Member Of The Nika Club?

[MilfordHusky]

I think Nika will start, and both Nika and Azzi will get starter's minutes of 20-26 mpg. I see a 3-guard rotation of Nika, Paige, and Azzi. We will always have at least 1 world-class passer and 1 world-class shooter on the floor at the guard slots.

 

[JoePgh]

I think Nika will start, and both Nika and Azzi will get starter's minutes of 20-26 mpg. I see a 3-guard rotation of Nika, Paige, and Azzi. We will always have at least 1 world-class passer and 1 world-class shooter on the floor at the guard slots.

Hmmm --- were the reports of Christyn's early demise not as exaggerated as I thought?

 

[MSGRET]

The Croatian flag with a Husky superimposed.

View attachment 66979


View attachment 66980

Where's the Gnat going to go? On the Husky nose?

 

[and one]

I really like Nika's game and intensity and much more importantly, so does Geno. Her ability to strip the ball from the player she is defending, without fouling, is really high level. Players don't like to be embarrassed, so the extra concentration needed to not get their pocket picked slows them down. Her defense alone will assure a major role.

 

[Huskee11]

I am definitely a member of the Nika Club.

Love seeing her take the ball - rebound, steal - and push it up the middle of the court full steam ahead.

In a high school game I had my pocket picked at half court like Nika does. I remember it vividly 50+ years later and with embarrassment. I was a nobody, but imagine how a Division I full scholarship point guard feels. It sets a tone for the rest of the game.

Paige can obviously play the point but I think Geno likes her off the ball and will probably only play her at the point for at most 10-12 minutes a game. Evina may see some time there as well but bottom line, Nika will see plenty of action.

I think you will see a huge jump in her game now that she has a year under her belt. Things to work on are mostly on the offensive end - in order of priority I would say:

1. Work on developing a mid-range game, shooting off the dribble or coming off a pick, quick jumpers around the key area, etc.

2. Finishing on drives to the hoop, don`t pass off all the time.

3. Three point accuracy and improve the mindset, no hesitation.

Oh, and stay healthy!

 

[Bigboote]

Nika is my favorite current Husky. I'm just hoping she can stay healthy all next year.

 

[freekimchee]

She's my fave current Husky as well. I just love everything about her game. Her intensity and passion is SO much fun to watch. Can't wait for Slime Ball 2!

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

One factor when Nika was inserted into the starting lineup that should be remembered, is who Paige has to pass to if she plays the point. With Paige at PG the other three guards could shoot the three (Christyn, Evina and Nika), but none of those three particularly scared the opposition. Uconn scores at a very efficient rate, so a three by a guard other than Paige was not their greatest fear.

Paige had so so options to pass to but not great ones. Then Nika and Paige switched roles, and now our new point guard had a great three point option to pass to in Paige, who assumed more of a scorer role. Now clearly Paige could have been the best PG, SG and probably SF on last year's team, but when she was in with Nika, the two of them were much more productive with Nika at the point. Paige can play anywhere, Nika is pretty much pure point guard.

Next year if Aaliyah settles in as starting PF, as I think she should, and last year's full season starters are the same, Evina and Christyn, then Paige would once again be a point guard with ok, but not great, three point options to pass to. If Azzi replaced one of those as a starter, then those dynamics change, two of the three would be great three point shooters, and at least one off the ball.

If Nika is part of the second unit and the seniors keep their starting roles, she could have two great shooters with her in Azzi and perhaps Carolyn on the wings, and still have an inside option in Gorka or Liv (whoever doesn't start there).

There are many combinations, but which ones mesh best with our two great passing PG's may be as much of a factor, as who the best overall players are. Last year we added great passing (and yes Evina added to that too), but our outside shooting was not as good. Next year Geno will add shooters to the passers, and the inside scorers (Aaliyah,Liv, Gorka) and balance the skills for the best combinations.

That may or may not mean starting the five best players.

Good thoughts. But cautionary points are these:

1) Young team, individual capabilities changing rapidly and will change through this Summer
2) Lots of experimentation to see who best works with each other; clearly Paige and Nika are good together
3) It goes without saying that Paige and Azzi will work well together
4) As impressive as Aaliyah had been, it is not a given she will be a starter this coming season, except for match ups with the opponent
5) Geno rarely sits his seniors who have been core starters. He stayed with Kia and Gabby even through the latter was slowed by little injuries during her senior year; Azura came off the bench up to the FF when Gabby was healthy enough.
6) Geno has been eager to change the team's playing style if deep enough. He will have his chance with this group. If he wants full court pressure from the opening tap, that would mean a starting five of the quickest players who can handle the ball and shoot well. That could also mean Nika playing the head of the "snake" or being the "gnat"
7) Clearly, with more options, more variations depending on the situation and depending on how quickly the new players can work well together in a switching defense with the returnees. That could mean initially, this year's starter's start and as the newcomers learn and work in synchronicity, he will be able to interchange players......inserting more shooters as the season progresses with his best defensive players.

