Who will be the "badass" this year?

[EricLA]

With a nod to Kibitzer, who posed the question in another thread, it got me thinking - who on this team will have an edginess to their game? A ferocity and toughness that players like Taurasi, Ralph, Hansmeyer, Doty, and Hartly all had? I'm not saying players who will be more "physical", but who will be the "badass" on the team?

I would guess Kia Nurse - tough as nails, not afraid to go in hard to the basket, but with a maturity rarely seen in such young players - knowing when to go hard, and when to back off... I think if anyone has an edginess to her game that may rub off on others, it would come from her first... Thoughts?

 

[rugbymate]

Spot on with Kia but when i think of badass I'd like to see some serious physicality in the paint. The two that could surprise us are Butler, who is a big presence and will, IMO, use her size to move opponents around without the hakuna matata aura. I hope she plays like Laimbeer( a serious badass). . The second might be Gabby. Her rebounding skills are a product of her strength, leaping ability and timing. She will be a relentless offensive rebounder and power her way to scoring points in the paint. She reminds me of that undersized forward named Sir Charles Barkley.

 

[UcMiami]

Moriah - the grinning assassin!

 

[Kaizen]

Gabby - In track and field she is a two-time Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year (2011 and 2012)

 

[johnnyc]

Morgan Tuck

and based on her intensity in cheering on her team last season I think Butler will be an intense competitor.

 

[dtbtbtb]

1. Kia.
1a. Mo
The 2 toughest players on the team which is full of them (tuck, Stewie and gabby to name few)

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think the player whose own father calls her "A nasty piece of work." Kia Nurse.

 

[EricLA]

I think the player whose own father calls her "A nasty piece of work." Kia Nurse.

LOL I forgot about that!

 

[j66kicker]

KLS is more of a badass than you think. If she gets pushed around this year, look for her to bulk up for next year - just for payback if no other reason.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Spot on with Kia but when i think of badass I'd like to see some serious physicality in the paint. The two that could surprise us are Butler, who is a big presence and will, IMO, use her size to move opponents around without the hakuna matata aura. I hope she plays like Laimbeer( a serious badass). . The second might be Gabby. Her rebounding skills are a product of her strength, leaping ability and timing. She will be a relentless offensive rebounder and power her way to scoring points in the paint. She reminds me of that undersized forward named Sir Charles Barkley.

I'm with you on Butler.

 

[Huskies Rule]

I think the player whose own father calls her "A nasty piece of work." Kia Nurse.

Yup. Father knows best. And forget that sugar and spice and everything nice stuff...this kid's a real badass.

From the article in "The Color of Hockey" :

"Kia Nurse gravitated to the hardwood rather than the hard ice. Still, her father says that she has a hockey player’s mentality on the court.
'Besides being extremely skilled, she’s a nasty piece of business..... she’s very physical.'”

 

[Huskies Rule]

Don't be fooled by the beautiful smile or the tiny, slim frame...THIS kid is absolutely the #1 pound-for-pound baddest badass in all of WCBB.

 

[Kibitzer]

Don't be fooled by the beautiful smile or the tiny, slim frame...THIS kid is absolutely the #1 pound-for-pound baddest badass in all of WCBB.

Reminiscent of two players who looked like angels but were definitely badasses: Sue Bird and Meghan Gardler.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Spot on with Kia but when i think of badass I'd like to see some serious physicality in the paint. The two that could surprise us are Butler, who is a big presence and will, IMO, use her size to move opponents around without the hakuna matata aura. I hope she plays like Laimbeer( a serious badass). . The second might be Gabby. Her rebounding skills are a product of her strength, leaping ability and timing. She will be a relentless offensive rebounder and power her way to scoring points in the paint. She reminds me of that undersized forward named Sir Charles Barkley.

Sir Charles was called the Round Mound for a reason. Gabby is no Round Mound!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

We can all vote for Kia being tough, but she is far from alone. Stewie turned that ankle super badly, had it retaped and got back in there and pulled down .. what? 14 rebounds?? Morgan won't beat her chest, just make you look stupid - quiet strength. Mo, the energizer bunny with no quit in her. With this team, like the last, it will be badass or two or three of the night I suspect.

 

[ochoopsfan]

KLS is more of a badass than you think. If she gets pushed around this year, look for her to bulk up for next year - just for payback if no other reason.

Agree, but since she is a freshman I dont think she will win the bad ass award.
However, it doesnt mean she wont burn you back, and do it while going over or through you.

 

[meyers7]

KLS is more of a badass than you think. If she gets pushed around this year, look for her to bulk up for next year - just for payback if no other reason.

She does seem to have a bit of a nasty streak in her.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

For me, part of being a badass is looking a badass. As far as who looks the badass, it's Nurse, hands down.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Moriah may be like Sue--a real cutie with a great smile, but she'll cut your heart out.

Natalie may be a VERY physical player. Dad went to Annapolis.

Kia Nurse may not have been the NFOY, but she was the under-the-radar steal in that recruiting class.

 

[HGN]

I have to go with The Starting 5.............I don't think we have a single Badass on the Team. We have a Collective Team of Badasses......... The STARTING- 5 is the Badass.

UConn plays Team basketball. That's why they win. You can't stop just one(1) single badass and expect to beat this Team. You have to stop all Five(5) of these Badasses to beat them. Stop Stewie , and Tuck kills you. Stop Nurse and MoJeff puts a dagger in your heart.

This UConn Team IS The Badass.

 

[Bestiarius]

Moriah - the grinning assassin!

Mo put the laughter in manslaughter.

 

[Bestiarius]

I think the player whose own father calls her "A nasty piece of work." Kia Nurse.

Yup. Father knows best. And forget that sugar and spice and everything nice stuff...this kid's a real badass.

From the article in "The Color of Hockey" :

"Kia Nurse gravitated to the hardwood rather than the hard ice. Still, her father says that she has a hockey player’s mentality on the court.
'Besides being extremely skilled, she’s a nasty piece of business..... she’s very physical.'”

They forgot to mention Kia uses Tabasco Sauce for eye drops.

 

[2Husky]

Though I doubt it will happen I hope its Stewie. She needs the kind of dominating style on the court to cement herself as the best ever. Diana has that swagger all the time, and Maya is on the warpath as soon as the ball is tipped, but Stewie has rarely shown the same kind of attitude as the other two, maybe its because she tends to make everything look so easy.

 

[Kaizen]

Though I doubt it will happen I hope its Stewie. She needs the kind of dominating style on the court to cement herself as the best ever. Diana has that swagger all the time, and Maya is on the warpath as soon as the ball is tipped, but Stewie has rarely shown the same kind of attitude as the other two, maybe its because she tends to make everything look so easy.

Stewie is too nice to be a badgirl ........LOL

 

[Sonny44]

Inadvertantly posted this on the wrong thread.

IMO, we've not had a real badass here at UCONN that I can remember. Many years ago the Montreal Canadians had a player named John Ferguson. He said on game day he started hating the minute he woke up in the morning. He was their designated policeman since teams could only beat Montreal if they beat them up. Now that's a badass!
Our women are ladies and the referees do a pretty good job of controlling excessive physical and downright dirty play. So we win with finesse; we have no need of a badass.