Best Player in the Country

[alexrgct]

Right, not having talented players on the floor doesn't make another talented player's job easier. Come on Alex, you are smarter than that. NPOY is the not NPOY on the best team. That is just stupid. Your comments are just as speculative.

I don't give a rat's patoot about who's job is "easier". Uconn has a chance to do something historic. Breanna is the best player on that team. It's that simple. That carries weight.

If you don't follow the 1993-94 Bulls analogy, too bad; it's apt. What's dumb is to take anything away from a great player who has great teammates.

The only one speculating is you. Well, except the speculation that Stewie would be the #1 WNBA draft pick this year ahead of Chiney and Sims- that speculation is consensus rather than independent speculation. I'll go with the consensus opinion.

Voters will (and should) focus their ultimate voting decisions on the most memorable player on a team having as memorable a season imaginable. This isn't complicated.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I love my Lakers (well, maybe not so much this year), but now I guess I'll have to own up to the knowledge that Magic Johnson should never have been given those MVPs because he had pretty good teammates like Worthy, Scott, and Coop, and that Abdul-Jabbar guy with him. He should fork them all over to Larry Bird, .... except Larry had a pretty good cast around him too. Geesh, maybe it should go to Jon Sundvold who shot over 50% on 3s one year for a Heat team that gave him very little support.

And DT probably shouldn't have gotten her POYs because she made her teammates better, which means she had more support than a player who didn't make her teammates better.

These arguments are such head scratchers. I thought the POY was supposed to go to the top player in WCBB.

 

[easttexastrash]

I don't give a rat's patoot about who's job is "easier". Uconn has a chance to do something historic. Breanna is the best player on that team. It's that simple. That carries weight.

If you don't follow the 1993-94 Bulls analogy, too bad; it's apt. What's dumb is to take anything away from a great player who has great teammates.

The only one speculating is you. Well, except the speculation that Stewie would be the #1 WNBA draft pick this year ahead of Chiney and Sims- that speculation is consensus rather than independent speculation. I'll go with the consensus opinion.

Voters will (and should) focus their ultimate voting decisions on the most memorable player on a team having as memorable a season imaginable. This isn't complicated.

So if ND wins the NC which of their players gets the NPOY trophy? Last I checked they are having a pretty "memorable" season also. Based on your logic only the best player on the national champion team should win NPOY.

 

[AndyCT]

Icebear- player of the year- I guess I would have to agree with Stewart then. I think Odyssey and then Chiney would be 1st and 2nd for MVP awards. I really wasn't taking into account the distinction.

The silly thing is that somehow over the last few years the discussion among fans and analysts has made us think of these awards (at least partly) as something they are not, which is which player is most valuable to her team; the “Player of the Year” awards are, as Icebear stated, simply for the best performing player in the country. While “team effort” and/or “contribution to the team” are some of the many criteria used to evaluate a player, they are not the primary consideration that many are making out to be. Note that no major award has the term “valuable” in its title; likewise most tournaments have changed their MVP awards to “Most Outstanding Player” to avoid the same misinterpretation.

The national Naismith Awards recognize the top national, regional and local players, coaches, officials and administrators who have displayed excellence and outstanding achievement in basketball...

The Wade Trophy represents the best of women's collegiate basketball. It is awarded annually to the greatest female basketball player in the country who not only excels athletically, but serves as a positive role model both on and off the court...

The Wooden Award, presented annually to the outstanding collegiate basketball Player of the Year, was founded in 1976...
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Making a case based primarily on a player carrying a team is a tacit admission that the player is not really otherwise the best player in the country, unless perhaps that player also carries her team to a National Championship. Diana Taurasi did that twice in the years after the TASSK force graduated, but there is no doubt that she was the best player in the country, with or without the TASSK force. The same can’t be said about Sims or Ogwumike – no one is talking about either of them as the player of the year without having to also emphasize both their numbers and that they are carrying their teams.

