Kara Wolters criticism

[Calbysdad]

Kara Wolters’ job is literally UConn WBB studio analyst for SNY. She is paid to dissect the team & game performances. Kara did exactly that in her postgame comments: address what happened in a professional yet critical manner.

Respectfully, any suggestion that she is out of line for doing her job is either not evaluating within this prism or prioritizing player feelings over reality.

The extreme & judgmental reactions by some on this forum are striking. It's a discussion board, for heaven's sake! We are all passionate fans that love & support our Huskies yet are entitled to our respective opinions, with this forum our outlet for expression. As long as we are being respectful & posting within the rules, I don't get the vitriol. Responding to objective, professional game critique by calling the analyst a "cow", for example, is the height of hypocrisy.

From what I have gleaned, the overwhelming majority of forum participants have lauded both Christyn & Liv for their character, work ethic, team-orientation, perseverance, talent, & inspired play at times throughout their UConn careers. However, such takes are not mutually exclusive with pointing out each's inconsistency and/or underwhelming production in big moments defining much of their UConn tenures. Geno has said this, himself. Both have improved this year to their immense credit & are significantly responsible for getting UConn to the Championship Game-- a momentous feat considering the season's many tribulations. But pointing out that neither shined in their last college game is also fair & accurate. Again, this is not a zero sum proposition; we can praise & critique-- both are true.

Seniors have to lead & play their best basketball in the biggest moments to win a National Championship. Geno has highlighted this necessity repeatedly over the years. Destini Henderson sure did that Sunday night (& Victoria Saxton was rock solid in her role), which is largely why SC triumphed.

What a wonderful post. The cherry on top was seeing "each's" in print for quite possibly the first time. Kudos...

 

[tchalla1]

On your comment that “SC doesn’t do this to all elite scorers in the country” here are some performances by top guards against SC this season:

• Lexie Hull was just OK, shooting 7/17
• The 1st time KY played SC, Howard was 2/14 & Edwards 4/11
• MD’s Owusu was an abysmal 3/17
• NC St’s Diamond Johnson 2/12
• TN’s Rae Burrell 6/16
• Hailey Van Lith went 4/11 with 4 turnovers in the national semifinal

While we’re at it, let’s look at top post players against SC:

• Stanford’s Brink 1/7
• NCSt’s Cunane 4/11
• UGA’s Stati 5/13
• MS’s Austin, projected by some to be the 1st pick in the WNBA draft, went 5/18 & 6/17 in 2 games vs SC
• and by the way, when she wasn’t nursing a bad groin, the first time UConn played SC, Liv was 3/4

SC may not shut down every elite scorer they face, every time they face them, but more often than not, they take away the other team’s top scorer(s), or at least make them work very hard to get their points.

Certainly, SC has a great defense, that gives scorers problems, as your above stats clearly point out. However, you mentioned Hull who you say was just OK--she ended up with 16 points against SC, and in the SEC championship game, you failed to mention that Howard and Edwards of KY went for 18 and 27 respectively, and even Burrell of TN in her game against SC whom you mentioned, scored 14 points. Hailey Van Lith in the semi against SC ended up with 9 or 10--admittedly not stellar, but that was 7 or 8 points more than CW. So even those who you are mentioning as having very mediocre games against SC, fared far better than CW's 2 points. BTW, Hailey Van Lith is only a sophomore, not a senior like CW, playing in her last collegiate game.

As I pointed out, Kara Wolters was unaware of Liv's injury so I'm not critiquing Wolter's assessment of Liv's play against SC. Personally, having seen virtually the same SC team play against UConn last year with UConn winning, I do not see appreciable talent level differences between the two teams. What i saw was the noticeable difference in hustle and desire in their players and in some of ours, and I strongly feel that was what Kara was alluding to in her commentary... You have to go all out in a championship game--certainly some did but quite honestly some did not...

 

[Cecil9]

this is from SNY account I read some people wanted to see her go off. Safe to say she got some things off her chest...

I just read that 68 teams qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Tournament.
It's likely that 66 teams would rather have been in second place.

