Voepel article on Lou and Napheesa

[VAMike23]

Katie Lou Samuelson and Napheesa Collier ready to write their own ending at UCONN

 

[VAMike23]

 

[Carnac]

Collier is going to be a nightmare for opponents in the paint this year. All her teammates have to do is throw the ball to her outstretched hand, she’ll do the rest.

 

[JordyG]

Collier is going to be a nightmare for opponents in the paint this year.

Yes. But players like McCowan and those two at Baylor she's going to have to pull away from the basket with perimeter shots. Also once inside she's going to need to create space with a more efficient fade away, more deception once she puts the ball on the floor, or show a heretofore nonexistent hook shot. Certain bigs are just going to be a challenge for her defensively as well.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Very good write up. Most important part for me:

"For Lou, it's been a while since she's been 100 percent, and she's still not there yet," Auriemma said. "But there are days in practice where she looks better than she has ever looked in her career. We have to take measures to make sure we don't wear her out. We need to find ways to get her some breaks."

Yes, please don't wear her out; but when she's out you immediately noticed it last year. Hope it's somewhat different this year.

 

[DEpup]

Yes. But players like McCowan and those two at Baylor she's going to have to pull away from the basket with perimeter shots. Also once inside she's going to need to create space with a more efficient fade away, more deception once she puts the ball on the floor, or show a heretofore nonexistent hook shot. Certain bigs are just going to be a challenge for her defensively as well.

I saw Pheesa pull off a nasty fade away shot against Vanguard with a player all over her....

 

[Carnac]

Yes. But players like McCowan and those two at Baylor she's going to have to pull away from the basket with perimeter shots. Also once inside she's going to need to create space with a more efficient fade away, more deception once she puts the ball on the floor, or show a heretofore nonexistent hook shot. Certain bigs are just going to be a challenge for her defensively as well.

You’re absolutely right about “those two”. She’s smaller than they are, but she’s quicker than they are. This is her 4th time around the block. She knows exactly what she has to do to get her shots off over them, be it head and shoulder fakes, or up and unders.

Pheesa has a myriad of moves she can use to make would be shot blockers cautious. If those bigs are not careful, they’ll find themselves on the bench with early foul trouble trying to block her shots.

If they are successful in stopping her in the paint, she can take it 15 feet out, and handle her business out there.

 

[Carnac]

I saw Pheesa pull off a nasty fade away shot against Vanguard with a player all over her....

Like Kia Nurse, Pheesa can be a “nasty piece of business “ in her own right.

 

[JoePgh]

You’re absolutely right about “those two”. She’s smaller than they are, but she’s quicker than they are. This is her 4th time around the block. She knows exactly what she has to do to get her shots off over them. If those bigs are not careful, they’ll find themselves on the bench with early foul trouble trying to block her shots.

If they are successful in stopping her in the paint, she can take it 15 feet out, and handle her business out there.

Yes, we'll get to see a battle of cruisers vs. battleships in early January, and my money is on the cruisers. In part that is because UConn should have a clear advantage in the backcourt, and should be able to make entry passes to Lou and Pheesa more easily than Baylor's guards can make entry passes to H.M.S. CoxBrown. But I also think that Pheesa will be able to cut through openings that the battleships leave in the paint while they worry about neutralizing salvos from Naval Gun KLS.

Ultimately, you will recall, the Bismarck disappeared beneath the waves.

 

[Carnac]

Yes, we'll get to see a battle of cruisers vs. battleships in early January, and my money is on the cruisers. In part that is because UConn should have a clear advantage in the backcourt, and should be able to make entry passes to Lou and Pheesa more easily than Baylor's guards can make entry passes to H.M.S. CoxBrown. But I also think that Pheesa will be able to cut through openings that the battleships leave in the paint while they worry about neutralizing salvos from Naval Gun KLS.

Ultimately, you will recall, the Bismarck disappeared beneath the waves.

Indeed. I’m a fan of WW ll navel warfare in the North Atlantic. The Bismarch was the biggest and most feared German battleship in the world. She was advertised as being unsinkable, but sink she did.

 

[Shorty Dee]

Lou and Napheesa are going to have the season of their lives. Like Christyn said, teams are going to feel UConn. I am trying to take it game by game, but I have so much joy down in my soul .

 

[Bama fan]

Yes, we'll get to see a battle of cruisers vs. battleships in early January, and my money is on the cruisers. In part that is because UConn should have a clear advantage in the backcourt, and should be able to make entry passes to Lou and Pheesa more easily than Baylor's guards can make entry passes to H.M.S. CoxBrown. But I also think that Pheesa will be able to cut through openings that the battleships leave in the paint while they worry about neutralizing salvos from Naval Gun KLS.

Ultimately, you will recall, the Bismarck disappeared beneath the waves.

In keeping with the theme , I hope Danger and Squeaks can play the role of the Swordfish biplanes that harassed and damaged the pride of Admiral Raeder's fleet, allowing the British surface fleet to sink her. In this case the UConn world depends on them!