Nika: What is yet to come! | The Boneyard

Nika: What is yet to come!

This video was posted by RockyMBlue on Augst 31, 2020. I am reposting it as a refresher on Nika's personality and how others viewed her. She was mature at 17 at the NBA Academy.
  • Why education is important to her. "It is good to have plan B for everything."
  • She was a "polysport" before basketball.
  • Luka Dončićv like ... her play, not physical stature :rolleyes:
  • Amazing basketball IQ
  • Always makes her team better
  • Enjoys stronger competition because she gets to prove herself
  • Also watch for #24 with the purple and yellow braids I wonder if she remembers Nika from the NBA Academy.
  • Checkout who is the NBA Academy Women’s Program Technical Director. Does the name ring a bell? :) » Women Program. Azzi Fudd's namesake JENNIFER AZZI.
  • From ESPN who gave Nika a 3* rating and no ranking. "FIBA U17-August 2017: Agile lead-guard, smooth off the dribble, delivers in traffic; savvy floor game changes pace in uptempo game, exploits the defense with 2-man game; defends, anticipates and converts plays from turnovers; a crafty playmaker. (Olson)"
 
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But seriously, folks. Nika is getting Anna's playing time while Anna is injured. So, what happens when Anna is ready to play again? Nika's playing time will go down?
 
Well, Aaliyah must have been impressed

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Aluminny69 said:
But seriously, folks. Nika is getting Anna's playing time while Anna is injured. So, what happens when Anna is ready to play again? Nika's playing time will go down?
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Nika may have taken over Anna's minutes but she is used completely different from Anna. This has given Paige more looks and Evina more rebounds. The flow of the game with Nika is much better.

I don't see Anna getting her starting job back. But if she does it will be like Doty's starting role her senior year - name only.

Remember when Saniya and Kiah Stokes lost their starting jobs to Nurse and Tuck.
 
Aluminny69 said:
But seriously, folks. Nika is getting Anna's playing time while Anna is injured. So, what happens when Anna is ready to play again? Nika's playing time will go down?
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I would go with the one who plays the best defense; that was the killer item in the Arkansas game.
 
Preseason this was what I wrote (below). Watching these last few games , we are seeing the impact in the offensive flow of the game the tandem of Nika and Paige, together on the floor, has made. Viewing the post game interview of the pair, they obviously have a great bond off court and love each others game, not to mention 'mama Westbrook's' evaluation of their play and their response of owing it all to their mom' at the end of the interview. The chemistry on the team, especially the young ones, is through the roof, I think in no small part from this duo.

A real plus that has also become apparent has been Nika's defensive intensity. Geno credited Nika with bringing the whole teams defensive intensity up against Marquette, citing her vocality and constant movement. This kid is showing out to be the ultimate team player, moving the ball on offense, setting continuous screens, dishing sweet assists, getting her hands on balls on defense, staying in front of and at times in the face of the opponent on defense, in short giving 100% to help her team when she's on the floor.

So what do I expect, both short term and over her UCONN career
  • Continued growth and building on all of the above
  • organically growing into a team leader, through her play and voice
  • a fan favorite once Gampel is filled to the gills

Sep 1, 2020

Really looking forward to watching Nika's game at UCONN over the next four years. Everything I've seen or read about her indicates how much she loves the game and is hungry to compete and grow. I think she and Paige will be great for each other, pushing each to higher levels as they battle each other in practice and compliment each other on the floor. When they are on the floor together in the backcourt it will be a nightmare for their opponents and a dream for their teammates on the receiving end of many a sweet pass.
 
Aluminny69 said:
But seriously, folks. Nika is getting Anna's playing time while Anna is injured. So, what happens when Anna is ready to play again? Nika's playing time will go down?
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I'll take a slightly different tack than Cajun with largely the same conclusion. Nika isn't getting Anna's playing time, Nika is getting Nika's playing time. In the last four games, Paige is averaging about 38 minutes a game, Evina 34, and Nika 30. That's a lot of minutes for the first two, and my fervent hope is that those numbers go down when Anna returns. When Anna returns her minutes should spell multiple players.

One thing Nika's emergence means is that Anna doesn't need to be rushed back at the potential cost of her injury being aggravated. Nika's emergence has been good for the team, and Anna's return will be good for the team. She's a good shooter and a great passer, and you can never have too much of either.
 
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Nika is a better fit for Geno's offense than Anna right now. Nika can beat her defender or the zone with her quickness & tenacity & then dish to the open wing, especially Paige. Anna doesnt have that ability. Anna is probably a better stand-up 3-point shooter, but the downside is the offense stagnates as a result. Nika is the better defender as well (right now). Bottom line, unless Anna can move much better, I would much rather have Nika be the lead point guard or distributor & Anna come off the bench.
 