 

[Two for Two]

She tells it like it is! For the number 1 and number 5 recruits in their class I believe both have had disappointing results.

I can see why the performances were disappointing (in terms of results) but not effort or heart. She seemed at a loss to explain the performance, so you get comments like they disappeared...or you expect more, which is not a strong analysis...lots of fans probably felt that way.
As a former player she probably had nights where she "disappeared" and she should be able to provide some insight as to why that can happen based on the dynamics of the game.

For example...maybe
1. they were deferring to Paige too much...as the first option.

2. when you are down 12 you don't want to jack up the first three you see, so they passed on too many open shots

3. A big part of CW's game is dribble drive and the SC bigs made that hard

4. They did not want to play Hero ball

Give us your expert opinion on why the disappeared....based on what you were seeing.

 

[sun]

CW took shots that rattled in & out.
Her shot selection all seemed to be longer range from areas where Azzi would normally shoot from.
I would have preferred CW to attempt some mid-range shots before going long range.
If she had hit at mid-range then she could have abandoned the long range attempts.

Azzi only made 1 for 3 shots in 16 minutes of PT, while Evina went 3 for 10 in 19 minutes, but only making 1 of 5 three's.

So the pressure was on CW to make shots, but she only made one layup and the rest were basically close misses at long range.
I think she should have attempted more mid-range shots.

Also, not to be overly critical but there was a sequence where Nika had the ball on a UConn 3 on 2 transition situation where she could have either drove to the basket to attempt a layup or dish it off, but she held the ball up until the rest of the team came down court to set up the offense.
Nika did not have a defender at the time, the other 2 UConn players were covered in the lane.
It was an opportunity lost, and meanwhile Nika only took one shot in 16 minutes scoring 2 points.
Nika used to play much more offense when she played PG in Croatia, IDK what happened to her scoring mentality since she came to UConn.

CW, Azzi, Evina and Nika were not very productive scorers, especially from mid-range.
And Evina missed 7 shots while CW only missed 6 shots in 23 vs. 19 minutes of PT.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

These are flat out wrong statements, and hopefully people do not start believing this stuff thru osmosis. Several people have said various similar things in different ways - that Kara has had it in for the seniors, blah blah blah.

First, I have NEVER heard Kara criticize any player personally. She's an analyst and analyzes the game. The play. The expectations. The results. That is what she did.


As I said in an earlier post where I paraphrased the comments by Kara, what did she say that was FACTUALLY INACCURATE? Did Christyn actually not score any points in the entire game until the very end? Was Caroline not more productive than Christyn? Has Christyn not been inconsistent all season?

The only opinion she really offered was that one expects more from the seniors if the team wants to win a NC. And that ONO played better than Christyn. But I just don't see where that is egregious, or even controversial. And certainly not a personal attack.

Offering an outside perspective here ...

Kara Wolters is an in-studio analyst, and her statements were made in this capacity.

There is a vast difference between saying (paraphrasing):
"Christyn Williams' performance on the basketball court in her senior season has been inconsistent" or "Christyn Williams' senior year has not lived up to expectations of a former #1 high school recruit and a player who made the 2021 NCAAT All-Region Team and was a 2021 First Team All Big East performer"

vs.
"Christyn Williams is just terrible" or "Christyn Williams just sucks".

Whereas the latter is much closer to attacking the person (as if a player does not have a separate identity or life away from basketball), the former is analysis based on basketball performance and production. And as a basketball analyst asked for her commentary and perspectives, Wolters did her job through a detailed (for TV, anyway) examination of on-court performances of UConn's players in this game but also referencing prior performances throughout the year.

In other words, Wolters' perspectives -- for which she is employed and compensated -- were made of Williams the basketball player's performances not Williams the human being or person away from the basketball court.

As an aside, out of respect, I did not post here for a few days, as I wanted to be respectful. As a Duke grad/fan and having watched the men's team succumb in the Final Four, I know how painful the first 24-48 hours can be after such a loss.

