Poll: Player of game - UCONN vs. USF

[EricLA]

I get it was senior night. Kia and Gabby are deserving of every accolade we can think of, but the purpose of the POG is not to award it based on how much we love a player(s) or will miss her/them, but rather who was the best, most impactful player on the floor this game.

Gabby - almost a double double - 18 points, 9 assists, 4 boards, 3 steals, 1 block
Azura - 21 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 3 blocks
Kia - 10 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, harassed Laska into a 5-19 shooting night

Gabby was everywhere as always, and put up great numbers including mind boggling assists, but Z changed the complexion of the game when she got in, usually instantly scoring, and building the lead again. Then there was Kia harassing Laska at every turn forcing her to shoot 5-19 for the game... What say you?

 

[eebmg]

Gabby set the tone early and often. Z is a close second and is looking as good as at any time this season

 

[Mdoggie]

General Dangerfield.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Stevens put up 21 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in just 18 minutes.

You can do the math on what that comes to over, say, 36 minutes.

Hopefully, she gets unleashed in the tourney.

 

[wire chief]

Gabby! The Lawrence Taylor of women's bball.

 

[Kaizen]

Gabby 18 pts 9 asts 3 stls ...

 

[Jaybird65]

Always good to have the problem of selecting the POG...sort of like that ole multiple choice test..... On another note, it was also good to see Megan Walker be pretty solid again tonight....always good to have that 7th player in a rotation....

 

[f1f1ferrari]

Gabby was everywhere tonight. From the 3:30 mark to the 2:55 mark in the 2nd, she had a steal, a layup, a rebound and an assist. And that was just one small stretch out of her total output. Z was great, but I voted Gabby.

 

[msf22b]

For the 2nd game in a row;
Z comes in and the tenor of the game changes.
Really getting it.
Have to give it to her.

 

[JordyG]

For me Gabby was the POG, but Z's attitude has undergone a sea change on offense. No longer content to just move into the paint and hope she's seen. She's demanding the ball in a position she can score from. This is what good bigs do, demand the ball. Work from the inside out. Be physical. She still runs the floor and finishes in transition as well as any big I've ever seen. On defense she's getting the idea that contesting a shot doesn't mean fouling, but staying your position, moving your feet, using your body and making your mark shoot over you. If her defensive progress continues she will be a major X factor when the Music starts.

 

[Shorty Dee]

My vote for player of the game is Gabby.

 

[HoopsFan21]

This is UConn's 10th undefeated regular season.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

This is the 2nd consecutive game where Azura has came off the bench and changed the game. Lots of positives with her heading into the post season. And she hit a 3
If she can sure up her defense I think her offense will be where she is utilized against Brown and McGowan should they meet in FF or NC.
Azura can pull those bigs out of the lane defensively and it will open up driving lanes. I honestly think that’s why she is still shooting 3s. I would love for her to hit a streak in the tourney where she has to be guarded out there. Turn out the lights if it comes to fruition!!!

 

[Sluconn Husky]

This is the 2nd consecutive game where Azura has came off the bench and changed the game.

Her last two games:

35 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks in 38 minutes

 

[Boreifs]

I get it was senior night. Kia and Gabby are deserving of every accolade we can think of, but the purpose of the POG is not to award it based on how much we love a player(s) or will miss her/them, but rather who was the best, most impactful player on the floor this game.

Gabby - almost a double double - 18 points, 9 assists, 4 boards, 3 steals, 1 block
Azura - 21 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 3 blocks
Kia - 10 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, harassed Laska into a 5-19 shooting night

Gabby was everywhere as always, and put up great numbers including mind boggling assists, but Z changed the complexion of the game when she got in, usually instantly scoring, and building the lead again. Then there was Kia harassing Laska at every turn forcing her to shoot 5-19 for the game... What say you?

It might not have come across on the TV screen, but the team was switching on Laska "off the ball" on almost every screen, so virtually every UConn player had a hand in holding her in check. Yes, Kia had the primary responsibility and indeed started on her consistently, but their approach was much different than at the game in Florida. Don't get me wrong; Kia did a fantastic job on her, but so did everybody else. It was a sign of just how far the team defense on this squad has come since the beginning of the year.

 

[Charliebball]

Stevens put up 21 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in just 18 minutes.

You can do the math on what that comes to over, say, 36 minutes.

Hopefully, she gets unleashed in the tourney.

she played great again against a team without a serious low post presence...........I'm hoping she can consistently produce those numbers against real competition in the big tournament

 

[chrissaran]

Gabby and Kia deserve it for the four years they spent at UConn. Two harder workers or better teammates you won't find anywhere. Thank you for all the memories, Gabby and Kia.

 

[Lynx23]

It might not have come across on the TV screen, but the team was switching on Laska "off the ball" on almost every screen, so virtually every UConn player had a hand in holding her in check. Yes, Kia had the primary responsibility and indeed started on her consistently, but their approach was much different than at the game in Florida. Don't get me wrong; Kia did a fantastic job on her, but so did everybody else. It was a sign of just how far the team defense on this squad has come since the beginning of the year.

I was at the game and you're 100% correct that the players switched off on defense a lot and all contributed to a fine defensive effort. Something else I found interesting, though. Laska spent a lot of the game guarding Kia. Now Kia didn't take a lot of shots and nor does she have to since UCONN has lots of shooters. It's different for Laska who must shoot a lot to help keep her team in the game. With Laska shadowing her, Kia would often move to her spot on the floor and stand there for a seconds before taking off and sprinting towards the basket with Laska in hot pursuit, usually through the middle of the action, seemingly in an effort to free herself for an open shot. Kia is the Energizer bunny; if she gets tired she rarely shows it. But I kept wondering if this was not a strategy to wear Laska out physically? If so, it seemed to have worked and may have been a contributing factor to Laska's poor shooting effort. A "game within a game", maybe.

 

[chrissaran]

Laksa can shoot when she's set. Any type of pressure and she just chucks the ball in the air.

 

[paisan]

Laksa is an excellent shooter ...Kia just ran her right into the ground..no legs no shot