I suspect Aaliyah had enough of being pushed around and outmaneuvered by other bigs. She outmuscled Brink but couldn’t shut her down in the FF, but couldn’t do the same to Boston in either game. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she stayed in Storrs (at least in part) for just the reason you suggest. I hope to see a stronger nimbler Aaliyah in a few weeks. Plus, working out next to Ayanna is bound to be inspiring.
All of this came across my mind as well. Utsby had a breakout year last year IMO. I’m not sure how Ware even made it to the list.
I had the same reaction regarding more than half the players on this list including Ware specifically. I also doubt that Stanford's season fortunes rest with Jump. Then I had a second though, rather than it being clickbait maybe Alexa was just trying to highlight some very good players on good teams that hardly ever get any recognition or publicity in a sport that badly needs it.
She doesn't need an article for inspiration. I'd recommend watching her time during Big East Media day on the Storrs Central YouTube channel. You'll get more insight on what her focus is this year than this paragraph from Alexa.
