Which player will step up to be the leader of the team? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Which player will step up to be the leader of the team?

ballerfan said:
I’m going to miss Christyn, Liv, and E. I loved watching them play. Paige, however, deferred to them a lot, as they were the upperclassmen. This will be the first season that Paige will be the undisputed leader able to fully direct the team on the floor. Because of Paige and Azzi’s longtime friendship, I also expect to see positive competition between the two.

More generally, this season’s team might have better chemistry compared with last year.
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I don’t know that Paige necessarily “deferred” to the seniors on the team. As others have pointed out, Paige has been UConn’s leader on the court since the day she arrived. She is also a “team” player with a tremendous basketball IQ. As such she knows that the path to any championship requires everyone on the team to be involved.

I will reference one play vs NC State in the Elite 8 game as an example. At the start of the game, Christyn passed up an open 3 at the top of the key to pass to Paige on the wing. As soon as the ball hit Paige’s hands, she fired it back to Christyn who set herself and knocked down the 3.

Of course Paige was tremendous in the 4th qtr and 2 overtimes of one of the most competitive WBB games I’ve ever seen. But everyone on the team was involved and contributed to the victory.
 
oldude said:
I don’t know that Paige necessarily “deferred” to the seniors on the team. As others have pointed out, Paige has been UConn’s leader on the court since the day she arrived. She is also a “team” player with a tremendous basketball IQ. As such she knows that the path to any championship requires everyone on the team to be involved.

I will reference one play vs NC State in the Elite 8 game as an example. At the start of the game, Christyn passed up an open 3 at the top of the key to pass to Paige on the wing. As soon as the ball hit Paige’s hands, she fired it back to Christyn who set herself and knocked down the 3.

Of course Paige was tremendous in the 4th qtr and 2 overtimes of one of the most competitive WBB games I’ve ever seen. But everyone on the team was involved and contributed to the victory.
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I agree with almost everything you said. But I also think that the three seniors, older and more experienced, were important leaders, and they will no longer be there.
 
Paige is the floor leader, no doubt -- I agree with everyone about that, and it's been true since day one. But there's another kind of leadership, the kind where you're the one who tells hard truths to teammates, like that they're not working hard enough, and then there's the leader who provides emotional support in a crisis.

This last one was Evina the past two years, and you could really see it when Dorka got hurt and Evina was the one to stay with her until help from the bench arrived -- that's who Dorka talks about when she remembers the event. And we know she was the one to bring everyone together socially two seasons ago when 5 freshmen showed up in Storrs. She could also lead on the floor when no one else was emotionally ready, like in the first half of the UCLA game. But leading outside of games was her province.

Azzi talks about how Paige is constantly telling her what she can do better, likes she's another coach. Can Paige do that for everyone, or is she only able to do that for her best friend? Amari is the queen of the cheerleaders on the bench, and you can see Paige and Olivia liked to sit next to her during the long injury hiatus.

Caroline seems quite reserved, and Geno said in an interview that she came to Storrs last year with something to prove. I wonder if that will mean she has the voice to tell teammates they have to do more. Given what she's already demonstrated hen the team really needed her, she's earned the authority to speak up in those ways.
 
I think Paige takes this one and I know she's capable of being the "hold you accountable" type based on her high school performances and clips. She really stepped up in the leadership role in her later years (esp. senior year), so I'm optimistic she'll also be able to fill that role at Uconn.
 
“She is a basketball player. Born to be a basketball player,” Auriemma said. “Everything she does, she’s a natural.”

