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.
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