Paige.. AP All American First Team

[UcMiami]

Statistically, or in our “Walter Mitty” minds? It seems to me that if a player is statistically better then you can definitively argue that someone else is better. I’m not picking up what you’re laying down. How do you assess the relative quality of two players? I do it primarily with statistics.

I love stats, but I have a problem with how to weight blocks vs. rebounds vs. steals vs. points vs. shooting percentages, etc. And then add in wins and losses and competition faced and teammates and system ... And then all the stuff that doesn't actually show in stats but is important.

Simple example - Diana never was anywhere near the NCAA leaders in scoring, assists, steals, shooting percentages, rebounds, blocks, and they didn't really track it then but I doubt she was at the top of A/TO. So ... she obviously couldn't be in the conversation for college GOAT. But she is. Because she won, and she did everything she needed to do to win, and to make her teammates the best players they were capable of being.

People have always pointed to stats like those I listed when comparing other players to Uconn players. Uconn seldom places anyone on NCAA leader boards for single seasons or careers, because they play as a team, with everyone initiating offense and sharing the load You don't need someone scoring 30 points every night, when you have 3 people capable of doing it and another three who are capable of going off for twenty, and a few more easily able to chip in ten or 15 on a given night. And you don't need a 300 assist/season PG if you have willing passers at every position on the court for 40 minutes a game.

Lieberman awards won by Uconn players: 8 of 21 awards presented - number of Uconn PGs to lead or even be in the neighborhood nationally in assists in any year - zero. (Paige is actually on a per game basis going to set the Uconn record this year.)

I have not watch enough WCBB outside of Uconn games this year to make any meaningful ranking of centers, nor really any other position players. Have seen almost nothing of the PAC, and little of the other conferences except the conference tournaments. I'll defer to others on everyone but Paige.