Nurse leads Canada to win over Poland

[UConnCat]

Canada wins 73-68. Kia was the leading scorer with 14 pts and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Next up for Canada is Italy tomorrow.

http://basketball.ca/en/news-article/womens-national-team-earns-another-win-beating-poland-73-68

Article says Kia scored 15 pts but box score shows 14.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

This kind of experience is huge and will reap big dividends for Kia and UConn.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The box shows that she came off the bench, but played 24:31.

One stat that I love--she was 4-4 on FTs. After early season struggles at UConn, I think she shot over 80% the rest of the way.

I think she's playing at UConn to help her for the Canadian national team, rather than the reverse, but both teams benefit.

 

[CocoHusky]

In trolling around the internet about this game I happen to have stumbbled on to this link.
http://basketball.ca/en/team_programs/womens-team
Shay Colley headed to South Carolina to play for Dawn has been moved up to the Canadia national team.
She is the same age as Nurse. Please don't tell our South Carolina visitors because I'll deny it but could Dawn be getting a better player that I/most thought?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The box shows that she came off the bench, but played 24:31.

One stat that I love--she was 4-4 on FTs. After early season struggles at UConn, I think she shot over 80% the rest of the way.

I think she's playing at UConn to help her for the Canadian national team, rather than the reverse, but both teams benefit.

That is a fair interpretation of some of her early on comments. But this is a young woman who came to UConn having been largely untested against premium talent and hoping to be a role player at the holiest of holies and discovered herself at starter! She was always clear that she came to UConn to be as big as she could be in WBB and her ambitions now must go far beyond Team Canada.

 

[jsloanjr]

Go KIA..........Best wishes........

 

[Huskies Rule]

I think she's (Kia) playing at UConn to help her for the Canadian national team, rather than the reverse, but both teams benefit.

NAAAHHH. Kia began playing with Team Canada long before she ever thought of becoming a Husky. Representing her native Canada was a childhood dream. So Team Canada was in her thoughts when she couldn't even locate Connecticut on the map. And while both teams certainly do mutually benefit from her play, I don't think that benefit is nearly the same for both teams. In 4 years, Kia has played 55 games for Team Canada under coach Lisa Thomaidis. In her first year at UConn, Kia played 39 games under the tutelage of the greatest women's basketball coach in the world. That's priceless. And while the competition is definitely tougher at the international level, the coaching and teaching cannot compare to what Kia gets at UConn. Imagine how much she will learn and improve by the time she has practiced and played almost 160 games at UConn.

When Kia first came to UConn, she was one helluva tough, determined, fearless kid on the court, but she made tons of mistakes. She had (and still has) lots to learn in order to become a top player. I doubt her National team, composed of mostly older, experienced athletes, spends very much time on the fundamentals. Kia's so young- she's shown that she needs that. So it would seem that practicing, learning and playing at UConn for 6 months straight is far more beneficial than playing (on average) 10 games a year with Team Canada, regardless of how elite that competition is.

Judging by the incredible passion and effort with which Kia played every minute of every game this past season, I cannot possibly imagine her time at UConn to be just one step in a well thought-out process to make herself a better player for Team Canada. NO! She is through and through a Husky who also just happens to play for Team Canada.

 

[UConnCat]

Canada beat Italy today 67-62. From Jim Fuller's blog:

UConn rising sophomore Kia Nurse had nine points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal while playing a team-high 29 minutes as Canada defeated Italy 67-62 to improve to 4-1 in its European tour.

Kia didn't shoot particularly (2/8) but made 4-4 of her FTs.

 

[meyers7]

Canada beat Italy today 67-62. From Jim Fuller's blog:

UConn rising sophomore Kia Nurse had nine points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal while playing a team-high 29 minutes as Canada defeated Italy 67-62 to improve to 4-1 in its European tour.

Not you too Jim.