Especially in an opening game like this when 5 of the 10 players had never played for Uconn or with each other.
Love her game! Always a great effort, needs to click on her drives and like the best players, slow down a bit approaching the rim. She is very long, quick and plays bigger than her size. She has made second year leap.
Shade can do it as can Q who can also create her own shot like Beckers.
An inane stance? I was a big fan of ONO, but the reality of her time at UConn was she was not consistent as a low post scorer, particularly her first 2 years. Remember the Arizona loss in the Final four of Paige's freshman season?If you mean in some time since April 5th of this year when Aaliyah Edwards played her last game then sure....Or Olivia Nelson Ododa who happens to be in the WNBA when she last played April 3, 2022 or Pheesa Collier who last played April 5, 2019 but yeah, sure, it's been some time since UConn had a low post presence....Seriously, where do these people come up with these inane stances?
Frankly the game was much better (and the opponent much worse) than Sunday. I liked the ball movement in the first half, especially after KK came in and overall we had 28 assists against only 12 turnovers (and 25 steals) but imagine if we could make the 7 or was 8 layups we missed? The assists would have been higher. Yes, Jana had 17 points but she did not play great (albeit significantly better than Sunday) as she still had some bad fouls. Sarah was really good as was Ash. Paige did Paige things and her limited time in the second half is what slowed the half court down.
Onto USF on Sunday who while better than BU, is not a good team of our old rivalry brethren. I expect more of the same as this team gains confidence.
Dorka was a center
I get Cardosa vibes watching Jana rebound under the basket, especially on the offensive end. Goes straight up even when she's boxed out by a shorter player. Catches the ball with her hands at their highest possible point over her head (which of course is higher than everyone else's). Has sure and steady footwork under the basket. Makes her put backs without a lot of drama. ONO, Dorka, Collier, AE were all tremendous players. Jana's not better than any of them at this very early point in her career, but I agree she brings a different dimension to the low post, which the team had been missing in recent years.
It's going to be KK's team next season........for this season she should be working on improving all aspects of her play in anticipation of the leadership role she will have to play in the future.........I'm sure she will fully embrace that.....
It's the first time in years the team has scored 60 in a half against any D1 team. That's quite the statement even if they aren't a great team. Testament to our offensive capability this season.
I watched ND’s first game. It was a tuneup game just like the BU game. The interesting matchup for Jana this season could well be Kate Koval. She is also a big strong 6’5”. She may have better low post moves and is quite efficient, though Jana seems more mobile and actually has a mid range and perimeter shooting game. And that baseline drive in the second half was reminiscent of Aaliyah. I hope we get to see the two of them matchup several times over the next few seasons, watch how they develop together. Crooks, Betts, Lee, Marshall, Del Rosario, Walker and Tac, all of them could pose interesting challenges if they happen. But Koval looks most similar to Jana.
Well said about missed 'bunnies, LwrcasefaN. Too many people believe every shot taken within five feet of the basket is a gimme.
The biggest thing I see from her is her ability to pick up and learn quickly. Geno said Morgan was an on and off practice player, meaning she likely didn't have as much practice experience as the rest of the team. But in her time out there, she was great on communications on switching, hardly lost her defensive assignment, and made some good moves (Had there been no travel, she would've had an excellent slash to the basket). She even tried posting up on BU. Very impressive and a good sign of things to come from her.
Azzi was hurt last December, so if she's able to start easing into games by say the end of the month or early December (3-4 week time frame), wouldn't that basically be 12 months?
Jana should be a double double machine against most teams. The question is whether she can dominate against other big posts. I think she's got to stay away from committing silly fouls and work on her second and third level inside moves. It might take some time, but I have a feeling she will ultimately be the inside offensive presence that UConn has been missing for quite some time.
Deacon-I hear ya but if I may offer some other perspective. Azzi has a much more acclaimed career than Sarah, her best friend is on this team and they want to prove they are the dynamic due and I have to say in the warmups, Azzi still looks and shoots fantastically. Will it take some time for her game to round back into an elite form, yes but physically it looks like she's in the best shape ever and her shot still looks as sweet as ever so I am also thinking Azzi will be the #2 option. Sarah is still very special on both sides of the ball but she is still only a freshman with all of one game on her resume. Geno has and will always be loyal to his top upperclassman players and Azzi is one of them.
Good points, DefenseBB, but, as I recall, Paige was "only a freshman,' as Sarah is now, and was NPOY that season.
