Candace Parker or Courtney Paris

[Purple Reign]

OK, College Basketball fans. If you had to choose one freshman to be your franchise player in the WNBA which CP3 would you choose?

I had been a Parker backer for some time. But after seeing what Paris is doing as a freshman, and knowing how her body is going to get stronger, leaner as she gets older, there is no question in my mind that Courtney Paris will be the face of the WNBA for years to come.

 

[MrBiggs]

I'm not a WNBA fan but I do know Candace Parker's name. You can't beat that kind of athleticism at the women's level. If you have a chance to draft her, you do it. She's got franchise talent written all of her. Besides the talent she has a name. Big name player = more tickets sold. Never a bad thing.

However, I haven't heard how she's done after she had surgery. She red shirted as a frosh, am I correct?

 

[LPKingsFan]

Candice Wiggins.

 

[Luv13fan]

It Depends

It depends on what the team needs.

If you need a Dominating Post player you take Paris.

If you need a slasher that can do a lot of different things including rebound, then you take Parker.

I like Parker... and would probably take her. However Paris is pretty Dominating. Time will tell

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

I'm going to echo Luv13's sentiments, I'd base my selection on need and other pieces I had around her. You wouldn't go wrong selecting either one of them quite frankly. But there is something about Parker's versatility that makes me want to side more with her if you made me choose one over the other. But Paris might just be a once in a lifetime post player like Shaq you couldn't pass up even if you had a young Lisa Leslie already.

 

[cometsluv4play]

that's a tough decision no doubt, you can't go wrong and you could be wrong at the same time. any team that gets either one of those players is going to be very fortunate to say the least. i'd probably get fired as GM because i couldn't choose, but the logic aforementioned sounds like solid advice. know your exsisting team and draft on need and who you could put around one and close your eyes and draft the one that makes the most sense for your organization.

 

[kingkung]

OK, College Basketball fans. If you had to choose one freshman to be your franchise player in the WNBA which CP3 would you choose?

Chris(tina) Paul!!

 

[RDub21]

With the expectation that she keeps getting better, I think you have to go with Courtney Paris. No doubt that both CP3's are great, but my mentality is that great centers and point guards are at a premium, while there are is an abundance of shooting guards and forwards out there. Off topic but, I also think that Cappie Pondexter should be the #1 pick this year considering that even though Seimone is awesome, there are many players at her position, while Cappie's position is hard to come by.

 

[6th]

I want to change my vote.

Did you see the Tennessee game today? Candace Parker....the 1st woman to dunk in an NCAA championship series game........and she did it twice. Woohoo!!! You go girl!

 

[NothinButHoops]

I did see it 6th...you are right...that was beautiful.
C. Parker has arrived and she's so young still! Making history 2 times in one day!

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Parker will sell tickets. Take Parker.

 

[6th]

Parker will sell tickets. Take Parker.

That's exactly what I was thinking, Mr. Slim. And that doesn't even address the fact that we would get better national coverage.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Any team would.

I tell you what, the first two dunks that I'd seen by a woman (both Leslie's dunks) seemed horribly contrived... I mean she's 6'5"; with enough of a running start, she *should* be able to dunk it. Even Parker's breakaway dunk looked equally contrived to me... but that baseline dunk impressed me; it wasn't an "Iguoadala" dunk, but to be able to get up to throw it down without a running start from halfcourt displayed an athletic ability heretofore unseen in the women's game.

Judging by the conversations that I've had with friends of mine (that don't appreciate the women's game even as much as I do, and I'm pretty much a "pro only" guy myself) this afternoon, I'd say that there's definitely a greater level of interest in a girl like Parker. She might very well be the first woman to throw down an alley oop...

EDIT - And she ain't too hard on the eyes, either...

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

Brunson may be the first to throw down an alley-oop, she had a few near ones if she had thought to flush it as it was last year. Brunson is as athleticly gifted as Parker is in elevating, Brunson might actually be better and quicker at getting up and controlling her body in the air. Remember that tip in put back of Ticha's miss in game 4? She easily could have thrown that through the basket if she had thought about it.

If Parker keeps dunking throughout this tournament and the remainder of her career then I'll buy the argument that she'll sell tickets. Michelle Snow logged the last two dunks collegiately and the caravan of fans following her around to see her dunk again in the W has not materialized.

The breakaway dunk was not nearly as contrived as Leslie's was - I mean c'mon, she had a defender underneath her. Most collegians would have had difficulty finishing a layup in rhythym let alone a one-handed dunk in that situation. That dunk off the baseline...I was speechless after that.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

Eh..before Mr4Play comes in to correct me I gotta give props for the last collegiate dunk before Parker to another one of the Houston Comets, Sancho Lyttle, which had to be the last collegiate dunk nobody ever saw unless you watched the Univ of Houston.

 

[Purple Reign]

Parker-Paris: plotline with a future
[FONT=geneva,arial]- Michelle Smith
[/FONT][FONT=geneva,arial][SIZE=-2]Thursday, March 23, 2006
[/SIZE][/FONT]

When the ESPN women's basketball analysts speculated that Tennessee coach Pat Summitt gave Candace Parker the green light to dunk in Sunday's NCAA Tournament opener because Summitt wanted to take some of the attention from Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, a conspiracy theory was born.

And the moment Parker threw down that first dunk, becoming the first woman to do that in an NCAA Tournament game, a rivalry was born. In truth, it was already brewing.