@ucbart , @Vowelguy , @HuskyNan , @EricLA , @triaddukefan

 

[amishboy]

I can see why the performances were disappointing (in terms of results) but not effort or heart. She seemed at a loss to explain the performance, so you get comments like they disappeared...or you expect more, which is not a strong analysis...lots of fans probably felt that way.
As a former player she probably had nights where she "disappeared" and she should be able to provide some insight as to why that can happen based on the dynamics of the game.

For example...maybe
1. they were deferring to Paige too much...as the first option.

2. when you are down 12 you don't want to jack up the first three you see, so they passed on too many open shots

3. A big part of CW's game is dribble drive and the SC bigs made that hard

4. They did not want to play Hero ball

Give us your expert opinion on why the disappeared....based on what you were seeing.

Let’s face facts; while everyone here is a fan of UConn WBB, there’s simply a dichotomy on this board between folks who “love our girls,” regardless of results, and, on the other hand, folks who love them but also consider results. And neither can understand the other’s outlook, so threads like this will continue to flare whenever we fans have to deal with a disappointing outcome.

 

[npignatjr]

Are you talking about Stewie? She may have spent part of her freshman year in Geno's doghouse, but guess who took home the MOP trophy at the FF that year, along with a piece of the net.

Yes Brianna, she was in the dog house righted the ship after the Big East tournament, for the NCAA tournament.

 

[The deacon]

On your comment that “SC doesn’t do this to all elite scorers in the country” here are some performances by top guards against SC this season:

• Lexie Hull was just OK, shooting 7/17
• The 1st time KY played SC, Howard was 2/14 & Edwards 4/11
• MD’s Owusu was an abysmal 3/17
• NC St’s Diamond Johnson 2/12
• TN’s Rae Burrell 6/16
• Hailey Van Lith went 4/11 with 4 turnovers in the national semifinal

While we’re at it, let’s look at top post players against SC:

• Stanford’s Brink 1/7
• NCSt’s Cunane 4/11
• UGA’s Stati 5/13
• MS’s Austin, projected by some to be the 1st pick in the WNBA draft, went 5/18 & 6/17 in 2 games vs SC
• and by the way, when she wasn’t nursing a bad groin, the first time UConn played SC, Liv was 3/4

SC may not shut down every elite scorer they face, every time they face them, but more often than not, they take away the other team’s top scorer(s), or at least make them work very hard to get their points.

We'd have welcomed a 7 of 17, 6 of 16, even a 4 of 11 game from Christyn, Oldude. And we should not forget that Paige did shoot 6 of 13, facing more scrutiny than did Christyn. For goodness sake, Paige, fragile and sub-par physically as she was, had six rebounds while Christyn had one.

I will miss CW's infectious personality and her efforts to be a leader. She's a fine young woman and I wish her luck in the WNBA, in Europe or wherever she attempts to make it as a pro.

I'll also remember her for being the most overrated player in recent Huskies history. There, I've said it. I've not been shy about critiquing Christyn's less than stellar performances, nor have I been shy about praising her when she's risen to the occasion.

However, my chief criticism doesn't lie so much with Christyn or her efforts as much as the manner in which assessments of her value to the UConn lineup have been so inflated.

Oldude, you praise CW for her remarkably consistent second half of the season. I'm sorry, you must have watched a whole of games that I didn't see (and I think I watched every game... LOL).

You also said 'Through the first 5 games of the Big Dance she was great.' Excuse me, through the first five games of the tournament, Christyn shot 27 of 69 overall (39 percent) and 7 of 29 from three (24 percent). Her 1 of 7 and 0 of 3 in the final obviously didn't help her resume.

That she was voted as the country's 'best shooting guard' is either a harsh critique of all other shooting guards or there just weren't any good ones this year.

As for her Big East MOP award, that one got me sadly laughing when it was announced. Aaliyah Edwards clearly deserved the award and Christyn, who shot 3 of 9 with three rebounds and no assists in the championship game, did not.

For whatever reason, Christyn's repute as an outstanding player seems to have persisted ever since that freshman explosion vs. Notre Dame, and neither her fans nor the media have come to grips with the reality she only occasionally was close to that same player.

Whether one calls this beating a dead horse or kicking a player when she's down, I'm sorry. I just know, going forward, Christyn's legacy as a UConn player will surely exceed what was her true performance.

