Paige is a Young Lady on a Mission

[oldude]

Basketball has always come easy for Paige Bueckers. She is one of those gifted athletes that we all grew up with who are good at any sport they try. We first started hearing about her in 8th grade when people began to take notice of a skinny kid from Hopkins, MN who could really play ball. She and the various teams she played on won numerous State HS championships, AAU tournaments and FIBA World Championships.

In 2021, Paige arrived at UConn as one of the most heralded recruits in the history of the program. One of Geno’s first comments about his prized freshman was, “She’s better than I thought.” That first season in Storrs, Paige played with an almost effortless ability, displaying a joy and freedom in her game that made UConn fans fondly recall DT’s 4 years at UConn…..and her 3 national championships.

Paige won every NPOY in sight as a freshman, while leading the young Huskies to the final four. The level of expectation by UConn fans for the following season was off the charts. But fate intervened. Injuries to Paige and her teammates along with some tough losses to good teams derailed UConn’s efforts to secure a championship in the first 4 seasons that Paige was in Storrs,

Paige is back for one last attempt to add a national championship to her amazing resume. While she still displays an obvious joy on the court, frequently punctuated by primal yells in support of her teammates, there is an intense focus and seriousness of purpose in Paige’s demeanor that most of us have not observed in previous seasons.

You can see it in her face when she competes. You can see it in the way she runs team huddles or in the way she barks out instructions to her teammates at both ends of the court, directing their efforts and movement like a traffic cop at rush hour. You can even see Paige’s intensity and seriousness of purpose in her interviews with the press, as she provides thoughtful responses to questions about herself and her teammates. This is a young lady on a mission.

I observed Paige’s new, more intense disposition up close during the BE Tournament at the Mohegan Sun, after a feisty Villanova team took a surprising lead over UConn in the semifinal. At that point, Paige took over the game, scoring seemingly at will as the Huskies retook the lead, eventually pulling away from the Wildcats. It happened again in the 2nd round of the Big Dance when Paige once again took over the game against a tough SD St team, putting up 34 points. She followed that with a 40-point masterpiece to overcome a halftime deficit against a very good Oklahoma team in the Sweet 16, and yet again in a thrilling Elite 8 game vs USC, when she put up 31 points.

While basketball has always come easy to Paige, her goal of winning a national championship, or championships, at UConn has been anything but easy. I am reminded of the movie A League of their Own when Tom Hanks Character tells Geena Davis’s character, “It’s supposed to be hard. It’s the hard that makes it great.”

If Paige and her teammates finally win that elusive national championship this season, it will be a wonderful ending to a story of a remarkable young lady’s perseverance, her love of her teammates and her belief in herself.

 

[uh-no]

this may be true.....but unless she is suddenly gonna figure out how to guard a 6'7 monster, jana better be on a mission, too.

 

[oldude]

this may be true.....but unless she is suddenly gonna figure out how to guard a 6'7 monster, jana better be on a mission, too.

This thread is about Paige. But consider how a slow 6’7” player is going to guard Sarah out on the court if UConn goes with their small lineup.

 

[my2cents]

When Paige was a freshman, I posted on the BY, that Paige had an ability when her team needed her more, she would put it in another gear. I likened it to Popeye , pre-spinach or post-spinach.
No more gears, she is 100% post Spinach Popeye.

 

[hoopsfan22]

She's on a mission, but she cannot do it alone. She needs help, and lots of it going forward.

 

[ScottCT]

Why do people act like we are underdogs? I've watched this entire tournament and I think we've easily been the best team while the other teams left put up some stinkers.

 

[oldude]

Why do people act like we are underdogs? I've watched this entire tournament and I think we've easily been the best team while the other teams left put up some stinkers.

Correct. The people who make a living as oddsmakers have the Huskies as an 8.5 point favorite over UCLA as well as the overall favorite to win the tournament, laying odds of -180 for UConn ahead of SC at +230. Perhaps they understand that “Paige is a young lady on a mission!”

 

[Huskee11]

Paige scored at will against Oklahoma from the foul line area, helped to a great extent by Beers playing what Rebecca referred to as "drop coverage". Drop coverage is essentially no coverage. How will UCLA handle this when Betts is involved in the high pick?

More broadly, what will Close do to try and slow Paige down and how does Geno respond? Is there anything that would work against Paige at this point, given that she is "on a mission"?

Similarly, what does Geno give up on the defensive end to limit Betts?

