Silver linings to Paige's injury

[nastynatty]

In light of today's sad news about Paige's season-ending injury and after reading her Instagram post for the 100th time, I have realized that if Paige can find a silver lining to this, so can we! Paige's faith and ability to see the glass half-full should truly inspire us all.

Please use this thread to brainstorm about the POSITIVES that could result from this extremely unfortunate situation. I'll start:

1) The likelihood of Paige staying through 2025 just increased significantly. Paige has previously stated her intentions to stay through 2024 (despite speculations about her leaving in 2023 because she is draft eligible) in order to complete her degree. I remember reading two different articles in which both Paige and her mom stated that she was already considering using her COVID year to stay through 2025. I think this injury almost guarantees that she will stay til then and graduate the same year as Azzi&co. Especially, if she doesn't win the NT in her senior (I guess "redshirt-junior" year now).

2) As mentioned here a bit last season, missing Paige for a bit could actually do wonders for Azzi's development. Last year, her breakout moment came when she suddenly became the team's #1 option (after both Paige and Caroline went down). I think she will thrive in this position because she has no choice but to show up anymore knowing that she is undoubtedly the most talented player on the court. That kind of expectation might be just what she needs to reach her potential. I have full faith she will meet the moment and lead this team.

3) Personally, I was having a dilemma about whether I'd like Nika or Caroline to start because I love them both equally and for different reasons. Now they both can! I have full faith in Nika's ability to run the point and lead the defense and any improvements she has made over the summer offensively will only be a plus.

Feel free to add any other silver linings you can find!

 

[nastynatty]

Obviously not for Paige individually but similar to her last injury, we can still look at ways the team can change/improve as a response

If you read Paige’s message earlier today, even she is trying to find a silver lining to this devastating situation

 

[Zarathustra]

Maybe not a "silver" lining, but THIS TEAM showed significant
resilience last season. Thus, as before, they will each individually
and collectively bond and sacrifice for the good of the team. As
mentioned in an earlier post there will be no " bench" players,
everyone will have a full "role", and, lastly, ICE and Yanna will
will have a sophomore leap as early as January 2023?
A separate question for the BY? Can Geno get another
"warm body" for the fall semester?? We now have too
few options for any injury or covid issues?
Time for some additional "magic", Geno!!!

 

[Blakeon18]

Reading the quotes from Paige: not only is she a remarkable player but she has gained wisdom over her brief years
that will stand her in good stead on the court and more importantly just 24/7 as she gets older...ups and downs to be expected and dealt with in wonderful fashion.

BTW: a dash of good luck might be overdue.

 

[HuskyNan]

The OP clearly stated this was a thread for any perceived positives. If you can’t find one, don’t post. No need to be obnoxious.

 

[HuskyNan]

IF this awful injury had to happen, at least it’s before the season. Paige’s teammates won’t be thrown into unfamiliar roles mid-season. Hopefully this means that the team can find some consistency and maybe another Caroline-like revelation will happen. I’m looking at you, Amari DeBerry.

 

[oldude]

I am not a particularly religious person. With that said, I have always admired individuals like Paige who’s faith provides them with strength when life gets really tough. In another thread I lamented that I had no words of comfort. Paige’s statement on her injury should provide some measure of comfort to all of us.

 

[Vancat]

IF this awful injury had to happen, at least it’s before the season. Paige’s teammates won’t be thrown into unfamiliar roles mid-season. Hopefully this means that the team can find some constant maybe another Caroline-like revelation will happen. I’m looking at you, Amari DeBerry.

Yes!

 

[AmeriConn]

I am not a particularly religious person. With that said, I have always admired individuals like Paige who’s faith provides them with strength when life gets really tough. In another thread I lamented that I had no words of comfort. Paige’s statement on her injury should provide some measure of comfort to all of us.

From the day Paige stepped onto the court at UConn, she has had my total admiration. I can’t say enough positives about this young lady. Wise way beyond her years.

