Ayanna Looked a Bit Raw in Game One

[PvP]

It could be nerves but her shots were just heaves for the most part. Rice looked very smooth....

 

[UConnCat]

 

[hoophuskee]

I like her a lot as a PF especially if our future center can drill outside shots (or if UCONN has a 6'6 or taller center).

 

[Amashutcha]

that looked easy. nice.

 

[Mdoggie]

It could be nerves but her shots were just heaves for the most part. Rice looked very smooth....

She is a banger! She is what UConn needs. Some people are “walking buckets” AP is a “walking rebound”

 

[Carnac]

Here's the good thing about Ayanna..........She may not be through growing ~ she won't arrive on campus for another 9 months (end of May to attend summer school). That means time to perfect her game a little more, mature a little more, spend 9 more months in the weight room, and hopefully grow another inch or two.

At the beginning of the 22-23 season, I going to conduct a BY poll. The question will be: "In what month will Ayanna record her first official DUNK?" November, December, January, February or March? She dunks too easily and effortlessly not to flush one (or more) in a game, and she dunks with BOTH hands. You know it's going to happen. The only question is when. I'm submitting my guess right now. I say November. Some time in their first 5 games. When she does, it WILL be on SportsCenter.

 

[Kaizen]

Ayanna is among the very few female basketball players can really dunk the ball. Cannot wait to see her in UConn.

 

[chrissaran]

Aaliyah is a banger and Ayanna is a banger. Don't know that we need a 6'6" center. We're set with the current team members and our future recruits.

 

[Monte]

Dunks mean ONE thing: you can jump! I hope the women's game never resembles the men's game. I really believe that some people would rather go to a game and see a player dunk than watch an all-around player like Paige.

 

[Amashutcha]

Dunks mean ONE thing: you can jump! I hope the women's game never resembles the men's game. I really believe that some people would rather go to a game and see a player dunk than watch an all-around player like Paige.

The good news is those two won't be mutually exclusive at UCONN when Ayanna arrives.

At the beginning of the 22-23 season, I going to conduct a BY poll. The question will be: "In what month will Ayanna record her first official DUNK?"

I think you can even do one for the first Paige-Ayanna alley-oop

 

[donalddoowop]

I believe if she dunks, November is too soon. Her first month will see her concentrating on too many other things that will gain her playing time. Ono can dunk but so far she has not in three years.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Here's the good thing about Ayanna..........She may not be through growing ~ she won't arrive on campus for another 9 months (end of May to attend summer school). That means time to perfect her game a little more, mature a little more, spend 9 more months in the weight room, and hopefully grow another inch or two.

That would be great, but extremely unlikely. The average 15-year-old girl grows less than half an inch more. Ayanna is 17, which means the odds of any growth at all is very slim.

 

[Carnac]

I believe if she dunks, November is too soon. Her first month will see her concentrating on too many other things that will gain her playing time. Ono can dunk but so far she has not in three years.

We'll see Don. I'm sure there are some others that will also vote November when I post it. I'm sure I won't be the only one. There are lots of ways she can find herself under the basket with the ball affording her the opportunity..........a rebound, the end of a fast break, a steal, an opponent's turnover, receiving a pass as she's cutting to the basket, getting a pass off of a pick and roll, driving to the basket, driving the lane off a pick, cherry picking, losing her man on an in-bounds play. Lots of ways. I like my chances.

 

[Carnac]

That would be great, but extremely unlikely. The average 15-year-old girl grows less than half an inch more. Ayanna is 17, which means the odds of any growth at all is very slim.

I wonder how tall Brittany Griner, Liz Cambage, Kamilla Cardoso and Nancy Mulkey were when they were 17? I get your point, but she may not be average and have one more small growth spurt in her. Maybe not. I covered myself by saying "she may."



Donalddoowop, ONO has never dunked in a game. She has also never dunked with both hands and grabbed the rim like this afterwards either. Don't sell Ayanna short, you never know.