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The more I think about it, UConn will only go as far as its leadership can take it.
I'm convinced that Paige needs to mold the team and make everyone mesh both on and off the court.
She doesn't need to do it all, she only needs to lead them all so that they can all harmonize and work together as a unit.
Since UConn can't win it without her, that means that they can't work against her and work against the current that her leadership brings.
Just generally speaking, Geno has ideas about how to run the team, Paige has ideas of how to score, but Paige is going to be the one on the floor that Geno trusts to make all of the parts work together.
Geno leads everyone as individuals, but Paige needs to be the leader on the floor.
The team can operate without her, but that's not the leadership role that I'm thinking about.
I'm thinking about how she can help direct where the passes go to, the pace of the game, shot clock management, and how to get people moving.
Geno will be pulling the strings but Paige is needed to oil the wheels on the court.
If she doesn't provide the leadership, then bad shot selections can be taken, players will be out of position when the shots are taken, too many shots may be missed, that kind of thing.
If these kinds of problems aren't addressed by someone being the team leader, then they may not get addressed at all.
And then that promotes a losing formula for the team.
The women huddle all of the time durin games, and Paige needs to be the communicator.
I can't think of anyone else that it can be to handle that role and level of personal responsibility.
I think that Paige is already doing it, but everyone on the team needs to look up to her and listen to her advice.
I'm sure that she gives them playing advice all of the time.
 
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This is Bueckers' team now and it should effect the dynamic between her and coaches during games. I think we can look forward to reliving those sideline "disagreements" between Geno and Taurasi. Bueckers was very demonstrative on the court in HS. In her senior year most of the rest of the players were 8th grade to sophomores. They were very talented though (Nnagi, Battle, Agara are 3 off the top of my hear) and she got everyone involved. Always encouraging and celebrating others' good plays. And she likes it and you can't say that about all great players
 
obviously, paige is the most talented teammate, unless one of the newcomers, miraculously, can outdo her (ho, ho, ho). In addition, she is apparently a fun kid and the most charismatic, despite the allegations of some (e.g., geno, azzi) that she also can be annoying as hell. The huskies may in fact be her team.

all this does not mean she must be the leader, like that is some kind of honor. It her case, particularly, you should remember that her plate is already heavy -- incredibly so. ... i mean, give the kid a break. She doesn't need to have that expectation on her back. Everybody already expects her to be the savior when a game is at stake. NOW she's got be responsible for the whole shebang? Plus, she must deal with her social media empire and celebrity, at 20 years old.

geez. poor paige. i truly feel bad for her.

there are 10 others on the teams. I imagine -- make that know -- least a few have leadership qualities. Let them lift the burden of team leader off paige. She needs and deserves some help, even if she doesn't ask for it. Even if she appears to be extraordinary.

which she is.
 
TCC Kid said:
Excuse the use of the word Obvious, but when I read the top of this thread--PAIGE just jumped out. Also, it seemed apparent Evina was the MOMMA not the on floor/team leader. Even sitting on the bench teammates seemed to go to Paige. HuskyNan's Nika the Gnat, just tickled me. I'm sure some teams thought of Nika as swarm of Gnats.
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Nika the Gnat, what an apt description. I love it! :)

I think between Paige & Nika the floor leadership will be just fine. But Evina was the off floor leader and they are going to miss her if someone else can't step in for her.
 
PacoSwede said:
obviously, paige is the most talented teammate, unless one of the newcomers, miraculously, can outdo her (ho, ho, ho). In addition, she is apparently a fun kid and the most charismatic, despite the allegations of some (e.g., geno, azzi) that she also can be annoying as hell. The huskies may in fact be her team.

all this does not mean she must be the leader, like that is some kind of honor. It her case, particularly, you should remember that her plate is already heavy -- incredibly so. ... i mean, give the kid a break. She doesn't need to have that expectation on her back. Everybody already expects her to be the savior when a game is at stake. NOW she's got be responsible for the whole shebang? Plus, she must deal with her social media empire and celebrity, at 20 years old.

geez. poor paige. i truly feel bad for her.

there are 10 others on the teams. I imagine -- make that know -- least a few have leadership qualities. Let them lift the burden of team leader off paige. She needs and deserves some help, even if she doesn't ask for it. Even if she appears to be extraordinary.

which she is.
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As far as I am concerned, Paige was the leader of this team since the 3rd Q of her second game freshman year against SH. Add to that her work ethic in practice, drills, her increasing effort and continual improvement on defense. fighting to get back from injury to become the best player on the team again, etc. etc. etc.

