The Lou effect (merged with Lou has become a leader)

[Jim Facey]

I loved this entire play, late third quarter I think it was, game very much in doubt, the warrior known as Nika grabs a defensive rebound just below the foul line, turns and heads up the court in overdrive, Dorka takes off with her, and unnoticed by me at the time, so does the incomparable Lou Lopez-Senechal. By half court it appears there is a two on one in the making, there are two defenders getting back but one is almost out of the picture on the near side, as it develops, Nika aims straight at the hoop with Dorka on her left in perfect support, and waits the right amount of time before dishing for a virtually uncontested layup. When I watched the highlight reel, this play was in it and on replay, you can see the defender on the near side of the court stays attached to Lou as she heads for the corner, leaving the other defender with two players to deal with. She wasn’t going to leave Lou undefended in spite of the possible two on one that was developing.

 

[Zarathustra]

I loved this entire play, late third quarter I think it was, game very much in doubt, the warrior known as Nika grabs a defensive rebound just below the foul line, turns and heads up the court in overdrive, Dorka takes off with her, and unnoticed by me at the time, so does the incomparable Lou Lopez-Senechal. By half court it appears there is a two on one in the making, there are two defenders getting back but one is almost out of the picture on the near side, as it develops, Nika aims straight at the hoop with Dorka on her left in perfect support, and waits the right amount of time before dishing for a virtually uncontested layup. When I watched the highlight reel, this play was in it and on replay, you can see the defender on the near side of the court stays attached to Lou as she heads for the corner, leaving the other defender with two players to deal with. She wasn’t going to leave Lou undefended in spite of the possible two on one that was developing.

Thanks for the insight... I missed that, but will look for it on the replay == love to watch those " w" replays!!

 

[Huskee11]

That is a great point.

Lou had a tremendous game especially after struggling against Villanova the first time, 2-13 from the field and only six points. And she played a good part of the fourth quarter with four fouls. The shot she hit to make it 56-51 is not one that very many players could make. We would be lost without her.

Another thing that caught my eye on that play - when Nika gets the rebound around the foul line, she is about even with Olsen. She turns on the jets and by the time she releases the pass to Dorka at the other foul line, she is a good five feet ahead of Olsen. Much faster foul line to foul line, even while dribbling. That is why they get her the ball immediately after a rebound. That, and the need to cover Lou, made that an easy two on one opportunity.

Give credit to Dorka as well for running the floor, the bigs know they will be rewarded for doing so.

 

[huskeynut]

When a defense is forced to cover a player one on one regardless of where they are on the court, that defense is at a disadvantage.

 

[Centerstream]

That is a great point.

Lou had a tremendous game especially after struggling against Villanova the first time, 2-13 from the field and only six points. And she played a good part of the fourth quarter with four fouls. The shot she hit to make it 56-51 is not one that very many players could make. We would be lost without her.

Another thing that caught my eye on that play - when Nika gets the rebound around the foul line, she is about even with Olsen. She turns on the jets and by the time she releases the pass to Dorka at the other foul line, she is a good five feet ahead of Olsen. Much faster foul line to foul line, even while dribbling. That is why they get her the ball immediately after a rebound. That, and the need to cover Lou, made that an easy two on one opportunity.

Give credit to Dorka as well for running the floor, the bigs know they will be rewarded for doing so.

Especially since we have since learned that she was playing on a newly re-spained ankle.

 

[BRS24]

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal leading team

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal has made an immediate impact on the team this season, including making the game-winning shot Saturday.

www.ctinsider.com

"For somebody who just came into our program in June, I think she's been absolutely remarkable," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "I know we're missing a lot of good players, but if we don't have Lou, I’d hate to think of where we’d be."

"She's not gonna get any All-American votes but I don't know anybody that's been more important to any team in America than she's been to us," Auriemma said after the game in Knoxville.

"She's been carrying us the whole season," said Juhász ... She just, you know, kept staying humble. She went to the gym, she got shots off and she understood that obviously, if shots were not falling for her, she can still contribute by setting screens and helping us get rebounds, getting defensive stuff, and she took on that role. And that's why she's a really great player, because some days, you know, it's not her scoring, but today, we obviously really needed her to step up, score, and help us win this game and she was amazing. So, I’m really proud of her."