 

[JonathanXIV]

She is a beast.

 

[HopJim]

Dunks mean ONE thing: you can jump! I hope the women's game never resembles the men's game. I really believe that some people would rather go to a game and see a player dunk than watch an all-around player like Paige.

While easy to focus solely on dunks, being able to jump this high usually means blocked shots and good defense. One or two dunks in a game rarely influences final score but loving what looks like a great defender.

 

[CocoHusky]

While easy to focus solely on dunks, being able to jump this high usually means blocked shots and good defense. One or two dunks in a game rarely influences final score but loving what looks like a great defender.

Patterson is definitely among the best. if not the best defender in her class. Her teammate on this team Mikayla Williams is also a UCONN POI and the best defender in her class. Madison Booker is probably second best in the class of 23. If UCONN could land Williams or Booker to pair with Patterson that would literally and figuratively be check mate.

 

[Carnac]

While easy to focus solely on dunks, being able to jump this high usually means blocked shots and good defense. One or two dunks in a game rarely influences final score but loving what looks like a great defender.

Very true. Dunks are ALWAYS for show. When players want to make a "statement", they flush one, HARD!!! Something to excite the fans in the stands. It's still counts the same as a lay up. Lay ups don't get the fans or players on the bench out of their seats, a "spectacular" dunk will.

When LeBron James or Kevin Durant dunks one hard, they're making a statement to the other team. Which would embarrass you more, an opposing player hits a lay up on you, or "posterizes" you with a thunderous dunk over you right in your face?

Query..........do they have lay up contests during the NBA All-Star weekend? Hummmmm.

 

[Stymie]

Stewart’s 3 shot blocks in that one offensive sequence 4/5 years ago is what I’ll remember long after any of these anticipated dunks are forgotten.

 

[Carnac]

Patterson is definitely among the best. if not the best defender in her class. Her teammate on this team Mikayla Williams is also a UCONN POI and the best defender in her class. Madison Booker is probably second best in the class of 23. If UCONN could land Williams or Booker to pair with Patterson that would literally and figuratively be check mate.

As good as Patterson is defensively, she'll improve even more because Geno stresses defense. She'll work on her defense as much as her offense once she arrives on campus. If you can't/won't play defense, you won't play that much, ask Saniya Chong. She loss her starting spot in 2014 (after the Stanford game) because of her inability to keep her man in front of her. She got it back 2 years later in her senior year.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Here's the good thing about Ayanna..........She may not be through growing ~ she won't arrive on campus for another 9 months (end of May to attend summer school). That means time to perfect her game a little more, mature a little more, spend 9 more months in the weight room, and hopefully grow another inch or two.

At the beginning of the 22-23 season, I going to conduct a BY poll. The question will be: "In what month will Ayanna record her first official DUNK?" November, December, January, February or March? She dunks too easily and effortlessly not to flush one (or more) in a game, and she dunks with BOTH hands. You know it's going to happen. The only question is when. I'm submitting my guess right now. I say November. Some time in their first 5 games. When she does, it WILL be on SportsCenter.

No need to wait, she'll dunk within her first 5 games as a freshman

 

[PvP]

Liv CAN dunk but never has in competition and, I strongly suspect, never will as she isn't a "banger" while Ayanna is very likely to inflict dunks on UCONN opponents because she is a stereotypical banger.

 

[CocoHusky]

Stewart’s 3 shot blocks in that one offensive sequence 4/5 years ago is what I’ll remember long after any of these anticipated dunks are forgotten.

 

[MooseJaw]

Dunks mean ONE thing: you can jump! I hope the women's game never resembles the men's game. I really believe that some people would rather go to a game and see a player dunk than watch an all-around player like Paige.

