Nika Mühl: new UConn single-game assists record!

[Bigboote]

Hurry and enjoy her now, as per a poster here this week she will not be even starting after 10 games.

She should enjoy the record of 15, because she'll probably break it herself once or twice more. The record she broke was Paige's, so not that old.

 

[MD#12Fan]

How many shots did she pass up today? Huh? Oh yeah, zero. How many times did we bog down because Nika was reluctant to be aggressive on offense. Zero, right? NC State is a top 10 team. The BY manages to characterize Nika as one dimensional and every moment of the game I see her darting across the screen making plays. 6 rebounds by this player that only guards out front. I guess the balls bounced out to her. She’s a rock. Why can’t people drive by her? She’s a rock. Why can’t they take it from her? Because she’s a rock.
Maybe we can’t see 3- dimensionality on a 2-D screen.
Size is more than height. Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Quinn Buckner

 

[Dogstar]

Not bad for a player who some on this board have said: can't shoot, can't make layups, slow feet and can't play defense, fouls too often and we are playing 4 on 5 with her in the game. What these people don't understand is that: she can shoot, she can hit her lay-ups. she can play defense (DPOY from what I remember), and from my memory she has never fouled out of a game. She's a darn good player and she has been showing it since she got her and she is getting better and better.

Here here!

 

[tomcat]

Just an amazing game by a very hard worker. If she keeps this up, she should be up for all sorts of national awards.

 

[jazz]

Nika might have had double digits in assists in some games last year if we didn't miss so many from three. She has ALWAYS been a great passer.

 

[fomalhaut]

Nika wasn't on the preseason list for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award, but I am confident she will be added when they next update it (midseason?).

 

[Kat]

She is stronger and even quicker than before. Her passing game speaks for itself but it helps to have so many teammates who are constantly moving, cutting, and looking for that pass. They know what to do with it, too.

 

[fomalhaut]

Depending on what anyone ahead of her did, Nika Muhl is now averaging 10.3 assists per game, which might be leading Division I.

 

[rubymae4]

How perfect is it that Nika—player many have questioned—takes over the top assists record? Thinking of all the great point guards in UConn’s history.

Nika has worked so hard and expects so much of herself. It would have been easy for her to settle for being a serviceable or back up point guard. That makes breaking the record even better!

 

[Shenandoah]

When I saw the change in her in the Northeastern game, I felt that she might be the best pure point guard in the country.
NOW; I know it.

 

[JellyBean]

Congrats, Nika!! Well deserved honor. You put in the work and definitely deserve this record.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Nika might have had double digits in assists in some games last year if we didn't miss so many from three. She has ALWAYS been a great passer.

And layups

 

[Beemer]

ahem. That's my girl!!!!! <3

 

[CocoHusky]

@TeamFirst!

Consider the source. Betts of Stanford was also supposed to be AA candidate.

 

[Blacketh’D]

Helps that players are actually shooting well and finishing this year. I think the past two teams got caught up in Paige watching and now they’ve gotten an opportunity to gel without her dominating presence on the court. Nika’s been getting better each year and I’m glad she’s proving herself starting caliber for this team. Still wish she’d score a little more but when the others around you are playing this good, I’ll take it.

 

[darrell]

Small sample size, but couldn’t ask for a better start from these 2.

 

[JoePgh]

Did anyone notice Geno's comment in his postgame press conference about how Nika always has her eyes up the court, and knows where her teammates are when she starts the transition game? That is all new this year. Last year, all she ever did was hustle her dribble up the court; she never looked for a touchdown pass. Now she not only looks for them, she often makes them and completes them, as she did today. And the box score shows the result: UConn led the Wolfpack by 22-9 in fast break points.

If there is anyone who still says that Nika's minutes are a problem because the other team can play "5-on-4", her assist totals say otherwise. In four games including the exhibition, I have never noticed that defenses are leaving Nika unguarded to cover other scoring threats, which (apparently) is the meaning of this criticism. They know she can shoot 3's, and they guard her at the 3-point line. As long as they have to do that, defenses will not be able to smother Azzi and Lou on the perimeter.

By the way, in addition to her 15 assists (against only 3 turnovers) and 3 points on 1-for-3 3-point shooting, Nika also had 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Not too shabby a day at the office.

 

[eebmg]

Small sample size, but couldn’t ask for a better start from these 2.

Morrow, Fudd and Seigrist are viable First Team AA. for BE Siegrist with an amazing 30 pt 16 rebound performance in a come from behind win for Temple

 

[Boreifs]

Just imagine if both Nika and Aubrey come back for a fifth year! If so, fans are in for a treat.

 

[LoboDays]

Right up front…..I was wrong about Nika. Always wanted her on my team for attitude, effort and aggression but thought she was a “6th man” at best. I’ve never been happier to be so wrong.

Strange the way things work out. If Paige is playing, the offense would be different and we probably don’t see the Nika we saw today. Same with Aubrey. She is off the bench if the team was injury free. Aubrey has to be one of the best athletes that UCONN has ever had.

I haven’t gone thru the other topics so sorry if this has already been touched on. There were plenty of situations today (fouls and exhaustion) were we could have used a 6’5” player to step in but it never happened. I don’t what is going on in practices but Amari isn’t even a consideration of Geno’s’ at this point. Not looking good.

