Congrats to Saniya, 5/10/17 | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Congrats to Saniya, 5/10/17

Fairfield Fan said:
The New Haven Register Blogs: Elm City to Eagleville: Looks like UConn's Saniya Chong has made Dallas Wings

New Haven Register's Jim Fuller is reporting that it appears that Dallas will keep Saniya Chong on the roster:

"When her senior season began, it wasn't even certain if Saniya Chong would have a regular role at UConn but suddenly it is looking like she has made the opening day roster of the WNBA's Dallas Wings...

"The WNBA held its annual preseason conference call and with Dallas' Fred Williams one of the three coaches on the call, I asked him for his thoughts on Chong.

"'You come out of a structure, a DNA of a championship organization at UConn and when you have that kind of player, she understands winning,' Williams said. 'She understands her role as a point guard who can distribute the basketball and set up her team. She has demonstrated in practice and also in games that she played in preseason to show great leadership. I look to utilize her a great deal this season and rely on her great basketball IQ.'"
Expand ...


I love this. I *uc*ing love it!
 
MilfordHusky said:
LOL! "She got more minutes when the other point guard went into the pros."

The "other point guard" just happened to be 2-time All-American, 2-time Lieberman Award winner, Dawn Staley Award winner, Defensive Player of the Year, #2 draft pick, and WNBA rookie sensation Moriah Jefferson. That was no ordinary point guard playing ahead of Saniya!
Expand ...

Yeah, that "other point guard"!
 
oldude said:
Obviously, you don't read every post. During the season, I indicated that I was one of those who felt that Danger would ultimately beat out Saniya as the starting pg, and that I was delighted to admit that I was wrong. A number of other BY'ers expressed similar views.
Expand ...

Count me in on that too. Go back and look. Loved her, couldn't see it happening as a Senior, and then low and behold. And perhaps the best part of this story for a young athlete, and as an example for others, she always owned "the problem" as her own and in overcoming it she is a true inspiration for fans and young players alike.
 
Striper69 said:
I've loved Saniya since she was a freshman- look at my posts. She's the reason I started posting here.

I always thought she would make the WNBA...

again- look at my posts.
Expand ...

I'm with you 100% Striper.
 
.-.
Carnac said:
So don't be too hard on the "nay-sayers" that didn't have the vision you did. Being able to accurately see that far ahead is a "gift" not every one has. Most of us rely on the EYE TEST. This is usually the best form of evaluation we have at our disposal, and is usually fool-proof.
Expand ...

But -- but -- I thought Carnac was able to see accurately that far ahead? :p
 
I think Saniya could be a better professional than she was a college player. She could rediscover her reckless abandon on the court, her wild scoring skills, and take to the pro game in a big way.

Charde Houston just never got the hang of Geno's system, but became an impact player in the WNBA. I'm looking for Saniya to really blossom at Dallas.

Big things in store!!!
 
It's great to see Chong make the WNBA, although clearly she was going to play somewhere professionally. She earned her spot at the highest level of competition. Good luck to her.
 
Bigboote said:
But -- but -- I thought Carnac was able to see accurately that far ahead? :p
Expand ...

Lately, not so much. A day or two, maybe a week, but never 3 years ahead. If I could, I'd be writing this from a palatial château estate nestled on a hill in France = Lotto winner. :)
 
.-.
Chong-Master said:
Now, where are all of you Saniya Chong nay-sayers who came on The Boneyard before the start of this past season and as well as at the end of the previous season, basically saying that Chong was washed up and a total bust at UConn and that Crystal Dangerfield was going to come in and take over the Point Guard spot? I have always been one to admit on this board, publicly if I was wrong in any statement that I said. But i have yet to see those individuals with the strong "Anti-Chong" opinions, coming back on hear and now admitting that they were indeed wrong about Saniya, now that she has made a WNBA roster.
Expand ...
I also recall some Chong defenders (don't remember if it was you) who thought that Geno was being unfair to her by not giving her more minutes in her first three years, and by publicly calling out her defense in the loss to Stanford as the reason why he pulled her from the starting lineup.

I'm not sure that she would be in the WNBA now if Geno had taken the advice of those posters and "gone easier" on her in her first three years.
 
JoePgh said:
I also recall some Chong defenders (don't remember if it was you) who thought that Geno was being unfair to her by not giving her more minutes in her first three years, and by publicly calling out her defense in the loss to Stanford as the reason why he pulled her from the starting lineup.

I'm not sure that she would be in the WNBA now if Geno had taken the advice of those posters and "gone easier" on her in her first three years.
Expand ...

