Okay so i'm new here and am generally just interested in other peoples opinions on this situation so I would love to here what y'all think. Last year Nika seemed to be a pretty key player once she broke the starting lineup and was pretty consistent. Obviously this year with the new talent they have, her minutes have really dropped and even when she has played she hasn't been that impressive in my opinion. I just don't really know where she's going to go from here, because if she doesn't start performing in the small windows of opportunity that she does get, then it's hard to see her getting any more than 5-10 minutes a game which is a shame for a player with as much potential as her.
Nika's Performances and Playing Time
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Blueballer
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She's coming off a foot injury and has been playing catchup. Let's re-visit this a month from now..... Geno Auriemma breaks down UConn’s rotation battle ahead of exhibition game
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It's really early in the season, so you can't make any assumptions yet. As someone said, she's had some injury issues, which I can see have made a difference so far in her ability to be the "in your face" player we all love. Her balance is just a bit off, but I have no doubt that she will regain that. Let's see where she is seven or eight games into the season.
Oh, and welcome to the BY. Good to have you here.
Monte
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I agree; she should be a vital player as the year goes on. If some of you remember, she had a tough time adjusting at the beginning of last year.
Geno has to remember this, and guide her to the right spot carefully.
Geno has to remember this, and guide her to the right spot carefully.
I think I'm in the minority in saying I'm not too down on Nika's performance so far this season because she's playing such limited minutes. She's still pressuring opposing guards and occasionally coming up with steals. In the SC game she had a couple of really nice looks as soon as she came in which resulted in free throws. Unfortunately some of those free throws were missed.
I think it's hard when ur not a scorer and u come off the bench. Plus she's not really coming off the bench with a crew or anyone she has a lot of chemistry with. She's just kind of coming in playing spot minutes. I'd like to see her get a lot more minutes (~18 -20). In 8 minutes, what's a good Nika stat line going to look like? In 18 minutes, than I would expect her to score a couple baskets (literally a couple), get some assist and steals while running a team. She's definitely a feel type of player, and I just don't think she's been given great opportunity to feel out the game.
This also ties into the offense their running as well, with Paige and the bigs seemingly being the only facilitators. I think on this team, Nika can come in and lead/orchestrate the offense. Run simple stuff.
I think it's hard when ur not a scorer and u come off the bench. Plus she's not really coming off the bench with a crew or anyone she has a lot of chemistry with. She's just kind of coming in playing spot minutes. I'd like to see her get a lot more minutes (~18 -20). In 8 minutes, what's a good Nika stat line going to look like? In 18 minutes, than I would expect her to score a couple baskets (literally a couple), get some assist and steals while running a team. She's definitely a feel type of player, and I just don't think she's been given great opportunity to feel out the game.
This also ties into the offense their running as well, with Paige and the bigs seemingly being the only facilitators. I think on this team, Nika can come in and lead/orchestrate the offense. Run simple stuff.
donalddoowop
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Think about the mental aspect. Nika had a chance to play for her country's team this Summer but chose to come to UConn and prepare for the upcoming season. So, after she is here, she finds herself playing behind a freshman who is not playing well so far. That has to be somewhat disheartening. Plus, she may be frustrated because she can't shake her injuries. I think in time she will be playing a lot of minutes.
Everyone is rooting for Nika. Her competitive nature was a big plus last season. She’s in a tough spot right now. No freshmen starting so, it’s hard to break the starting 5 barring injuries. Plus Dorka looks like # 6. Geno seems to have no issues with pulling his bigs as soon as one of them messes up. Add to that, he wants Azzi on the floor as much as possible. And, I assume Aubrey will return soon. Minutes for Nika May be tough to come by.
I think back to the Arizona game when Nika was the only player who played with the sense of urgency that the situation demanded. Based on the last game, we need her.
I think back to the Arizona game when Nika was the only player who played with the sense of urgency that the situation demanded. Based on the last game, we need her.
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It doesn't help that the last few seasons it seems the first half of the season kind of starts and stops. Hard to get into a rhythm where you play a game or two then have a 10 day break before the next game and then another 10 day break after the next game. The Big East complicates scheduling since we lost four out of conference games that would have traditionally been lesser opponents interlaced with the tougher opponents during the beginning of the season allowing the team to ease into things on a more regular schedule.
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Welcome, IChoops, from a fellow Boneyard rookie.
I agree with LoboDays that everyone is rooting for Nika. How can one not? Hers is a wonderful story and could be that much better if she comes close to the potential so many of you see in her.
As much as I'll be rooting for her, I just don't see all that others here see from Nika. Looking back at the Final Four last year, LoboDays, it could be that Nika showed more energy on the court than her teammates, but I doubt she was the only one feeling a sense of urgency. Yes, she's got energy, in abundance, but in 21 minutes of PT she had all of two points, three rebounds and one assist (plus three fouls).
It's likely Azzi and Caroline both have a much higher ceiling in their games, and, if Aubrey's able to come back and contribute, I'd expect Nika to drop to about 10th in the rotation. I believe the Huskies' need for her to orchestrate the offense is dramatically overstated here.
