Brianna Turner – The Stocks Queen (Steals + Blocks = Stocks)
Written by Darren Barker, Features Writer
Brianna Turner – The Stocks Queen (Steals + Blocks = Stocks)
Steals + blocks = stocks. Clever, huh? While the new defensive metric is amusing initially, I’m coming around to it. Brianna Turner is leaps and bounds above the competition in this department.
What are these ‘stocks’ you speak of?
You heard it correctly, stocks.
Steals + blocks = stocks.
Clever I know.
It’s a new term that has landed on the shores of basketball circles around the world and while originally amused by it, it’s growing on me.
One – the more you hear something the more normal it gets but two – it really helps my case in this article and pumps Brianna Turner’s tires quite a bit, so I’m sure she likes the term as well.
Make it make sense
What are the most common defensive categories fans turn to? Steals and blocks. So wise people are combining the categories into one and using ’stocks’ as a defensive metric now.
The stocks leader
Brianna Turner is currently leading the league with 4.7 stocks per game and quite frankly nobody else is close to her.
My mathematics tell me that her teammate Izzy Borlase is second in line with 2.9 a game.
Turner leads the league in blocks with 2.1 a game and is third in the league in steals with 2.6 a game.
To add to that list is rebounds because you guessed it, she’s at the top of the competition in that regard as well at 15.3 RPG.
When thinking of rebounding my mind goes to Anneli Maley so to beat her specifically in that category (2nd spot with 14.3 RPG) is no easy feat, I will say that much. Turner’s season high 23 rebounds in Adelaide’s game vs Maley and Perth earlier this season was a nice little moment in this rebounding title battle too.
A bright spot for the Lightning
It’s not all doom and gloom for the 2-9 Adelaide Lightning. Everyone knows what a talent Izzy Borlase is and will be, but Brianna Turner has had a quality start to her second stint with Adelaide and it is 100% worth noting what she has done so far on the defensive end. It’s no wonder Head Coach Nat Hurst was excited to bring her back at the start of the season.
“To be able to sign Brianna back to the Lightning is huge for our club. She has been a star since she finished college and she showed in her rookie overseas season the first time she was here just what a quality player she is. Now with 5 years more experience we expect bigger things from her this upcoming season”.
Turner was the 11th pick in the 2011 WNBA draft and has been with the Phoenix Mercury ever since then. She was named to the All-WNBA Defensive Team in 2020 which leads me nicely into her defensive ability out there.
Causing chaos on defence
Turner’s very intelligent with her length to block shots, she knows how to play smart and not overreact to the defence driving into the lane. Hands straight up or out of the action and then boom, timing her jump pretty perfectly to disrupt the shot. It’s just smart defence.
It really causes havoc to the opposition which is proven by her steal numbers too. Hands in passing lanes, deflections and off Adelaide go.
Don’t sleep on the court vision
I’m going to shout out Turner’s passing ability here. Get the ball to her just above the free throw line, let her seize up the defence and watch her nail the bounce pass to a teammate cutting to the basket. It’s a joy to watch how many times she’s done that play this season.
I’m buying stock
Stocks may sound unusual but I’ve talked myself into becoming a fan. I hope you are too Brianna as you have your name written all over that category right now.
I wonder who will be the first league to list stocks as an official stat. May I spark your interest WNBL? An official category in the league leaders and even one players and staff reference in a serious sense… or maybe they already do?
Regardless, I’m buying stock(s).
Written by Darren Barker
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