When one of her teammates reaches AA status, then we can have shared governance
 
SVCBeercats said:
Straight from the lips of Geno: Auriemma also noted that Bueckers and Mühl have taken on “a much, much bigger role” in terms of leadership.
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I believe these two will be the leaders of the team moving forward, and are most likely already seen as serving that role by the players and coaches. Many here have suggested the same. Some have speculated that Paige will solely serve in that role. This discounts the fact that, by Geno's account last season, Nika was the voice that the players listened to on the floor, that she was confident and indiscriminate in directing her teammates (even the older players) and that they listened to her because she knew what she was talking about. Couple that with her own comments before leaving this spring 'that it was time to grow up some and take on a larger responsibility her junior season'.

Given that she just returned to the court after battling a non-covid illness (as per Geno) coupled with the quoted comment above, that she and Paige have taken a much, much bigger role in terms of leadership it seem to follow that, for Nika at least, that bigger role has not been by example on the practice court but rather in terms of other forms of leadership. Others may join this duo but I feel both Paige and Nika see themselves as assuming this role and are both fully willing and capable to do so.
 
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I agree that players other than Paige will provide leadership. Nika in particular with the energy she gives the team, her all-out effort on the floor, her defensive skill and presence, her passing ability, and her role in running the floor especially when Paige is on the bench. She’s smart, and the team listens to her. But Nika will not provide anywhere near the same level of leadership that Paige will (despite Geno’s comment about Nika’s leadership when Paige was injured) because of Nika’s more limited skill set and playing time compared with Paige, Paige’s off the charts BBIQ and court vision, Paige’s presence as a role model and the general respect the team has for Paige, Paige’s increasing role in demanding hard work from other players, and Paige’s unofficial role as a member of the coaching staff. Also, as Geno says, Paige gives the team a lot of confidence.

Unless something dramatically changes, Paige will be the overwhelming, unquestioned leader of UConn both on and off the court next season. But there will still be leadership roles for Nika, Azzi, and the other amazing players on the team. It’s a team game, not a solo act. Imagine, for example, the great feeling that everyone, including Paige, has when at the end of a close game Azzi is fouled and goes to the free throw line. Azzi, given the confidence the team has in her, will provide leadership as well.
 
ballerfan said:
Imagine, for example, the great feeling that everyone, including Paige, has when at the end of a close game Azzi is fouled and goes to the free throw line. Azzi, given the confidence the team has in her, will provide leadership as well.
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You make a good point about Azzi making clutch free throws at the end of games. If it’s inspiring for us to see, the team must be even more inspired by her.
 
I still think (and I am not alone after reading some of the comments) and say that Nika is the leader of the team. Sure, Paige is the Face of the team, but Nika is the heart of the team.
 
JellyBean said:
I still think (and I am not alone after reading some of the comments) and say that Nika is the leader of the team. Sure, Paige is the Face of the team, but Nika is the heart of the team.
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I respect your opinion.

I don’t agree with it, however, even though I just wrote above why Nika plays an important leadership role on the team.

Here’s one example. In the championship game against South Carolina, despite Azzi being sick and out much of the game and Caroline not fully back to health, Nika played just 16 minutes. The leader of the team does not play just 16 minutes in a championship game.

To call Paige merely the face of the team is … well, I’ll let that one go.

Happy weekend everyone.
 
I would say that Paige is more the "head" of the team because she is absolutely brilliant on the court, her vision is just other worldly. She reminds me so much of Wayne Gretzky in that sense, she always sees how the play is going to unfold before anyone else does & like him she also has the skill to bend it to her will. And she will only get better.

I think it is fair to say Nika is the "heart"of the team, inspiring her teammates with her never give up no matter what determination. She doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit" no matter how difficult the situation might be. She has improved since her freshman year and I believe she can get even better.

The Huskies need both head & heart to win. They're damn lucky to have both in Paige & Nika.
 
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Leadership is not just being a cheerleader, but also providing a calming influence when things get tough. While with all the injuries last year it was difficult to sustain consistent leadership, when Huskies needed a basket, Caroline was usually there. While usually quite, after Azzi made multiple 3-pointers in a row, the team's energy grew. When Edwards shut the other team's bigs down, everyone seemed to play harder. While I also encourage players being vocal, I would hope for more of this quite, performance based leadership this year.
 
