Question: Who Is Our SECOND Best Player?

[CTtoSanDiego]

I’m having a hard time with this one, which could be a problem come tournament time. (It wouldn’t be a problem if the question was hard because there were SO MANY good choices.)

CW should be the obvious choice, but her lack of consistency and confidence have been well chronicled here on the BY.

Evina might have been my choice 4 or 5 games ago, but her production has tumbled off a cliff lately. Hopefully, she can regain her form.

ONO is a possibility. She’s at least tall... lol. Her defense has been just okay, IMO. She’s still prone to fouling and bringing the ball down low where anyone can swipe at it. Her 15 ft shots seem to be improving, but I can do without her launching from 3 pt land.

The final starter recently is Nika… she plays hard, for sure, and her defense is good. Shot is still inconsistent, but better than it was. I’d have a hard time saying she’s our second best player, though… and if she is, I think we are in real trouble.

Aubrey and Aliya don’t get enough minutes to qualify, I don’t think. Both bring energy, toughness and rebounding. Maybe if we combine them into one, they could be our second best?

If Anna ever returns and can find the form she had at the end of last season, it’s very possible she could be our second best. I consider that possibility a long shot.

So, do we even have a second best player… and what is all this going to mean at the Big Dance?

Haters stay in your corners, please. Everyone else, I’m interested in your opinions.

 

[Waquoit]

Aubrey and Aliya don’t get enough minutes to qualify, I don’t think.

Even so I think Edwards will be 2nd best by the end of the season, if not already.

 

[Vowelguy]

Cw or Ono. and that’s one of the problems

Ono underperforms for sure but via size alone she still does things most others can’t.

 

[EricLA]

It's a good question, but super hard to answer. Mainly because not only does the 2nd best player often not score the 2nd most points, often what they do either doesn't show up in the stats, or gets lost when you have only 8 points, but 6 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, etc. (just an example, not a specific).

I would say the 2nd best player has changed almost from game to game. It really could be any of the other 6 players - Evina, CW, ONO, Nika, Aubrey, or Liya. And often times the best (or in this case 2nd best) player on the floor isn't necessarily the one who scored the 2nd most points.

Is that a testament to UCONN's depth, or a deficiency in another "really good player"?

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

It's a good question, but super hard to answer. Mainly because not only does the 2nd best player often not score the 2nd most points, often what they do either doesn't show up in the stats, or gets lost when you have only 8 points, but 6 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, etc. (just an example, not a specific).

I would say the 2nd best player has changed almost from game to game. It really could be any of the other 6 players - Evina, CW, ONO, Nika, Aubrey, or Liya. And often times the best (or in this case 2nd best) player on the floor isn't necessarily the one who scored the 2nd most points.

Is that a testament to UCONN's depth, or a deficiency in another "really good player"?

I definitely do not think points is the only marker of who is second best.... as for your question at the end, I fear it is the second choice... but hoping by tournament time it will the depth part.

 

[BBallF]

You can't rank them absolutely after Paige. It depends on the game. In some games it was CW, in others Evina and in others ONO or others but none of them have the level of consistency that you can make that statement about. That is one of the main problems we have.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Whoever the opponent can't match up with on a given night... It's a strength.

 

[Littlemin]

With all due respect to all the rabid fans here, the obsession with individual rankings and comparisons for a program built on a total team game is ironic to me, essentially being a non-rabid fan from afar for a good while and relatively new to this board.

 

[RedStickHusky]

With all due respect to all the rabid fans here, the obsession with individual rankings and comparisons for a program built on a total team game is ironic to me, essentially being a non-rabid fan from afar for a good while and relatively new to this board.

With regularity, UConn players (and teams) are judged solely against the UConn players (and teams) that have come before. It's dismissive of the thought that we might have any actual competition on the court. Then when this unrealistic notion runs into the reality of the other team getting a vote, we go into crisis mode over margin of victory. It's who we are. Blame Geno (and CD) for creating this monster.

