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Message: [QUOTE="BlueSkyGLW, post: 4256897, member: 11281"] Posted a version of this elsewhere but this is a better home: In an interview with SNY after the Mercer game, Paige did say that Coach and she agreed for her to start - I assume her part was to assure him that she was fit enough and mentally ready. Since the Coach seems to have initiated this move, I can only surmise that he was thinking of getting her ready for the later stages of the tournament where he believes she is needed to have a better chance at winning the NC. So, conditioning her in this role earlier prepares her better and starting to do that with easier opponents balances the downside before she gets there. In doing so, he is trying to give his best weapons (Paige, Azzi) a chance to be their best.....and that means, get Paige caught up playing with her teammates who have grown while she was sidelined, in the role expected of her: playmaker and scorer. Not easy in the short run of games that was left when she returned. So, he is giving her as much chance to get there. If she doesn't, he will have to think of a different solution (on the fly), including putting Nika back in as a starter??? (which I seriously doubt will happen and, given his history with Paige, he will be slow to substitute her as well). This is what Coaches do: figure out a way for their best players to play their best when the team needs them most. The odds are long but one hopes he will get more of Paige that he wants to see as they progress. The reason he will persist? There are moments when the ball zips around better when Paige is on the floor. Alas, OTOH, there are moments when she doesn't like their positioning and movement, so she redirects causing a pause in the flow. He wants more of the former, less of the latter. She is doing fine on defense. I would guess that her teammates want her with them on the floor as well, hiccups and all for now while anticipating the outcome of Paige being a fast adjuster. Still, not easy coming back from a serious injury....... Get used to it for the games they play in Bridgeport. I believe they will get to the FF but Stanford is a harder team to beat than South Carolina without Paige being Paige of last year, though now with a balanced role: playmaker and scorer, given that there are more scoring options, especially having Azzi roaming around to different launching positions. Does he really need to do this to have the best chance for #12? He has the regionals to see the progress he wants while thinking of putting Plan B at the ready. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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