Gonna just list them out:
- Shooters. People that can make a shot from anywhere on the court. Azzi and Lou are the obvious ones but Aaliyah and Dorka have shown they’re pretty good spot up shooters too. its A lot harder to guard a team when they do more than just shoot from the perimeter or drive to the hoop. That’s why the team was so successful with Paige - she’s a great shooter that can make the offense more varied and difficult to defend.
- A killer instinct. Previous teams would relax when they were up and so we got adventurous Q3 and Q4 with opponents coming back and making the game closer than it should have been. I think if this year’s team begins to relax, they get the Nika stink eye but, really, this nice bunch of kids with the silly Tik Tok videos and the goofy jokes are the meanest bunch of assassins on the court. It’s good to see some attitude from our Huskies.
- Consistency. We no longer have to worry about effort or wonder what UConn team will show up on any given night. Sure, a player may not score as much as usual due to stifling defense or illness but she’s still going to give 100% effort. I love watching this team. Even the losses…I’ve never been prouder of a UConn team than after the Maryland loss.
Just my opinion so take it for what it’s worth
1) Yes Nan, in many ways a different type of team. I would add Caroline to the list of shooters not only from the 3 but also off of the bounce. You did not see it that much this year off the dribble, I think due to her injuries, since a pull up J is the most physically taxing shot to take. You did see it from the baseline against Marquette. With her long reach and height she was half an arm above the defender. She is also a cold blooded killer.
2) I think Nika has a lot to do with that attitude. It permeates the team. Once Caroline and Ay come back and we have 10 and numerous permutations on the court, the team will relax more and find a groove offensively with substitutions but defensively Geno will do his usual February transformation of the team and they will ratchet it down and tighten it even more. My only concern, which you allude to, is being out muscled like Notre Dame did to us. Azzi has to learn to deal with that by moving without the ball and by creating off the dribble more. Once the face guarding defender gets beat or fouls a few times, it opens everything up. I don't worry about Lou or CD or anyone else. I worry about Azzi when these teams try to beat us up and the officials abandon their whistles and "Let the girls play", which is an entirely different subject.
3) Great point. The team has a natural ability to play hard with several players who go out and do the work. The ups and downs are coming from Amari, Ines and Ay which is to be expected and for a while Caroline due to her injuries. The core 4 of AE, Nika, Lou and Dorka seem to play the same with only slight variations in effort. I excluded Aubrey from the mix because the timidity in her shooting detracts from her offensive consistency and confidence although her defense is always there. When she starts to get out on transition and scores and drives, she then takes her 3 point shot and when she hits it , she becomes an offensive weapon. As for consistent defense, the job she did on Everett last game was ridiculous. It was as though Everett was not on the floor once she switched onto her.
It is a multi cylinder, cohesive unit, with a vast array of talent and skills. We have the nation's leader in assists, the second best 3 point shooter by percentage in the country, the most explosive scorer in the country in Azzi, and two great interior players, either of whom can completely dominate a game, and two 5th year players who bring maturity and resolve. Throw in the X factor in Aubrey and instant offense in a healthy CD, and it is hard not to enjoy watching this team even when we are up 30. They try to play basketball in the way it is supposed to be played every single game.
It's the players also though. They are UCONN kids, through and through, all for one and one for all. I appreciate how proud you are of them. Look at what they have gone through this year. To me it's not only pride, it's love.
