Best stat line -

[vtcwbuff]

Walker 23 minutes, 0-1, 3 reb, 2 blk, 3 to, 2 pts.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I guess we're supposed to be above this sort of thing, but it's hard not to feel a smug satisfaction showing those who defected what they're no longer a part of. We would have gotten it either way with Kentucky or Delaware.

 

[pap49cba]

I was totally ambivalent until I read her trash-talking quotes yesterday. I can't understand why athletes can't keep their mouths shut and let their play do the talking.

 

[sarals24]

I don't feel the same way toward EDD. She had very good reasons to stay home. I wish she had discovered that before she committed, but I can't fault an 18-year-old kid for doing what she did.

Walker, on the other hand, should have finished out the season and transferred. And not said a word when asked about UConn before this game.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I guess we're supposed to be above this sort of thing, but it's hard not to feel a smug satisfaction showing those who defected what they're no longer a part of. We would have gotten it either way with Kentucky or Delaware.

Walker deserted. While Delle Donne's decsion to leave had a bigger impact on the team, she didn't leave her teammates in the lurch mid season.

 

[semper]

No comparison....I will always love EDD, and "fall to pieces" when I think of what might have been. The other, meh.

 

[JoePgh]

Aw, c'mon, she was 18 years old, and she committed when she was 16. I can't be sure, but I think her basic problem was that she had an allergic reaction to being very closely supervised about drills and workouts -- not unusual in adolescents and even (from personal experience) in adults. She didn't handle it too well (neither did EDD), but adolescents aren't known for being skilled at that sort of thing.

I do think it may occur to her that her stat line would probably have been more noteworthy if she had been in a white uniform this evening, not to mention the results that she experienced. But I don't think that ultimately makes any more difference for her than foregone National Championships do for EDD. In both cases, the individual has to be happy. It is pointless to ruin your college experience by putting yourself through some sort of penance in the name of achievement.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Aw, c'mon, she was 18 years old, and she committed when she was 16. I can't be sure, but I think her basic problem was that she had an allergic reaction to being very closely supervised about drills and workouts -- not unusual in adolescents and even (from personal experience) in adults. She didn't handle it too well (neither did EDD), but adolescents aren't known for being skilled at that sort of thing.

I do think it may occur to her that her stat line would probably have been more noteworthy if she had been in a white uniform this evening, not to mention the results that she experienced. But I don't think that ultimately makes any more difference for her than foregone National Championships do for EDD. In both cases, the individual has to be happy. It is pointless to ruin your college experience by putting yourself through some sort of penance in the name of achievement.

We have a different recollection of why Walker left UConn. It had nothing to do with drills and workouts. The point is that she left in mid season when the team had a very short bench. She was too selfish to stick it out for another couple of months.

 

[Vowelguy]

We have a different recollection of why Walker left UConn. It had nothing to do with drills and workouts. The point is that she left in mid season when the team had a very short bench. She was too selfish to stick it out for another couple of months.

Eh. If she didnt want to be there, it was just as well that she move on. Someone who's not committed will likely be toxic. Geno knew this, which is why he gave her that ultimatum.

 

[meyers7]

Eh. If she didnt want to be there, it was just as well that she move on. Someone who's not committed will likely be toxic. Geno knew this, which is why he gave her that ultimatum.

Agreed. We actually started gelling after she left.

 

[phil sampieri]

I was totally ambivalent until I read her trash-talking quotes yesterday. I can't understand why athletes can't keep their mouths shut and let their play do the talking.

Can you link those quotes from Samarie, please.

 

[S1836]

Aw, c'mon, she was 18 years old, and she committed when she was 16. I can't be sure, but I think her basic problem was that she had an allergic reaction to being very closely supervised about drills and workouts -- not unusual in adolescents and even (from personal experience) in adults. She didn't handle it too well (neither did EDD), but adolescents aren't known for being skilled at that sort of thing.

I do think it may occur to her that her stat line would probably have been more noteworthy if she had been in a white uniform this evening, not to mention the results that she experienced. But I don't think that ultimately makes any more difference for her than foregone National Championships do for EDD. In both cases, the individual has to be happy. It is pointless to ruin your college experience by putting yourself through some sort of penance in the name of achievement.

I do hope for her sake that she does realize that if she had been able to stay, work & be coached that she would have been better for it. She may not have that ability, but I hope she does. Sports was a good teacher about life for many of us.

 

[CL82]

I was totally ambivalent until I read her trash-talking quotes yesterday. I can't understand why athletes can't keep their mouths shut and let their play do the talking.

See the first post. That might explain it.

 

[Vowelguy]

Agreed. We actually started gelling after she left.

And it motivated Stef. She might not be the same player w/o it.

 

[Kevin G]

Obviously Samarie leaving worked out for UCONN evidenced by UCONN monster win, better season, etc.