Okay, have at me...
MSGRET
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The Final Four was the first game back for Nika after her ankle injury in the High Point game. She showed her energy and wasn't at 100% for the FF. I believe she should be used at the PG position so that Paige can have the freedom to move around in the offense without the ball. It will force teams to focus more on the movement and allow other players to get open. You could also have Paige, Azzi, and Nika on the floor at the same time giving Nika the option of passing to either Piage or Azzi. Last year's offense and defense so far was much smoother and I think one of the main reasons was because Paige wasn't the facilitator of the offense, she was more on receiving end.
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Welcome to the Boneyard. You will have a great time interacting with everyone.
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While I like Nika, I believe she has been overrated continuously since she arrived at UConn. Sure, she is a gritty, tough player but beyond that has not done a whole lot to warrant the exaggerated (imo) praise she receives from many on this board. She is not a strong shooter/scorer, she turns the ball over more than she should, not a great free throw shooter, can’t create her own shot, and doesn’t draw a lot of fouls. Having said that, (counting down to indignant criticism) she is/was a solid backup for Paige and when Paige was the primary scorer last year she fairly ably ran the point so Geno could play Paige off the ball in an attempt to get more scoring from his primary weapon. This year however, she is hurt, competing with at least two, perhaps three, players who are clearly more talented and who offer things that she simply cannot compete with (Shooting, size, athleticism) even under optimal circumstances. Her strength is in her toughness, aggression, and the example that she sets with those attributes. However, for whatever reason (injury?) she has not brought those to the table yet and finds herself struggling to remain relevant on a team where she desperately needs those attributes to maintain her position in front of more talented teammates. I wish her well, but I believe her minutes are going to be severely curtailed as Azzi, Aubrey, Caroline, and maybe even Mir are simply more talented players.
energy doesn't matter if you are hurting your team. Aside Olivia which has been stated many times before, Nika had the worst game of any Uconn player. Was careless with the ball and the flow of her running the offense looked reckless.
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The defense. “gReAt eNeRGy” ≠ great defense. Name one top notch player she’s ever held to low scores? One top notch player she’s ever been given the toughest defensive assignment of? The toughest defensive assignments are given to Cristyn (guards) or Aubrey (guards+forwards). They’re both larger and quicker than Nika. Nika fouls crazy easy. And no it’s not because Europeans are predestined to foul more than U.S. players.
On offense. The stats speak for themselves. Mins played (EARNED), ppg, apg, steals, blocks, turnovers, FG%. I need not say more. She is not an offensive threat at this time. The more non-offensive threats on the floor, the more team defenses can hover paige and the paint. At least with Azzi teams have to deny her the ball from the get and can’t slack off too much. (Believe me I know neither is at their full potential right now, but one has more to offer offensively to distract the other teams defense).
The passing. Again if she can’t score she can’t pass the ball to paige cause defenses will be able to slack off of her. The paint will be packed. We need it spread out. She drives so much to the lane wildly then turns it over and doesn’t make shorts or assists.
I have confidence she will do very well against the bottom of the Big East guards. She will be able to shut down those guards and get steals and probably blocks which will be great development for her.
Don’t mistake my observations of Nika’s stats (points, assists, turnovers, minutes, FG%, eye test) as throwing in the towel. I believe with 4 years under her belt she has all the opportunity to become a great player. However she is not the 1st-5th best contributors of this team at this time and therefore should not be starting over people who contribute more. People solely cite her “energy.” Which energy is super subjective.
On offense. The stats speak for themselves. Mins played (EARNED), ppg, apg, steals, blocks, turnovers, FG%. I need not say more. She is not an offensive threat at this time. The more non-offensive threats on the floor, the more team defenses can hover paige and the paint. At least with Azzi teams have to deny her the ball from the get and can’t slack off too much. (Believe me I know neither is at their full potential right now, but one has more to offer offensively to distract the other teams defense).
The passing. Again if she can’t score she can’t pass the ball to paige cause defenses will be able to slack off of her. The paint will be packed. We need it spread out. She drives so much to the lane wildly then turns it over and doesn’t make shorts or assists.
I have confidence she will do very well against the bottom of the Big East guards. She will be able to shut down those guards and get steals and probably blocks which will be great development for her.
Don’t mistake my observations of Nika’s stats (points, assists, turnovers, minutes, FG%, eye test) as throwing in the towel. I believe with 4 years under her belt she has all the opportunity to become a great player. However she is not the 1st-5th best contributors of this team at this time and therefore should not be starting over people who contribute more. People solely cite her “energy.” Which energy is super subjective.
Welc
Welcome from a fellow newbie. We've just been released from wbb withdrawal so we've chomping at the bit (literally). It can get boisterous- have fun.
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Nika’s PT will not be determined in a vacuum. If Aubrey comes back healthy and Azzi & Caroline develop a consistent ability to contribute, Nika will face a difficult challenge finding more PT.
On the other hand, Geno loves Nika’s intensity and attitude. Right now you might argue that UConn could use a little more “attitude” on the court.
