WBCA Awards -Wade and AA Team Presser

[RockyMTblue2]

Some interesting facial expressions in there.

 

[HGN]

Some interesting facial expressions in there.

Game faces on.....

 

[HGN]

So what does this mean for Kia ? By winning the WBCA DPOY does she go up on the Wall or not?

 

[Jaybird65]

So what does this mean for Kia ? By winning the WBCA DPOY does she go up on the Wall or not?

Not unless criteria is changed.....

 

[HGN]

Not unless criteria is changed.....

 

[Jaybird65]

Hopefully there could some room for "adjustment" considering her award is a natioanl recognition....

 

[HoopsFan21]

Hopefully there could some room for "adjustment" considering her award is a natioanl recognition....

Nope. There are other past players that you could argue should be up there and they are not. Not every great player is going to get on the wall because meeting the criteria depends on the press and other coaches.

 

[UcMiami]

It is an interesting question because there is no player who has won one of the national awards who has not also been a first team AA - Lieberman and NDPOY so rarely go to a player not on a first team - DPOY has happened once (?) Lieberman I believe never. With the addition of the four other 'position awards' I suspect that will become more common, but ...

 

[HGN]

Hopefully there could some room for "adjustment" considering her award is a natioanl recognition....

Jaybird , I hope so.

 

[Mister2]

Hopefully there could some room for "adjustment" considering her award is a natioanl recognition....

No, no, no, no. no.

You never want to "adjust" your standard simply to accommodate a particular player--no matter how that player is beloved. Otherwise your standard would be irrevocably compromised.

Do I think it is unfair not to have Kia on the WBCA AA team, given she is the NDPOY? I sure do. But it is what it is. But if you make the rope slippery, the only direction you will go is down, and that is a disservice to those already up on the wall.

 

[bballnut90]

I thought they got the list 100% right. I know a lot here want Kia on the wall, but I think all 10 players on here are the most deserving.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I thought they got the list 100% right. I know a lot here want Kia on the wall, but I think all 10 players on here are the most deserving.

It was always going to be a long shot at best IMO. There are just too many good players. In years past maybe there was just enough room to include the NDPOY 90% of the time, but that's probably not going to be the case going forward. It's too hard to quantitatively appreciate defense unlike offense for which there are a myriad of individual statistics to measure proficiency.

 

[Bronx23]

It was always going to be a long shot at best IMO. There are just too many good players. In years past maybe there was just enough room to include the NDPOY 90% of the time, but that's probably not going to be the case going forward. It's too hard to quantitatively appreciate defense unlike offense for which there are a myriad of individual statistics to measure proficiency.

Really good and concise explanation as to the likely reasons Kia wasn't voted onto the AA team.
Bronx23

 

[OldAlum]

Interesting phrasing from UConn website:
"Nurse adds WBCA All-American to her list of awards after being named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year earlier today. The Nancy Lieberman finalist is posting 13.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while adding 99 assists and 44 steals. The Hamilton, Ontario native holds a 44.4 three-point field goal percentage and was named an AP honorable mention All-American."

 

[bbballfan23]

Interesting phrasing from UConn website:
"Nurse adds WBCA All-American to her list of awards after being named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year earlier today. The Nancy Lieberman finalist is posting 13.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while adding 99 assists and 44 steals. The Hamilton, Ontario native holds a 44.4 three-point field goal percentage and was named an AP honorable mention All-American."

There are a ton of errors in that article. They mention Napheesa as a Wooden finalist & numerous other little errors for players. That being said, agree with hoops fans. Morgan Tuck was an AA and her numbers aren’t close to that of Napheesa’s & arguably Kia when you factor in her defense. This is a good thing because the women’s game is growing and improving!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Interesting phrasing from UConn website:
"Nurse adds WBCA All-American to her list of awards after being named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year earlier today. The Nancy Lieberman finalist is posting 13.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while adding 99 assists and 44 steals. The Hamilton, Ontario native holds a 44.4 three-point field goal percentage and was named an AP honorable mention All-American."

Interesting indeed. Let's hope it means what we all hope it means.

 

[CBear01]

It is an interesting question because there is no player who has won one of the national awards who has not also been a first team AA -

What about Kelly Farris? She won DNPOY just like Gabby and Kia. But no AA right? I don't think her jersey is up there is it?

 

[Bama fan]

What about Kelly Farris? She won DNPOY just like Gabby and Kia. But no AA right? I don't think her jersey is up there is it?

I thought that Griner won NDPOY in Kelly's senior year and junior year?

 

[VAMike23]

What about Kelly Farris? She won DNPOY just like Gabby and Kia. But no AA right? I don't think her jersey is up there is it?

LINK to list of past DPOY winners (WBCA)

 

[Husky pride]

Nope. There are other past players that you could argue should be up there and they are not. Not every great player is going to get on the wall because meeting the criteria depends on the press and other coaches.

This approach is truly unfair and unfortunate in a number of instances ( one being Kia’s) ...in view of the fact that UConn practices team basketball....which isn’t takent into consideration, to any extent, in handing-out AA awards! If team basketball is a UConn expectation—then it should be recognized and awarded accordingly. Sadly, it will probably never happen!

 

[ndmb]

No, no, no, no. no.

You never want to "adjust" your standard simply to accommodate a particular player--no matter how that player is beloved. Otherwise your standard would be irrevocably compromised.

Do I think it is unfair not to have Kia on the WBCA AA team, given she is the NDPOY? I sure do. But it is what it is. But if you make the rope slippery, the only direction you will go is down, and that is a disservice to those already up on the wall.

I'm a (relatively) newly-wed, and when my wife and I were inviting people to our wedding, we learned that the logic of "How can we not invite person X, if we invited person Y?" quickly led to inviting everyone you've ever met. Having said that, I'd be fine with them changing the standard here, because I would say that NDPOY is unequivocally at least as prestigious as top 10 AA. You don't have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

By the way, if you ever wanted evidence that AA status was just about offense...

 

[Jimbo]

It is an interesting question because there is no player who has won one of the national awards who has not also been a first team AA - Lieberman and NDPOY so rarely go to a player not on a first team - DPOY has happened once (?) Lieberman I believe never. With the addition of the four other 'position awards' I suspect that will become more common, but ...

Believe it or not, Sue Bird won the Lieberman Award three times but was not named a first-team All American until she was a senior, a fact I still find inexplicable.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Kia is a first-ballot "Hall of Very Good" player, but it's no travesty that she's not on the WoH.

She's been an indispensable complementary player for 4 years, a tremendous leader, and a fan favorite. We'll always remember her fondly whether she's on the Wall or not. But she's always been the 4th best player on the team (behind Stewie/Mo/Tuck, then Lou/Gabby/Collier) and not really 1st-team AA worthy. We shouldn't dilute our standards, and Kia herself wouldn't want to focus so much on individual accolades.