Moore, Bueckers, and Collier are my three favorite UConn players ever. But a play Strong made last night made me realize that I can expand that to four at some point down the road. The baseball throw, one bounce pass through traffic to Samuels was a thing of beauty. But the most impressive part of it was that she threw it. The amount of talent, vision, self belief, and chutzpah it takes to attempt that play in front of that crowd and tv audience is extraordinary. A lot of people might not have thought it was a big deal but it spoke volumes to me about her potential both physically and mentally. I hope she’s able to fulfill it because it will be enjoyable to watch.
I can recall during the summer in the overseas tournament I believe, she was thrown a god-awful pass from the perimeter, a bit outside her range, and it appeared she reacted in such a way to reach for it over her left-shoulder and smoothly/easily tipping the pass from behind perfectly to another teammate. I can recall on here I posted, "Did she actually mean to do this?" And I got reply "Yes." It was extra-ordinary - and she made it look simple. And the passing we have seen just reconfirms the vision she has.
And that pull-up 3 from last game vs Holy Cross, and in these few games how she uses the jab step. And the 2 video highlights from last year how on one play she buried Joyce Edwards in the paint despite JE being taller and more athletic. and the other in which she made a simple spin move in the paint and converted early over Blanca Thomas; they are tremendous moves and she makes it look so effortless.
Somehow I don’t think some give enough credit to Paige how great she had to perform last year, instead just focus on the last game. Same with Azzi, I don't think some give enough credit to Azzi s frosh year and the 1st several games of her soph year also taking into account that since the summer of her soph year in H/S she wasn't playing nearly enough "healthy" basketball yet she was nothing but except spectacular in those 6 games. Instead what some point to is after she came back from injury and the 1 or 2 games her jr year.
Now with Sarah I expected her to be terrific but omg not "this." She does things that are spectacular that aren't flashy as had/has Paige and Azzi that are hard to fully appreciate. As positive as I am, still the injuries have had a shaken affect because I see these 3 as potentially unbelievable but yet in the back of my mind I keep thinking "They can't be this good." But yet another part of me says "Of course if healthy they are and they will only get better."
