Charde Houston

[vtcwbuff]

After early success in her career this year was a disaster. I don't know the reason, but there was a lot of DNP's, coaches decision, on her stat sheet. Will she be in the WNBA next year?

 

[uconn_nyc]

Hi vtcbuff

Re: Charde Houston. I think the style of play of teams like Atlanta or Phoenix would be better for her. I'd love to see her getting more playing time!

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

 

[John Fryer]

After early success in her career this year was a disaster. I don't know the reason, but there was a lot of DNP's, coaches decision, on her stat sheet. Will she be in the WNBA next year?

Congratulations to the Lynx, Maya and especially to Charde. Charde was part of a WNBA championship team. Wasn't she also a member of one of UConn's NC teams?

Peace,

JohnFryer

 

[Scotter]

Congratulations to the Lynx, Maya and especially to Charde. Charde was part of a WNBA championship team. Wasn't she also a member of one of UConn's NC teams?

Peace,

JohnFryer

No, Charde's class never won a national championship. They were able to get to the Final Four as seniors, which kept a streak of every class playing in a Final Four alive.

 

[Scotter]

Charde will likely be in the WNBA, but if she wants to play she has to go to an average to below-average WNBA team. Put Charde on a bad team and she can be All-Star, but put her on a good team and she will sit on the bench. Which actually isn't that uncommon of a situation for players that have grown up their entire lives as primarily scorers. More often than not there comes a point when the quality of team increases where their scoring efficiency no longer justifies their shot selection, especially when they are often not impact players in other areas of the games.

 

[semper]

I hope she is traded and has a great career. She means a lot to me; a spectacular person, and a truly great scorer.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I have no idea what kind of a person Houston is, but I don't think that has a lot to do with her ability to hang on in the WNBA.

My memories of Houston are mostly of frustration with her inability or unwillingness to buy into UConn basketball. Mel Thomas' comment about team mates not able to get through to her probably stands out the most.

I certainly did not think of her as a "great" scorer but I suppose that depends on what yardstick you use to measure greatness .

 

[DaddyChoc]

Charde was strong enough to stick around UConn all 4 yrs... that says a lot about her!

 

[semper]

Sorry, I was assuming that everyone on the Yard knew the stories about her difficult life as a child and her humanitarian activities as an adult. I shouldn't do that, I guess. She was a tremendous scorer in high school, and could have been in college too, perhaps in other circumstances. Who knows? Geno himself often commented on her ability to score; even when he was providing color commentary on some of the early games of this playoff series, he said something like "Charde never lacked the ability to score." Some of us, and I am one, always have wanted things to work out for her and follow her progress with high hopes. We were thrilled a few years ago when she was named an All-Star.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I am aware of her circumstances. Lots of college athletes have the same sort of background. I'm also aware of the huge opportunity basketball has provided and that she may well be squandering it.
For her to sit for the entire playoff indicates that there is something amiss. At UConn she had an option that she will not have in the WNBA. This year she ranked 111th in scoring. That doesn't bode well for her future.

Don't misunderstand, I don't have any ill will towards Houston but she will always be a mystery to me just as she was to Auriemma and her teammates. Sadly, it appears that her pro career is following the same path that she took in college.

 

[MilfordHusky]

By all accounts and appearances, Charde was a good teammate this year. And her team won a championship. The downside was the little faith that her coach had in her, as indicated my limited playing time. I hope she has a good winter season.

 

[dtbtbtb]

If I'm not mistaken not too long ago there was a great description (by Cam?) of Charde's game and weakness, that was on point in explaining exactly why she can't be a star on a good team.

 

[rington]

I am aware of her circumstances. Lots of college athletes have the same sort of background. I'm also aware of the huge opportunity basketball has provided and that she may well be squandering it.
For her to sit for the entire playoff indicates that there is something amiss. At UConn she had an option that she will not have in the WNBA. This year she ranked 111th in scoring. That doesn't bode well for her future.