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[Centerstream]

Especially since we have since learned that she was playing on a newly re-spained ankle.

Obviously, I meant "re-sprained".

 

[SVCBeercats]

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal leading team

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal has made an immediate impact on the team this season, including making the game-winning shot Saturday.

www.newstimes.com

 

[Littlemin]

Not a comment on Senechal specifically but rather a very astute comment by my older brother who was visiting me yesterday and watched his first Uconn WBB game. He was all state first team in Jersey back in the early 60’s and played college for Manhattan. For those old timers who go way back, his favorite basketball story was matching up with Mal Graham of NYU as a freshman back when freshman were not allowed to play with the varsity. My brother used to brag he lit Graham up for 47. The punch line was Graham, who eventually was a 1st round pick of the Celtics, scored 68 in the game. The sadder part was Graham had to quit playing pro ball after two years due to a medical problem but remained a success in life, becoming a lawyer and eventually a judge in Massachusetts.

He commented a couple of times on the closeness of the Uconn team, running to help each other up from the floor, acknowledging plays, good and bad, but he especially noticed and commented on the complete lack of anything resembling negativity towards each other regardless of what transpired, no negative body language, nothing that could be remotely interpreted as disappointment on any play. His comment was it was the first time he ever saw a team that seemed to be comprised of “all leaders”.

One final comment, on two players; he was amazed Auriemma left Muhl in the game after her outburst and 3rd foul but more surprised at the way she seemed to flip the switch and remain poised for the rest of the game. Second player, he wondered why Uconn kept going to Edwards on offense when she was pretty ineffective (remember he had never seen her play before), but was full of praise for her hustle and defense, especially when I told him she was UConn’s top available scorer.

Anywzy, I found his to be an interesting perspective since he was completely unfamiliar with anything resembling specifics regarding the team.

 

[Rowdy831]

Lou has been outstanding on offense this year. Since I didn't really see her play last year I don't know how much she has improved YOY but her pick up turned out to be a huge one for the team. AE though has gone from a solid player to one of the best in the country on both sides of the ball. She flat out played against MS yesterday and also did a great job defending Boston earlier in the season. Two very different types of players that she really defended well.

 

[Bama fan]

Obviously, I meant "re-sprained".

So I initially thought you meant that ,too @Centerstream. But I looked up "spained" and found an urban dictionary entry. It read "to have your buttocks indisputably handed to you by a teacher, usually online but frequently face-to-face.". So I then thought to be "re-spained" must be just really embarrassing! So now I began to wonder which of her teachers/coaches was so vicious as to "re-spain" the poor girl's ankle, of all things. I am so thankful that you cleared up my confusion.

 

[Kaizen]

I couldn't understand one thing,
Lou played in Fairfield University from 2018 - 2022 and is MAAC ROY, POY and MVP. But no school ever tried (?) to recruit her for a transfer during those 4 years?

Lou Lopez Sénéchal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[HuskyNan]

I couldn't understand one thing,
Lou played in Fairfield University from 2018 - 2022 and is MAAC ROY, POY and MVP. But no school ever tried (?) to recruit her for a transfer during those 4 years?

Lou Lopez Sénéchal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Once a player signs with a school, other schools are forbidden by NCAA rules from contacting her. They were allowed to contact her when she went into the transfer portal but once UConn reached out, she didn’t consider anyone else

 

[CTinLA]

Although there have been important transfers in program history including Azura Stevens and Mama E., the two current transfers- Lou and Dorka - have made more of an impact than any other transfers. Evina was a steadying influence the past couple of years, but there weren’t too many games that would have turned out differently without her. A few, certainly, but she wasn’t the difference in game after game. This year, our two transfers have helped us secure almost all of our wins. Dorka is averaging a double double, and Sweet Lou brings 17 points per game. Without their 3pt shooting (Lou especially), the other team would be able to fully collapse in the paint making it even harder to score. No Lou or no Dorka would have meant no top 10 ranking, no 24-4 record, no potential #1 seed in the NCAAT, and no chance of continuing the FF streak (unless a fully healthy Azzi and Caroline had an amazing run). Although it is possible to point to Aaliyah or Nika or Aubrey and say “they saved the season”, without either Lou or Dorka we would be in trouble. Really good players, and even better young women. I’m incredibly glad that they both chose to become Huskies.

