JoePgh
Cranky pants and wise acre
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2011
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Early this evening, I watched the replay of the Notre Dame postgame press conference, and I wondered why Kayla McBride was even there, given that she was obviously too upset to say a word. I thought that it might have been better for Natalie Achonwa, who generally seems like a poised and well-spoken person, to have made the appearance.
Then I watched the replay of the game, and started to understand (perhaps) the reason for that. After UConn got a significant lead, Achonwa's facial expressions and body language were shouting, "Oh, what's the use?" This was extremely noticeable on Stewart's 3-pointer from the top of the key to take the first 13-point lead. When Stewart took the shot, her face said, "How are we supposed to win this game if she is going to get wide open like that?" But then, when the shot was in the air, she simply turned toward the basket and did not take a step or get ready to jump, while Stef (next to her on two gimpy feet) boxed her out and would have probably gotten the rebound if the shot had been off-target. When it went in, Natalie shrugged her shoulders and looked to the bench for a timeout (which was called). At that point, I thought her expression said, "Get me outta here."
Well before that point in the game, I thought she was physically sucking wind, coping far less well than Stef or Stewie with the pace of the game. (Stewart scored 8 of her 29 points and got several rebounds after her shoulder injury.) It is true that Achonwa had to play more minutes, and more difficult minutes, coping with both Stef and Stewie while Ariel Braker was sitting with foul trouble.
Nonetheless, I think she has a ways to go (physically and emotionally) before she is an adequate solution at the center position for an NC contender next year. Taya Reimer will have to be really good if ND is going to get back to the Final Four, I think.
Then I watched the replay of the game, and started to understand (perhaps) the reason for that. After UConn got a significant lead, Achonwa's facial expressions and body language were shouting, "Oh, what's the use?" This was extremely noticeable on Stewart's 3-pointer from the top of the key to take the first 13-point lead. When Stewart took the shot, her face said, "How are we supposed to win this game if she is going to get wide open like that?" But then, when the shot was in the air, she simply turned toward the basket and did not take a step or get ready to jump, while Stef (next to her on two gimpy feet) boxed her out and would have probably gotten the rebound if the shot had been off-target. When it went in, Natalie shrugged her shoulders and looked to the bench for a timeout (which was called). At that point, I thought her expression said, "Get me outta here."
Well before that point in the game, I thought she was physically sucking wind, coping far less well than Stef or Stewie with the pace of the game. (Stewart scored 8 of her 29 points and got several rebounds after her shoulder injury.) It is true that Achonwa had to play more minutes, and more difficult minutes, coping with both Stef and Stewie while Ariel Braker was sitting with foul trouble.
Nonetheless, I think she has a ways to go (physically and emotionally) before she is an adequate solution at the center position for an NC contender next year. Taya Reimer will have to be really good if ND is going to get back to the Final Four, I think.
