Request for new threads

[UcMiami]

Facey76 started a thread originally instigated by PhillyCoach on one of the great Uconn players from the late 1990s/early 2000s - Svetlana Abrosimova - one of my all time favorites, and one of the first players i really followed at Uconn.

I would love it if some of the bonyarders with long memories could start threads with their reminiscences of others in the early pantheon of Uconn greats. I have seen enough video of Rebecca and Jen, and a little of Kara to get some feel for them as players, but the one from that era that slipped through my awareness was Nykesha Sales - can anyone enlighten me? I was away from the CPTV coverage zone in the late 90s and national coverage was really only the TN/Uconn games and the FF at that stage.

And I really have no awareness of the players from pre 1995 beyond the pretty dry information contained in the record book.

Others in my boat should add specific request to this thread.

 

[j66kicker]

Nykesha was a Gabby Williams type athlete, but with much more refined basketball skills. Even as a freshman she was a huge part of the rotation, and basically kept us in the '95 NC game while some of the key starters were sitting most of the 2nd quarter in bad foul trouble.

 

[Gus Mahler]

As an addendum to the OP: Something I'd like to see is more about the players who didn't win championships. First to come to mind is Rita Williams. She teamed with Sales to form what Geno referred to as the best backcourt in the country. Don't remember which year ('97 or '98). Maybe both years.

Others that come to mind are Mel Thomas, who we know a little about from her book, and Brittany Hunter. Probably there are others.

 

[j66kicker]

I would love it if some of the bonyarders with long memories could start threads with their reminiscences of others in the early pantheon of Uconn greats. I have seen enough video of Rebecca and Jen, and a little of Kara to get some feel for them as players, but the one from that era that slipped through my awareness was Nykesha Sales - can anyone enlighten me? I was away from the CPTV coverage zone in the late 90s and national coverage was really only the TN/Uconn games and the FF at that stage.

And I really have no awareness of the players from pre 1995 beyond the pretty dry information contained in the record book.

Others in my boat should add specific request to this thread.

In addition to being a prolific scorer (ref. her controversial UCONN scoring record set against Villanova while she was injured, with the cooperation of Harry Paretta), Nykesha could play defense. All-time UCONN career steals:

10. Rita Williams 248
9. Shea Ralph 252
8. Moriah Jefferson 258* (in progress)
7. Renee Montgomery 266
6. Debbie Baer 275
5. Kelly Faris 294
4. Svetlana Abrosimova 299
3. Maya Moore 310
2. Jennifer Rizzotti 349
1. Nykesha Sales 447 (!!)

Very, very special athlete!

 

[UcMiami]

As an addendum to the OP: Something I'd like to see is more about the players who didn't win championships. First to come to mind is Rita Williams. She teamed with Sales to form what Geno referred to as the best backcourt in the country. Don't remember which year ('97 or '98). Maybe both years.

Others that come to mind are Mel Thomas, who we know a little about from her book, and Brittany Hunter. Probably there are others.

Good call on Rita Williams -
She transferred in and only played three years 1995-1998. Just looking at the stats, she and Sales combined had 250 steals in 1997 and 206 in 1998. Her first year she backed up Jen. Its interesting - Sales, Williams, and Rizzotti would have the top eight individual steals years if Moriah hadn't come along with her last two 100+ years.

 

[ctfjr]

In addition to being a prolific scorer (ref. her controversial UCONN scoring record set against Villanova while she was injured, with the cooperation of Harry Paretta), Nykesha could play defense. All-time UCONN career steals:

10. Rita Williams 248
9. Shea Ralph 252
8. Moriah Jefferson 258* (in progress)
7. Renee Montgomery 266
6. Debbie Baer 275
5. Kelly Faris 294
4. Svetlana Abrosimova 299
3. Maya Moore 310
2. Jennifer Rizzotti 349
1. Nykesha Sales 447 (!!)

Very, very special athlete!

Oh my - I can remember watching every one of them play - now I feel old!

 

[j66kicker]

Oh my - I can remember watching every one of them play - now I feel old!

Well you should. Shea is 37, Nykesha is 39, and Jenn & Sveta are 41 (Yikes! )