Is Saniya Chong a Pro Prospect?

[Buzzyboy]

Chong played a great game against Maryland but there is no way she plays in the WNBA.

She's ONLY a decent college basketball player and that's after 3 1/2 years under the best coaching staff in women's basketball. Decent doesn't cut it and is it possible she can play in some league somewhere for some money? Maybe but it would be in a league that is far inferior to the WNBA. How much success has Kelly Faris had and there are some people on this Boneyard that think she's extraordinary. I'm not even sure if she is still in the WNBA but if so, she's getting very limited playing time.

 

[Vowelguy]

Absolutely....if that Simmons girl from Tennessee can make, there's no doubt in my mind that Saniya won't make it!

Simmons was cut soon after getting drafted in 2014. It wasn't until 2016 that she made a WNBA roster. Simmons has speed, which can be useful if harnessed properly.

Chong does not excel in any particular area, so it would be difficult to make it in the W.

 

[Kmoney]

If she chooses to, she will make a lot of money playing professional basketball. It just may not be in the WNBA. Other leagues pay much higher salaries than the WNBA.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I see Saniya playing abroad and possibly in the WNBA.

 

[bballnut90]

I think she has a shot. She's a heady smart player who can hit shots and step up as needed.

She'll also finish her career with the best win loss record of any player in NCAA history and will likely graduate with a record of 154-1. I'd invite her to a training came if I were a GM.

 

[Kaizen]

Her best choice, to play pro in China, and makes 3-4 times money than in WNBA.

My wish, plays with Seattle if she can be drafted, and Sue and Stewie will help her.

 

[housekeys]

I don't know if she will be drafted but I think she would be drafted if she played anywhere other than UConn. She would have been a 4 year starter at virtually any other school and would have put up huge offensive numbers and had more visibility. Geno's focus on defense and his tight leash on her have made her a better all around player, but have hurt her draft outlook IMO. She was a starter at the beginning of her sophomore year on a great team and scored 20 against Stanford 87 games ago and then rarely got another chance to start until this year. She seemed to lack confidence and assertiveness at times, traits that she exuded in HS, where she was one of the most prolific scorers in NYS history. What she showed this year against FSU in the season opener and against MD last night are how she is capable of playing every game. In fact, she can exceed that, but as a true team player (like almost everyone that Geno recruits) she will continue to play whatever role the Coach wants (or allows) her to.

On a different note, her high school team, lost to a public school team on Wednesday for the first time in 85 games. The last time they lost to a public HS was in the NYS state championship tournament 5 years ago to Cicero North and Stewie. Thank goodness the end of that streak wasn't an omen last night for another streak

Excellent post! I truly believe this also, and even before this seasons performance. Not sure if she was brought in as a point guard or shooting guard, but she was asked to play both at UConn. Her defense, at times, and injuries have slowed her down, but offensively she is as good as anyone on the team, IMHO.

 

[B BLOCK]

Interesting thread. Not sure if she wants to travel that road but I thing the raw talent is there. Would love to see her continue her career somewhere after Uconn and get a chance to excel. As someone said above, she would have been a star on almost any other D1 team. If she had chosen Ohio State, Maryland or Louisville instead of Uconn 4 years ago I think her college numbers would have been exceptional.

 

[Pride fan]

SC could be an offensive powerhouse, I like her a lot (As a local, I followed her exploits at OHS), but I wouldn't say she's as good offensively as anyone on the team. There are some very high bars on the this team... Lou among others. I think it's enough for Saniya to get the respect she deserves as a significant contributor to the best team in Women's college basketball. I hope she gets continued opportunities to show what she is capable of.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Agree with the comments that she won't be drafted based on one game, or a couple of games. And I don't know how her IT band is holding up. Is it chronic? Or is it a thing of the past? Haven't heard anything recent on it.

Just a hunch that she will be better as a pro than she has been on UConn. She is a pure scorer, based on what she did in high school. She seems to be "fitting in" at UConn, and her scoring really haven't been needed.

Wonder.....

The presumption that she is a scorer, pure or otherwise, is not accurate, at all. I had expectations when she came to Storrs that she would be and there's nothing that she's done here to suggest she actually is. I wish I was wrong but when has she ever lit up the scoreboard or created her own shot? She is about as far away from KML as there is because her shot is nowhere near as pure or quick and she shoots from her chest. With the quickness of athletes you find in the WNBA, she'd never have the spacing or time to get off her shot without it being stuffed. She's a "nice" college player and that's where it ends. I think some Boneyarders want all "their girls" to succeed and move on to the WNBA in some capacity but I'm not inclined to think she will, IMHO!

 

[Striper69]

Take a look at a WNBA roster and see if she is able to replace someone on the roster. I don't think she could.

I see many places where she could fit in very easily.

