Ghost in the court

[JRRRJ]

Three times while watching the game last night, Moria gave me strong echoes of our premier improvisational play-maker, DT.

Watching her turn a bad pass from Stef into a perfect touch pass to Stewie for an easy basket was the cherry on top.

My febrile brain won't allow me to remember the details of the other 2 plays, but one was a dump inside that surprised everyone but the recipient (I guess they're getting trained to expect such things from her, like Diana's teammates) and the other was a bounce pass through a gap between defenders that only existed for a half-second and that half-second began after she threw the ball.

Sigh.

I think I'm in love.

The endless energy (she does full-court presses vs. two players by herself pretty often), the incredible agility & athleticism (like that going-out-of-bounds play at the end of the Cal game, or how quickly she gets back to her position after a failed steal attempt, or how easily she evades picks and surprises her assignee on the other side), the confidence I feel when she gets behind or through the defense that the ball will go in the hole.

And the joy she shows on the court and sidelines.

Thanks, Moriah! Keep it up!

 

[sarals24]

She's my favorite player on the team. Love how she plays. She's the new Kelly Faris

 

[UcMiami]

Great post and that was a brilliant touch pass to Stewart - not just because she redirected it from an impossible position, but because it arrived to Stewart in a perfect position for her - as if Moriah had all the time in the world to make sure it was placed just so. Her growth and confidence is a joy to watch. And I agree about her ability to attempt a steal getting herself out of position and then in an instant be back in perfect defensive posture. The other thing that has been true since the first preseason game is I do not believe she has been called for a single reach in foul or hand check foul - she has been called for fouls (one per game) but they are blocking fouls, offensive fouls, collisions on steal attempts, or shot contesting fouls. On defense she is so fast at moving her feet that she is often in the position the offensive player is planning to move to at the same instant they start moving or even thinking about moving.
And you do not see her looking at the bench ever this year - if Geno wants to tell her something or give her specific instructions he has to shout to her, cause she no longer needs his approval for what she just did. If it was good, she already knows, and if it wasn't good she knows how to correct it next time.

 

[Icebear]

. If it was good, she already knows, and if it wasn't good she knows how to correct it next time.

Plus by then she is so far from Geno she can't hear him. Either that or it is simply because she moves faster than the speed of sound.

 

[semper]

She is also in excellent shape, and so fatigue doesn't seem to be much of a factor in her game.

 

[reno tony]

Three times while watching the game last night, Moria gave me strong echoes of our premier improvisational play-maker, DT.

Watching her turn a bad pass from Stef into a perfect touch pass to Stewie for an easy basket was the cherry on top.

My febrile brain won't allow me to remember the details of the other 2 plays, but one was a dump inside that surprised everyone but the recipient (I guess they're getting trained to expect such things from her, like Diana's teammates) and the other was a bounce pass through a gap between defenders that only existed for a half-second and that half-second began after she threw the ball.

Sigh.

I think I'm in love.

The endless energy (she does full-court presses vs. two players by herself pretty often), the incredible agility & athleticism (like that going-out-of-bounds play at the end of the Cal game, or how quickly she gets back to her position after a failed steal attempt, or how easily she evades picks and surprises her assignee on the other side), the confidence I feel when she gets behind or through the defense that the ball will go in the hole.

And the joy she shows on the court and sidelines.

Thanks, Moriah! Keep it up!

One of the plays you can't remember was a no look pass to someone under the basket. It reminded me of the best passing player ever..... Magic Johnson. She has become quite the passer this year and her sidekick, Soniya, has quite the skills herself.

 

[meyers7]

One of the plays you can't remember was a no look pass to someone under the basket. It reminded me of the best passing player ever..... Magic Johnson. She has become quite the passer this year and her sidekick, Soniya, has quite the skills herself.

That pass was to Dolson. Already knew what she was gonna do with the ball before it got to her.

 

[DobbsRover2]

That pass was to Dolson. Already knew what she was gonna do with the ball before it got to her.

And although I don't remember exactly that play having been made by a Husky before, it is always possible that the "get behind two defenders on the baseline and tap a pass back to one of your bigs for a bucket" play is something that the team is working on in practice, and lord help the rest of the teams if that is true.

 

[meyers7]

And although I don't remember exactly that play having been made by a Husky before, it is always possible that the "get behind two defenders on the baseline and tap a pass back to one of your bigs for a bucket" play is something that the team is working on in practice, and lord help the rest of the teams if that is true.

I do hope they are not working on passing into the post to a 5-7 guard covered by 2 people. That really was a poor pass by Dolson, that Jefferson made into a great play. It worked out (great), but......you know. (what are you thinking Dolson??)

 

[BJLfromBK]

Moriah is that exciting PG I felt uconn needed after Montgomery graduated. With the exception of two? DT era championships, UCONN has always had a true PG to guide them to victory. Rizotti,Bird, Montgomery and now Mo. Her speed is fun to on its own, but throw in more of those no looks and touch passes... weve got real entertainment. Now if only she could get her shot to consistently drop... man will that make an already damn near impossible to guard team a nightmare to play

 

[Icebear]

And although I don't remember exactly that play having been made by a Husky before, it is always possible that the "get behind two defenders on the baseline and tap a pass back to one of your bigs for a bucket" play is something that the team is working on in practice, and lord help the rest of the teams if that is true.

Moriah has made the out of bounds pass back into the court several times this year. Next with Gabbie's long jump ability they may be able to execute this play from about the third row.

 

[UcMiami]

Moriah is that exciting PG I felt uconn needed after Montgomery graduated. With the exception of two? DT era championships, UCONN has always had a true PG to guide them to victory. Rizotti,Bird, Montgomery and now Mo. Her speed is fun to on its own, but throw in more of those no looks and touch passes... weve got real entertainment. Now if only she could get her shot to consistently drop... man will that make an already damn near impossible to guard team a nightmare to play

I know that you mean the three and she is at .235 on that, but her overall field goal percentage is at 54.7% which I will take.