So every starter is a star player that should not come off the floor? CD is more than a guard, she can easily be considered a forward both in height and her game. Also, this "struggling" is mind boggling. Her numbers for mins is far from struggling. Geno at one point said he wants her shooting because he wants scores that can score shooting the ball. Yes Paige and Azzi are back plus CW is playing the best ball of her career, but watching play against these final four teams require depth and as many options as possible. Azzi was 3-11 two games ago. You can argue when CD carried the team she started to be the focus of defenses but still scored, how about when PB & Azzi are on the floor and not the focus? Even during the "struggles" (two missed layups) she gets open because she moves, cuts and posts really well. She doesn't need to hit 3s to be on the floor.
1--- I used the word “star” 2 times on this thread. I used the phrase “super players” twice on this thread and used an example of Evina earning playing time indirectly implying she’d be over Cd – it was mentioned twice on this thread, and yet through it all you interpreted my posts that
every starter is a star player? Even though that during all of the discussions since this thread was created that the UCONN games had 3 main players getting continual big minutes; and they were Paige, Azzi and CWil, and yet somehow you interpreted my post to mean
every starter?
2—Whether you find the comments reflecting the characterization of CD’s play using the word “struggling” as
“mind-boggling “ is immaterial. The fact is that in the last 12 games (excluding Stanford) when CD has taken a shot her Efficiency FG% is less than the team’s efficiency % during the same 12 games. In 9 of the 12 games, overall the team’s efficiency was better than hers. She’s not being as efficient. So, is your answer is to keep rewarding CD’s less efficiency rather than get the ball to Paige and Azzi? You want Paige and Azzi to become more passers than getting them more shots? That would be
"mind-boggling" if you wanted that. The idea is to get your best players as many efficient shots as you can, right? At this point in CD’s career, that’s not her strength (passing to other scorers).
3—And if you are going to try to justify using CD’s resume as not just a scorer but “overall as a player” – then why would you ignore the resume from last year from proven seniors like CW and Evina? Isn’t there past resume of getting to the FF superior to CD’s past resume? And if you are going to compare the past shooting %’s as you have done with Azzi then why wouldn’t you compare the past 12 games rather than just cite the one game as you did from Azzi which she went 3-11? So overall since the injury CD suffered, upon her comeback the resumes of Azzi, CW and Evina (and ofc Paige) are superior, correct?
4—So while you mention CD is a fine versatile player, I’m asking you to look at the resume of Evina vs her and decide which is superior because EW is very versatile too. In addition, we also know in the frontcourt Liv, AE and Dorka are superior to CD in terms of need. As well as the backcourt Paige, Azzi, and CW have superior resumes. And as for Nika- Nika is an overall better defender but also is a much superior passer. That passer can probably set up Paige and Azzi better. I highlighted that in Point 2 above. If your point is to argue that I’ll back off an argument of CD vs NM. That’s wasn’t the issue created by the OP.
So in summary, CD is 4th and/or 5th on the depth chart. And we know NCAA Tourney teams tend to play their stars (i.e. Paige, Azzi and CW for UCONN) much more. – So why should UCONN be different than what they always have been and different than every other team that has won a title over the past 5+ years by playing their stars (not every starter) very, very big minutes?
And we have to understand that when you are a 4th or 5th on the depth chart, you are not afforded/ should not be afforded the same rope as a starter. Agree?