The fallacy in emphasizing the numbers of a player that is “carrying her team” is, as many have pointed out, a player in that situation also has far more opportunity to accumulate numbers. Of course, they also are the focus of the opponents’ defenses, but does anyone really believe that Breanna Stewart is not the focus of every team that plays UConn? Okay, one of many, er, focuses? Foci?

Besides, there is very valid argument that in playing the team-oriented game that UConn does, Breanna is contributing to “team effort” far more than a player that takes it upon herself alone to do most of the team’s scoring. Play with your team, not in spite of your team; remember that when Diana Taurasi left UConn, she held the school record not in scoring, but in assists.

Kayla, Odyssey and Chiney are great players but Breanna is special. If I were Muppet or Kim or Tara, I would be thrilled knowing that I have the one of the very best players in the country in my program. But at the same time, when I went to bed at night, there would be nights where just before I drifted off to sleep, I would wonder what more I could do if I had Breanna…and I would dream happy dreams.

 

[hoophuskee]

are you serious Alex? Stewie has a ton of talent around her and I bet UConn would still be a 1 seed without her. Stanford would be a 8 seed, if lucky, without Chiney. Chiney gets double and tripled team every night, Stewie is great player but if teams double and tripled teamed her, UConn would win by more.

I'm not going to get into POY - but I disagree with mentioning about "triple teams." A great penetrator guard w/o much of a jump shot that flies in the lane into traffic in which the defense collapses on that player - you shouldn't have to hear "if he or she wasn't triple teamed" as the defense knows where this player wants to go. You shouldn't get "credit" for having limited range thus the defense can more easily triple team you.

Thus Stewie is extremly hard to triple-team and even double team because she is out on the perimeter a lot. You need a junk box-and-one to really "double" her. Thus I don't see what you say about Chiney being double or triple teamed and Stewie isn't as often as holding much value. Plus if Stewie catches the ball in the low post - they had better be on her extremely quick. Otheriwse you can't affect her shot - because she is so darn tall and long. Doubling her with a player 6'1 or 6'2 may not do much good.

 

[baggerbob]

Weren't Stanford, and Baylor supposed to get to the final 4 last year, Sims , and Chiney were on those teams, UConn wasn't a favorite to win. Stewie has been since the end of last year the best player in the country, she elevated her game to help UConn win the National Championship, that's what Great players do. Notre Dame was a favorite last year, and they also came up short. If you give the award for most important to the team, then a player on a team that improves from 5 or 6 wins to 20+ wins would be eligible for the award.

 

[easttexastrash]

I think ALL individual awards should be eliminated as this is a team sport.

 

[Icebear]

If the ESPN talking heads are any indicator they expect the NPOY to be Stewart.

 

[UcMiami]

Stewart doesn't seem like the type who would be offended and spurred on by not winning an award. She truly seems like the type that just goes about her business and just wants a team win.

Ah yes ... that is her secret weapon ... that aw shucks, I just want to be on the winning team persona. But then you hear her talk about herself every once in a while and she is very determined to be the best player on the court every game, and the best player in the country this year, and the best player ever in college, and the best player the world has ever seen. Do not be fooled by the 'goofy' act!

 

[easttexastrash]

As I have stated, I think Stewart is absolutely the most talented player in the country. If she winst he award it will be well deserved, as it would be for Chiney and Sims, as they all bring what their respective teams need for them to do.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Ah yes ... that is her secret weapon ... that aw shucks, I just want to be on the winning team persona. But then you hear her talk about herself every once in a while and she is very determined to be the best player on the court every game, and the best player in the country this year, and the best player ever in college, and the best player the world has ever seen. Do not be fooled by the 'goofy' act!

It helps to have a coach who will ride her to be better than the best every step of the way and never let her back off. Some coaches will give their star too much latitude to do as they please or simply let them be satisfied with very good. Those are curses that will never be inflicted on any UConn player.