The Focus Is Crystal

[RockyMTblue2]

I don't know about you, but I take Katie Lou's assessment as a big positive.

“Her attitude and her approach every day have been different from what they were last year,” UConn junior Katie Lou Samuelson said. “She’s playing more freely like she did when we played together with USA Basketball three, four years ago. She’s comfortable. She’s so much better and she makes it so much easier for the rest of us by the way she leads. It’s been good for her.”

Then there is Kia's assessment.

“Crystal’s done a great job,” Nurse added. “She has a better understanding of the offense and a better understanding of the reads. She’s been making the right ones. It’s been really fun to play with her. She’s high energy and that’s great for us to have.”

The Bristol Press - After watching UConn women's basketball get eliminated last season, Dangerfield looking to bring back another championship

The coaches have their hands full with one heck of a "problem" huh?!

 

[augustaTC]

Boy I hope so. Maybe Crystal's kind of a mini-Stewie in that she figured she had all the answers and is kind of stubborn. I so hope she's made the leap and is finally beginning to get it. Geno didn't recruit her because of her press clippings - there's clearly a lot there.

Her statement about finally figuring out what working hard meant puzzled me a little, but sounds like she's ready to show what she can really do. Crystal will be fine as long as she understands what virtually every kid in the program has come to realize - "There's so much I need to do to get better". And they repeat it again and again, every single year they're in the program.

I hope that one of these days we'll realize, as a group, that the expectations we create for freshmen are so silly and let the coaches bring them along. It's a process; it pretty much never varies; and it usually works. Too often I think we have a tendency to set these guys on pedestals and then get PO'd they don't meet those expectations. I remember an interview last year where Crystal's dad said in so many words, "I told her to listen to the coaches and work her off". Good advice.

Just woke up in a pontificating mood! My apologies in advance.

 

[bags27]

UConn can win easily without Crystal: it has so many incredibly talented options.

But in this day of instant news and social media, if Crystal doesn't get a lot of playing time, every top high school talent will think: here's a top 3 high school player who couldn't make it at UConn. Hmmm...even more reason for me to avoid the Geno torture machine.

That Crystal is emerging after a difficult freshman year--certainly a pattern for a lot of UConn players, where the mental demands are even more challenging than the physical ones--will help potential recruits appreciate that going to UConn IS a big challenge, but one that they will get through and emerge all the better for it.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I don't know about you, but I take Katie Lou's assessment as a big positive.

“Her attitude and her approach every day have been different from what they were last year,” UConn junior Katie Lou Samuelson said. “She’s playing more freely like she did when we played together with USA Basketball three, four years ago. She’s comfortable. She’s so much better and she makes it so much easier for the rest of us by the way she leads. It’s been good for her.”

Then there is Kia's assessment.
I
“Crystal’s done a great job,” Nurse added. “She has a better understanding of the offense and a better understanding of the reads. She’s been making the right ones. It’s been really fun to play with her. She’s high energy and that’s great for us to have.”

The Bristol Press - After watching UConn women's basketball get eliminated last season, Dangerfield looking to bring back another championship

The coaches have their hands full with one heck of a "problem" huh?!

While the coaching staff has "problems " (multiples) with the overflowing basket of talent I doubt Dawn, Muffet, Doug, or ever Harry would not be thrilled to have this problem. \
Danger last year showed her incredible bundle of talent in making precise passes. Few could put passes so precise. Yes, the Freshmen, made errors all passes were not exact. Who actually made 100 percent of their passes complete? Geno as the season progressed showed more and more confidence in her by giving her more minutes or bringing her in games when the game was not fully in he W column.
Let us all cheer the leadership and talent of Crystal Dangerfield and not bemoan that which she does not do that Moriah had done. The queen is dead long live the queen.\

 

[CL82]

Cyrstal wouldn't be the first UConn player to get caught up in trying not to make a mistake rather than just letting the game come to her. This is good news. She is an enormously talented kid.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Crystal's freshman year was typical. Everyone not named Maya struggled as a freshman at UConn. The list includes Diana, Tina, Kaleena, Stewie, Gabby, Lou, and Napheesa. That's a TON of talent.

Crystal was the best high school senior in the nation under 6'3". Geno thinks she has Olympic potential. She won't be perfect this year, but I think she'll be really good.

 

[Blakeon18]

Augusta: as a lifelong golf lover....an obvious OT question:

Have you ever attended The Masters?
Even bigger question: have you ever played the course???

 

[SVCBeercats]

I don't know about you, but I take Katie Lou's assessment as a big positive.

Then there is Kia's assessment.

Perhaps both Kia and Lou are familiar with a Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quote or simply have an intuitive feel for its meaning.

“If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I found this to be great management advice.

 

[Crossover]

I don't know about you, but I take Katie Lou's assessment as a big positive.

“Her attitude and her approach every day have been different from what they were last year,” UConn junior Katie Lou Samuelson said. “She’s playing more freely like she did when we played together with USA Basketball three, four years ago. She’s comfortable. She’s so much better and she makes it so much easier for the rest of us by the way she leads. It’s been good for her.”

Then there is Kia's assessment.

“Crystal’s done a great job,” Nurse added. “She has a better understanding of the offense and a better understanding of the reads. She’s been making the right ones. It’s been really fun to play with her. She’s high energy and that’s great for us to have.”

The Bristol Press - After watching UConn women's basketball get eliminated last season, Dangerfield looking to bring back another championship

The coaches have their hands full with one heck of a "problem" huh?!

I also like what Katie Lou's assessment says about her (Lou's) growth as a leader. Sounds like she is right on schedule to shoulder senior leadership responsibility when Kia and Gabby graduate.

 

[augustaTC]

Augusta: as a lifelong golf lover....an obvious OT question:

Have you ever attended The Masters?
Even bigger question: have you ever played the course???

I've only lived here for about 2 1/2 years and have yet to attend, much less play the course. Masters week is funny here....so many residents pack up and leave town to avoid the crowds or to rent their homes for huge $ for the week. Played golf when I was younger, but somewhere in my 40's realized that I was doomed to be a duffer and couldn't stand the frustration of good shots followed by horrible ones. Too many other ways to spend the time and walk away feeling I'd accomplished something!