 

[Striper69]

SC could be an offensive powerhouse, I like her a lot (As a local, I followed her exploits at OHS), but I wouldn't say she's as good offensively as anyone on the team. There are some very high bars on the this team... Lou among others. I think it's enough for Saniya to get the respect she deserves as a significant contributor to the best team in Women's college basketball. I hope she gets continued opportunities to show what she is capable of.

Offensively...I think she could be the best on this team but that's not what Geno wants her to be...

 

[GoCardinal]

The presumption that she is a scorer, pure or otherwise, is not accurate, at all. I had expectations when she came to Storrs that she would be and there's nothing that she's done here to suggest she actually is. I wish I was wrong but when has she ever lit up the scoreboard or created her own shot? She is about as far away from KML as there is because her shot is nowhere near as pure or quick and she shoots from her chest. With the quickness of athletes you find in the WNBA, she'd never have the spacing or time to get off her shot without it being stuffed. She's a "nice" college player and that's where it ends. I think some Boneyarders want all "their girls" to succeed and move on to the WNBA in some capacity but I'm not inclined to think she will, IMHO!

Have you never watched her play? She's at her best when she's creating off the dribble. Just watching games from this season shows that. She can also hit from 3. No one saying she's a sure first rounder, or even second. But, I wouldn't be surprised if she landed in someone's camp.

 

[HuskiesU]

She is starting point guard for Geno with v. good shooting skill, so yes she is a pro prospect. No doubt she will play professionally.

Just not in the WNBA
She lacks foot speed on D athletic ability not the greatest poor defender and lack of physicality.

 

[eebmg]

To the casual observer, Saniya just doesn't seen to have that one superlative skill like Mo-Jeff's blazing speed and defensive activity, KLM's elite shooting, Stokes physicality and shot blocking etc. What is annoying to me is the talk on this forum that the UConn system restricts a player's ability to shine. Yes, you need to move the ball around to your teammates and play strong defense and you may not get a lot of opportunities to chuck poor/forced shot selection baskets like Kelsey Mitchell but if you are a clutch gifted and confident player, you will find many open outside shots as well as driving lanes not to mention the large number of opportunities on the fast break. I know Saniya has had setbacks due to injury but if you got it, our coaching staff and everyone else will see it.

There is no reason this year not to show if you are in an elite class which is needed to go the the WNBA. There are definite signs you have the clutch gene (ask MD) but you need to show consistency. There will be plenty of opportunity to show what you can do in conference play and in the tournament.

 

[jdubct]

No. She'll probably be drafted and given a shot to make a roster. But, she'll be able to play overseas.
"Ode to a Small but Doughty Band of Sisters"

 

[BroadwayVa]

Will Saniya be like Kiah Stokes, and surprise at the pro level? Can she get drafted? And can she stick with a WNBA team and produce?

She certainly has a great assist/turnover ratio, and against the #4 team in the nation, had five assists and no turnovers. She has more offensive talent than Kelly Faris had.

Can she make a career at the pro level?

The simple answer to your final sentence is : Yes
The question is WILL she be offered?
I like the Kelly Faris comparison---Kelly was a Uconn Emotional Favorite--not so with Chong, she has had to earn ever morsel of respect she has gotten from Uconn fans. In the MD game she proved she belongs at point in really important games. My take on this is: If Saniya wants a WnBA or European Career---then i sincerely hope she gets an offer.

 

[Bigboote]

EVERY young woman who plays for Geno at UConn is a pro prospect; the WNBA and beyond. Seriously.

​

My thoughts exactly. But she has to be on the right team. Kiah has been successful for two reasons. First she excels in one area -- her rebounding and defense have always been at an elite level. Second, though, is that her skills match well to the Liberty system, and Laimbeer loves having a player like her. Contrast this to Kelly Faris and the Sun. She has a very broad skillset that Anne Donovan never quite figured out how to use.

When/if she's drafted, I'd hope that it would be by an uptempo team with a pass-first offense.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I keep thinking about Kiah Stokes and Charde Houston, neither of whom was a starter, and the latter who couldn't stay on the court. But both were strong pros in the WNBA.

I followed Chong at Ossining High School when many more games were broadcast in the NY area. The kid was an absolutely amazing outside shooter, but she was most spectacular when she drove to the basket. She either made the shot, or was fouled and never missed the free throws. No wonder that Coach Auriemma was entranced by her scoring ability and recruited her.

I think she has been kept off the court until now by defensive lapses, and a lack of confidence in her ability to score within the UConn system. I'm guessing that with more leeway against AAC opponents, she could really blossom in the rest of the season, making her a much more attractive prospect.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I see many places where she could fit in very easily.