 

[uconnfan68]

The grandmas are ok.

 

[Zarathustra]

Once a player signs with a school, other schools can’t are forbidden by NCAA rules from contacting her. They were allowed to contact her when she went into the transfer portal but once UConn reached out, she didn’t consider anyone else

Also, Lou has mentioned any number of times that she enjoyed playing at Fairfield U, really respected their H.C., Joe Fager,
and enjoyed being with her teammates, etc. etc. Sometimes a person can be truly grounded on who they are
and enjoy being in the "now moment". Sounds like a mature young lady. GO LOU!!

 

[Centerstream]

So I initially thought you meant that ,too @Centerstream. But I looked up "spained" and found an urban dictionary entry. It read "to have your buttocks indisputably handed to you by a teacher, usually online but frequently face-to-face.". So I then thought to be "re-spained" must be just really embarrassing! So now I began to wonder which of her teachers/coaches was so vicious as to "re-spain" the poor girl's ankle, of all things. I am so thankful that you cleared up my confusion.

Glad I could help

 

[Lynx23]

I don't believe Lou was heralded as a recruit. I'm not even sure Fairfield knew what they had because her exposure was limited as a foreign player. Besides, as we know, a player can look great when playing against other high-schoolers and lesser opponents, and disappoint when facing other well-coached college players. Fairfield became her "proving ground" and she quickly became a team leader and the primary threat on offense. Given the responsibility she shouldered while there, it's fair to say that Fairfield made her the player she is today, also giving credit to Lou's work ethic and her desire to succeed at the Division I level. Having said this, I wonder if she would have had the same opportunity to develop as a player had she come to UCONN as a Freshman? There would have been quite a few players recruited ahead of her and, I hate to say it, she might have spent more time on the bench than on the court. Bettencourt is probably a good example. Remember, she stepped in as point for a few games earlier in the season and did an admirable job under difficult circumstances, only to find herself a bench player once again when better players returned to the court. So, we only get Lou for a year, but it is her remarkable journey that has made her the player she is, and ultimately afforded her the opportunity to lead the program she always dreamed of playing for. One more thing to ponder, had Paige and Azzi both been healthy, would we have ever gotten to see the best of Lou? Life works in mysterious ways sometimes. As a result, UCONN has been rewarded with a gem of a player.

 

[hoy-ah!]

I don't believe Lou was heralded as a recruit. I'm not even sure Fairfield knew what they had because her exposure was limited as a foreign player. Besides, as we know, a player can look great when playing against other high-schoolers and lesser opponents, and disappoint when facing other well-coached college players. Fairfield became her "proving ground" and she quickly became a team leader and the primary threat on offense. Given the responsibility she shouldered while there, it's fair to say that Fairfield made her the player she is today, also giving credit to Lou's work ethic and her desire to succeed at the Division I level. Having said this, I wonder if she would have had the same opportunity to develop as a player had she come to UCONN as a Freshman? There would have been quite a few players recruited ahead of her and, I hate to say it, she might have spent more time on the bench than on the court. Bettencourt is probably a good example. Remember, she stepped in as point for a few games earlier in the season and did an admirable job under difficult circumstances, only to find herself a bench player once again when better players returned to the court. So, we only get Lou for a year, but it is her remarkable journey that has made her the player she is, and ultimately afforded her the opportunity to lead the program she always dreamed of playing for. One more thing to ponder, had Paige and Azzi both been healthy, would we have ever gotten to see the best of Lou? Life works in mysterious ways sometimes. As a result, UCONN has been rewarded with a gem of a player.