 

[oldude]

Yes Brianna, she was in the dog house righted the ship after the Big East tournament, for the NCAA tournament.

I would suggest that describing Stewie as being in Geno’s “doghouse” is a bit harsh. Stewie started her first game as a freshman and played really well from day 1. Geno decided to bench her about midway through the season, not because Stewie wasn’t playing well, but because Geno knew she could play even better.

Most coaches would never consider doing what Geno did. In retrospect, benching Stewie, forcing her to dig deeper to earn her way back into the starting lineup, was a brilliant coaching move that resulted in the first of 4 straight national championships along with 4 straight MOP’s for Stewie.

 

[npignatjr]

This stupid idea that people keep putting out there.

They were undefeated doing it "rigidly", they were ahead at half-time doing it "rigidly". Why in gods name would he all of a sudden change everything?? He'd have been an idiot to change up what had been working for the entire year.

If something had worked 36 times in a row, and was working the 37th time, all of sudden, "eh let's change it up" see what happens. Stuuupid.

That game started like this getting blown out inserted Azura came back then sat her to start the 2nd half, gave up the lead then lost. This thought is not mine it was very common at the time. Were ahead because they came back from 10 down with sub Azura leading the way. Had all the momentum which stopped at the start of the 2nd half. This was also the FF of officiating malfeasance.

 

[snowkot]

That game started like this getting blown out inserted Azura came back then sat her to start the 2nd half, gave up the lead then lost. This thought is not mine it was very common at the time. Were ahead because they came back from 10 down with sub Azura leading the way. Had all the momentum which stopped at the start of the 2nd half.

Yup - good referback. Remember being disappointed that the adjustment, which was quite clearly efficacious, was not carried over to start the second half, then finding comfort post-haste that I was one among many at the time.

 

[meyers7]

That game started like this getting blown out inserted Azura came back then sat her to start the 2nd half, gave up the lead then lost. This thought is not mine it was very common at the time. Were ahead because they came back from 10 down with sub Azura leading the way. Had all the momentum which stopped at the start of the 2nd half. This was also the FF of officiating malfeasance.

Yup - good referback. Remember being disappointed that the adjustment, which was quite clearly efficacious, was not carried over to start the second half, then finding comfort post-haste that I was one among many at the time.

Yes, that's what I said. A stupid idea that a lot of people believed.

 

[npignatjr]

Yes, that's what I said. A stupid idea that a lot of people believed.

So your opinion is the only one that counts?

 

[meyers7]

So your opinion is the only one that counts?

To me, probably. But I'm not really sure what you mean by "counts".

I mean everyone can have an opinion, some make sense, some are stupid. That's all.

 

[CTBballfan243]

The game was definitely decided in the 1st five minutes of the third quarter.
Which was a reprise of the opening moments...perhaps only slightly less brutal.

CW was passive in the ist quarter, no better in the 3rd.
Olivia was injured

Geno has coached this way since I started watching prior to the Stewie era
Same starting 5 comes out to start after Half-time; effective or not.
I question whether this is the definition of genius...seems rigid and doctrinaire.

Not for me to tell him who to play, but E was playinging her heart out...not hitting shots but defending like a madwoman...Nika is Nika and Caroline was relatively effective...Give her some playing time and results will be forthcoming.

Now, its possible that Geno's explanation of Caroline's play after her injuries is correct; but I have my doubts...Could also be covering one's behind.

The reaction of my wife (not me) to the inadequate play (she's a toughie)
It's time for him to retire.

Retire……LOL be careful what you wish for. When Geno retires UConn will become an average Big East (mid-major) team. Outside the P5 the UConn job is not all that attractive. No one wants to be the coach that follows a legend.

 

[oldude]

So your opinion is the only one that counts?

Meyer7 is not the only person who has that opinion. So do I. Specifically with regard to the national semifinals vs ND, Geno could play either Z or Pheesa in the low post, but not both, because neither was particularly effective from outside. So you had 2 players who were effective in the paint and you really only needed one. If you look at the stats, both were effective. Pheesa had 24 pts & 5 rebounds. Z had 19 pts & 8 rebounds.

