Tactical Error on Dawn's Part

[oldude]

Dawn has a potential blind spot called loyalty. Cuevas was fine in this game and does not have to be the primary ball handler for SC. The player killing SC is Davis who is shooting 34% for the season and leading SC in shot attempts by a wide margin. That's correct folks Davis has 40 more shot attempts on the season than POY candidate Wilson.
Start Gray at the 3 & sit Davis, Cuevas at 2 and Harris at the 1, Wilson at 4 and Coates at 5. You will get better spacing because Cuevas is 40% 3pt shooter, better effort on defense because Davis is defensively indifferent, and better passing because your 5 best passers will be on the floor together. When Davis' mom complains ( and she will) tell her Kaela can turn pro after the season.

Agree with your post. The play just before halftime put Cuevas deep in Dawn's doghouse, when Saniya & Danger doubled her at mid court and she threw a terrible pass to no one in particular that Pheesa caught in full stride and turned into an easy layup.

 

[HopJim]

We would have won the game going away by 20+ if we just made all the easy layups we blew, particularly early in the first half. We must have missed somewhere between 5-10 bunnies. There's your 20-point victory margin.

Agree but when watched game second time, saw MANY 5' and in shots that SC missed in final 5 minutes. Per other posters, wrote this off to bad conditioning, particularly because SC bigs had 5-7 inches on most of the UConn defense. One of best, most exciting basketball games I have seen in awhile. Assuming Wilson keeps her emotions in check, do not write them off if playing SC in NCAA's. Her 12 points in first part of game had me worried.

 

[DefenseBB]

Agree with your post. The play just before halftime put Cuevas deep in Dawn's doghouse, when Saniya & Danger doubled her at mid court and she threw a terrible pass to no one in particular that Pheesa caught in full stride and turned into an easy layup.

Actually please watch it again, the pass was tipped so it did not carry as far as it could and despite one blogger claiming Cuevas-Moore flopped at the defensive end, she actually slips quite badly on the floor and doesn't get up right away and impedes her own teammate. Bianca can be prone to dribbling too much and to turnovers but I suspect she starts on the bench as she brings high energy into the game, as well as a scoring threat. She usually has more minutes than Harris. What put her on the bench is anybody's guess. Other items affected SC lack of offense more than Bianca (strong defensive effort, better conditioning and better coaching).

 

[Coach]

The problem with Cuevas is Cuevas giveth and Cuevas taketh away. Sure, some of the shots she hit last night were successful, but her history in big games is more like what she did at the end of the first half. That is throwing away the ball with seconds left in the half for a UConn plus one. Dawn probably felt she couldn't afford her inconsistent play.

I agree. I also wondered why SC didn't continue to drive to the basket for layups or drive and dish to Coates or Wilson especially with Napheesa and Lou in foul trouble. They were successful early on. I have to watch the game again to see if the UCONN played better perimeter defense or the SC guards ran out of gas.

 

[tony yusef]

I think to knock Dawn's game coaching is nit picking UConn is a better team with better players. I'll continue to say that outside of Aja Wilson there is no one I trust, that's why her frustration became evident. Coates is still the most overrated player in America. I dont see where they replaced T.Mitchell or the swag that Sessions delivered. I fail to see where they' re better than those teams which means they're going backwards. Not good. They have yet come within single digits against Uconn.

 

[JordyG]

I agree. I also wondered why SC didn't continue to drive to the basket for layups or drive and dish to Coates or Wilson especially with Napheesa and Lou in foul trouble. They were successful early on. I have to watch the game again to see if the UCONN played better perimeter defense or the SC guards ran out of gas.

Good point Coach. I think I was a combo of both being tired and UConn's effective sagging into the middle.