 

[CocoHusky]

Did anyone notice Geno's comment in his postgame press conference about how Nika always has her eyes up the court, and knows where her teammates are when she starts the transition game? That is all new this year. Last year, all she ever did was hustle her dribble up the court; she never looked for a touchdown pass. Now she not only looks for them, she often makes them and completes them, as she did today. And the box score shows the result: UConn led the Wolfpack by 22-9 in fast break points.

If there is anyone who still says that Nika's minutes are a problem because the other team can play "5-on-4", her assist totals say otherwise. In four games including the exhibition, I have never noticed that defenses are leaving Nika unguarded to cover other scoring threats, which (apparently) is the meaning of this criticism. They know she can shoot 3's, and they guard her at the 3-point line. As long as they have to do that, defenses will not be able to smother Azzi and Lou on the perimeter.

By the way, in addition to her 15 assists (against only 3 turnovers) and 3 points on 1-for-3 3-point shooting, Nika also had 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Not too shabby a day at the office.

Nika is playing exceptionally well this season but let's not pretend the criticism was not valid or that it originated here on the BY. Nika has attempted 10 FG this season 6 of which where from behind the 3 point line. All 6 of Nika's 3PT FGA this season where uncontested. Uncontested shots is usually an indication that the defense is focused elsewhere. These are largely the same shots that the defense was conceding to Nika all of last season. This is also almost the identical percentage (60% vs 61% last year) of NIka shots that are coming from behind the arc with the remaining being almost exclusively layup attempts. While her 3Pt FG% is up from last season Nika is still not utilizing the middle of the floor to be a scoring threat. So far Nika's scoring has not been needed as this team is shooting exceptionally well 52% and Nika has become the best facilitator in the country. I would be pleasantly surprised if both of those things to continue but my expectations are somewhat lower: At some point Nika's mid range will be needed because we have ~ 35 more games left in the season . That is why Geno levied the challenge/criticism to Nika during the summer-before Paige was lost for the season.

 

[TeamFirst!]

When Nika passes to Fudd, good things seem to happen. The bulk of her assists were just catch and shoot passes on the periphery. She should have 10 assists a game with this team.

 

[Next 12]

A few things astonishes me about Nika. First, the way she speaks English so well. Second, the seemingly ferocity she displays while defending other players. Third, then quickness of her hands and feet while on defense. Fourth, the way she can see the floor as she is bringing the ball down court and how fast she sizes up the situation and makes her fantastic passes for scores. She will be NDP of the yeat this year again. She has more than proved she is the Alpha point guard on this team. GO NIKA!! GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[TeamFirst!]

Few teams are going to pack the middle against this team, especially with Dorka and Ice out. The strength of this team has been 3 point shooting since we added Lou. Other teams have to defend our periphery. We are a solid team right now, for sure, but we still need to beat the likes of Stanford and South Carolina, which are both very difficult to score on and out rebound. Stanford getting 6 more rebounds today than SC was an eye opener. We have to hit a high percentage of shots, and maximize our rebounding, to have a chance of beating either team. And that means squeezing every bit of offense we can out of this team while not losing much defensively or turning it over a lot. I think Aubrey, Ayanna and Caroline can help do that, but not if they all play less than 15 minutes while Nika plays 35 minutes. Aubrey has been putting up great numbers so do you want to set her on the bench again as soon as Dorka comes back, or should she be on the floor subbing in for Nika some? 6 steals today against a top 10 team? 6-9 shooting. 16 points compared to 3. Are we going to play Caroline an average of 6-10 minutes a game all year? None of this is that Nika is a bad player. She's having a great year. So is Aubrey. And if you played Ayanna and Caroline more they would be having great years also.

I get that no one wants to "fix" a team that doesn't appear broken. It's like a top striker in soccer. If a top team gives Erling Haaland 3 times as many scoring opportunities, it makes a great striker an other worldly striker. You could put a mediocre striker in his place and still get 20 goals a year and a winning team but you wouldn't have the best team in the world, which is our goal.

 

[Skeets]

I think you may be misremembering some of the comments made about Nika this past summer. Some here were saying Nika had developed a mid-range game and was determined to drive to the hoop more and that her scoring would improve this season. My position is that Nika can’t change who she is and how she plays offensively at this point in her life; many disagreed and arguments ensued.

Well, three games in Nika has take 6 shots, 3 of them from the arc. Am I critical? Heck, no. Her effort, energy, and defensive spirit were never questioned. Her point guard skills have improved every year and she’s become a complete team leader. I wouldn’t trade her for anyone for while Nika may not be a perfect point guard, she’s perfect for this team.

I understand the jubilation for the Nika-defenders but before you rub ”critics’” noses in the mud try to remember what the argument was. After all, the critics are fans of Nika too, just in varying degrees

No Nan, I disagree. Some ugly things have been said. I won't hunt up the posts, but I know who made them (i.e. there would be less angst if it was Nike who blew out her ACL). I have yet to see anything close to a retraction, and I don't expect one because such people are clearly more astute basketball minds than the majority of the people on the BY. Feel free to delete this post.