Some player by player take aways from game 1...
Collier: I think the biggest take away from this game is that Collier decided that she was going to be comfortable being a player that can be relied on in big games. I was a bit skeptical about how she was progressing based off of relatively quiet exhibition performances. This was only one game, but its a really strong base to build from. I think she has a good chance of being the best player for this team all season long.
Samuelson- It has been clear since the first exhibition outing that Lou desperately wants to be the go to player and AA performer for this team. I think she has pressed a little out of the gate. The most growth I saw from her was after she picked up her 4th personal. She gestured to Geno saying "I'm good." Subsequently, she scored the next 5 uconn points to keep them in the game down the stretch of the 3rd quarter. In that moment I learned that Lou knows how important she is going to be and she seemed more mature than last year. Once she settles down and lets the game come to her, I can see her averaging 18ppg and 6rpg.
Chong: We all know she can score. 20 points against Stanford showed us that, or her ridiculous HS stats. Defense will be her weakness, but we will need her offense this season. Continued gutsy performances where she takes care of the ball and shows some senior leadership will be vital to the success of the team.
Williams: Many posters expect her to be the best player on this team. I think today showed how some size and D1 talent against her can bridge some of the gap that she creates due to athleticism. She should have a good year, especially if her range continues to expand. However, tonight she didn't have the look of a go to player. Beyond two big shots, her presence wasn't felt. Maybe that was foul trouble shaking her confidence. Only time will tell. Regardless, she is a big key.
Nurse: Kia will always bring 125% effort to the floor. But she can be painfully inconsistent. She can go from a nice 14 point outing, to a 0 point performance followed by tears, to burning the nets with 33 points playing for canada. A big place for her to grow as a player this year will be to become consistent. Every night we need her to take care of the basketball, hit open shots, minimize offensive fouls, and find open players. Being able to rely on 10-12ppg and 5apg from Nurse could be huge against this non conference schedule.
Dangerfield- She has a lot of poise for a freshman. Her pace is advanced for her age. She is not going to be needed to create her own shot this year. If she can knock down open shots that come within the flow of the offense, take care of the basketball, play solid D, and find open players, she will earn a lot of minutes.
Bent- she looked a bit nervous today. Had some nice moments and some bad moments. It will be nice to get her minutes in some non-pressure games against d1 talent to fully evaluate her skills.
Butler- had a lot of bright spots and quite possibly her most influential performance in a husky uniform. We will need her against teams with size. More importantly, we need her to box out hard and grab rebounds with authority. Huge key for the season.
Overall, this team showed a ton of heart. They beat a top 15 team on the road with no real team identity. This type of game will probably be the most beneficial for learning and growing into a great team come march.
I learned a lot about the players and what they realistically can bring to the floor night in and night out. Excited to see what everyone is able to do through the first month to establish this team identity.
