Paige for NPOY

[ABCDFE]

Can anyone explain to me why Paige should not be the NPOY? I mean, she just carried her team to the Final Four. And she plays an exemplary brand of basketball. And there's stats, which I think are unparalleled.

19.8 pts
4.7 assists and 1.3 TOs
2.1 steals
4.4 rebounds
11.4 WS
FG% .534
eFG% .602
PER 41.3
+/- 23.4

because she's not flashy like CC or JuJu and she doesn't get the media attention as much from personalities like Stephen A Smith. For whatever the reasons are, media pushes the narrative for JuJu (and probably rightfully so), but I don't think the non-Uconn fans know just how good Paige is and how historic her numbers are both in efficiency and pure stats.

You see this in the NBA. Shai G. A will win the MVP. Jokic will not. But if anyone who knows a damn thing about basketball will see that when Jokic is not in the lineup and when SGA is not in the lineup you can see the true value of the player. I'm not saying SGA is not playing like an MVP. I just think people like to see flashy scoring above all else

 

[Plebe]

I’m sure Paige and I are on the same page where all that matters right now is the team trophy. All this other stuff is noise. She doesn’t need an individual trophy to prove her worth.

 

[Bone Dog]

I’m sure Paige and I are on the same page where all that matters right now is the team trophy. All this other stuff is noise. She doesn’t need an individual trophy to prove her worth.

Of course Paige doesn't care. That's not news. But Geno might think that sort of recognition could help recruitment efforts.

 

[Zarathustra]

Well before we get to riled up, why don't we wait and see if she does or doesn't win any of the 5 NPOY awards. Naismith, Wade, Wooden, AP and USBWA.

Personally, I think they'll be split.

I agree with meyer7 about a "split' vote. I just came back from
researching the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association's (WBCA)
web page. Their AA team is 10 players. The WADE TROPHY is
from the WBCA and the winner is chosen from the 10 players
who are voted onto the AA team. The Wade Trophy recipient
must (among other things) " be a positive role model on and
off the court". I also noted that for the WBCA awards in order
to be the FRESHMAN of the YEAR or the DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF
THE YEAR, those candidates had to be the FRESHMAN/DEFENSIVE
player of the year IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CONFERENCE. If I read
this correctly, then the number of "true" candidates for these Awards is
rather limited... I.E. to those who have already won the designation
in the BIG 10, BIG EAST, ACC, BIG 12, SEC. (In theory any conference
FPOY could win, but it stands to reason that it will be from one
of the BIG CONFERENCES. I did not check on WHO had already
won those respective Conference accolades. Anyway, we will know soon.

 

[Vowelguy]

With many thinking Juju or Hannah should win simply because they average more ppg

In the 2 games Hidalgo has played against UConn she has outplayed Paige. That's why for most of the season I didn't have Paige as a top-3 contender for POY.
Her performance in recent weeks has complicated the picture.

And Juju led her team to a win over the #1 team (UCLA) and then again a few weeks later.

 

[EricLA]

I have no problem with Juju or Hannah or Lauren as NPOY. As I posted in another thread, Paige has foregone a lot of shots she could have made to get her teammates involved. What this has done is given Sarah, Azzi, Cait, Ash, and even KK more confidence to take their own shots. It's made UConn a much better team IMHO.

If the Paige we are seeing in the NCAA's was that same Paige during the regular season, she'd sweep every award out there by a country mile. And the only award she cares about is the National Championship Trophy...

I DO believe Paige is the best player in the country. She's pretty much showing that in the tournament. But that doesn't always translate to NPOY...

 

[Plebe]

Of course Paige doesn't care. That's not news. But Geno might think that sort of recognition could help recruitment efforts.

Not even .01% as much as it would help to win the national title again.

In any event I agree with others who have said a split is likely and could go to 3 or 4 different players (how many of these NPOY awards are there, anyway?). Paige likely won't win the ones voted on before the tournament. For the one voted on after regionals, then she's a strong contender, which I like

 

[Kaizen]

If UConn wins the NC, which I and ESPN all think so, Paige is the NPOY.

 

[meyers7]

Not even .01% as much as it would help to win the national title again.

In any event I agree with others who have said a split is likely and could go to 3 or 4 different players (how many of these NPOY awards are there, anyway?). Paige likely won't win the ones voted on before the tournament. For the one voted on after regionals, then she's a strong contender, which I like

Well the UCONN Media Guide tracks 5. Wooden, Naismith, Wade, AP and USBWA.