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- Nov 18, 2021
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In Paige's sophomore year, UConn faced SC in the NC. Azzi was sick, Liv was under the weather, Dorka was missing after breaking her wrist against NC ST, and Paige, frankly, was operating around 70%. Uconn was gutted before tip-off. Afterwards, while disappointed, fans had next year to look forward to. It wasn't long before the adversity train picked up full steam.
Peering into the future, human nature usually paints a rosy, optimistic future. Unfortunately, time has its way in altering reality. Only now, are we witnessing potential coalescing, the juggernaut, Geno and UConn fans believed this team could be. The previous 2 seasons were marred by endless season-ending injuries. The current roster includes 7 players, many of them key, who have missed one or more seasons due to injuries. Paige has missed roughly 1 1/2 seasons, Aubrey 2, Azzi 2, Ayanna 2, Caroline 2, Ice and Jana 1. This level of adversity wreaks havoc on player development and consistency.
Early in the season, the team was slightly misfiring, but there was evidence that this team could be on par with some of the great UConn teams of the past. For a player like Azzi, whose game is predicated on timing, playing time and reps were required for her to regain her shooting stroke, but more importantly, her confidence. She's been a season long work in progress.
Jana has been inconsistent in her first year. I think as fans, we forget that recovering from injury is only one part of the rehab process. Achieving prior performance levels is the next progression. Look at Ice Brady. She is looking more comfortable and confident in her second year after injury. Expect Jana to take a big leap in performance next season.
Looking forward to Sunday, there is no more next year, especially for Paige, and possibly Geno. The time is now. This team looks different from previous teams with Paige. They are deeper, have added a prodigious talent in Sarah, and are clicking on all cylinders. The team is playing with a confidence hardened by adversity, have upped their defensive intensity, and extol a mentality of not being denied or derailed in carrying out & executing their mission.
This is Paige's last game, her last Final Four game. While she has delivered repeatedly in Elite Eight games, helping UConn to reach Final Fours, she is still waiting on her first 20-pt game. I have no doubts that if UConn wins tomorrow, she won't care, but it would be apropos to close out her career with a stellar performance that UConn fans will cherish and always remember.
A perfect way to cap her legacy.
Peering into the future, human nature usually paints a rosy, optimistic future. Unfortunately, time has its way in altering reality. Only now, are we witnessing potential coalescing, the juggernaut, Geno and UConn fans believed this team could be. The previous 2 seasons were marred by endless season-ending injuries. The current roster includes 7 players, many of them key, who have missed one or more seasons due to injuries. Paige has missed roughly 1 1/2 seasons, Aubrey 2, Azzi 2, Ayanna 2, Caroline 2, Ice and Jana 1. This level of adversity wreaks havoc on player development and consistency.
Early in the season, the team was slightly misfiring, but there was evidence that this team could be on par with some of the great UConn teams of the past. For a player like Azzi, whose game is predicated on timing, playing time and reps were required for her to regain her shooting stroke, but more importantly, her confidence. She's been a season long work in progress.
Jana has been inconsistent in her first year. I think as fans, we forget that recovering from injury is only one part of the rehab process. Achieving prior performance levels is the next progression. Look at Ice Brady. She is looking more comfortable and confident in her second year after injury. Expect Jana to take a big leap in performance next season.
Looking forward to Sunday, there is no more next year, especially for Paige, and possibly Geno. The time is now. This team looks different from previous teams with Paige. They are deeper, have added a prodigious talent in Sarah, and are clicking on all cylinders. The team is playing with a confidence hardened by adversity, have upped their defensive intensity, and extol a mentality of not being denied or derailed in carrying out & executing their mission.
This is Paige's last game, her last Final Four game. While she has delivered repeatedly in Elite Eight games, helping UConn to reach Final Fours, she is still waiting on her first 20-pt game. I have no doubts that if UConn wins tomorrow, she won't care, but it would be apropos to close out her career with a stellar performance that UConn fans will cherish and always remember.
A perfect way to cap her legacy.
