Nika Returning?

[jdote33]

Love Nika. I will never not smile when she gets whistled for a foul and she's incredulous. Last year around this time I was worried about Dorka being WNBA ready and she was one of the better rookies last year. So I won't make the same mistake and underestimate Nika. I always compared her to Veronica Burton out of Northwestern. Floor general and great defender. Barton pretty much was an effective backup point guard right away. But Burton was able to average in the high teens by her senior year in college. In any event, to me Nika fits any team. She'd actually be great in Minnesota tbh.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I have read that players who are in the US on a student visa can not get NIL money as it violates the terms that students are not working while they're here. If so, it is a factor in a decision to stay or go pro.

You can earn passive NIL income and it's fine. That's what most Americans players are doing. Not too many are actually working for that money. When you do commercials like Paige or even Amari and get paid for it, that would be the violation you are talking about, but Nika getting a cut of the sales of a shirt that someone else made isn't a problem so long as she isn't the one actually selling the shirts.

 

[Kat]

You can earn passive NIL income and it's fine. That's what most Americans players are doing. Not too many are actually working for that money. When you do commercials like Paige or even Amari and get paid for it, that would be the violation you are talking about, but Nika getting a cut of the sales of a shirt that someone else made isn't a problem so long as she isn't the one actually selling the shirts.

I should have written "foreign players in the US" in my post. There's a different rule for them vs US citizen-athletes.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet - Abraham Lincoln

View attachment 95035

My hardest laugh since before umbilical hernia surgery! No stitches remaining to burst.... Hey Blinken! [or Abe Lincoln... ; ) ]

 

[The CDR-Ret]

This person is smoking something if he/she thinks that Nika is going to be a top 5 pick.

well... the poster's handle is "@probablyatypo" should be "@misdirectionplay"

 

[Bigboote]

Love Nika. I will never not smile when she gets whistled for a foul and she's incredulous. Last year around this time I was worried about Dorka being WNBA ready and she was one of the better rookies last year. So I won't make the same mistake and underestimate Nika. I always compared her to Veronica Burton out of Northwestern. Floor general and great defender. Barton pretty much was an effective backup point guard right away. But Burton was able to average in the high teens by her senior year in college. In any event, to me Nika fits any team. She'd actually be great in Minnesota tbh.

Nice post. The Boneyard doesn't have a great track record recently recognizing who's going to succeed in the W. Napheesa was too small to be a 4 and not a good enough shooter to be a 3. Crystal was too short. Both rookie of the year. Stokes didn't have enough offense to stick, yet here she is still in the league 8 years and two championships later. Nelson-Ododa wouldn't be able to hang with the big girls. She's looked pretty good to me.

I expected Dorka to be drafted and probably make a roster, but it surprised the hell out of me how quickly she fit in.

I'm with you, I think Nika will make it, and I hope she goes to Minnesota. For Minnesota's sake.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I should have written "foreign players in the US" in my post. There's a different rule for them vs US citizen-athletes.

The different rule for them is they cannot actively work, but getting NIL money doesn't require a player to work. They are basically getting paid just for existing (and being good at basketball at a high profile basketball program). This is really the only way the foreign players in the U.S. are able to make some money from NIL. Where foreign players in the U.S. are at a disadvantage is not being able to do branding or promotional deals because that requires some work on their part, so where Azzi promotes Chipotle or Amari does a local law firm's TV commercials, those opportunities are not available to the foreign players in the U.S.

 

[BBallF]

I have read that players who are in the US on a student visa can not get NIL money as it violates the terms that students are not working while they're here. If so, it is a factor in a decision to stay or go pro.

If money is an issue. With an extra year there is free room and board, travel and a Masters Degree. Starting minimum salary in the W is $57,810. Cost of tuition and room and board at UCONN is $58092 all in for an out of state resident undegraduate. Assume costs are similar for a graduate student. Plus she needs another year for her offensive game and both speed and strength for the W if she is going in that direction. If she wants to coach, stay, play, and coach the following year in an intern position or paid position here maybe. She will be on a bench somewhere someday. She transfers fire. That's a coach's gift.

 

[hoopsfan22]

If money is an issue. With an extra year there is free room and board, travel and a Masters Degree. Starting minimum salary in the W is $57,810. Cost of tuition and room and board at UCONN is $58092 all in for an out of state resident undegraduate. Assume costs are similar for a graduate student. Plus she needs another year for her offensive game and both speed and strength for the W if she is going in that direction. If she wants to coach, stay, play, and coach the following year in an intern position or paid position here maybe. She will be on a bench somewhere someday. She transfers fire. That's a coach's gift.

The problem with the extra year is it starts to mess with roster management and player development. If someone like Paige wants to come back, OK you make room, but there are only so many scholarships available, and whatever playing time a 5th or 6th year player gets comes at the expense of your younger players which backs up the pipeline a bit and could ultimately hurt recruiting.

 

[BBallF]

The problem with the extra year is it starts to mess with roster management and player development. If someone like Paige wants to come back, OK you make room, but there are only so many scholarships available, and whatever playing time a 5th or 6th year player gets comes at the expense of your younger players which backs up the pipeline a bit and could ultimately hurt recruiting.

I certainly understand your observation but I also certainly expect Aaliyah to go which leaves 15 players inclusive of Morgan and Allie with 15 scholarships so I don't think the number is an issue. I also don't think, even with a healthy Azzi, that Nika will care if she starts or not. With our recent history of injuries, I think it to be imprudent not to have an embarrassment of riches if you can. Nika will not care as long as we are winning and who knows what she will be like in another year.

 

[fomalhaut]

Somehow I get the feeling Connecticut can never have too many players.

 

[oldhusky]

I certainly understand your observation but I also certainly expect Aaliyah to go which leaves 15 players inclusive of Morgan and Allie with 15 scholarships so I don't think the number is an issue. I also don't think, even with a healthy Azzi, that Nika will care if she starts or not. With our recent history of injuries, I think it to be imprudent not to have an embarrassment of riches if you can. Nika will not care as long as we are winning and who knows what she will be like in another year.

If your scenario is correct with just Aaliyah leaving, then 15 is not a problem only if you are done. In other words we would not have a spot for Strong, Rodriquez or a portal addition. If we want to have a spot for Sarah or anybody else we would need one more departure.

If we sensed Sarah's ship had sailed elsewhere, potentially getting Nika and Aubrey back would be very good. There are three main additions that would be good fixes for Aaliyah's departure. Sarah, a portal big, and Aubrey's return. With our situation up front I think we badly need one of those.

 

[PacoSwede]

paige could easily give up her scholarship (and still be on the team) ... then, voila, there's then another scholie available.

 

[David54]

Do players using the extra Covid year count against the 15 scholarships ?

 

[Centerstream]

Do players using the extra Covid year count against the 15 scholarships ?

I asked this in a different thread and the replies stated that they do count.

 

[HuskyNan]

Do players using the extra Covid year count against the 15 scholarships ?

Yes