Nika Muhl is Fun to Watch

[BlueSkyGLW]

Here's something that really impresses me about Nika.

As a general statement, she is really janey-on-the-spot regarding loose balls, tipped passes, and tipped rebounds. But she excels at being in good rebounding position and grabbing a ball that was a long shot that barely grazes the front of the rim and drops down at about Mach 1, usually cleanly. Then of course she turns in the blink of an eye and motors toward the other end like a bat out of somewhere and good things often happen.

She has her qualities.

Since you're pointing out things not in the box score, thank you.....then we can add how ready she is to set screens of all kinds to either freeze the defensive player or directly give space for the shooter.....ah, there more little things like that that don't show up in the box score.....many of these are well timed.

Last year she really eased the ballhandling pressure on Paige as well.

 

[MD#12Fan]

Here's something that really impresses me about Nika.

As a general statement, she is really janey-on-the-spot regarding loose balls, tipped passes, and tipped rebounds. But she excels at being in good rebounding position and grabbing a ball that was a long shot that barely grazes the front of the rim and drops down at about Mach 1, usually cleanly. Then of course she turns in the blink of an eye and motors toward the other end like a bat out of somewhere and good things often happen.

She has her qualities.

BY'ers rarely mention her physicality. We can't "feel" her impact on the floor with our customary seat at the top of the 2nd deck. (where the camera sits)
I also didn't read much on here about the game Lexi Held had against UConn Friday night. You know Nika had much to do about that! (I actually think she drew a line in the sand with Held the last time they played and Nika held her ground.)

 

[CocoHusky]

As I recall, all those others were scoring PGs or combo guards in high school. Nika almost disdains scoring and prefers an assist, so being asked to shoot when open is a change in mindset. Plus Nika's improvement in scoring was later in the season last year AFTER a steady run of games. You and I know how this season started for her and the run of games were intermittent until only recently. Statistics without context and using it to judge a player......???
Nah, I can't bear the thought.

UCONN basketball is not exactly a democracy where players get to choose to only do those things that they "prefer". Kiah Stokes was a world class defender who did not want to be fully engaged on the offensive end of the floor although she was very capable and had averaged well over 20 points per game and was a McDonalds AA in HS. Kiah Stokes only started a handful of games at UCONN and she could have been an AA. Moriah Jefferson is yet another player that had to learn to become a better deep shooter to make UCONN a better team.
Nika is not being asked to do these things for herself she being asked to do them to make UCONN a better team. Sticking to her "preferences" in this situation would be rather selfish. Relax people, I'm not calling Nika selfish-quite the opposite that kid would run through a brick wall to help UCONN win. I refuse to believe she would "prefer" not to shoot more if that is what is required of her for UCONN to become a better team. Last season shortly after she became a starter Geno said of Nika paraphrased: "She needs to make enough shots to keep the defense honest."
Not only is Nika taking fewer shots per game this season than last (4.36 vs 4.56) FGA/G, as I mentioned in the prior post Nika is shooting less accurately this season especially from deep. Every team UCONN is playing is conceding the deep ball to Nika and leaving her wide open. They will continue to do that until she steps up and make them pay.

 

[CocoHusky]

Yes with her in my opinion they win.

.

 

[tchalla1]

For some reason critique of Nika play seems to hit many BY posters differently that critique of some other UCONN players and I don't know why

Now this is entirely factual and cannot be questioned. I won't go into the merits of Nika's play (I'm pro-Nika basically) because i feel both pro and con posts have suitably been provided in a balanced way. However, Coco's above statement is quite evident: I see CW, Liv, Dorka, AE, and even to some degree the spectacular Azzi Fudd, strongly critiqued up and down here but for some reason it is taboo to do so with Nika-- it is an interesting phenomenon...

I guess we'll have to start calling Nika "Elliot Ness"... ')

 

[noirwestern]

Now this is entirely factual and cannot be questioned. I won't go into the merits of Nika's play (I'm pro-Nika basically) because i feel both pro and con posts have suitably been provided in a balanced way. However, Coco's above statement is quite evident: I see CW, Liv, Dorka, AE, and even to some degree the spectacular Azzi Fudd, strongly critiqued up and down here but for some reason it is taboo to do so with Nikia-- it is an interesting phenomenon...

I guess we'll have to start calling Nika "Elliot Ness"... ')

I think it's the way it's being done. Out of the players you mentioned she's the only one who isn't going to get playing time once the "better" players get healthy.

 

[jchusky]

Doesn’t like foreigners. American exceptionalism at it best.

to be fair Geno once said "I can't coach Europeans"

 

[MSGRET]

Kia Nurse
Kiah Stokes?
Kelly Faris?
L. Crockett?
Ashley Battle?
Evina Westbrook?

