Jeff Jacobs Gives Kia Her Due - The Glue

[RockyMTblue2]

Jeff Jacobs - Kia Makes It Clear: UConn's Nurse Is On Duty

"UConn is not the same team without Nurse. Samuelson can crush opponents from the three-point line. Collier, 24 points, 10 rebounds, and Gabby Williams, 20 and 10, can crush them with double-doubles. Yet it is Nurse who best holds the fabric of the team together.

"She's our floor general and we depend on her to make sure our offense is flowing," Williams said. "When things aren't going right, she's the one who calms us all down."

Then there is the question that looms: her ankle.

"My ankle has felt a lot better," Nurse said. "Coming back it has been pretty pain free. That's been fortunate. It was pain free today. We'll see tomorrow."

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Then, there is this.

"And when you make all your shots except one layup, it can destroy teams planning defensive emphasis for Samuelson or Williams or whoever.

Said Auriemma: "You put Kia out there with the other four starters and you're one of the other teams playing against us and you start looking at your scouting report and you go, 'OK who do you want shooting the ball?' Kia probably is somebody that is going to be open more times than not."

"As a freshman I was definitely the player they wanted to shoot the ball," Nurse said. "Nowadays not so much, which is a nice testament to what I've been doing. Obviously it's great. It's another offensive weapon if you have to guard all five people."

 

[bags27]

And it's as well her really special personality. Like the others, she's had her moments in the dumps and has been put through the ringer by Geno for it. But now in many ways she's really the adult in the room, just a bit ahead of Gabby in that. UConn is blessed with having 2 juniors who actually provide senior-like leadership.

 

[Sonny44]

If she can keep hitting the threes when they focus on Lou, ain't nobody going to beat us.