Also, if you rewatch the game, MM & ND made some halftime adjustments which significantly neutralized Z specifically, by dropping a double on her whenever the ball went into her in the paint, limiting her effectiveness in the 2nd half. Geno went with Pheesa, his AA, which is exactly what he should have done.

 

[darkstar1]

Jaundice

I am going to try to avoid the personal attacks and sarcasm and deal with your arguments:

1. Played to the best of her ability...Christyn was the #1 recruit in her class based on HS
and AAU ball. True, people can make a mistake but her record prior to college was surely more consistent.
#1's are expected to perform at a high level...It may be unfair to expect that from a student athlete, but there it is...More was expected and often ...perhaps sometimes is fairer, that didn't happen.
I'm sure many observers are wondering if it just wasn't the right coach, the right program. That's a possibility too...Sue and Diana thought she would thrive at the next level...I'm sure whomever drafts her, fervently hopes that that is the case...and if so...we'll know a whole lot more what's in her head.

2."Meet your standards," If she met yours, that's just fine. Geno was hoping and had need of scoring from the 2 guard position and he didn't get it...I thought he showed unusual (misguided) loyalty by letting her start the 2nd half...I know a whole lot of coaches would have sat her for the rest of the game...The idea is to win...And she wasn't playing winning BB that night.

These are reasonable objective statements..Kara's were also. .If she doesn't perform more consistently in the pros, she'll be cut in a week...It's eat or be eaten out there..

I'd like to see her make it...and at some point, explain why her college career was so up and down

I do not believe CW has played to the best of her ability. I hope she has the opportunity to do so in the pros, and takes advantage of that opportunity. Liv’s ceiling never seemed as high, so I can’t really say whether what we saw over the last 4 years was the best she was capable of. CW the was a big contributor but I definitely thought CW was capable of more.

 

[oldude]

We'd have welcomed a 7 of 17, 6 of 16, even a 4 of 11 game from Christyn, Oldude. And we should not forget that Paige did shoot 6 of 13, facing more scrutiny than did Christyn. For goodness sake, Paige, fragile and sub-par physically as she was, had six rebounds while Christyn had one.

I will miss CW's infectious personality and her efforts to be a leader. She's a fine young woman and I wish her luck in the WNBA, in Europe or wherever she attempts to make it as a pro.

I'll also remember her for being the most overrated player in recent Huskies history. There, I've said it. I've not been shy about critiquing Christyn's less than stellar performances, nor have I been shy about praising her when she's risen to the occasion.

However, my chief criticism doesn't lie so much with Christyn or her efforts as much as the manner in which assessments of her value to the UConn lineup have been so inflated.

Oldude, you praise CW for her remarkably consistent second half of the season. I'm sorry, you must have watched a whole of games that I didn't see (and I think I watched every game... LOL).

You also said 'Through the first 5 games of the Big Dance she was great.' Excuse me, through the first five games of the tournament, Christyn shot 27 of 69 overall (39 percent) and 7 of 29 from three (24 percent). Her 1 of 7 and 0 of 3 in the final obviously didn't help her resume.

That she was voted as the country's 'best shooting guard' is either a harsh critique of all other shooting guards or there just weren't any good ones this year.

As for her Big East MOP award, that one got me sadly laughing when it was announced. Aaliyah Edwards clearly deserved the award and Christyn, who shot 3 of 9 with three rebounds and no assists in the championship game, did not.

For whatever reason, Christyn's repute as an outstanding player seems to have persisted ever since that freshman explosion vs. Notre Dame, and neither her fans nor the media have come to grips with the reality she only occasionally was close to that same player.

Whether one calls this beating a dead horse or kicking a player when she's down, I'm sorry. I just know, going forward, Christyn's legacy as a UConn player will surely exceed what was her true performance.

It appears we will have to agree to disagree about Christyn.

 

[npignatjr]

To me, probably. But I'm not really sure what you mean by "counts".

I mean everyone can have an opinion, some make sense, some are stupid. That's all.

