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Support for CW

I'm with Christyn. I have no idea what the cause of her slump is, but I feel for her. If Geno rests her or doesn't start her, that might take some pressure off her. Tonight's game should be no contest. I'd be ok with the team running some plays to get Christyn untracked.
 
I said it on another thread, but her shooting mechanics are not good. Very much a line drive shooter with little rotation on the ball. I don't know if that can be remedied this season. Seems more like off-season focused training.
 
All CW has to do is start making open shots.

It really isn't that difficult, especially when you have some wide-open shots and other players are taking the pressure off you. She has been shooting and making shots all her life. Once she hits a few, then it is probable that the drive or the 'stop and pop' will also be there since she is a very explosive player. She can also finish as well as anybody on the break.

I keep wondering about her eyesight.

Anyway, I still refuse to give up on her. She might not be AA but she is still pretty damn good. She just needs to get with PB, has some laughs and start hitting threes after/before practice.
 
Sonny44 said:
A new gal came in and is stealing the show.
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I don't think it's so much a new gal "stealing the show". I think it's more the change of roles on the team affected her role and that new role playing to CW's weaknesses. CW has never been the best moving without the ball, she's not the best screener and she's not the best passer on the team. Because this team shoots so poorly Geno has to run a game of multiple screens with the occasional pick and roll to get Paige her shots. Geno plays a lot of horns set as well. CW however is most effective when her feet are set and on drives to the hoop. Geno can't play an offense that suits CW's skill set. He can't play an effective 4 and 5 out although he does show these sets. He can't play the triangle as much because the weak side shooting has been horrible and there's not a real shooter for the trail. The team isn't particularly fast and it doesn't press that well, so transition baskets are at a minimum.

CW is a talented young lady and honestly I think she'll figure her role out in this new offense. However, she isn't the only one that this new offense has affected. Liv seems to have lost all confidence on the block. Last game she showed one instance where she use her power dribble. Even when she's on the block she fails to recognize when she's one on one or has a mismatch. She just moves the ball out to the wings. Now Geno has been setting her up high and using her passing skills, but this team needs more easy baskets and that means inside. The poor performance of his juniors has put Geno's in a tough position. He just can't pull his juniors and not play them. He needs them. When AE is in there he can play some hi/lo with Liv, but when not and UConn is at a height disadvantage he has them using backdoor cuts. But success with that has been limited pretty much to Paige scoring. Everyone else seems to be able to get the ball off the cut then has to pull up because they're facing too much length.

Now let's also understand that this young team has only played 16 games so far. At this time last year they'd played 24 games and people were still saying that experienced team had yet to really gel. I suppose I'm one of the few that believe CW will figure this spit out because she's too talented not to. Go CW, I got your back.
 
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I have no idea what's going on behind the scenes. I LOVE Evina's tough love approach. Christyn is a junior and this is not her first rodeo, as they say. I really thought she would thrive this season.

I did not feel she meshed well with Meghan on the court last season. IMHO when Meghan received a pass, the offense suddenly stopped as she held on to the ball for far too long before making a decision. Don't get me wrong - Walker was terrific last year and deserved 1st team AA, but I just didn't see where her play complemented Christyn's.

Fast forward to this season - I thought Christyn would be back to better numbers - even better than her freshman season where she shot over 36% from beyond the arc. I thought her energy and strength on defense would lead to energy on offense. Instead we've witnessed he planting herself behind the arc (2-12 Georgetown), or just making mistakes and seeming a step slow. 27% from 3 means you do NOT attempt more than 1-2 per game at most. And her misses are literally wide open. The amount of airballs she's hoisted, even from closer in, is just weird.

I can't speak to what ails her. If it was just shooting woes, it would be one thing, but how is it Evina, Paige, Nika and Aubrey are able to find holes in the defense to drive to the basket for layups, but Christyn seems to have lost that ability? Where is her defensive intensity?

I have no answers. I'm not living with her like her teammates, and I don't see her in practice like the coaches. I would be shocked if Geno or CD or Shea has not sat down with CW and tried to figure out what is going on. I have no answers, but this is not T-League where everyone gets to play. At this point, give her goals for the first 5-7 minutes of a game (whatever the coaches feel that should be). If she's not achieving them, sit her till the 2nd half and give her the same chance. There are plenty of players on the team who would love her minutes.
 