Beemer said:
I would say that Paige is more the "head" of the team because she is absolutely brilliant on the court, her vision is just other worldly. She reminds me so much of Wayne Gretzky in that sense, she always sees how the play is going to unfold before anyone else does & like him she also has the skill to bend it to her will. And she will only get better.

I think it is fair to say Nika is the "heart"of the team, inspiring her teammates with her never give up no matter what determination. She doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit" no matter how difficult the situation might be. She has improved since her freshman year and I believe she can get even better.

The Huskies need both head & heart to win. They're damn lucky to have both in Paige & Nika.
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No slight at all on Nika but Paige's heart is just as big. I recall the last 2 games before the injury in her second season against Seton Hall and ND. She was absolutely flying on the defensive end getting putting her body (what there is of it ) on the line again and again. That body crunch by Maya Dodson was brutal. Her head should probably tell her she is too valuable to launch herself into these scrums but her heart says otherwise
 
eebmg said:
No slight at all on Nika but Paige's heart is just as big. I recall the last 2 games before the injury in her second season against Seton Hall and ND. She was absolutely flying on the defensive end getting putting her body (what there is of it ) on the line again and again. That body crunch by Maya Dodson was brutal. Her head should probably tell her she is too valuable to launch herself into these scrums but her heart says otherwise
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This is so true.

And I still cringe thinking about that encounter with Maya Dodson's knee.
 
Maybe I am reading things wrong or maybe just full of mullarkey, but as far as the behind the scenes/ off court leadership goes, I see Dorka stepping into the role.
Seems to have the right combination of fire and coolness, along with the obvious respect of the rest of the squad.
With Liv’s departure Dorka inherits the mantle of senior big.
She also had to sit on the sidelines and watch the mauling UCONN took in the paint during the NC final.
Think that will motivate her as much, if not more than any of the others.
Yes, Paige will continue to be the main cog in the machine.
Nika and Ayleah will continue to light the fuse when needed.
But Evina left some shoes to fill.
Maybe Dorka will be Cinderella and don the glass slipper
 
Inthepaint said:
Maybe I am reading things wrong or maybe just full of mullarkey, but as far as the behind the scenes/ off court leadership goes, I see Dorka stepping into the role.
Seems to have the right combination of fire and coolness, along with the obvious respect of the rest of the squad.
With Liv’s departure Dorka inherits the mantle of senior big.
She also had to sit on the sidelines and watch the mauling UCONN took in the paint during the NC final.
Think that will motivate her as much, if not more than any of the others.
Yes, Paige will continue to be the main cog in the machine.
Nika and Ayleah will continue to light the fuse when needed.
But Evina left some shoes to fill.
Maybe Dorka will be Cinderella and don the glass slipper
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I think you're definitely on to something here. Dorka said how painful it was to have to watch her team lose & be unable to do anything about it because of her injury.
 
.-.
eebmg said:
No slight at all on Nika but Paige's heart is just as big. I recall the last 2 games before the injury in her second season against Seton Hall and ND. She was absolutely flying on the defensive end getting putting her body (what there is of it ) on the line again and again. That body crunch by Maya Dodson was brutal. Her head should probably tell her she is too valuable to launch herself into these scrums but her heart says otherwise
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Paige is the leader. I recall even on the bench especially during the nova game they lost she was screaming at her teammates to play harder / tougher. She has always been the leader.
 
Paige and Nika will be the primary leaders but in different ways. The best comparison I can make is like Steph and Draymond with the Warriors.

Paige and Steph are more lead by example, do what I do kind of leaders. Their immense skill sets and talents set them apart and everyone naturally looks to them for leadership. Both also have the ability to put the entire team on their back if the situation calls for it.

Nika and Draymond are more so the heartbeat of the team. They provide passion and energy that is unmatched. However, they aren’t necessarily going to be the ones taking the last shot in a close game like Paige or Steph would be. More for vocal and emotional leadership.
 
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