Some like mine are based in what happened during the game. You seem to believe the only opinion about that game that had any standing, counts, is yours. I did not call your opinion stupid as you did mine. We just choose to disagree.

 

[npignatjr]

Meyer7 is not the only person who has that opinion. So do I. Specifically with regard to the national semifinals vs ND, Geno could play either Z or Pheesa in the low post, but not both, because neither was particularly effective from outside. So you had 2 players who were effective in the paint and you really only needed one. If you look at the stats, both were effective. Pheesa had 24 pts & 5 rebounds. Z had 19 pts & 8 rebounds.

Also, if you rewatch the game, MM & ND made some halftime adjustments which significantly neutralized Z specifically, by dropping a double on her whenever the ball went into her in the paint, limiting her effectiveness in the 2nd half. Geno went with Pheesa, his AA, which is exactly what he should have done.

I believe looking at the play by play Azura first came in for Gabby then the team played big Most of Azura minutes were from Gabby and Crystal.

 

[jdote33]

Just a note on the Henny vs Paige thing. I think Henny really got into a rhythm early in the game off of offensive rebounds, off of which she was able to sink wide open threes. They were like practice shots unfortunately. She was super aggressive the whole game after that, especially in the open court and early transition. As many have mentioned in the post game thread I do think the quick shifty point guard has been a kyrptonite for this team and for sure was tough on Paige. I always think the strategy on these types of guards are tough . If u give them space they get uncontested open shots. U also may inadvertently let them get a full head of steam and drive to the basket. I thought Henny was able to do both. So I kind of agree with both sides.

I more so wish Paige would've attacked her more on the other end, and had a mindset of no one can guard me. I thought she kinda got into that mode in the first half when they fell behind. That playground handle then fadeaway move will be on PB highlights forever. But then I think when she air balled an open 3, a shot I actually liked, she reverted a bit to letting the game come to her, which to me isn't terrible, just sort of depends on the game. I know we sometimes rip guards like Cooke, Clark, and Henny for taking too many shots. But it is a talent to even create that many shots for urself. Sometimes I worry about that with both Paige and Azzi.

But it could be a sophomore vs a senior thing as well. And Henny is a very good player. She had a similar stand out game vs Stanford earlier this season.

Last thing on this.. just trying to get the rant and thoughts out of my head, It sucks PB only got to play 15 or so games this season. I think some of the nuances, when to take over, how to run the team, how to defend quick points, come with experience. I saw some of the post which were interesting, referencing some of the other championship teams and some of the great Uconn players. It's always tough to compare but especially with this crazy year. Like Sue leading the team to a chip as a sophomore and really her first full season. But atleast she played the full season, u know. And was presumably healthy come tournament time. I remember DT was super banged up her senior year, but she was a senior and even then didn't miss many games. Anyways hopefully they get better with time as or UConn figures out how to deal with the quick guard thing. I don't want to match up with rori harmon and Vic Schaefer and have de ja vu.lol

On CW and ONO, the actual topic lol, I do think both played hard. The comment from Kara in my opinion wasn't too bad and I'm ok with it. It wasn't over the top, like they were the reason they lost or they failed the team. I can see from another perspective maybe it was I'll timed and also I just don't think they were the reason they lost.

 

[meyers7]

Some like mine are based in what happened during the game. You seem to believe the only opinion about that game that had any standing, counts, is yours. I did not call your opinion stupid as you did mine. We just choose to disagree.

Mine is based on what happened through 36 and a half games. And what makes sense.

You (and others) think going away from something that had worked 36 and a half times is a good idea. I think it would be a stupid idea.

Yours counts, it just counts as a stupid idea.

If you think my idea doesn't make sense and is stupid, you can call it stupid. I don't care.

 

[oldude]

I believe looking at the play by play Azura first came in for Gabby then the team played big Most of Azura minutes were from Gabby and Crystal.

Yes, which moved Pheesa outside where she was less effective.

 

[snowkot]

Wise man once said, with respect to opinions, "There are no such things as stupid opinions. Only stupid people who think opinions are stupid."

As we're "same team," better I think to simply "disagree" and move on.