2 questions
- When did Geno bring in Evina? Was it really Paige’s freshman year?
- Was Evina really Tennessee’s pg? I thought she was more of 2 guard there.
Evina is such an interesting case. She was a transfer but she turned out to be the ultimate team player. And that transfer cost her a year not playing. Did Geno understand how much she would give to the team when he accepted her transfer? I recall someone (Geno? CD?) describing how the freshmen (Paige Nika Aaliyah Mir Piath) would follow Momma E around as if she were a mother hen.
Evina came back for a second season even though she looked like a first round draft pick because she wanted to play with Paige. Events conspired against her as Paige went down to injury. But thank goodness Evina stayed, because she rescued a team that was floundering (against GT and UCLA) and kept things together until Paige could return. This is why she’s one of my favorite Huskies.
I think of Evina as being instrumental to Paige’s first final four run and the following year’s NC appearance. I only mention all this because
she hardly fits the profile of a typical transfer these days, the way she gave her heart and soul to UConn for 3 years. By contrast, Kaitlyn more resembles Dorka and Lou. And all three of them still managed to fit themselves into the heart of the team culture. There must be something in the water up at Storrs.
If the question is whether Heckel could be a Husky for 3 years, I’m not confident. This early career transfer that appears from the outside to be motivated merely by PT or NIL is not encouraging. On the other hand, if Geno does talk to her, I’m sure he’ll press her to explain why it’s anything more than that.
I seem to recall him saying somewhere that the first thing he asks a kid in such situations is “What’s wrong with you?” in the sense of why couldn’t you make it work at your previous school? “What makes you think it will be any better here?”That’s where the conversation begins. If she says, “Because I didn’t like playing behind Juju,” he would probably ask her how she’ll like playing behind Azzi and KK and Ash.
Looks good to me. That must have been a lot of work. I see a few areas where I disagree but overall I have to give you kudos!
