It's official - Blanca Quiñonez signed

[Bone Dog]

I am frequently perplexed by what people mean by athletic on this forum. But I’ll try to figure it out. Somehow folks have got this notion that UConn has mediocre athletes and just has a bunch soft shooters. Perhaps they mean some combination of strength speed and balance, maybe coordination and stamina. Should we also include sharp eyes and strong hands? Leaping ability? Maybe court vision, or should that be excluded? Or do we merely mean players who push and shove and commit hard fouls?

If these are the relevant qualities that make up athleticism, then I think a close look at our roster would reveal that we are stocked with athletes as much as any team in D1.

Does anyone seriously think Ash is not athletic? Or Azzi? Or Sarah? Obviously Paige is super athletic. Ice and Jana, who are as strong as any bigs? KK? Morgan? Should I leave Aubrey Caroline and Ayanna off the list because injuries have eclipsed all or part of their season?

Let’s compare them to a team routinely called athletic: SC. Who exactly are the athletes on SC. Joyce, obviously, and Raven, Feagin, Malaysia, Te’Hina, Bree, Chloe. A quick perusal of this list should make it clear that they are not uniformly more athletic than the Huskies. Would anyone seriously think Chloe is quicker or stronger (ie more athletic) than Sarah Morgan or Aubrey? She’s an excellent scorer and passer, to be sure. But more athletic? Do a similar comparison between Te’Hina or Bree and say Azzi or Ash. In this case the athletic honors would have to got to UConn.

We can go down the two rosters and we’ll find that they are very similar from the point of view of athleticism. Some players on SC are clearly more athletic than the corresponding player on UConn, and some Guskies are clearly more athletic.

I’m not trying to suggest that SC is not a great team. But their greatness is not simply a function of athleticism. It’s also, and maybe mostly a function of their depth of experience playing in Dawn’s system.

 

[ERWUC65]

I am frequently perplexed by what people mean by athletic on this forum. But I’ll try to figure it out. Somehow folks have got this notion that UConn has mediocre athletes and just has a bunch soft shooters. Perhaps they mean some combination of strength speed and balance, maybe coordination and stamina. Should we also include sharp eyes and strong hands? Leaping ability? Maybe court vision, or should that be excluded? Or do we merely mean players who push and shove and commit hard fouls?

If these are the relevant qualities that make up athleticism, then I think a close look at our roster would reveal that we are stocked with athletes as much as any team in D1.

Does anyone seriously think Ash is not athletic? Or Azzi? Or Sarah? Obviously Paige is super athletic. Ice and Jana, who are as strong as any bigs? KK? Morgan? Should I leave Aubrey Caroline and Ayanna off the list because injuries have eclipsed all or part of their season?

Let’s compare them to a team routinely called athletic: SC. Who exactly are the athletes on SC. Joyce, obviously, and Raven, Feagin, Malaysia, Te’Hina, Bree, Chloe. A quick perusal of this list should make it clear that they are not uniformly more athletic than the Huskies. Would anyone seriously think Chloe is quicker or stronger (ie more athletic) than Sarah Morgan or Aubrey? She’s an excellent scorer and passer, to be sure. But more athletic? Do a similar comparison between Te’Hina or Bree and say Azzi or Ash. In this case the athletic honors would have to got to UConn.

We can go down the two rosters and we’ll find that they are very similar from the point of view of athleticism. Some players on SC are clearly more athletic than the corresponding player on UConn, and some Guskies are clearly more athletic.

I’m not trying to suggest that SC is not a great team. But their greatness is not simply a function of athleticism. It’s also, and maybe mostly a function of their depth of experience playing in Dawn’s system.

It's all about genetics, i.e., fast twitch muscles, long, lean bodies with narrow hips and long leg bones, higher testosterone. Look it up. It has been mentioned several times that Aubrey and Q are athletes in this mold.

 

[packwrap]

As noted in another thread, Azzi will get a much more lucrative WNBA contract if she waits until 2026 to enter the league.

The 'stars' coming into WNBA now make $80000 in WNBA pay, combined with x millions in endorsement deals.

Even if rookie WNBA salary triples to $240000, it's still small compared to what they earn off the court.

Despite the enormous growth in past 3 years of WBB, we are still probably 5-10 years away from WNBA salaries getting into the $millions for rookies. To achieve this, TV ratings need to keep climbing, and the WNBA TV deal needs to reflect that. It's TV money that drives $50million annual salaries for LeBron and Steph.

So in short, waiting to enter league because of an improved rookie contract not that important to a player with strong endorsement appeal.

I realize there are still doubters about Azzi's WNBA player value. The doubters, however, are not the sponsors who have been with her since high school. She already earns quite well from her stable of college NIL partners.

I still hope she does come back. A full healthy college season would further prove her as a player before entering W.

 

[HuskyNan]

Don't get me wrong, I think she will be terrific for us, but Amanda was sorta blind sided and treated it like a freebie then ooops!

The confidence and maturity of a teenager to even consider challenging a long time pro is just what the Huskies need. Blanca has the physical skills and the mental toughness to be an important part of the team

 

[oldude]

The 'stars' coming into WNBA now make $80000 in WNBA pay, combined with x millions in endorsement deals.

Even if rookie WNBA salary triples to $240000, it's still small compared to what they earn off the court.

Despite the enormous growth in past 3 years of WBB, we are still probably 5-10 years away from WNBA salaries getting into the $millions for rookies. To achieve this, TV ratings need to keep climbing, and the WNBA TV deal needs to reflect that. It's TV money that drives $50million annual salaries for LeBron and Steph.

So in short, waiting to enter league because of an improved rookie contract not that important to a player with strong endorsement appeal.

