DavidinNaples
11 is way better than 2..!! :)
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2013
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After a "shocking" loss to France in an EXHIBITION game on Sunday, some on the BY were buzzing w/ righteous indignation. The loss was attributed to complacency, bad strategy by the coaching staff and poor shooting by Maya and DT. In Tuesday's bounce back win over the Czech Republic, Maya again had a "lousy" day, shooting 3 for 11 from the field. The BY erupted again w/ anxiety and hand wringing. Is Maya injured? Does she have "tired legs" or jet lag? Has she just forgotten how to score? The answer (as if we didn't know) is "no, no & no."
Consider for a moment that all of this "agita" comes from a sample size of 5 games, played in Paris, France and Prague, Czech Republic, after cross-Atlantic travel, w/ teammates that have been together for two weeks. So how bad is the problem?
From the free throw line, she is 11-13 or 85%. Ok, so no issue there. From the field, she is 14-45 or 31.1%. A further breakdown shows Maya is 13-33 from 2 pt range and 1-12 from beyond the arc. So from inside 3 pt range, she is hitting 39.4%. Not Maya-like production, but hardly worth the anxiety. Clearly, the only problem is the 1-12 from 3 pt range. Is this something that can be fixed or will correct itself? Yup.
So far, in four years of WNBA action, Maya has made 326 three point field goals in the regular season and playoffs. At UConn, she made 311 three pointers. Maya can shoot the three..!! In two seasons in China, she averaged 41.5 and 43.3 points per game. Ok, so her shooting touch is not restricted to the United States.
In the 2010 World Championship and 2012 Olympics, Maya went 15-50 or 30% from three pt range. Hardly worth discussing, especially considering that Team USA opponents only made 27.5% of their 3 pt attempts, in both tournaments.
Relax. Take a deep breath and remember, Maya didn't forget how to shoot & score. And she always seems to win the Gold..!!
Go Maya..!! Go Team USA...!!
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