Who is the vocal leader of the team?

[socal613ws]

I feel like this team of years past lacks a true vocal leader, doesn't mean it has to be someone that shouts and screams but it always felt there was one as in the past ie: Moore/Stewart/Bird/Diana
Samuelson is a great player but is she one to galvanize the team?

 

[LasVegasYank]

No one unless you count "quiet leadership" or "leads by example."

 

[BostonCanuck]

The leadership was of a different style, more lead from example than vocal, as was mentioned. But I don't think that's necessarily a problem, nor the issue. here.

The thinking I'm coming around to is that, yes, this team is too nice, too soft, too casual and lacked that killer instinct in general and of course last night. And from what I could see, Geno's seemed almost resigned to that fact. He often called them out on it during pressers and media scrums, sometimes by doing cute little impersonations of Z, for example. But did he really firmly challenge them behind the scenes to be more like the 2001-02 team, for example? It's clearly a thing with this group, and he damn well better find a way to get more from them in this area if he wants Lou to ever play in a national championship game.

 

[Bronx23]

The leadership was of a different style, more lead from example than vocal, as was mentioned. But I don't think that's necessarily a problem, nor the issue. here.

The thinking I'm coming around to is that, yes, this team is too nice, too soft, too casual and lacked that killer instinct in general and of course last night. And from what I could see, Geno's seemed almost resigned to that fact. He often called them out on it during pressers and media scrums, sometimes calling it out by doing cute little impersonations of Z, for example. But did he really firmly challenge them behind the scenes to be more like that 2001-02 team, for example? It's clearly a thing with this group, and he damn well better insist on more from them in this area if he wants Lou to ever play in a national championship game.

That surely is part of it but the other at least half is their motion offense which looks so beautiful and works so well during the regular season doesn't work so well against a very well coached talented team. No one on this team either wants to or can take over when it's needed. I was hoping it would be KLS, and yes she had four fouls, but she might not have this emotionally and less so physically within her.
They surely need someone with a huge will and throttling to go along with it.
As much as all here love Kia, she is not a strong offensive player. She can hit jump shots when left open. Both this year and last year her final offensive performances were not good. Gabby is an amazing athlete and can blow by many players with her quickness but her weak outside shooting limits her. They are two players who have contributed so much to U Conn and its culture and history but they are and have been somewhat over hyped here. I truly wish them the very best and no two could work harder than they have. One can not do, what physically they are unable to do.
Bronx23

 

[Tenspro2002]

The leadership was of a different style, more lead from example than vocal, as was mentioned. But I don't think that's necessarily a problem, nor the issue. here.

The thinking I'm coming around to is that, yes, this team is too nice, too soft, too casual and lacked that killer instinct in general and of course last night. And from what I could see, Geno's seemed almost resigned to that fact. He often called them out on it during pressers and media scrums, sometimes by doing cute little impersonations of Z, for example. But did he really firmly challenge them behind the scenes to be more like the 2001-02 team, for example? It's clearly a thing with this group, and he damn well better find a way to get more from them in this area if he wants Lou to ever play in a national championship game.

After last year, I was excited for this group to go on a vengeance tour, taking no prisoners en route to a title. It's obvious now that they never embraced that. They needed someone with the mentality of a Diana, that rip-your-heart-out killer instinct. Nobody had it.

Very disappointing.

 

[Aluminny69]

Since 2003, there have been 16 National champions. UConn has won eight out of ten NC with DT, Maya Moore, or Breanna Stewart leading the way. UConn has gone zero for six without those three superstars.

 

[BostonCanuck]

Since 2003, there have been 16 National champions. UConn has won eight out of ten NC with DT, Maya Moore, or Breanna Stewart leading the way. UConn has gone zero for six without those three superstars.

And up until now, I really liked the fact that this was such a balanced team, with all of the five/six starters being offensive threats, even if we did not have a real superstar. The redundancy from that should in theory provide more margin for error, or so I thought. Certainly challenging myself on that line of thinking now.

 

[Soxx]

That surely is part of it but the other at least half is their motion offense which looks so beautiful and works so well during the regular season doesn't work so well against a very well coached talented team. No one on this team either wants to or can take over when it's needed. I was hoping it would be KLS, and yes she had four fouls, but she might not have this emotionally and less so physically within her.
They surely need someone with a huge will and throttling to go along with it.
As much as all here love Kia, she is not a strong offensive player. She can hit jump shots when left open. Both this year and last year her final offensive performances were not good. Gabby is an amazing athlete and can blow by many players with her quickness but her weak outside shooting limits her. They are two players who have contributed so much to U Conn and its culture and history but they are and have been somewhat over hyped here. I truly wish them the very best and no two could work harder than they have. One can not do, what physically they are unable to do.
Bronx23

I wondered the same thing about the motion offense. It looked so much weaker last night . . . not near as threatening as so many other games.

 

[Rixxx]

A zone defense thrown at you will do that.

 

[Aluminny69]

I wondered the same thing about the motion offense. It looked so much weaker last night . . . not near as threatening as so many other games.

Live by the three, die by the three.

 

[BostonFan]

And up until now, I really liked the fact that this was such a balanced team, with all of the five/six starters being offensive threats, even if we did not have a real superstar. The redundancy from that should in theory provide more margin for error, or so I thought. Certainly challenging myself on that line of thinking now.

In tight games, you need "go-to" players who are fearless and can go 1-on-1 & create their own shot or draw fouls. Maya, DT did that. On this team, KLS & maybe Collier could do it, but they dont play that way. Geno needed to coach them to take over games, but he hasnt. They dont have the killer instinct. Geno's favorite saying was, "We have DT & they dont. We have Maya & they dont." He forgot what it takes to win championships.

 

[socal613ws]

The leadership was of a different style, more lead from example than vocal, as was mentioned. But I don't think that's necessarily a problem, nor the issue. here.

The thinking I'm coming around to is that, yes, this team is too nice, too soft, too casual and lacked that killer instinct in general and of course last night. And from what I could see, Geno's seemed almost resigned to that fact. He often called them out on it during pressers and media scrums, sometimes by doing cute little impersonations of Z, for example. But did he really firmly challenge them behind the scenes to be more like the 2001-02 team, for example? It's clearly a thing with this group, and he damn well better find a way to get more from them in this area if he wants Lou to ever play in a national championship game.

I like that expression "killer instinct" that definitely seems to be lacking the past 2 years for w/e reason. Could it be niceness? Possibly, Notre dame surely was the angrier team Friday night and it showed in the comments postgame with Mabrey

 

[chrissaran]

It's not a matter of killer instinct. Geno should have stuck with the lineup that went from 13 down to 7 ahead at halftime. Z was the key, so why didn't she start the second half? The offense was better, and the defense was better with Z in the lineup and Crystal out of the lineup.