www.usatoday.com
I tend to agree with this. Paige is an incredible bball player and makes everyone around her much better. Even when she is having an off night shooting, her offensive activity creates openings for her teammates. It will be a big adjustment for UConn next year.
I agree about Paige. Paige's influence on the team is overlooked. She is incredible. There is no doubt there will be adjustments, especially early in the season. I am not sure the team will take a step back, though. There are enough pieces to make the necessary adjustments by seasons end. IMHO. BTW, you were right on with your SS prediction.
We are losing arguably the most offensively gifted player to ever play here. Never mind the leadership qualities. There is simply no way to just plug and play other players and make up for it. It's going to be bumpy early on, and weird to see a UConn team with no Paige or Aubrey. I guess something akin to watching those first Patriots games without Brady.
We did see a team without Paige. When she was injured, in fact. But, I agree. It's not like you can replace everything she brought to this team. Sarah is a generational talent, and Azzi will come back. As long as there are no further injuries, UConn should be OK.
I tend to disagree with both of you (including @hoopsfan22), but then I'm an incurable optimist so bear that in mind. Of course, I agree that Paige inspires the players around her to be better. But she may not be the only one who can do this. Leadership is an issue and someone will have to step up, and it is by no means clear who that will be. Personally, I'm hoping that Azzi will see this as the next step in her development and take it on. But it could turn out to be Caroline for all I know. For Sarah, it may not be until her junior year that she becomes the vocal leader of the team. But I suspect she already inspires teammates.
Lol it was pretty obvious she was an all American player very early on
seems pretty obvious that KK Arnold, and to some degree Azzi will be the team leaders
Although not analogous position-wise, she reminds me so much of Maya and her poise and feel for the game.
My big concern is that if Sarah has a sophomore leap her mother may have her jump directly to the Boston Celtics.
geno, on the other hand, will probably get a stop watch and make sure she talks for at least a set amount of time!
Remember that players are only irreplaceable until the next superstar appears and replaces them!
www.nytimes.com
It would have to be called a senior leap because she already plays like at least a junior.
I’ve seen her beat everyone down the floor often!
Sarah's ability to rotate quickly for defending the basket is amazing, as she very rarely gets out of control and fouls. It is particularly amazing for as quickly as she moves, and it appears to be effortless despite the physics of the situation.
I might have agreed with you if: (1) Azzi had not decided to return; and (2) Azzi had not displayed such self-possession and personal growth over the past month. She seems ready to step into her power, and I'm all for it. There are other programs where Azzi's princess-like qualities (Paige's description, not mine) would generate resentment and pushback from her teammates, but not at UConn, and especially not with this particular squad.
Agreed. I think we all want to assume Husky greatness next season, but..... Paige indeed was "the straw that stirs the drink," in more ways than one, and it's not going to be a matter of just picking up where they just left off in the title game. Every season is a new challenge of blending continuing plus new pieces, both skills-wise and personality-chemistry wise. Paige was masterful not only at playing the game on the court but in making them a team, in the psychological/emotional sense -- or, to put it another way, in being an emotional force, which is just as important. As Geno said right after the NC game, somewhere along the line late in the season, their team bond deepened, and that's when the switch flipped to their even higher level of play. Let's hope that somebody else can nurture that next season. Sarah is a great, great on-court player, but I don't see her being vocal enough (at least not yet) to be that emotional force for the team.