I realize there are still doubters about Azzi's WNBA player value. The doubters, however, are not the sponsors who have been with her since high school. She already earns quite well from her stable of college NIL partners.

I still hope she does come back. A full healthy college season would further prove her as a player before entering W.

There are just a handful of WNBA players who are earning big money in endorsement deals: CC, Stewie, Wilson, Ionescu and a few others. Most WNBA players earn the bulk of their income playing overseas during the WNBA offseason, which is not ideal physically from the standpoint of having to play year round. There are also safety and security concerns as Britney Griner’s experience in Russia demonstrated.

The new Unrivaled League is an opportunity to at least allow players to earn income in the US during the WNBA offseason. Hopefully, Unrivaled can survive in the long term.

As for Azzi, the opportunity to wait a year for the new collective bargaining agreement is one factor to consider. A second potential factor may be the opportunity for a pretty substantial NIL haul next year, particularly if she elevates her profile with a series of 30+ pt games through the remainder of the season. With Paige moving on to the pros, Azzi would likely be the likely successor as the top NIL candidate at UConn.

 

[HuskyNan]

Can we please stay on topic? Start a new thread for other discussions

 

[Charliebball]

I have to admit I have developed an allergy to works in progress. I will root for Gandy and actually believe she will come in more ready than many believe. But it seems to me that there is something about UConn that has lead elite bigs to seek their fortunes elsewhere for quite some time now.

If she can provide some lane intimidation, shot blocking and rebounding I'm not too concerned about her offensive output early on.....

 

[Charliebball]

I am frequently perplexed by what people mean by athletic on this forum. But I’ll try to figure it out. Somehow folks have got this notion that UConn has mediocre athletes and just has a bunch soft shooters. Perhaps they mean some combination of strength speed and balance, maybe coordination and stamina. Should we also include sharp eyes and strong hands? Leaping ability? Maybe court vision, or should that be excluded? Or do we merely mean players who push and shove and commit hard fouls?

If these are the relevant qualities that make up athleticism, then I think a close look at our roster would reveal that we are stocked with athletes as much as any team in D1.

Does anyone seriously think Ash is not athletic? Or Azzi? Or Sarah? Obviously Paige is super athletic. Ice and Jana, who are as strong as any bigs? KK? Morgan? Should I leave Aubrey Caroline and Ayanna off the list because injuries have eclipsed all or part of their season?

Let’s compare them to a team routinely called athletic: SC. Who exactly are the athletes on SC. Joyce, obviously, and Raven, Feagin, Malaysia, Te’Hina, Bree, Chloe. A quick perusal of this list should make it clear that they are not uniformly more athletic than the Huskies. Would anyone seriously think Chloe is quicker or stronger (ie more athletic) than Sarah Morgan or Aubrey? She’s an excellent scorer and passer, to be sure. But more athletic? Do a similar comparison between Te’Hina or Bree and say Azzi or Ash. In this case the athletic honors would have to got to UConn.

We can go down the two rosters and we’ll find that they are very similar from the point of view of athleticism. Some players on SC are clearly more athletic than the corresponding player on UConn, and some Guskies are clearly more athletic.

I’m not trying to suggest that SC is not a great team. But their greatness is not simply a function of athleticism. It’s also, and maybe mostly a function of their depth of experience playing in Dawn’s system.

I view athleticism as more than basketball skills alone........speed, superior reaction time and quickness to the ball........everything that leads to more offensive opportunities for your team and less for the other team...

 

[HuskyNan]

Blanca scored 21 points and grabbed 5 rebounds vs a team of WNBA pros this past Friday. Yes, that’s Dorka wearing #1 in dark blue on the opposing team

x.com

x.com

 

[oldude]

Blanca scored 21 points and grabbed 5 rebounds vs a team of WNBA pros this past Friday. Yes, that’s Dorka wearing #14 in dark blue on the opposing team

x.com

x.com

I love how she attacks the basket. Can’t wait to see her at UConn.

 

[Tonyc]

I love how she attacks the basket. Can’t wait to see her at UConn.

Very good Point Shes playing against pros some former America college players She's still a teenager and her opponents are not She is a Big Deal

 

[Bone Dog]

I like he offensive skills and her nose for the rim. But I like even better that she’s so defense minded. Geno teaches players to develop the offense from the defense and Blanca seems tailor-made for his style of play. With her transition skills and her relentless drive, she’s rather like a bigger Aubrey with somewhat better shooting skills. This what we all hope Q could become if she picks up her defense.

 

[hoy-ah!]

Per the extra COVID/medical year, I wonder if Blanca and other incoming recruits will entice Paige/Azzi to stay. Next year may be the strongest strength squad since Dorka's/Lou II's departures. I can understand Nika and Aaliyah going to the W, but it's my sense that (one of) Paige's dreams has been winning a championship. You only get one go around. No regrets.

Though Paige and Azzi may feel the tug of time to move forward with their lives...

 

[MooseJaw]

Per the extra COVID/medical year, I wonder if Blanca and other incoming recruits will entice Paige/Azzi to stay. Next year may be the strongest strength squad since Dorka's/Lou II's departures. I can understand Nika and Aaliyah going to the W, but it's my sense that (one of) Paige's dreams has been winning a championship. You only get one go around. No regrets.

Though Paige and Azzi may feel the tug of time to move forward with their lives...

I would love to have Paige for another season, or forever, however. Paige is a mature woman who needs to play against a tougher brand of ball. Paige maybe the most composed interview in WCBB, as well as the most mature player in college. I hate it but it looks like it will be her time to leave the nest after this season. She knows it and we may not like it but we know it as well. Azzi, ?