Pheesa

[Geew1992]

The Iso: Napheesa Collier

Eventually it’s going to end, you just have to push through.

www.theplayerstribune.com

 

[Kaizen]

 

[Steelerone]

If Napheesa Collier had played on any other team her face would be on that school's Mt. Rushmore. At Uconn she is recognized as one of several outstanding players who have gone thru the program. That is one of the results of being a husky. You trade personal glory for National Championships. But if you are a true basketball fan you recognize the gold in the stream as both a player and a person. Give me five Naphessa Collier and I'll play any team in college or the WNBA.

 

[huskeynut]

Talented, intelligent and beautiful. Phee will be successful in whatever she does.

 

[hoopsfan22]

If Napheesa Collier had played on any other team her face would be on that school's Mt. Rushmore. At Uconn she is recognized as one of several outstanding players who have gone thru the program. That is one of the results of being a husky. You trade personal glory for National Championships. But if you are a true basketball fan you recognize the gold in the stream as both a player and a person. Give me five Naphessa Collier and I'll play any team in college or the WNBA.

If you have five Napheesas who plays point guard?

 

[TheFarmFan]

Everything is temporary. That’s the mantra I use to get myself through hard practices, and the same idea can help us get through this tough period. Eventually it’s going to end, you just have to push through. You really just have to take it a little bit at a time — if you look at the full picture, it can seem daunting. But if you just take it one day at a time and stick to your routine, it’s just way easier to handle everything.

Love this wisdom from Pheesa. Great essay, great player, great human being.

 

[j66kicker]

Wow I had never seen her “One of the 144“ article that shows up right underneath the new one. It’s even better!

One of the 144 | By Napheesa Collier

I’ve known I wanted to play professional basketball since I got my first scholarship offer in eighth grade. Being in the WNBA? On the Lynx?! I can’t imagine any

www.theplayerstribune.com

 

[Steelerone]

If you have five Napheesas who plays point guard?

You apparently never paid attention when Napheesa handled the ball. Point guards are no longer 4'10". Both college and pros have evolved.

 

[connie]

Favorite UConn player. Ever. Period.

Quiet. Dignified. Measured. Elegant. Efficient. Dedicated. Sporting. Diligent. Relentless. Intelligent.

She never stopped working. Always ran the floor. Never lost her composure. Impeccable footwork. Great inside game. Great rebounder. Great eyes. Great hands. Great length. Great shot blocker. Great passer. Great teammate. An absolute workhorse who not only never missed a single game, but never so much as took a wrong step. She even looked good when fouling.

And without question, the best fingertips of any player I’ve ever seen. Ever!

You can keep all the national championships, trophies, awards and records. Napheesa will always be #1 on my UConn Mount Rushmore.

 

[Mdoggie]

Favorite UConn player. Ever. Period.

Quiet. Dignified. Measured. Elegant. Efficient. Dedicated. Sporting. Diligent. Relentless. Intelligent.

She never stopped working. Always ran the floor. Never lost her composure. Impeccable footwork. Great inside game. Great rebounder. Great eyes. Great hands. Great length. Great shot blocker. Great passer. Great teammate. An absolute workhorse who not only never missed a single game, but never so much as took a wrong step. She even looked good when fouling.

And without question, the best fingertips of any player I’ve ever seen. Ever!

You can keep all the national championships, trophies, awards and records. Napheesa will always be #1 on my UConn Mount Rushmore.

Sounds like you’re describing Lobo.

 

[connie]

Sounds like you’re describing Lobo.

We can agree to allow that.

I might also have praised:

Napheesa’s developed and developing arsenal of shots: in-between jumper; that little 10’ set shot; her up and under (shades of Kevin McHale); her Euro step; use of the glass; that indefensible turn around, arching fade away; and eventually a shot beyond the arc (admittedly, never fully deployed during her college years);

and

Her movement without the ball, manifesting itself in many ways, and eliciting comments on her “nose for the ball”, uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time, facility for picking up easy put-backs, getting “garbage” buckets, her agility at deploying the famed Collier “cloaking device”. In a nutshell, it is a key source to what made her “the Silent Assassin” (a phrase I never particularly cared for).

Was there ever a UConn player who moved better—more effectively, efficiently and intelligently—without the ball?

 

[augustaTC]

And Phee really likes Queen!!!!! The total package.

 

[eebmg]

Nice comprehensive article on Naphessa by Chantel at the Athletic

Napheesa Collier and the Lynx make it clear: Don't push them around in the WNBA playoffs – The Athletic


The part I found interesting was how hard her freshman year was mentally and how much more impressive Paige being so on top of the mental side of the game was.



"As coach Geno Auriemma installed the offense, a physically and mentally exhausted Collier struggled to keep up.

“I would be overthinking things and then I couldn’t remember plays,” Collier says. “And I had never had problems remembering plays before. But I could not for the life of me remember plays for the first three months. And I couldn’t understand why. I was like, what is wrong with me?”

She earned a starting job and then lost it, all while dealing with a crisis of confidence as she struggled through practices in which she’d forget plays, miss layups and leave feeling lost"

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The Cheshire Cat Cheryl Reeve on her Rookie of the Year. A favorite coach talking about one of my favorite people:

 

[Oracle9]

Wow I had never seen her “One of the 144“ article that shows up right underneath the new one. It’s even better!

One of the 144 | By Napheesa Collier

I’ve known I wanted to play professional basketball since I got my first scholarship offer in eighth grade. Being in the WNBA? On the Lynx?! I can’t imagine any

www.theplayerstribune.com

Agreed. Did you see Her Through the Lens interview? That's great too.