Stokes Posts Double Double in her Debut | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Stokes Posts Double Double in her Debut

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UcMiami said:
I always felt that Kiah just never quite understood the offense at Uconn - certainly in her first two years - and so never felt really comfortable on that end of the floor. She got better the last two years, but it still was a struggle. She just had no confidence that taking a shot was the right thing at any given moment. Surprisingly, she seemed to play her best offensive ball this last year working with Gabby.
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Given Kiah's earlier struggles with offense and the staggering scoring talent among other players on the team, I wonder if the team simply didn't develop a habit, from Geno on down and including Kiah, of just not using her much on offense. Gabby, being a freshman, wouldn't have had that habit ingrained over multiple seasons.
 
mrmojack said:
Great start for Kiah. She took 14 shots in 25 minutes. They must have told her
to "shoot the ball if you want to make this team." A nice double double to start
her pro career off. Sometimes a change of scenery does wonders for you.
Her confidence must be pretty high right now. Good for her, I'm rooting for her
to have a great rookie season.

When I saw the box score, I was thinking the same thing: "Shoot the ball Kiah. Show us you can score". I echo your sentiments word for word.

I'm pretty sure Kiah will make the cut. Most first round picks usually do. Like a college freshman, I expect her to show significant improvement by this time next year, after a full season of WNBA, and overseas play. Expect her field goal percentage to go up as the season progresses.

Her father is talking to her in one ear, her coaches in the other. She's getting a steady stream of positive reinforcement and encouragement. She'll be fine.

The game will slow down for her towards the end of the season, after she gets a few games under her belt, and finds her niche. Kiah has the body, and all the tools to be great. All she needs is the opportunity and the motivation. In the months to come, she'll get both. We're ALL rooting for you Kiah. Go get 'em!!!
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bschwartz said:
According to Jim Fuller, She took more shots last night than in any game during her UConn career. Also....news to me, she wears #15? Is there a 41?
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That picture is her first team promotional picture taken on draft day. The "15" represents the year (2015) (note her hair style, the nails and the jewelry). 'm pretty sure she's wearing her usual #41 (as a tribute to her father. He wore #41 throughout his playing career in college and the NBA).
 
ericsandiego said:
Ken is right - the only nit to pick is 5-14. For a kid who mostly makes shots around the basket, that needs to improve. Other than that, though, for her first game, fantastico!!
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For sure she needs to improve offensively away from the basket.

She didn't get a chance (justified or not) to do it in her 4 years at UConn, now, Laimbeer wants her to shoot whenever she is open to gain confidence. I bet she will be pretty good at season's end.

Or not and Geno may be right. It is hard to adjust overnight.
 
bschwartz said:
Also....news to me, she wears #15? Is there a 41?
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Kiah is listed on the Liberty roster page as having number 41 ...but no pic of that yet. (Maybe Biff can rectify that with the pic that we do have.) :D

[LINK]
______________________________

And... guess what number KML is wearing in Seattle. Aww, how'd ya know? Yup ...23.

[LINK]
 
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I am so excited to see Kiah realize that she needs to score and also do her defensive blocks in order to make a WNBA TEAM. There are so many "defensive specialists" out there but it's great that she accepts that and is doing whatever it takes to make a WNBA team and add a bit of offense.
 
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JavaMan said:
Kiah is listed on the Liberty roster page as having number 41 ...but no pic of that yet. (Maybe Biff can rectify that with the pic that we do have.) :D
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Kiah_41.jpg
 
ericsandiego said:
Ken is right - the only nit to pick is 5-14. For a kid who mostly makes shots around the basket, that needs to improve. Other than that, though, for her first game, fantastico!!
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She didn't start the game but came off the bench. She got several put back baskets and one free throw. She did great compared to all the other rookies. She was getting boxed out a lot and needs to work around those box outs.

Bill seemed to complain a lot about the guard play.
 
UConn career. Also....news to me, she wears #15? Is there a 41?

