Ice Brady is the best post since Breanna Stewart

[AzzisBraids]

Before I even say it, here's who isn't the best post since Breanna:

Azura Stevens - 6'6 but didn't stay long enough or play in the post long enough
Napheesa Collier- 6'1 and frame limited her
Gabby Williams - she was 5'11 but great
Kiah Stokes - she was prior to Breanna
Aaliyah Edwards - Sophomore season was under a witch's spell
Olivia Nelson-Ododa - Defensively better but limited in paint production because everything else she had to

Ice Brady will be that girl. She's 6'3, one inch taller but just as wide as Tuck, with a nice jumper and who's coming off an Olympic summer. She can pass from high, bang down low, make mid-range jumpers/open 3's and will draw a lot of fouls. Geno's going to use her like a chess piece just like Breanna.

No discredit to Dorka, Aaliyah or Amari. But Ice Brady in the paint looks scarier than anyone else on the roster

 

[Jc718]

Making a post like this is bold considering Ice Brady hasn’t played a single game in a UConn uniform yet. I loved watching Napheesa and Gabby play

 

[blkkirk]

I think it is also unfair to Ice as well. Napheesa was one of the most efficient undersized post players of all time. I would stack her up against anyone. It is easy to forget how good she was on defense as well as a shot blocker. I would love another player with her limitations. If Ice is in that same breath as Pheesa or Gabby she will be one of the greats.

 

[Stymie]

Before I even say it, here's who isn't the best post since Breanna:

Azura Stevens - 6'6 but didn't stay long enough or play in the post long enough
Napheesa Collier- 6'1 and frame limited her
Gabby Williams - she was 5'11 but great
Kiah Stokes - she was prior to Breanna
Aaliyah Edwards - Sophomore season was under a witch's spell
Olivia Nelson-Ododa - Defensively better but limited in paint production because everything else she had to

Ice Brady will be that girl. She's 6'3, one inch taller but just as wide as Tuck, with a nice jumper and who's coming off an Olympic summer. She can pass from high, bang down low, make mid-range jumpers/open 3's and will draw a lot of fouls. Geno's going to use her like a chess piece just like Breanna.

No discredit to Dorka, Aaliyah or Amari. But Ice Brady in the paint looks scarier than anyone else on the roster

Wayyyy premature.

 

[Jmsdawg]

So hard to judge players until they play against other really talented players. I saw Daphne White play in high school and she was great. She never had any impact in college. Post are especially difficult to evaluate because the college game is so much more physical than high school.

 

[oldude]

We will see where Ice ends up in the pantheon of great UConn post players. One thing I am certain of is, like all freshmen, Ice will have her ups and downs at UConn as she learns to practice and play up to the incredibly high standards that Geno demands.

In all likelihood Ice will be very good. But I can predict that at some point, early in the season, some folks here on the BY will be lamenting their belief that Ice isn’t as good as everyone thought, following a less than stellar performance.

Let’s moderate our expectations on Ice, at least until she plays her first game at UConn…..

 

[mbr33ct]

Before I even say it, here's who isn't the best post since Breanna:

Azura Stevens - 6'6 but didn't stay long enough or play in the post long enough
Napheesa Collier- 6'1 and frame limited her
Gabby Williams - she was 5'11 but great
Kiah Stokes - she was prior to Breanna
Aaliyah Edwards - Sophomore season was under a witch's spell
Olivia Nelson-Ododa - Defensively better but limited in paint production because everything else she had to

Ice Brady will be that girl. She's 6'3, one inch taller but just as wide as Tuck, with a nice jumper and who's coming off an Olympic summer. She can pass from high, bang down low, make mid-range jumpers/open 3's and will draw a lot of fouls. Geno's going to use her like a chess piece just like Breanna.

No discredit to Dorka, Aaliyah or Amari. But Ice Brady in the paint looks scarier than anyone else on the roster

I'll go along with the above crowd, post is premature but if Brady can play on par or above those you mentioned I'll be happy.

 

[DeeHusky]

Let’s hope she gets to play. It’s hard to impress Geno and get playing time.

 

[TeamFirst!]

