Crystal
is not the worst defensive player
on the team. That said, I
will not argue that she is not the worst of the first 6 players on the floor. I've seen her man go right by her on more than one occasion (but not all the time) last year. I gave her a pass last year because she was a freshman. Learning how to play good defense (playing the passing lanes and keeping your arms up) and learning how to keep your man in front of you, is part of making that "
sophomore leap" that
all freshmen are expected to make. We all know that
NOTHING frustrates Geno more than seeing one of his players get beat off the dribble. Saniya Chong's inability to keep her man in front of her played a large part (the other being her I-band injury) of her logging so much pine duty her first three years.
I've also seen Lou get beat several times as did Napheesa, because of being out of position, and not having their feet in the correct position to guard their man. IMO, the two best defensive players for Geno is
Kia and
Gabby (with Kia being the best). They have the ability (and determination) to keep their man in front of them. Geno once said "
when Gabby is guarding you, you're guarded". Any basketball purist knows that you play defense with your feet, not your hands. The good defensive players keep their feet moving while in a defensive stance (instead of standing flat-footed). Sometimes we learn best (and more quickly) from our peers than our instructors (coaches).
I would like to see Dangerfield become tutored by peers Gabby and Kia, during the remainder of the summer, and before or after practice once the season starts. One on one instruction on how to move your feet, how to anticipate a player's movement, and how to take something away from your man. Learn how to be "proactive" instead of reactive. Shoot it, pass it, or drive to the basket. Those are a player's options on offense.
A good defensive player will take one or more of those options away from you.
Moriah Jefferson was great at this, so was Stewie. This was a skill they both learned AFTER they arrived at UConn, not before. Dangerfield at some point will learn it too. She'll have to .....if she wants to play.
KML was not a defensive stalwart, but Geno could not afford to take her out of the lineup for long periods of time. That's where Kiah Stokes came in as a counter measure. One was great on offense, the other was great on defense. Geno became masterful at inserting them into the lineup at any given time.
Whether you make them pass it, go in the direction YOU want them to go in, or take a shot that's not the best shot they could take (or they're comfortable with, i.e., a bad shot). The best thing (as far as you're concerned) is for your man to pass the ball to another player. If you can do that, then, you've done your job. You kept
your man from scoring.
You ALWAYS try and help your teammates if and when you can, because EVERYONE gets beat once in a while. If you can hold YOUR man scoreless for all or most of the game, that frustrates them, and puts more pressure to score on their teammates. Remember 3 years ago when Ohio State's (and the nation's) leading scorer
Kelsey Mitchell was held to just 8 points when they played UConn? Great defense held her to those 8 points. That was one of the reasons UConn won that game by such a large margin, because no one else stepped up. The twin towers at South Carolina were both always held to well under their season average when they played UConn because of good tight defense played by Stewie and Tuck.
The last time UConn played Notre Dame for the NC, Brianna Turner (their leading scorer) was held scoreless in the first half by Stewie and Tuck. Crystal is quick enough to be a lock-down defender. She just has to learn and master the "technique"....like Jefferson did. I'm betting she will.