Excellent points. In reading and viewing material on Lou, she is a person who has a strong work ethic and dedication. She has made the decisions with regards to opportunity and outcome. In choosing Fairfield vs. other prospective programs, I believe she put an emphasis on academics as well. To date, each step has been to learn and get better, in all aspects of life, not just bball. She's stated it didn't matter to her what her role would be, or how many minutes she'd play. She just wanted to contribute. Team Player.

I think if everyone was healthy, Lou would have still started or played many minutes. It's not only her shooting, but decision making. I often wonder "What if everyone was healthy?" What a sight to see this motion offense running flawlessly with two bigs in AE and DJ surrounded by three guards who can score from anywhere, cutting/weaving, drawing/dishing, ... and, the transition bball? And the bench!!! Wow! Sad to think DJ and LLS won't be around next year. Let's savor the moments.

[If Geno had found Lou as a freshman, he would have quickly observed he had a diamond in the rough. Her ascent likely would have been faster, as she's innately a competitor, and very, very coachable. Plus, she goes against the best every day. She would have thrived. But, she thrived in Fairfield. All's well that ends well.]

 

[hoy-ah!]

I don't believe Lou was heralded as a recruit. I'm not even sure Fairfield knew what they had because her exposure was limited as a foreign player. Besides, as we know, a player can look great when playing against other high-schoolers and lesser opponents, and disappoint when facing other well-coached college players. Fairfield became her "proving ground" and she quickly became a team leader and the primary threat on offense. Given the responsibility she shouldered while there, it's fair to say that Fairfield made her the player she is today, also giving credit to Lou's work ethic and her desire to succeed at the Division I level. Having said this, I wonder if she would have had the same opportunity to develop as a player had she come to UCONN as a Freshman? There would have been quite a few players recruited ahead of her and, I hate to say it, she might have spent more time on the bench than on the court. Bettencourt is probably a good example. Remember, she stepped in as point for a few games earlier in the season and did an admirable job under difficult circumstances, only to find herself a bench player once again when better players returned to the court. So, we only get Lou for a year, but it is her remarkable journey that has made her the player she is, and ultimately afforded her the opportunity to lead the program she always dreamed of playing for. One more thing to ponder, had Paige and Azzi both been healthy, would we have ever gotten to see the best of Lou? Life works in mysterious ways sometimes. As a result, UCONN has been rewarded with a gem of a player.

Forgot...UCONN has also been rewarded with a gem of a person, gem of an individual.

 

[SVCBeercats]

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal leading team

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal has made an immediate impact on the team this season, including making the game-winning shot Saturday.

www.ctinsider.com

"The grad transfer from Fairfield has become one of UConn’s brightest spots this season, proving that mid-major stars like Lopez Sénéchal — the 2021-22 MAAC Player of the Year — have what it takes to play on the sport’s biggest stage.

 

[TCC Kid]

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal leading team

UConn women's basketball's Lou Lopez Sénéchal has made an immediate impact on the team this season, including making the game-winning shot Saturday.

www.ctinsider.com

"The grad transfer from Fairfield has become one of UConn’s brightest spots this season, proving that mid-major stars like Lopez Sénéchal — the 2021-22 MAAC Player of the Year — have what it takes to play on the sport’s biggest stage.

She is the exception that proves the theory.

 

[Ozimoto]

Somewhat off topic perhaps, but it appears that Dorka has taken on the role as team spokesperson. And is doing a good job of it.

 

[Brewski]

Every year I pick a new player as my favorite and they are typically underdogs with potential. Two years ago it was Nika, one of our rare foreign recruits in quite a while. I actually had high hopes she could beat out Paige for the starting point guard position lol! Last year my favorite was Caroline because she wasn't hyped up as much as our other super stars.

This year my favorite is Lou, and she's been the biggest underdog and had the biggest obstacles to overcome and only a year to do it. I'm just basking in the glow of all the kind attention and posts she's been getting on the boneyard and in the media.

Here's to hoping she can continue to weather those 40 minute games and all the attention she's getting, not from us, but from all the other teams we play. Shoot Lou, shoot!