Who do you think will have the biggest jump from the bench players?

[EricLA]

Because we've heard raves about Megan and because Christyn has already been named a starter, I'm only asking this question regarding the remaining 6 players on the team who are part of the bench.

Who do you think will have the most impressive leap in skill/talent/performance etc. from the remaining bench players? Not necessarily be the first off the bench (it will depend on foul trouble and if someone gets in Geno's dog house so guard or forward would need to be replaced), but rather who will have the biggest leap and play the greatest role in as the effective sub off the bench...

 

[oldude]

I don’t know that I would classify Olivia as a “bench player” for purposes of this poll because we can’t really evaluate her jump/leap since she’s a freshman.

With that said, I hope Liv is a contributor this year. My pick for biggest jump is Touly, with Mikayla a close 2nd.

 

[EricLA]

I don’t know that I would classify Olivia as a “bench player” for purposes of this poll because we can’t really evaluate her jump/leap since she’s a freshman.

With that said, I hope Liv is a contributor this year. My pick for biggest jump is Touly, with Mikayla a close 2nd.

Good point - maybe consider it during the course of the year, or the 1st half of the season. But I wanted to include all the bench players in case i left one off and someone was like "I woulda voted for ___, but you neglected to include her in the poll". You know how some people can be LOL!

 

[BroadwayVa]

I don’t know that I would classify Olivia as a “bench player” for purposes of this poll because we can’t really evaluate her jump/leap since she’s a freshman.

With that said, I hope Liv is a contributor this year. My pick for biggest jump is Touly, with Mikayla a close 2nd.

I like the way you think, alway! My personal opinion is multiple opinions: Who should make the greatest leaps? Irwin and Molly SHOULD.
Whom do I expect to be ready to give good (real game) minutes: Coombs, Touly, Gordon SHOULD if health and mental issues are of the past.
ONO--is a frosh anything she gives will be a leap from high school. Her potential is so high we don't have a single object in space higher.

 

[rvwsleep]

From last year to this year it will be close between Camara and Coombs. From the start of the season to the end ?
I'll go with Ono.

 

[Huskee11]

I went with Coombs. Biggest jump since she was barely playing at all last year, and then went down with a serious physical issue that even put this season at risk. She now seems good to go, has a lot of talent, and there are minutes available for the taking backing up Crystal.

Camara a close second, also coming off an unremarkable season marked most notably by injury.

Did not consider ONO since at this point it is hard to apply the criteria to her. But I am expecting, or at least hoping for, significant contributions from her.

Gave Gordon brief consideration, she actually looked really good at opening night festivities but probably a mistake to read too much into that.

 

[WNBA 09]

I voted for ONO , i think this year will be an adjustment for her but next season and following she will be an AA for sure.

 

[eebmg]

I actually voted for Gordon (only one apparently) since I am considering the wording of the question "jump" as a fractional improvement. Therefore, she is stating from a lower position than Irwin for example who probably will be the sub with the highest overall impact but showed significantly more than Gordon did last year.

I think all her freshman troubles started with her fitness issues and never really could make that up. Even so, she seemed to have more confidence than many of the others on the list. I cant imagine fitness being an issue again

I still think Batouly will have some combination of medical issues that will prevent her from showing her potential. I hope very much that I am wrong.

Molly is very athletic but unfortunately, she cant get outside her own head (worries about everything)

ONO feels like a project to me that will take until sophomore year.

Coombs offensive issues worry me too much although I have to think she will make some impact on defense.

I hope I am being irrationally pessimistic.

 

[Carnac]

The question was Who will have the biggest jump from the bench players?
Technically, the freshmen can't "jump" yet because they have no point of reference. It's possible that by the end of the season, based on where they started, one of them could have made the biggest jump. I'm thinking like oldude, in that the freshmen weren't here last year, so I confined my field of possible candidates to the returning bench players.

I chose Mikayla Coombs. Since she hadn't quite got the system down yet when her medical condition set in, and she was shut down the remainder of the season, she didn't have the opportunity to grow, learn and get better (in practice) as the other reserves did.

That is why I chose her. She has farther to come than any of the other reserves. I'm confident she has, and that we'll see evidence of this in the first 5 games. Christyn has come in and jumped her on the depth chart, so she has extra incentive to ball out. Obviously she does not want to spend another season on the bench.

Coombs was an extraordinary talent in HS. She hasn't had the opportunity to fully showcase her talents yet. If she's completely healthy, I expect to see some great things from Coombs this year.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I voted Mikayla. She was a special player. Mikayla had speed and skills. Due to an unforeseen health issue, she wasn't able to play the whole year. I am looking forward to watching her play this season. I do believe once she was able to practice again she put the work in.
I am also looking forward to watching Batouly and Olivia.

 

[MilfordHusky]

This may be the key question for the season, Eric. This is my wild guess:

Kyla is getting time with the starters, so I think she may be one.

Mikayla had a low starting point last year, and I think her defense may allow her to make an impact, so her jump is big.

I'm not sure that Olivia, as a freshman, should be considered here, but I think she'll be our #6 player by January or February.

 

[meyers7]

Seems kinda obvious to me.

 

[HopJim]

This may be the key question for the season, Eric. This is my wild guess:

Kyla is getting time with the starters, so I think she may be one.

Mikayla had a low starting point last year, and I think her defense may allow her to make an impact, so her jump is big.

I'm not sure that Olivia, as a freshman, should be considered here, but I think she'll be our #6 player by January or February.

You hit on the key point. Hoping this opinion is not correct, but I did not see Mikayla or Kyla display good defensive skills. With Mikayla, seemed she had poor technique-if so, hope this is coachable. Kyla's foot speed and jumping ability is on the low side so she normally has to guard players bigger, stronger, and faster. While OK at end of games, the few times she played against starters last year she consistently lost the defensive battle. Ono is relatively thin and may be a bit indecisive now, but appears very coachable. Her improvement would allow one of the bigs to rest and/or to have someone else move to a guard role. Predict she will be first off bench by mid-year and make biggest improvement throughout year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Seems kinda obvious to me.

Now, THAT is a big jump!!

 

[Longtime fan]

I actually voted for Gordon (only one apparently) since I am considering the wording of the question "jump" as a fractional improvement. Therefore, she is stating from a lower position than Irwin for example who probably will be the sub with the highest overall impact but showed significantly more than Gordon did last year.

I think all her freshman troubles started with her fitness issues and never really could make that up. Even so, she seemed to have more confidence than many of the others on the list. I cant imagine fitness being an issue again

I still think Batouly will have some combination of medical issues that will prevent her from showing her potential. I hope very much that I am wrong.

Molly is very athletic but unfortunately, she cant get outside her own head (worries about everything)

ONO feels like a project to me that will take until sophomore year.

Coombs offensive issues worry me too much although I have to think she will make some impact on defense.

I hope I am being irrationally pessimistic.

I voted for Lexi as well. I think she has talent, but arrived unprepared and not in "UCONN" condition. We saw nothing of her game last season. But I think it unfair to include ONO in the poll, so I ruled her out. I have seen enough of everyone else on the list not to expect much. So Lexi remains a mystery. And that attracted my vote.

 

[Charliebball]

Molly is very athletic but unfortunately, she cant get outside her own head (worries about everything)

you mean everything but her home work...............