 

[Stymie]

Real backhanded positive (?) is if it had to happen (?), it happened now.
Nearly 3 months from seasons start.
Coach can sit with players and redefine their roles if necessary.
Still VERY strong group of guards, but this loss makes the development of new front line freshmen ( as well one particular
sophmore) imperative.

 

[ucbart]

I went into, "how can I spin this into positive mode" yesterday. Here are my thoughts:

1. Like Nan said, we aren't doing this on the fly. The team will have the entire pre-season to become a unit without her.
2. I think this is the most important part of this-Nika, who just got pushed into the biggest role on the team, is a natural leader. She will have 0 problems being the leader and voice of the 2022-2023 UCONN Huskies and in fact, I think she might thrive in that position.
3. IF Ice comes in as advertised and Amari has made the sophomore leap, we have a litany of options in the post in a variety of ways.

 

[CBus13]

I don't want this to be a negative (or a doom and gloom moment), but I'd hold off on putting starting pressure on Caroline. While I have about ten years on her, I had the same hip injury (labral tear) and surgery but in February and I only just finished PT last week, and I'm still not at 100%. I'll have discomfort and limitations into next year. My doctor was also very conservative with recovery so maybe Caroline has a more aggressive lead doctor. Obviously, our individual surgeries and experiences are vastly different. She being a young Division 1 athlete with a full staff and space of support, her recovery may be quicker. But I'd be very surprised if she's starting at the beginning of the season or playing meaningful minutes. I think this will be a great opportunity for the Freshmen to establish themselves and maybe UConn plays big early on.

This gives this potential starting line-up (Muhl, Fudd, Patterson, Edwards, Juhasz, I don't know!!!) ample time to get adjusted with each other and figure out roles. And there won't be any "when Paige returns by [ex. date]" mindset. This is still a tremendously talented team, they are just low on collective experience.

I have to imagine Edwards will come into this season better prepared than when she came in for her Sophomore season. She's a powerful energy force so I think the bigs will be set from a leadership standpoint. Muhl is obviously the most likely guard to take on leadership, but this also gives her and team ample time to up her game play fitness to potentially consistently play 40 minutes, she's also the healthiest of the returning guards, so I'd expect a lot on her shoulders early. I'm glad it's still only August and Fudd still has time to focus on her recovery. I'm not worried about Juhasz, Geno thinks highly of her and her focus right now is fitness and conditioning and when her wrist is good to go I think she'll be a solid piece of the puzzle. Patterson is just an assumption for starting position because she's the most versatile of the rest of the bunch, obviously if Griffin's back is healthy and good to go I wouldn't be surprised to see her in that starting spot. I think UConn's issue will be similar to the Vegas Aces, top tier starting line-up but questions on the bench, UConn jumps ahead because there is so much more potential for these players to have grown and improved over the summer and into the season. Once Ducharme and Griffin are at 100% and if DeBerry has progressed, most teams can't compare. It'll all shake out there just may be some bumps in the road in the early season. Bueckers is still a leader for this team and when the doctors clear her to be more mobile, I'd expect her up and cheering and leading from the bench.

Last year the concerns were the front court were the concern, but they (mainly ONO) stepped up big to keep UConn competitive and win many games. This year it's the Back court. I'd expect the same kind of step up from players to make it work. This is still a team of top-tier student-athletes, people are going to step up and they are going to compete for the minutes and buckets Paige is leaving open. They have the time and team to still have a massively successful season. It's going to be a fun ride and it'll be great to see the improvement as the season progresses.

 

[ucbart]

If Caroline isn't ready to go, I think Lou will start at the 3. She is an unknown, but she has 4 years of college experience, something Ayanna doesn't have.

 

[TCC Kid]

In light of today's sad news about Paige's season-ending injury and after reading her Instagram post for the 100th time, I have realized that if Paige can find a silver lining to this, so can we! Paige's faith and ability to see the glass half-full should truly inspire us all.

