Kia Nurse

[TWG236]

I believe that Kia is a great team player. At times I notice she does pass on the open three and I agree she can be frustrating once or twice a game when she puts her head down and drives into the lane against two or three players. Mostly because she has shown that she has a beautiful mid-range pull-up shot. But, she adds so much to this team in so many other areas and is a perfect fit for Geno's team first system. Remember on team Canada she was the "player" who was counted on to score. On this team she has Stewie, Morgan and Mo and I believe she defers a lot to them and doesn't try to or need to take over the team. Her time will come when she will be need to become one of the main scoring threats on this team. Right now we need her to continue playing defense, passing and scoring within the scope of our offense.

I also believe her basketball knowledge, abilities and overall hustle are similar to Kelly's. This girl plays hard every single play and I don't recall ever seeing her take a play off. During her first three years Kelly also deferred to the upper classmen (09/10 - 4.1 points per game average & 17 3 pointers, 10/11 - 7.8 points per game average & 30 3 pointers average & 11/12 - 8.7 points per game average & 23 3 pointers) when it came to scoring. She only really started asserting herself during her senior year (12/13 - 10.2 points per game & 49 3 pointers). Kia freshman year was much better (10.2 points per game average & 53 three pointers) and this year she is averaging 9.2 points per game and has made 5 threes. But as I pointed out in another post, this year it appears Geno is concentrating on scoring on the fast break or utilizing our size inside the lane and is not relying on the three point shot as much. With the development of KLS, this strategy my change as the year progresses. But I for one am glad Kia is on our team and there will be a time this season when we need her to score and I am confident that she will come through with flying colors.

 

[magic]

I know you want to say nice things about but I think you mean complementary.

I thought I got my point across professor.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Right on!

Nurse is an asset to the Uconn WBB team--do not doubt this. Don't expect a 30 point performance from Kia--too many hot shots with Uconn WBB who make shot.
The running through defenders came with Kia--she's done that from the first game. Doesn't work well in NCAA BB and should be fixed. Her feet are a bit slower than last year--lateral defense is off a bit.

As tha man said--I'd rather have a Kia operating a bit off from last year than 90 percent of all starting full backs in womens basketball.

 

[Sonny44]

Lots of good comments, but I still think she could easily add at least two baskets per game mid to long range.

 

[uconnfan68]

Different game between international and college. She seems a little out of sync...too many "lower your head and drive" plays. Relax and play smart college ball. She'll be fine, I think.

Yup, different rules and different calls. She likes to play more physically than college rules seem to allow.

 

[xHunt3r]

The only think I don't like about her game is that to often she decides she is going to the basket... no matter what. I would just like her to be a bit more selective on when she forces a drive to the basket. I think she gets bailed out by the refs to often. Other then that and a couple errant pass, not much else to really complain about. Playing good defense, moving the ball, shooting a respectable % on her jumper.

 

[billnaples]

Lots of good comments, but I still think she could easily add at least two baskets per game mid to long range.

I guess I am a little confused as to what the real perception of Kia Nurse and her contributions to UConn are and will continue you be. Look at the numbers. Stewart is doing a lot more this year because she wants to (over 24 ppg), but the team numbers are what? They are averaging 90 points a game, the margin is 33, points are beginning to come from KLS (nearly 22 points per 40 minutes over her last four games). Perhaps one thing would be her being slightly less aggressive on drives to the hoop but that be be a slippery slope in the psyche of any player. Don't know I see a need to grab more scoring from Nurse, I'd be fine with the progress of the team and look forward to having Butler and Boykin being healed and able to fill out the roster and make life really difficult for Geno to integrate 10-11 people into their most appropriate roles. That will be entertaining to say the least.

 

[WestCoastFan]

She is a nasty bit of goods. (I have that on good authority.)

The kind of person you love on your team but hate her on another team.

 

[Wbbfan1]

In the Canada vs USA vs Pan Am Game, Kia took over the game because that was the only way Canada was going to win and USA had no defense to stop her on that night. Now that she's playing for UConn, she doesn't have to have a great game for the team to win. IMHO Kia is sometimes deferring to her other teammates instead of always looking to score, like she did when playing for Canada. Two different systems requiring a different mindset for the same player.

 

[wallman]

Again, why is anyone worried. Tough player who anyone would love to have on their team. Each game requires 5 players on the court to mold into a win, whatever that may be. The team with the best all around players win the most games, especially when they play unselfishly. UCONN!

 

[warbler1055]

Kia Nurse gave 100% of effort whenever she was in the game. She is probably not the most athletic, gifted player on the UConn team but she is in the mix of most conversations. One only has to see the PanAm game last Summer to see her contribution to team Canada.

 

[Sonny44]

I guess I am a little confused as to what the real perception of Kia Nurse and her contributions to UConn are and will continue you be. Look at the numbers. Stewart is doing a lot more this year because she wants to (over 24 ppg), but the team numbers are what? They are averaging 90 points a game, the margin is 33, points are beginning to come from KLS (nearly 22 points per 40 minutes over her last four games). Perhaps one thing would be her being slightly less aggressive on drives to the hoop but that be be a slippery slope in the psyche of any player. Don't know I see a need to grab more scoring from Nurse, I'd be fine with the progress of the team and look forward to having Butler and Boykin being healed and able to fill out the roster and make life really difficult for Geno to integrate 10-11 people into their most appropriate roles. That will be entertaining to say the least.

