Lexie Brown from Sparks proves the importance of the WNBA role – player

The WNBA’s third best three – point shooter watched the league’s annual three – point tournament televised in Las Vegas, more than 1,700 miles away from the All – Star festivals in Chicago. Lexie Brown would love to be there, but she was not invited to the competition that was created, in theory, to highlight the precise skill of the shooter who achieved a 45.7% point.

It was an understatement to say that the Sparks guard was “slightly” disappointed, Brown said.

The All-Star Game was touted as the death of the torch, evident from 25-year-old A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, 27, giving flowers to the retirement legends Sue Bird, 41, and Sylvia Fowles, 36 .But the weekend other events mostly recycled names from readily available All-Star pools or players already in Chicago. The six-player pitch in the tournament included three All-Stars three-pointers, one player shooting more than 40% from a three-point range and a sentimental fan favorite in Chicago native Allie Quigley.

Two days after Quigley set up his fourth three-point shot, Brown was back in the gym with the Sparks working as usual. She has no problem proving in court why she deserves an excellent piece next time.

The 5-foot-9 guard is averaging career highs in points (eight), rebounds (2.7), minutes (27.9) and a three-point percentage going into Thursday’s rematch with his former team, the Chicago Sky, at Crypto .com Arena. She jumped back into the starting line after Brittney Sykes tested positive for the crown virus July 1 and helped the Sparks (10-13) by winning straight games with an average of 12.8 points and 11 out of 23 teams going under. three during Sykes’s four points. absence of game.

For years, Brown has been telling his peers that he is the best shooter in the league. On her fourth team in five years, she is finally getting a chance to show it off.

“She’s this shooter,” said Sykes, who recalled a game when Brown dropped 31 points on Syracuse Sykes ’team as a freshman at Maryland. “It simply came to our notice then. I’m glad everyone else in the world can see her enjoying herself. ”

The ninth overall pick in 2018, Brown’s wrestler career is not uncommon in the WNBA, even for first-round draft picks. Due to the rapid turnaround between the NCAA season ending in March and the draft in April, there are no pre – draft interviews or combinations. Most teams only draft based on the best player available, not always on the best fit, Brown said.

While players may not necessarily be set to fail, the best case for success is not the same either.

“You just have to put your head down and work and hopefully you will be able to succeed,” said Brown, who went from the Connecticut Sun to the Minnesota Lynx for two seasons to win a championship with the Sky. before settling with the Sparks. “For many players, it’s likely to take that throughout your rookie contract to figure that out. … To reach this point, Year Five, I feel like I’m just starting out. ”

After averaging 1.6 points in 9.5 minutes in 17 off – the – bench appearances during Sky’s championship season, Brown received a qualifying offer to stay in Chicago. She turned it down. But the description of the contract was not just a kind-hearted story about a quiet, confident player who believed in his ability. It was a business decision.

While the league’s salary limit was increased by 31% under the latest collective bargaining agreement in 2020, Brown knew that the deal would not benefit all players equally. The maximum salary for the top players increased from $ 117,500 to $ 215,000 in 2020, a jump of 83%. The rookie minimum increased 35.8% from 2019 to 2020.

As a result, the middle layer of the players is often put under pressure.

Brown, a 27 – year – old senior manager, realized that Sky’s salary cap situation meant she could be the best player in training camp and the team still would not have the money to sign her for the season.

“That’s life,” said Brown, who is realistic about his role in the league and optimistic about growth opportunities.

Brown was not offended when she received a Chicago qualifying offer at the veteran minimum. She was grateful that James Wade of Chicago and former Sparks general manager and coach Derek Fisher could work out a trade to send Chicago rights to Chinese center Li Yueru.

When Brown came to training camp with an unguaranteed contract, she looked at the roster and understood her task. He had to shoot.

Despite Brown ‘s primary responsibility being a three – point shot, it was defensive play during a training camp that made Sykes very happy about his new teammate. The guard who earned first-team first-team defense last year watched Brown watch into a passing lane and intercept a pass. Sykes locked his eyes wide to assistant coach Latricia Trammell, acknowledging that she eventually had a defensive partner in former ACC defensive player of the year, who earned the title after her transfer to Duke.

“You have two players like that, it’s like having two great defensive goals in football,” said Sparks interim coach Fred Williams.

The Sparks are fourth in the league in terms of theft, led by Sykes 2.1 per game advanced in the league, and fourth in points out of turnover.

Brown said she has fully embraced the three-and-D role for seventh place Sparks. This specialist post is ubiquitous in the NBA, where even role-players become common names, but WNBA players in the same position have not yet received the same recognition.

Instead, the WNBA focused its marketing on identifying and promoting its next era of megastars, which would limit the league’s growth potential.

“If you market to other players, not just big names, not just the kids who came out of SIM schools, you will continue to grow the market with people who see themselves in us,” said Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud. said. Brown was recruited to Maryland once before Cloud moved to St. Louis. Joseph’s. “Expanding marketing in the W will not continue to grow our league.”

Cloud and Brown got a glimpse of a marketing blueprint in Athletes Unlimited. They praised the new league’s commitment to sharing the stories of all its players, who have signed up for an unstructured format that does not rely on coaches or general managers.

Athletes Unlimited players take on bench and front office duties by drafting teams each week and setting playing time and rotation. Brown was successful in the sideline role, getting an early shot at his future goal of becoming WNBA or NBA general manager. On the court, she shot 46.9% from behind the arc during the five – week league and finished fourth on the individual leaderboard where players collect points like fantasy football performances.

No longer needing to respond to coaches or general managers, the players felt empowered. Brown credited the league for building confidence in all WNBA players who found their new home off – season.

Cloud said Brown was repeatedly disrespected early in his WNBA career and hurt his development.

“He built his confidence, he lost his confidence in his game, his ability,” said Cloud, who finished second on the AU leaders program and now leads the WNBA in assists with 7.2 per game. “I think we were all Infinite Athletes, it gave us the freedom to go out, rediscover our love of the game and play for free.”

Brown continued his brilliant play on both ends of the court in the WNBA season. After 38 steals in second place among AU players, she had seven wins in two wins while defending Sabrina Ionescu and Skylar Diggins-Smith on back-to-back nights. She also did six of the nine of three tips.

Given his undisclosed history in the league to this season, some people may have been unsure about Brown’s shooting ability.

“But I think as the season goes on,” she said, “people are like, ‘Okay, she’s a shooter.’ ”

The next step is to make sure someone in the league office knows.