Some people can say the numbers don't lie and that's typically the case but the EYE TEST regarding the quality of play for Napheesa, particularly earlier in the year, belie the reality of her play this year. To suggest that there is some kind of bias or prejudice against Napheesa that numerous people on this board are showing is silly. They've spoken up because it was quite obvious that she hadn't played as well as she was expected to play and who knows if there wasn't some unreported health issue contributing to it but SHE HADN'T PLAYED as expected, numbers or no numbers. It seems as her play has more recently risen to where most peoples expected entering this season.
I have no idea whether there has been some unreported health issue. Assuming not, I believe Z's insertion has had a major impact on the dynamics of the functioning of the whole team this season, and in turn impacted on Pheesa more than anyone else. There are, however, recent signs that the perturbations are smoothing themselves out, as each makes the necessary adjustments to her role from game to game.
What is also interesting is that, along with the working out of the Z-Pheesa dynamics, another new set of team dynamics has evolved over the current season, involving KLS and Gabby. There seems to be a heightened implicit understanding of each other's court movements and tendencies between these two players this season, compared to the last, resulting in some spectacular plays that are pure poetry in motion.
If the above developments continue into tournament play, it would take a perfect storm of events for UCONN to be defeated: possible, yes, but highly improbable.
