EaganGopher22
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I thought that I would take a stab at a look at the Whalen coaching years and all the things that have worked against Whalen and the Gophers. Admittedly, some are on Whalen, but much of it was outside her control. Great talent makes a coach look much better, and lesser talent probably more easily exposes weaknesses. I didn’t have a means to find the rosters for each year, so I looked at the stat sheets for each year to determine what players were on the team (essentially, if they played some during the season). So I may have missed some who were on the roster officially.
2018-19. The team that Whalen inherited from Stollings included Kanisha Bell, Gadiva Hubbard, Destiny Pitts, Taiye Bello, Jasmine Brunson, Palma Kaposi, Annalese Lamke, Irene Garrido Perez, and Kehinde Bello. Based on many of the rumors of the time, several of these players were going to seek to transfer prior to the exit by Stollings in April 2018. (And then we later discover what a poisoned atmosphere was there after the mess surfaces in Texas).
Whalen was hired shortly after that while still playing for the Lynx for the summer. Needless to say, Whalen faced some challenges being a WNBA player and a coach. Her ability to recruit was likely hampered by not having previous contact with high school players. And her assistant coaches probably had limited previous contacts as well, especially in MN. On top of that, the U of M connection to MN high school and AAU was essentially non-existent.
Considering that the best players are being recruited as early as the 8th grade, and certainly by the 10th grade, any coach new to the U would be at least three years behind the MN recruiting scene.
My guess is to add players to the 2018-19 team meant getting players who hadn’t yet committed and were likely on the lower end of the talent pool. (And this theme will play for the next few recruiting seasons as well). The resultant additions were Mercedes Staples, Barbora Tomacova, and Delaynie Byrne. Additionally, Gadiva Hubbard sat the year out due to injury.
Whalen had to begin to try to re-establish connections with MN high school coaches, AAU programs, and players. Essentially, three to four years behind in the recruitment process.
2019-20. Bell, Kaposi, Lamke, Garrido Perez, and Byrne are gone (mostly graduation). Incoming were Sara Scalia, Jasmine Powell, Masha Adashcyk, and Klarke Sconiers. And Gadiva Hubbard returned from injury. Staples and Pitts leaves team mid-year.
Recruiting is further hampered by COVID in 2020-21. Have to believe this impacted newer coaches like Whalen vs. established coaches like Frese or Staley, etc.
2020-21. Brunson and Bello twins graduate, Adashcyk are gone. Additions included Kadi Sissoko, Laura Bagwell Katalinich, Alexia Smith, Kayla Mershon, Caroline Strande, Katie Borowictz (arrived mid-year), Grace Cummings, Justice Ross, and Erin Hedman.
2021-22. Justice Ross (gone?) and Katie Borowictz (injured). Deja Winters and Bailey Helgren (transfers), Maggie Cziano and Alanna (Rose) Micheaux (recruits) are added. Powell leaves during the season. Based on the play or lack of play, I expected Smith, Strande, and Hedman to leave at the end of the year (especially in light of incoming freshman recruits and some expectation that incoming transfers would play in front of them).
Following the theme, Whalen appears to have successfully navigated the recruiting cycle in the state. Four of the top five recruits commit to the U for 2022-23.
2022-23. Bagwell Katalinich, Mershon, Winters, Hubbard, and Helgren graduate (run out of eligibility). Scalia, Sconiers, Smith, Strande, and Hedman enter transfer portal. Borowictz, Michaux, and Cziano remain. “Fab 4” recruits arriving. And the transfer portal will bring additions (my guess is 3-5 players). Since there are about 1100 in the portal at the moment, would hope she could attract some out of the top 100-300.
2018-19. The team that Whalen inherited from Stollings included Kanisha Bell, Gadiva Hubbard, Destiny Pitts, Taiye Bello, Jasmine Brunson, Palma Kaposi, Annalese Lamke, Irene Garrido Perez, and Kehinde Bello. Based on many of the rumors of the time, several of these players were going to seek to transfer prior to the exit by Stollings in April 2018. (And then we later discover what a poisoned atmosphere was there after the mess surfaces in Texas).
Whalen was hired shortly after that while still playing for the Lynx for the summer. Needless to say, Whalen faced some challenges being a WNBA player and a coach. Her ability to recruit was likely hampered by not having previous contact with high school players. And her assistant coaches probably had limited previous contacts as well, especially in MN. On top of that, the U of M connection to MN high school and AAU was essentially non-existent.
Considering that the best players are being recruited as early as the 8th grade, and certainly by the 10th grade, any coach new to the U would be at least three years behind the MN recruiting scene.
My guess is to add players to the 2018-19 team meant getting players who hadn’t yet committed and were likely on the lower end of the talent pool. (And this theme will play for the next few recruiting seasons as well). The resultant additions were Mercedes Staples, Barbora Tomacova, and Delaynie Byrne. Additionally, Gadiva Hubbard sat the year out due to injury.
Whalen had to begin to try to re-establish connections with MN high school coaches, AAU programs, and players. Essentially, three to four years behind in the recruitment process.
2019-20. Bell, Kaposi, Lamke, Garrido Perez, and Byrne are gone (mostly graduation). Incoming were Sara Scalia, Jasmine Powell, Masha Adashcyk, and Klarke Sconiers. And Gadiva Hubbard returned from injury. Staples and Pitts leaves team mid-year.
Recruiting is further hampered by COVID in 2020-21. Have to believe this impacted newer coaches like Whalen vs. established coaches like Frese or Staley, etc.
2020-21. Brunson and Bello twins graduate, Adashcyk are gone. Additions included Kadi Sissoko, Laura Bagwell Katalinich, Alexia Smith, Kayla Mershon, Caroline Strande, Katie Borowictz (arrived mid-year), Grace Cummings, Justice Ross, and Erin Hedman.
2021-22. Justice Ross (gone?) and Katie Borowictz (injured). Deja Winters and Bailey Helgren (transfers), Maggie Cziano and Alanna (Rose) Micheaux (recruits) are added. Powell leaves during the season. Based on the play or lack of play, I expected Smith, Strande, and Hedman to leave at the end of the year (especially in light of incoming freshman recruits and some expectation that incoming transfers would play in front of them).
Following the theme, Whalen appears to have successfully navigated the recruiting cycle in the state. Four of the top five recruits commit to the U for 2022-23.
2022-23. Bagwell Katalinich, Mershon, Winters, Hubbard, and Helgren graduate (run out of eligibility). Scalia, Sconiers, Smith, Strande, and Hedman enter transfer portal. Borowictz, Michaux, and Cziano remain. “Fab 4” recruits arriving. And the transfer portal will bring additions (my guess is 3-5 players). Since there are about 1100 in the portal at the moment, would hope she could attract some out of the top 100-300.
where can I find a list of the women's portal. It would be interesting to see.