Yes, I'm guessing.

Kia had a game where she went something like 0 for 10 in the AAC, she came of the floor tearing off her tape and was crying. I remember Geno going over to talk to her about the good things that she did and not to get upset that she didn't score.

 

[TB12]

I expect that when Paige and Caroline Ducharme return, Paige will be the starting point guard. Geno, and the girls said she is their leader.

Lets be more positive about our team and the players.

 

[Mdoggie]

Kia had a game where she went something like 0 for 10 in the AAC, she came of the floor tearing off her tape and was crying. I remember Geno going over to talk to her about the good things that she did and not to get upset that she didn't score.

I once had a player score 2 points in the first quarter and no more the entire game. She was upset at the end. We won the game by 2. I asked her to tell me who one the game for us. She was crying and didn’t answer. You know what I told her.

 

[HuskyNan]

Now this is entirely factual and cannot be questioned. I won't go into the merits of Nika's play (I'm pro-Nika basically) because i feel both pro and con posts have suitably been provided in a balanced way. However, Coco's above statement is quite evident: I see CW, Liv, Dorka, AE, and even to some degree the spectacular Azzi Fudd, strongly critiqued up and down here but for some reason it is taboo to do so with Nika-- it is an interesting phenomenon...

I guess we'll have to start calling Nika "Elliot Ness"... ')

Some people go overboard with criticism of Nika and make it sound personal. I’ve deleted some comments that makes me wonder why people bother to watch UConn, they dislike the players so much

 

[Skeets]

Now this is entirely factual and cannot be questioned. I won't go into the merits of Nika's play (I'm pro-Nika basically) because i feel both pro and con posts have suitably been provided in a balanced way. However, Coco's above statement is quite evident: I see CW, Liv, Dorka, AE, and even to some degree the spectacular Azzi Fudd, strongly critiqued up and down here but for some reason it is taboo to do so with Nika-- it is an interesting phenomenon...

I guess we'll have to start calling Nika "Elliot Ness"... ')

I agree. For many fans, I'm one of them, there's a personal connection that runs a little deeper with Nika than some of the other players. It could have to do with coming over from Europe.

Years ago I was at Gampel when a frustrated (angry) Geno called time out. After the time out Svet headed back onto the court. Geno grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her towards the bench. I thought 10,000 babushkas were going to rush the court and tear Geno limb from limb. Geno came real close to buying the farm The personal connection with Svet was also very deep. Again a European.

 

[#12in21]

I think it's the way it's being done. Out of the players you mentioned she's the only one who isn't going to get playing time once the "better" players get healthy.

I can't speak for anyone else but as someone who has been and remains unapologetically appreciative for what Nika brings to this team I am in agreement with noirwestern and with HuskyNan (Some people go overboard with criticism of Nika and make it sound personal. I’ve deleted some comments that makes me wonder why people bother to watch UConn, they dislike the players so much).

I doubt any posters that post positive Nika posts have or are suggesting that Nika is the best player on the team, or even among the most elite players, yet many negative Nika posts have a feel that they need to demean her or the poster they are responding to. I can say from personal experience that that happened to me last season early on. It does seem that some negative reactions have an incensed tone that anyone could possibly be positive about what she brings or even that she is on our team - very defensive and I would say irrational vehemence in expressing their negative thoughts. With other player criticism the tone is 'disappointment that they aren't doing what we expect them to do', with Nika its often 'are you seriously applauding the contribution of an end of bencher, at the best".

Nika, herself in a very early interview spoke of how she has never been the star of any team she has been on, that is not her self perceived role, that role is to be the energy person, the one that does all the little things that make her team better. That is what she set out to do on this team, and has done and I believe that is what most positive posters are applauding. I would add that, I believe, that is also what Geno wants from her and what he feels he is getting from her. In several pressers, where she is never the focus, he cites the unique things she brings to the team. He values her, her teammates value her, the fans value her so it's difficult to understand why some posters beyond not valuing her feel a need to demean her or those that do. We all would love to see her hit a few more shots, I'm sure she would love that as well but scoring isn't the reason she started this year or last. And let's not hear again about injuries being the only reason she is even on the court. Seriously listen to Geno and see how and when he uses her.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Now this is entirely factual and cannot be questioned. I won't go into the merits of Nika's play (I'm pro-Nika basicaly I see CW, Liv, Dorka, AE, and even to some degree the spectacular Azzi Fudd, strongly critiqued up and down here but for some reason it is taboo to do so with Nika-- it is an interesting phenomenon...

