA, I was already targeting Rickea Jackson in the 2024 draft and Olivia Miles in the 2025 draft. More so on names of top guard prospects as opposed to truly knowing her game two years ago. But still, it'll be neat if Seattle does end up drafting her.
Let’s carpool and bring her back to her new future home :-)