Please use this thread to brainstorm about the POSITIVES that could result from this extremely unfortunate situation. I'll start:

1) The likelihood of Paige staying through 2025 just increased significantly. Paige has previously stated her intentions to stay through 2024 (despite speculations about her leaving in 2023 because she is draft eligible) in order to complete her degree. I remember reading two different articles in which both Paige and her mom stated that she was already considering using her COVID year to stay through 2025. I think this injury almost guarantees that she will stay til then and graduate the same year as Azzi&co. Especially, if she doesn't win the NT in her senior (I guess "redshirt-junior" year now).

2) As mentioned here a bit last season, missing Paige for a bit could actually do wonders for Azzi's development. Last year, her breakout moment came when she suddenly became the team's #1 option (after both Paige and Caroline went down). I think she will thrive in this position because she has no choice but to show up anymore knowing that she is undoubtedly the most talented player on the court. That kind of expectation might be just what she needs to reach her potential. I have full faith she will meet the moment and lead this team.

3) Personally, I was having a dilemma about whether I'd like Nika or Caroline to start because I love them both equally and for different reasons. Now they both can! I have full faith in Nika's ability to run the point and lead the defense and any improvements she has made over the summer offensively will only be a plus.

Feel free to add any other silver linings you can find!

There are NO REAL positives. BUT, the unintended results could be better than anticipated.
Caroline shined, as she never could have with Paige healthy. Later on Paige was limit and Caroline and Paige were in together. POSITIVE.
A new Freshman or 2 MAY get minutes otherwise relegated to Paige.
This just me, I don't think Azzi needs Paige out to excel. No one is mentally-physically tougher than Nika, she fills a spot no one other than Edwards could fill in pure force physical toughness.
The greatest of your bright lights is Paige shall be eligible for another year at Uconn--I'll take it.

Now on to the negative--????

 

[TCC Kid]

I went into, "how can I spin this into positive mode" yesterday. Here are my thoughts:

1. Like Nan said, we aren't doing this on the fly. The team will have the entire pre-season to become a unit without her.
2. I think this is the most important part of this-Nika, who just got pushed into the biggest role on the team, is a natural leader. She will have 0 problems being the leader and voice of the 2022-2023 UCONN Huskies and in fact, I think she might thrive in that position.
3. IF Ice comes in as advertised and Amari has made the sophomore leap, we have a litany of options in the post in a variety of ways.

That is a blessing for Geno, for the team. Before the season starts they know Paige can't save them. They MUST play without her. So how do we become a TEAM and play our best with our otherwise floor General, leader, clutch scorer. Who shall, must, step up and fill one of Paiges role. Azzi and Caroline can fill up the basket when demanded in clutch situations. If any of the Freshmen Posts can score in traffic rebound and defend along side of Edwards ONO will be missed less. With Paige out 3 Hole are in the lineup--3 holes hard to fill -Paige, Ono, Chrystn William. CW in crunch times became the goto player. ONO, we shall see, without her, gave Uconn a decent post presence.

 

[Bald Husky]

Ok, since it is only the first day after the news about Paige, it is inevitable that new speculations of the team will emerge. We already know that again we are short on guards, so any future injuries would be a disaster, but if we can stay healthy, we still can get to the FF.
Two and three years ago, Baylor was a great team, and who can forget the epic game in the elite 8. That team was run by the PG, DiDi Richards. She wasn't a scorer, but she was the BIG12 Defensive POY. Enter Nika Muhl, also a DPOY and a true PG. Nika is smart, energetic, and hopefully a more aggressive offensive player if she worked on what Geno wanted. Now the biggest challenge, and what really carried Baylor was the Bigs. UConns season will rest with
the development of our Bigs, Amari, AE, Ice, Dorka, and Aubrey (Aubrey may also be put in the guard position this year for depth). The future of this season will rest on them to control the boards, guard our opponents' big guys, and find a way to add to our scoring.
So, the two keys this year is for the guards to remain healthy, and the Bigs to control the game. Can they do it, we have all speculated if they can do this, but now it is a must. All I want now is for all of them to stay healthy and we will see. Let's not forget, this is still a great team that will make us proud no matter what happens. Love to Paige, just rest, take your time rehabbing, a long time till next year.

 

[msf22b]

A few thoughts......

