Someone ought to report this post for being too optimistic. (LOL) I hope so. It really would be nice to see them play like this all the way to the AAC tournament and into the NCAA tournament. They will fool everybody and be the big surprise.
I have always been the voice of reason, and criticized for it. Here is my take ( after the Houston and Cincy games);
1. Olivia is noticeably improving. She is showing an underlying athleticism which has previously been masked; speed down the court, hustle, agility under the hoop, alert passing and the beginnings of an outside shot. If she is gaining consistency with that shot, it changes everything. A player like Baylor's Cox, for example, can push her out of position under the hoop, but she cannot stay with Olivia for either that fade-away jumper, or the 12-15 footer. And if she is lured outside, Olivia can blow right by her.
2. Williams remains an enigma. She is still a high quality contributor in numerous respects ( defense, rebounding, drives to the hoop, and she is a reliable free throw shooter). Her outside shooting remains erratic. If she is "on" she is unstoppable. But that switch is often shorted out. We need it in the " on" position for three games, beginning with the "sweet sixteen"
3. Megan is a quality player in every respect. She is dependable and hard-core. Her only weakness, occasionally , is her ball security. But even that is not a huge issue.
4. Dangerfield is pure quality. A tremendous asset and leader.
5. Ania ( or is it Anna?) is looking more and more confident. Clearly, she can shoot the lights out, and her passing is alert, and her defense on the rise. She contributes a lot as a rebounder. One note of caution; she may not perform as well when she is not " allowed to breathe." By that I mean; when she is faced with a stifling defense, such as that of Baylor, Oregon and SC. It remains to be seen if her recent play will carry over to the Big Dance opponents. There is no doubt, that those teams mentioned ( and a few others ) have far better athletes and BB players than does either Cincy or Houston.
6. Aubrey is ) petty much ) what we have seen. A disruptive force on defense, a great leaper ( rebounder ) and a player who can score and/or create fouls by driving to the hoop. Don't expect more this year. Her foul shooting is going to stay erratic, and she will not take an outside shot.
I don't think we'll see anyone else on the court once we hit the round of 16, unless Olivia is sitting due to foul trouble. Even then, the first choice will be Aubrey, rather than Kyla.
This team has the potential to play championship basketball. But everyone has to have their best games at the same time. And to ask for that against the top-ranked teams is a " Big Ask."
It will be fun to watch.