JoePgh, with respect to your comment = Ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!! You nailed it!!! I could not agree with you more. Saniya's success to this point is definitely a by-product of Geno's "tough love". The man knows what he's doing. Different players have different buttons that when pushed, get the desired results. He knew where she needed to be, and refused to compromise. It's a coach's duty and responsibility to find those respective buttons for each player on his/her squad. I think we can all agree that Chong was nowhere near the complete and polished player as a freshman that she was as a senior. She acknowledged her coaches criticisms, then went about correcting those deficiencies.

She worked on correcting them to the point that Geno and the other coaches were satisfied they could put her on the court, and trust her to performed as expected. Another feather in Saniya's cap (that speaks to her character) is that by sticking it out, she has proven to everyone (coaches/GM's and other potential future employers) that she is not a quitter. She made a commitment to the program, and saw it through to completion. I am amazed at the growing number of players today that are transferring at an alarming rate, she didn't. She stuck it out.

She experienced some of the same challenges that other players defined as their reason for leaving a program. Sticking it out, and staying the course was not easy. I remember her once saying: "sometimes, things just don't go my way". Not quitting and sticking it out is a positive mind set that will serve her well the rest of her life.

The BIGGEST and most important play that I think Chong made since her arrival on campus, was made earlier this week, when she walked across the stage with the rest of her classmates to receive her diploma.
Of all the pictures of Saniya that I've seen since the day she first set foot on campus, the one below is my favorite. The reason why should be obvious. :)

upload_2017-5-12_11-12-4.png
 
Carnac said:
JoePgh, with respect to your comment = Ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!! You nailed it!!! I could not agree with you more. Saniya's success to this point is definitely a by-product of Geno's "tough love". The man knows what he's doing. Different players have different buttons that when pushed, get the desired results. He knew where she needed to be, and refused to compromise. It's a coach's duty and responsibility to find those respective buttons for each player on his/her squad. I think we can all agree that Chong was nowhere near the complete and polished player as a freshman that she was as a senior. She acknowledged her coaches criticisms, then went about correcting those deficiencies.

She worked on correcting them to the point that Geno and the other coaches were satisfied they could put her on the court, and trust her to performed as expected. Another feather in Saniya's cap (that speaks to her character) is that by sticking it out, she has proven to everyone (coaches/GM's and other potential future employers) that she is not a quitter. She made a commitment to the program, and saw it through to completion. I am amazed at the growing number of players today that are transferring at an alarming rate, she didn't. She stuck it out.

She experienced some of the same challenges that other players defined as their reason for leaving a program. Sticking it out, and staying the course was not easy. I remember her once saying: "sometimes, things just don't go my way". Not quitting and sticking it out is a positive mind set that will serve her well the rest of her life.

The BIGGEST and most important play that I think Chong made since her arrival on campus, was made earlier this week, when she walked across the stage with the rest of her classmates to receive her diploma.
Of all the pictures of Saniya that I've seen since the day she first set foot on campus, the one below is my favorite. The reason why should be obvious. :)

View attachment 22271
Expand ...
Well stated. I am reminded that Geno commented on one show, something to the effect that his greatest worry was that someone would spend 4 years playing for him and not reach their potential. Clearly, that was not the case with Saniya.
 
.-.
Congrats to Saniya. This is another step in her fulfilling the promise that she showed when she first came to the Huskies. Between the pressure of her stellar HS career and the injuries she had to deal with it took longer for her to make her mark on the UConn program. Given her heart and determination she should do well 8n the WNBA.
 
oldude said:
Well stated. I am reminded that Geno commented on one show, something to the effect that his greatest worry was that someone would spend 4 years playing for him and not reach their potential. Clearly, that was not the case with Saniya.
Expand ...

I also remembering him saying on a show this year something to the effect that when the team was not playing well at one point in a game he turned to CD and they both agreed, "At least Saniya's out there" to right the ship. And that was the point when they both realized she'd gotten it.
 
she didn't score 100o points but she's about earn $1000.00
 
.-.
j66kicker said:
Not new - that's her tat commemorating her brother, who died. She had it the whole time she was at UConn.
Expand ...
The one in the picture is an infinity sign. The one commemorating her brother is a date. Per Jeff Jacobs, March 17:

Saniya Chong showed all of her game, every bit of it, Saturday at Webster Bank Arena. What she did not show was her tattoo.

The numbers, in dark ink, are small and nondescript on her left wrist:

1985-2006.
 
Carnac said:
So don't be too hard on the "nay-sayers" that didn't have the vision you did. Being able to accurately see that far ahead is a "gift" not every one has. Most of us rely on the EYE TEST. This is usually the best form of evaluation we have at our disposal, and is usually fool-proof.
Expand ...

Why, thank you, Carnac! :cool:
 
Striper69 said:
Now my big concern is...


will Leticia make the Sun roster?
Expand ...

She got a full suspension suspension for not showing up to camp. It was always known she wouldn't show up, because of Spanish national team stuff going on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,359
Messages
4,567,643
Members
10,469
Latest member
xxBlueChips


Top Bottom