CD is indeed a big part of this, in ways that go unnoticed by many fans of the program. How many times did we see her talking to Bria Hartley on the bench this season, instructing and encouraging. And it sounds like CD played a big role in getting Breanna to play at the level we all expected. From the NY Times article:
In her first 10 games, Stewart scored more points than any previous UConn freshman. Auriemma suggested she could become the Huskies’ greatest player. But Stewart can be flighty, and she began to lose focus and confidence. An ankle injury kept her out of a regular-season victory over Louisville.
“She’s too good a shooter to miss the open shots she was getting,” said Chris Dailey, the team’s associate head coach. So Dailey and Stewart began working together in extra practice sessions, rehearsing her shooting form, making sure she set proper screens.
“We always tell them, your greatest strength is your greatest weakness,” Dailey said. “Her greatest strength is that because she’s kind of carefree, the pressures of the moment don’t impact her. At the same time, because she’s carefree, she didn’t always have the intensity she needed to finish plays and do the things she needed.”
At 18, the 6-foot-4 inch Stewart can at times still seem ungainly. She can dunk a basketball, but Dailey has jokingly called her Bambi because she can appear uncertain of her movements, like a newborn deer.
Stewart needs to be stronger and improve her balance and footwork, according to Dailey, who laughed and said, “She has the worst timing and jumping I’ve ever seen for anyone who can actually jump.”
