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Message: [QUOTE="Cuango, post: 4599265, member: 3834"] [I]I suggest a trip to the dictionary for some on this board. As a preview though, You will find that there is a huge difference between “hate”and “criticism”. People who point out the team’s and Nika’s struggles with turnovers this season and comment that Nika is not a “press breaking” PG are [B]not[/B] haters. Nika has done a great job this year. I don’t like to think about what would have happened without her. However, she too has weaknesses and parts of her game that need improvement. Personally, I was not very surprised by the OSU loss as their strength coincided with our weakness. Of course, we could still have won but some other player/s needed to play well besides Lou. They didn’t and we could not overcome the turnovers and foul trouble on AE. I’m not sure where some are finding all this”hate” but since I faithfully read virtually everything on the Boneyard, I can only assume you are reading other sources or, more likely, are having yet another hysterical reaction to some (very little that I’ve seen) criticism regarding Nika’s (and the team as a whole) objective struggles against OSU. As for whether Nika starts at PG next season, the only person who knows that is Geno, and he likely doesn’t know yet either. This team has talent everywhere! I can’t remember a team that had more talent (some of it unproven to be sure) than next season’s roster! Assuming Paige is fully healthy she will be, at the very least, one of the top three PGs (and SGs) in the country. She is better than Nika at very single thing on a basketball court except for defense and it’s not as though she (Paige) is a huge defensive liability either! Azzi (healthy) is arguably the best 2 in the country, certainly top two or three. Caroline (healthy) essentially carried our team for several games in the dark days of Covid. Aaliyah is likely to be a top three PF next season and we have Ice, Jana, and Amari to plug in at the five. I expect either Ice or Jana (perhaps both) to be solid contributors next year. On top of that we have backups for some of those players, who could easily be starters! PG-Nika nuff said, Ines, and KK, SG- Paige, Ashlynn, KK, SF/Wing- Aubrey, Quadence, Ashlynn, PF- Ice, Ayanna, Aubrey, Quadence, Center-Ice, Jana, or Amari! Obviously, this is all self-evident to all of us but my point in listing it out is this; we are so talented that anyone on thi team with the exception of Paige, Azzi, and Aaliyah could conceivably be asked to come off the bench next season! Now I’m not saying she will, but to deny the legitimate possibility that Nika could/should come off the bench next season is just silly! I think it will ultimately be determined largely by three players. If Paige, Azzi, and Caroline show up in November as the best version of themselves, they will start along with Aubrey and Aaliyah. That’s my prediction. If one or more are still not 100%, then it will be “Katy bar the door” and Nika will almost definitely start. Finally, Geno may mix and match according to who we are playing as well. Nika has already earned her place as a beloved Husky! That will continue to be true whether she starts or not. No one can deny, or wishes to, from what I can tell, that she has been the most influential player this season! However, much of that opportunity came about because of injuries. To deny that is simply denying reality. This would have been a very different year for her (and everyone) if Paige, Azzi, And Caroline had all been 100%! Hopefully, next season will give us a fully healthy roster and we will finally see the answer to the great question of our time; “Who will be UConn’s starting point guard?” “ Will it be Nika, will it be Paige? Here is what Geno says. Que sera sera, Whatever will be, will be, The future’s not ours to see, Que sera sera, what will be, will be! I wish all my fellow UConn fans all the very best! Have a great, anticipatory off-season, stay healthy and God Bless! Thanks to Nan and all the moderators for maintaining this site![/I] [/QUOTE]

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