We will see what comes out of the Summer camp......but against the best opponents, he will try to work playing Paige and Azzi together with Christyn as much as he can while making sure the rest of the team on the floor makes it a good defensive team on balance. Why? Because those are going to be his most reliable offensive players and he wants them ready and working well together come tournament time. And, he will be hoping Nika improves her 3pt shooting as well as Caroline catching on quickly on defense. The fun part is he can choose whoever he wants in the post - he will have at least three who will do.

This will likely be a year when he won't shorten the rotation until the players are well conditioned but he won't need to.....he can substitute in waves, even against good teams.

 

[nuna23]

Im not gonna lie she's the best who play defence in the team ,I hope to see nika aliyah paige starting azzi to but it's impossible cause wilizms evina...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Hmmm --- were the reports of Christyn's early demise not as exaggerated as I thought?

Squeaks won't be bringing the ball up the floor. She'll be the wing or 3rd guard in a 3-guard lineup. I don't see Nika as taking minutes from Christyn.

 

[Happydad745]

Nika: Good ball handling skills, in your face kind of defense, great attitude and tough with big heart....Weak offense.

 

[Skeets]

Sign me up for the Nika club! Question, where is the Love Liv club? If Morgan gets all of the attention (i.e. trashing) until the start of next season Liv might feel neglected.

 

[Go/huskies]

Nika: Good ball handling skills, in your face kind of defense, great attitude and tough with big heart....Weak offense.

Perfect for a bench role like Ashley Battle, or Brianna Banks.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Perfect for a bench role like Ashley Battle, or Brianna Banks.

You're gonna bench our starting point guard?

 

[JoePgh]

Squeaks won't be bringing the ball up the floor. She'll be the wing or 3rd guard in a 3-guard lineup. I don't see Nika as taking minutes from Christyn.

So are you then sending Evina to the bench? Or is she going to be the starting 4, keeping Aaliyah on the bench?

After what Aaliyah has done in her freshman year, and in recognition of how UConn was height-challenged against better opponents, I don't see how she can or should be kept out of the starting lineup.

Therefore, I see a veteran starting lineup of Paige, Christyn, Evina, Aaliyah, and Liv. Backups would be available at every position with Nika, Azzi, Caroline Ducharme, Dorka, and Amari/Piath/Aubrey.

It will be great if Geno doesn't have to be paranoid about foul trouble among his bigs, since there will be five of them available for two positions with no sacrifice of height.

It will also be great if every one of his top six guards and wings is a serious shooting threat that has to be guarded at the 3-point line.

 

[Argonaut]

Have there been any instances where Geno has benched a previous year's starter before a newcomer has shown they can out-perform them in game situations?

Because if my memory serves me correctly, he typically sticks with established starters whenever he can until injuries or pure talent in game situations dictate the change.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Have there been any instances where Geno has benched a previous year's starter before a newcomer has shown they can out-perform them in game situations?

Because if my memory serves me correctly, he typically sticks with established starters whenever he can until injuries or pure talent in game situations dictate the change.

Precedent says next year's starting five are the same as this past season's. Maya and Diana were bench players in their freshman seasons, and it seems Geno only starts a freshman if he has no choice. I don't see him disrupting his starting lineup which will have two sophomores and three seniors who collectively have a lot of collegiate experience for players with zero experience that are sub-UConn standard strength and conditioning wise.

 

[Littlemin]

Funny how some posters ignore Auriemma‘s own comments regarding Muhl and her difference making contributions to the team. It is completely irrelevant to me if she (or any other player) starts or not but I am pretty sure Muhl is going to be much more than a backup caddy to Bueckers. And given the toughness she brings, I will be surprised if Auriemma won‘t want that right from the start of games. We shall see...........

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Very long article full of quotes about Nika Muhl. Geno's feelings about his tough guard come through.

"Mühl admits once her stubbornness gave way, everyone benefited. Auriemma may have won that battle, but doesn’t think he’ll ever win the war. And he doesn’t intend to.

“I don’t want her to all of a sudden become boring. I don’t want her to become, ‘well I’ll do exactly what coach says’ and be robotic,” Auriemma said. “I just need her understand when to and when not to and how to pick her spots. ... But I want who she is.”

There is a lot Mühl brings to the table that few others have. Auriemma recognizes that Mühl’s grit and tenacity stirred up the team and rubbed off on everyone else, something he expects will be even more pronounced next season. He’ll take her toughness, selflessness and spunk every day over someone who doesn’t have such fire. It is the same with her passion and will to win. Auriemma said Mühl took UConn’s Final Four loss to Arizona, her first game back from an ankle injury that kept her out of three tournament games, “just as hard, if not harder, than anybody else.”

