The teams that passed on Kia and Gabby....

[DefenseBB]

will be sorry. Of course I’m a UConn homer, but with the possible exception of A’ja I believe these 2 are going to be the best of the picks.

Edit: are there really 9 players better than Kia?

Short answer is YES.

 

[Lynx23]

Personally, I couldn't be happier as a Jerseyite. Kia now brings her skills and huge personality to New York. I suspect she'll fit in nicely and I look forward to seeing her and her UCONN teammates in action. Kelly Faris is on the pre-season roster, too, along with Stokes, Charles, and Hartley. Would be great if Kelly made the team as well. Bottom line, regardless as to who feels Lexie or Kia should have been the Sun's choice, the slate is wiped clean and each rookie must prove herself worthy. Kia has always been a fighter. My money is on her.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

No doubt Aja is the first pic. I have no idea if she will be as dominant and she was at times at SC but no team was passing on her. The Fever picking Mitchell was predictable as she is a capable point/shooting guard. Again, not sure she will ever put up large numbers. Chicago picked the next 2 and to me (ignorant of the process) I don't know how they decided to choose Diamond then Gabby.

Both Gabby and Kia are very good players who could certainly help a team. They both seem to have a quality where you want them on your team even if they aren't the big producers. and have potential to be solid WNBA players. I look at a player like Camille Little. She was good as a college player on an Ivory Latta led team and has played solidly in the WNBA for years. She doesn't always score or rebound well but she seems to be in the mix each year.

 

[Roger G]

Curt Miller loves Kia and her family. He recruited her hard in college, and coached her sister and aunt. Few know Kia better than Miller. He chose to go with Lexie based on positional team needs. A 1/2 guard more than a 2/3. It must have been very difficult, but that's the job. As a season ticket holder, I will support Lexie 100% without needing to see the selection as a slight against Kia.

I will definitely support Lexie and the Sun and I think Miller is a great coach and appraiser of talent. That being said, I was disappointed that he did not take Kia and I think it may end up being a mistake. On a facebook page dedicated to the Huskies that I visit, there were many disparaging statements made about Miller and I defended him without hesitation, but I don't fully buy the justification. Kia can play the one and she has shown that. One poster there suggested that people who question Lexie rewatch the UConn/Duke game from the tournament. I did. But I still was not impressed. (One of her best passes was to Geno. ) She's got speed and poise, I'll give her that, but the intensity that Kia brings (and UConn players in general bring) is not there yet. Maybe he feels he can bring it out of her. I hope so. What may actually be behind this whole thing might be that Kia may have been tired of living in the sticks and wanted to go to the bright lights and the big city. We may never know. Bottom line is that in my opinion Kia is a better baller and could have backed up Jasmine Thomas as point. Nevertheless, I hope it works out for the Sun and for Kia.

Edit: there was one play in that tournament game where Lexie stepped in front of Kia and stole a pass. Kia caught up to her and poked the ball away from Lexie into the hands of another UConn player.

 

[socal613ws]

is Nurse Faris 2.0 ?

 

[bballnut90]

is Nurse Faris 2.0 ?

I think she’s a better athlete and will be more successful than Faris, but the risk is there. Similar players with similar resumes and defense first attitudes. Nurse isn’t going to get a slew of open layups and three pointers like she did at Connecticut. She shot for a high percentage at UCONN, but I’ll be surprised if she’s anywhere close to the same clip in the pros...most UCONN perimeter players have their percentages come down to earth once they’re no longer in UCONN’s system. Nurse needs to develop more offensively in order to carve out a niche IMO, but I think she can do it.