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Message: [QUOTE="CTinLA, post: 4593393, member: 12518"] “Sveta or Nika or Diana or Sue or Maya”. Putting Nika in the company of some of the all time great Huskies says a lot about what Geno thinks of Nika. Even if the comments were more specifically about personality than skill, I don’t think Geno says this unless he sees excellence in Nika. The leap that she made from last season to this season has been remarkable. Although I thought that Nika’s energy and defensive intensity were important to the team last year, I didn’t know that she had the kind of court vision or the passing ability that has been on display this year. It says so much about Nika as a player and as a person that she was willing and able to step into the role of team leader once Paige went down. It could have been too much for her; it would have been too much for some. Instead, Nika upped her game on both ends of the court and became an elite point guard. She might not score much, but she’s not just a defensive stopper anymore. As the orchestrator of the offense, she destroyed Sue’s assist records that had survived Renee and Mo Jeff and Crystal. It’s been impressive. Recent interactions between Nika and Geno make it pretty clear that their relationship is central to her success. The genuine affection between the two is evident, if occasionally buried under layers of sarcasm. Nika has learned to be a coachable player, and Geno has a lot of experience in coaching the uncoachables. In the past, similar relationships with Sveta and Diana and Sue and Maya have led to National Championships. In ten days, I hope that Nika will join that list. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach