If Paige is the engine, Nika is...

[dogpause]

In both NCAAT games, Nika has come in and halted the other team's momentum. I'm actually surprised that's she not been on the floor more often, and shocked that she wasn't on the floor helping protect a 3 point lead with about 6 seconds remaining. Sure, she makes some silly mistakes, but so does every player. Nika is a game changer, with the ability to alter the speed and direction of the game.

Ironically, in Dorka's few minutes of play last night before her unfortunate injury, I wondered if Nika had somehow showed up in Dorka's uniform. That's how much Dorka's play reminded me of Nika's, but with a penhouse view.

I'm not sure if others agree, but when Liv or Alliyah are on the bench, I'd like to see Nika on the floor. She's a spark plug for this team, and her tenacity motivates her teammates and shifts momentum.

 

[RipFan]

In both NCAAT games, Nika has come in and halted the other team's momentum. I'm actually surprised that's she not been on the floor more often, and shocked that she wasn't on the floor helping protect a 3 point lead with about 6 seconds remaining. Sure, she makes some silly mistakes, but so does every player. Nika is a game changer, with the ability to alter the speed and direction of the game.

Ironically, in Dorka's few minutes of play last night before her unfortunate injury, I wondered if Nika had somehow showed up in Dorka's uniform. That's how much Dorka's play reminded me of Nika's, but with a penhouse view.

I'm not sure if others agree, but when Liv or Alliyah are on the bench, I'd like to see Nika on the floor. She's a spark plug for this team, and her tenacity motivates her teammates and shifts momentum.

For those who discount Nika's contributions to the team, there is one telling stat from the UCF and NC State games. Against UCF, UConn was a +7 when she was on the floor for her 6 minutes. Last night, they were +8 during her 8 minutes on the floor.

 

[Beemer]

Nika's an electrifying player for sure. I would love to see her get more time on the court. She really pushes the pace when she brings the ball up which IMO is unsettling for an opponent and her tenacity as a defender is unmatched. Somehow, some way she makes the Huskies better every time she's on the court.

Now if she could just do something about taking stupid fouls and improve her FT shooting (the latter seems to be an issue with several of her teammates too). She's rapidly climbing my list of favorite UConn players.

 

[Zarathustra]

Nika brings energy and grit...... It makes a difference.
As Geno says to the team " Make something happen!"

 

[psconn]

...the fuel.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Nika is the repair shop. She enables Paige to get a break so she can go back out there and win the game. Gotta say that every player it seemed made a difference in this game and Dorka's involvement had more impact than some. Evina took Dorka's injury very hard as she was right there helping Dorka after it happened. Momma E was there when her duckling needed her.

Nika had a great game and we surely needed it.

 

[Ct Dog]

Need to find her more minutes, I know that’s tough to do.

 

[Gus Mahler]

The throttle?

 

[OviedoFLHusky]

The spark plug!

 

[diggerfoot]

I often defend Muhl. Even now I think she should start. If you are going to play her for x minutes, experience suggests those will x minutes will provide the greatest enhancement and least detriment to the performance of her teammates if they come at the start of halves.

However, I would not use Muhl at the end of games yet to be decided. The obvious reason lies with ill-timed fouls and poor foul shooting, crucial problems at the end of games. Yet her strengths at the start of games, or employed to stop a run, becomes more of a liability at the end of games.

A well coached team tends to be risk adverse when it can be, certainly at the start of games. They want to run their stuff while avoiding turnovers or making hurried decisions. Muhl is a mighty thorn that actually penalizes a team for being risk adverse.

But towards the end of a tight game teams already change towards becoming more risk takers. A pest becomes less effective in changing what already is being changed.

As for her minutes I will defer to Auriemma, but only because he has coached a few more games than me.

 

[HuskyNan]

The distributor? Nah, she’s not old enough.

 

[jaydee602]

Nika is the accelerator!

 

[sun]

I often defend Muhl. Even now I think she should start. If you are going to play her for x minutes, experience suggests those will x minutes will provide the greatest enhancement and least detriment to the performance of her teammates if they come at the start of halves.

However, I would not use Muhl at the end of games yet to be decided. The obvious reason lies with ill-timed fouls and poor foul shooting, crucial problems at the end of games. Yet her strengths at the start of games, or employed to stop a run, becomes more of a liability at the end of games.

A well coached team tends to be risk adverse when it can be, certainly at the start of games. They want to run their stuff while avoiding turnovers or making hurried decisions. Muhl is a mighty thorn that actually penalizes a team for being risk adverse.

But towards the end of a tight game teams already change towards becoming more risk takers. A pest becomes less effective in changing what already is being changed.

As for her minutes I will defer to Auriemma, but only because he has coached a few more games than me.

Lately it seems that Nika is a more effective defender when she's fresher than the opponents who are on the floor.
When everyone is fresh at the start of a game then her advantage may not be as great over her opponent.

As the point guard last night, Paige kept doing a give & go with AE setting a screen, and it worked charms to create separation for Paige.
I'm not sure if that maneuver would work the same with Nika or not.

 

[RedStickHusky]

The nitrous.

 

[diggerfoot]

Lately it seems that Nika is a more effective defender when she's fresher than the opponents who are on the floor.
When everyone is fresh at the start of a game then her advantage may not be as great over her opponent.

As the point guard last night, Paige kept doing a give & go with AE setting a screen, and it worked charms to create separation for Paige.
I'm not sure if that maneuver would work the same with Nika or not.

In the last few weeks of the season our best starts were with Muhl in the starting line up.

Since Bueckers was not in the starting line up at the time I understand why some people treat the prospect as either/or, but the position of most people I see on here is that it is possible for both to start, even if Muhl ends with far less minutes than the first sub in.

 

[Mdoggie]

The throttle

 

[Bama fan]

Nika is a turbocharger. When she is on the floor UConn is a blown hemi!

 

[BBallF]

...the fuel.

Yes, the fuel, as in Nika Fuel.

 

[Huskee11]

The catalyst. Or, the "Croatian Sensation".

A rebound and putback last night, how about that! Something new from her. She was fouled on the shot also, wasn`t called......

A big steal and perfect feed to Christyn for a pivotal breakaway layup, but no credit for an assist in the scorebook. I`m not sure what the technical requirements are - scorekeeper discretion? too many dribbles after the pass was received? - but it effectively was one.

And she is always "in the mix" denying passes and fighting for loose balls, and those things make a difference - instead of an opponent controlling a rebound, for example, the ball tips off her hand and we regain or retain possession.

Stanford turned it over 20 times against Texas and 18 times against Maryland. Jones has a total of 10 for those two games, and Lexie Hull 6.

14 team turnovers against Kansas, and even 16 against Montana State.

So they can be turned over.

We will probably be going small quite a bit, with only either Olivia or Aaliyah on the floor. Part because we have to with Dorka out and to protect our bigs against foul trouble, and part because that approach should match up ok against Stanford.

So I definitely see a role for Nika on Friday night. Possibly for stretches hounding Jones or Lexie Hull. An advantage of playing her at the beginning or middle of a quarter (like 2 and 4) is that if her aggressiveness leads to a non-shooting foul, there will be no foul shots taken.

 

[Inthepaint]

...the fuel.

Voltage Regulator

 

[Monte]

Spare tire

 

[cohenzone]

The starting team is Paige, Azzi, Christyn, Olivia and Aliyah. No way would it be anything else. But obviously Nika has an important role and Geno has to know when. Either to change the flow, slow down a particular guard, give someone a rest etc When she comes it the look of the team changes. Evina is kind of the opposite, settle the team down, more scoring potential. In the one or two remaining games. it will be interesting to see if and how he uses Caroline.

 

[DriveLH]

Nika is 3 for 3 in her last 3 games from the floor. She did not commit a foul in last night's game! I wonder why Geno doesn't "defense" "offense" with Nika in crunch time.

 

[Eagle4]

The starting team is Paige, Azzi, Christyn, Olivia and Aliyah. No way would it be anything else. But obviously Nika has an important role and Geno has to know when. Either to change the flow, slow down a particular guard, give someone a rest etc When she comes it the look of the team changes. Evina is kind of the opposite, settle the team down, more scoring potential. In the one or two remaining games. it will be interesting to see if and how he uses Caroline.

 

[Eagle4]

Nika is……… a valuable role player. Geno is using her in exactly the right way. Let’s value and enjoy her contributing without trying to
Make her into something she is not.