Kiah....again!!

[magic]

Something happened tonight that tips Geno's hand about what's really going on with post assignments. Early in the game, when Stef still did not yet have a single foul, Geno lost it over some play that Stef screwed up. He went nuts and sent Kiah to the scorer's table to check in. There was no break in the action for a while so that the connection might have been lost on TV viewers, but when the break finally happened, Stef sat down and Kiah was playing center.

It looks like Kiah's role is more than simply spelling Stef when she's fouled too much for her time on the floor, but now also as a goad to get Stef's priorities straight. In case you didn't notice - Geno got 26 of the Huskies' 66 points from the center position tonight.
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Getting those points from the post will determine where the huskies go from here!

 

[sarals24]

You know who I am super impressed by in all this? Heather. She has basically seen her minutes dwindle to nothing as Kiah is now the first post sub. But she continues to practice hard, cheer on her teammates, etc, and as far as I know is planning on coming back next season for her redshirt senior year. With the talent next year coming in, she won't be more than a practice player, it seems. That is some true dedication.

 

[alexrgct]

You know who I am super impressed by in all this? Heather. She has basically seen her minutes dwindle to nothing as Kiah is now the first post sub. But she continues to practice hard, cheer on her teammates, etc, and as far as I know is planning on coming back next season for her redshirt senior year. With the talent next year coming in, she won't be more than a practice player, it seems. That is some true dedication.

No real reason not to come back. She's a nursing student, so she needs the extra year to finish up her schoolwork and professional training. Why not do that on someone else's dime, get a trip to the Bahamas and possibly win a NC along the way?

I also think Heather is going to be needed at some point this season and next, even if it's only against Baylor. Having three big bodies to throw at Griner is going to be critical.

 

[UcMiami]

You know who I am super impressed by in all this? Heather. She has basically seen her minutes dwindle to nothing as Kiah is now the first post sub. But she continues to practice hard, cheer on her teammates, etc, and as far as I know is planning on coming back next season for her redshirt senior year. With the talent next year coming in, she won't be more than a practice player, it seems. That is some true dedication.

Really nice post, and I agree.
What we all tend to forget is that we only see the team for two hours each game, for 30 regular season games - that probably represents 10% or less of the team activity they participate in - weight room, practice, meetings, individual and positional coaching sessions, not to mention the off season pick-up games, conditioning, etc. And then they spend a lot of their off time hanging out together. While every player wants to play and contribute during those 2 hours of public time, the experience of being on a sports team is so much more than that, and the pride in the team's success is huge.
(Not sure I want to go here, but ... One advantage to following a women's team is that I think women are better at sublimating their personal egos for the good of the team. Geno might even say (and I think he has) - they are too good at it!)

 

[ThisJustIn]

A thought about Geno/CD comments re: players & progress. Weren't some on the board tut tutting them about getting folks' expectations too high with their praise early on in the season?

 

[Sonny44]

Really nice post, and I agree.
What we all tend to forget is that we only see the team for two hours each game, for 30 regular season games - that probably represents 10% or less of the team activity they participate in - weight room, practice, meetings, individual and positional coaching sessions, not to mention the off season pick-up games, conditioning, etc. And then they spend a lot of their off time hanging out together. While every player wants to play and contribute during those 2 hours of public time, the experience of being on a sports team is so much more than that, and the pride in the team's success is huge.
(Not sure I want to go here, but ... One advantage to following a women's team is that I think women are better at sublimating their personal egos for the good of the team. Geno might even say (and I think he has) - they are too good at it!)

Can you elaborate "sublimating their personal egos" please?

 

[Wonkster]

... Heather is going to be needed at some point this season and next, even if it's only against Baylor. Having three big bodies to throw at Griner is going to be critical.

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Don't overlook the dreaded injury factor. It's worse than someone fouling out because it can extend over multiple games. Just having a big kid on the bench who knows the system and can come in when necessary is a luxury Geno hasn't always had.
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[UcMiami]

Sonny - I think the best way for me to explain is to look at a player like Diana at Uconn - with her superior skill set to just about everybody on the court she could have averaged 25 or 30 points a night for her last two years - and if she were a man with that superior skill set, she would have been more likely to want to do that - ego. But she was more willing than the hypothetical man to sublimate her ability to the team's goals and her teammates. This is of course a gross generalization and their are plenty of examples both ways - MJ at Duke for example or SP at OSU. And some of that is coaching.
But Geno often calls out a player for being 'too nice' and occasionally gets on players for not asserting themselves and defering to a teammate on a specific play. I think these are manifestations of that less developed ego in women's players - I don't think you ever hear those complaints from men's coaches.
I am not trying to start a big gender discussion and I don't want to even touch on nature/nurture, but there have been studies of men and women in various competitve situations that have concluded that men are more likely to be individually motivated and women are more likely to be 'task/team' motivated.
That was what I was trying to say.

 

[Artifact]

Let us not forget the great progress that Heather has made. I would not count her out of the mix. Great improvement, Heather! We need you also.

 

[MilfordHusky]

That's why I suggested the term, "Sweetness."

Are we recruiting Walter Payton?

 

[Jim]

I predict Heather will be the starting center next year (on Senior Night.)

 

[MilfordHusky]

Agree. Tina was (and is) a big, New York personality. Very likable though. Just took some time for her game to match completely. Kiah's an understated Midwestern girl. Hope she can reach her ceiling when all is said an done like Tina did.

Well said. Kiah seems much quieter, but both are very likeable players and people.

 

[Icebear]

Are we recruiting Walter Payton?

That would be very difficult.

 

[Sonny44]

Sonny - I think the best way for me to explain is to look at a player like Diana at Uconn - with her superior skill set to just about everybody on the court she could have averaged 25 or 30 points a night for her last two years - and if she were a man with that superior skill set, she would have been more likely to want to do that - ego. But she was more willing than the hypothetical man to sublimate her ability to the team's goals and her teammates. This is of course a gross generalization and their are plenty of examples both ways - MJ at Duke for example or SP at OSU. And some of that is coaching.
But Geno often calls out a player for being 'too nice' and occasionally gets on players for not asserting themselves and defering to a teammate on a specific play. I think these are manifestations of that less developed ego in women's players - I don't think you ever hear those complaints from men's coaches.
I am not trying to start a big gender discussion and I don't want to even touch on nature/nurture, but there have been studies of men and women in various competitve situations that have concluded that men are more likely to be individually motivated and women are more likely to be 'task/team' motivated.
That was what I was trying to say.

Thanks UcM, I see what you mean and agree.