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Message: [QUOTE="Bone Dog, post: 5280914, member: 12088"] I see it too. She chases a play from behind for blocks, she leaps to nab passes -- these are Gabby traits. They're also reminiscent of Maya. And like Sarah, she pokes at a ball held carelessly to create steals and runouts. I was thinking of another player she reminds me of -- not a superstar, but someone who plays with a similar confidence -- and it occurred to me that she seems a bit like Taylor Woodson, Paige's teammate from Hopkins HS. She was a big 6'0" who also created steals and turnovers, finished really well in transition, and generally had the sort of confidence that encourages teammates. She ended up at Minnesota and her partner in the front court in those days, Nunu Agara, ended up at Stanford. The two of them anchored a substantial post-Paige team. Sarah and Blanca are both larger and more skilled than Taylor and Nunu, but there's still a similarity to my eye. I've always appreciated the way a confident player boosts the morale of a team, and all four of those kids have this, but Sarah and Blanca especially. They're bigger, stronger, and have immense reservoirs of talent. Blanca has Maya-level quickness, and Sarah has Maya's strength and range of offensive skills. I can hardly wait to see how Blanca fits herself into the team. Sarah and Paige were starters the moment they showed up in Storrs. It may take Blanca a little bit longer to crack the starting lineup, just as it did for Azzi... [and Dee, by the way]. But I am confident that by the time it matters, the lineup we'll all be gaga over will feature Sara Blanca Azzi and Serah. There will be awesome depth, of course, and that also provides a bit of confidence to the entire team. Folks focus too much on the idea that kids are frustrated by being lower on the depth chart. But I think on a team in the midst of a title run, it's a relief for many, if not most of them. It means they can take chances when they're on the floor and make a mistake: a missed shot or a turnover or an errant pass or an extra foul won't doom the team. Geno will yell, but their teammates will rally around them. [/QUOTE]

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