Just to reflect for a moment on what Paige means to the team:
It's not the perimeter shooting, though that is awesome. It's more the confidence that she can get a bucket -- typically a midrange jumper coming off a screen -- whenever the team needs one. Having a bucket-getter on your team means everyone feels less pressure. Everyone can take more chances on offense and defense. Against Texas and NC St last season, Azzi was that player. But after the injuries, she wasn't able to get back to that level before the season ended. Lou stepped into the role once Paige and Azzi were out, and she performed heroically against rough defenses pointed directly at her every night. She deserves a medal for her play last season. Caroline healthy can be another bucket-getter. This is also who Caitlin was for Iowa last season. It's tougher for a post player to do this kind of work for a team because they need the guards to open up the lane. But Aaliyah gave it her best shot, and on some nights it was Dorka.
There's a few games that come to mind in which Paige simply took over the scoring when the team really needed her. Rewatch those and you can really see what she means to the team. In her freshman year, the game against SC, when she took over pretty much all the scoring at the end of the 4th quarter and the overtime. There was nothing SC could do (and especially Beal) to stop her. Or the Baylor game that year, when she took over the 3rd and 4th quarters. Or the ND game her sophomore year, when the Irish were in flopping mode and Paige got pissed and simply took the game directly at them (at Miles and Mabry and Citron) and practically ran them off the court. And the Arkansas game. But especially the NC St game in the tournament. Paige (still hobbled) had played well in regulation, but in overtime she just took over again. And in the second OT period, she sank her opening 3 pointer, and it felt like the team could breathe easier. It was like she knew exactly what they needed. In those games, you see really clearly what Paige means to the team.
With Paige back, and Azzi, and Caroline, all bucket-getters to one degree or another, we will see a totally different team this season. Knowing that we can score as needed will open up the paint on offense for Aaliyah Ice Aubrey Ayanna and Amari. But it will also unleash the defense and the transition game. I expect the press to yield turnovers and layups. But also think about what that will mean for opposing teams on offense -- if they take a bad shot, or give up a long defensive rebound, Aubrey or Azzi or Paige will convert it into a fast break layup before they know what hit them. All the pressure they'll feel trying to run their half court sets will also ratchet up the full court pressure Nika Aubrey KK Ashlynn Qadence Azzi Caroline Paige & Co can put on them.
The tOSU press was effective because they ran it tirelessly, but also because they had three bucket-getters, Mikesell Sheldon and McMahon. It's one thing for your offense to be disrupted by an opposing team's press. But for it to turn into points at the other end almost instantaneously is really demoralizing. tOSU lost Mikesell for this season, but Sheldon and McMahon are still formidable, and adding Celeste Taylor will bring even more energy to their press. Geno's press will be better than tOSU's press was last year, not because we have more energy (though we should have plenty of that) but because we have so many bucket-getters.
