Kaleena - how do you remember her? | The Boneyard

Kaleena - how do you remember her?

Sonny44

Sonny44

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Great 3-pt shooter, right? Great shooter period? 90+ free throw shooter? Unselfish team mate?
All those and more.
Check this out. Twice on consecutive possessions she calls on her team mate Stefanie cross court and directs her to pass the ball to Kelly for easy threes.
Simply beautiful basketball!
I still miss her.

 
Yes!

I will never forget that it was Kaleena, late in the 2015 national championship final, when Notre Dame had come within striking distance, who delivered the 7-0 run to put that game out of reach. Dave O'Brien had the call, and exclaimed that she "demanded the ball" on one post-up during that late run when she scored. Post-game, Holly asked Kaleena how she felt giving Coach such a gift as his tenth national championship, and her response was just beautiful. Geno himself later said that she had been the difference in that game.

Kaleena is a legit UConn legend, and I will always cherish what she did during that game.
 
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Kaleena:

--Most beautiful shot, with perfect ball rotation every time (Lewis Launch)

--Best 3-point shooter ever, combining accuracy and volume

--Never missed left or right; only occasionally missed short or long

--Clutch shooter

--Worked to expand her game

--2-time AA who would have been a 3-time AA if not for injury

--Beautiful smile

--Winner
 
Kaleena to me is one of the most underrated players we had the honor of having at UCONN. She was overshadowed by Stewie...... She was amazing from three. She was key in our winning national title after national title. There was that one game when they were out west and they were behind going into the second half and she lead them to the final four that year. I always wonder what she would have been able to do if she was not sidelined her Junior season.
 
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01Neaggrad02 said:
Kaleena to me is one of the most underrated players we had the honor of having at UCONN. She was overshadowed by Stewie. She was amazing from three. She was key in our winning national title after national title. There was that one game when they were out west and they were behind going into the second half and she lead them to the final four that year. I always wonder what she would have been able to do if she was not sidelined her Junior season.
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Kaleena was the team's leading scorer as a freshman--over veteran Tiffany--and as a sophomore--over rising star Stewie.

No one could ignite or cap a long run like Kaleena.
 
BostonCanuck said:
Yes!

I will never forget that it was Kaleena, late in the 2015 national championship final, when Notre Dame had come within striking distance, who delivered the 7-0 run to put that game out of reach. Dave O'Brien had the call, and exclaimed that she "demanded the ball" on one post-up during that late run when she scored. Post-game, Holly asked Kaleena how she felt giving Coach such a gift as his tenth national championship, and her response was just beautiful. Geno himself later said that she had been the difference in that game.

Kaleena is a legit UConn legend, and I will always cherish what she did during that game.
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Kaleena sure put the dagger in the Irish with that 7-0 scoring run. It's how she did it though that I won't forget: the fast break transition 3, the free throw jumper working around the screen, and then the post up on Loyd. Just clutch!
 
enigmatic said:
Kaleena sure put the dagger in the Irish with that 7-0 scoring run. It's how she did it though that I won't forget: the fast break transition 3, the free throw jumper working around the screen, and then the post up on Loyd. Just clutch!
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Yep, a full repertoire, not just a catch and shoot. And she wanted the ball. No hesitation. Swish!
 
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It's great to hear so many comments about KML posting up. That was one of the things GA demanded she develop. I remember her senior year she was disappointed she didn't get many steals. Just a great, great person.
 
Kaleena will always be remembered for her shooting stroke. Her shooting stroke was pretty and pure! Even if the shot didn't fall, it just looked great on the release.
 
HuskeyinSC said:
It's great to hear so many comments about KML posting up. That was one of the things GA demanded she develop. I remember her senior year she was disappointed she didn't get many steals. Just a great, great person.
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She had a number of baskets posting up in the championship game against Berkeley.
 
JellyBean said:
Kaleena will always be remembered for her shooting stroke. Her shooting stroke was pretty and pure! Even if the shot didn't fall, it just looked great on the release.
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Even more than with Maya, Lou, or Kia, every shot from Kaleena looked as if it was going in.
 
I always felt badly about the many comments that she did not look athletic, especially when introduced right after Kiah Stokes.

Favorite KML game:
December 29, 2012. UCONN 61, Stanford 35, ending their 62-game home streak. KML has 19 points. I particularly enjoyed the fact that UCONN acted as if it was another day at the office, unlike Stanford's lottery-winning celebrations after ending the UCONN 90-game and 47-game streaks
 
Freshman year - The Moment...Natalie Novosel ripped the ball out of her hands and scored for ND to seal their win...Saw the look on her face...As has been the case for many a player...That summer between FR and SO...she worked with her Step-Dad all summer and came back a confident and determined player invested in the Uconn system...The rest we all saw...
 
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One of the few pictures of KML wearing #32. I believe she wore it at Mater Dei once or twice. Next to her are Jordan Adams#1(in her 6th year at USC) and Alexis Violatama #21 a USC Grad of 2015.
2011-01-08 20.26.42.jpg
 
She scared the livin' bleep out of me when she went down in the Stanford game and you could hear her screams on tv. One of the worst basketball moments ever to watch.
 
bschwartz said:
She scared the livin' bleep out of me when she went down in the Stanford game and you could hear her screams on tv. One of the worst basketball moments ever to watch.
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That was awful! The blood-curdling scream. She was poised to have a monster season. But she came back and torched Duke and was very good in the NCAA tournament.

I'm not sure where Kaleena stands in terms of NCAA tournament scoring, but it must be quite high. I believe she was in double-figures in all 23 tournament games. That's consistency under pressure.
 
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Paul1969 said:
My fave moment was when South Carolina's Mitchell was holding her arm and she shook her off like you would squash a mosquito on your arm and then made the clutch three! I still laugh when i see it.
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We are a big fan club on that collective memory.
 
bschwartz said:
She scared the livin' bleep out of me when she went down in the Stanford game and you could hear her screams on tv. One of the worst basketball moments ever to watch.
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I can't stand thinking of that moment. I can almost feel the pain now
 
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