There is a phenomena I've noticed over the years. Even as a very athletic and strong 18 year old, I didn't really hit home runs of any distance until I was 25 or so. Your man strength doesn't really kick in until later in life for many people. It seems to kick in earlier for some ( Anessa Morrow for example ). I'm not seeing Anessa Morrow when I see Ice play and I'm not seeing a lot of quickness, which will hurt her defensively. I do see solid offensive skill shooting and some passing ability and a positive team attitude. I'm seeing some skills that have been worked on. It's not going to be easy but the key will be if she senses a need for urgency. She, like Amari, are really nice kids. They need to both find a way to get angry and have a sense of urgency. Real survival skills. I sense that is the key to greatness for them. Geno might be just the guy to inspire that. It may not be pleasant but it might be key to either having any chance at the WNBA. Quickness and intensity are important. Somehow, Charles Barkley became a great NBA player even without a lot of quickness or leaping ability. Strength and bulk need to be utilized to an advantage.

 

[CocoHusky]

I didn't realize there was an Olympics this summer.

 

[oldude]

There is a phenomena I've noticed over the years. Even as a very athletic and strong 18 year old, I didn't really hit home runs of any distance until I was 25 or so. Your man strength doesn't really kick in until later in life for many people. It seems to kick in earlier for some ( Anessa Morrow for example ). I'm not seeing Anessa Morrow when I see Ice play and I'm not seeing a lot of quickness, which will hurt her defensively. I do see solid offensive skill shooting and some passing ability and a positive team attitude. I'm seeing some skills that have been worked on. It's not going to be easy but the key will be if she senses a need for urgency. She, like Amari, are really nice kids. They need to both find a way to get angry and have a sense of urgency. Real survival skills. I sense that is the key to greatness for them. Geno might be just the guy to inspire that. It may not be pleasant but it might be key to either having any chance at the WNBA. Quickness and intensity are important. Somehow, Charles Barkley became a great NBA player even without a lot of quickness or leaping ability. Strength and bulk need to be utilized to an advantage.

You underestimate Barkley’s athleticism because of his build. Barkley was exceptionally quick off the floor around the basket and he posessed excellent athleticism. He was too strong for small forwards and too quick for big forwards. Let’s hope that Ice presents a similar dilemma for opposing players.

 

[baggerbob]

You underestimate Barkley’s athleticism because of his build. Barkley was exceptionally quick off the floor around the basket and he posessed excellent athleticism. He was too strong for small forwards and too quick for big forwards. Let’s hope that Ice presents a similar dilemma for opposing players.

Starting to compare someone to the best player on the planet, before they have played a single college game is foolish.
Let her at least get to college and start playing, then you have a body of work.
A full season would be enough, and of course a championship. Stewie got 4.

 

[Urshurak]

This is a joke, right? I mean, this could turn out to be truth, but I would say this post is around 4-5 years premature....

 

[jdote33]

I sometimes wish Phee and Lou woulda won one more chip cuz I feel like they don't get the appreciation they deserve as UConn greats. I know this is more about the potential of Ice but Phee is truly like top 5. Only time will tell if you're wrong but Phee was averaging 20 and shooting 60 percent from the field by her sophomore year.

I do kinda agree on the last point tho and it's low key what I love about this team. Iron sharpens iron, all the bigs on the current roster are so talented, I'm not sure there is a big gap.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

I see what you are throwing down... and hope it is true... but I still want a 6'6" + player to come to UCONN....

 

[stamfordhusky]

Charles Barkley became a great NBA player even without a lot of quickness or leaping ability. Strength and bulk need to be utilized to an advantage.

Charles Barkley in his prime was very quick. A major reason for him being such a great offensive rebounder is that he was exceptionally quick in getting off the floor. He would be at the peak of his jump when other guys were just leaving the floor. Also people often didn’t recognize what a good jumper he was due to his build. According to various reports, he had a 39 inch vertical leap. The combination of his quickness and jumping ability is why he led the NBA in dunks over a three year span during the prime of his career. He led the league despite being shorter than 6–5. He also had double figures in rebounds for 15 consecutive seasons.

Here is one video clip that shows some of Barclays explosiveness, blocking shots by a number of much taller future Hall of Famer’s:

 

[BobbyJ]

Charles Barkley in his prime was very quick. A major reason for him being such a great offensive rebounder is that he was exceptionally quick in getting off the floor. He would be at the peak of his jump when other guys were just leaving the floor. Also people often didn’t recognize what a good jumper he was due to his build. According to various reports, he had a 39 inch vertical leap. The combination of his quickness and jumping ability is why he led the NBA in dunks over a three year span during the prime of his career. He led the league despite being shorter than 6–5. He also had double figures in rebounds for 15 consecutive seasons.

Here is one video clip that shows some of Barclays explosiveness, blocking shots by a number of much taller future Hall of Famer’s:

Why did you have to confuse him with reality? He was on a roll.