Kiah wore 41 last night
 
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UcMiami said:
I always felt that Kiah just never quite understood the offense at Uconn - certainly in her first two years - and so never felt really comfortable on that end of the floor. She got better the last two years, but it still was a struggle. She just had no confidence that taking a shot was the right thing at any given moment. Surprisingly, she seemed to play her best offensive ball this last year working with Gabby.
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Kiah's first two years her team mates wouldn't or couldn't pass it into her in the post--so no scoring. In the next 2 years Saniya passes to Stokes got the ball to where she needed it.. She didn't score much but she scored. She scored in the NC . She could score, even hit one three ball--I think she was like one for one from 3 for her career.
Lambeer telling her to keep shooting , may not have been a great game strategy but it was great of Kiah's ego and may have benefits in the long term. Maybe it was worth being "whopped" to create a positive atmosphere?? I love Kiah and loved her from day one at Uconn--like others I was unhappy she didn't reach her potential--maybe this is her new persona!!!
 
JavaMan said:
Kiah is listed on the Liberty roster page as having number 41 ...but no pic of that yet. (Maybe Biff can rectify that with the pic that we do have.) :D

[LINK]
______________________________

And... guess what number KML is wearing in Seattle. Aww, how'd ya know? Yup ...23.

[LINK]
Expand ...
Hmmm... Looks like Jewell didn't get her #32 (Alysha Clark has it - not her college #)
 
New York assistant Katie Smith, a seven-time All-Star who was voted one of the top 15 players in WNBA history in 2011, said she has noticed how polished Stokes' game became during her college career.

"Coming from UConn, we understand [Geno Auriemma's] players have already learned quite a bit and are detail-oriented," Smith said. "They understand the game and catch on very quick. If they've played for four years and done their part for that program, there is a built-in professionalism that comes to the WNBA with them. It shows, they catch on; they understand some of the nuances. So as a coach, you understand right from the start that they can handle it.

"Now we are asking Kiah to crack out of her accustomed role and spread her wings a little more. She has the skill set, and it's nice to have a young player who wants so much to grow."
___________________________________________

Much more in this very revealing John A. article titled: "Stokes' Offense Making Big Impression On Liberty Coach Laimbeer."

[LINK] (search article title if blocked using the link - coming in the back door via a Google search usually works well.)
 
HuskyNan said:
Well, I can't imagine Geno saying, "Kiah, I want you taking the shot rather than Stewie/Kaleena".
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I am not doubting Geno's ability to teach. It just needs a good fits between the two people. Shade
HuskyNan said:
Well, I can't imagine Geno saying, "Kiah, I want you taking the shot rather than Stewie/Kaleena".
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I am not doubting Geno's ability to develop the players. But he cannot be the best coach for EVERY player. Two parties need to fit, temperament, teaching/learning/method, etc. Some players transferred, did well afterwards, some still did not go anywhere with new coaches. C Houston did better after graduation. We hope Kiah will do better as well.
 
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JavaMan said:
New York assistant Katie Smith, a seven-time All-Star who was voted one of the top 15 players in WNBA history in 2011, said she has noticed how polished Stokes' game became during her college career.

"Coming from UConn, we understand [Geno Auriemma's] players have already learned quite a bit and are detail-oriented," Smith said. "They understand the game and catch on very quick. If they've played for four years and done their part for that program, there is a built-in professionalism that comes to the WNBA with them. It shows, they catch on; they understand some of the nuances. So as a coach, you understand right from the start that they can handle it.

"Now we are asking Kiah to crack out of her accustomed role and spread her wings a little more. She has the skill set, and it's nice to have a young player who wants so much to grow."
___________________________________________

Much more in this very revealing John A. article titled: "Stokes' Offense Making Big Impression On Liberty Coach Laimbeer."

[LINK] (search article title if blocked using the link - coming in the back door via a Google search usually works well.)
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Thanks Java, you always find the good stuff to share - I just enjoy these insights from extraordinary basketball people (Katie Smith.) In a brief paragraph she revealed the threads of Geno-CD/UConn's success. She quickly mentioned--learned quite a bit, detail-oriented, understand the game, catch on quick, built in professionalism, **they understand some of the nuances, and they can handle it. Best summation of why there are 10 NC.
 