I think she is a lovable combination of being “Precious “ to her coach and many of her fans (including me) and a fearless assassin to her opponents

 

[Bama fan]

Nika has many positive qualities, and a few negative ones too. But watch and listen to her coach and her team mates. They all acknowledge her value to the team. Her zest and determination make her a "good" player, but more importantly those qualities make her mates better players. That is her value to this team. No amount of stats bashing will diminish that aspect. They love her, so why don't some hypercritical fans give that respect?

 

[BRS24]

I doubt any posters that post positive Nika posts have or are suggesting that Nika is the best player on the team, or even among the most elite players, yet many negative Nika posts have a feel that they need to demean her or the poster they are responding to.

Nika, herself in a very early interview spoke of how she has never been the star of any team she has been on, that is not her self perceived role, that role is to be the energy person, the one that does all the little things that make her team better. That is what she set out to do on this team, and has done and I believe that is what most positive posters are applauding. I would add that, I believe, that is also what Geno wants from her and what he feels he is getting from her. In several pressers, where she is never the focus, he cites the unique things she brings to the team. He values her, her teammates value her, the fans value her so it's difficult to understand why some posters beyond not valuing her feel a need to demean her or those that do. We all would love to see her hit a few more shots, I'm sure she would love that as well but scoring isn't the reason she started this year or last. And let's not hear again about injuries being the only reason she is even on the court. Seriously listen to Geno and see how and when he uses her.

Nika has many positive qualities, and a few negative ones too. But watch and listen to her coach and her team mates. They all acknowledge her value to the team. Her zest and determination make her a "good" player, but more importantly those qualities make her mates better players. That is her value to this team. No amount of stats bashing will diminish that aspect. They love her, so why don't some hypercritical fans give that respect?

THIS. Nika does the little things that may not show up on the scoreboard. Kelly Farris, Mel Thomas, Pam Webber, among others, weren't the fastest, highest scorers on the team, however they had specific roles on the team, and did them well.

 

[Brewski]

Some people go overboard with criticism of Nika and make it sound personal. I’ve deleted some comments that makes me wonder why people bother to watch UConn, they dislike the players so much

My original intent for starting this thread was to foment more appreciation for Nika's zest for the game, and in particular how much fun her personality on the court is to watch. I think most of us know "personalities don't win games", basketball skills do. When these player debates get out of hand, it seems to be more about winning the argument, and less about the player and who they are as individuals. We all lose out when this happens.

 

[Ouremblem]

Is it just me, but I thought Nika and Evina wore their opponents down physically and emotionally. It’s draining when a defender is in your face all night. In terms of Nika not shooting much, we have an awful lot of scorers on this team and only one ball. If Dorka continues to hit the 3 we are going to be a very difficult team to deal with.

 

[Bigboote]

A few games ago, someone who'd been at the game pointed out how loud Nika was -- in the arena the poster could hear her shouting instructions, etc. In yesterday's game there was a defensive set in which she got switched onto a big and they were briefly alone under the basket with nobody else within about 8 feet. I heard her shout "AALIYAH!" so loud it came over the crowd noise and announcers on the TV. She and Aaliyah quickly switched back, the post player never got the ball, and Marquette didn't score.

There was another defensive trip in which Nika was on the post player, but things weren't as wide-open. Nika kept her ground and the post was called for three seconds.

 

[CocoHusky]

Nika has many positive qualities, and a few negative ones too. But watch and listen to her coach and her team mates. They all acknowledge her value to the team. Her zest and determination make her a "good" player, but more importantly those qualities make her mates better players. That is her value to this team. No amount of stats bashing will diminish that aspect. They love her, so why don't some hypercritical fans give that respect?

Nika gets plenty of respect. I fully agree that Nika is a valuable contributor to this team. I also fully agree that a players' full value to the team cannot be measure by only looking at stats. Since the stats are a reflection of what really happened during the game how can that be considered bashing? This is what I mean by critique of Nika seems to hit differently: Nika had a scoreless 40 minute game yesterday is that any different than pointing out that Liv had a 1 point game against Arizona or that Dorka had a 1 rebound game against Villanova in 20 minutes? Is Hungary not part of Europe anymore?

 

[MD#12Fan]

Nika gets plenty of respect. I fully agree that Nika is a valuable contributor to this team. I also fully agree that a players' full value to the team cannot be measure by only looking at stats. Since the stats are a reflection of what really happened during the game how can that be considered bashing? This is what I mean by critique of Nika seems to hit differently: Nika had a scoreless 40 minute game yesterday is that any different than pointing out that Liv had a 1 point game against Arizona or that Dorka had a 1 rebound game against Villanova in 20 minutes? Is Hungary not part of Europe anymore?

