What Dawn thinks of Paige.
- Thread starter ScottCT
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Paige will be auditioning for the Senior National Team on Monday. I think Dawn may have found the Sue/Diana replacement...
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I’m glad she made it clear that she wasn’t trying to disparage what Crystal brought to the team last year. Obviously she and Paige are different players in many ways and their talent levels are different. Crystal was an excellent point guard and was UConn’s best player in last year’s matchup against South Carolina. If Paige is even better, then I think SC should be worried!
RedStickHusky
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Sad but all to true that you can't say something good about somebody these days without being worried that it'll be interpreted as a slam on someone else. Typically good presser from Dawn, hoping for a good showcase contest Monday night.
MooseJaw
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It really doesn't matter to me what Ms. Dawn has to say about Crystal, she gave us all she had for 4 years and she gave us plenty. Glad she is finally getting her due in the pros. The WNBA now knows what we knew all along. I hope Paige burns SC badly on Monday, Dawn will have a front row seat.
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At least 1 if not both...
Bigboote
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This is a brilliant comment. If there's one thing Dawn understands, it's guards who can pass and score. In the lead up to the game, I'd forgotten that Dawn is the WNT coach.
eebmg
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I think Dawn had captured the essence of Paige in this quote
“She’s efficient in everything she does,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “Her IQ is off the charts. She plays at her own pace. She’s just incredibly efficient. She makes the right basketball play. That is what makes her special. …
“Paige is a generational player.”
“She’s efficient in everything she does,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “Her IQ is off the charts. She plays at her own pace. She’s just incredibly efficient. She makes the right basketball play. That is what makes her special. …
“Paige is a generational player.”
oldude
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In addition to trying out for the National Team, Paige will also be submitting her resume for the annual Dawn Staley Award. 
In 8 seasons the Staley Award for the nation’s top guard has only gone to seniors, although that is not a requirement. UConn’s only winner was Mo in 2016.
In 8 seasons the Staley Award for the nation’s top guard has only gone to seniors, although that is not a requirement. UConn’s only winner was Mo in 2016.
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Bald Husky
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Make no mistake, Dawn will be doing her best to shut down Paige and Uconn to win this game. Even though a lot of people say that this game doesn't mean that much, the coaches and players know different. Both coaches know that they have to go through each other to win the national championship. It is then, and only then, after the game that Dawn will realize when watching tape that she may have found Sues' replacement on the National Team. Huge game for Paige to show her talents, and the ability to lead a team in a big game.
Carnac
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I would beg to differ with anyone that suggests the South Carolina game doesn’t mean that much. If it doesn’t, what game does? This has been the biggest and most anticipated game on UConn’s schedule since the games with Louisville and Baylor were canceled.
This will be the only game against an elite top 5 team before the tournament. We’ve seen how our girls play against Big East competition. We saw them against Arkansas.
This game in February is the “acid test.” It’s what “level of preparedness for tournament play“ this team will be judged by. The teams on the remainder of the schedule are not the typical teams they’ll see late in the tournament.
I seriously doubt any UConn fan will be optimistic going into the tournament if SC blows us out. Conversely the opposite would be true if we blow them out.
oldude
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I’ll be optimistic if we play them tight. If we come away with a win, even if it’s a nail biter, I’ll be ecstatic.
Carnac
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I’d also be happy with a nail biter. I’d also be happy with an ugly win. I recall and embrace what the late NFL Raiders owner Al Davis use to say about winning..........
Tonyc
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I really dont see SC winning this game. UConn has Paige and 3 great point guards in Paige Evina and Nika. The only way I can see UConn loosing is if they get in foul trouble or hurt and that may not be enough. We saw that against Ark when we lost and Ark shot over 50% from trey and the floor and so did UConn and we lost on the road by a basket. I would think in this game SC may be in more foul trouble then UConn only because UConn has the ball handlers and can spread the floor If UConn gets inside Saxton and Boston could be in foul trouble
RockyMTblue2
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Seems like the thread contains some quotes from this article, but no cite to the article.
www.courant.com
“She’s efficient in everything she does,” Staley said. “Her IQ is off the charts. She plays at her own pace. She’s incredibly efficient. She makes the right basketball plays. That is what makes her special. I’m hoping that somebody is able to make her into something that she hasn’t been all season, which is not very efficient. That’s a hard feat. We’ve got to make her take tough shots and make her work for 40 minutes on both sides of the ball.”
Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team feels ‘less pressure but more hunger’ to beat UConn women this year. Standing in their way? Paige Bueckers
With last year’s win under its belt, some of that pressure has dissipated on South Carolina’s end going into Monday’s rematch. But the significance of a win over the No. 3 Huskies at Gampel Pavilion Monday night is not lost on Staley as she preps her No. 2 Gamecocks to make a deep run come March.
“She’s efficient in everything she does,” Staley said. “Her IQ is off the charts. She plays at her own pace. She’s incredibly efficient. She makes the right basketball plays. That is what makes her special. I’m hoping that somebody is able to make her into something that she hasn’t been all season, which is not very efficient. That’s a hard feat. We’ve got to make her take tough shots and make her work for 40 minutes on both sides of the ball.”
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Typically, though, when you call someone or something an “upgrade”, it means that the last thing wasn’t as good, which can mean something when you’re referring to a senior (now graduated) vs a freshman. I think that’s why she made it clear she wasn’t trying to denigrate Crystal—she wasn’t saying Crystal was bad, just that Paige is better. I’m happy with the clarification since tone isn’t always represented in text well and it could’ve come off as a very condescending thing to say had she not clarified.
RockyMTblue2
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'Course CD was WNBA Rookie of the Year, so that's an interpretive aid. ?
Carnac
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A question for any that would answer. In your humble and informed opinion, how many points will South Carolina need to score tomorrow to win? Since they are not a prolific 3 point shooting team, where are the majority of their points going to come from?
If you feel more comfortable looking at the game from UConn’s perspective, I’ll ask it another way. How many points will UConn need to put on the scoreboard to win? 85, 90,100? Can they keep SC below 75?
Last year, they held UConn to 52 points and a 2 point first quarter. I expect UConn to score a minimum of 75 points, and I expect us to play well, and not be intimidated by their record, or the outcome of last year’s game.
If you feel more comfortable looking at the game from UConn’s perspective, I’ll ask it another way. How many points will UConn need to put on the scoreboard to win? 85, 90,100? Can they keep SC below 75?
Last year, they held UConn to 52 points and a 2 point first quarter. I expect UConn to score a minimum of 75 points, and I expect us to play well, and not be intimidated by their record, or the outcome of last year’s game.
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Not sure if it was your intent, but this comment sure reads as awfully pressed. You guys can’t post nonstop about how Paige is a generational player (which she is) and then get offended when it’s noted she’s an upgrade over UConn’s previous PG. It was a relevant comment—Dawn was articulating differences between last season’s game and this one—and she noted it wasn’t a slight on Crystal in any form. And to be fair, Crystal has been a comparatively better player in her one season in the league than she was in college, even when adjusting for the year of pro coaching.
Cooke 3 point shot has been found from the corner. We need to stay close to her in the right-hand corner. Her favorite spot. She will drive to the middle of the paint from the left side of the court and does a dipsy doodle. Make her drive baseline from the left side of the court and we will need help defense like liv on her. She doesn't usually pass when she drives because she can get her shot off if she is defended well then SC crashes the boards with Saxton, Boston and Beal. Henderson is a lighting bolt on the break she is faster than anybody on our team. She is also now hitting some three's. Boston inside and now outside if we jam the middle. Amihere and Grissett come off the bench and offer lots of size Amihere is so athletic for a big we will need to go big with Edwards and Liv when she comes in the game. Can't wait for this game I hope we are Healthy. We will need Aubrey and Aaliyah.
And with all due respect, neither opinion will mean a thing if the teams meet again in the tournament. I agree the game means something, and agree a little bit more for the quality of opponent but it IS meaningless as a predictor for the future. We will never know of course, but Uconn got beat in all such games last year but the team looked much different after that leading up to the tournament.
MooseJaw
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Good question, wish I knew the answer to it. I do feel that while we hold what looks like a wide margin of talent up top SC holds just as wide a talent gap underneath. For us to come out on top I feel that we must be accurate from outside and in most cases it is easier to score from close in. We need for Liv to show up and compete not disappear like she has against talented 5's in the past, also for AE to play under control.
Who's shots fall, who plays the best D. and especially do the guards from SC get hot? all questions that no one will know until tomorrow night as well as your original post question. Glad I have no idea to any of the questions answers. I will be on the edge of my seat emotions running wild, cheering, groaning, yelling at the TV, I love it, I'm already nervous, what I love about the big matchups. Turn loose the dogs of war. Go Husky's!!