This may end up being a coaching chess match with various supporting players being called upon to hit open shots.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Paige scored at will against Oklahoma from the foul line area, helped to a great extent by Beers playing what Rebecca referred to as "drop coverage". Drop coverage is essentially no coverage. How will UCLA handle this when Betts is involved in the high pick?

More broadly, what will Close do to try and slow Paige down and how does Geno respond? Is there anything that would work against Paige at this point, given that she is "on a mission"?

Similarly, what does Geno give up on the defensive end to limit Betts?

This may end up being a coaching chess match with various supporting players being called upon to hit open shots.

I think you let Betts get hers when she has it, but you play lock down defense on their guards and deny the entry pass to Betts as much as possible. Basically the same game plan Geno used against South Carolina when they had Wilson/Boston.

 

[jabstep]

When I first saw UCLA play this year, I thought they were the best in the Country because Betts was able to get herself shielded to receive passes well, and the entry passes were high where she could catch them. No bounce passes. She would just turn and score with the ball never letting it come down where a double-down player could steal it or distract her. If she did get double or triple teamed she was very good at recognizing the situation and she passed it back out to a good group of 3 point shooters. We will see if Jana or Ice can slow her down if not we will have to collapse on her and hope for some steals or the shooter she passes out to has an off night. Pressure the guards to make it difficult for entry passes. KK will be on a mission!!!

I think they will have Rice guard Paige because of her size and athletic ability similar to Citron. We might need for Azzi and Sarah to hit some three's and use the closing door screens for Paige. It should be a good one and whoever shoots well will win or Maybe Geno has some Magic up his sleeve. Houdini where are you?

 

[oldude]

Consider that Geno devised successive game plans that took away Beers and then Iriafen, two AA’s. I get that Betts is really big, but her skill set is limited. She gets most of her points within 2 feet of the basket or the foul line. She needs to bury her defender under the basket and then receive a really good entry pass.

Push her out a little, make it difficult for her to receive an entry pass or swarm her with an offside guard once she does get the ball and her effectiveness goes down considerably.

 

[HuskieDawg]

What I marvel at right now with Paige is her hoops IQ. She is just cooking with how she is managing the game, her game, her teammates games and so on. You see players ascending and peaking at the right moment and that is where Paige is right now.

 

[oldude]

What I marvel at right now with Paige is her hoops IQ. She is just cooking with how she is managing the game, her game, her teammates games and so on. You see players ascending and peaking at the right moment and that is where Paige is right now.

Paige uses the expression, “reading the game,” which she does better than any player in WBB, providing her team with exactly what they need, exactly when they need it.

 

[Zinethar]

Paige has gotten extremely good at reading the game which is why sometimes she will get 11 points and others 30+ and neither looks wrong or different. Size isn't everything but jumping ability sure comes into play. A 6'7" center who can't jump (they often don't learn how to do that cause they didn't need to early). Remember Gabby, Sarah, and even Paige jumping center against people inches taller and winning the tap.

 

[BBallF]

Basketball has always come easy for Paige Bueckers. She is one of those gifted athletes that we all grew up with who are good at any sport they try. We first started hearing about her in 8th grade when people began to take notice of a skinny kid from Hopkins, MN who could really play ball. She and the various teams she played on won numerous State HS championships, AAU tournaments and FIBA World Championships.

In 2021, Paige arrived at UConn as one of the most heralded recruits in the history of the program. One of Geno’s first comments about his prized freshman was, “She’s better than I thought.” That first season in Storrs, Paige played with an almost effortless ability, displaying a joy and freedom in her game that made UConn fans fondly recall DT’s 4 years at UConn…..and her 3 national championships.

Paige won every NPOY in sight as a freshman, while leading the young Huskies to the final four. The level of expectation by UConn fans for the following season was off the charts. But fate intervened. Injuries to Paige and her teammates along with some tough losses to good teams derailed UConn’s efforts to secure a championship in the first 4 seasons that Paige was in Storrs,

Paige is back for one last attempt to add a national championship to her amazing resume. While she still displays an obvious joy on the court, frequently punctuated by primal yells in support of her teammates, there is an intense focus and seriousness of purpose in Paige’s demeanor that most of us have not observed in previous seasons.

You can see it in her face when she competes. You can see it in the way she runs team huddles or in the way she barks out instructions to her teammates at both ends of the court, directing their efforts and movement like a traffic cop at rush hour. You can even see Paige’s intensity and seriousness of purpose in her interviews with the press, as she provides thoughtful responses to questions about herself and her teammates. This is a young lady on a mission.