I just think that if she was more of a outside threat that would free up Morgan and Breanna in the post.

 

[hjoerring]

I think the concern with Nurse is more looking ahead to next year when she'll be expected to be one of the main scoring and distributing threats.

So far, her performance is more Kelly Faris than Sue Bird. Now, Faris was an excellent complementary player, but that's not going to be enough for us next year.

I won't say that you and so many others are out to lunch, because that would be negative, and all, including me, have their opinions. I would say all the players, with the exception of Stewart, are off their games from the end of last season. Jefferson has had more turnovers then is customary, and Morgan has missed more shots around the basket then I can remember last year. So, they are all adjusting to new realities. To put question marks around Nurse regarding her abilities at the pg and sg positions, her shooting touch, etc. is downright frightening. For that matter we could throw out much of Jefferson's time her- she was said to have similar problems and in addition she was too fast for her own good. Meaning she was out of CONTROL A LOT. So please forgive if I'm getting a headache just reading these commentaries. I must admit that the only exciting thing to have happened recently- the 21+points by the ND freshman (I was hoping she would go for 50), presumably fell short for calling for the heads of one or two starters. Everyone seems to have their own pet player (or one that they 'just love to bash') that want in the lineup so badly that at times one wonder if there are more then one player with the same name. And they have/show all kinds of statistics to back up their claims.

 

[hjoerring]

I just think that if she was more of a outside threat that would free up Morgan and Breanna in the post.

RIGHT. And think how free Tuck and Stewart would be if all the others start dropping 20pt? The logic? If I were a horse I would have 4 legs.

 

[UcMiami]

We also all remember the end product of each year, and come into the next season expecting it to be a continued improvement across the board - players should all have improved over the summer, and the team will obviously function as smoothly as the team that took 6 months to arrive at its zenith in April. We tend to discount that six month process, and the changes brought on by new arrivals, departures, and the readjustments required to start up the new journey towards April.
Jefferson at this point last year and the year before was shooting 100+ points worse than she is today, and her three point percentage was around .280 and not the .353 it is now. She ended her year shooting 50% from three and .575 overall, but she took her time getting there, as she and the team adjusted to the changes from the end of the previous years.
It is a process for the individuals and for the team as a whole to get coordinated. Add in a strange early schedule that has been a bit disjointed, and competition that has been above anything previously played in Nov/Dec - there have been no UC Davis/College of Charleston kinds of opponents to date with the only one on tap through Dec. coming on Wednesday.

 

[huskyd]

Kia does everything that Stephen Curry does except backwards and in high heels.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I think Kia is great. She's very steady and yes, sometimes is too aggressive, but I will take that any day over not aggressive enough.

Not sure if it's the Canuck in her or what but sometimes she does seem like she's playing a hardwood version of hockey.

 

[Geno-ista]

Lots of good comments, but I still think she could easily add at least two baskets per game mid to long range.

She will start to pull up more at 6-8' ft in traffic I bet! Hope!

 

[Zorro]

If you missed the thread a while back, it was Kia's daddy who identified her as a "nasty bit of goods" by which he meant that she would back down from nothing and nobody. And, while I haven't kept tabs, I am pretty sure that Kia's hell-for-leather drives to the basket have brought her more foul shots than fouls. And Geno is on record as saying that she is playing great. I don't think Kia is a proper subject to be worrying about.

 

[jsloanjr]

Kia is awesome and UCONN is lucky to have her on the team. IMO, she needs a few days off during exams next week to refresh both physically and mentally from the grueling summer and early fall of hoops.....She needs to recharge her batteries.....She will be a new player come the Maggie Dixon NYC game against MD.......Stay tuned!!!....Go Kia!!!

 

[tony yusef]

Kia Nurse is a sophomore on a team with championship senior leadership, which means she is a role player till they graduate. So to nitpick her performance through the first five games is unfair and silly. She will have a great Huskie career..

 

[tony yusef]

I think the concern with Nurse is more looking ahead to next year when she'll be expected to be one of the main scoring and distributing threats.

So far, her performance is more Kelly Faris than Sue Bird. Now, Faris was an excellent complementary player, but that's not going to be enough for us next year.

I loved Kelly Faris but Nurse has a better skill set than Kelly. PLUS she doesn't need to be Sue Bird next year for this team to reach it's goals. +

 

[msf22b]

I'm not exactly worried, concerned, disappointed...Kia's been a rock
Nevertheless, she showed something in the Pan Am, a little more of which I'd like to see
I'm sure she is still demurring to the seniors ...a tad (just a weeny bit) too much.
And I haven't seen that pull-up jumper off the backboard that she flashed (what was it) in the first game, or one of the exhibitions...was deadly.

she'll be fine.