Paige’s productivity

[Bone Dog]

I suspect once the rest of the team starts picking up the slack she won’t need such extravagant acrobatics. Those are what you do when the opposing team is focused entirely on you.

 

[Majic Hands]

Don't know.
It just looks to me that Paige is starting to find her grove, within the team.

I think coach keeping her minutes down has/is slowing the progress to Paige's and the teams benefit.

Holly Cow! I don't care how amazing a player is, returning to the floor after an extended injury recovery can't be like flipping a switch. There is timing of not just ones physical movement but one's physical movement through a field of other bodies.

Perhaps it's just my hope an desire but it looked to me as if Paige is approaching her return to game shape in a way that is preventing her 4 teammates standing around watching.

If by tournament time UConn has 5 aggressive players on the floor for 40+ minutes that includes Paige . . . Oh Boy!! They should be competitive with any top 5 team come tournament time.

 

[Bone Dog]

In the 4th quarter, she effectively stopped scoring, and just kept giving the ball to teammates. That one play where it got passed entirely around the perimeter until Nika shot the 3 was a classic example.

 

[RoadMaster]

 

[Woof 101]

I'd rather have Paige fall on the floor than try to land awkwardly on her feet (and knees). Reminds me of Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid where they had to learn how to fall properly instead of trying to land awkwardly and tweak their fragile knees.

Agree and that rhymes with knees and that goes along with when Paige hits the floor she is finishing a shot amongst the trees.
Her game is from the neck up rather than pure physicality, ball anticipation on blocks and rebounds along with the trajectory of a opponents shot on where to go on the floor.

With knee pads and elbow protection she often looks no more in danger than a baseball or softball player sliding into home. She does not have the body to bang with the bigs and knows how to avoid it. I too enjoy seeing her sliding on the floor after getting fouled on a drive and realize it is simply her style of play as it was for one I know from younger days.

 

[Bone Dog]

I loved all the blocked shots. Paige was a terror on defense. Or better, she was running a clinic for her teammates. Can you picture this Paige playing next to Jana el Alfy? I bet even Qadence would get into the shot blocking. And Allie and Morgan. With Coach P showing them how it’s done, they could all be fierce.

 

[Alydar]

Paige is playing well but she’s “fallen” into the habit of falling to the floor every time she attacks the basket. She needs to play through the contact - which is something CC has greatly improved upon.

Players who don't shoot as well try to get to the line though contact. She doesn't miss many of those shots.

 

[Rb335]

Her numbers are eerily similar to her NPOY numbers, except for her assists. I suspect that’s a combination of her playing more off the ball, and her teammates struggling a bit to get open and hit shots. That should come with more team chemistry.

Only area I’d like to see Paige really improve is finding ways to get open from 3. Some of that is on her, some on her teammates to screen for her and find her. But she’s one of the deadliest 3 point shooters in the country who barely takes any attempts.

Despite that, she’s far exceeded my expectations for a player coming back from essentially two major knee injuries. Her talent is immense, and it’s such a joy to watch.