-When Paige and Azzi were out last season, Caroline stepped up and was a revelation in her ability to confound defenses. I hope she is recovered enough to do it again.

-I always enjoy seasons where Geno has to scramble. he has a lot of interesting parts...now make it into a functioning team.

-The acquisition of Lou may prove real fortuitous. At the time I though, why does he need another penetrating guard who like stop shoot...Now I know.

I'm really looking forward to the season, imperfect as it may be...with a final-4 in the headlights.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I would stop short of calling it a silver lining but with the injury happening now there is plenty of time for the rest of the team to adjust to her absence. Last year the team did pretty well overall given the circumstances of the injuries and day to day availability of so many players.

The Huskies can't afford another major injury this year. The road just got significantly tougher for a title but I won't say it's impossible.

 

[Ozimoto]

Positives:
As Nan said, the injury occurred now rather than in November. Time to develop team roles and chemistry before the season starts.

With the schedule set up the way it is, this group will be challenged early so they will have to cope with tough games from the get go and learn to win (or at least stay competitive in tough games) without Paige to carry them. That should boost their confidence and will be priceless later in the season come tournament time.

Based on the initial injury reports, there shouldn't be the distraction of "when will Paige return this season and how do we integrate her back into the team?"

The younger players will have to grow up quickly. This bodes well for putting an excellent team on the floor for years to come.

 

[oldude]

Here’s another positive. For the 3rd season in a row Geno will have to earn his substantial salary, as opposed to say the 2015-16 season when all he had to do was turn the lights on & off in the gym…..

 

[Beemer]

Unfortunately, Paige's injury is a growth opportunity for everyone else on the team & that's the only good thing I can find about it.

No passengers this season every single player has to step up her game even the freshmen. And the coaching staff is going to be challenged too, which is also a good thing.

Otherwise this just sucks and I hate it for Paige's sake, she's been through so much already. I have always hated seeing a player go down with a serious injury and frankly it bothers me more the older I become probably because I'm much more aware of how fragile life can be.

 

[Jim]

The "Who is going to start" and "How many minutes will each player get" threads now have something more to talk about.

 

[Stymie]

The "Who is going to start" and "How many minutes will each player get" threads now have something more to talk about.

Thanks Jim- pile on a little more pain…

 

[Charliebball]

In light of today's sad news about Paige's season-ending injury and after reading her Instagram post for the 100th time, I have realized that if Paige can find a silver lining to this, so can we! Paige's faith and ability to see the glass half-full should truly inspire us all.

Please use this thread to brainstorm about the POSITIVES that could result from this extremely unfortunate situation. I'll start:

1) The likelihood of Paige staying through 2025 just increased significantly. Paige has previously stated her intentions to stay through 2024 (despite speculations about her leaving in 2023 because she is draft eligible) in order to complete her degree. I remember reading two different articles in which both Paige and her mom stated that she was already considering using her COVID year to stay through 2025. I think this injury almost guarantees that she will stay til then and graduate the same year as Azzi&co. Especially, if she doesn't win the NT in her senior (I guess "redshirt-junior" year now).


Feel free to add any other silver linings you can find!

I hope you're right but it is also possible to view it the opposite way............PB may think it is best to get to the WNBA as quickly as possible knowing that an additional injury could further delay her transition to the pro game...........

 

[MooseJaw]

No silver lining will replace the loss of our leader but just maybe. Everything mentioned is a maybe or a what if, that said I offer the following what if and my maybe. My what if.... Caroline is at least 95% recovered from her hip trouble- I remember watching many videos of her HS games where she was playing as the point guard bringing the ball down the court and making the initial pass more often than not running to the post in effect playing two positions on most possessions. While she is not what the Huskies want for a point, why not use her as a 2 when needed?
Now for my maybe.... just maybe with the golden lady sidelined for this season and maybe more, a top-notch player sees this as an opportunity to commit to UCONN who may have been put off by the wealth of talent at and heading to UCONN. If we land another top 5 or so recruit because of Paige's injury I guess that could be a silver lining. There are some top-notch guards out there who we would love to add to our roster.