 

[JoePgh]

My recollection is that Geno said that Samarie actually offered to stay for the rest of the season and give a minimum effort, and Geno (naturally) declined that offer. According to him, he told her that unless she was prepared to commit to the team with enthusiasm, he did not want her to remain on the team. She had almost a week to think about it, and she left.

There was nothing explicitly said about drills and workouts, other than Geno saying that they had to "beg" her to do the work that everyone else did as a matter of course. Also, at the beginning of the year, she was pleading that she had nagging injuries, which was interpreted as an effort to get out of the physical work that was expected.

I'm sure UConn can seem like boot camp, with managers keeping tabs of how many reps you do of each exercise and sending scores to the coaching staff. If you are expecting that (and you should be) and you can understand the value of it, it won't bother you. If you are a competitor who enjoys besting teammates even in that sort of competition, you will thrive on it. But if you are a somewhat rebellious adolescent who just really hates having adults look over your shoulder and demand performance on an hourly or daily basis, you will hate it. I surmise that is what happened to Samarie.

 

[boontonbomber]

samarie began to struggle in october at uconn. geno began to question her committment, asked her why she came to uconn, and she mentioned something to the effect that her parents wanted her to. when geno continued to question her committment as the season wore on, she really was put in a position, fairly by geno, to get with it or do something else. when she left the team, she said very clearly that her attitude and approach was not in the best interests of the team.at least that was my take on the situation. this was discussed ad infinitum on this board, with the majority coming down hard on samarie. i never did, partly perhaps because of my own experience with children at that difficult time in their lives. i find it extremely distasteful that certain boneyarders continue to attack this young woman. your lack of perspective is either a result of never having had children who found those after college- before life years confusing, or you're just so godamn old and cranky that you've forgotten what those years were like. some of you have become so wrapped up in this team that you lose touch with the human side of it at times. elena and samarie have gotten on with their lives after uconn, because there is life after uconn. some of you could learn something from them on this score.

 

[EricLA]

You know, for all the speculating that you people have done in this thread, not one of you got it right regarding Samarie. We are not allowed to talk about their personal lives, but her "struggling with effort and commitment" at UCONN had little to do with her basketball acumen and plan to "abandon" the team, and a great deal to do with some very personal issues she was struggling with. It's funny that many of you give Elena a pass for stringing UCONN along for over a year and a half, but blast Samarie for trying to actually honor her commitment to UCONN by sticking it out for a semester (and for the record, I'm not blasting EDD either - just pointing out the differences in perception people seem to have at this point)...

I do agree that her comments (prior to the UCONN-Kentucky game) were unfortunate, but I simply cannot fault a kid who was going through what she was. And I give her credit for trying to stick it out - something EDD never did, quitting after 1 day on campus.

 

[boontonbomber]

You know, for all the speculating that you people have done in this thread, not one of you got it right regarding Samarie. We are not allowed to talk about their personal lives, but her "struggling with effort and commitment" at UCONN had little to do with her basketball acumen and plan to "abandon" the team, and a great deal to do with some very personal issues she was struggling with. It's funny that many of you give Elena a pass for stringing UCONN along for over a year and a half, but blast Samarie for trying to actually honor her commitment to UCONN by sticking it out for a semester.

I do agree that her comments were unfortunate, but I simply cannot fault a kid who was going through what she was. And I give her credit for trying to stick it out - something EDD never did, quitting after 1 day on campus.

what did she say that you think was unfortuntate?

 

[boontonbomber]

Walker deserted. While Delle Donne's decsion to leave had a bigger impact on the team, she didn't leave her teammates in the lurch mid season.

i think "deserted" is a rather unfortunate way to describe her leaving, but ,coming from a civil war buff, not surprising.

 

[EricLA]

what did she say that you think was unfortuntate?

I haven't seen the link to the comments, but apparently she said some things fans took exception to before the UCONN-Kentucky game last night.

 

[UcMiami]

Eric - thanks for posting that. I think her comments before the game were bad, but having myself dropped out of college (years ago) and wandered in a wasteland for a while, it is very easy to understand how any 18-22 year old can have problems adjusting. And the added pressure of being a high caliber athlete on a nationally prominent team just adds to the issue.
I think both EDD and Walker did what they had to do - do not hold it against either. I don't think either of them had a lot of choice in making the moves they made, and neither situation was primarily about the team/coaches/training but about mental well being.

 

[Deadrody]

It is called a "commitment" for a reason.

 

[vtcwbuff]

i think "deserted" is a rather unfortunate way to describe her leaving, but ,coming from a civil war buff, not surprising.

Had she committed to the team for the season? Did she leave her team in the lurch? Sounds like a desertion to me.

It's one thing to make a life choice decision that affects no one but yourself. It's entirely something else when it affects people that are depending on you. I will agree that had she not left her presence would have been "toxic". That too is a measure of her character.

 

[snlMINAJ]

her statements?
someone else had asked, but i still dont know what she said, or where to find it on here...