View attachment 10071
This is what happens when you let the same guy who decided to turn off the AC just before the Russia vs USA game, also pick the MVP. Bad decisions...
USA's U-19 team wore down the Ruskies and took home the Gold Medal & A'ja Wilson was chosen MVP after scoring 30 points for the game & 128 for the tournament. For many UConn fans, the clear MVP was Napheesa Collier..!!
If the highest scorer is the MVP, then the trophy should go to Spain's Angela Salvadores, who scored 129 points to Wilson's 128. Salvadores is the high volume shooter who may or may not attend Duke. She had the misfortune of playing the USA 3 times in the past two weeks and shot an anemic 12-43 (28%). But heck, she scored 129 points in Russia and that seems to be all that counts.
1.
Wilson (6'5") was out rebounded by Collier (6'1") 65 to 59. Take away all the offensive rebounds Wilson got from her own missed shots and it would have been far worse.
2.
Wilson had 22 turnovers in just 7 games. New flash A'ja, you are NOT a point guard. You're not even a 2 guard. In sharp contrast, Napheesa had only 8 turnovers and CAN play the 2 guard.
3.
Wilson took 103 shots and missed 52 of them. That's 49% on shots taken mostly from 3 feet from the basket. Collier shot 58.1% from inside the 3 pt arc. No contest.
4. Wilson is tall and gets fouled a lot.
She missed 20 free throws and made only 56% from the charity stripe.
Of course, Collier shot 80% from the free throw line.
5.
Collier led the team in minutes played, steals, offensive rebounds, field goal %, free throw % and +/- efficiency. But Wilson scored more points. I guess that is what counts...
6. To be fair, Wilson also had more assists (16-14) and more blocked shots (8-5). And she scored 30 points in the final..!! Of course, she took 33 combines shots and free throws to do that...
And the two big Ruskies she was helping cover scored 27 points.
7. Speaking of scoring points...
Collier finished 2nd with 89 points on just 82 combined shots (72) and free throws (10).
8. Napheesa didn't score 30 pts in the final,
but she did score 24 pts in the semi-final.
Against the Russians, Collier had a double-double (10 pts & 10 rebounds), 3 assists and 6 steals.
9. Coach Staley decided to play Collier 169 minutes in this tournament. That was the most minutes of ANY player, including A'ja Wilson. Some people think you play the best player the most minutes. I do.
10. Wilson is a very good player, and no doubt the 2nd best player at the tournament.
I make no pretense at being unbiased when it comes to UConn players, but IMO Napheesa Collier was the MVP of the U-19 team that won the Gold in Russia.
Go Napheesa..!!
Go Huskies..!!