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I agree with Jordy G here. This is not just an adjustment for her alone and to me and several other BYers it is not just a shooting slump. There are mechanical problems in her shot which are most evident when she is stationary such as on the foul line. Be that as it may, she is surrounded by high expectations constantly and that is unfortunate. My take on this is that we are the #1 team in the country despite all the issues, not just with her. As was also pointed out, our home crowd under normal circumstances would be very uplifting. I also do not believe this team has jelled yet because it has been only a modified season so far and we have only 3 players who played last year on the same team. We are going to have that game very soon where we look very different just like we looked last year after our losses to the Big 3. CW needs to just focus on helping the team win. Play defense, drive, get out in transition, rebound etc. The pick and roll offense can also help her but she has to let the game come to her. She shouldn't think she is going to change everything by better shooting because her shot is off and obsess on that. It will only make it worse. Instead think about the game and your impact to help the team. Try to make it fun and just go out and play the greatest game ever invented. It's all you can do anyway.
 
I didn't read all the posts, but Christyn is a slasher. She needs to drive to the basket and score or get fouled. If she gets fouled, she needs to make her free throws. It's not that she can't shoot the three, but it's not her strength. Her free throw percentage, .605, is not good enough. Hopefully, she gets back on track.
 
I'm with many on here - I thought they nailed it oldddude, hoopsdiva, amerciconn, jazz, urshurak, snaka541, browns just to name a few.

It's not Paige. It's CWill. ANd she just has to keep working at it-- things will get better.
 
oldude said:
The idea that Christyn’s struggles have anything to do with Paige is absurd. Christyn’s freshman year was arguably her best from a scoring standpoint, and she was the 5th option on a team with 3 AA’s and 2 future WNBA ROY’s. As such, she played free and easy, and had fun doing it.

This year, Christyn looks like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders as a team leader and one of the primary offensive threats. If anything, Paige has relieved some of the pressure on Christyn.

I am hoping that with the support of the coaching staff and her teammates, Christyn can clear her mind and once again have fun on the court. If UConn has a chance of winning a 12th National Championship, it’s difficult to envision without Christyn playing at her best.
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All due respect: I think calling it absurd is overstated. It's absolutely not something that is Paige's fault in any shape or form, but I think PB being there has a lot to do with CW's funk. It reminds me of a sitcom episode when the best friend invites someone over and gets all of your buddy's attention and you're left sitting there. Your parent sits down with you and tells you how unreasonable you are being. Happens to adults. A last minute addition to your Sunday foursome and suddenly you're not the taste of the town, everyone likes the new guy. Sometimes the "new guy" is kind of a blowhard or a fraud and you know the charm is gunna wear off. Sometimes the "new addition" to the bridge club is the real deal, ain't gunna go nowhere. What do you do? Hope the person gets sick and doesn't show up. Hope the person moves. Do you poison their Michelob Light? Do you work on your game, so people notice you more? Do you accept your lesser role and learn to enjoy it? (now I can concentrate on golf instead of being social director) Do you join another foursome?
There's a lot of work out there for great supporting actors or character actors. Not everyone can light up a marquis. (How's that for mixing metaphors?)
 
Maine fan said:
CW's smile lights up the house. Unfortunately that smile is not as prevalent lately. I believe she has to go back and play "comfortably". IMHO she is pressing to try and make plays. She's a natural, when she lets herself be. You can tell she loves the game. While the scoring has been difficult she has been taking care of helping the team in other areas.

On offense she needs to look for her opportunities. They will come. When they do come just be yourself and the ball will drop. Missed layups and bricking jump shots are an indication of loss of confidence. Be confident and just play the game as it presents itself. We know you've got it. Try to have fun and light up the place with that smile.

It's easy for me to say anything. I'm in my easy chair and she's trying to work it out. Working it out is very difficult at times and CW is living that time now. Heads up young lady and know we're rooting for you.
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I think...intentionallyl or not ( likely not )...she is competing with Paige. Both were HS POYs and CW feels she has to show the world, that "she was worth the plaudits," too. And that is a losing game. I don't know how to get inside someone's head and unravel a barrier like that. On the surface, all is well. I'm sure they are close and supportive to one another. But it is the sub-conscious mind that must be accessed.

The "problem" has worsened,, in that it is no longer just the three point shooting which has gone south, but she is making poor decisions and creating turnovers that only a freshman might make at UCONN. She is also missing at the free throw line, and she had been one of our more reliable players at the line. But Geno has to ( and will ) stick with her. She will demonstrate character and begin playing well again.

We have great coaches ( not just Geno ) and they will get her back on track. The next four games and the Big East tourney will provide the forum.
 
