The one thing about this years team that I enjoyed the most is .. | Page 2 | The Boneyard

The one thing about this years team that I enjoyed the most is ..

Paige and Edwards. Two All American freshmen, though the latter will have to wait until next year this time to pick up her award.
 
. . . that this team made UConn BB fun again. The very special freshman class, their youthful exuberance, the variety of personalities (and skill-sets and body types)--what a joy they were. Following on @BlueSkyGLW above, a special memory was hearing Geno speak so well of their celebration after winning the BE tournament (or was it the regional? The one with the confetti). Nice to see an old teacher get a kick out of seeing his pupils celebrate being successful.

Runners-up . . .

It was SUCH A DELIGHT watching Evina play.
That 3 of the top 6 players were freshman--wow
Watching Christyn blossom
And the incomparable Paige!
 
....watching a bunch of women having fun and enjoying each other's company. I think Geno was having fun too. (He wouldn't admit it)
 
There is a particular beauty to this team ... the atmosphere of mutual feeling for each other is evident ... although subtle ... magical actually ... it is what makes the depth to this team beyond the skill ...
 
Growing pains for sure but the unbridled enthusiasm was so infectious. Enjoyed this post and comments.
 
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I should add that I bow to the juniors for welcoming the kids, including accepting the coaches pushing to give the freshmen greater roles, none bigger than Paige's and when they delivered, continued to support and encourage them. Whether Evina had more to do with that than the other two is immaterial - they all accepted it well. Essential to team building, this attitude.
 
augustaTC said:
I simply enjoyed watching a young, enormously talented team grow. Their enthusiasm and, dare I say, love for each other, the unselfishness, and fierceness was a joy to see. Everybody grew: ONO rounded out her game, Christyn, God bless her, became an all-around player (and smiled again!), E was the catalyst, on and off the court, AE was a amazing, and Nika (admittedly my favorite) brought a level of fierce determination not seen in years. And Paige....what can you say, she is otherworldly. Everyone on the team contributed in some way. Next year is going to be something to watch, particularly with E coming back, new freshmen and the transfer from Ohio State. And if I learned anything from watching Stanford play this year, you simply cannot have too much depth. Yikes!!!
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I couldn’t agree with you more. It may have been the pandemic or not, but the closeness of this team absolutely caused them to be the team that they became. You could see how much they loved playing and each other’s success, they were gritty, tenacious, and brought out the best in each other. Not the ending they or we wanted but it was a great season.
 
Apart from the fact that none of the kids caught the virus or had a serious injury, I
think my favorite thing was watching Christyn come back from the dead. I think
Geno did a great job in giving her the emotional support and encouragement that
she needed.
 
My favorite thing about the year is the transcendent Ms. Paige Bueckers, a freshman who started as point guard and didn't just pull it off, but gave us a show the likes of which we have never seen and to the amazement of every voting group for every major end of the year award she was qualified to win. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around her season.
 
I enjoyed a few things.
1. The talent level was way up even if it's in the puppy stage.
2. infused with some infectious competitors
3. But the biggest difference is watching with a new found appreciation. Maybe it was the long sports void they helped fill, the lack of expectations which made victories seem like achievements not forgone conclusions or just recognizing we are fortunate to be at the beginning of a new period of seeing the best players in the women's game in our house.
 
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Chemistry, Effort, Passing and the laying of a foundation for a new exciting era with the freshmen class. That class pretty much insured being a good contender for their four years. Sometimes we have to wait a couple of years hoping our high recruits will turn out close to their incoming rankings. It was pretty clear from Geno's comments even in training camp, that this class was the "real deal". Sure they would have growing pains, but I think he knew even then, that these were difference makers in a program that has had so many.
 
......Watching Paige live up to the hype. She became the team leader very early in the season. Her being a first year player did not effect her ability to lead, or have her teammate’s trust and respect.

When UConn needed a basket, she delivered (see the South Carolina game). Her no-look passes and clutch shooting were phenomenal, and worth the price of admission. I was extremely skeptical of the thought that she would/could come in and learn the system fast enough to start that first game, and not only keep that spot, but significantly contribute game in and game out.

Paige is “ultra special.” All of the awards she won during the season bore that out. Even though I’m supposed to be a seer, I didn’t see that coming during the summer, when we were trying to figure out the starting 5.

I also enjoyed watching Aaliyah grow and develop this past season. It’s hard to imagine that she‘s going to come back this fall even better via her sophomore leap. She’s going to be a nightmare for opposing teams. If she does not start, she should be the 6th man. Regardless of all the talent Geno will have at his disposal this coming year, I think he’ll find it hard to keep her on the bench. Remember what he said about her this year? He said he was never uncomfortable having her on the floor. 😳

Lastly, I enjoyed watching this team grow and develop as a unit. They won games they were suppose to win, even though they were top heavy with freshmen. They made it to the final four and did not lose to an unranked team as some other elite teams did. They beat Tennessee, South Carolina and Baylor. For a young team, that’s pretty good. Now, let’s build on that success for next season.
 
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Watching Aaliyah.

Also watching the team cheer each other on. I think Aubrey is a star in that sense. Her quiet nice personality shines.

Waiting to see what Paige would do to save the day, and then seeing it.

Seeing Christyn put it all together at the end of the season.
 
This years freshman class developed very quickly and they are now the foundation of the program for the next 3 years. Sit back, buckle up and enjoy what will most likely be a new era of dominance for UConn WBB.
 
Drew8 said:
Watching Aaliyah.

Also watching the team cheer each other on. I think Aubrey is a star in that sense. Her quiet nice personality shines.

Waiting to see what Paige would do to save the day, and then seeing it.

Seeing Christyn put it all together at the end of the season.
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Christyn needs to pick up where she left off when the season resumes. ;)
 
Cornell Lt said:
This years freshman class developed very quickly and they are now the foundation of the program for the next 3 years. Sit back, buckle up and enjoy what will most likely be a new era of dominance for UConn WBB.
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Agreed. It appears that Geno and staff has put together a team that can once again return to dominance and be bad for WCBB once again.
 
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