Gee Monte I look forward to watching Paige play every game. This doesn't mean a nasty in your face UCONN jam hurts the team or means that we become a team that changes our style of play. I have been waiting for a Husky to slam one down for years. Like many other posters I see only good coming from a future jam. What I really love to watch is a no dribble 4-5-6 quick pass offense. OK the only thing that bothers me is the few times when a player is at the top of the key and dribbles for 15 seconds or so not associated with the end of a quarter. What pulls so many of us with no direct tie to UCONN is the execution of play I see no reason a slam can't be part of that execution.

 

[Zarathustra]

It will be a " tic.. tac... toe" Bueckers to Patterson to Edwards = score
or Bueckers to Edwards to Patterson = score
maybe substitute in a Muhl? It could be like " TINKER TO EVERS TO CHANCE"
The dunks may come or not, the passes will be wonderful to behold!!

 

[Carnac]

Ayanna Patterson dunks!!! Get use to it. It's going to happen. The first time she does it at a home game, the crowd will go nuts, and that play will be on SportsCenter. I appreciate and respect others that don't like or want to see women dunking. Fear not, you won't see too many women dunking this coming season or the near future. Only a very select few. Here's the thing about girls dunking in high school or college....those that can will. Those that can't, wish they could. As we know, (I'm guessing here) 95% or more of women that play basketball cannot dunk. Look for a moment at the list of the best women in the history of UConn basketball. How many of them could dunk, or dunked in a game?

Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore are considered two of THE BEST players in UConn lore. Neither of them ever dunked a ball in a game. No hops. A lot of players can "jump", but not dunk. It wasn't something either cared or worried about because it was never part of their skill set. I know there were times during certain games that Dee would have flushed a dunk or two if she could have, just to make a statement.....like in the closing moments of a huge rivalry game, putting that final cherry on top.

Most of the greatest women players that ever played the game NEVER dunked. They didn't have the hops. I believe most of them would have IF they could have. You can't expect or ask a player with a certain skill set not to use or exhibit them in a game. Why would you? As a coach, I would never ask a player not to do something he/she can do, is comfortable doing, and has been doing for years. Coaches strive to help players get better, not stay the same or .

Use it or lose it. I'd let them use it. I would give Ayanna the green light to dunk EVERYTIME the opportunity presented itself......except if we were blowing out a team, then just lay it up. You never want to rub salt in an open wound, or kick an opponent when they're down. THAT would be a "bush league" tactic. Not cool under any circumstances. Can you imagine a coach telling Michael Jordan or Julius (the doctor) Irving not to dunk in a game? Me either.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

. . . Most of the greatest women players that ever played the game NEVER dunked. . . .

I recall Candace Parker dunking twice against UConn in what proved to be the last game
between UConn and Tennessee before Pat saw the future and cancelled the series.

If I recall correctly those dunks were late in a game that was already decided. I suspect that
Geno didn't appreciate it, which is why he may not be happy with a UConn player showing up
an opponent.

 

[Carnac]

No need to wait, she'll dunk within her first 5 games as a freshman

Thank you....welcome to the club!!

 

[Mdoggie]

I recall Candace Parker dunking twice against UConn in what proved to be the last game
between UConn and Tennessee before Pat saw the future and cancelled the series.

If I recall correctly those dunks were late in a game that was already decided. I suspect that
Geno didn't appreciate it, which is why he may not be happy with a UConn player showing up
an opponent.

Volnation speaks on those dunks often. Someone over there recently said if they get shade she may dunk on us. I wish I was like Volnation. I wanna live on my old laurels. Man I was the business in my 20s!!
“
#486
I would love to see Shade at Connecticut—while wearing her Big Orange #12 and throwing one down on them like Parker did mercilessly!

 

[MooseJaw]

Thank you....welcome to the club!!

I'm in and as we have written to each on the forum our anticipation and expectations in regards to Ayaana is off the charts. If she works hard I can envision a banner with her name on it. Yes I will enjoy every slam she puts through the nets as I will enjoy every Wilson burgher she feeds the opposition. I see her as a game breaker while the future holds a cornucopia of riches as does the present. I've got a front row seat to watch the games on my big screen.