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Urshurak said:
Besides her team mates support and the coaches support, the only one that can help CW get out of this is herself. It's a tough place to be in I'm sure. She will never get anything but support from me going forward.
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Nail on the head. There is only one person that can put pressure on someone and that is themselves. We either accept a premise or we don't, how we perceive anything and apply it is up to us. It appears that CW is under pressure and that is understandable. She is trying to live up to #1 status, trying to be a leader on a #1 team, entirely missing the rim on jump shots, missing bunnies, holding the ball while over thinking what to do. These I think are facts not bashing so where does this go, can CW fight through her inner pressure or not.
Geno has and I believe will continue to apply coaching therapy, will he reduce her minutes, start someone else or put her on the bench. What is her future? Will she clear her head and regain her game? Until we know the team the coaches and we have no choice but to try and be patient. Geno is responsible for the whole team and his decisions will reflect that. I await what happens tonight, hoping CW lightens up on herself playing free and easy.
 
ABCDFE said:
I’m not saying Paige has anything to do with it, but I wouldn’t call it absurd to say someone else’s success coupled with your own failures doesn’t have any effect. We will never know since we don’t know what CWill is thinking. But I will say that her demeanor and her energy and passion is not there last few games. My own observation is I don’t see her as excited for her teammates successes as others on the team.l recently. That may not be that she’s jealous or not happy for them, rather her own mental state of the pressures she is putting on herself and possibly feeling she is letting the team down is proving too much. The best possible thing is for her is to go all out effort wise and let the chips fall where they may. I think no one will blame her if she drives hard plays tenacious defense and runs hard down the floor, and hit some easy mid range shots. Even if she fails at all of those things everyone will see the effort and she will have said she gave it her all. But she is too down on herself right now and it not only hurts her team but her own game. I want her to do well and wish her all the successes as much as anyone because she’s such a bright and sweet person. You can see that from her interviews.
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Replay the end of SC game when PB hit the 3 pointer, CW was under the basket and watched it bounce up and go in. She just turned and started to jog up court, no emotion at all. I found that telling.
 
MD#12Fan said:
All due respect: I think calling it absurd is overstated. It's absolutely not something that is Paige's fault in any shape or form, but I think PB being there has a lot to do with CW's funk. It reminds me of a sitcom episode when the best friend invites someone over and gets all of your buddy's attention and you're left sitting there. Your parent sits down with you and tells you how unreasonable you are being. Happens to adults. A last minute addition to your Sunday foursome and suddenly you're not the taste of the town, everyone likes the new guy. Sometimes the "new guy" is kind of a blowhard or a fraud and you know the charm is gunna wear off. Sometimes the "new addition" to the bridge club is the real deal, ain't gunna go nowhere. What do you do? Hope the person gets sick and doesn't show up. Hope the person moves. Do you poison their Michelob Light? Do you work on your game, so people notice you more? Do you accept your lesser role and learn to enjoy it? (now I can concentrate on golf instead of being social director) Do you join another foursome?
There's a lot of work out there for great supporting actors or character actors. Not everyone can light up a marquis. (How's that for mixing metaphors?)
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Wow, your analogies are amazing. There is literally no factual evidence that Christyn's play is, in any way, influenced by Paige, and yet we have a number of BY'ers who continue to present the case based on a feeling, or body language or some other esoteric explanation that just doesn't pass the smell test. Christyn struggled at times last year and nobody suggested that it was because she was playing with Megan or Crystal.

None of us are at UConn's practices or sitting on the bench during games. We all want to get at the reason, and likely it is in her head. But absent evidence, we really need to give this entire line of "Paige-centric" reasoning a rest.
 
oldude said:
Wow, your analogies are amazing. There is literally no factual evidence that Christyn's play is, in any way, influenced by Paige, and yet we have a number of BY'ers who continue to present the case based on a feeling, or body language or some other esoteric explanation that just doesn't pass the smell test. Christyn struggled at times last year and nobody suggested that it was because she was playing with Megan or Crystal.

None of us are at UConn's practices or sitting on the bench during games. We all want to get at the reason, and likely it is in her head. But absent evidence, we really need to give this entire line of "Paige-centric" reasoning a rest.
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well I did pick up an important tip. Next time I'm the new guy in a foursome, I'm not going to order Michelob light after the round!
 
CocoHusky said:
Most here though you were speaking of Paige being the "new gal" . Kara and Meghan addressed this on the post game show with Kara putting the question to Meghan. When I read your post I was thinking of Nika as the "new gal" because CW's steepest decline began when Nika was inserted into the starting lineup.
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Great observation. The “four guard” lineup is not a winning combo. However, Nika needs to be one of those three guards; her intensity level is off the charts.
 