Parker was the one who started the season as college basketball's "It-Girl," with her size, versatility and the tantalizing possibility of those dunks. Paris grabbed the spotlight with an extraordinary freshman season -- heck, an extraordinary season by any standard.
And there's even the whole "CP3" angle, signifying their initials and common uniform number to make it marketable. Both seemed destined to end up with their names mentioned alongside the likes of game-changers Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw and Diana Taurasi.
We're only one year in, but clearly, the Parker vs. Paris plotline is going to have a long life. And it's going to be a great thing for the women's game. Paris is gregarious, funny and outgoing. Parker is a little more guarded with the media, but by all accounts, a thoughtful, articulate woman, and her enthusiasm for the game exudes on the court.

"I think women's basketball hinges on not just the play of, but the personalities of, its superstars,'' Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "I think Courtney and Candace fit that bill. But as far as a head-to-head rivalry, they don't play the position. It's kind of like Kobe and Shaq. It's different. They're both really, really good, but they aren't going to guard each other."

Kobe and Shaq? If we're talking only basketball here, the women's game can live with that.
E-mail Michelle Smith at msmith@sfchronicle.com.

 

[QueensFan]

Candice Wiggins.

Forget Wiggins, how about some love for Brooke Smith!

This is a girl with a WNBA future - great moves around the hoop and a sweet hook shot that looks like it belongs in the mens game. Thanks to Newlin shutting down Paris, Brooke was the best player on the floor tonight.

 

[Luv13fan]

I disagree

Smith was very good tonight and seems to be moving her feet well. But that shot gets rushed or Blocked in the WNBA. It least I think so. But Newlin did a great job on Baby Bubba.
I think Newlin has a brighter future than Smith.

None the less, Kudos to Smith. She was very big for Stanford tonight. Oklahoma showed their inexperience this time around. Their guards need to hit shots to prevent the double down on Paris. And Paris Needs to learn how to pass Quicker out of the double teams.

Again... Kudos to the Stanford Post Players. They played well tonight.

 

[Carole]

I change my vote

Ivory Latta!!! Wow, what heart!

 

[QueensFan]

Smith was very good tonight and seems to be moving her feet well. But that shot gets rushed or Blocked in the WNBA. It least I think so. But Newlin did a great job on Baby Bubba.
I think Newlin has a brighter future than Smith.

None the less, Kudos to Smith. She was very big for Stanford tonight. Oklahoma showed their inexperience this time around. Their guards need to hit shots to prevent the double down on Paris. And Paris Needs to learn how to pass Quicker out of the double teams.

Again... Kudos to the Stanford Post Players. They played well tonight.

I see your point but Smith has improved significantly this season and I think she's still got a lot of potential. She's got better post moves than most of the forwards and centers in the college game. Her hook is a great weapon, and if she can learn to finish a little better on some of the scooping layup type moves that she has in her repertoire it will only make her more dangerous. I guess we'll see. Can't wait for the LSU Stanford game today.

 

[Purple Reign]

Smith was very good tonight and seems to be moving her feet well. But that shot gets rushed or Blocked in the WNBA. It least I think so. But Newlin did a great job on Baby Bubba.
I think Newlin has a brighter future than Smith.

None the less, Kudos to Smith. She was very big for Stanford tonight. Oklahoma showed their inexperience this time around. Their guards need to hit shots to prevent the double down on Paris. And Paris Needs to learn how to pass Quicker out of the double teams.

Again... Kudos to the Stanford Post Players. They played well tonight.

I completely agree that Smith does have a WNBA future, but no way that little DeMya step through is going to work for her on the next level. She is too slow and not physical enough. I don't consider myself a College Women's basketball expert. I saw enough of Smith on Saturday to know that yes she does have it to compete on the next level.

 

[StevenHW]

It's easy to get carried away after such an impressive win, and kudos to the Stanford Lady Cardinal team last Saturday. I saw that game too, and at the time, I really thought Oklahoma was going to bounce back to beat Stanford, but they didn't. The Cardinal set the tone very early in the game, and although they didn't play quite as well in the second half, they did a very good job overall.

Special shout-outs are in order for Brooke "The Hook" Smith, who turned in a career-best 35 points. Nice hook shot too; I thought that kind of move died out years ago, and I rarely ever see that in the women's game. Her hooks almost reminded me of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's "sky hook" shots.

Although I'm rooting for Stanford (being a Northern Calif. guy and all), I think the magic ride will end tonight. IMHO, LSU will be too much for the Cardinal.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

I had to give it up on Saturday for Smith, even tho there is very little about her game that I like. I agree wholeheartedly with Luv13, her game reminds me of the 6'8" UConn player we had in the post briefly. Her release is so funky.

And THANK YOU....gimminey Christmas, that was my girl Newlin who was bothering Paris all day, all Brooke Smith had to do was show up occasionally for the double team. Newlin to me is the best post player Stanford has had in a long time and on Saturday she showcased why. Smith's transfer and Newlin's injuries ate Newlins minutes up.

That said, I hope the Cardinal can get by LSU and make it to Boston. The more Wiggins I get to see the better.

 

[Purple Reign]

Bump from 3 years ago!!!! Funny how things work out.

 

[StevenHW]

Bump from 3 years ago!!!! Funny how things work out.

Yes, it is!

But I would still take Parker over Paris.

 

[RDub21]

I saw this thread and I was like, "are you serious?", then I realized I posted that I would take Courtney Paris over Candace Parker...oops

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

Okeee....it appears from this little exercise that all we need to do is start the "Candace Parker or Maya Moore" thread now and wait 2 years?

Somebody get on that STAT!!

Seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!