SCGamecock said:
Your opinion of course, but I'm not sure how Kiah Stokes having a big game has anything to do with Laurin Mincy/Aleighsa Welch getting cut or SC/MD's talent level. If anything, it either shows that Stokes is a better player than the other two or a better fit on the roster. I'm going with the former, Mincy is okay but never came across as great to me and Aleighsa, while good at SC, never blew anybody away with her offensive output. Welch was always a longshot to make a WNBA roster. Stokes was always a better prospect than those two.

Most people that follow SC closely on this board can tell you that Aleighsa Welch, while talented and passionate, is nowhere near the most talented player on SC's roster. The same can be said about Mincey... She's clutch at times, but that only gets you so far. And it did.
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Mr. Gamecock - You make some good points--Stokes is probably a better player and a better fit on the roster. Nevertheless, I like to make comparisons whenever I get some new info. You know the SC team -- Welch was the 4th best player in terms of statistics. But in the big moments Welch was the leader and carried the team in crunch time. With Mincy her numbers might surprise many. She was 1st in scoring ave., 1st in 3 pt. %. 1st in FT %, and second in assists and she showed senior leadership throughout. As a 6 ft. guard who was a clutch player at times this sounds like the best player to me. Lexie Brown could be tops too. Anyway, Mincy was pretty good.
The second part of this post relates to my reasoning. Akin to a Vegas handicapper, I look at all info to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a team (last years and this coming year.) When Stokes was drafted, made the team, and received positive feedback from Lambeer and Smith, well, that was a upside click for UConn. When I heard how fast Welch and Mincy were cut (for whatever reason) it had to be a downside click. I sure wouldn't be raving how good Maryland and SC were or will be when two good players were cut so fast.
Just my initial reaction based on the info I currently have.
 
Kmoney said:
When I read the title of the original post, I assumed she had something like 11 rebounds and 10 blocks. Wow! WNBA teams are probably already devising a "hack a Kiah" strategy.
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Why would they do that? She is a good free throw shooter...
 
Kurtzl said:
I'm not surprised. I love her
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I agree! I've thought from Day 1 that Stokes has sacrificed her game deferring to designated shooters on her UConn team. I am so thrilled that she will get her chance to shine.
 
bschwartz said:
Multiple shots beyond 15 feet? Makin' layups? Who is this woman?

11pts and 11rebounds and 1 steal and 1 block

Sky announcer said at times she looked like the best player on the court. Really?

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.
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Sweet...
 
HuskyNan said:
Well, I can't imagine Geno saying, "Kiah, I want you taking the shot rather than Stewie/Kaleena".
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Actually, since Uconn's average margin of victory was 40+ points, it seems to me that there were plenty of opportunities for Geno to say to Kiah, " I want you taking the shot. Stewie and Kaleena are already pretty good shooters."
 
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boontonbomber said:
Actually, since Uconn's average margin of victory was 40+ points, it seems to me that there were plenty of opportunities for Geno to say to Kiah, " I want you taking the shot. Stewie and Kaleena are already pretty good shooters."
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Can you recall even one time where that happened in a game? It should have been pretty obvious. Yes, Geno wanted her to be more aggressive scoring the basketball. He also wanted her to know her role and play perfect basketball and definitely pulled her a number of times when she missed a few shots.

Now Kiah could have taken that as a challenge and shot more, but Kiah was self-aware of her place in the pecking order. She knew she was usually the 5th most talented offensive player on the floor and played accordingly. There's two ways for success at UConn prove Geno wrong or accept your role and Kiah chose the latter, which is fine for carving out a career as a WNBA role player.

The WNBA should actually suit her offensive skill set better than UConn. I think people forget what a good jump shooter she actually is and showed at times at UConn, especially in her junior season. And that's likely to be her offensive role in the more pick and roll/pick and pop based professional game. There not going to ask her to be a post scorer. And the calculus is going to change. At UConn Kiah faced the decision of taking an open shot for herself or waiting for a likely open shot for Stewart, KML or another player. In the pros if she passes up a shot the next opportunity isn't likely to be an open shot. She's self-aware enough to recognize that difference.
 
Scotter said:
Can you recall even one time where that happened in a game? It should have been pretty obvious. Yes, Geno wanted her to be more aggressive scoring the basketball. He also wanted her to know her role and play perfect basketball and definitely pulled her a number of times when she missed a few shots.