I observed Paige’s new, more intense disposition up close during the BE Tournament at the Mohegan Sun, after a feisty Villanova team took a surprising lead over UConn in the semifinal. At that point, Paige took over the game, scoring seemingly at will as the Huskies retook the lead, eventually pulling away from the Wildcats. It happened again in the 2nd round of the Big Dance when Paige once again took over the game against a tough SD St team, putting up 34 points. She followed that with a 40-point masterpiece to overcome a halftime deficit against a very good Oklahoma team in the Sweet 16, and yet again in a thrilling Elite 8 game vs USC, when she put up 31 points.

While basketball has always come easy to Paige, her goal of winning a national championship, or championships, at UConn has been anything but easy. I am reminded of the movie A League of their Own when Tom Hanks Character tells Geena Davis’s character, “It’s supposed to be hard. It’s the hard that makes it great.”

If Paige and her teammates finally win that elusive national championship this season, it will be a wonderful ending to a story of a remarkable young lady’s perseverance, her love of her teammates and her belief in herself.

Very true. It's been such a difficult journey for her and the injuries to her teammates like Azzi and Dorka for example only made it more difficult. She's an extraordinary young woman off the court as well. For me, watching her stick around at Walsh after the Hall game making sure she signed every autograph, took every picture, talked to every kid, was all it took.

No doubt it's a different Paige out there now. I will always remember that Elite 8 NC State game in Bridgeport. Just an incredible performance. That is what we are seeing now every game. She had 31 the other night like it was a usual event. The crazy thing is, for this new Paige, or maybe more focused Paige, this is the usual the Paige new normal.

 

[uconnever]

When I first saw UCLA play this year, I thought they were the best in the Country because Betts was able to get herself shielded to receive passes well, and the entry passes were high where she could catch them. No bounce passes. She would just turn and score with the ball never letting it come down where a double-down player could steal it or distract her. If she did get double or triple teamed she was very good at recognizing the situation and she passed it back out to a good group of 3 point shooters. We will see if Jana or Ice can slow her down if not we will have to collapse on her and hope for some steals or the shooter she passes out to has an off night. Pressure the guards to make it difficult for entry passes. KK will be on a mission!!!

I think they will have Rice guard Paige because of her size and athletic ability similar to Citron. We might need for Azzi and Sarah to hit some three's and use the closing door screens for Paige. It should be a good one and whoever shoots well will win or Maybe Geno has some Magic up his sleeve. Houdini where are you?

Agree totally, that whatever role players hit their shots, will probably win. This will be a really tough game for both teams. The one thing that can kill us is foul trouble because it’s already a tall task.

 

[Bone Dog]

The people who make a living as oddsmakers have the Huskies as an 8.5 point favorite over UCLA as well as the overall favorite to win the tournament,

I'm not sure this is accurate. Aren't those point spreads just a reflection of where the most bets are? It's not the bookies who think UConn is a favorite. It's the bettors, many of whom probably don't know much more than the team names.

I think you let Betts get hers when she has it, but you play lock down defense on their guards and deny the entry pass to Betts as much as possible. Basically the same game plan Geno used against South Carolina when they had Wilson/Boston.

I agree. Don't make neutralizing Betts the game plan. Instead, play small ball, hit open perimeter shots, and try as much as possible to turn the game into a track meet. Bigs aren't nearly as effective if they have to run a lot. This may be why Geno has always preferred bigs who can run the court.

 

[oldude]

I'm not sure this is accurate. Aren't those point spreads just a reflection of where the most bets are? It's not the bookies who think UConn is a favorite. It's the bettors, many of whom probably don't know much more than the team names.


I agree. Don't make neutralizing Betts the game plan. Instead, play small ball, hit open perimeter shots, and try as much as possible to turn the game into a track meet. Bigs aren't nearly as effective if they have to run a lot. This may be why Geno has always preferred bigs who can run the court.

Yes. I pulled the point spread and odds from ESPN Bet which used to be Barstool Sports. As info, the spread has dropped from 8.5 to 7.5…

 

[PacoSwede]

I'm not sure this is accurate. Aren't those point spreads just a reflection of where the most bets are? It's not the bookies who think UConn is a favorite. It's the bettors, many of whom probably don't know much more than the team names.


I agree. Don't make neutralizing Betts the game plan. Instead, play small ball, hit open perimeter shots, and try as much as possible to turn the game into a track meet. Bigs aren't nearly as effective if they have to run a lot. This may be why Geno has always preferred bigs who can run the court.

missing open shots is the only flaw that could sink them. they beat anyone if they're falling and will struggle if they aren't (uconn win possible even then because of d and experiene and expectations of both teams).