UConn women’s basketball’s Nika Mühl stands out with her toughness and stubborness, and Geno Auriemma wouldn’t want it any other way

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma will take Nika Mühl's toughness, selflessness and spunk every day over someone who doesn’t have such fire. Learning to harness that passion this past season made the Croatian freshman essential to the Huskies’ success.

www.courant.com

 

[Littlemin]

Very long article full of quotes about Nika Muhl. Geno's feelings about his tough guard come through.

"Mühl admits once her stubbornness gave way, everyone benefited. Auriemma may have won that battle, but doesn’t think he’ll ever win the war. And he doesn’t intend to.

“I don’t want her to all of a sudden become boring. I don’t want her to become, ‘well I’ll do exactly what coach says’ and be robotic,” Auriemma said. “I just need her understand when to and when not to and how to pick her spots. ... But I want who she is.”

There is a lot Mühl brings to the table that few others have. Auriemma recognizes that Mühl’s grit and tenacity stirred up the team and rubbed off on everyone else, something he expects will be even more pronounced next season. He’ll take her toughness, selflessness and spunk every day over someone who doesn’t have such fire. It is the same with her passion and will to win. Auriemma said Mühl took UConn’s Final Four loss to Arizona, her first game back from an ankle injury that kept her out of three tournament games, “just as hard, if not harder, than anybody else.”

UConn women’s basketball’s Nika Mühl stands out with her toughness and stubborness, and Geno Auriemma wouldn’t want it any other way

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma will take Nika Mühl's toughness, selflessness and spunk every day over someone who doesn’t have such fire. Learning to harness that passion this past season made the Croatian freshman essential to the Huskies’ success.

www.courant.com

Enough said!!

 

[MilfordHusky]

So are you then sending Evina to the bench? Or is she going to be the starting 4, keeping Aaliyah on the bench?

After what Aaliyah has done in her freshman year, and in recognition of how UConn was height-challenged against better opponents, I don't see how she can or should be kept out of the starting lineup.

Therefore, I see a veteran starting lineup of Paige, Christyn, Evina, Aaliyah, and Liv. Backups would be available at every position with Nika, Azzi, Caroline Ducharme, Dorka, and Amari/Piath/Aubrey.

It will be great if Geno doesn't have to be paranoid about foul trouble among his bigs, since there will be five of them available for two positions with no sacrifice of height.

It will also be great if every one of his top six guards and wings is a serious shooting threat that has to be guarded at the 3-point line.

I have the same starters as the bulk of last season--with Azzi and Aaliyah playing 25 minutes or so. They may get more minutes than starters Nika and Evina. With Dorka added to the mix, we may have 8 players averaging over 20 mpg.

 

[huskeynut]

The Croation Dynamo will start. She has the fire, the energy the team feeds off of. She has no fear. She tough. On defense she is a pick pocket who has no equal. With Nika starting Paige is more dangerous than if she is playing the point.

As to who starts, probably the Nika, Paige, Christyn, E and Olivia. As E said - unfinished business. Aaliyah will get her minutes as the 6th man. Azzi will get her minutes and so with Dorka. That seems, on paper, to be a potent 8 player rotation. As to the others, I suspect a surprise or two will come forward.

Can't wait until the fall.

 

[PacoSwede]

Very long article full of quotes about Nika Muhl. Geno's feelings about his tough guard come through.

"Mühl admits once her stubbornness gave way, everyone benefited. Auriemma may have won that battle, but doesn’t think he’ll ever win the war. And he doesn’t intend to.

“I don’t want her to all of a sudden become boring. I don’t want her to become, ‘well I’ll do exactly what coach says’ and be robotic,” Auriemma said. “I just need her understand when to and when not to and how to pick her spots. ... But I want who she is.”

There is a lot Mühl brings to the table that few others have. Auriemma recognizes that Mühl’s grit and tenacity stirred up the team and rubbed off on everyone else, something he expects will be even more pronounced next season. He’ll take her toughness, selflessness and spunk every day over someone who doesn’t have such fire. It is the same with her passion and will to win. Auriemma said Mühl took UConn’s Final Four loss to Arizona, her first game back from an ankle injury that kept her out of three tournament games, “just as hard, if not harder, than anybody else.”

UConn women’s basketball’s Nika Mühl stands out with her toughness and stubborness, and Geno Auriemma wouldn’t want it any other way

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma will take Nika Mühl's toughness, selflessness and spunk every day over someone who doesn’t have such fire. Learning to harness that passion this past season made the Croatian freshman essential to the Huskies’ success.

www.courant.com

hear the man! he sees it for sure.

 

[Bama fan]

After reading the latest article, there is one thing that sums up how i feel about Nika. I can't wait to see her grow into the player we all want her to be.