It's time again - let's see who you think will start!

[Conndog]

If you are trying to maximize the minutes for 4 players to cover 3 positions, so you don't have to use a 5th much, you only have one sub available for 3 positions. After the first substitution it is still one sub for 3 positions, but the available substitute is the first taken out who is catching her breath.

Substituting more than one at a time is impossible without increasing the minutes of the 5th or 6th option. It is very restricting and can even minimize the ability of a coach to do strategic substitutions, because the bigger issue is managing the minutes. Now if Ines does well enough that you don't mind her taking minutes from Azzi, Caroline, Nika or Lou that is not an issue. Or the same thing with Aubrey or Ayanna playing the 3 well enough that it's ok for their time there to eat into the main four's minutes.

If you want to minimize minutes from the 5th or 6th small options, and get as many as possible from your best 4 your hands are pretty much tied. We have very good talent in our top 4 for positions 1-3, but limited flexibility unless Ines, Aubrey, or Ayanna are good enough to take minutes from the top 4. If that happens the flexibility managing minutes returns. I hope it does, but while potential seems to be there, I think the jury is still out on who the 5th and 6th options will be and how good they will be. I think Aubrey has already proved herself to be a very good 4, and I fully expect Ayanna at the 4 to be excellent as well. For the sake of this discussion the question is how good either will be at the 3.

Are you talking about guards only? If discussion is about all 5 starters whoever they are, why couldn’t you bring in a new guard (say Lou for Nika) and at same time bring in a new forward/center (say Ice for Aaliyah)? If two starters are having bad games or pick up too many fouls, you’d want subs coming in for them.

 

[Carnac]

Again, I agree that to date, she has shown us nothing in terms of intestinal fortitude. I agree that she MUST change her approach to playing the game and more importantly to playing at UConn. Up to now, she got by on her size and her coaches willing to play her in spite of the size of her motor. She has a golden opportunity. I would really like to see take FULL advantage of it. All we can do as fans is hope for the best and sit back and watch with our fingers crossed.

Two post players that come to mind that (in my opinion) started off slow, but matured and advanced through their program to graduate and be drafted into the WNBA. Brionna Jones (Connecticut Sun) and A'ja Wilson (LV Aces). Both of these players made the cut on their respective teams and are integral members of their teams. I'm not say it will happen, but that it can happen. We'll know which fork in the road she takes by December 1st. The dye will be cast by then. Just a "gut" feeling, but I'm betting she wants to play and has had enough of sitting on the bench cheerleading.

 

[oldhusky]

Are you talking about guards only? If discussion is about all 5 starters whoever they are, why couldn’t you bring in a new guard (say Lou for Nika) and at same time bring in a new forward/center (say Ice for Aaliyah)? If two starters are having bad games or pick up too many fouls, you’d want subs coming in for them.

Yes I was talking about the guards, or position 1-3. There are all kinds of substitutions that can take place with the bigs, or the 4 and 5 position.

 

[MSGRET]

“Winning a lot of games” is not a strategy.
It is a result of strategy.
Paige going down two years ago against ND in the last minutes of a game when up by 20 and last year’s difficulty (extenuating circumstances) to field capable combinations to cover the 200 minutes necessary to play a game -TO ME- mandates an adjustment.
UCONN needs to have as many players as possible READY to contribute meaningful minutes against top flight competition.
This team has the talent- top to bottom to have everyone eat.
Very tough out of conference schedule.
I’d say there should be tons of “ development opportunities” against 2nd tier Big East teams.
Beating BE teams by 40-50 points has no value.
It will not (IMHO) enhance UCONN’s tourney seeding.
So what is the value?

Two years ago Paige was a Freshman and earned all of POY awards that she was eligible to win. It was last year that she went down in waning minutes of the ND game.

Geno will not play a person that does not show up for practice and do the things he wants to see performed. If they don't do it practice, they don't play. That's why UConn has 14 straight Final Fours, hasn't lost back to back games since the early 90's, and went 170 straight Conference games without a loss. Last but not least UConn went 350 games without a loss to a team that was not ranked, almost 9 years.