Kia is rocking Indiana!!!!

[Shades]

It will be interesting to see how coach Smith uses Kia when Prince, Rogers, and Boyd are back.

It’s looking like she’s earned a starting spot. The vets will just have to suck it up. Of course she’ll have to keep this play up and avoid hitting the rookie wall.

 

[Vowelguy]

Best headline: "Nurse Soothes Fever"

 

[Lawrence]

It would have been nice if an article was written about KIA, who happens to be a ROOKIE, on the ESPN website about what a tremendous game she had yesterday...34 points ! But as usual ESPN didn't bother and I am pissed ! They seem to be more interested in ... I won't even say it. Elena D. was right...women's B-Ball does NOT get the respect it deserves.

 

[Carnac]

It will be interesting to see how coach Smith uses Kia when Prince, Rogers, and Boyd are back.

If Kia keeps having 25+ point games, she'll be starting. I doubt Smith would take any player that hot (and consistent) out of the starting line-up. Smith's goal (and job) is to try and win as many games as she can, not to appease veteran players when they return from their overseas commitments and join the team. Prince, Boyd and Rogers will have to get in where they fit in.

 

[SVCBeercats]

All this does is make the loss to Notre Dame even more baffling.

Must have been bad coaching.

 

[SVCBeercats]

And I have news for the Kia naysayers - she CAN create her own shot. She did it multiple times. I simply will never understand the people on here who doubted she'd be successful in the pros.

You don't remember why you said so?

 

[Roger G]

Best headline: "Nurse Soothes Fever"

Clever, but I'm not sure she soothed them. I think she rather sent them from fever to delirium.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Agreed. She has a very high motor. Don't think her coaches have not noticed that. Kia can play 40 minutes if she's asked to. Imagine what she's going to be like in 2-3 years.

Katie Smith on Kia Nurse:
“Kia Nurse has met expectations and exceeded them. She is a really solid basketball player with a high basketball IQ and she has some jets!

New head coach Katie Smith has emphasized defense with the Liberty this year and rookie guard Kia Nurse out of Connecticut is the one who’s expected to bring that lockdown defense to the team in 2018. “She knows how to play basketball,” Smith said of the 10th overall pick Nurse from this year’s WNBA Draft. “So, at the end of the day, she’s just always going to give 100 percent and that’s something you can really hang your hat on. (Yo, Katie! Her offense isn't all that shabby!)” “My defense is still pretty solid. I’ll take that,” Nurse said. “But it’s definitely a system that I think works well toward my strengths. I’m trying to do all those extra little things and then everything else just falls into place.”

Here is 100% in practice.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

I seem to recall that Curt Miller said it was a close call between taking Brown or Nurse. In the
end he took Brown, probably because she is more of a point guard and they already have
plenty of scoring options. He might be having second thoughts now.

 

[JoePgh]

I seem to recall that Curt Miller said it was a close call between taking Brown or Nurse. In the
end he took Brown, probably because she is more of a point guard and they already have
plenty of scoring options. He might be having second thoughts now.

I have to agree that the flip side of Kia's success is that Lexi Brown, so far, has completely failed to make an impact. She is competing with her former Terrapin teammate Brionna Jones to be the 12th player on the Sun's depth chart.

When the Sun chose Lexi over Kia, I thought they had made the right choice. With 20-20 hindsight, that choice isn't looking so good.

Lexi doesn't seem to be comfortable with physical play, perhaps because her physical build is too slight to really handle it. I am surprised that this wasn't more apparent during her college career.

 

[Lynx23]

Kia may not have had the same opportunity to show what she can do had she been drafted by the Sun. They are 5-0 so far and have plenty of scoring. The Liberty need her more and have given her the opportunity to shine. Thank goodness she didn't end up in a situation in which she is once again the fourth or fifth scoring option, or worse.

 

[Carnac]

Surprised no real mention of her ability to get to the line and make them under pressure. She iced the game with 2 clutch free throws near end of OT (along with Tina Charles) and if nothing else, has ensured that she will always be in the game at crunch time.

True!! When you're in a game that's still undecided in the final minutes, that's when you know you have the faith and trust of your head coach. If Kia didn't have Smith's trust before, she has it now. I'm very happy for Kia, and would really like to see her keep this kind of play/production going .