Nika - Nation's leader in Assists

[CocoHusky]

Or Faris on Skylar - about whom Geno said “She might never have a bad game.”
But MoJet took it to another level on defense... ‘15 & ‘16 seasons happily considered gold standard campaigns. Nika on D is reminiscent of Rizzotti but bigger and, if possible, more relentles…. And relentless is core to UConn. Shea Ralph would love to have her.

Faris on Chelsea Gray in this 2012 game was as good a defensive performance as there has ever been.
Kelly literally had Chelsea shook and took everything from her including her lunch money.
Geno also said: "When Kelly guards you you are guarded" and "as long as Kelly was on the roster he never had to worry about who was guarding the other teams best player."

 

[Blueconn]

What a job she did on her. If you rewatch the fourth quarter you will see how Clark was worn down and Nika was like white on rice with her. She just wouldn't let her go. Clark is a great player and will be a mainstay on our national team after college for a long time. She is not a Sue Bird or a Lindsay Whelan at the point though but in international play she has been very effective. I really see her, Paige and Azzi on that team with Paige being the best playmaker and passer, and probably being covered by Nika when the US plays Croatia. Put that in your pipe.....

Clark is terrific and will probably be even better for having been tested more than once by UConn. Hopefully, before her career ends, she’ll go head to head against the Huskies again. Don’t believe she’s shut-downable…but she’s reasonably containable...by UConn‘s time tested defensive intensity.

 

[Blueconn]

Faris on Chelsea Gray in this 2012 game was as good a defensive performance as there has ever been.
Kelly literally had Chelsea shook and took everything from her including her lunch money.
Geno also said: "When Kelly guards you you are guarded" and "as long as Kelly was on the roster he never had to worry about who was guarding the other teams best player."

Bravo.

 

[Carnac]

Exactly. You can see the growth in Nika's game over the years. She isn't forcing passes. She puts the pass where a player likes it. Which is crazy because a lot times it takes players a minute to develop that level of chemistry. Nika is having a wonderful start and the players are enjoying it and I believe Nika is enjoying the new mindset and flow of the game as well.

Faris on Chelsea Gray in this 2012 game was as good a defensive performance as there has ever been.
Kelly literally had Chelsea shook and took everything from her including her lunch money.
Geno also said: "When Kelly guards you you are guarded" and "as long as Kelly was on the roster he never had to worry about who was guarding the other teams best player."

We've got players that can score, and that's great. You MUST be able to score points. What we really need is another Kelly Faris. Someone that gives Geno that same level of comfort and assurance. Someone who prides them self as being the designated "stopper." A player that is skilled in the art of prestidigitation who can make the opponent's best scorer "disappear." Which player on THIS roster could best fill that role? Aubrey and Nika get my vote.

 

[Carnac]

Ah jest luv me some of that View attachment 81407 Nika fire....and it seems to be contagious!!!!!

I recently commented in another thread......this is not a good time to play UConn. They have 5 healthy starters that are in sync, and play with a sense of urgency. I don't like to engage in wistful speculation, but one can only imagine how much better/formidable this team would be with a healthy Paige Bueckers running the floor.

 

[Topdawg]

I’m not so sure about that. Another factor contributing to assists is the amount of possessions per game. We have played some up tempo games to date. Against a team like DePaul, yes, there should be a high assist total. Some other BE teams? Not so much.

Thank you for your comment. It got me thinking about the many factors at play. On the plus side, a weaker and slower defense could mean more openings for assists and more transition opportunities. On the minus side, you point out fewer possessions. There could also be less playing time as the bench is given more time in the game. Let us enjoy the games and see if Nika’s assist numbers improve or not! I would love to see her exit the season at the top of the assist leaderboard.

 

[eebmg]

Faris on Chelsea Gray in this 2012 game was as good a defensive performance as there has ever been.
Kelly literally had Chelsea shook and took everything from her including her lunch money.
Geno also said: "When Kelly guards you you are guarded" and "as long as Kelly was on the roster he never had to worry about who was guarding the other teams best player."

Irony of JPM around the 9' mark saying how important it is to play against top teams like UConn.

 

[JordyG]

Sue’s game was about winning. And, as was recently said by Swin, ’02 has good claim as the greatest team ever.
Defensive stopper ? No, not in the sense I think you mean. Solid always but without the same quickness as Jefferson or Jen. Those two made lots of breathtaking steals that always seemed to break the other team. Sue had her moments.

