Adamec: Senior Stokes now the center of attention

[pap49cba]

“I know I’ve worked so hard. Last summer before my junior year I worked hard, but I was still kind of iffy. Now I have no choice because Stef isn’t here. There’s no one to bail me out. It means a lot that I have to do it and I don’t want to let my teammates down.”

LINK

 

[caramel]

It's all about attitude,and Kiah is proving she has the attitude,desire,as well as talnt,to do something special,this year.
My confidence is over-flowing for Kiah,and it will not surprise me,in the least,if she takes over some games,with a vengeance.
You go,Kiah,and show the world just excellence is!

 

[RadyLady]

my favorite player....has been since she came on board. You go girl!!

 

[Sonny44]

seriously, if she has a breakout year she could be drafted 2-5.

 

[mrmojack]

The Connecticut Sun have two high draft picks and they could use some
post help for K. Bone. I have to think they will be watching Kiah's
progress very closely.

 

[Aluminny69]

I don't think Kiah will play as many minutes as Stef did last year. Depending on her health, I expect that Morgan Tuck will fill in at center, or Geno will go to a small lineup.

 

[UconnWBB]

We all know about her defensive prowess and rebounding...I'm looking forward to seeing her offensive arsenal. Confidence is a wonderful thing and after reading this, I think she may have found it!

 

[Zorro]

“I know I’ve worked so hard. Last summer before my junior year I worked hard, but I was still kind of iffy. Now I have no choice because Stef isn’t here. There’s no one to bail me out. It means a lot that I have to do it and I don’t want to let my teammates down.”

LINK

This is exactly the reason that I have felt all along that we would see a totally different Kiah this season. I think that if Stef hadn't been here, Kiah wold more-or-less have BEEN Stef. Now that she is THE center, I think we will see her pull out all the stops.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

"If it's not now then when is it because I'm done after this." No desire for WNBA? Reacting to the weight of expectations? As with some other Boneyarders I have been in Kiah's corner forever. I believe she will be our 10 point, 10 rebound 4 swat stud this year. If she wants to deliver in her senior year and go off to other things that is cool. An over read? This is my last year at UConn so it is now or never??

 

[j66kicker]

"If it's not now then when is it because I'm done after this." No desire for WNBA? Reacting to the weight of expectations? As with some other Boneyarders I have been in Kiah's corner forever. I believe she will be our 10 point, 10 rebound 4 swat stud this year. If she wants to deliver in her senior year and go off to other things that is cool. An over read? This is my last year at UConn so it is now or never??

Over read - Yes

This is my last year at UCONN so it is now or never - Yes

 

[Tonyc]

We've all seen what Kiah can do on the floor. It sounds to me like Kiah was using Stef as a crutch and now its her turn to step in. Kiahs potential and upside is unbelievable. We all can see it. Now she needs confidence in herself to move up to the next tear. A couple of good games, a breakout game if you will and her abilities and talent will explode. She may be a little hesitant or unsure in her first few games but one breakout game and she will be high flyin. Go Kiah.

 

[OneTrickPony]

"If it's not now then when is it because I'm done after this." No desire for WNBA? Reacting to the weight of expectations? As with some other Boneyarders I have been in Kiah's corner forever. I believe she will be our 10 point, 10 rebound 4 swat stud this year. If she wants to deliver in her senior year and go off to other things that is cool. An over read? This is my last year at UConn so it is now or never??

Didn't we hear at one point that Kiah wanted to be a doctor. If so, a WNBA career won't hold much allure...

 

[Bigpetunia]

We've all seen what Kiah can do on the floor. It sounds to me like Kiah was using Stef as a crutch and now its her turn to step in. Kiahs potential and upside is unbelievable. We all can see it. Now she needs confidence in herself to move up to the next tear. A couple of good games, a breakout game if you will and her abilities and talent will explode. She may be a little hesitant or unsure in her first few games but one breakout game and she will be high flyin. Go Kiah.

I agree with you. Although she started to break out of it last season, I have long felt that Kiah, despite her huge physical gifts, was too much of a sweetheart on the floor, too willing to defer to more senior players like Stef. I kept thinking that Geno and CD would break her out of that mentality, but, to date, we've only seen in flashes what we all suspected she's truly capable of becoming. Now that the onus is truly on her, and given all the work she has reportedly put in, I think it's fair to expect the emergence of the physically dominant player we all know she can be. With all the scoring threats that this team has, her role in that regard is not crucial, though she will get a ton of put back opportunities. But in rebounding, in shot-blocking, in defensive intimidation, I think she;s now going to become a true force....not good news for opponents.

 

[pap49cba]

John Altavilla @jaltavilla · 26m 26 minutes ago
A @WNBA source predicts that @kstokes41 - the #UConnwomen senior - has the potential to be the first post player selected in the 2015 Draft

 

[ChicagoGG]

"I try to throw it to Kiah in the post every chance I get,” UConn senior Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis said. “Sometimes I want to throw it to her more than she wants to get it, but I have a lot of faith in her. I think she is going to do great this year."

In a nutshell, the situation. I think Kiah can do it, has the talent to do it and needs to do it. Or she will be disappointed in herself for letting down the team. I don't think she ever wanted to be THE one. I think she wanted to support the ONES (like Stef, Stewie, KML, Bria). But this year she needs to step from the shadows and BRING IT . I think she will.

 

[MilfordHusky]

All that Kiah has been lacking has been confidence and assertiveness. She took good steps last year. She knows she's a senior and Stef is gone. She feels the sense of urgency. I expect her to be very good this year.

Though her mother is an anesthesiologist, Kiah changed her major from pre-med to psychology, I believe.