I put Nika's impact ahead of any player that ever suited up for Uconn who was neither an All-American or left with a championship. Not discounting her contributions of her first two seasons, her contributions to her teams success in both her Junior and Senior years were extremely significant. Junior year she was unquestionably the floor general on both ends of the court. Senior year she remained that on the defense end and deferred to and/or shared that role with Paige on the offensive end. After her 'breakfast with Geno' during the summer preceding her junior season, when he told her if she didn't change he would sit her ass on the bench even if she was his only guard but then added if you do the things we need you to do you will have an incredible season. Well she did what the team needed her to do and she had an incredible season. Another thing Geno said about Nika's assist records is that if you look at what she did given who she was playing alongside it was remarkable. He noted that all the top assist leaders that she surpassed were passing to multiple All-Americans and in most case future Olympians.
To support my opening comment, who else dominated a major statistical category as much as Nika? Nika left Uconn as the all time assist leader holding the top two positions, also being the only player to have two 200+ assist seasons (remember her senior year she shared the point position with both Paige and KK), she holds the single game and season assist records, had the most double digit assist games consecutively and in a career (17), of the nine times a Uconn player had 13 or more assists Nika was 5 of them and 4 other players had one game each, has the highest two season assist/game averages and the highest career assist/minute of any Uconn player. Both Junior and Senior years she led the team in min/gm and of teammates playing with her over her four years she had the most starts (70 followed by Aaliyah, 69, Paige 42).
I have no doubt in my mind if she had stayed for her covid year she would have left with that allusive ring and quite certainly would have added a third season surpacing Sue Birds old record for assists ( passing to a healthy Paige and Azzi with the phenomenal freshman Sarah as targets). I loved watching Nika play the game, every moment she was on the court at UConn and can't wait to see her comeback this fall for Sopron Basket and during her to the W next season. As Geno said she was unique and he's only coached a few players like her during his career.
