Can Paige and Azzi both average 20ppg?

[Bone Dog]

I know Geno is playing almost if not everyone in games, good to develop his bench, unknown how this will affect the team come tourney time.

One effect I'm hoping for is that Paige Azzi Sarah Jana won't be as tired as the core of last year's team was by the final four.

 

[huskyd]

As sophomores Napheesa and Katie Lou averaged 20.4 and 20.2 points per game respectively. That was the 2016-7 team that went 36-1, losing to Mississippi State in the Final Four.

They were in the very weak AAC but their out of conference victories included South Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU, Texas, DePaul, Baylor, Maryland (the famous barf bucket game), Syracuse, UCLA and Oregon.

Napheesa and KLS both played and started all 37 games and both averaged over 30 minutes per game. The team as a whole averaged over 87 points per game while the current team averages just under 79.

Five team members had over 100 assists and the team as a whole had a whopping 863. The team shooting percentage was 52.7% including over 40% from three. Naphessa shot an incredible 67.8% from the field. Yikes.

That was a fun team. KLS, Napheesa, Kia Nurse, Gabby and Saniya Chong started, with Crystal and Natalie Butler off the bench. Small and not deep, but very, very talented.

I don't think any other UConn duo has ever done that. It is very hard to do and they just barely did it.

Pheesa and Katie Lou had a chemistry between them that few players have. In my mind's eye, I can still see Lou driving into the lane, giving the ball to Pheesa with the latter doing her patented step back shot. Paige and Azzi have never had the chance for sustained time together on the court. Part of even the current rotation is Geno's awareness that both of his stars have had serious injuries, which keeps him resting one of his stars while the other plays. He is protecting them from further injury and keeping them rested for when they are needed. Eventually, Coach will have them both out there together more frequently. They are his aces in the hole.

 

[HopJim]

Probably too much talent on this team for two to average 20+. Some days, particularly with the lack of in league talent, I wonder if we will have anyone average 20+, not a bad thing if everyone is producing at 110%. Putting Cheli, Zieball, etc. in for fourth quarter is fun to watch.