KLS

[j66kicker]

I wonder what Kia felt about being asked about "The Big Three"? Probably the same feeling Saniya gets when magazines and ESPN only want to talk about--and show--the "Core Four."

I was thinking that too. When she went off for 29 against Syracuse the other day I wondered if she was just tired of hearing all the awards talk and not being included - or at least "reminding" people that she's a key part of the team. Whatever it was, like to see it again tonight...

 

[hjoerring]

One thing is clear, however. She is needed on the floor. The others are being asked to do a lot more-- hence the breaks. Lou has, at times, put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket with success. Whether she can do it consistently at this time against equally talented players-- maybe(not). About a month ago when many here were bragging about her carrying the team on her back to our next NC, I begged for caution. It will be a team effort and Gabby + Pheesa cannot be watching from the bench. It is way too early to speculate but defensively she is where Chong were, but the latter sat because we had Kia. With the people coming in next year, defense may very well determine who play, when and why. Today, we need all 5+ to pull things off. So, go Lou, Kia, Pheesa, Chong, Gabby and Subs.

 

[CajunHusky]

I was referring to a couple of very sloppy passes in the second half that resulted in turnovers. I'm not suggesting that she didn't also have some nice passes that either resulted in baskets or at least could and should have resulted in baskets. I'm surprised that my post generated a reply that seemed to suggest some serious kind of negativity on my part. I'm a serious KLS fan and who disputes that her shot, particularly in the second half, was a bit off? I'm aware that she had two three point shots that got waved off, one because the 3rd quarter ended and the other, moments later, because a split second before she released the shot, a foul was called. The response about missed bunnies was so weird because I never referred to missed layups of any kind, whether hers or anyone elses.

My point I think is contained in the first sentence .... maybe UConn looked sloppy because UCLA played a really good game. I was struck by a more than one pass that bounced off a player's back or out of bounds because the player for whom it was intended wasn't there. I think UCLA did a really good job of disrupting UConn's flow. The missed bunnies comment is meant to highlight they were off their game but I choose to give UCLA credit for knocking them off their game.

In the second half without the transition game (lack of UCLA turnovers) UConn settled in to a half court offense (not UConn's #1 strength)

 

[Papa33]

But IMHO, the two still photos above don't prove that there was a foul, or that there wasn't. There would have been a foul if and only if Canada's right hand had contacted Lou's left hand during its upward motion between the two images. If it contacted the ball instead of Lou's arm, there was no foul.

Kind of late to respond, but today, while looking through photos of that UCLA game, I came across the full four-picture sequence of that encounter. An earlier shot in the sequence shows— even more clearly than the first one appearing in this thread— that Canada's left arm and shoulder came across KLS's shoulder and into her body. Very much a foul, and given the postion of the elbow, worth a look at a flagrant. Canada violates more than one principle of defensive posture and position, which should increase the likelihood of a penalty call. I told my players that reaching in/or across a ballhandler's body was a sure invitation to a whistle. But I guess none of the three refs saw this one.

 

[hoophuskee]

One thing is clear, however. She is needed on the floor. The others are being asked to do a lot more-- hence the breaks. Lou has, at times, put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket with success. Whether she can do it consistently at this time against equally talented players-- maybe(not). About a month ago when many here were bragging about her carrying the team on her back to our next NC, I begged for caution. It will be a team effort and Gabby + Pheesa cannot be watching from the bench. It is way too early to speculate but defensively she is where Chong were, but the latter sat because we had Kia. With the people coming in next year, defense may very well determine who play, when and why. Today, we need all 5+ to pull things off. So, go Lou, Kia, Pheesa, Chong, Gabby and Subs.

Defense isn't the only thing. We've also heard Geno say things like it can't be 4 on 5 offensively. And we know Geno loves free-flowing offense. Next years lots of teams going to paly us zone. And I'm not so sure Collier is guard-like when going against a zone with her passing if she were forced to go to the perimeter. She'll need other perimeter help- maybe. Nurse wasn't shooting well before this latest hot steak in the she was in a mini-slump. And the same with Stevens outside game - the 3ball is questionable. Lou is 6'3. She starts to hit her 3-shots no way you can play UCONN a zone.

 

[HopJim]

From Referee Bruce Morris's viewpoint, if there was a hack on Lou's arm by Canada, he couldn't have seen it from that angle since Lou's body was between him and the evidence, so you can't expect him to call it. Another official with the same line of sight as the camera would have had to make the call.

But IMHO, the two still photos above don't prove that there was a foul, or that there wasn't. There would have been a foul if and only if Canada's right hand had contacted Lou's left hand during its upward motion between the two images. If it contacted the ball instead of Lou's arm, there was no foul.

LOL