Agreed. Also despite her size, Jefferson could belly up on any guard, at times completely shut her down, and still be an offensive threat in the quarter court and in transition.

 

[Carnac]

Agreed. Also despite her size, Jefferson could belly up on any guard, at times completely shut her down, and still be an offensive threat in the quarter court and in transition.

One of my two all-time favorite UConn WBB players. Kiah Stokes is the other.

 

[diggerfoot]

Faris on Chelsea Gray in this 2012 game was as good a defensive performance as there has ever been.
Kelly literally had Chelsea shook and took everything from her including her lunch money.
Geno also said: "When Kelly guards you you are guarded" and "as long as Kelly was on the roster he never had to worry about who was guarding the other teams best player."

I feel like this is a subject we have agreed upon before but, at my age, who remembers.

I might say that Jefferson had a higher overall value as a defender because of her ability to play the passing lanes, but no one was a better one on one defender than Faris, for two reasons.

One of those reasons you already gave, C. Gray, who by the ene of the game was a point guard avoiding the ball. Never saw anything quite like that.

The other reason was Alyssa Thomas, the power forward for Maryland that Faris guarded that same year. Thomas fared a little better than Gray, I think she got something like 8 points and 10 rebounds, but Faris held her below her averages and clearly frustrated her as well.

Whether facing the best point guard or best power forward, both of whom are near unguardable at times in the WNBA, Faris could make life miserable for them.

 

[BBallF]

Clark is terrific and will probably be even better for having been tested more than once by UConn. Hopefully, before her career ends, she’ll go head to head against the Huskies again. Don’t believe she’s shut-downable…but she’s reasonably containable...by UConn‘s time tested defensive intensity.

I agree you cannot shut her down for a whole game. She didn't score in the 3rd quarter though and not when UCONN went on their 11-0 run. You can do it in small doses and wear her down which is exactly what Nika did.

 

[Blueconn]

Agreed. Also despite her size, Jefferson could belly up on any guard, at times completely shut her down, and still be an offensive threat in the quarter court and in transition.

Still enjoy the replay of her literally covering Skylar’s face as ND tried to inbound the ball. Ref laughed and just said noooo.

 

[fomalhaut]

’02 has good claim as the greatest team ever.

In 2015-2016, Connecticut led the country in field goal percentage, free throw percentage (!!), scoring offense/defense/margin, assists (per game and total), assist/turnover ratio, blocked shots (total), and fewest fouls per game, going 38-0 and winning the national championship. No team in women's D1 history has been so completely dominant in virtually every phase of the game.

 

[Carnac]

I don't know what Kelly Faris is doing these days, but I wonder if she'd be open to coming in the first week or two at the beginning of official practice (or the beginning of the fall session in late August) each year to teach the UConn women how to play defense. Since she is viewed as the "quintessential" defender in UConn lore, why not have HER come in and teach/demonstrate how she did it? That's IF Geno is amenable to the idea. Those that CAN, DO. Those that can't, teach. She could work with them as a group. or one-on-one. Something to think about.

She could instruct them through film study/observation to show them what "lockdown" defense looks like as done by herself and other recent UConn greats i.e., Moriah Jefferson, Kia Nurse Gabby Williams, etc.

 

[npignatjr]

Faris on Chelsea Gray in this 2012 game was as good a defensive performance as there has ever been.
Kelly literally had Chelsea shook and took everything from her including her lunch money.
Geno also said: "When Kelly guards you you are guarded" and "as long as Kelly was on the roster he never had to worry about who was guarding the other teams best player."

Yes it was good, Gray not half the player Clark is, notice not having to guard Gray out past the 3 point line. That team was loaded, Kelly did not have to play 40 minutes.

 

[wingsfan055]

Nika has come a long way from the night she was in tears after Geno benched her, to now the best PG in the country.

 

[awhom111]

All that rest Nika got let her teammates catch up, but she gained on the opposition:
Nika: 66
Teammates: 69
Opponents: 62

 

[TeamFirst!]

It was great to see Nika knock down a couple 3's today. Games like today are great for development as you can try new things and not worry as much about how they turn out. She needs to keep stepping out of her comfort zone a little on shooting on games like Providence so that she can get results when needed in bigger games.

 

[jazz]

I love the comparisons of nika to past greats...although she may come up short when you compare her to moriah or to kelly or to any other great player of the past. Just the fact that anybody makes a comparison shows how really good nika is.