 

[fireford]

With all due respect to all the rabid fans here, the obsession with individual rankings and comparisons for a program built on a total team game is ironic to me, essentially being a non-rabid fan from afar for a good while and relatively new to this board.

Your point is a good one but with 5 days in between games, and none with a high-level of excitement on the immediate horizon, people are apparently just looking to fill the void with some kind of thought-provoking conversation.

 

[eebmg]

Ok. Pretty depressing thread for me.

 

[Jingo]

ONO by far is our 2nd best player bcuz of her scoring, rebounding, shot-blocking and timely assists. At the high-post, she is the key to our ball-movement and she is the anchor of our defense.
Best five are: 1) Paige, ONO, AE, Nika & Evina. If we start these five, we can drastically cut back on our notoriously slow starts.

 

[schmendrick]

Ok. Pretty depressing thread for me.

Not at all for me. Pretty much everyone else--EW, CW, AEW, Aubrey, ONO, as well as Nika--could be a standout on a given night, or at least a significant contributor. To my mind that's a strength.

 

[eebmg]

Not at all for me. Pretty much everyone else--EW, CW, AEW, Aubrey, ONO, as well as Nika--could be a standout on a given night, or at least a significant contributor. To my mind that's a strength.

But no one except maybe Aaliyah (and Autumn ) is really consistent enough.

 

[BostonBay]

As of today, it's CW. But, she's also the most inconsistent. She doesnt play to her strengths, which is a slasher type of scorer & mid-range shooter. That's the problem - the gap between Paige & everyone else is too big. If Paige has an off-game or is shut-down, what do we have??

 

[and one]

The truth is after Paige it's a list of role players with various levels of upside and inconsistent play. I'd say ONO is 2 now on the whole, CW and/or EW taking that spot depending on the game, AE a future solid 2 (or 3 if Azzi comes out of the gate like Paige). By this time next year I'm hoping the lineup has far fewer uncertainties.

 

[jazz]

Liv. We cant replace her production or presence. She may not be AA but is still pretty good. Notice how we had a bit of comeback against SC when she was put back in. Hard to replace size and length.

 

[Jingo]

Liv. We cant replace her production or presence. She may not be AA but is still pretty good. Notice how we had a bit of comeback against SC when she was put back in. Hard to replace size and length.

Liv does a lot more than "size and length" .. she's a lottery pick for sure, eh?

 

[Redux]

Evina might have been my choice 4 or 5 games ago, but her production has tumbled off a cliff lately.

This.

Thread question is just another way of asking what happened to Evina Westbrook since Arkansas. If it were just a production slump, I'd still say she's best player after Paige. But she's simply not moving right.

 

[maccca3232]

Second Best or Second Most Important?

Second most important is clearly Liz.

Second best, on the season Liz, recently Westbook, tournament Edwards? Who knows.

 

[jazz]

Liv does a lot more than "size and length" .. she's a lottery pick for sure, eh?

she does more than that yes, but she isn't as good as hoped and she hasn't shown as well in big games this year. But she offers the size and length that we can not replace...not that that is all she has....

 

[Blueballer]

No clear choice. It can vary from game to game. Maybe that isn't a bad thing.

 

[dtbtbtb]

This is exactly the issue for UConn come tournament times other teams will do anything in their power to take away UConn's first choice and force UConn to take the 2nd or third choice and for UConn there is no clear 2nd or third choice because of the inconsistently of the players not named Paige

 

[BobbyJ]

To me it's not 2nd best, it's next most indispensable after Bueckers. People can bitch all they want about ONO but without her there is almost no interior defense and IMO there will be no FF or NC.

 

[Jingo]

she does more than that yes, but she isn't as good as hoped and she hasn't shown as well in big games this year. But she offers the size and length that we can not replace...not that that is all she has....

Not sure what you mean by Liv "isn't as good as hoped" .. I think you should heed the sage advice of Bette Davis who said, "Let's not ask for the moon, for we have the stars!"