Don't misunderstand, I don't have any ill will towards Houston but she will always be a mystery to me just as she was to Auriemma and her teammates. Sadly, it appears that her pro career is following the same path that she took in college.

 

[rington]

She has ability. There seems to be something about her mentality which prevents her from being a breakout scorer.

 

[Scotter]

If I'm not mistaken not too long ago there was a great description (by Cam?) of Charde's game and weakness, that was on point in explaining exactly why she can't be a star on a good team.

Cam's description matched my opinion of Charde's play and observations I've made in the past. And as I said above Charde is hardly alone in this in terms of being able to star on a bad team, but be of limited use to a good team. And the opposite type of player also exists. Players that are of little use to bad teams, but impact players on good teams. And to some degree this is something Charde can't change because she can't change her childhood and adolescent experiences. Athletes can change some things, but their instincts, personality, and athletic behavior are for the most part fixed at an early age.

 

[NCorBust]

Hi vtcbuff

Re: Charde Houston. I think the style of play of teams like Atlanta or Phoenix would be better for her. I'd love to see her getting more playing time!

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

I thought I was the only one who thought what you said. Sick, Dude, SICKO!

 

[UcMiami]

Charde was certainly not the reason her college teams didn't win championships, and we would have lost a lot more games if she had decided to leave. She was never a perfect fit with Geno and one of his 'failures' in terms of getting through to her and really improving her game. I respected her for toughing it out in a situation where a lot of young players would have transferred or quit.
I was sorry that she didn't get more playing time this year, and the few regular season games I saw where she did play, she looked pretty good in the Lynx system/style of play. I think more than anything, it was a numbers game this year. The previous years the Lynx had some devistating injuries to star players and they needed Charde to contribute big time to even be competitive. This year they stayed healthy and the players in front of her were better. I suspect that she will be moved to a different team next year, especially as the Lynx have another lottery draft pick coming in next year. But I do think she could contribute to quite a few other teams, including some of the playoff teams.

 

[DaddyChoc]

or Charde may stay in Minn. why would they NEED another superstar on the team. Seimone, Brunson, Whalen and Maya make up the nucleus all others need to know their role.

We all know they want to play play play but every team has cheerleaders, check the rosters. You'll be surprised who's better than Charde but buried on the bench (you can start with her mates Wright & Hornbuckle).

If Charde is happy and the coaching staff likes what she brings to the team... why change!

Charde would NEVER be the "go to player" on any WNBA.

I appreciate her spirit to stick it out on all levels... her past made her a very humble person, appreciates whats given to her.

Where is BTurner, Ann, Mel and a ton of others... Charde is on a WNBA Team.

 

[Joe6cats]

I thought I was the only one who thought what you said. Sick, Dude, SICKO!

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

+1, +1! Not to take away from all the positive remarks about Charde who seems to deserve all the good things a WNBA career can offer, but yeah that baby elephant trunk mauling is deeply disturbing. I guess on some level you can see it like you'd look at a Roadrunner cartoon and have a nervous chuckle, but only if you don't know what you're seeing. That elephant is probably dead, if not within 5 minutes of the photo, then slowly from having had maimed an extremely sensitive and vital for survival part of its body. If that's where your head is at, why not put up a photo of a dog getting run over, or a child with her hand caught in an automatic clothes mangle?

 

[Cafe Poliziano]

I have no idea what kind of a person Houston is, but I don't think that has a lot to do with her ability to hang on in the WNBA.

My memories of Houston are mostly of frustration with her inability or unwillingness to buy into UConn basketball. Mel Thomas' comment about team mates not able to get through to her probably stands out the most.

I certainly did not think of her as a "great" scorer but I suppose that depends on what yardstick you use to measure greatness .

CH is CH, she likely sits on the bench because she can't/won't do things her coaches want her to do, nothing new there. Geno experienced the same for four years.

 

[AboutWeston]

Charde Houston no longer plays for UCONN, not even the CT professional team, the SUN. I, for one, think this discussion is off track, but then, that is just my opinion.