If other players don’t step up, I would absolutely expect Geno to find more minutes for Nika, including the possibility of returning to a 4 guard lineup, with Nika at pg and Paige playing off the ball. That lineup was very effective last season from the SC game up until Nika’s ankle injuries took her out of the lineup.
On the other hand, Geno loves Nika’s intensity and attitude. Right now you might argue that UConn could use a little more “attitude” on the court.
If other players don’t step up, I would absolutely expect Geno to find more minutes for Nika, including the possibility of returning to a 4 guard lineup, with Nika at pg and Paige playing off the ball. That lineup was very effective last season from the SC game up until Nika’s ankle injuries took her out of the lineup.
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I think Nika's minutes will largely be dependent on things somewhat beyond her control. What I mean by that, is among guards/wings, there are 6 main competitors, all of them except Nika top 5 recruits, and four of them in the top 2. Nika is a good player and easy to root for, but her ceiling may not be above the floor for any of those other players.
She started games last year mostly because Anna got injured, and under those circumstances she earned it. This year we bring in a player (Caroline) that will probably be better than Anna ever was, and the number 1 recruit who could be a threat to the playing time of any of those six not named Paige, including Christyn and Evina.
Nika is likely to get the most playing time in her junior and freshmen seasons. This year the competition is the most. Next year with Christyn and Evina gone, and no guard recruits it opens up again, but in her senior year another high point guard recruit comes in with Arnold. Maybe Nika keeps her on the bench as an experienced senior, but Arnold could take minutes away from her as well.
It is what it is, maybe one of those players won't live up to their high expectations, but if everyone plays up to their abilities, Nika's minutes could be limited. It is nice to know we have someone who could step up to a larger role if any of the other guard/wings get injured.
She started games last year mostly because Anna got injured, and under those circumstances she earned it. This year we bring in a player (Caroline) that will probably be better than Anna ever was, and the number 1 recruit who could be a threat to the playing time of any of those six not named Paige, including Christyn and Evina.
Nika is likely to get the most playing time in her junior and freshmen seasons. This year the competition is the most. Next year with Christyn and Evina gone, and no guard recruits it opens up again, but in her senior year another high point guard recruit comes in with Arnold. Maybe Nika keeps her on the bench as an experienced senior, but Arnold could take minutes away from her as well.
It is what it is, maybe one of those players won't live up to their high expectations, but if everyone plays up to their abilities, Nika's minutes could be limited. It is nice to know we have someone who could step up to a larger role if any of the other guard/wings get injured.
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Predict three factors that could leave Nika with even less playing time. 1.) Evina getting stronger and playing more minutes. She is a strong rebounder for her size, plays good defense, and can come in at guard or small forward. 2.) Geno implementing more zone defense. We don't appear to have the foot speed to keep up with the faster teams but have very smart players able to anticipate passes and fill lanes. The long arms of Caroline and Aubrey may have more value. 3.) Geno typically looks at the regular season as a dress rehearsal for the playoffs and while a 4 guard lineup may do well within the league schedule, very likley we will need two bigs at all times in the playoffs.
Bald Husky
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Look, before Nika started last year her appearances on the court were, lets say, not memorable. She is not a scorer, she is not going to take over a game with her offensive play, so coming in for 5 minutes at a time will not be impressive to anyone. What she showed us after she started to play meaningful minutes LY was a girl that played with intensity, showed good defense, and was a very good passer that was able to let Paige do her scoring thing. I don't believe she will ever have a great impact as long as she is used the way she has been. She needs to start to really show what she can do for us, but that is something that Geno has to figure out with the rest of the rotation. I love this girl, and Geno will give her a chance like last year if he does not see any improvement by the other players. Once we get into the BE schedule he will be able to experiment again to find out the best chemistry. Oh yeah, chemistry, a word I haven't used yet. Right now we do not have it, so Geno has a couple of months to get it right, and I don't doubt that he will.
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The old adage of "you have to slow down to go fast" is applicable to Nika. For whatever reason, every time she's been on the court she seems to be trying to go 110%. She'll get it figured out, but hope she does so before she's buried deep down the rotation.
CocoHusky
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As is this John Wooden Quote:
Don't mistake activity for achievement. To produce results, tasks must be well organized and properly executed; otherwise, it's no different from children running around the playground—everybody is doing something, but nothing is being done; lots of activity, no achievement.
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You kinda laid it out for Nika, this year. Nika is an experienced player, top competition type. She is the kid I want on all of Uconn teams. Tough as nails. She has no quit in her. Shell take on your biggest post and often, not always, win. She is not Paige or Azzi, she is NIKa to me she's worth as much as Azzi, Caroline and more just for the toughness she brings to this team. Never ever count her out.
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I agree, especially your second paragraph. Last season, a relatively healthier (not 100 percent), Nika got minutes for that ATTITUDE. no quit, Uconn needed it then and now. Nika can't give Geno, right now, that toughness, nor everything you mention but Geno is LOYAL. Personally, I like everything Nika but Geno MUST do what he has to do to win it all.