Amber Orrange Waived By N.Y. Liberty

[meyers7]

Nicole Powell was pretty good at Stanford (DT era)... but was she considered a post player?

No, she was always a 3/2 type player.

 

[CL82]

I like what you say. Which begs the question: What does Geno do for his players that makes so many mid to top rated Pro's??? He's been pretty successful in those who have gone pro.

Great question that already has some good responses. Here's my two cents worth.

1) Professionalism. UConn players play hard and practice hard. They realize that they represent the team 24-7 and are responsive to the media and the fans. They are thick skinned/focused and are unlikely to get rattled by the other team or your own coaching staff.

2) UConn's offense (and defense) is predicated not so much on execution of a specific play but on making the right reads. That transfers very well to next level and allows them to adjust to a new system.

3) UConn start with good athletes and, for the most part, they leave superbly conditioned. That helps make the jump to WNBA next level of athleticism.

 

[hjoerring]

PhillyCoach + HuskyRule: There is little that cann be added to the insights you have provided but, for many years they were THE team I persued the bracket with the single hope that they would not be there. And they have beaten us when it counted. Someone mentioned Wiggins- She went crazy on us in a game that was either a final 4 or a regular season ending game in her senior year. I was surprised when she was traded from Minn- can it really be the case that she cannot run a team? Isn't she a v.good shooting guard. Has she regressed (and what about our own Renee- : defense, perhaps). Perhaps it speed and conditioning. Contemporary basketball in the colleges and WNBA is really about speed, conditioning and some level of creativity.

 

[BroadwayVa]

WHAAAAAAAAAAATTT??? Big Daddy- While I absolutely respect and enjoy your opinions on anything, anytime... To suggest WNBA teams are so disingenuous, so disinterested in winning and improving their teams via the draft, and so fiscally irresponsible as to be willing to draft and provide precious roster spots for undeserving players because of the name on their college jersey is absolutely NONSENSICAL.

- All things equal, maybe the Connecticut Sun would draft a UConn player, thinking the local kid might put a few extra fans in the stands. Or any WNBA team drafting a 'local' kid when all other considerations weigh in virtually the same. But even that I doubt.

- If I didn't know better I'd swear you were rocky top or dookie. [ru?]

It's not necessarily the NAME ON THE SHIRT but I think the WNBA coaches have such respect for GENO"s coaching style they believe they are getting a player with a lot of BB I.Q. that can play their system , when the field of candidates is less than adequate, that may be the case.. It's not disinterest it's interest in what Geno produces. I believe the GENO factor is a huge plus here and in europe.

 

[Gate81]

Stanford with their academic angle may prevent a few players from going there!

think that is a key angle of it -- as especially during the past 5 years as their academic angle has made it tougher, you've seen many players who couldn't get in go to Duke or Notre Dame -- making them better (excluding coaching differences) and Stanford more dependent upon that 1 extraordinary player.

 

[Gate81]

Yo Rule - I like the way you think. You clarified the problem and peeled down another layer--One great player and everything goes through her. Dead on! You also supplied the names that escaped me and some I never remembered. What you posted brought back a tidbit Geno barked out one day (I forget what he was pontificating on) but he said, " my goal is to get/have/develop 2 great players EVERY YEAR." What a contrast to Tara Van. Looks like Geno is pretty close to reaching that lofty goal--year after year after year!

totally agree but try to imagine if due to academics, Geno could only get one great athlete (every 4 years), not 2 or 3 every year...then consider that someone like KLS reads the handwriting on the wall and the one superior athlete of 2015 you could get goes elsewhere because she realizes that to be on a championship team you need to be surrounded by several top notch athletes. I know Geno's great, but could he accomplish the same if he were to switch teams with Tara?

 

[PhillyCoach]

totally agree but try to imagine if due to academics, Geno could only get one great athlete (every 4 years), not 2 or 3 every year...then consider that someone like KLS reads the handwriting on the wall and the one superior athlete of 2015 you could get goes elsewhere because she realizes that to be on a championship team you need to be surrounded by several top notch athletes. I know Geno's great, but could he accomplish the same if he were to switch teams with Tara?

Gate 81 - that's a nice question that has to be thought through. My off the cuff response is --The ASSUMPTION is UConn players are not as smart and could not go to Stanford. Over the last 5, 10 or 20 years I believe that most of UConn/s players were recruited or at least on the list of ND, Duke, & Stanford. And we know how smart most of the players were and are now. Geno gets the athletic and smart players pretty regularly. Nevertheless, I do see the point you are making and it does cause some consternation. Stanford has its own obstacles that some other teams do not have.

 

[CL82]

totally agree but try to imagine if due to academics, Geno could only get one great athlete (every 4 years), not 2 or 3 every year...then consider that someone like KLS reads the handwriting on the wall and the one superior athlete of 2015 you could get goes elsewhere because she realizes that to be on a championship team you need to be surrounded by several top notch athletes. I know Geno's great, but could he accomplish the same if he were to switch teams with Tara?

Yes, I believe that he could.

 

[UcMiami]

Gate 81 - that's a nice question that has to be thought through. My off the cuff response is --The ASSUMPTION is UConn players are not as smart and could not go to Stanford. Over the last 5, 10 or 20 years I believe that most of UConn/s players were recruited or at least on the list of ND, Duke, & Stanford. And we know how smart most of the players were and are now. Geno gets the athletic and smart players pretty regularly. Nevertheless, I do see the point you are making and it does cause some consternation. Stanford has its own obstacles that some other teams do not have.

Smart is one thing, but Stanford like the Ivy League are looking at the top 5% academically and they do not do 'academic exceptions' for their athletes. I am sure some percentage of Uconn players could have gone to Stanford, but definitely not all of them. It is a huge handicap for Tara as it would be for Geno. Just look at the line-up of Deans list each year as an indication of the percentage of the team Geno could have recruited - it is not the same, but probably not a bad indicator. DT for example was not I believe on Stanfords radar though Sue was.