 

[packwrap]

Paige scored at will against Oklahoma from the foul line area, helped to a great extent by Beers playing what Rebecca referred to as "drop coverage". Drop coverage is essentially no coverage. How will UCLA handle this when Betts is involved in the high pick?

This is precisely the chess match we will see in this game.

Paige in small ball will even be involved at the 4 defending Betts, Dugalic and Barker. Her contribution on D is just as important as 25 points!

When a team uses a big as a 'rim protector', they essentially leave one of the frontcourt opponents unguarded to keep their big always in the 3 second area.

If the unguarded player is a minimal scorer, you can get away with this. If the unguarded player is Bueckers, or Strong, on the other hand, it poses a problem.

At the other end of the court, Betts, Dugalic, and Barker may be able to dominate Strong and Bueckers (Griffin) in the paint....but then maybe not, if the smaller Huskies deny the entry pass, move their feet on D, and box out.

Paige's effort on D in the small line up is overlooked, and a very important part of the UCLA/Betts matchup.

 

[DemonDeac22]

Consider that Geno devised successive game plans that took away Beers and then Iriafen, two AA’s. I get that Betts is really big, but her skill set is limited. She gets most of her points within 2 feet of the basket or the foul line. She needs to bury her defender under the basket and then receive a really good entry pass.

Push her out a little, make it difficult for her to receive an entry pass or swarm her with an offside guard once she does get the ball and her effectiveness goes down considerably.

Betts is really good at getting position down low and we don’t have the size to push her out very far. I think they need to focus on guarding the perimeter players intensely, not letting them get open looks from the 3 point line AND they need to make entry passing extremely difficult. Then they should have whoever is guarding Betts mix up their coverage from fronting her to playing behind her, which will make entry passes even harder. Play a mixture of Jana, Ice and Aubrey to keep it less predictable and you have 15 fouls to give between them.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Basketball has always come easy for Paige Bueckers. She is one of those gifted athletes that we all grew up with who are good at any sport they try. We first started hearing about her in 8th grade when people began to take notice of a skinny kid from Hopkins, MN who could really play ball. She and the various teams she played on won numerous State HS championships, AAU tournaments and FIBA World Championships.

In 2021, Paige arrived at UConn as one of the most heralded recruits in the history of the program. One of Geno’s first comments about his prized freshman was, “She’s better than I thought.” That first season in Storrs, Paige played with an almost effortless ability, displaying a joy and freedom in her game that made UConn fans fondly recall DT’s 4 years at UConn…..and her 3 national championships.

Paige won every NPOY in sight as a freshman, while leading the young Huskies to the final four. The level of expectation by UConn fans for the following season was off the charts. But fate intervened. Injuries to Paige and her teammates along with some tough losses to good teams derailed UConn’s efforts to secure a championship in the first 4 seasons that Paige was in Storrs,

Paige is back for one last attempt to add a national championship to her amazing resume. While she still displays an obvious joy on the court, frequently punctuated by primal yells in support of her teammates, there is an intense focus and seriousness of purpose in Paige’s demeanor that most of us have not observed in previous seasons.

You can see it in her face when she competes. You can see it in the way she runs team huddles or in the way she barks out instructions to her teammates at both ends of the court, directing their efforts and movement like a traffic cop at rush hour. You can even see Paige’s intensity and seriousness of purpose in her interviews with the press, as she provides thoughtful responses to questions about herself and her teammates. This is a young lady on a mission.

I observed Paige’s new, more intense disposition up close during the BE Tournament at the Mohegan Sun, after a feisty Villanova team took a surprising lead over UConn in the semifinal. At that point, Paige took over the game, scoring seemingly at will as the Huskies retook the lead, eventually pulling away from the Wildcats. It happened again in the 2nd round of the Big Dance when Paige once again took over the game against a tough SD St team, putting up 34 points. She followed that with a 40-point masterpiece to overcome a halftime deficit against a very good Oklahoma team in the Sweet 16, and yet again in a thrilling Elite 8 game vs USC, when she put up 31 points.

While basketball has always come easy to Paige, her goal of winning a national championship, or championships, at UConn has been anything but easy. I am reminded of the movie A League of their Own when Tom Hanks Character tells Geena Davis’s character, “It’s supposed to be hard. It’s the hard that makes it great.”

If Paige and her teammates finally win that elusive national championship this season, it will be a wonderful ending to a story of a remarkable young lady’s perseverance, her love of her teammates and her belief in herself.

When I was young there was this TV program called This Is Your Life. This was like I was reading a script.