 

[VAMike23]

Re: Your avatar picture is disturbing. A baby elephant's trunk being pulled by a crocodile? I doubt they're playing. I know it's nature way and survival, but the picture depicts suffering. Just my opinion.

+1, +1! Not to take away from all the positive remarks about Charde who seems to deserve all the good things a WNBA career can offer, but yeah that baby elephant trunk mauling is deeply disturbing. I guess on some level you can see it like you'd look at a Roadrunner cartoon and have a nervous chuckle, but only if you don't know what you're seeing. That elephant is probably dead, if not within 5 minutes of the photo, then slowly from having had maimed an extremely sensitive and vital for survival part of its body. If that's where your head is at, why not put up a photo of a dog getting run over, or a child with her hand caught in an automatic clothes mangle?

I'm not a big fan of that avatar either but I think people should make a few distinctions before going around talking about how the mindset behind putting it up might just as well show a maimed or injured child. I don't think that kind of hyperbole is warranted and it just adds more heat (than light) to this thread.

 

[UConn990411]

I am aware of her circumstances. Lots of college athletes have the same sort of background. I'm also aware of the huge opportunity basketball has provided and that she may well be squandering it.
For her to sit for the entire playoff indicates that there is something amiss. At UConn she had an option that she will not have in the WNBA. This year she ranked 111th in scoring. That doesn't bode well for her future.

Don't misunderstand, I don't have any ill will towards Houston but she will always be a mystery to me just as she was to Auriemma and her teammates. Sadly, it appears that her pro career is following the same path that she took in college.

Yeah, you're pretty off base here.

Charde is a classic "tweener" at the WNBA level - too small to play big minutes at the 4, not quite quick enough (at least defensively) and lacks the perimeter skills to be a full-time 3. On offense, she poses a lot of matchup problems and can score (as it is evidenced by her last two seasons), but she also gives up about as many as she scores.

The past two years, Charde was good enough to play big minutes for Minnesota; this year, they had better options at her position(s) (namely, they drafted Maya Moore). I agree with whoever said she needs to be traded a bad team, or at least a team like Phoenix/Atlanta, whose style of play she'd fit better in. But Minnesota, with all its talent on the wing, is just not a good match for her anymore.

 

[Joe6cats]

I'm not a big fan of that avatar either but I think people should make a few distinctions before going around talking about how the mindset behind putting it up might just as well show a maimed or injured child. I don't think that kind of hyperbole is warranted and it just adds more heat (than light) to this thread.

Well Mike, given that its all just opinions anyway, I happen to disagree that 1) there is hyperbole (unless you want to claim human pain matters, animal doesn't), and 2) that it is out of place to complain about the posting of a very objectionable picture on a public board shared by many kinds of folk. You may disagree that it is objectionable, but three people now have objected, and you say you are not a big fan. If there is a distinction to be made here, I'm at a loss to guess what it is. Perhaps there are more people cool with it than not, but without saying unkind things about mindset, I wish it would go away. 'Nuff said.

 

[VAMike23]

Well Mike, given that its all just opinions anyway, I happen to disagree that 1) there is hyperbole (unless you want to claim human pain matters, animal doesn't), and 2) that it is out of place to complain about the posting of a very objectionable picture on a public board shared by many kinds of folk. You may disagree that it is objectionable, but three people now have objected, and you say you are not a big fan. If there is a distinction to be made here, I'm at a loss to guess what it is. Perhaps there are more people cool with it than not, but without saying unkind things about mindset, I wish it would go away. 'Nuff said.

Of course animal pain matters. And nothing is wrong with complaining on the BY. The distinction to be made is that you're assigning your own idea of equivalency--"why not put up a photo of...a child [getting maimed]?" -- to make your point about his mindset. If you don't see a distinction between the avatar in question and a hypothetical avatar of a child getting his/her hand maimed in a machine, then I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.