Of all the returning players, Olivia is the one I will be watching with most interest, and she is, in my opinion, the player upon whom this season’s relative success most depends. She has the skills and the physical advantages to be a true force, but we will have to see evidence that a combination of experience and good coaching is making her overall game evolve.
i respectfully disagree with those who minimize the importance of her offensive production so long as she’s playing good defense and contributes significantly as a shot blocker. She can be, and the team needs her to be, a low post consistent scorer. For that to happen, in a major departure from her Freshman level of play, she’s going to have to demonstrate that she’s learned to use her physical advantages effectively. Specifically, she must stop carrying the ball to the hoop, and shooting it, from chest level. Last year, she had more shots effectively contested, and even often blocked, than any other 6’4” female player in basketball. I hope she’s been successfully coached to employ her height to greater advantage, approaching the rim with the ball carried high, shooting from that level, and drawing more 3-point play opportunities.
We Husky fans have experience watching potentially great post players being transformed by great coaching from sweethearts into “beasts,“ Tina being the best example. ONO is a different kind of player than Tina, but I’m hoping for similar levels of improvement!
