Finnish basketball star Awak Kuier had the best game of her career last night in the WNBA, the North American professional league. At the same time, we saw why he has long been celebrated as a super talent internationally.
The 196-centimeter, among other things, stylishly put in the triple sock. Right after, a sharp drive to the basket and the ball into the basket. A personal five-point streak. In offensive rebounds, over smaller or the same size and the ball into the basket. In the defensive end, exploits with long arms and airy saves.
A fairly versatile cavalcade of everything possible at both ends of the field.
Kuieri’s own point record in the WNBA remains, 13 points. On top of that, six rebounds, three saves and two steals. All this in 19 minutes of play.
The American basketball media already had time to dig up the statistic describing the rarity of Kuieri’s night. Previously in the history of the WNBA, only two players had been able to achieve such a versatile and reasonably strong statistical line as Kuieri in the playoffs as a substitute player and with less than 20 minutes of playing time.
Kuier still succeeded in a really tight spot. Suomalaistoivo was involved in leading Dallas to the WNBA semifinals for the first time. That’s what Kuier had already managed to try with Dallas in his first two seasons, but now he jumped.
So last night’s winning game had a huge meaning.
Head coach of the Dallas Wings Latricia Trammell already shed tears of happiness on the side of the field before the end of the match.
The Dallas legends were eager to watch the game
The Dallas Wings were also interested. The match was watched by the superstars of the basketball world. Regarded as the best European NBA basketball player of all time Dirk Nowitzki was following the highlights of another Finnish basketball star for a short time now.
He already saw Lauri Markkanen playing on the spot in Japan at the World Cup, but now Nowitzki witnessed the best night of Kuieri’s career smiling on the sidelines.
The German Nowitzki watched the match together with the NBA head coach of the Dallas Mavericks Jason Kidd’s with. Kidd was caught on TV right when he clapped Kuieri to the basket in the closing period. Moments earlier, the Finn had again shown his athleticism and skilfully finished the basket.
Kidd and Nowitzki are particularly big names in Dallas, as the duo led the Mavericks to the NBA championship in 2011.
Kuieri’s current season has been quite eventful so far. In June, he suffered an ankle injury that looked scary, but luckily for Kuieri there was only a two-week break from games.
After the injury, Kuier twice scored the best points of his career in one game, 12 points. The numbers were created for the first time when Kuier made it to the starting five for the first time in her three-year WNBA career at the end of August.
Despite the peak moments, Kuieri’s averages have not increased much compared to recent years.
Despite individual top moments, the Finn’s grips have not yet been at the level seen last night. Partly it’s about the fact that Dallas head coach Latricia Trammell has played the Finn interestingly. Playing time has yo-yoed from game to game, and the reason has not always been clear.
Kuieri’s statistics have remained lower in the WNBA than in the Finnish national team or in the Italian main league, also for a simple reason.
Kuieri has been played on the field as a winger so that he has not been able to participate much in the attacking game, unlike, for example, constantly in the Finnish national team. Kuier has stood on the WNBA floors in the corner and spread the court so that the team’s biggest stars Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally have managed to wreak havoc.
Of course, this has not been a problem in terms of Dallas’ success. Dallas set its winning record in the regular season.
Finns have their own development targets. Kuier has sometimes been timid after getting on the field. He has lost important rebounding battles. On the defensive and offensive end, there have sometimes been wrong numbers about what the opponent is doing.
In any case, the Finn has also taken strides forward. The most visible development steps have been in body protection. Kuieri’s handsome saves have been featured almost weekly in the summer on the social media accounts of the Dallas Wings or the WNBA.
Kuier has sorted out a few tight sieves
You also have to remember to be calm in the evaluations. The WNBA has traditionally been a league of experienced players. Kuier went to the WNBA as young as possible. She is already playing in her third season in the WNBA, while her North American peers have only entered the league this season. Kuieri’s early arrival in the league is therefore a bit blurred when he is compared to others.
Kuier has also cleared a few tough screens in the WNBA year after year.
There are 12 teams in the league. All teams are allowed to name only 12 players in their lineup. So a total of 144 players will start the WNBA season. The protocol for adding players is also really tough.
If the player named from the beginning of the season recovers from his injury during the season, the player hired to replace him can no longer continue the games. So basically there are few places to play.
Kuieri’s own reservation year especially reflects the boredom of the WNBA. The Dallas Wings picked up Kuieri in the second round of the 2021 draft. In addition to Kuieri, only three others from the twelve first-round names of that steal have been allowed to continue in the WNBA.
So four players out of twelve. Many of the Finn’s racing partners have already had their way up before the third season, when Kuier is still among the best in the world. Although before this current season also with the number one name reserved by Dallas With Charli Collier.
Head coach Trammell described to the American media after Kuieri’s starting five games, how the Finn’s self-confidence increased enormously after that. Last night, what caught my eye was how Kuier didn’t hesitate when he got the ball, but made his own decision.
For Finns, it will be interesting to see if Kuieri’s amazing feats will continue or if last night’s performance will once again be just a single peak.
The fact that the WNBA has tightened its rules for playing in Europe is its own spice. Kuier may have to miss WNBA seasons in the future for reasons beyond her control.
Either way, Dallas and Kuier have the potential to continue their exploits. Dallas has been talked about in the American media as one of the possible dark horses for the championship fight.
Dallas was fourth in the regular season, but beat each of the top three at least once. Also their future semi-final opponent, the number one Las Vegas Aces in the regular season.
Las Vegas has been considered the super team of the WNBA. The owners of the Las Vegas Aces have invested an unprecedented amount of money into the team’s conditions.
The Las Vegas Aces are the first WNBA team to have their own practice facilities that can only be used by them. Pramea premises cost 40 million US dollars. The head coach To Becky Hammon also paid a historic million dollars for the season.
In this sense, it would be a sensation if Dallas could surprise the reigning champion Las Vegas.