Chennedy Carter’s case for Sixth Player of the Year already is strong. However, one factor could stand in her way: a starting role.
To qualify for the award, a player must come off the bench in more games than she starts. After nine games, Carter has been Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon’s first player off the bench, but a case could be made for her in the starting lineup.
Against the Mystics on Thursday, Carter scored a game-high 25 points. She led the Sky in scoring for the third consecutive game, begging the question of whether the team’s second-leading scorer will change roles.
“This is exactly where we want her right now,” Weatherspoon said after the Sky’s 79-71 win over the Mystics in Washington.
That’s not a no.
Weatherspoon is still working to establish solidified rotations with depth at every position.
She started the season without rookie Kamilla Cardoso and forward Isabelle Harrison in the frontcourt. Since both of their returns, forwards Brianna Turner and Michaela Onyenwere’s minutes have taken a hit.
In the backcourt, Weatherspoon’s rotations have been more solid.
Dana Evans has started every game at point guard, flanked by Marina Mabrey and typically Diamond DeShields. Against the Mystics, however, Evans played just two minutes in the third quarter and sat the entire fourth.
Lindsay Allen and Carter split minutes in the third quarter. Allen played the entirety of the fourth, with Carter sitting for just two minutes. Kysre Gondrezick, who has recorded six DNPs, also came off the bench in the third and fourth quarter.
Evans’ 13:23 of playing time Thursday was her lowest of the season. The Sky were minus-7 with Evans on the floor and plus-19 with Carter. Evans went scoreless, shooting 0-for-4.
Establishing better offensive production is paramount for the Sky. After nine games, they’re seventh in the league in offensive rating and last in three-point percentage.
They lead the league in percentage of points scored on fast breaks. However, their scoring can’t solely be contingent upon their defensive prowess.
With Carter on the court, the Sky’s offensive rating jumps to 104.3, compared to 87.0 when she’s on the bench. The team’s defensive rating also takes a hit, going from 98.7 with Carter on the floor to 90.8 with her on the bench.
The Sky’s most-used lineup of Evans, Mabrey, DeShields, Angel Reese and Elizabeth Williams has averaged 21.3 points in 11.9 minutes per game together. That same lineup with Carter taking the place of DeShields has averaged 5.9 minutes together in eight games, scoring 12.8 points per game.
“[Carter] has accepted her role,” Weatherspoon said. “That’s the most important thing. When you look at basketball, and you think about how good your bench is, you’re only as good as they’re going to be.
“What she brings off the bench, the energy, effort, enthusiasm, defense, scoring, rebounding, fire, that’s a lot coming off that bench. To me, she’s sixth woman of the year already.”
It’s a small sample size, but the WNBA season is only 40 games long, so there isn’t much time to waste testing out different lineups.
While it might jeopardize Carter’s shot at Sixth Player of the Year, integrating her into the starting lineup could be a winning recipe for the Sky.