Now Kiah could have taken that as a challenge and shot more, but Kiah was self-aware of her place in the pecking order. She knew she was usually the 5th most talented offensive player on the floor and played accordingly. There's two ways for success at UConn prove Geno wrong or accept your role and Kiah chose the latter, which is fine for carving out a career as a WNBA role player.

The WNBA should actually suit her offensive skill set better than UConn. I think people forget what a good jump shooter she actually is and showed at times at UConn, especially in her junior season. And that's likely to be her offensive role in the more pick and roll/pick and pop based professional game. There not going to ask her to be a post scorer. And the calculus is going to change. At UConn Kiah faced the decision of taking an open shot for herself or waiting for a likely open shot for Stewart, KML or another player. In the pros if she passes up a shot the next opportunity isn't likely to be an open shot. She's self-aware enough to recognize that difference.
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Also, she rarely got the ball when she was open because the guards also knew the pecking order and will get yelled at if they passed to Kiah and she missed...I noticed that when KML was a sophomore. She was was open quite often and seldom got the ball. But that changed when the seniors graduated and nobody else but Stewie was ahead. Kiah did what she was told to do and was happy with that. They won championships as a team. Now, she is free to do more.
 
Scotter said:
Can you recall even one time where that happened in a game? It should have been pretty obvious. Yes, Geno wanted her to be more aggressive scoring the basketball. He also wanted her to know her role and play perfect basketball and definitely pulled her a number of times when she missed a few shots.

Now Kiah could have taken that as a challenge and shot more, but Kiah was self-aware of her place in the pecking order. She knew she was usually the 5th most talented offensive player on the floor and played accordingly. There's two ways for success at UConn prove Geno wrong or accept your role and Kiah chose the latter, which is fine for carving out a career as a WNBA role player.

The WNBA should actually suit her offensive skill set better than UConn. I think people forget what a good jump shooter she actually is and showed at times at UConn, especially in her junior season. And that's likely to be her offensive role in the more pick and roll/pick and pop based professional game. There not going to ask her to be a post scorer. And the calculus is going to change. At UConn Kiah faced the decision of taking an open shot for herself or waiting for a likely open shot for Stewart, KML or another player. In the pros if she passes up a shot the next opportunity isn't likely to be an open shot. She's self-aware enough to recognize that difference.
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Can I recall when what happened? What was pretty obvious? I have no idea what you're talking about in your first paragraph, or for most of your post, for that matter.
 
boontonbomber said:
Can I recall when what happened? What was pretty obvious? I have no idea what you're talking about in your first paragraph, or for most of your post, for that matter.
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I quoted you in my post so I thought I made it perfectly clear what I was asking. Again you said:

boontonbomber said:
boontonbomber said: ↑
Actually, since Uconn's average margin of victory was 40+ points, it seems to me that there were plenty of opportunities for Geno to say to Kiah, " I want you taking the shot. Stewie and Kaleena are already pretty good shooters."
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Can you recall any time when Geno clearly made an effort to specifically get Kiah shots?

The rest of what I posted was not intended for you specifically.
 
PhillyCoach said:
Mr. Gamecock - You make some good points--Stokes is probably a better player and a better fit on the roster. Nevertheless, I like to make comparisons whenever I get some new info. You know the SC team -- Welch was the 4th best player in terms of statistics. But in the big moments Welch was the leader and carried the team in crunch time. With Mincy her numbers might surprise many. She was 1st in scoring ave., 1st in 3 pt. %. 1st in FT %, and second in assists and she showed senior leadership throughout. As a 6 ft. guard who was a clutch player at times this sounds like the best player to me. Lexie Brown could be tops too. Anyway, Mincy was pretty good.
The second part of this post relates to my reasoning. Akin to a Vegas handicapper, I look at all info to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a team (last years and this coming year.) When Stokes was drafted, made the team, and received positive feedback from Lambeer and Smith, well, that was a upside click for UConn. When I heard how fast Welch and Mincy were cut (for whatever reason) it had to be a downside click. I sure wouldn't be raving how good Maryland and SC were or will be when two good players were cut so fast.
Just my initial reaction based on the info I currently have.
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YOU make some good points also PhillyCoach. You shared some very interesting points of view, and gives one something to think about. I enjoyed your post, thanks.
 
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