The assumption here is Nika replaces Anna when it is entirely possible both are on the floor and...
 
What Anna does do well is also facilitate the ball movement and sees the floor well, which as @Bigboote noted correctly, Paige and Evina are playing too many minutes which will take its toll.
I wouldn't say Nika is especially quick but would say she is more aware by using her hands to swipe the ball as she passes by a player covering her own player which is what we saw a few times at Marquette. She had 9 steals the last two games which is unconscionable!
All that said, she also has to keep scoring to keep the other team honest-a drive here, a three pointer there and an occasional mid-range jumper. She continues doing that and our team will be clicking on all cylinders.
 
It's still early days, but it's clear that there's going to be some clogging up at the guard spot in the future Agree with those of you who appreciate the improved "flow" when Nika plays and her superior defensive ability. Geno will undoubtedly spot in whichever player is needed in any given moment, but it's clear by now that Nika's minutes will grow.
Evina may be forced into a Morgan Tuck decision at the end of this season: an injury that may be career-threatening and a possibly foreshortened chance to play in the WNBA. That would change the guard calculations.
When Azzi comes in next year . . ?
 
During the game Marquette game chat I wrote that my wife thought Nika reminded her of Jen Rizzotti. Whoa! UConn royalty versus this freshman who has struggled early in her career? The more I watched the more it seemed to work... the energy/intensity, the hustle, the relentless push up court. So I consulted someone who objectively could make that comparison - Rebecca Lobo...
"A few people have said that. I agree!" to which Jen Rizzotti chimed in,​
"Tough and thinks she never fouls anyone.....definitely me!!! 😂😂"​

I don't know where Nika's ceiling is, no one does. She might already be close to it, but maybe, just maybe...
 
huskyd said:
It's still early days, but it's clear that there's going to be some clogging up at the guard spot in the future .....
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Geno does not have an aversion to playing more than seven players a game. He just hasn't been able to do it the last few years without a big dropoff in efficiency. Come the NCAA's more than likely, seven players will be getting all the minutes; next year it can easily be 10 players in a regular rotation.
 
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dont worry , be happy
i really dont know why so many ppl worry anna or nika playing time
geno will make the adjustment when the game is playing
who fits the game then who will get the minutes ,dont they ?
 
BostonBay said:
Nika is a better fit for Geno's offense than Anna right now. Nika can beat her defender or the zone with her quickness & tenacity & then dish to the open wing, especially Paige. Anna doesnt have that ability. Anna is probably a better stand-up 3-point shooter, but the downside is the offense stagnates as a result. Nika is the better defender as well (right now). Bottom line, unless Anna can move much better, I would much rather have Nika be the lead point guard or distributor & Anna come off the bench.
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The offense didn’t stagnate when Anna was in. That was never the reason people were calling for her to lose her starting job. It was her shooting (or lack thereof) which in retrospect may have declined because of her injury. The ball moved much more crisply when Anna was in the game. Even Geno mentioned that. Clearly, Nika is facilitating (passing) as well or even better now and imo Anna is going to have to really show something to get her starting job back. I’m not arguing with that, just disagreeing that the offense was stagnant when Anna was starting.
 
Maybe that one starting spot will be on a rotational basis depending on the opponent? The upperclassmen seem like their spots are safe no matter what, but maybe sometimes it will be Nika, sometimes Anna, other times Aubrey or even Aaliyah.
 
psconn said:
During the game Marquette game chat I wrote that my wife thought Nika reminded her of Jen Rizzotti. Whoa! UConn royalty versus this freshman who has struggled early in her career? The more I watched the more it seemed to work... the energy/intensity, the hustle, the relentless push up court. So I consulted someone who objectively could make that comparison - Rebecca Lobo...
"A few people have said that. I agree!" to which Jen Rizzotti chimed in,​
"Tough and thinks she never fouls anyone.....definitely me!!! 😂😂"​

I don't know where Nika's ceiling is, no one does. She might already be close to it, but maybe, just maybe...
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In Nika's own words, " The future is in the roof" 😂 😂 😂
 
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Nothing against Molly, but it was so absurd for people to be saying that Nika would end up a similar caliber player to Molly after a few games as a freshman with a COVID off season.

Nika’s highlights and stats consistently showed a player that was an incredible passer with elite court vision and, IMO, a really solid defender.

I think what was the question mark was her ability to generate her own offense and to be efficient in doing so.

Her A/TO ratio and shooting percentages have increased immensely as the season has gone on.

Again, no offense to Molly, but Geno knows talent when he sees it and I don’t think he would have pursued and visited a Croatian basketball player if they were the caliber of Molly Bent.

If Paige continues her absurd level of efficieny and Azzi comes along and provides something similar, Nika will be fantastic in getting them open looks and setting them up to score (which they can also of course do for themselves).
 
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