How is Kelly Faris doing in professional basketball? Comparing her and Saniya, she is a lot more physical, much better defensively, a far better rebounder and her shooting numbers by her senior year were very comparable to the numbers that Saniya is presently putting up. Kelly has struggled to get many minutes (from what I understand) and her long term prospects in staying on a WNBA roster is questionable, at best. What would that suggest for Saniya???? I suppose anything can happen but even first round WNBA draftees often don't play or stay and is she anyone's first round pick????

 

[Buzzyboy]

I do hate topics like this coming up because it forces people to be yay or nay about a kid who is part of a team that we all love. I don't like the idea of questioning someone's abilities or contributions to this team but conversely I don't live in Fantasyland and I try to be honest and candid. Just because someone is a quality kid and a decent basketball player in Storrs doesn't automatically qualify them as a professional athlete. I see all these proud Moms and Dads and Grandmas and Grandpas with stickers on their cars about their "pride and joy" kids who were honors in middle school or high school and does that automatically make them a nuclear physicist or suggest that they'll cure cancer. Some of these kids eventually get a job at Walmart (if they're lucky) so let's try and be real and just enjoy what they're doing now and how they've contributed to the team in their own way. Threads like this are poison, to me because as mentioned, I don't want to bash anyone or hurt anyone's feeling but I do like to be honest.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I keep thinking about Kiah Stokes and Charde Houston, neither of whom was a starter, and the latter who couldn't stay on the court. But both were strong pros in the WNBA.

I followed Chong at Ossining High School when many more games were broadcast in the NY area. The kid was an absolutely amazing outside shooter, but she was most spectacular when she drove to the basket. She either made the shot, or was fouled and never missed the free throws. No wonder that Coach Auriemma was entranced by her scoring ability and recruited her.

I think she has been kept off the court until now by defensive lapses, and a lack of confidence in her ability to score within the UConn system. I'm guessing that with more leeway against AAC opponents, she could really blossom in the rest of the season, making her a much more attractive prospect.

Kia Stokes is a monster rebounder and shot blocker and her only issue was expanding her offensive game. Her shot blocking per minutes played is very close to an NCAA record. She is an amazing physical specimen! Comparing her and Saniya is so, so very silly! Charde has athletic skills that far exceed Saniya and it's only her willingness to play in the system and stay under control that limited how much she played for the Huskies. These comparisons are totally out of wack. If Saniya were trying to penetrate and get a shot off against Kia, she would get eaten alive time after time after time. She wouldn't stand a chance. With each level of competition you move to, things are extraordinarily more difficult. Saniya was apparently a great high school player in a rural area but if you strictly go by numbers, how many great high school players (compared to their peers) are there every year??? When you go to college, the level of play (and athleticism) is radically improved and the jump to the WNBA is the best of the best. Saniya is just a solid college player, a part-time player and yet there's an expectaon by some she'll be able to graduate to the next level? Let's enjoy what she does do, okay?

 

[Gus Mahler]

I have pondered this question for some time. As of now, I don't see her having a WNBA career. I think her size and shooting style work against her, as well as her lack of an effective mid-range game. She's quick but not really, really quick, so even though some players her size do make it, the size/quickness issue works against her.

As with others, and especially @Kaizen, I have thought that she might well hook up with a foreign team, especially a Chinese team. Given her lineage, some franchise might find that appealing.

The wildcard aspect, as others have pointed out, is that there is a long line of UConn players who were not stars in school but went on to have success in the WNBA. If she wants it, I hope she is able to join that line.

 

[BroadwayVa]

How is Kelly Faris doing in professional basketball? Comparing her and Saniya, she is a lot more physical, much better defensively, a far better rebounder and her shooting numbers by her senior year were very comparable to the numbers that Saniya is presently putting up. Kelly has struggled to get many minutes (from what I understand) and her long term prospects in staying on a WNBA roster is questionable, at best. What would that suggest for Saniya???? I suppose anything can happen but even first round WNBA draftees often don't play or stay and is she anyone's first round pick????

There will need to be amazing changes in Chongs game to go in the first round. That won't happen. But she could get picked up. The AAC games and the NCAA's are Chong last chances to "make a difference'.
Kelly's assets were she was fundamentally sound and worked hard. She has been on the edge of being dropped by the pros for a few years now--few knew how or where to use her. The Australian team dropped her.

 

[HopJim]

I have pondered this question for some time. As of now, I don't see her having a WNBA career. I think her size and shooting style work against her, as well as her lack of an effective mid-range game. She's quick but not really, really quick, so even though some players her size do make it, the size/quickness issue works against her.

As with others, and especially @Kaizen, I have thought that she might well hook up with a foreign team, especially a Chinese team. Given her lineage, some franchise might find that appealing.

The wildcard aspect, as others have pointed out, is that there is a long line of UConn players who were not stars in school but went on to have success in the WNBA. If she wants it, I hope she is able to join that line.

Agree that she could have a strong foreign team. Lets just knock on wood and hope that physically she makes it through the season. Her biggest challenge has been her leg, not skill.