 

[Rb335]

It’s funny to me that because we’ve had some of the all time greats in the sport (Taurasi, Bird, Moore, Stewart, Charles) we often undervalue the greatness of those players who were just one tier down. To me Collier was one of the best to ever come through the program. Her stats speak for themselves, she’s gone on to be an Olympian, etc etc. personally I don’t take away from the new age players for not winning as many NCs, because the depth of talent is far greater today. It’s way harder to win a championship. Paige may only win 1, but she’s still the most talented individual player I’ve seen.

Ice may very well be a great player, only time will tell. And all the posts listed above have been great additions to the program. Not every player can be Breanna Stewart.

 

[uconnever]

I think she will be better than everyone mentioned also, with the exception of Napheesa, she got a lot of things done. It would not surprise me if she were better than Napheesa, but I not ready to go that far yet.

 

[Carnac]

This is a joke, right? I mean, this could turn out to be truth, but I would say this post is around 4-5 years premature....

Agreed. I don't understand how you can compare a player that has not played a game for UConn or at the elite college level yet to one that played 4 seasons. If you must compare players which I dislike doing, at least use comparable stats.

I'm happy with Brady being who she is, and being the best Isuneh Brady she can be WITHOUT being compared to players that preceded her. It's hard enough to play at UConn without constantly being compared to others. That's extra pressure that does not benefit anyone.

Stewart played in 152 games at UConn. Brady has played ZERO. If one must compare the two, how about we wait until brady has completed her college career then compare their respective stats? Is that fair? I'm the UNOFFICIAL seer of the yard, and even I can't see THAT FAR into the future. I'm excited about the chance to watch her play, grow and mature over the next 4 years. I think we're going to like what we see. Not to pee in the OP's Kool-Aid, but I think his post is a bit pre-mature.

 

[AzzisBraids]

This is a joke, right? I mean, this could turn out to be truth, but I would say this post is around 4-5 years premature....

I've always been well ahead of my years

 

[ClifSpliffy]

kinda starting to bug me that here, anyone, at anytime, ever mentions any player in the same breath as Breanna The Greatest.
it's true, and u can look it up for yourself.
none. ever. and she's got plenty of time to continue adding to that legacy.
cool.

 

[CocoHusky]

Charles Barkley in his prime was very quick. A major reason for him being such a great offensive rebounder is that he was exceptionally quick in getting off the floor. He would be at the peak of his jump when other guys were just leaving the floor. Also people often didn’t recognize what a good jumper he was due to his build. According to various reports, he had a 39 inch vertical leap. The combination of his quickness and jumping ability is why he led the NBA in dunks over a three year span during the prime of his career. He led the league despite being shorter than 6–5. He also had double figures in rebounds for 15 consecutive seasons. Here is one video clip that shows some of Barclays explosiveness, blocking shots by a number of much taller future Hall of Famer’s:

In his first season as a full time starter for the Sixers (1985-86) Charles Barkley also out rebounded his much taller HOF teammate Moses Malone and outscored his other HOF teammate Dr. J. Barkley was extremely quick and explosive.

 

[Next 12]

Making a post like this is bold considering Ice Brady hasn’t played a single game in a UConn uniform yet. I loved watching Napheesa and Gabby play

I also loved watching Gabby play. When she was the center in the initial tip off , she won the toss 9 out 10. Her jumping ability with her legs equalled her to a 6ft5 player.In her senior year she was outstanding.GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[AzzisBraids]

Agreed. I don't understand how you can compare a player that has not played a game for UConn or at the elite college level yet to one that played 4 seasons. If you must compare players which I dislike doing, at least use comparable stats.

I'm happy with Brady being who she is, and being the best Isuneh Brady she can be WITHOUT being compared to players that preceded her. It's hard enough to play at UConn without constantly being compared to others. That's extra pressure that does not benefit anyone.

Stewart played in 152 games at UConn. Brady has played ZERO. If one must compare the two, how about we wait until brady has completed her college career then compare their respective stats? Is that fair? I'm the UNOFFICIAL seer of the yard, and even I can't see THAT FAR into the future. I'm excited about the chance to watch her play, grow and mature over the next 4 years. I think we're going to like what we see. Not to pee in the OP's Kool-Aid, but I think his post is a bit pre-mature.

I can agree here, but I'm bored and need some UConn hot takes to get me through the summer. Not comparing Ice to Breanna, I just think she's the most Stewie-esque as far as height, skill, inside/out game.