Yes, CW had problems last year but also was frequently invaluable. Those who say the advent of Paige has little to do with her drop off just haven’t been paying attention. Just look at the incredible number of threads on this site devoted to Paige. Just look at Geno insisting that Paige be a ball hog when it comes to shooting. The offense is designed around Paige. Whatever you think of that decision to argue it does affect CW’s performance is ridiculous. CW may not be the player you want but she has talent, just talents that may no longer be a focus of the team. She has served UConn well and though I would hate to see it, her skills might be better appreciated elsewhere. On the other hand, if Anna returns to the line up, I suspect you might see a new burst from CW.
 
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Biff said:
well I did pick up an important tip. Next time I'm the new guy in a foursome, I'm not going to order Michelob light after the round!
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No, you're the guy we're glad joined in. (sorry, I'm still counting the money)
 
If anything, Paige has helped her by taking the pressure off. CW basically can have any open shot she wants. Basic problem is she's not a good 3-point shooter. Her form looks poor - like she's not balanced no matter how open she is. So, hanging out at the 3-pt line is doing her no good.

She's a slasher. I think thats where she is most comfortable. But, against good teams, the middle is clogged & the number of fast break points decrease.

The only solution is she needs to keep moving & keep looking for more easy shots. She's not going to shoot her way out of this slump from long-range.
 
Biff said:
well I did pick up an important tip. Next time I'm the new guy in a foursome, I'm not going to order Michelob light after the round!
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You'd be better off buying everyone lottery tickets.
 
christyn has had this 'funk' problem -- more like extreme inconsistency -- for 2+ years now. she knows it. the coaches know it. they all know she has had streaks of brilliance, and then times of what he hell? it is frustrating to everyone.

christyn and the coaches for sure have been trying to find the fix, and haven't succeeded -- not for lack of trying or desire, ya know.

it's likely she'll 'pull out of it' this time as she has in the past, but that's not a permanent fix -- and that's what christyn needs. and i doubt that at this point she can figure it out by herself, or that the coaching staff will figure it out. they're great, but not infallible.

she'll need some outside help or there'll be no change. some people don't conquer. and it doesn't depend of her -- she's trying. she needs an assist.
 
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Kmoney said:
Has anybody heard if this a pattern for games and practices? She shows confidence when she is ball handling and penetrating. She shows zero confidence in any shooting outside of layups. Every shooter has slumps, but when you see that they are consistently wide right or left, plus long or short, I’m not sure what’s the solution.
Its important to know how she shoots in practice and warmups. If I had to guess, I would say that she shoots well in practice and ok in warmups, but when the game starts she is starting to feel the pressure of being a former #1 player who is feeling passed by. Uconn is a much better team when she is playing well and they will need her to make the FF.
I worry about putting too much on Paige. I remember the tale of Mark Macon (Temple 1988) freshman all American. He led to Temple to #1 in the polls and was having a great season. They met Duke in the elite 8 and got smoked. Macon shot @3-20 and by the end of the game was in tears. He was never the same player. He spent a couple of years in the NBA and I believe he is now coaching at Temple.
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Paige was born for pressure. She thrives on it. Paige is a thoroughbred. Macon had a bad game against a tremendous Duke team that I believe they beat earlier in the year. I think he was good his entire career. He was a superb defender. Also, wasn’t he a high first round pick?
 
Geno wants Paige to shoot more; and, she has been these last three or four games.

That has created a problem for the other three guards, Evina, Nika and Christyn, to a lesser extent for Aubrey, and it will extend to Anna when she comes back.

Inadvertently they've gone away from "take the open shot" mentality to get more shots for Paige.

When they miss a shot, they have to be wondering if Paige shouldn't have taken that shot; and, what is Geno thinking. And so they hesitate; then, either pass it off or take a hurried shot as their defended has closed space.

At the minute what works best for them is to try to get to the rim where there are blameless options - you know make the basket, get fouled or dish. Last game, where was the room to do that with a high low post going on. Result: last game Christyn had zero points; previous game it was Evina.

It's NOT a major problem and will be resolved over the next few games.


 
Phillyconn said:
Paige was born for pressure. She thrives on it. Paige is a thoroughbred. Macon had a bad game against a tremendous Duke team that I believe they beat earlier in the year. I think he was good his entire career. He was a superb defender. Also, wasn’t he a high first round pick?
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I thought Macon was great vs Duke?
 
i've always liked cw for one main reason - her will. she always shot a line drive knuckleball, but you could count on her 'slasher' offensive mindset.
now, it seems to me that she has lost her will. why? idk. i reasonably expect her to take stock of reality, make peace with it as career move (ie, get to the next level), and rediscover her resolve in order to make that happen.
 
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