Oh, so you preface your comments with an admission that stats don't tell the whole story after going on and on, post after post hollering from the rooftops about Nika's stats. And then you go on to compare stats of other players that have nothing to do with Nika. Nika is the floor general. The post players are both 6'5" and they inhabit a part of the floor, 3 feet from the rim. Yes, my post should get 5+ boards every game. Yes, my post should score more than 1 point. That would be an indictment on the whole team. Please leave this topic! Let's agree to disagree!

 

[HuskyNan]

I agree. For many fans, I'm one of them, there's a personal connection that runs a little deeper with Nika than some of the other players. It could have to do with coming over from Europe.

Years ago I was at Gampel when a frustrated (angry) Geno called time out. After the time out Svet headed back onto the court. Geno grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her towards the bench. I thought 10,000 babushkas were going to rush the court and tear Geno limb from limb. Geno came real close to buying the farm The personal connection with Svet was also very deep. Again a European.

“Goddam European”

 

[CocoHusky]

Oh, so you preface your comments with an admission that stats don't tell the whole story after going on and on, post after post hollering from the rooftops about Nika's stats. And then you go on to compare stats of other players that have nothing to do with Nika. Nika is the floor general. The post players are both 6'5" and they inhabit a part of the floor, 3 feet from the rim. Yes, my post should get 5+ boards every game. Yes, my post should score more than 1 point. That would be an indictment on the whole team. Please leave this topic! Let's agree to disagree!

I'm not sure we disagree. The jest of the discussion is why the critique of Nika hits differently than it does for other player (even other European players)? Thank you for reinforcing my perception.

 

[Huskee11]

The beauty of the fourth quarter against Marquette was that each player was the best version of herself. Azzi and Dorka, obviously. Evina could not have played better. Christyn was solid.

Nika was by design not a part of the half court offense in the fourth quarter. She spent much of it in the left corner while the offense was being run on the right side. We had three hot hands doing their thing and they should have been the ones shooting.

I think the key play of the fourth quarter was when Nika came up with a loose ball, pushed it up court and hit Azzi for an open three. That made it 60-52. Backbreaker.

On defense, UConn played man to man the entire fourth except for a couple of zones early. Nika was covering McLaughlin, number 12. She is their second leading scorer. The team has 81 threes for the season, and she has 60 of them. If Marquette was going to come back, she would need to be involved. UConn normally switches a lot and helps out when it goes inside, but Nika was clearly told to do neither, and to stay with her the whole time. She did, and McLaughlin didn`t come close to getting a shot off.

So, everybody contributed in their own way.

 

[CocoHusky]

I can't speak for anyone else but as someone who has been and remains unapologetically appreciative for what Nika brings to this team I am in agreement with noirwestern and with HuskyNan (Some people go overboard with criticism of Nika and make it sound personal. I’ve deleted some comments that makes me wonder why people bother to watch UConn, they dislike the players so much).

I doubt any posters that post positive Nika posts have or are suggesting that Nika is the best player on the team, or even among the most elite players, yet many negative Nika posts have a feel that they need to demean her or the poster they are responding to. I can say from personal experience that that happened to me last season early on. It does seem that some negative reactions have an incensed tone that anyone could possibly be positive about what she brings or even that she is on our team - very defensive and I would say irrational vehemence in expressing their negative thoughts. With other player criticism the tone is 'disappointment that they aren't doing what we expect them to do', with Nika its often 'are you seriously applauding the contribution of an end of bencher, at the best".

Nika, herself in a very early interview spoke of how she has never been the star of any team she has been on, that is not her self perceived role, that role is to be the energy person, the one that does all the little things that make her team better. That is what she set out to do on this team, and has done and I believe that is what most positive posters are applauding. I would add that, I believe, that is also what Geno wants from her and what he feels he is getting from her. In several pressers, where she is never the focus, he cites the unique things she brings to the team. He values her, her teammates value her, the fans value her so it's difficult to understand why some posters beyond not valuing her feel a need to demean her or those that do. We all would love to see her hit a few more shots, I'm sure she would love that as well but scoring isn't the reason she started this year or last. And let's not hear again about injuries being the only reason she is even on the court. Seriously listen to Geno and see how and when he uses her.

13 ,13, 3, 3, 16, 14 were Nika's minutes in the games prior to page getting hurt. Whether it was her own injury or the injuries to Paige and Caroline those injuries
have a lot to do with how Geno is using Nika. Injuries are not the only reason Nika is on the court but it is the main reason she was on the court for 40 minutes yesterday-although you might not want to hear it.