Agreed.It’s easier to tone down aggressiveness in a player than to dredge it up from within them
Please allow me to expand on several posters on this board. After extensive OI (organic intelligence) research I believe the "Nika does not start" arguments can be boiled down as follows:
1. Nika doesn't score enough
2. Nika isn't Paige
First, I'd like to see Nika score 1 or 2 more baskets per game (without hurting her shooting %). Scoring more than that really isn't needed with the talent on this team. Instead Nika needs to keep going Nika things among which is setting assist records and being the 2x BE DPOY.
Second, none of the other 13 players are Paige. So, don't start anyone who is not Paige is really weak. But, but, but, but Paige is a better PG than Nika. Yeah right, but she's also a better SG guard than any of the other 13 players on the team. She's also probably a better SF than anyone else on the team. I firmly believe UConn loses nothing with Paige in the SG position. I also believe SG is the best position for Azzi. Unless there's a real good reason for not starting 3 guards, that leaves the PG open for Nika. And I don't want Paige running her buttocks off trying to hassle the opposing PG bringing the ball up court. That's Nika's job, which she does pretty well.